Some Girl(s) Film Starring Kristen Bell Will Debut on Vimeo on Demand
May 3rd, 2013 by Analie
If you haven’t heard of Vimeo on Demand yet, you’re definitely going to start hearing about them now.
Vimeo on Demand is going to launch Kristen Bell’s new movie “Some Girl(s)” exclusively on their service the same day as the official launch in theaters. They launched their “pay to view” sevice back in March along SXSW 2013 .
“Some Girl(s)” is the first feature film to go exclusively online with Vimeo’s new service. The release will be day-and-date in theaters and exclusively on Vimeo On Demand and on the film’s website on June 28th.
What is Vimeo On Demand?
Vimeo on Demand is a feature where Vimeo Pro members can sell their movies / clips directly to the public. It makes it much easier for fans to buy work directly from their favorite creators. Vimeo Pro users have access to easy to use tools to make creative and beautiful videos.
Vimeo On Demand – Some Girls Film
Producer and Partner at Leeden Media Patty West commented, “The opportunity to go straight from artist to audience is the future and Vimeo is offering a fantastic new platform. We were inspired by Amanda Palmer and Shane Carruth and of course, one of the stars of our film, Kristen Bell with her $5.7M Kickstarter campaign. These artists are doing it themselves and going directly to their audience. That’s really exciting for filmmakers.”
Some Girl(s) Synopsis
Based on his play by the same name, Neil LaBute’s script follows a successful writer (Adam Brody) who, on the eve of his wedding, travels across the country to meet up with ex-lovers in an attempt to make amends for past relationship transgressions. Crisscrossing from Seattle to Boston, he reunites with high school sweetheart SAM (Jennifer Morrison), sexually free-spirited TYLER (Mia Maestro), married college professor LINDSAY (Emily Watson), his best friend’s little sister REGGIE (Zoe Kazan), and “the one that got away” BOBBI (Kristen Bell). Daisy von Scherler Mayer (PARTY GIRL) directs this journey of a modern-day Candide stumbling through a landscape familiar to most men—messy breakups.
Vimeo on Demand previewed a few movies back in November 2012. Some Girl(s) (Leeden Media) will be the first major movie release to use this service. They want to control the distribution and the marketing. It’s a big step for a service that just came out. Some Girl(s) movie will be released exclusively in theaters and Vimeo on Demand on June 28th.
I am not a big movie goer so Vimeo on Demand would be great for me. Do you think this service will catch on?
SXSW Film: ’12 O’Clock Boys’ – A Boy, His Bike And The Streets Of Baltimore
March 18th, 2013 by Christen
If you’ve ever been a fan of the gritty HBO series ‘The Wire’ then you’re familiar with how colorful the portrayals of Baltimore characters can be. A man, woman or child can easily stand out in a crowd based on their unique dialect, hairstyle or and even preference in attire. On March 10th, during the SXSW Film festival in Austin, Texas – an oddly attractive story about a boy, his bike and the streets of Baltimore premiered entitled ’12 O’Clock Boys’ – and left audiences intrigued with a young boy from West Baltimore they would have otherwise unknown.
Directed by Lotfy Nathan, ’12 O’Clock’ boys follows the growing dangerous pastime of dirt bike gangs in the inner cities (specifically Baltimore, MD).
“I was attending college in Baltimore and would see the dirt bike pack zoom by once in a while. Neither I nor anyone else in the protected bubble I was living in knew what they were about. I asked around and found that they congregated at Druid Hill Park on Sundays. I went there not knowing what to expect, but found that the riders were very receptive. I made some friends and went from there. Within about a year I was able to get in position to capture some very dynamic action coverage of the riders, thanks to a faction of the group called the WOWBOYZ, who I approached through YouTube after seeing how well they were able to keep up with the pack. They were veterans of the group, and they knew how to negotiate the chaos of following the group. In 2010 I met Pug and knew immediately that there was something very telling in his character, a young boy on the cusp of joining the group.”
