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What Could the Xbox Kinect Mean for the Future of Storytelling?

11.6.10 @ 2:11PM Tags : 3rdrail, gaming, interactive, kinect, microsoft, videgames

In case you missed it, Microsoft’s motion-sensing add-on to their Xbox 360 gaming console, Microsoft Kinect, launched this week. Word on the street is the software giant is spending $400 million just to promote the device — more than the entire budget of Avatar, depending on who you ask. More than just a Nintendo Wii rip-off, however, the Kinect portends major changes to come in natural user interfaces as well as a further push into online video distribution by Microsoft (relevant disclosure: we had a Non-Disclosure Agreement with Microsoft last year regarding our project 3rd Rail. Oops, was I not supposed to disclose that?). More »

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Four Ways to Improve Your Screenplay (from John August)

10.4.10 @ 5:43PM Tags : 3rdrail, johnaugust, screenplay, screenwriting, script, tutorial

One of the more popular screenwriting blogs out there, Johnaugust.com is (fittingly enough) the site of screenwriter John August (Go, Big Fish, Corpse Bride). It lives up to its tagline, “a ton of useful information about screenwriting.” Occasionally John records a “scriptcast,” which is a video tutorial dissecting and improving a short scene. I recently found his scriptcast on writing better action to come in handy for my own project, but he’s recorded several, and I would expect that one or more of these could apply to your own screenplay. More »

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The Open Video Conference Explores the Future of Video on the Web

09.29.10 @ 1:19PM Tags : 3rdrail, html5, openvideoconference, ovc

The Open Video Conference takes place here in New York October 1st and 2nd and explores the future of video on the web. It comprises talks, workshops, parties, and screenings, and features some heavy-hitters in the online video space (it is put on by Mozilla and Kaltura). I’ll be presenting my project 3rd Rail as part of the associated Hack Day on October 3rd, where developers hack together code in real-time — we’re hoping to see how our multiple-video project would look when implemented in HTML5. In the conference’s words: More »

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New vs. Old at Independent Film Week

09.24.10 @ 9:50AM Tags : 3r, 3rdrail, distribution, ifp, ifw, pitching, transmedia

The reason I slipped from my daily posting schedule this week is because it’s Independent Film Week here in New York; as a participant in the No Borders co-production forum, I pitched my feature-length, interactive murder mystery 3rd Rail to something like eighteen different producers/financiers/sales agents/distributors over the past three days. This post, about the experience of attending and pitching at Ithe Project Forum, is cross-posted on the Filmmaker Magazine blog. For more on what the Project Forum is and why you should apply, check out this post. More »

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Sorry for Lack of Updates - Back at it Soon

09.20.10 @ 10:18PM Tags : 3rdrail, meta

For the first time since re-launching in January, I haven’t posted something to the site in a couple of days. Or maybe it was just one day — I can’t really remember, as I’ve been burning the midnight oil to finish a demo for my transmedia project 3rd Rail in preparation for Independent Film Week. And when I say “midnight oil,” I mean that I’ve seen the sun come up for the last five days. So — apologies and back to your regularly scheduled content in a day or two!

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Watch The Walkmen Perform 'Lisbon' with Flash-based, Real-time, Multi-angle Switching

09.18.10 @ 2:13PM Tags : 3rdrail, flash, multiangle, music, musicvideo, thewalkmen

The Walkmen’s new album Lisbon is an aural treat, and they’ve been given the multi-angle treatment as part of Pitchfork’s POV Concert Series. The online player allows you to watch their show from any of six angles in real-time (or step back and watch all six angles at once). Here’s the POV interface: More »

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IFP Announces Selections for 2010 Project Forum (Including My Project '3rd Rail')

08.13.10 @ 1:03PM Tags : 3rdrail, ifp, ifw, selfpromotion, thirdrail

Independent Film Week (IFW) takes place every September in New York, and it’s a whirlwind event chock full of panels, screenings, networking events, and meetings. One part of IFW is the Project Forum, wherein filmmakers meet with financiers, producers, distributors, and other enablers. Films participating in the Project Forum range from those in the development stage to those in need of finishing funds. I’m happy to announce that 3rd Rail, the transmedia project I’ve been working on with Zack Lieberman (my co-writer/director on The West Side), has been selected to participate in the No Borders International Co-Production Market. More »