An update from MyTV New England

[Received some updates from Christopher Murphy, Development Executive at MyTV New England about new things in the works.]

New Hampshire filmmaker Daniel R. Black and MyTV's Film and TV Development Executive Christopher C. Murphy are collaborating on the local independent feature film "Joy and the Apocalypse" which goes into production throughout Sept/Oct 2010. The feature film will have its broadcast premiere on MyTV New England within a new TV program called, "The Movie Theater". This new TV program is under a larger umbrella initiative - an "Independent Film Series". MyTV New England is rolling free workshops for New England filmmakers at the MyTV Studios to learn how to fund their feature films and their distribution to a 2.5 million New England homes using a "Branded Entertainment" model developed by MyTV New England.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rock-Your-Head-Productions/105178596205012

MyTV New England would like to announce that the upcoming weekly TV series "Debra Crosby's Talent Quest TV Show" will have it's broadcast premiere on Sunday, Oct. 3rd at 11am on MyTV New England. This Massachusetts based TV show will be broadcasting out of the So. New Hampshire TV station to 2.5 million homes throughout New England. MyTV's Film and TV Development Executive Christopher C. Murphy would like to invited families to watch this TV show. It's a great addition to a growing list of MyTV's locally produced broadcast TV shows.

http://hollywoodeastconnection.com/?p=8051

The newly launched NBC Universal Sports Boston (physically located in the same building as the MyTV Studios in So. New Hampshire) is excited to announce that a new mix martial arts TV show "Cage Insider" had it's commercial broadcast premiere on Aug. 27th 2010. This new TV show covers everything MMA in New England...tune in for exciting local cage fighting!

http://www.cageinsidertv.com

KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Search

[Neat opportunity for elementary, middle and high school students forwarded to me via the National Education Association.]

KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Search

Five children between the ages of 6 and 15 will win a 12-month term as a Kids First! film critic.

To enter the competition, applicants must submit a review of one or more of the official Kids First! Film Critics' Search titles. DVDs of the search titles will be available at Toys R Us stores, Amazon.com, and most local libraries.

The winners will be sent to Red Carpet events and advance screenings where they will review new family films,  interview celebrities, and blog about upcoming films.

A $10,000 college scholarship will be awarded to the child who writes the best review of The Velveteen Rabbit.

More information here.

Emmys 2010: Part 2

                                      
The Emmys Weekend posts continue as I take you to the GBK Gifting Suite at the SLS Hotel.  This was one of the official gifting suites of the 62nd Annual Emmy Awards, so it was A-List all of the way.  I cannot wait to share the interviews from our day at the SLS.  Now, for those of you not familiar with gifting suites, let me give you the rundown on how they work.  It's a true VIP experience.  I arrived at the hotel, the valet flirted with me, complimented my outfit, and graciously guided me to the nearest Starbucks for my morning caffeine all within three minutes of my arrival.  Now, I'm not even famous or anywhere near even D-List, and that is how nice they were to me.  The celebs check in at the gifting suite area as they are paired up with a PR gal/guy who will guide them through the five rooms of free goodies.  The PR person is responsible for presenting the celeb to each table, for writing down the items given to the stars (Remember, there is a responsibility to the IRS for anything over $10,000), and schlepping a huge duffel bag.  The bag was large enough for me to crawl in and hide.  Most of the PR guides were female and petite, so they were trying gamely to lug the bags throughout the suite.  Trust me, they were heavy.  


So, the celebs are given anything they want for free.  New Invicta Lupah watch?  It's free.  A year supply of Tic Tacs in your favorite flavor?  FREE.  Wine, cheese, vacations, jewelry, and shoes?  All free, free, free.  The only thing they are required to do is pose for a photo with the vendor and their product.  It is understood that their image may be used in a magazine or on the vendor's website. It is sort of an indirect endorsement in exchange for free things.  Can you tell that FREE is the key word here?  Here are a few of the celebrities we bumped into at the GBK Gifting Suite:

Probably the most surprising attendee in the gifting suite, Joe Mantegna from Criminal Minds. I always think of Mr. Matengna as true theatre actor who isn't interested in the Hollywood game.  He kindly gave us a few good sound bites and he quietly went on his way.

