Wowwy-Wow- Wow!

On April 3rd and 4th, Rosey Media shot the third installment in the gripping Laser Cats SNL Digital Short series. This time the enigmatic Chistopher Walken joined Admiral Spaceship (Andy Samberg) and Nitro (Bill Heder) in their quest to save the planet, and a cage-full of confiscated Laser Cats, from the devious Mayor TopHat (Kenan Thompson). Checkout photos from the shoot.

Less Bitching, More. . . Ah, hell, just start with less bitching.

We are good at putting teams of creative production people together. And our people are great because they, for a myriad of reasons, seem to defy a pervasive trend among production professionals... Despite years of experience- they're not jaded, pissed-off jerks. Apparently,somewhere somebody created the idea that to be a good creative or production staffer, you had to be a complete jaded bitch. Perhaps this stemmed from someone's perception that seeing the ropes and pulleys behind the scenes somehow destroyed the joy and magic of making entertainment. Or maybe it is as simple as textbook posturing to cover personal insecurity. What-ever... It is genuinely annoying to work with a group, or even a few individuals like this. Their attitude does not get things done, and worse, is dangerous to the creative process. That being said, let it be clear that we are proudest of our people, and consider them an integral part of what makes us stand out. They are consistently, for a variety of reasons, present to the production and focus not on what is wrong, but on what is next. Further, we lay it on the table that a fundamental part of our production process is the promise of no bitching. We have seen and strongly believe that a miserable work environment, no matter how efficient or skilled the team, cannot produce great work.

Want to Complete the Circuit? Try Rubbing Elbows

It was Rosey Media's pleasure to co-host the February "Circuit" party, and Wednesday night's turn out at the Stone Creek Lounge on East 27th was positively inspiring. Despite the damp weather, the candle lit, casual bar was packed the entire night, and buzzing with all things media. Two years ago Manhattan Casting Director Adrienne Stern and Hungry Man Films Mark Grande decided the best way to be in on the scene was to create one of their own- and they proceeded to do just that. Today with an extensive membership list that includes some of the brightest and most innovative media talents in New York, "The Circuit" holds events designed to facilitate a professional forum and networking platform . . . with a few cocktails thrown in just for good measure. Whether your work is on the big screen, the small screen, or the even smaller screen, celluloid or digital, the Circuit has something to offer, and the scope of knowledge and opportunity shared at the last event was truly impressive. Many thanks to Adrienne and Mark, and to all who turned out.

Remember the world before the web??

When I started out in television production in 1992, Cell phones where the size of pocketbooks, fax machines cost $500 and the internet did NOT EXIST. Can you imagine?? In an effort to stay on top of how quickly things are changing, I read...a lot. One report that caught my eye was from Horowitz Associates, "Broadband Content and Services 2007." It is amazing how pervasive broadband video is becoming. Some the key data: A whopping 61% of high speed Internet users watch or download broadband video content at least once per week, up from 46% last year. The number jumps to 86% for users who watch at least once per month. FYI- Every category of on-line video experienced an increase in usage over the past year. These are very impressive numbers and they speak to how significant broadband video has become and how quickly it has gotten there. Hold on, You Tube is only 2.5 years old.... Put your seat belt on, this is going to be a wild ride!! Checkout http://www.videonuze.com/editor/assets/HorowitzVideoUsage.jpg for a great chart on video downloads in 2007.

