April 2006 Archives

Gorgeous Video-Game Insipred Movie by Paul Robertson

APRIL 26, 2006

If someone made a side-scroller like this I'd buy it in a heartbeat. It's 10 minutes long, but worth every minute [via Random Foo]

Quick Post link: http://probertson.livejournal.com/18096.html

Posted in Quick Post at 9:48 pm.
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A New Breed of Movie PR

APRIL 26, 2006

Today, movie studios seem to be showing film critics fewer and fewer screenings. Stephen Humphries of the Christian Science Monitor argues that precscreening for youth-oriented movies like The Benchwarmers doesn't make sense since their target audience isn't reading reviews in magazines and newspapers anyway.

"I've talked with the advertising guys at studios about it," says Peter Bart, lead columnist at Variety magazine. "The media world is changing, and the people they want to reach are the kids who are looking at MySpace.com and exchanging instant messages about pictures aimed at them. Conventional critics don't matter."

Okay, but that doesn't explain the reason for cutting out the prescreening proccess all together.* Instead of doing a screening for the group of movie reviewers that get paid, they should be doing ones for those of us who review movies in a much more informal way. This is a long tail group that hasn't been properly tapped.

Living in New York City, I am often asked to preview films that are coming out in the coming weeks or months while standing outside of a megaplex. Sometimes the studios are looking for feedback on an early cut of a film but other times they're just looking to build some buzz for a new movie. Instead of approaching the often-isolationist NYC moviegoer, they should be going after bloggers and MySpace (or other social network) users.

I realize that many PR firms are already targeting the moviebloggers out there, but imagine a PR firm that goes after the level just below them. Maybe they pay Technorati for a list of every blog that has 100 links in and has posts tagged with movie. Then they contact MySpace and, ignoring ethics for the sake of argument, pay for a list of everyone with over 150 friends. They take this group and screen to them instead of taking a chance on a schmo walking into a movie who might never tell anyone about the movie.

Potential advertisers stand to benefit both themselves and their customers by taking advantage of the data that already exists to find the connectors and mavens of the blogosphere. Sure, there are the elite few with a really wide reach, but if you go after the thousands who reside in the next level below, everyone will be happy. Mavens like to share information on new media and connectors have the social network to get a meme moving quickly.

Buzzwords aside, there is huge potential here. Looking online for the right type of moviegoer will prove much more fruitful for studios looking to promote a slapstick comedy starring Jon Heder or a redneck crime drama with Billy Bob Thorton. And the first PR firm to compile a list like this with tons of metadata will make a boatload of money.

* All that really means is they have zero faith in their product.

Posted in Music\TV\Film\Media at 2:20 pm.
1 Comment |

Apple Trying to Get Studios to Include iPod Video-sized Films on Blu-ray Discs

APRIL 25, 2006

This is promising. I can't wait for the day when we own the rights to viewing a film on any media and won't be forced to re-pay for format changes.

Quick Post link: http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/25/apple-trying-to-include-ipod-video-content-on-blu-ray-discs/

Posted in Quick Post at 4:24 pm.
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Wes Anderson's American Express Ad

APRIL 24, 2006

Finally, something that is actually funny and isn't painfully schlocky [via kottke]

Quick Post link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spCknVcaSHg

Posted in Quick Post at 11:29 pm.
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Boeing 797 Will Carry 1,000 Passengers

APRIL 24, 2006

It can fly 654mph has a range of over 10,000 miles and can fit 4 larger Bar Mitzvah parties [via airbag]

Quick Post link: http://www.newtechspy.com/articles06/boeing797.html

Posted in Quick Post at 11:18 pm.
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Horrible Segues with Anchorman Clive Rutledge

APRIL 24, 2006

A McSweeney's list that's funny because it's true

Quick Post link: http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2006/4/21monks.html

Posted in Quick Post at 4:26 pm.
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The History of the Netflix Envelope

APRIL 21, 2006

Quick Post link: http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/20/technology/business2_netflixgallery/index.htm

Posted in Quick Post at 9:51 pm.
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Help me pick out new glasses

APRIL 21, 2006

I'll be adding photos as I shop. Thanks internet!