Easily one of my top 3 interviews of the weekend.  Here's Kiernan Shipka who plays  "Sally Draper" on Mad Men.   I have interviewed her before, so we have a fun little rapport. She was so excited about her dress for Emmy night.  It was just as beautiful as she described.  Kiernan is an atypical Hollywood kid:  fresh-faced, engaging, and smart in all of the right ways.  I had a chance to speak with her mom and her grandmother too.  They are raising one lovely young lady. 

Kiernan on the red carpet.  Photo courtesy of the LA Times.

Neil Patrick Harris is probably one of my favorite actors right now. I even went to see his directorial debut at the Hollywood Bowl for the annual musical production of Rent.  Did he stop for interviews?  No.  Hmmmm, I kind of take issue with that because if you are willing to take free stuff, you can stop for two questions.  I would have even been willing to make them all industry-related versus personal questions.  Oh well.......

Kathryn Joosten was a hoot!  She speaks her mind and she had me in stitches throughout our entire interview.  You know Kathryn from The West Wing and Desperate Housewives, she is a two-time Emmy winner, and a cancer survivor.  Another Top 3 interview for the weekend!

All right, 30 Rock fans, here is Scott Adsit who plays "Pete Hornberger" on the show.  I joked about his new Invicta watch because I used to sell Invicta watches when I was a network host at ShopNBC. We had a good time making fun of my former profession.

Melora Hardin, who plays "Jan" on The Office and I shared a fun Emmys moment from 2008.  I had been in the bleacher seats that year and I yelled to her on the red carpet, "I loved you as Fantine in Les Mis at the Hollywood Bowl".  She gamely told me she remembered that moment which I appreciated whether she really remembered it or not.  

Sarah Rue is from the now-cancelled, Eastwick, and she is currently a Jenny Craig spokesperson.  She looks great and the plan is really working for her.  Um, I don't have much else to say as she was rather frosty.......you fill-in the rest of the story.

You never knew who you were going to run into. Every nook and cranny was filled with a familiar face.  As we were leaving, Judah Friedlander of 30 Rock pulled up in a Rolls Royce limo.  At first, it was an over the top moment, until we saw his mother step out of the limo and they started taking pictures in front of the vehicle.  He was treating his mom to a special day on the town.  It was sweet.  

Just a few snapshots of some down moments around the gifting suite.  If you take a look at that pink and white wall I am standing in front of, it's made entirely of pink and white Tic Tacs.  Pink Grapefruit is their new limited edition flavor available in September and October for Breast Cancer Awareness.

The best cupcakes ever!  Check out Stuffed Cupcakes for the most delicious cake filled with cream in the middle and just the right amount of frosting on top.  With 150 flavors, I am ready for this store to hit the West Coast.  In the meantime, they ship cupcakes anywhere in the US!

I promised you a giveaway and a giveaway you shall have.  I am giving away a whole collection of items from this weekend's gifting suites.  You will find a Heaven Simone chocolate brown scarf, 2 packs of Commandos (I bet you didn't know you needed these!), an amazing TheraPearl Eye Mask, 2 Elemis Moisture Melt oils, and a sassy bracelet from Crash & Burn.  All you have to do is comment below and tell me your favorite moment at this year's Emmy Awards.  Open to US residents only. Winner will be selected via Random.org.  Contest ends Monday, September 6th at 11:59PM PST. Winner will be announced at 9AM PST on Tuesday, September 7th.  

I'll be back tomorrow with Emmys 2010, Part 3.  

   

Emmys 2010: Part 1

Oh, what a weekend!  I have a lot of photos to share with you and hopefully a few stories behind some of the interviews.  The interviews from Mingle Media TV will be posted in the next few days, but here's a head start on what happened this weekend at some of the pre-Emmys gifting suites, parties, and events. I was trying to put them all in one post, but it was too overwhelming, so here is the start of my Emmys weekend:

Reality Cares Benefit: Friday night I was at the Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive for the Love Hope & Healing Cancer Benefit.

With the band, Honor Society, who played that night.  They are cute, sweet, very Disney, and friends with the Jonas Brothers.

Max Adler from Glee.  Even though he plays a non-singing role in the show, Max revealed he was a member of show choir back in high school....sequins and all!

