SNL Hires and Fires

As NBC’s late night sketch comedy variety show approaches it’s 35th season, head honcho Lorne Michaels makes alterations to this season’s cast.  

News broke yesterday via a press release from the Upright Citizens Brigade that Jenny Slate and Nasim Pedrad would be two new [additions] to the cast.  In the mean time were they really additions?  Nope.  Having glee that SNL may return to having more than one woman within their regular repertoire was a bit too overzealous.  

Jenny Slate has most recently appeared as Jenny, Jimmy’s ‘new’ assistant on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’s own reality show “7th. Floor West.”  

 

And other newbie Nasim Pedrad’s one-woman act  Me, Myself & Iran was chosen for the 2007 HBO Comedy Festival.

Meanwhile, we are saying goodbye to short lived newcomer Michaela Watkins and can’t-quite-break-from-featured-player Casey Wilson.  Michaela has already offered interviews to various sources stating her surprise in the decision and states that she was told that she deserves her own show.  …and on that note?

Casey Wilson recorded a video for Funny or Die a few months back and it seems all too appropriate for this latest news…

SNL’s Casey Wilson Reads Internet Comments from Casey Wilson

No Comments

Frank McDade, September 4th 2009 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Arts & Entertainment

BING and Decide

Advertising on the “New” Search Engine May Do Justice

bing-a-thon-logo

There has been a lot of buzz around the latest search engine released by Microsoft, and a lot of that has been generated through advertisements costing upwards of $100 million.  All of this cash being pumped out is a gesture – to the public as an embrace and to Google a flip of the bird.  Google has become a household name and a verb.  Bing can pay to hold a name within a household, but will need sustenance to be anything more.

Will Bing Solve My Answers?

Now, I will admit that I set my default browser to Bing but I find myself using it only when searching for certain things.  I know that it should provide me with everything I search for, but I believe more than anything, that my mind has been trained to expect results in the way that Google provides them.  Bing provides a lot of results in different segments that are easily defined.  Apparently this what they are shooting for, seeing as they have branded themselves as a decision engine.

For example: when I was searching for the score of the penguins game in Bing, it provided me with a nice chart at the top of the page with up-to-date scores as well as scores to the previous play-off games.  Google, on the other hand, gave me almost the same information – but they didn’t pretty it up.  So, if you’re looking for information pertaining to a fast and happening situation, and in an easy manner, Bing will do that.  For more detailed searches, I can’t break away from Google.  I search a lot.  For every day people to see a difference, I doubt they will.  Or like me, they will be taken in on the prettiness of it all.  That same feel of the search engine leaks in to their advertisements – the one thing that actually has me enthrawed in to their product.

NBC hearts Microsoft

I watch a lot of NBC late night.  On top of the amount of Bing commercials that I see spattered through their programming, Microsoft went as far as to sponsor a segment on the Jimmy Fallon Show.  It was a game-show styled contest where three audience members were in a race to Bing in the correct answer to a question.  The winner of the first round was given the opportunity to Bing again, in a 15 second time alotment, for a chance to win a brand new computer branded with Bing on the cover.  This occored only two days after SNL’s Jason Sudeikus hosted the Bing-a-thon alongside Olivia Munn on Hulu (an operation of NBC Universal).  

The Bing-a-thon was a really long infomercial.  It was cheestastic.  Amusing.  Hardly informative. And Long.  It was funny to watch them Bing a topic while racing against absurd comedic events though. I give credit in trying to reach to different audiences through multiple mediums.

It has also been recently announced that NBC has entered in to a contract with Microsoft to refine the way in which TV Ad Sales are purchased.  A new look will be taken at demographics, consumers’ purchasing habits and locations.  They will be updated daily and will have an automated buying process.   Spokespersons say that it will take time to change the way of the business, but it is a necessary change.

“I know you’re use to searching the way you have been” 

Bing – you have peaked my interest but only because I know who you really are.  If you’re going to try and butter up to the rest of the crowd you need to be more straight forward with what you want to be and not dance around cutsie commercials or sketch-comedyesque infomercials.  It has not been a month yet and I don’t want things to seem like they are serious between us, then have you end up being just like any other search engine out there.

4 Comments

Frank McDade, June 18th 2009 | Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Arts & Entertainment

Viral Video Film School – My 15 Seconds of Fame

Everyone waits for the moment when they can say that they have been on TV.  Sad as it is, I will use an image that I took and do the same thing.  Behind Mister Brett Erlich of Current TV is my Baby African American Peeing Keychain.  

Frank McDades Photo on Viral Video Film School - Current TV

Also, didn’t win the LNWJF dance challenge (obviously, because I would have pissed everywhere to make it known) but our video was featured as one of their “favorites” – that’s right a legitimate 15 seconds of fame.

late-night-with-jimmy-fallon_dance-challenge

So, that’s all I have for now.  I’ll see you in Hollywood baby.

No Comments

Frank McDade, June 4th 2009 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Arts & Entertainment

Late Night Jimmy, Fallon Dance Challenge

So, we finished up our entry for the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Dance Challenge last night.  I’m pretty pleased with it.  It’s good in the sense that a) average white people can do it and b) it directly reflects the show.  The storyline showcases aspects of the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show, following the chronicles of Jimmy from prep-time trough monologue.   Bring us in Jimmy.