Synopsis: The story follows Pug, a thirteen year old boy living on a dangerous Westside block of Baltimore, who has one goal in mind: to join the 12 O’Clock Boys; the notorious urban dirt-bike gang. Converging from all parts of the inner city, they invade the streets and clash with police, who are forbidden to chase the bikes for fear of endangering the public. Pug looks to the pack for mentorship, spurred by their dangerous lifestyle and deep bonds. He narrates their world as if explaining a dreamscape—an action-packed world full of power and freedom. The film captures this world with unprecedented intimacy as the riders themselves guide us into a culture few get to access. The film presents the pivotal years of change in a boy’s life growing up in one of the most dangerous and economically depressed cities in the United States.
If you were lucky to grow up in Inner City, USA – you’ll undoubtedly find familiarities scattered throughout the documentary that’ll leave you attached to several key characters in the film. Watching Pug grow in just the span of a few years from a young child to a pre-teen left audiences wondering, “What’s Pug up to now?”. Hopefully director Lotfy Nathan will create a follow up documentary that’ll keep us up to date with Pug, Coco and the 12 O’Clock boys.
For more on the documentary and the director, visit 12OClockboys.com
Prince To Close Out SXSW With Samsung And You Could Be There Too
March 12th, 2013 by ChristenYou’ve heard the rumors and we can finally confirm that it’s TRUE. SXSW will get a dose of purple rain, in the form of Prince Rogers Nelson. Today Samsung confirmed that Prince will perform at its Saturday night closing party.
Prince SXSW
“Having Prince in Austin at his first SXSW show will truly be a one night only experience that our Samsung Galaxy owners and friends will remember for years to come,” Todd Pendleton, Samsung’s chief marketing officer.
Among Samsung’s digital activations is a popular battery swap where people could tweet #PowerOn and their location to @SamsungMobileUS to receive a new fully charged battery from a bike messenger. At the company’s main daytime lounge — Samsung Galaxy Experience (open 12 to 6 p.m.) — people could make personalized T-shirts and buttons using the S Note. A Music Hub station allows guests to try Music Hub, listen to SXSW artists on it and S Beam songs to their devices.
While the private Saturday night show will wrap up Samsung’s heavy #TheNextBigThing tech and entertainment presence at SXSW, it will be tied to its TecTile Wall initiative in which owners of NFC-enabled Galaxy devices could tap tiles to unlock rewards. Want to see Prince LIVE? Samsung will choose 250 TecTile Wall participants to attend the intimate show. If you’re in Austin, you may want to get out there and start using those TecTile walls today.
Prince caps off Samsung’s busy week of musical acts that spans Interactive, Film and Music, including The Roots, Band of Horses, Talib Kweli, and Mayer Hawthorne. With the Samsung Unpacked 2013 event taking place this Thursday, it’s safe to say that this week has already been Samsung’s Best Week Ever!
Nokia Music, Verizon Wireless, and Roc Nation Bring You SXSW Concerts
March 12th, 2013 by Analie
SXSW is full of events directly related to music and technology
Music and technology came together once again this past weekend when Nokia Music and Verizon Wireless launched the Late Night at Arlyn Studios Concert Series last night at Raptor House in Austin, TX with a special performance by Solange. The series is closely aligned with the free streaming music service, Nokia Music.
The set was 45 minutes long in which Solange performed her latest single “Losing You” from her EP: True. Spin Magazine describes True as ”breezy fusion of singer-centric R&B, 1980′s pop, and lanky mid-tempo hip-house beasts”
You can see Solange’s performance HERE
Nokia has also teamed up with Roc Nation entertainment company to present the Raptor House Concert Series in Austin, Texas from March 11th – March 14th. Taking over Arlyn Studios, the Raptor House Concert series created a diverse lineup of music. Raptor House the go-to place between showcases (invite only) will have live performances by Haim, Caveman, Body Parts, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, The Mowgli’s, The Postelles, Wardell, Vacationer, Kan Wa Kan, The Lone Bellow, Carousel, Elle King, The Blank Tapes, Maeyani, The Well Spring, and more.