Patrick Gallagher of True Blood and Glee.  Is he looking at my boobs?

Guillermo Diaz from Weeds told me his favorite TV character is Mork from Mork and Mindy.  Here we are doing a little  "Nanu Nanu" on the red carpet.

Lots of web series fans will recognize Lauren Mayhew from Private High Musical.  She  couldn't remember who created her dress.  We had to do a little tag checking during the interview.

Okay, here we go.  Vienna Girardi from The Bachelor.  She was the host of the evening and I have to say, she is sweet and much prettier and softer in person.  I don't know what her career plans are in LA, but I think she got screwed with a little Mike Fleiss editing on the show.  I am glad she is away from Jake because I think he is crazy.  Yep, I said it.  Crazy.

Lots of goofing around on the red carpet with my producer, JD Piche, behind the camera.

The wardrobe rundown:

Dress by:  Born Crucial

Shoes:  Stuart Weitzman, Winter 2007 Collection

Necklace/Earrings/Floral Ring:  Roni B.

Smoky Quartz Ring: Rachel Zoe, QVC

Nails:  "Suzi Says Da!", OPI

Clutch:  Target Clearance Sale! $7.98

I will be back with more photos tomorrow and I have lots of good stories from the GBK Gifting Suite with your favorite celebs from The Office, 30 Rock, Mad Men, and Desperate Housewives.  I will also be doing an Emmys event gift bag giveaway, so come back and join me at Red Carpet Closet tomorrow!                          

                                  

   Photos Courtesy of Mingle Media TV and Kristyn Burtt.  May not be used without linking back to the proper sites.  

   

Weekly Wrap-Up

It's that time to wrap up the week and call it a Friday.  This will be a shorter post since I have been on a job all week to kick off a new season of one of my favorite gigs.  I found out that my first location with be at the State Fair of Texas again this year, so expect a lot of posts like this.  I don't expect Oprah to show up this year though, but the food promises to be a plethora of gastronomic delights and aches.  Let's wrap it up:

Monday:  I spent the entire week in Huntington Beach working really hard and presenting on advanced technology for 2012.  Yes, I already know what some of you may be driving in two years, but it was really hard to focus when you had a view like this:

Tuesday:  The always inspirational and kind Mark Gantt was featured in an article by Buzz Edition about his journey with The Bannen Way.  The Web Files interview with Mark and his co-creator, Jesse Warren, was also a part of the piece.  Mark's story really is a fascinating one and a true tale of taking charge of your career and creating opportunities.  Buzz Edition article.

Wednesday: MoreWireLess sponsored by Broadcom continues to entertain and delight. (I'm hilarious at 5:30 in the morning!)  This episode features the crowd pleaser, "How to Connect a Bluetooth Headset".  Thanks for your continued support for this series:


Friday:  Don't forget to watch my Tuesday coverage for Dance Channel TV of the blink/drEam red carpet with all of your SYTYCD and ABDC favorites. I know you are a true dance fan if you know those show acronyms.  Let me know what you think of the video piece.

Finally, it's the beginning of Emmys weekend for me. I am heading back to LA to hit the red carpet and give you the scoop on all of the latest fashions at the parties and a behind the scenes look at those amazing gifting suites. What is it like to be a celebrity and have people giving you free stuff just for showing up?  Well, I will let you know, so look for that feature next week here at Red Carpet Closet.
Have a great weekend.  See you on Monday!

PS If you can't wait until my Emmys Weekend post on Monday, be sure to follow me on Twitter.  I will be tweeting 140 characters and photos all weekend.

Web TV Prom

If you didn't go to your high school prom or want to relive your youth, well, here is your chance.  ThisWeekIn and Tubefilter are throwing an incredible event on Wednesday, September 22nd for charity for the Los Angeles-based non-profit, Our House, a grief support center.  The night promises to be quite memorable with a host of web celebrities nominated for Prom King and Queen from iJustine to Mark Gantt of The Bannen Way to Shanrah Wakefield of Oz Girl.

Tickets are $25 before September 15th and $30 after September 15th.  You can grab your tickets at Eventbrite.  If you cannot make the event, don't worry, ThisWeekIn will be live streaming the event, so you can watch from the comfort of your couch in your prom dress.  You will definitely see me there, but now for the big question:  What to wear?  Any suggestions?

