The Rosey Report

'Hanging Like My Nuts'

2009-11-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

On Thursday and Friday, November 19th and 20th, Rosey Media supported SNL and the Lonely Island in shooting the SNL Digital Short "Two Worlds Collide ft. Reba McIntyre."

Though Ms. McIntyre was not on set in person, her spirit was certainly captured by SNL cast member Kenan Thompson. He and Andy Samberg co-starred in the video for a slammin' track "The Dudes" laid down about the lovestruck Samberg and a wily, wigged Thompson. . . slammin'.

Sound tricky? It is:

The Short was directed by Akiva Schaffer, once again teaming with Director of Photography Aaron Phillips. To achieve true hip-hop grandeur, Schaffer and Phillips opted to shoot on the Red One camera. Rosey Media reunited Red Cam aces Jason Vandermer and Nate Slevin, backing this busy duo with additional AC services from Gordon Arkenberg. George "Steadi G" Bianchini provided steadicam work, as well as a layered and nuanced thesis (delivered sometime around hour 9 on the second day of the shoot) on how "Two Worlds Collide" shrewdly captures the contemporary American adult's potential to perpetuate illusions and denial in order to preserve relationships. Over-thinking it? Maybe, but he's a deep guy. . . and he's got a point. You can't judge a book by its dirty red wig. Or something like that.

At any rate, Rosey Media is, as always, glad to have been of service. We're also glad that as of the end of the Saturday November 21st episode of SNL, we're no longer the only ones walking around singing "Hanging like my nuts!" under our breaths. Made for a couple of awkward moments, that did.

"Firelight" and "Get Out"- A Study In Versatility

2009-11-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

Anyone who is familiar with the Lonely Island's homemade video origins has to acknowledge they've come a long way. While the genius was always there, the production value and look of their work continually improves, thanks to a hand from Saturday Night Live and, a dash of Rosey Media and friends. With epic hits like 'Dick in a Box',"Iran so Far,""On A Boat," and "MotherLover" under their belts, one might even wonder if "The Dudes" have lost touch with their backyard video roots. The last two Digital Shorts, however, have proven that Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone can still play- and deliver the funny- in any format.

Thursday and Friday, November the 5th and 6th, the Lonely Island were in full-on filmmaking form. Over a nearly continuous two-day shoot, the guys turned out "Firelight," a spoof on the popular teen-sexy vampire book/movie series "Twilight." Not satisfied to simply toss out a parody, director Akiva Schaffer and director of photography Aaron Phillips insisted on recreating the upcoming film's trailer shot by shot. "Firelight" stars the wonderfully charming and talented Taylor Swift, as well as SNL cast members Bill Hader,Jason Sudeikis, Kenan Thompson and Andy Samberg. Also appearing are SNL featured players BobbyMoynihan, Abby Elliott, Nasir Pedrad and Jenny Slate. The result:

To match the trailer's dynamic, cinematic look, the piece was shot entirely on the Red One camera. Rosey Media assembled a stalwart Red crew to deliver movie magic at a TV pace, shooting everywhere from 30 Rock to the gloomy, gothic woods of the Van Cortland Park golf course in the Bronx (which is lovely- really!) Thanks to AC Jason Vandermer and Red Tech Nate Slevin for making this state-of-the-art camera sing, Dolly crew Stian Nilsen and Brad for providing the muscle in a graceful way, Sergei Franklin for the Steadicam stylings, sound wizard Dan Walter for the ear candy, and Brian Townes for keeping it all moving. Thanks also to Dina Moles, Rachael Lynn, and Kim Smelter.

Just when you'd think they'd gone all Hollywood, the following week found the Digital Short team back to their run n' gun roots. Director Akiva Schaffer, cast members Andy Samberg and Fred Armisen, director of photography John Rosenblatt, and a rested-up Dan Walter and Brian Townes were joined by our favorite prop goddess Jeannine Jones. This crew, once again under the watchful eyes and helpful hands of Dina, Rachael, and Kim ran a late-night sprint around 30 Rock, and into the apartment of a couple of only slightly suspecting acquaintances off of Madison Ave. Again, funny was made, but this time with a very mobile camera, streamlined sound gear and. . . a can.

Dig:

Once again, the Lonely Island proves that, large or small scale, they can still bring it. And we at Rosey Media are proud to be a part of what's been broughten.

