My Contribution to a Documentary about my Favorite Pinup Model

I am so excited to be a part of the Bettie Page Reveals All documentary about my favorite pinup legend! She is the often-imitated icon whose life was complicated and controversial, and who unintentionally helped inspire the feminist revolution of the 1960s after her mysterious disappearance into seclusion in 1957. Before she passed away in 2008, she spilled the full story in her own words through a series of interviews with Academy-Award nominated filmmaker Mark Mori, who is now directing and producing the documentary.

It's not like me to be star-struck but Bettie is one of only two exceptions. So when I saw a posting on a Bettie Page newsletter asking for Photoshop experts to work on her film, you can imagine my response. I am honored to help out with such an exciting project and all of the images I have been working on only serve to make me more excited to see the final film, which premiered at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender yesterday.

I made this video while I was working on one of her photos as a "teaser."



Of course, it is a real tease; you can barely see any of Bettie except for a tiny thumbnail on the right at the end... but hey, that's fitting with her personality, too! I can assure you the full shot is just lovely.

The Making of "Mr. Nouveau"

This time-lapse video compresses more then 4 hours of drawing into about 5 minutes. If only I could draw this quickly! I actually had a more aggressive vision in the beginning, as you can see I already sketched and began coloring two lion-looking figures (would be a leopard and her cub if I added the spots). I suppose as the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day, and I certainly couldn't spend more than that on these drawings. Adding it to the bucket of unfinished projects, for a rainy day...

In the meantime, I envision this graphic being printed on the back of a set of playing cards. Any takers?

Happy Cyber Monday!

Somehow this (talented comedienne) lady didn't entice me to wake up at 5 am, or even go to Target for either days of the two-day sale this weekend, but these ads caught my attention and I did get a few good laughs...

For anyone who didn't get out of bed on Black Friday (like the "sleeping beast" alter-ego sister below), Cyber Monday is where it's at.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday, ate lots of turkey, enjoyed the mild weather and maybe caught some football. I won't go into my disappointment over the results of the games this weekend but it was still fun to watch with my family, as was Disney's "UP" which blew me away (ha, ha) with the stunning 3D animation.

In other news, my dad celebrated a big birthday yesterday, I won't say which one, but I hope he is now enjoying his brand new Playstation 3 -- a gaming platform was the only thing missing in our home entertainment center, and I think this was the perfect gift for the occasion :-) Have fun, dad!

The Veronicas' Last Stop, in Philly

This post is for Veronicas fans, people who appreciate live music, and those who get a kick out of half-naked band members' pranks... I've said too much.

My Friday night / belated birthday celebration was at the TLA (Theater of the Living Arts) on South Street in Philadelphia. Australian twin sisters Jess and Lisa Origliasso of rock/pop group The Veronicas put on a great show, the last of their Revenge Is Sweeter tour in the US.

Carney & TheArt made a special appearance during 'Heavily Broken' - a quiet and beautiful song turned... well, just watch. I chose this version for the sound quality (you can hear the girls over the fans, unlike some of the other videos).

Enjoy the whole playlist here. Lyrics for 'Heavily Broken' below:

Everyday I sit here waiting
Everyday just seems so long
And now I've had enough of all the hating
Do we even care, it's so unfair
Any day it'll all be over
Everyday there's nothing new
And now I just try to find some hope
To try and hold onto
But it starts again
It'll never end

I'm heavily broken
And I don't know what to do
Can't you see that I'm choking
And I can't even move
When there's nothing left to say
What can you do
I'm heavily broken
And there's nothing I can do

Almost giving up on trying
Almost heading for a fall
And now my mind is screaming out
I've gotta keep on fighting
But then again
It doesn't end

I'm heavily broken
And I don't know what to do
Can't you see that I'm choking
And I can't even move
When there's nothing left to say
What can you do?
I'm heavily broken
And there's nothing I can do
And there's nothing I can do

Feels like I'm drowning
I'm screaming for air
(Screaming for air)
Louder I'm crying
And you don't even care

I'm heavily broken
And I don't know what to do
Can't you see that I'm choking
And I can't even move
(What can I do)
When there's nothing left to say
What can you do
I'm heavily broken

I'm heavily broken
And I don't know what to do
Can't you see that I'm choking
And I can't even move
When there's nothing left to say
What can you do
I'm heavily broken [x3]

Estelle + Champagne + Crystal Light = STARLIGHT

I was sitting at home watching TV tonight (not a normal occurance) when I discovered another successful endorsement / partnership deal IMHO.

This one involves British pop singer Estelle and Kraft Foods' powedered drink product Crystal Light. Kraft is using Estelle's song, "Star" to promote their product in the TV commercial, and is offering a free download of the "Star" mp3 at uPumpItUp.com. I couldn't get this song-jingle out of my head, so if you're going to watch it with the volume on, don't say I didn't warn ya.

