Our Interview on New York Cine Radio (Seed&Spark Update 8)

Kelsey & I were guests on New York Cine Radio last night. As I mentioned in my third update, I've been on the show twice before, but this was Kelsey's first appearance. We had a ton of fun and would love it if you listened to our interview. It's the first 40 minutes of the episode. We start off touching base on the progress of my feature Summit and talking about "Kelsey" (the webseries) a little. Then we focus on the 2 shorts we're crowdfunding for during the rest of the interview. We do jump around a bit to other topics though, notably about women in film and roles for women, and why I chose Seed&Spark over Kickstarter. Give it a listen if you'd like further insight into us and our work.

We do stick around for the rest of the show where we chime in with our opinions on "Community" and then witness the guys choose their Star Wars characters for a role playing game they'll be starting on the next episode, which I have to admit was quite entertaining and rather 'Community-esque' in its own right. Listen here & enjoy!

We also appeared in yesterday's episode of the Us vs Film Podcast. That one was just their 5 minute 'Meet the Filmmakers' segment. It was very brief and didn't offer much context for the films, but hopefully their listeners will take an interest in our campaign. We appreciate that they featured us regardless.

We're so close to 35% funded and are pushing to reach 40% today, so please keep spreading the word. We can't do it without more generous people like you behind us. Thank you again for supporting and believing in us! 

Tweet of the Day: Hear @craia9 & @aspirethis discuss their @seedandspark campaign on @NewYorkCine http://ow.ly/yrgO9 . Then support: http://ow.ly/yrgVS

Have a great day,

Christina 

'Kelsey' Press & Interview Wrap-Up

Now that "Kelsey" has officially come to a close, we thought we'd wrap up all the awesome interviews & press we got during the show's run. 

In addition to having all our episodes featured on AfterEllen, One More Lesbian, and the PNT TV Network since our premiere, we started getting featured on SheWired about halfway through the season as well, with incredibly positive reviews & comments! We were the number 1 show on PNT TV for every single episode, and we were featured on a couple wonderful lists on AfterEllen with comparisons to SNL and other Primetime shows. 

Our first big buzz was actually on BuzzFeed itself with the 8 Lesbian Web Series you should have on your radar, as mentioned in the pilot episode post. We were also on National Television, though it did not end up being as cool as it originally seemed. That experience can be read about in Christina's words here. 

The biggest news to announce is that the series made the cut for Indiewire's Critic List: 2013's Best Comedy Web Series, and 18 More You Need to Watch Now! We then were featured on Indiewire again with their list 15 Women-Driven Web Series That Could Be the Next 'Broad City' (which was an exciting comparison because Broad City started as a no-budget web series until Amy Poehler took it to Comedy Central).

We got some amazingly positive reviews along the way:

• Eli David of the WebVee Guide reviewed us after binge watching the series.

• New York Cine Radio talked about the first episode in their 89th Podcast episode from 15:00 to 28:30 and gave the series 4.5 out of 5 'Sandwiches.'

And we did some fun interviews:

• Christina & Kelsey answer some questions by Fetch of Fetch & Femme.

• Christina & Kelsey video chat with PNT TV creator Tamara Spicer.

• Kelsey did a Q&A with Kings River Life Magazine.

We only featured the highlights in this post. For a full list of our press, check out the Kelsey Facebook Page. 

Although there will be no additional episodes of the series, we hope that audiences will continue to discover and enjoy the show. If we get any new press for the series, we'll be sure to keep you updated. (We may actually be doing a Panel tour at LGBT Film Festivals later this year to talk about the show & our upcoming work. So, we will definitely have news on that, and look forward to meeting some of our out-of-town fans!)

If you're unaware of the fact that we wont be continuing the series, feel free to read our last post for details; and be sure to check out our Seed&Spark campaign for our 2 new short films launching on June 10th. As said in the post, we'll be giving away our outlines for what would have been Seasons 2 & 3 of 'Kelsey,' including the Series Finale script to all fans who give at least $10!

Thank you again for supporting us and watching the show! 

-Christina, Kelsey & the Team. 

Christina & Kelsey Speak at New Haven International Film Fest

About a month ago, I was invited to be a Panelist for 2 Panels, "Directing" and "Redefining Indie," at the New Haven International Film Festival on March 29th. I was honored and excited to participate. A couple weeks later, the co-runner at the festival Georgina Capristso-Gajdosik mentioned wanting to add a Screenwriting Panel but needed Screenwriters. I suggested that Kelsey Rauber & I be part of the Panel. That's how Kelsey ended up being able to join me as a Panelist & how I ended up doing 3 Panels at the Festival. We had to take a 2 hour train ride at 8am to New Haven. It wasn't bad though because Kelsey & I got to talk and plan out new projects. It was a lot of fun. When we got there, I was supposed to be available to Mentor anyone who came in looking for advice about anything related to film. It was me and a handful of other Mentors but no one coming in to be a Mentee.