Rule Of Thumb: One Trick Does Not A Magic Show Make

2009-10-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

On the evening of October the 8th, Rosey Media was tapped to assist SNL favorite Drew Barrymore and cast member Fred Armisen film the Digital Short "Brenda & Shaun." Leave it to The Lonely Island Dudes to take a single prop from a midtown magic store and turn it into an epic infomercial relaying the somewhat tragic ballad of a couple of cut-rate magicians. The shoot, which stretched into the subsequent day, was directed by Akiva Shaffer, and also featured SNL cast members Andy Samberg and Kenan Thompson, as well as featured players Abby Elliott, Bobby Moynihan, Nasim Pedrad, and Jenny Slate.

Let it light up your life:

Lonely Island + Rosey Media +SNL = 2x The Megan Fox

2009-09-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, after an extended vacation, it takes a while to get back up to speed at the office. Unless, of course, you're the Lonely Island, who came back swinging with not one, but TWO Digital Shorts for the September 26th, 2009 35th Season Premiere of Saturday Night Live.

Thursday night found Director of Photography John Rosenblatt and cameraman John Belinski, as well as SoundMeister Dan Walter, Brian Townes, and trusty Rosey Intern Pat Ball on the rooftop Tuscanini Gardens at 30 Rock, filming what we thought was THE Digital Short for the show. It starred host Megan Fox, who, in addition to being a certified bombshell, was also flawlessly poised and on point throughout, as well as SNL cast member and straight-up trooper Will Forte. Co-Directors Akiva Schaffer and John Solomon crafted what would eventually be dubbed "The Date":

Once we were done (at 4:30am...), we said our farewells and headed toward our respective homes and /or late night pancake binges. Friday dawned, and we were busy at work when, lo and behold, we got a second call from Producer Dina Moles. Seemed The Dudes had yet another idea, and midnight found us at the nearby Flatotel on 52nd street, once again in the presence of the stunning Ms. Fox, as well as SNL cast members Andy Samberg and Bobby Moynihan, and a charming and good-humored Brian Austin Green. Akiva directed the second short of the week, "Megan's Roommate":

It was with great pride, and just a touch of "jet"lag, that we watched BOTH shorts air on the season premiere Saturday. Truly, two shorts, and night shoots at that,in less than 48 hours left us a bit disoriented and punchy- and made one thing abundantly clear:

It's good to be back at SNL.

For Your Consideration : "AllaKattan!" Parts 1-3

2009-08-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever (since two weeks ago, we mean, when it was on TV) courtesy of our friends at IFC and the New Palm Pre, the Rosey Media original, 3-part, branded entertainment short "AllaKattan!" directed by John Rosenblatt, written by Brian Townes, and starring. . . Chris Kattan.

Dig it:

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Also appearing in "AllaKattan:" Thomas Walker [Coffee Guy], Michael Quinlan [Banker], Nosheen [Beautiful Girl], Jamie Benge [Goldfarb], and Uprinda Panicker [Mysterious Pretzel Vendor]

Check our July 30th, 2009 Blog entry entitled (you may find this shocking, but. . .) "AllaKattan!" for a complete list of those to whom we owe thanks.

With heartfelt gratitude and glee, we say again. . .

Kattan. Kat-TAYUN!!

Bollywood Hero: 'AllaKattan!' part 1

2009-08-07T12:14:00.001-07:00

Checkout Bollywood Hero: "AllaKattan" Part 1! Hot Off The Presses! Still glowing from its premiere last night! Dig it:

Part 2 Drops Tonight, during Bollywood Hero Part 2, 10pm EST on IFC!

"AllaKattan!"

2009-07-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago, we were settling into the City swelter,and considering how potentially combustible a bbq grill propane tank that had been neglected for 6 months could really be.

Then IFC VP of On Air Promos Kevin Vitale called and commissioned Rosey Media to produce three branded entertainment spots for the new Palm Pre, to premiere in conjunction with IFC's original miniseries "Bollywood Hero." Our directive was simple-- they would star Chris Kattan, feature the Palm Pre. . . and be funny. Oh- and they had to be done in three weeks... So we put away the Kingsford, fired up the ol' coffee maker instead, and got to work.

The result was a three-part short titled "AllaKattan!", which will run August 6th- 8th on IFC during "Bollywood Hero." The short stars Chris Kattan. Look closely and you'll catch cameos by RM's own Brian Townes and Dan Walter. The short was directed by John Rosenblatt and written by Brian Townes. ScriptLaunch's Matthew Ballen helped develop the piece and served as script consultant. Rosey Media vet and all around super guy Ari Haberberg was Director of Photography, with special technical consult by Small Media XL's Don Downie.

Thanks are also due to the IFC team, specifically Kevin Vitale, Jessica Degler, and of course Evan Shapiro, without whose enthusiasm, flexibility, and general willingness to goof around with us, "AllaKattan!" would not have happened.