Quick Post link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/capndesign/sets/72057594113246353/

Posted in Quick Post at 3:56 pm.
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Mike Hacks a Fabulous MySpace Layout

APRIL 18, 2006

Doesn't this go against all MySpacers across the globe stand for?

Quick Post link: http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2006/04/hacking-myspace-layouts

Posted in Quick Post at 2:49 pm.
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Video: Gnarls Barkley Performs on Top of the Pops

APRIL 18, 2006

Love the flight staff costumes

Quick Post link: http://www.stereogum.com/archives/002506.html

Posted in Quick Post at 2:45 pm.
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Extended Preview of Deathlok, the New Show by Brendon Small

APRIL 11, 2006

Note: he's the creator of Home Movies

Quick Post link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C4FqTfFma8

Posted in Quick Post at 11:24 pm.
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Adicolor Green

APRIL 11, 2006

Adidas is creating short videos for each of the six colors in the Adicolor series. Videos for pink and white are also available.

Quick Post link: http://www.r006g146b071.net/

Posted in Quick Post at 11:20 pm.
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Sports, Money and Integrity

APRIL 11, 2006

Tomorrow, it will likely be announced that Derrek Lee has extended his contract to the tune of $13 million a year over 5 years. It's not a bad take, but he could easily have made more with the Yankees or Red Sox in the offseason. But, apparently, the extra cash isn't worth it to him.

During Sunday's game, Peter Gammons said that Lee would rather stay a Cub than earn a few extra (million) dollars. Lee himself said:

If it's a deal I feel is fair for me, I would sign it. It's still a business. I always look at it as if there is a deal that makes me happy now, why not sign it? I don't think $2-3 million a year more is going to change my life.

I love hearing that. Sure, it's important to sign the guy who will best help your team, but having a five-tool player isn't always as valuable as a man of character. Well, a man of character with four tools.

When NFL free agency began, the Bears (and I) had their eyes set on Antwaan Randle El. Thanks to the increased salary cap, virtually every team had a ton of found money and the Redskins decided to go nuts. They snagged Antwaan for $31m over 7 years with $11.5m in guaranteed money, which was far too high for a number two receiver, even if he might fill multiple needs for the Bears.

As much as I wanted the Bears to sign him, I'm glad they didn't. If top dollar is all that matters, buzz off.

I'm going to avoid a Moneyball rant, but this gets to the idea of spending your dollar wisely. You don't need to throw money at a team to build a winner. The Patriots and Steelers have proven that in football and Oakland's done it in baseball (at least in the regular season). As much as I want to see the Cubs break the Curse of the Billy Goat, I can understand and appreciate their choices. Also, it's no fun to root for a team that is always expected to win. I'd much rather be on the cusp and root for the scrappy underdog.

Posted in Sports at 9:35 am.
3 Comments |

Salvation Army Prints Posters on Blankets

APRIL 11, 2006

A "wow, duh" idea unearthed by my new favorite blog

Quick Post link: http://www.frederiksamuel.com/blog/2006/04/salvation-army.html

Posted in Quick Post at 1:16 am.
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Mike Rants About the Necessity of Downloading TV Shows

APRIL 7, 2006

I'd like to stress the need for on-demand from the major networks. Oftentimes there are two shows on at once and I'm forced to download one.

Quick Post link: http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2006/04/i-steal-television-shows

Posted in Quick Post at 3:50 pm.
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Online Game Tracking Options for the MLB

APRIL 5, 2006

The 2006 Major League Baseball season has begun (the Cubs won their first game 16-7; woo) and I'm psyched. Lots of potential drama with high-profile trades, signings and steroid allegations in the off-season. But now that the season has arrived, how are you going to keep abreast of games whilst toiling about at your job? You'll use your trusty game- channel/tracker/day/log from one of your favorite sports sites. Because I'm a sucker for good information design, I thought I'd walk you through the four major options you have for realtime game tracking. Three of them are brand new and ones an old standby. Also, the new ones have a few bugs but I won't poo-poo them as the software has only been in use for a couple days.