On Thursday, March 14th, Nokia Music will wind down their week of activation with a special late night performance by Rudimental. You’ve probably heard them from their huge drum & bass-meets-soul anthem and No. 1 single “Feel The Love”, their “Later…With Jools Holland TV performance, their historic BBC Radio 1 Hackney Weekend extravaganza (which saw their second ever live show become the most shared performance of the entire festival), or been immersed in the thrilling energy of their live shows, DJ sets or groundbreaking videos. Rudimental have achieved global recognition among tastemakers at lightning speed.
Check out the dates and times for the concert series below.
What is Nokia Music?
The Nokia Music service is available on the latest Windows Phones. Nokia Music features playlists that are curated by an expert team of global and regional musicologists, spanning a wide spectrum of genres from underground Detroit house tracks to New York Philharmonic favorites. Completely advertisement-free, and requiring no registration or subscription, Nokia Music allows consumers to enjoy the songs of their favorite artists and discover new music without any disruption. Nokia Music can also be enjoyed offline so consumers can listen to their favorite playlists anytime, anywhere. For more information visit www.nokia.com/music or follow #
Monday, March 11
6:00PM – Roc Nation DJs (Outdoors)
7:10PM – The Lonely Wild (Outdoors)
8:05PM – The Lone Bellow (Outdoors)
9:05PM – Carousel (Outdoors)
10:30PM – Elle King (Inside Arlyn Studios)
11:40PM – The Blank Tapes (Inside Arlyn Studios)
Tuesday, March 12
6:00PM – Roc Nation DJs (Outdoors)
7:00PM – Hunter Hunted (Outdoors)
7:45PM – Haim (Outdoors)
8:45PM – Vacationer (Outdoors)
10:30PM – Body Parts (Inside Arlyn Studios)
11:30PM – Caveman (Inside Arlyn Studios)
Wednesday, March 13
6:00PM – Roc Nation DJs
7:00PM – Mayaeni (Outdoors)
8:00PM – Wardell (Outdoors)
9:00PM – He’s My Brother She’s My Sister (Outdoors)
10:30PM – The Mowgli’s (Inside Arlyn Studios)
11:40PM – The Wellspring (Inside Arlyn Studios)
Thursday, March 14
11:30PM – 2:00AM – Late Night at Arlyn Studios featuring Rudimental
At SXSW Blacks in Tech Talks Content, Cash And #SCANDAL
March 11th, 2013 by Christen
During a power packed Sunday afternoon of panel discussions, BiT thought leaders shed light on the darker side of SXSW issues affecting minorities in the tech space. Discussions ranging from content creation to the power behind ‘Black Twitter’ making ABC’s Scandal the most tweeted show on TV – Sunday at SXSW had it all.
Naturally Social: Growing Your Hair, Growing Your Audience And Growing Your Brand
This all-star panel examined how the natural hair movement has exploded in recent years, largely in part to the social media savvy of natural hair bloggers and brands. It shed some light on the natural hair “sharing” experience and taught up-in-coming content creators how to incorporate proven social media strategies and avoid missteps to help grow online audiences and brands. Hosted by Patrice Yursik (Afrobella.com), Myliek Teel (curlBOX), Jamala Johns (Le Coil), Kristin Braswell (Carol’s Daughter) and moderated by Franchesca Ramsey.
The Takeaway: If you want to grow your audience and brand, you must:
- KNOW your voice! Your audience wants to hear and see you. (Not a carbon copy of another beauty blogger.)
- RECOGNIZE the stylists. Unless you’re own a cosmetology license, you’re can’t claim to be the authority in hair care.
- OPTIMIZE your use of Instagram, Vine, Twitter and Facebook to showcase your unique content in an engaging way.
More Money, More Content: Create Strategic Partnerships That Impact The Bottom Line
This panel asked the question: “You’ve produced great content, built a social media, and created a brand. Now what?” With competition more fierce than ever, you need a well-crafted plan for distributing your content and expanding your influence. This panel challenged bloggers, vloggers and more to explore development of distribution and strategic partnership strategies that can earn significant followings, steady revenue, and new opportunities. Hosted by Wadooah Wali, Franchesca Ramsey, Sian Morson and moderated by Lisa Nicole Bell.