For Rosey Media, the best part of any job is "getting the old gang together." They are too numerous to list, but. . . no. . .no, they're not. Thanks to Ian Woolston-Smith and AC Jared Royball for the Steadicam work, Scott Herriott for serving as first unit AC, Dan Walter for delivering superior audio despite the MePa construction madness, Karim Badwan and his crew for gorgeous lighting in sunny- no, cloudy- no, wait- sunny- conditions, and script super Stacie Capone for making it all make sense. Likewise, our gratitude to prop goddesses Samantha and Becky Jones, wardrobe deity Brian Hemesath, and make up legend Nathan Johnson and hair stylist Johnny Mooi, both taking a break from high fashion to do some lowbrow funny. Finally thanks to Dan Barman and Melodye Brant for being whatever else we needed, whenever we needed it, and of course, the incomparable, ever-poised and efficient Meghan Scibona for being the Krazy Glue to our plastic Nimitz.

We would be negligent not to mention the folks at Northern Lights Post, specifically George Carty, whose proficiency and patience made the edit process a genuine pleasure. The espresso/ ice cream floats didn't hurt either. Two of those, and you can see into the future. Bless you, St. George.

Here's a quick peek at "Bollywood Hero:" Obviously, we can't show you "AllaKattan!" yet. Think of it like the holidays-- you know those boxes are up in the closet, but do you really want to look and ruin everything? OK, so you want to, but you're not gonna. We'll have "AllaKattan!" here in all its glory after its premiere on IFC.

First watch "Bollywood Hero." Or Babu Santa will pass right over this house, buddy.

If Lovin' Mom Is Wrong. . . We Ain't Right.

2009-05-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

Just shy of 17 months ago (centuries in Interweb Time), three viral virtuosos from LA who call themselves the Lonely Island joined one of the biggest names in the pop music pantheon and made TV/ Internet history with a little ditty about a Special Christmas Box, and the junk one puts in it. And we, the humble working joes of Rosey Media were there to help. In the tidal wave of press that followed, several of a nation of pundits referred to the moment as "catching lightning in a bottle."

As of last Saturday, May 9th, 2009-- Saturday Night Live is gonna need a bigger bottle:

Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg resurrect their roles as some guys we probably would have wanted to be around 1991-- and with Susan Sarandon and Patricia Clarkson appearing as the objects of their affection, we find their waist-length, double-breasted pastel suits enviable once again.

The Short was directed by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, with Rosey Media's John Rosenblatt acting as Director of Photography. Steadicam work was provided by Ian Woolston-Smith and AC Rob Lau, with audio guru Dan Walter and Brian Townes rounding out the RM crew.

The 20 hour shoot ran like a well-oiled machine thanks to the only slightly intimidating determination of Kim Smelter and Rachel Lynn, under the wise guidance of the ever-so-subtly droll Nick Mallardi. Kudos as well to the extremely agile intern Chris (sorry, dude. . . last name next time, we promise). . . and Joe Lynn, who was. . . pretty OK too.

Rosey Media would like to thank SNL and the Dudes for having us along on the "second best idea that [they've] ever had"-- though we think this one may even go beyond the "Box."

Don't Hate On The Man-Crush

2009-05-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

Since Rosey Media is known far and wide as a truly mean and manly gang of barely post-cro-magnon hombres, some of you may be surprised to learn we are huge Justin Timberlake fans. Not because he's dreamy mind you, but because on top of his charm and unexpected tallness, genuine musical ability and palpable charisma, he is really, really. . . nice. The great thing about JT being so super nice is the chemistry it sparks between he and our favorite Dudes. Thus, though we would normally wait until after we'd wrapped this week's shoot to talk about it, we couldn't help but point you, dear reader, in the direction of the SNL promos we shot on Tuesday, starring his Niceness and SNL cast member Andy Samberg, directed by Akiva Schaffer. Dig: If it looks like they're having fun. . . it's 'cause they are. And the last few times these guys have put their heads together, if memory serves, some fairly funny stuff has happened. Just saying. . . you might not want to miss this show. . . JANDY TIMSAMLAKE!!!

SNL Talks To Corporate

2009-04-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

April 2nd-3rd 2009- The Lonely Island's Incredibad continues to throw out hits like a paranoid mafia don, and Rosey Media is once again called into the fray. "Like A Boss" premiered on the Saturday, April 4th broadcast of Saturday Night Live. The piece, written by the Lonely Island, was co-directed by Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, and starred Andy Samberg and host Seth Rogen.