Jimmy gets ready for the show by putting on his tailored suit coat and tie, then realizing the time, rushes off to the show. Upon his arrival, he can hear the legendary Roots crew playing his entrance jam. Jimmy enters the main floor (simulating promo pic #2) to perform his monologue and scores a joke that he is rather proud of – displaying his excitement through a pantomimed strike. Pleased with his intro for the nights show, Jimmy Fallon reconstructs promo pic #1s pose, followed closely by promo pic #5, #4, and #6. After the last sequence, there is ample opportunity to party. Soon there after, it is time to start it all over again, only at a different angle.

1 Comment

Frank McDade, May 20th 2009 | Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Arts & Entertainment

Online Video Contests

There are too many to keep up with.  I’m working on a online video for the Murphy-Goode wine areallygoodjob contest and the Late Night Jimmy Fallon dance challenge.  First off, I know that I do not know a lot about wine besides that I like it and it tastes good.  If you check out the contest’s website, you will find some highly qualified individuals.  I respect all of that, but at the same time I want my face on there.  So, I may not have a lot of the the winery lingo and terminology down but I believe it would be an educational experience for myself and for Murphy-Goode.  If they’re looking for a quirky individual who can breath new life in to their brand then yes, I am perfect for them.  Otherwise, maybe not so much.  So this is for you Murphy-Goode, lets get the ball rolling.  

I’m really excited for the Late Night Jimmy Fallon Dance Challenge.  Last week, he announced that there would be a contest to create a dance for his song of the same title.  I just got back from my friend Julie’s house and I think ours is pretty basic, catchy, and white.  Yes, I said white.  Our rendition of this song depicts a lot of different aspects from the show and Jimmy Fallon himself.  We’ll see where that goes.  I’m trying to get our friend Mike Day to film it.  I’ll update again once these are completed, each will be complete with commentary of some sort.

No Comments

Frank McDade, May 17th 2009 | Tags: , , ,
Posted in Arts & Entertainment

Geeking out on Broadway (after returning from NYC)

So, I just returned home after a fantastic trip to New York City and thought that I had left the excitement behind.  Today was a big day in the Theater and Internet award world.  Announced were the Tony Award nominations and the Webby Award winners.  While all of this was happening, it seemed like the words around these were buzzing in Twitter land.  More so for the Webbys than for the Tonys, but I guess that is expected given the perspective industries.  I did my part in playing the field for both.  I’m going to call out some particular nominees.  

The Tonys

I will start off by saying that while I was in New York I got to see Rock of Ages and Hair so I can only base my opinions on that.  In July, I am attending the Broadway Teachers Workshop where I will see Next to Normal and Billy Elliott but that is beside the point right now.  I’m just hoping that what’s in my mind pans out properly.  

Hair is nominated for Best Lighting Design – it was superb.  Between that and the vocals of that group, it really brought down the house.  I was more excited than ever to receive a flower and at the end of the show they invite the audience on the stage for an encore of Let the Sun Shine In.  So great.

securedownload

This is the view of the audience as the cast of Hair sees it.

The Webby Awards

Okay, so there are so many categories in the Webbys that I can’t morally vote in all of them.  If I don’t know about something, I’m not going to ruin the chances of others.  Those that I did vote for faired pretty well.  My favorites were Jimmy Fallon, Current TV and the Prop 8 Musical.  All were winners.  Congrats guys!

Prop 8 the Musical won in the Comedy category.  If you haven’t seen it yet, do so.  http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/…

Current TV won for Hack the Debate in the Best use of Interactive Video category for their work during the presidential elections where they had a live Twitter feed on the bottom of the TV while the debate was televised.  Anyone using the #current hash tag was thrown in to the poll of online collaborators.  Also, they took home for the work with Vanguard.  A lot of people may not be familiar with Current TV or their work.  That is uncalled for.  Check out their website and read up on them.  They are the future of media.  Cross-platform integration: case in point.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon won in the Variety category in Online Video, on top of Jimmy Fallon being deemed the Webby Person of the Year.  I honestly love their work.  It incorporates everything that I love: techies, sketch/improv style comedy and combining them to create an interactive experience that engages the community that makes it all thrive.  I think that winning these awards after being on air for only 2 months says a lot, I can only imagine how revolutionary they are going to be in setting the new Late Night standard. Visit http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/ for a good time.  

In Conclusion

I have taken a liking to award shows the past few years.  I’m still trying to catch on to the Grammys but that isn’t working too well.  The Academy Awards and TV Land Awards held my interest (though the Krofft musical tribute was beyond frightening).  I’m hoping that a theater related item is nominated next year.  For example the Broadway show Next to Normal performed the first live theater performance on Twitter.  

Side note: Internet Week in New York is the first week in June.  I kind of want reason to go – I need to justify doing so.

Exciting day.  I’m going to tie this all together through my visit to the Paley Center for Media.  I viewed an episode of The Ben Stiller Show and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.  The Ben Stiller Show was a symbol of how sketch comedy shows were in the 90’s and Jimmy Fallon is how we roll in the 00’s.  They may be a different format, but they’re not too far off.  Sabrina was the one where Salem ate her time ball and they were stuck in the 60’s.  Hair is set in the late 60’s early 70’s, Rock of the Ages takes place in the 80’s which happens to be in sequential order.  And I was the piece to tie them all together.  Maybe that didn’t make as much sense as I thought.  Anyways.  Tune in to Jimmy Fallon tonight to see how he celebrates and stay tuned for about another month to see the Tony Awards.

 Peace out.

No Comments

Frank McDade, May 5th 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Arts & Entertainment