The Takeaway: If you want to make the big bucks by aligning your content with brands or possible acquisition, you must:
- KNOW your numbers! Analytics, Estimated Brand Worth (How much are you willing to sell your brand for?)
- SET realistic collaboration goals! (Know what you can deliver and DO it)
- OPTIMIZE your content platform for web, tablet and mobile. (You don’t want people to miss out on your great content.)
#SCANDAL: How Television’s Hottest Show Is Fueled By Social Media
The #1 Show on ABC and one of the hottest shows on television meets the analytical and multi-talented eyes of an academic, a blogger and a social media savant. This explosive panel gripped the attention spans of audience members defining “The Bombastic Brilliance of Black Twitter” and how SCANDAL may have changed the way audiences will watch tv shows for good. Hosted by Luvvie Ajayi (AwsomelyLuvvie.com), Allison Peters (Social media manager for Kerry Washington), Franchesca Ramsey and moderated by Dr. Goddess.
The Takeaway:
- Kerry Washington urged Shonda Rhimes to mandate the use of Twitter and “Live Tweeting” during the broadcast of each show.
- You can soon shop Olivia Pope’s “look for less” closet online, later this year (stay tuned to DivasandDorks.com for info)
- Because of SCANDAL, ABC is implementing the same social media formula in hopes to cash in on social media success for its other shows.
SXSW Blacks In Tech
For more information about BiT and BiT SXSW programming visit WeAreBit.com.
SXSW Kicks Off With The Samsung Galaxy Experience And Surprise Concert By The Roots
March 11th, 2013 by Christen
The SXSW Samsung Galaxy Experience kicked off its opening day Saturday at SXSW in Austin, TX with a variety interactive consumer activations. Saturday night at the Samsung Galaxy Experience space, a VIP concert was held exclusively for Samsung Galaxy fans featuring The Roots and Band of Horses to kick off the Samsung Galaxy Sound Stage Series .
The SXSW Samsung Galaxy Experience showcasing the best of the Samsung Galaxy line of products, provides fun and interactive experiences, including:
· TecTile Wall – Galaxy owners can tap TecTiles to receive free rewards including music from today’s top artists and local deals
· Battery Swap stations – Guests are treated to swap out their dying SIII or Note II batteries for a fully charged one
· Custom T-Shirts & Buttons – Using S Note, guests will be able to design custom t-shirt and buttons that will be printed on-site
Inside The SXSW Samsung Galaxy Experience
The SXSW Samsung Galaxy Experience is open to the public daily from 12-6pm at 504 Trinity Street in Austin now through March 17th. At the space, guests can experience the best of the Samsung Galaxy line of products, and enjoy fun and interactive experiences, including TecTiles for Galaxy owners to tap for free rewards including music from top artists and local deals, a Music Hub demo to listen to tracks of various artists featured at the festival as well the ability to S Beam songs to their own device as a special take away. Galaxy owners can also get free stuff from Austin’s finest businesses by tapping TecTiles around the city of Austin.
The SXSW Samsung Galaxy Experience rewards customers during SXSW.
Wearable Technology – The New Technology Of Fashion
March 11th, 2013 by Analie
Last year, fitness monitoring saw a rise in popular gadgets. Everything from monitoring devices such as the Nike FuelBand and the FitBit Ultra, helped people monitor not only their estimated calorie burn, but their daily activity as a whole. Technology has become even more wearable, not only in fitness, but entirely. With the recent confirmation of Google Glass release, technology is now daily apparel.
What is Wearable Technology?
So what’s next? Instead of gadgets that monitor your exercise, gadgets that help you exercise. User experience designer Jennifer Darmour at Artefact has a prototype Pilates shirt. Yes, a Pilates shirt. This shirt is supposed to take wearable computing a step further. The first challenge is to not be big, and clunky. The garment should have working components that don’t make the person feel uncomfortable or weighed down by the technology.