Have HR evaluate this:

Also appearing in this one are SNL featured players Abby Elliott, Casey Wilson and Bobby Moynihan, the unnervingly versatile Jorma Taccone, a subtly shady Akiva Schaffer, and cast members Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, and Bill Hader.

John Rosenblatt served as Director of Photography on the two day shoot, with Steadicam work by Ian Woolston-Smith. Steadicam department also included the mad skills of AC's Jason Vandermer and Jared Royball. The entire unit was backed by Don Downie and Brian Townes, who were both pissed they couldn't be AC's because their names don't start with "J."

While we must thank lighting director Michael Gottlieb and Prop Goddess Jeannine Jones for bringing the world of our distressed executive to life... we would be remiss if we didn't give big ups to the entire staff of Late Night With Conan O'Brien.

Conan and his gang were kind enough to move to LA and abandon their old 30 Rock offices as if Godzilla was seen heading for town, leaving us an almost eerie, fully appointed floor of businessy goodness-- complete with personal effects and half-finished sodas-- in which to live for the cumulative 30 or so hours of this shoot.

Henceforth, we shall always demand a crew lounge in the corner office.

'Meet a giant fish.

F*ck its brains out.'

Tracy Is Back In The Building. . . Bitch

2009-03-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

This needs little intro. . . but then, old school ass-kickin' rarely does. March 14th's SNL Cold Open. Behold! For those of you who have never purchased a pay-per-view event involving sequined American flags or monster trucks, the familiar-looking security guard in front of the 8H studio door is WWE wrestling demigod John Cena. Though the open is generally shot on set in the studio, Rosey Media's Director of Photography John Rosenblatt was asked to give the sequencea a more cinematic feel. Rosey Media wants to thank Stevin Nilsen and Jesse Newton for breaking out the full-on movie dolly to give this SNL staple an action makeover. Sound was recorded Dan Walter, Scott Herriott was on duty as AC. Also shot for that show was the SNL Digital Short "Party Guys," directed by Akiva Schaffer, and starring cast members Andy Samberg and Bill Hader. In addition to cameos by. . . well, just about everyone in the cast and a couple of SNL writers, note the first joint onscreen appearance of dynamic wardrobe duo Brian and Matthew Hemesath. The tall and even taller Hemesath rock lederhosen and do a fine job showcasing the schnitzel. While not as chock-full of kung fu action, it's still fast and funny. Blink and you'll miss a joke. Watch it twice: As always, a good time was had by all, and the SNL crew proved once again, that funny takes a lot of work, a lot of love, and very, very little sleep.

Getting The Most Out Of Your MacGyver

2009-03-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Since we already did the whole slobbering over shooting with actor Richard Dean Anderson (THE MacGyver) thing, we'll spare you the adolescent self-gratification. We will say, though, that we were very happy to see last Saturday's MacGruber/ MacGyver sketch. Under the direction of Jorma Taccone, we actually shot the sketches on January 12th, the same day we shot the much viewed and discussed SNL/Pepsi Super Bowl Commercial/Sketch "Pepsuber." Here's what dropped Saturday: Thing with SNL is, there's so much funny that gets tossed around, it can't all make air. Further, there are genius takes that occasionally disappear, and humanity is left slightly sadder for it. Thus, we're always glad when something we liked, and thought we'd lost, once again comes to light. John Rosenblatt served as Director of Photography on the shoot, Dan Walter, sound recordist, and Brian Townes was all like " Go, John and Dan!!" The sketch starred Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver. . . did we mention that?) as well as cast members Kristen Wiig, Abby Elliott, Michaela Watkins, and of course Will Forte. . . and his ass.

Idle Hands Are, In Fact, The Devil's Playground

2009-03-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

At Rosey Media, we pride ourselves on producing high quality entertainment that edifies and enlightens any and all that should happen across it. Most of the time. Last couple of days, though, we had a little extra time on our hands. Combine this with a sophomoric eye securely fixed on too much cable and web news and access to editing software, and you get this:

Obama Explains His Package - watch more funny videos

Thanks to Matt Ballen for the music and Evan Kay for edit help from Chicago. Without their efforts, we couldn't have brought that certain level of delicate sophistication to this classy, classy joint.

Wyeth Pharmaceutical Spot

2009-02-20T17:31:00.000-08:00

Rosey Media, partnered with post house Northern Lights Post, completed "Trailer," an industrial piece in the sweeping style of a feature film trailer for Wyth Pharmaceuticals. Rosey and Northern Lights Post were contracted by international ad firm Cline, Davis & Mann to produce the corporate commercial for Wyeth . "Trailer," as well as a second studio piece, was co-directed by Rosey Media's John Rosenblatt and NLP's Mark Littman. Rosenblatt also served as Director Of Photography on the project. "Trailer" was shot on location in NYC. You can see the piece at:

The Jonas Brothers... Actually Very cool.