What:  Enchantment Under the Web Prom
Where: Busby's East
             5364 Wilshire Blvd
             Los Angeles
When:  Wednesday, September 22nd
             8PM-11PM
Cost:    $25 for the Early Bird Special
            $30 after September 15th.

Camden IFF expands Points North Doc Forum with NEW ENGLAND FILMMAKER PITCHING SESSION

[Interesting opportunity for our New Hampshire documentary filmmakers...]

Camden IFF expands Points North Doc Forum with NEW ENGLAND FILMMAKER PITCHING SESSION

Recognized as one of the top 25 film festivals in the world for documentary films and filmmakers, the 6th Camden Intl Film Festival will take place September 30 - October 3, 2010. This year the festival will expand its Points North Forum, a gathering of key industry leaders from the documentary community (last year featured representatives from HBO, Sundance, PBS, IFP and funders the LEF Foundation and Gucci Tribeca). The Forum is a unique opportunity for the largely under- served New England non-fiction production community to connect with industry execs through several panels, structured networking sessions, receptions and informal gatherings.

OPEN CALL TO NEW ENGLAND FILMMAKERS!

(DEADLINES - Aug 25th / Sept 1 / Sept 10th 2010!)

New this year is the first Points North Pitch, an opportunity for 6 New England filmmakers to pitch current projects in development to an international delegation of industry leaders who will provide critical feedback and advice. Filmmakers with projects in development are invited to submit proposals (first deadline August 25th, 2010, announcements made mid-September). For more information on the Festival or Forum and how to submit your pitch, visit http://www.camdenfilmfest.org/pointsnorth

Requirements: 1-page synopsis, 1-page budget summary, 1-Page on Production Team and Sample Video material (DVD or Upload)

Shop Local

With the news about economy going from bad to worse, it is important for all of us to remember Mom and Pop.  They are the ones that run the stores in your neighborhood.  They sometimes get overlooked for the big brick and mortar stores like Nordstrom's, Bloomingdale's, or even Target.  It's time for us to go back to Main Street and remember "Who are the people in your neighborhood?".  (Thanks, Sesame Street!).  I stumbled upon my favorite neighborhood store by chance last summer.  My friend, Maria, and I decided to have a celebrity store run one lazy Saturday afternoon.  That entailed a trip to Lisa Rinna's Belle Gray and Melissa Joan Hart's, SweetHarts in Sherman Oaks.  The excursion turned out to be a mixed bag.  Lisa's store is impeccably decorated, clean, and well-designed.  Unfortunately, the price tag for simple items like a white t-shirt are well out of the norm for most shoppers.  So, we looked and we left.  To comfort our shopping souls, we headed over to Melissa Joan Hart's candy/ice cream/bake shop.  I ate a delicious red velvet moon pie baked by Carnie Wilson.  Yep, Wilson Phillips baked some goodies for Sabrina the Teenage Witch's candy store. Only in Hollywood, kids, only in Hollywood.

                                                     
After a little sugar, we wanted to continue shopping, so we headed a block down the street and stumbled upon one of the greatest boutique finds ever, Roni B.  The store is inviting with its pink and black decor and a friendly, Roni B, ready to style, accessorize, and dress you down to the last detail.  With a stylist's eye, she knows when to add a belt or an earring to complete the look for the red carpet or the wedding or the birthday party.  The best part?  The looks are all affordable.  Many of the dresses are under $100 and the styles are right on trend.  If you see that expensive designer look in Lucky Magazine, chances are a more affordable version is available that month in store.  The greatest thing about shopping local is the people you meet and the friends you make, that is exactly what you will find at Roni B.

Below are some of the looks styled and created by Roni B that I have worn on the red carpet or on my show, The Web Files.  For those of you in LA, make sure to stop by and tell Roni that KB sent you.  I bet you will walk out with a Roni B. bag in hand.

Let me know what look is your favorite in the comments below. Don't forget to follow Red Carpet Closet at Bloglovin.

Three film festivals to launch US QR Code campaigns

[This piece crossed my desk this morning - the New Hampshire Film Festival gets a nice mention. Side note: the New Hampshire Film Office has also been exploring utilizing QR codes for location scouting and production directory purposes - very cool stuff! Stay tuned!]

