Ricardo Comes to Call

Ricardo unknowingly visits WebcamMurder.com, where anything can happen and usually doesn't.

Is he in for a SHOCK??!!

Probably not.

Proud Sponsor of Tap Dancing Podcaster News

In my day job as Tap Dancing Podcaster, I was hoping to find a big sponsor--oh, Coke, Pepsi, General Motors--

When that didn't happen, this weblog stepped up to the plate and sponsored today's report. Give it a listen.

Every Movie Needs Fans!

No movie is going to make it without people who like it and talk it up, no matter how much money you (not YOU you, more like the studios) pour into it. That is why we at WebcamMuder.com put fans into the movie (and recommend that you follow suit).

I can't say whether Elwood, Kayo, Kellan and Erica would stay awake through the actual movie, since they haven't seen it, but we've got them on video saying they love it, and you can see for yourself how excited they are when they say it.

Infectious, isn't it? Kind of makes you want to see the movie...doesn't it...?

Make It Look Like Something Happens

When your movie isn't finished because your computer crashes (only) when you edit it or try to make copies, the best thing to do, I've found, is work on the poster design. And the best poster design, especially when your movie is in the film sleepy genre (movies that put the audience right to sleep), is something that looks like something is going on.

In the design above, I have every member of the cast, including a few I haven't put up here yet (excluding the voiceover people since they are not very visual). They aren't doing much, so something very active would be difficult to show, since they don't do much in the movie, either. But since there are so many of them, it gives the impression that a lot is going on at once. Which isn't the case when you watch the movie.

However, I have read of many examples where posters and trailers have little to do with the movie. Instead they portray anything the artists can think of that will get somebody, anybody, to buy a ticket or rent a DVD.

Notice that I also include the ecstatic review by Rory Knox Johnston, our bought and paid for movie critic.

While you'll have to come up with your own poster, feel free to adapt my principles for your film sleepy.

Hot Date Gets Hotter

Pizza Guy Matt parties with Jen and Chad.

Filmmaker tip: It's good to give at least some of the actors time to rest on screen, at least if your movie is in the film sleepy genre, like mine. It relaxes the actors and the audience, too, especially those viewers who do not like to sleep alone.

Every Movie Needs a Handsome Hunk

Even if your movie is going to put people to sleep, they need something to watch while they're drifting off. That's where glamor comes in--in Hollywood, and, I'm afraid, in the independent world as well. That's why people like Gary (pictured above) do indies. To get exposure and go on to the big time.

Robert and Buster Read the Papers

Probably you have been reading about film sleepy, the new movie genre that is taking Hollywood by storm now that digital filmmaking is in the hands of ordinary people.

As you can tell by looking at the frames from WebcamMurder.com that accompany my journal, this movie about people who live their lives on the Internet will put the audience right to sleep, once my computer stops crashing long enough to take out the few remaining exciting parts.

Even better, you can make a movie just as representative of the genre without any formal training, and you'll probably finish yours first, if you start now.

Dr. Valeri Spaces Out

It's hard to keep your mind on your work when you're an Internet therapist, as you'll see if...I mean, when...I finish my movie.

Before I do, I've got to get the blog working. Maybe that's not gettng my priorities straight, but at least all my hard drives don't crash when I try to fix it. Just the blog, which is on somebody else's computer.

Right now the picture at the top has mostly disappeared, which is made more frustrating when it all comes back after I hit the preview button in the page with Blogger's template code on it. Every time I save it, it goes back to showing only the top. I bought a book on HTML, XHTML and CSS, which explains the rules very nicely and which isn't helping a bit.

My biggest hope is that there's a Blogger users forum somewhere and that I'll find it.

And Tap Dancing, Too!

While you don't want to rile up people who live their lives on the Internet with too much excitement...like the guy who played video games for three days straight till he keeled over dead from heart failure...throwing a couple minutes of tap dancing into your movie brings a spot of brightness into their lives.

Above, Patt (left) and Patience (right) take my beginners' tap class.

Oh, and it's not too late to hear my latest tap dancing news update here.

Sleep Through Your Own Movie

One advantage to making your own movie is that you can not only sleep through it when you watch it, you can write a few naps for the character you play into the script to replenish your energy for your producing, directing, set decorating and craft services responsibilities.

Sorry, I'll have to leave the filmmaking advice at that for now. It's enough to get you started--and keep you coming back for more tips from a pro.

This morning, I'm really excited that I actually uploaded my podcast, My Unfinished Film, an in-depth investigation into why my movie still isn't finished.

I'd been thinking it was yet another oevre I'd never get done. Tearing myself away from editing it was a major accomplishment, and uploading was a thankfully short series of missteps. Openpodcast.org, where I uploaded my past podcasts (avoiding the need to learn all that RSS stuff), looked dormant, so I searched Google, Dogpile and a9 (piling up points for Amazon.com discounts) and ended up at ourmedia.org. After a struggle of only 12 hours or so, the podcast was posted.

I'm giddy over being so technically adept. I even have my own XML feed! Not that I've figured out what to do with it. Stuff I'll probably have to sign up for another online course at the HP Learning Center for. And I'm still on lesson 3 of Building Your First Webpage.

Is this how it was when they first invented paper?

A Romantic Evening with Jen and Chad

I can't promise that every scene is as emotion-packed as this one, but don't worry, all the scenes have backgrounds.