2009-02-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

For those of you who didn't see The SNL Digital Short "Property Of The Queen" featuring The Jonas Brothers on the Feb 14th Valentine's Day show, Check it out. . . The Short itself features four of six songlets the very game Jonas Brothers recorded with Digital Short creators Akiva Shaffer, Andy Samberg, and Jorma Taccone. The other two may well be lost to perpetuity, but we have to confess. . . they all rocked. Really. Now, don't misunderstand. We get it. That was a significant part of the joke. Big hair. Headbands. Ridiculously tight pants. Downtown L.A. cowboy hats. But while Rosey DP John Rosenblatt, Cameraman Luke Riffle, Soundman Dan Walter, and monkey juggler Brian Townes spent a few hours in a green screen studio shooting the mock videos, we realized something. We were really enjoying it. Silly as it may have been, these songs made us remember why we had what we had in our tape decks in high school in the first place. We were, in a word. . . rockin'. And we weren't alone. Between deft costume changes, wardrobe czar Brian Hemesath could also be seen leaning towards a vintage Trans Am headbang. And while we didn't notice whether or not Dina Moles was rocking out the entire time-- she is from LI-- so it's pretty likely.

Was the "Saturday Night Live" skit "MacGruber" a comedy bit or a Pepsi commercial?

2009-02-06T08:36:00.000-08:00

A lot of articles have been written about how the Pepsi/Macgruber spot Rosey Media shot that aired during last weekend's Super Bowl is blurring the line between comedy and commercial. Check out this article from MSNBC that discusses this emerging trend.- JR

	Was the "Saturday Night Live" skit "MacGruber" a comedy bit or a Pepsi commercial? It aired as a comedy sketch on SNL, then during the big game as an ad. View related photos
NBC

updated 10:33 p.m. ET, Mon., Feb. 2, 2009 NEW YORK - Was "MacGruber" a "Saturday Night Live" sketch or Pepsi commercial? Depending on when you were watching television over the weekend, it was hard to tell. On Saturday night's "SNL," the recurring bit starring cast member Will Forte aired three times during the show, each time with comical over-the-top promotion for Pepsi. Then on Sunday night, one of the same "MacGruber" sketches — in which Forte plays a parody of the '80s action series "MacGyver" — aired during NBC's broadcast of the Super Bowl as a commercial.

As it turns out, all were paid commercials by Pepsi, made in collaboration with producer Lorne Michaels' "Saturday Night Live." The segments weren't product placement, but commercials paid for by Pepsi and produced by "SNL." Though they appeared to be sketches on "SNL," they ran during allotted commercial breaks.

NBC Entertainment Co-Chairman Ben Silverman said Pepsi paid full freight for the spots — which sold for about $3 million per 30-second spot during the Super Bowl.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC.)

"They really made it very funny and obvious, so I don't think there was any confusion," said Silverman. "Everything is ongoing experimentation, but the reality is we need to evolve and do more and more things."

Added Silverman: "It's not just an ad for Pepsi, it's an ad for `Saturday Night Live.'"

Branding expert Peter Arnell was in charge of PepsiCo's Super Bowl campaign, which also included a 3-D commercial for its SoBe Life Water.

"The creative space is `SNL's' and they were commercials we would have bought, so the economics were as normal as it ever was," said Arnell. "It's the un-advertising advertising."

The first "MacGruber" sketch/commercial that ran during "SNL" came amid other commercials — after a movie trailer for "The Pink Panther 2," which is what host Steve Martin was (what else?) promoting.

Fans may be uncomfortable with sale PepsiCo American Beverages chief Massimo d'Amore, who watched the game from a luxury box with NBC and Michaels, declined to say how much the company paid the network for the spots. An estimated 95.4 million people watched the Pittsburgh-Arizona Super Bowl, making it second only to last year's game as the most popular ever, according to Nielsen Media Research.

The ads include all the same usual characteristics that the sketch series normally does: its cheesy opening theme song, a frightened sidekick (played by fellow cast member Kristen Wiig) and MacGruber's inevitable distraction (in this case, a Pepsi). The real MacGyver — Richard Dean Anderson — also made a cameo.

That a marquee "SNL" sketch would be sold to a marketer might rub some loyal viewers the wrong way. Fans, after all, tune in for comedy, not for well-dressed commercials.