The WGA Strike- Our Thoughts

As members of the entertainment industry, and regular contributors to WGA scripted programming, Rosey Media has been among the many impacted by the current writer's strike. It would be less than honest to say we're excited about the strike. We're not. Several of our major clients are down for the count. We understand, however, what has brought the members of the WGA to the table. These negotiations, and arguably, the resultant strike, are not only necessary- they are an inevitability. Clearly, digital and internet distribution is no longer a sideline or broom closet experimental division of the major networks and studios. Rather, it has cemented itself as a staple, and is rapidly approaching flagship status. If this is where the industry is headed, it seems only reasonable that all parties involved in the creation of content to be used in this medium have defined responsibilities and benefits, just as they do in previously existing mediums. Internet programming is a viable marketing platform, and therefore comparable to other traditional mediums where it is considered fair that writers be compensated for their contributions. While the network and studio position that all revenue generated at this time is only going to repay investors for building the existing infrastructure is understandable, it does not excuse them from showing the same regard to their employees as they would in any other venture. No new business hires a staff and waits to pay its employees until it has broken even on its start up costs. Despite the logic of their position, we anticipate a long strike. It seems, however, that the network and studio hesitancy to grant the WGA the requested contracts only gives credence to the union position that there is quite a bit of money somewhere... And while neither of the involved parties are poverty stricken, their negotiation is necessary to set precedent for those who, years from now, could end up grossly exploited in a predominantly digital market. Having said all that, we urge both sides to stop the bitching, sit down and hammer out a deal!

Bringin' The Ol' Jihad To SNL - Mockin' 'Moud With "Iran"

Mockin' 'Moud! Well, just a little. But certainly making a splash with what may well be the next SNL Digital Short viral phenomenon. See, we shot this "Dick In A Box" thing for SNL last Christmas which by now everyone near electricity has heard of. So how do you top it? For the Saturday, September 29th, 2007 SNL show, the damn-near-genius writing/performing Lonely Island trio of Andy Samberg, Akiva Shaffer, and Jorma Taccone scripted a soul-stirring love ballad dedicated to Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on the heels of his controversial visit to NYC. They then called in dreamy pop megastar Adam Levine of Maroon 5 (Yeah, like you don't have "Songs About Jane" hidden in your iTunes somewhere) and the ever-funny Fred Armisen. The Rosey Media gang was brought in to make their vision of a monumental love song come to life. Steadicam ace Ian Woolston-Smith, under the direction of D.P. John Rosenblatt gave the video a sweeping, epic quality, truly capturing the grandeur of locations such as the Williamsburg Bridge, 30 Rock's "Top Of The Rock" observation deck, and the hidden, off limits, yet stunning 30 Rock 12th floor "Tuscanini Gardens" at NBC. And speaking of the Williamsburg Bridge and Times Square- those shots were partially courtesy of Mike Derrig at Kennedy Trucking, who supplied a monster flatbed semi, which the uber-capable set builders of Stiegelbaum Associates tricked out with custom fittings and harnesses for crew, talent, and oh,yeah. . . the frickin' grand piano strapped to the back! Just a little digital video shoot. Really... Question is. . . what's next? With the video having scored around 1 million views in its first handful of days on the web, it may well be on it's way to Box-like infamy. In which case, it too will have to be topped. Whatever the call is, count Rosey Media in. After all, how often do you get to truck-surf on the Williamsburg Bridge and in Times Square- with one of the biggest names in music, the funniest guys on TV, and a half million in camera gear? That is what we call fun. Special thanks to Don Downie, who had to drive along behind. Dammit. Next time. Really Don. We promise. Check the video out at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=A9OfNrxt5Q4

MacDamn Right We Shot It!

Starting as a fairly direct parody of ABC's improvising mechanical genius and action hero MacGyver, the Macgruber character played by Will Forte made a second appearance last season on SNL as a progressively worsening alcoholic, loosely poking at a certain other preposterous quasi-kid's show action hero whose home drunkenness hit the internet in a video shot by his own daughter (David Hasslehoff. . . seriously. . . where have you been??) On Saturday, October 6th, MacGruber was back for a third round, this time as a mess of mid-life crisis and plastic surgery gone bad. Director Jorma Taccone, cast members Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, guest host Seth Rogan, and. . . you guessed it (or if you haven't by this point, just quit. . . yer droolin' on the keyboard...) ROSEY MEDIA!!! Perps in question were DP John Rosenblatt, RM Sound Guy Dan Walter, and the ever-present-and-even-occasionally-useful Brian Townes. Special thanks go to all of the folks at NBC who weren't even the least bit phased when, post-MacGruber, we blew some stuff up. And filmed it. Really. . . but as much fun as that was, since the sketch didn't air this past show, we'll have to save that story for another time.