I'm going to take you through the paces after the jump, but you should also consider trying mlb.tv, which lets you watch games online for $79.95 a year, or Gameday Audio, which only gives you audio but is an easier pill to swallow at $14.95 for the season.

MLB.com Gameday

Of the four options I'll be showing you, this is the only that existed before this season. I've also used it over the last two seasons, so I may be a bit biased. That being said, I think this may be the best of the bunch. Above all else, it offers the most information (without clicking) in the second smallest space. Yahoo! and ESPN have sexier options, but you've got to do more clicking to get the information you want.

Pros:

• Rolling over player headshots gives their line for the day, over fielders gives fielding percentage and over runners gives stolen bases
• The data is updated incredibly quickly
• Very utilitarian design allows for maximum amount of information

Cons:

• The utilitarian design ain't pretty, even if it works
• Switching between games is slow and only scores are provided for other games
• The small space devoted to the game log is an issue for innings with a lot of activity

ESPN.com Gamecast

Like any good piece of Web 2.0 software, this newcomer is still in beta. I think these people think it says betta. ESPN.com has a habit of making beautiful pages and this is no exception. Of course, you ought to have broadband and a big monitor if you want to use this puppy. Although I've only watch parts of a couple games with this, it's growing on me a lot and could rival MLB.com's offering. Their integration of Todd Dominey's Slideshow Pro is slick.

Pros:

• The color palette makes it very easy to take stock of a game's status quickly
• The game log is large and easy to read. You can scroll through the whole game.
• The graphics are just fun. When a ball is hit the pitch and hit are animated in a very Baseball manner.

Cons:

• It's incredibly hard to figure out how to only view scoring plays (you click on the score above the log)
• The window is 960 pixels wide. Way too big. I think the header is at least 100px tall.
• Infomation about current batter and pitcher is crammed in. Spacing and font choices make it hard to read.

Yahoo! Gamechannel

I've learned to prefer Yahoo! over ESPN for football, but I don't know if that's the case here. Yahoo! continues their focus on fantasy players, which makes sense based on the number of them, by devoting a lot of real estate to to other games around the league. Unfortunately, I think it forces you to do too much clicking to see all the information about the game you're supposed to be following. I don't see myself using this much during the season.

Pros:

• Lack of annoying video. It's the only one that doesn't force you to watch dumb videos between innings.
• Information on other games shows baserunners, outs, score and last play
• Good scoring alerts

Cons:

• The design is blah and feels a little cramped.
• The play-by-play is too wide and tough to read.
• There's no way to see who is on the bench.

CBS Sportsline Glog

Yes, they are calling it a glog. What is a glog? "It's an expert color commentary of the contest at hand - not just what happened but why and how it affects the rest of the game." Well, dumb name but an interesting concept. Looks obviously aren't a priority, so they've got to rely on writing. Thus far, the writing is really dry, but it does provide the subjectivity that's missing from our other options.

Pros:

• Uh, an actual perspective on the game.
• Yeah, that's it.

Cons:

• Not even a box score.
• I just want a little more personality. Lines like, "I could swear I felt a breeze sitting at my computer" aren't gonna cut it.

Conclusion

None of these newcomers really had what it takes to knock off MLB.com's Gameday. It's not the best looking, but it does what I need. ESPN's offering has potential, but it's size is a definite problem. Even if you have a 1024x768 monitor it'll take up the entire screen. That's far too big to watch at work. Still, I'm excited the newcomers are pushing the boundries as it'll hopefully lead to more innovation. As these applications get better, the experience may eventually be better than watching the game.

Posted in Sports, Technology\Web at 9:07 am.
1 Comment |

NYTimes.com Redesigns

APRIL 3, 2006

Quick Turnaround, Khoi. Pro: Wider layout brings beautiful whitespace and more legible articles; Con: some of the font sizes on the homepage are probably a bit small for those with weak vision. This new design seems more flexible so I'm excited to see how the NYT crew takes advantage of it. Now I just want to hear all the nerd-tastic details from Khoi.

Quick Post link:

Posted in Quick Post at 12:24 am.
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