Silverman says the viewer only wins, since the Pepsi sketches replaced regular commercials. (He also noted that "SNL" talent was paid for the work outside of their normal salaries.)

"It wasn't inside the show," said Silverman. "Lorne really protected the show. I think the fans of `Saturday Night Live' got to see a `MacGruber' that they wouldn't have otherwise seen."

Michaels wasn't available to comment Monday.

"What we're doing is selling entertainment vehicles and marketing platforms," said Silverman, who has looked for other revenue streams for NBC as network TV ratings have slid. "This is where programming is going."

Laser Cats 4. . . Makin' Laser Cats 3 Look Like Laser Cats 2!

2009-02-01T23:29:00.000-08:00

Friday, January 30th, 2009- Rosey Media films yet another installment in the increasingly epic sci-fierce SNL Digital Short series "Laser Cats." In this, the fourth episode, director Akiva Shaffer once again pits Nitro (Bill Hader) and Admiral Spaceship (Andy Samberg) against evil forces that threaten the galaxy- in this case, out of control man/ machine Cyberface (Kenan Thompson.) Rabid fans of the series will note this is Mr. Thompson's second appearance as a villain in "Laser Cats." Coincidence? Significant? Interesting? Perhaps. . . perhaps not. . . Oh, and did we mention the guest appearances by comedy legend and 15 time SNL host Steve Martin and SNL Executive Producer Lorne Michaels? The intergalactic drama unfolds below: Watch closely and you'll catch SNL (and "The Line") writer Simon Rich, staffers Rachel Lynn and her brother Joe caught on camera, as well as a bona fide speaking role-- that of the captain of the Space Police-- masterfully portrayed with rare sensitivity by editor extraordinaire Matt Yonks. The Short was shot by John Rosenblatt, with audio by Dan Walter, and special technical consultation (that's read "cat-on-Roomba") by Brian Townes. Probably the best part of making a "Laser Cats" episode is the complete disregard for the conventions and techniques one uses to make a motion picture look. . . well. . . good. In fact, the guiding aesthetic is one of "the crappier, the better." While it is a bit difficult to throw aside habits of checking continuity and lighting a scene properly, and to embrace the auto focus, it can, in the end, be quite a liberating experience. Like running without pants. Not something you'd want to do all of the time, but every once in a while. . . a must.

Holy Cow--We Made A Frickin' Super Bowl Commercial!!

2009-02-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

On Monday, January 12th, Rosey Media had the opportunity to fulfill a dream held dear by all of us whose voices changed before Bill Clinton took office. We met MacGyver. THE MacGyver. If you weren't a pre-pubescent boy in the 1980's, his name is Richard Dean Anderson, and under the direction of Jorma Taccone, with co-writer John Solomon and DP John Rosenblatt, he made history when MacGruber met MacGyver in a Pepsi ad for Super Bowl 43. The ad also stars SNL cast members Will Forte (of course) and Kristen Wiig. Dig it: Also priveleged to have been locked in a control room, so to speak, with His Supreme Flannel Gadgetiness were Rosey Media camera jock Luke Riffle, audio wizard Dan Walter, and reigning snack champion Brian Townes. As many folks watch the Super Bowl for the ads as much as the game itself, we are damn proud to have contributed our very first offering to the estimated 167 million viewers of the big game. It's not quite as cool as defusing a bomb, rescuing a damsel in distress, and getting out of a poison gas-filled room with nothing but a shoe lace, a paperclip, and some tic tacs. . . but it's a close second.

How I Met Doogie Howser

2009-01-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

On Friday, January 9th, Rosey Media filmed the SNL Digital Short "Doogie Howser Theme," in which SNL host and '80's TV icon Neil Patrick Harris performed a tongue-in-cheek, sentimental arrangement of the theme song from the show which brought him nationwide pre-teen fame. Backed by the entire SNL cast decked in Doogie attire, and shot onstage in the Conan O'Brien studio, the Short came out looking like this: Special thanks go out to Mike Milia and Mike Kirsic of NYC Jibs for the sweeping jib camera work. Due to the scheduling challenges of getting all of the SNL cast in one place at one time, the shoot itself stretched on for a good 16 hours, during which time we found two truths to be self-evident: 1. Neil Patrick Harris is a consummate frickin' professional. He is on point constantly, gracious and tireless in his work. Verbose as we tend to be here, we literally cannot say enough good things about him. 2. The "Doogie Howser Theme" is actually a really beautiful piece of music, inspiring and full of subtle nuance. If you haven't heard it in oh, say, 15 to 20 years-- as most of us hadn't-- give it a listen again. And again. And again. Then again. You'll get it. Really!