For the first time in the US, three film festivals, two on the west coast and one on the east coast, will be using QR Codes on a variety of material to bridge the physical world with the digital world. The Port Townsend Film Festival (September 24-26), the New Hampshire Film Festival (October 14-17) and the Edmonds International Film Festival (October 20-24) will permit individuals to snap a QR Code with their smart phone cameras from a number of items: newspaper ads, posters, passes, program guides, tickets, t-shirts, temporary tattoos, chocolates, cookies, cupcakes, etc. Within a couple of seconds, iPhone, Blackberry, Droid users will be watching film trailers, video interviews, accessing websites and/or downloading information.

Read the full piece here.

Dancing on the Red Carpet

For all of the fans of So You Think You Can Dance and America's Best Dance Crew, this video is for you.  I had the opportunity along with Dance Channel TV to cover collidEdance's blink/drEam last week at the Music Box Theatre in Hollywood.  It was a hot night on the red carpet with many alumni from the FOX and MTV dance shows.  Some dancers were there to dance while others were there to support choreographer, Erica Michelle Sobol, in her whimsical and lively evening of dance.  Erica was a pleasure to interview because she was easy to interview.  Why does that make a difference?  Some dancers are not media savvy, their art is created and performed with their bodies, not their voices.  So sometimes, red carpet interviews are awkward.  However, Erica gave great sound bites, she was friendly, and she has a great on-camera presence.  Another superstar on the red carpet was Lauren Gottlieb from SYTYCD.  Her mentor is Tyce Diorio and it shows.  She navigated her way through the press line like the star that she is.  Tyce is a genius at this too (See the documentary Every Little Step to see what I mean.) and he is passing this great quality on to Lauren.  Another great dance mentorship hard at work-genius!

To see the real stars on the red carpet, head over to WireImage for photos of the evening.

This was one of my most unusual nights on the red carpet.  I poked choreographer, Sohey Sugihara, in the eye to show that the frames to his glasses were just that frames, no glasses (Stay until the end of the piece, you will see what I mean.), I stumped many dancers with the easy question, "Who is the one major dance influence in your life/career?", and I made Janet Jackson's choreographer, Gil Duldulao, cry.  Yes, I said cry.  He is such a sweet man and I wish more of his interview made the final edit.  Here's the scoop:  I asked him how his working relationship with Janet has changed since Michael was such a huge influence on her work.  Well, Gil is a very close friend of the family and the emotions of the loss of the pop icon are still raw.  His eyes welled up with tears and he explained that his influence is so great, it is almost like Michael is still here.  It was such an emotional moment on the red carpet.  One I have never experienced before and one that I will never forget.  I sent Gil off with a big hug after our interview.

We were also able to capture some of the rehearsal footage with the dancers and grab what happens behind the scenes on the night before a big performance. And I know, I know, it's "bad rehearsal, good show.", I think I screwed that phrase up in the piece.  So, sit back, relax, and enjoy all of the hot action from the red carpet:  

NH 7DayPSA Competition offers filmmakers an opportunity to make a difference to Granite State charitable organizations

[From the organizers of the NH 7DayPSA Competition:]

Registration is open and runs till Sept. 9 for the Granite State’s First 7DayPSA Competition, brought to New Hampshire by Red River Theatres, Hatchling Studios, WMUR-TV 9, and Smoky Quartz Productions.

Volunteer filmmakers will produce a Public Service Announcement for a New Hampshire Charitable Organization that otherwise could not afford to hire an ad agency to produce such a spot. All winning, client-approved, broadcast eligible spots will air on WMUR TV-9 in 2011.

The Competition Week runs September 23-30, 2010. Teams can choose to pick up their Surprise Client Assignments and Producers Packs from Red River Theatres in Concord or at Hatchling Studios in Portsmouth (which is donating editing services for the final reel of PSAs).

All completed PSAs will screen at Red River Theatres, the Host of the NH 7DayPSA Competition, on Monday, October 11, tentatively scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Top prizes will be awarded to the best of several categories, including Best Overall PSA. The top PSA may be eligible to be nominated for an EMMY award.