When you go to the website to download the mp3, you can also find other cool stuff, like this drink recipe:

Starlight

Makes 12 Servings (1/2 cup each)
• 1 single serve packet Crystal Light On The Go Immunity: Cherry Pomegranate
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 bottle (750 mL) champagne, chilled

1. Place drink mix and water in measuring cup; stir until dissolved
2. Add 1/2 tsp mixture to each champagne glass; top with champagne
3. Serve immediately

Where the (pardon my French) hell is Matt? Proper Sponsorship Gets You Going Places.

Stride Gum Spearmint, originally uploaded by StrideGum.

This epitomizes the perfect working relationship between a company (Stride gum) and an individual who demonstrates qualities of their brand (Matt).

Matt posted a video a few years back (2005) doing a silly dance in exotic locations around the world. Being a travel-loving creative myself, I appreciated the concept and apparently a lot of other people did too. Here is the original video:

Because of his quasi-internet success, the Stride gum company (Cadbury Adams USA LLC) approached him in 2006 about taking a second trip and making a new video. Regarding the sponsorship, Matt has posted on his FAQ section. His response is honest, straightforward, and speaks volumes about the people at Cadbury Adams and how they went about this endeavor:

"Help?" I hear you got a sponsorship. What's that about?
The folks at Stride gum were nice enough to support me on my second trip.

Why haven't I heard of Stride before?
Because it's new.

What's so special about it?
The flavor lasts a really long time.

Come on. How long?
Ridiculously long.

Are they paying you to say this?
Nope. Honest.

Did they make you chew gum on your trip?
They didn't make me do much of anything. They are very good people.

Did they tell you where to go?
Nope. They said, and I'm quoting here:

"We like what you're doing. We want to help you. We don't want to mess with you."
These words charmed me, and they stayed true to them.

Did they edit the video for you?
Nope. I came home, put it together, sorted the music out, and slapped it up on the internet. That was pretty much it.
Like I said: good people.

Do you get lots of free gum?
I get lots of free gum.

How did you find them?
They found me.

How do I get sponsored to travel?
I really can't help you with that. Wouldn't have a clue. Sorry.

The results of this sponsorship? YouTube's ratings as of right now speak volumes:
Added: June 20, 2008
Views: 18,277,619
Ratings: 66,312 (five stars average)
Responses: 187 (these are videos posted by others after seeing this one)
Comments: 54,369
Favorited: 114,635 times
Honors: in 34 categories
See for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY&feature=channel

As for Stride, they have a devoted section on their website for his videos, and had their name on a few clips from Matt's second video, as well as numberous links from Matt's content back to them. I have no idea about the impact on their sales, but it certainly got their name out there, got people talking, and even inspired people all over the world. And what more could you hope for in a partnership? It beats brand-sabotaging, individual-sacrificing, corporate-feeling failures. No cheesy taglines from Stride as far as I can see. So props to Cadbury Adams, and to Matt. Way to make a brand really come alive - you both make a traveling marketer proud! :-)

I'm 88, and I'm Regular

Thanks to my friend Colleen, I discovered clips of the Ellen DeGeneris Show featuring Gladys Hardy (spoiler alert). You have to watch this:

This is Gladys, and I'll call you tomorrow.

Happy 4th Birthday, Numa Numa Dance!

This is a silly entry with a purpose.

1. The Numa Numa dance has its fourth anniversary tonight, actually at this very moment because I am posting the entry exactly 4 years after the original was uploaded on Newgrounds flash community, back when webcams still pixelated your face if you moved too much.



2. The Romanian, "Dragostea Din Tea" song used in this video was recently resampled in Rihanna's song, "Live Your Life," a credit to its ubiquity and legacy.



3. According to many sources, the Numa Numa video has been seen a few HUNDRED MILLION times around the web, making it one of the most popular "viral" videos of all time (according to a few sources, the second most popular). However, according to other statistics, such as the "NewNuma" channel on YouTube where this was found, Gary Brolsma didn't do as well in subsequent attempts at stardom. I think part of "viral" is how organic it all is. Many marketers are now realizing that you can't PLAN viral. Viral is a thing which occurs, not a thing that is. So, enjoy the laugh and the spontaneous entertainment provided here, and "miia hii miia haa" along.

If that's not enough, read Cesar Brea's "Dissecting Numa Numa" for some in-depth analysis and pondering on whether this Brolsma video may have been a bit more than just a happy accident.

Polliwog (Lollipop Remix)

Remember Gullah Gullah island? That Nick Jr. television series from the mid-90's? Laura showed me this video today. It was a much-needed relief from work on the Tri-State marketing plan and IBA web design which I have been working on wayy too much in the past few weeks.

One of the best remixes I have ever heard/seen to a music video, haha:

Original song here.

Now back to Disturbia, just ◊ Shut Up and Let Me Go ◊.

"Baby Mama"

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler back in action. Is this late? I'm a little out of the loop being out of the country and all but look forward to seeing this one when I return... in a way, I sort of miss Hollywood. Ha, ha.