"The Line" Premiers at UCB

2009-01-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night, January 14th, marked the real-world (that's that place around the edges of your computer screen) premier of "The Line" at the the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre on 28th Street. The 7 part internet series, shot over the course of a week in July '08, has been edited into a single 20(+) minute film. What self-respecting web geek would tear themselves away from updating their Facebook to actually venture out to see it , you ask? Apparently-- lots of them. The sold out premier featured an impressive line of it's own, stretching far down the block from the UCB Theatre. Among those in attendance were writer/ director Seth Myers, writer Simon Rich, cast members Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, Bobby Moynihan, associate producer Matt Yonks, and of course, "The Line" Director of Photography, Rosey Media's own John Rosenblatt. You can see "The Line" here:

From Crackle: The Line, Ep 1: The FutureSpace Showdown Begins

Rosey Media wishes to extend its thanks to everyone involved for including us in this project. We eagerly await the call to begin production on "FutureSpace!"

Rosyie Media Precious Holidaye Reflections and Memoryes

2008-12-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

In days of yore, when the holidays came 'round-- when we were but wee lads in the late 70's and early 80's-- we would add to our repertoire of constant one-upmanship the momentarily-jarring farewell . . ."See you next year!" This indispensable bit of yuletide wit was considered genius by all that encountered it, amusing and surprising the speaker and the listener, as both would briefly revel in appropriately childlike amazement that yet another year had passed, and when school once again resumed-- though only a week or two later-- it would, in fact, be. . . the next year. As we grew older, our minds and social skills became more sophisticated. We entered the entertainment business, and our wit evolved beyond simple observational one-liners, into something more complex and universal, to be shared for the benefit of our fellow man. How fitting, then, that our holiday farewell on SNL was shooting a Digital Short revolving around poopy cookies. Observe: Yes, nothing like scatalogical humour to take one right back to boyhood. And like simple schoolboys, we once again found oursleves gleefully using the olde HPX3000 to lay a brief 8 hour shoot onto P2 cards (o, what fine and bully boyish toys!), under the direction of Digital Short Creators Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. The cast featured SNL host Hugh Laurie and that mischievous rapscallion Fred Armisen, as well as Jason Sudeikis, Kenan Thompson, Will Forte, and featured players Bobby Moynihan, Abby Elliott, and Michaela Watkins. The whole gang was there, under the ever-watchful eye of producers Nick Mallardi and Dina Moles. Once shooting was done,however, we all said our farewells with a wistfully appropriate lack of sentimentality. Indeed, we had all grown up, become those adults so busy, we had nary a moment for a boyish jab or childish quip. There were pressing rehearsals, gear to be wrapped, poopy cookie shorts to be edited. There was no time for childish things. And as we left 30 Rock, we couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness for days gone by. There are no more schoolyard partings, no more construction paper holiday cards. Ours is now a staid and austere world of cold hard labour-- of poopy cookies and blogging. So it is here, in our blog, that we make a last grasp at fleeting youth and the special childhood magic of the holiday season to say: Thanks, SNL. See you next year. See you. . . next year.

Blood Is Thicker Than Water- Funnier, Too.

2008-11-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

Last week the SNL Digital Short team of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg served Saturday Night Live and America a whopping slice of bizarro with the help of host Paul Rudd. If you haven't seen it yet, watch this: The Short, their most intensive to date, took 38 hours to shoot over two days, and featured around 30 background performers. A special effects extravaganza, the Short had a full team of effects artists and props persons throughout, managing pumps, pipes, trick knives, fake firearms, and hydraulic apparatus, all designed to deliver an impressive payload of. . . blood and vomit. While we don't have exact measurements, we do know that each of these items was mixed and supplied by the gallon. Well, at least the vomit was anyway. There was definitely no shortage of stage blood, though, and by the end of day two most of the crew had developed a surprising immunity to what had at first been a bit gross. After this, we can truly say we have no idea what's next from the Digital Short crew, but we're looking forward to it.