The 7DayPSA Competition launched from Providence, Rhode Island with the Premiere event in January and February 2010. Smoky Quartz Productions, the only New Hampshire-based team to compete in the Ocean State, took home the Top Prize and several Best of Categories, including Best Director to Adam Jones of Henniker, Best Cinematographer to Gary Anderson of Deerfield, and Best Editor to Marc Dole of Portsmouth, with “To the Power of YOU” produced for Big Sisters of Rhode Island. The spot is being nominated for a Hatch Advertising Award and will be nominated for an EMMY Award in early 2011.

Team registrations are currently being accepted at Red River Theatres; regular registration deadline is Sept. 2; extended deadline is Sept. 9, 2010. For more information, please visit the NH 7DAYPSA blog, the National 7DayPSA website, or WMUR’s Community Calendar. Stay tuned to latest developments via Twitter @NH7DayPSA. Interested Donors or Team Sponsors may contact Dana Biscotti Myskowski at nh7daypsa@gmail.com.

Mad Men Monday

I know, I know, Mondays are not usually anyone's favorite day of the week, but I have a full week of excitement planned.  First of all, it's Emmys Week here in LA.  This weekend, I will be covering some of the gifting suites and Emmys festivities with Mingle Media TV.  I haven't been to a gifting suite before, so I want to see how elaborate these events are.  Can you imagine being a celebrity who just has to walk in and pick out whatever they want?  Free vacation to Cabo?  Okay, it's yours.  Free Ray-Bans?  If I must.  New Marc Jacobs boots for free?  Sign me up!  So, look for that video footage after the Emmys as we go behind the scenes of what they are really like.  I received my tip sheet for one of them (Tip Sheet:  A list of celeb faces/quick bio for media so they know who is attending the event.) and I was thrilled to see that Bryan Batt from Mad Men is on the list.  If you are a fan of the show, you know that he played Salvatore Romano for the first three seasons.  I really don't understand why they didn't continue with his storyline since I consider it to be an important one.  Being gay in the early 60's was a huge taboo and I wanted to see how that issue played out in his marriage and at work.  So, I am officially starting my campaign to bring Sal back to the show and I just might let Mr. Batt know on Saturday.

Bryan Batt AKA Salvatore Romano on Mad Men

If you are watching Mad Men, you know this season has been a big one for Kiernan Shipka who plays Sally Draper.  I was fortunate enough to have interviewed her at the Saturn Awards earlier this summer.  She is just as amazing in person as she is onscreen.   Since I work the red carpet often, it's nice to see kids be able to speak without having memorized lines about their show, role, and what they like to do. Sometimes the publicists give them little "speeches" and they sound like robots (I'm talking to you, Disney!).

For those of you in LA, be sure to see the FREE exhibit at FIDM where they are honoring some of the best in costume design from the shows Glee, The Tudors, and Mad Men.  You will be able to see a retrospective of the Emmy-nominated costumes through September 4th.  It is a stop you must make if you are interested in the incredible work that is being done with wardrobe on screen these days.  The exhibit is open from 10AM-4PM, Tuesday-Saturday.

Mad Men Collection by Janie Bryant on QVC , September 29th.

Finally, if you want to take Mad Men to a whole other level and wear those fashions, Mad Men designs are coming to QVC in September. Emmy-nominated costume designer, Katherine Jane Bryant AKA Janie Bryant, will bring viewers her inspirations from the show to the home retailing giant on September 29th.  It should be a great way to style up your fall wardrobe with a vintage look derived from the show.  According to InStyle Magazine, you will find "The 20-piece collection, which reflects the 1960s era, includes a reversible coat, leopard-print purse and faux fur boleros and capelets. Prices range from $26 for jewelry to $138 for coats."  I don't know about you, but I am anxious to take a closer look at the collection.  If you think home shopping channels aren't for you, then you might want to head on over to QVC.com  and see what they are offering these days.  I think you might recognize a few designers......Isaac Mizrahi, BCBG, Jessica Simpson (Her shoe line is to die for lately!), Marc Bouwer, and Erica Davies (I wore her dress to the Oscars in 2007.)  Maybe I am biased, but QVC isn't such a bad place to shop.


Have a great week, everyone.  Let me know what questions you have about gifting suites in the comment section below.  I will try and get those questions answered for you this weekend.