For those of you who have studied and/or practiced Pilates know that technique and position determine results. Making it comfortable to wear, this Pilates shirt is going to have sensors to monitor the person’s position. The name of the Pilates shirt is called Move. It has sensors on the front, side and back of the shirt. The sensors will monitor the user’s body position. If the person wearing the garment is in the wrong position, it should be able to notify them through a vibration that their position is off.
Darmour states that “wearable technology” will gain wider adoption if it doesn’t seem gadget heavy.
In an interview with Artefact, Darmour discusses what would make wearables become mainstream:
“…unless wearables become beautiful AND meaningful, we would not see them adopted by regular people. There will always be tech enthusiasts who try the latest gadget (remember the Segway?) but there will not be any real mass adoption to speak of. Ultimately, we have to make sure that whatever technology we use, it enhances rather than hides our humanity.” She continues by stating that fashion definitely comes into play when designing these wearables: “…I do believe that a sense of aesthetics and fashion awareness is a must if wearable technology is to become mainstream. How the product looks suddenly becomes more important when you have to wear it on your head rather than in your pocket. And it’s not just a matter of vanity, what we wear has a lot to do with our identity” (Source)
Darmour presented at SXSW this past Saturday in Austin, TX, further discussing the issue of wearable technology. She discussed how an integrated ecosystem of hardware manufacturers, software and service providers and developers, designers and fashion experts can work together to deliver on the potential of wearable technology. She also highlighted specific opportunities, emerging trends and business models that will allow wearable technology to become the next area for growth of the technology industry.
I remember when Nike introduced the FuelBand last year, many were skeptical about the product. They thought it was too overpriced at $149.99 and no one would wear it. A year later, they have a few color options and it’s a common device from the semi-active to the completely active. We also have many other options to the FuelBand. With some places banning Google Glass, we can see that not everyone is ready for the growth of wearables. While I don’t think it will catch on quickly, wearable technology will catch on. As we decide to carry less gadgets around, wearing them will be the obvious option.
SXSW Survival Of The Fittest Tips To Make Your Experience Unforgettable!
March 8th, 2012 by ChristenIt’s almost here, you’re halfway packed or you’re vicariously living through someone that is on their way to SXSW – either way, we’ve compiled some of our top SXSW Survival Tips for your viewing pleasure below…
TIP #1 – It’s SXSW, not MTV’s Spring Break! Be prepared to party, but remember there’s A LOT of good networking available and sober fun to have. (You really don’t want to be passed out 99% of the time and forget your entire time spent in Austin…#DrinkPlentyOfWater)
Looking for a few ways to stay ahead of the curve while hanging at SXSW? Check out BrothaTech’s list of complete apps that are available for download right now that will make everything alot easier from navigating through the crowds as well as sharing your latest party plans.
TIP #2 – There’s no such thing as TOO MUCH TECH! So bring all your cords, adapters, chargers & more (Cause guess what? You’re gonna need it!) You may want to invest in a MyCharge PowerBank 6000 PRONTO!
Black Enterprise Magazine gives a few tips from the Golden Rule of SXSW – (coined by Wayne Sutton) “Always Be Charging” to a few panels that are necessary for maximizing your SXSW experience.
TIP #3 – KNOW your priorities and alter your schedule accordingly. Trust me, you will not be able to make every panel and party that you’ve prescheduled in your calendar. It’s okay! Just know what priorities, panels, etc are non-negotiable and which ones have a little flexibility.
Looking for tips from the PROS? Check out the absolute must tips for SXSW first timers straight from the good folks at SXSW directly. From purchasing a (super expensive) badge to scheduling wisely, this group of tips is your starting point for guaranteeing a great & productive time while in Austin.
TIP #4 – Be OUTGOING, but don’t be a DOUCHEBAG! You’ve seen those people that just have to be the center of attention, yeah – you don’t want to be them. Be unique, humble, memorable but most importantly – be yourself!