Jah Fire On Fordham Lawn

2008-10-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday and Friday, Rosey Media joined the SNL team to bring to life- and to your TV and web browser- the dub skankings of Ras Trent, first semester Rastafarian. Andy Samberg, playing a guy based on hundreds he and fellow writers Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer apparently knew growing up in Berkley, spent two days in a dreadlocked wig and roots threads. On the New York city streets, however, he actually drew fewer looks than you'd think. Here you can test his jammyin' sound: The Thursday shoot was DP'd by Rosey's own Luke Riffle, with "The Line" veteran AC Scott Herriott. Coming in hot off of the previous day's still-not-to-be-disclosed commercial shoot, John Rosenblatt and Brian Townes picked up the Friday shift. Thursday the guys got to go all over the place, but most importantly, to Cold Stone Creamery. At which point they could've called. Or texted. Been like "Hey- we're gettin' ice cream- want some?" But they didn't. Perhaps not the smartest move with Christmas right around the corner. But whatever. We're over it. Anyway. . . The second day found the team traipsing around the Fordham University campus, where, with the exception of a few shouted undergrad declarations of love in Samberg's direction, they were able to drift surprisingly uninterrupted (and perhaps unsanctioned) throughout. As all them college types are inter-web savvy, we don't want to drop names and get anyone in trouble, but we couldn't have done it without "the student hereinafter immortalized as 'my roomate Nick, the ignorant bald-head'" and various members of his covert network. Most impressive was our female guide, who was able to walk into a class she was supposed to be attending at the time, convince the professor to stop her lecture, let us come in and shoot, and have the entire class make an appearance in the Short as well- all in under 1 minute of negotiation. What moxie! What Chutzpah! Thanks to SNL for having us along. And you guys at Fordham- let us know if you find that Sprite can. . .

Busy in Rosey Media land...

2008-10-08T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ok- we're busy. I mean really frickin' busy. Barnum and Bailey keeps calling us for juggling lessons. Unfortunately, fancy proprietary agency stuff being what it is, we are not at liberty to post what it is we're working on at this time. Let's just say we're. . . ah, we can't even say that. Big commercial. Cool funny movie spoof project for an even cooler network. Documentary piece. Another cool funny project for another cool network. And all at the same time! Which means we'll tell you all about them when we're done. And we've slept. Perhaps completed caffeine rehab. Taken a little vaykay in Meh-hee-ko. Anyway, we can give you the somewhat belated (and duly truncated) SNL Digital Short brief: SNL DIGITAL SHORT: EXTREME ACTIVITIES CHALLENGE Here it is: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Shaffer wrote concept,music and directed. Andy Samberg, Kristen Wiig, and host Anne Hathaway performed. Nick Malardi and Dina Moles produced. "Indispensable" Kim Smelter, "Drop You Like A Bad Habit" Rachel Lynn, and Kati "I have a last name- Brian doesn't know it" were production staff. Brian Hemesath hit wardrobe,and JODI did hair, dammit! John Rosenblatt and Brian Townes represented Rosey Media. Radically different and shocking? No. Google Relevant? You betcha!

Chilling. . . no, really. . . CHILLING on the roof at 30 Rock

2008-09-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

New Yorkers are known for their resilience, trudging- even bustling- ever forward, through sweltering, smelly summers and bone-numbing winters. And here at Rosey Media, we pride ourselves on being- among other things- real New Yorkers. All of that being said, we went out like a bunch of Girl Scouts last Friday. When we were first informed we'd be spending the early-Fall evening on the Tuscanini Garden, located outdoors on a 12th floor plaza at 30 Rock, we were charmed. Where better to film the week's SNL Digital Short starring hunky (nay- dreamy!) host James Franco and SNL cast member Kristen Wiig? Throw in a guest appearance by the really unreasonably smoldering Gossip Girl star Blake Lively and we felt we had a recipe for brisk seasonal bliss! And brisk it was. As the hours moved on and the sun went down, we found our evening going from nippy, to chilly, to "it's frickin' cold out here!" Perhaps it was uncommonly breezy on the 12th floor- or perhaps three months of summer weather had, in fact, reduced us to whimpering shells of our former selves. Either way, we somehow managed to stifle our shivering long enough to film some funny stuff. Despite the chill (which we were sure must have hit an arctic 55 degrees), James Franco, Blake Lively and the ever-reliable Kristen Wiig laid down terrific performances under the co-direction of Akiva Shaffer and Jorma Taccone. Soldiering on bravely from the shelter of their sleeping bag tents, Dina Moles, Rachel Lynne, and Kim Smelter also provided us with genuine inspiration. Together, we all braved the elements with only some sandwiches, a couple of sweet rolls, some cupcakes, two boxes of Dunkin Coffee, cookies, and a continuous supply of outerwear pilfered from the SNL Wardrobe Department by the illustrious Brian Hemesath. Yeah. . . somehow. . . somehow, we made it through. The fruits of our sacrifice and hardship were illuminated by Michael Gottlieb and brought to you under the wise and kindly supervision of Nick Malardi (we gotta mention Nick, cuz we've mentioned everyone else now haven't we?)