Xark!

BarCamp Charleston: Geoff's video

Geoff Marshall has been a good friend since we met back in the early Lowcountry Blogs days. I helped him get a job at The Post and Courier and in the early days of the paper's web video push it was pretty much just the two of us, wandering around with cameras, figuring out technical tricks, comparing notes, and each of us trying to develop personal styles of storytelling.

It didn't take time much time for him to begin establishing a style that I thought was not only distinctly his, but very, very good.

Geoff covered BarCamp Charleston this weekend and just posted his video. I think it's excellent in all sorts of ways.

And it makes me feel a bit nostalgic. He's leaving Charleston in a few days with a one-way ticket back to London, his true home. So in a way, this #BarCampCHS video is his parting gift to the Lowcountry. It shows not only how far the tech community has come, but also how sophisticated Geoff has become.

Thanks, mate.

WASSUP!?! (circa 2008)

Best. Video. Of. The. Week. Via Oliver Willis.

BONUS VIDEO: Hey, trying to figure out that whole 21st century media thing? Can't figure out why the old tricks just don't work anymore? Watch this video. Via Blue Ion.

AND FINALLY: We're huge fans of Michael Wesch. Interested in education? Watch this video and then read this post. Tell 'em what you think while you're there.

Grow a pair

XARK TV: 2007 MFL Draft review show

2007 MFL Draft in review from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

This week's XARK TV episode isn't for everyone, but if you're a fantasy football player and/or a member of the Manly Football League, give this one a try.

The MFL will hold its 18th draft on Aug. 23. Not bad for a bunch of newsies from Waynesville, N.C.

The (over-)Thinking Man's Guide to Dr. Horrible

I tried to watch Joss Whedon's buzz-generator Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on its premiere day, but traffic was so heavy I  gave up. Here's the complete three-act musical (42 minutes, with some short commercial breaks), and it's worth a watch.

But how do I feel about it? Not so easily capsulized.

The most obvious observation is this: When you're a cult celebrity with a body of successful work (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Serenity), a relatively small amount of money, plenty of talented friends and too much time on your hands (Dr. Horrible came out of the writer's strike), you can get plenty of publicity and great production values out of a low-rez media form like web video.

Another obvious observation: Neil Patrick Harris is an extremely funny guy.

Yet none of that particularly interests me. Yes, Dr. Horrible likely will be remembered as a historic milestone in the development of web video as an independent medium, but that was almost assured from the moment that news of the project started racing around the Twitterverse.

No, what I want to talk about requires spoilers. So don't read past the jump until after you've watched the final act.

Name that pitch

FRIDAY 5: Fan's Guide to Spotting Baseball Pitches from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

You can get the whole thing over at my Friday5 blog, but here's the video I cut today on how to recognize five different baseball pitches.

Oh, and this week's cartoon contest features a geek action hero.

Have at it, nerds. ;-)

Media sexism

I'm not a Hillary Clinton fan, and my estimation of her has diminished geometrically since April. But when Clinton supporters say that they're mad about sexism in the news media, don't dismiss it as sour grapes. They've got a legit beef.

Americans should demand better.

On the Run with PURE Theatre

PURE Theatre: Episode 1 from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

Episode 1: Actors and PURE Theatre co-founders Sharon Graci and Rodney Lee Rogers start their day.

PURE Theatre: Episode 2. The Move-in. from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

Episode 2: The PURE crew gets to work unloading their gear and constructing their new theater.

PURE Theatre: Episode 3. Showtime from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

Episode 3: Sharon gets behind the wheel of the Penske for her first truck-driving experience; everyone hustles to get ready for the first performance of Vaud Rats.

Cross-posted from Janet's SpoletoToday site.

BRUNCH OF THE LIVING DEAD

BRUNCH OF THE LIVING DEAD from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

I held off on releasing this in hopes of getting the audio sweetened by May 27, which happens to be International Zombie Day. When that didn't happen, I decided it was time to make a few little fixes and put this baby out!

Look for the polished version -- complete with the documentaries "The Making of 'Brunch of the Living Dead,'" and "The Making of 'The Making of Brunch of the Living Dead,'" on the special DVD director's cut, which should be available to anyone who asks me for one later this summer...

Why we're not blogging here

Today my mother wrote to see if we were OK, because we haven't been blogging much. This, then, is the 21st century: "Now be sure to eat right. And wear clean underwear and a nice hat. And be sure to blog every day."

In fact, the reason we're not blogging much at Xark is because Janet and I are blogging/vlogging and podcasting our collective asses off at SpoletoToday 2008. Janet's in charge this year, which means her dream has finally come true: She gets to tell me what to do, and I have to do it.

Here are the videos I've put up so far...

Monkey: Journey to the Grocery Store

Monkey: Journey to the Grocery Store from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

The second (better) Amistad video

Amistad: Race, art, history and opera from Dan Conover on Vimeo.