If you had to pick one panel to check out during SXSW – I’d bet my money on The Bombastic Brilliance of “Black Twitter” being a panel that you don’t want to miss. Presented by the ever informative and ever entertaining, Dr. Goddess – this panel is sure to be unapologetic and unforgettable.
TIP #5 – Follow Up, Follow UP, FOLLOW UP! The biggest take away from participating in one of the best interactive, music and film festivals in the country is being able to network with the who’s who in each respected industry. You don’t want your time spent in Austin to be just time spent – follow up after the festival is over to foster those relationships and quantify a productive SXSW experience.
Are you a SXSW alum? Got any tips? Feel free to share your SXSW tips below!
Could A Lack of New iPad Releases At SXSW Mean Anticipated Sales Failure?
March 6th, 2012 by ChristenWith the anticipation of tomorrow’s Apple announcement, could one disappointing no show of a pop up store elude to the enivetible? What goes up, must eventually come down and it’s only a matter of time until demands for the latest in Apple technology begins to fade away. It’s been recently announced that Apple has no plans for a Pop Up store in Austin during SXSW like last year. Could this possibly elude to a suspecision of lower demand for the newly announced iPad tablet or could it mean better preparation for the supply and demand of the newer table by next week? As it gets closer to the Apple announcement, other questions have surfaced, including the questionable name of the new device. Is it an iPad 3 or is it an iPad HD?
Either way it WON’T be at SXSW which leaves us questioning if the overall demand for the new device will be lower than previously expected. According to Gizmodo – last year, Apple’s store in 2011 almost eclipsed the coverage of the interactive festival, which is a steady draw for more than 20,000 people to visit Austin. It was also one of the best places in the country to get an iPad 2; for the first two weeks, the pop up store was getting daily shipments, while other stores were experiencing shortages. (Online customers were waiting two to three weeks for an Ipad 2 at launch.)
Stay tuned to DivasandDorks.com as we report LIVE up to the second announcements from tomorrow’s Apple iPad launch event…
According to 9to5mac, the iPad HD (or 3) will be available on March 16th. Last year’s iPad 2 release date was March 11th, which was the Friday following the announcement event. The 16th this year would be the same.
In addition to the following-Friday bit, two new Apple stores in London and Houston, Texas will be opening on the 16th
Headed West To SXSW: Interactive, Music, Film and Fashion FUN!
March 5th, 2012 by Christen
It’s that time of year again, when the world comes together and descends upon the best little city out west – Austin, Texas. South By Southwest AKA SXSW is a well-known festival notorious for it’s intriguing interactive speakers, music concerts and film panels – but did you know that it has a burgeoning fashion segment too?
Following a daring debut in 2011, Style X returns to the family of SXSW events for its second year. Featuring talented up-and-coming designers, this pop up retail event showcases the latest trends at the intersection of design and the creative industries.
There are more than enough fashion infused lanes throughout the entire SXSW festival including:
The Panels
The Fashion Fog: Redefining Content & Commerce – Friday, March 9th, 2012 – 5:00pm
Social Shopping: The Zeros & Ones Changing Fashion – Tuesday March, 13th, 2012 – 9:30AM
Technology and Fashion – Tuesday, March 13th, 2012 – 11:00am
Who Needs A Fashion Cycle? I’ve Got Social Media –Tuesday March 13, 2012 , 1pm
How to Get Consumers Addicted to Your Content – Sunday, March 19th, 2012 – 5pm
Conferences
Texas Style Council – March, 9th, 10th & 11th, 2012 - TxSC 2nd Street District Headquarters | 202 W. Cesar Chavez
Style X Conference – March 16th & 17th, 2012 – 12pm to 8PM – Austin Convention Center
AAAAAAAAND….. Who can forget the TONS of parties, concerts, happy hours and FOOD (Glorious Food!). I’m ready to see if the west does it best all over again in Austin for SXSW and will be sure to bring you the smells, sights and sounds of SXSW later this week!
Are you going to SXSW? Let us know!