 However, about 10 minutes into the mentoring sessions, as we were all about to introduce ourselves to each other, my name was suddenly called and I felt like I was in high school being called to the Principal's office. Turns out that a nice older gentleman named Gene came to the Mentoring Session specifically to speak to me. He had looked me up and seen that I had had a successful crowdfunding campaign and seemed to be knowledgeable about the process and various platforms. He was hoping I could walk him through the general need-to-know points. I did just that and ended up chatting with him for over an hour. It was a wonderful feeling getting to help someone as well as talk about something that interests me and which I feel I have valid experience with and opinions on. Fifteen minutes later, the Panels began. First I did 'Screenwriting' with Kelsey, Georgina Capristso-Gajdosik and Marty Lang. Then 'Directing' with Matthew Bonifacio, Don Downie and Alex Calvo, along with Jenn Mello of Film Interchange as the Moderator. Lastly was 'Redefining Indie' with Georgina as Moderator and including Jenn Mello, Erica Anderson & Amanda Trokan of Seed&Spark, Don Downie & Stacy Capone (Actress), Molly McGaughey of the Not So Starving Artist NYC, Jennifer Peralta-Ajemia (Casting Director), and Michael Alden. 

The day ended at 6pm (with another 2 hours of commuting afterwards) and I ended up with only 15 minutes between every single panel. I was so exhausted by the end of the day but had such a great time. I wish there were recordings of the panels because the discussions truly were insightful and informative. I talked a lot about my approach to modern filmmaking and my belief in audience building and making what I want to make, not necessarily what's marketable or what the top Festivals and/or Hollywood are looking for. I also talked a lot about my belief in building a sustainable Middle Class of Indie Filmmakers where we form a community and help each other grow and find our individual pockets of audience members rather than trying to step on each other to be the one chosen one who makes it to the Million dollar club and mass, mindless audiences. I didn't quite say that or say it that way, but I suppose that summarizes where I'm coming from (which anyone who has attended IndieWorks can gather). I've often been called idealistic, and maybe some would say naive, but I care more about the work that I do and the people I reach than about the money or accolades; and because of that, I don't have to wait for anyone to give me permission to produce what I feel compelled to create. I find a way to do it on my own or through an audience that's looking for the content I want to deliver. Some panelists disagreed with my approach in favor of a more traditional and capitalistic ideology, and it was great to have that discussion and explore different points of view. However, many panelists agreed with me and even mentioned that they aspire to be able to pursue a career in the industry the way I do, which was incredibly humbling, as was the experience of getting to be on Panels with such talented and successful individuals, especially on the Directing Panel. What was so amazing was that a lot of audience members came over to me after the Panels wanting to shake my hand and tell me what an inspiration I am. Hearing that just made my day. I don't necessarily set out to be an inspiration to others. I just enjoy voicing my opinion and helping people where I can; and to know that I was able to do both at the same time was pretty damn cool. 

I can't speak for Kelsey but I definitely had a blast that day. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to talk, especially about all things related to filmmaking and movies. I would absolutely love the opportunity to continue speaking on panels, and I believe I'll be back next year to do the New Haven International Film Festival again. Maybe I'll even be screening a film there as well.

I also had fun simply because I spent the day with Kelsey and she's one of my favorite people to spend a day with. All in all, it was a great experience for us both. If you met us at the festival or have been following "Kelsey," you'll be happy to know that we'll be releasing a video in a few weeks talking about the future of the series and what else we're working on. So check back at this blog soon for that and other updates about our work. 

Thanks for reading,

Christina

"Kelsey" & Christina get Exploited by Fusion

Christina here. Just wanted to share my Facebook post that kind of went viral last night (shared by tons of people & LGBT Facebook groups) about my experience of shooting an interview with the new network Fusion, owned by ABC & Univision. 

"So my experience shooting the the "Alicia Menendez Tonight" show was really crappy.
I was put in a room alone, with no one from the show prepping me on what the format would be like or what would be asked. And then while rolling, I quickly realized that they had an agenda that was quite different from how it was originally pitched to me. Overall, I think the comments made by myself and the other 2 panel guests were worth sharing. But I originally chose not to share the segment once it was up online after airing on TV because I disliked the fact that my comments about how "Kelsey" breaks stereotypes for both women in general as well as lesbians were cut and felt that I was just used as a way to fill the female/lesbian quota of the segment (not to mention ethnic diversity quota as well). HOWEVER, after seeing how they are now marketing the piece, I have to share it because I'm really pissed. Their headline completely trivializes the fact that LGBT characters need to start being portrayed outside of just the confines of their sexuality and be allowed to be human beings with their own individual experiences and stories that are unique to them on a personal level, not just because of who they have sex with. We do not make web content just so our characters can "get it on." To imply that that's our main motivating factor for making independent content that showcases LGBT characters is inexcusable. Shame on you Fusion. Rant over (though I could go on.) http://fusion.net/American_Dream/video/directors-turn-web-lgbt-characters-326018"

They later changed their headline to 'Directors Turn to Web to Fully Develop LGBT Characters' after I and one of the others interviewed sent the guy who recruited us an email. But I checked back a week later and, although the headline on the page was the new one, the thumbnail and social media tag had reverted back to the 'Get It On' headline. Evidently, that was more effective in getting viewers to the page... 

I shared this because it was a big learning experience for me about the press, not just in how overwhelming a studio experience can be and that I need to get better at hearing multiple people in my head but looking at and talking to the camera (a lot harder than it seems, as you can see from my eyes moving all over the freaking place. However, defensive tangent, they never actually told me when I was and wasn't on camera. Regardless, performing for the camera is not my thing but maybe something I have to get better at?), but more importantly how much they use people simply to meet their agenda. Whatever soundbite they need from you, they're going to try to manipulate out of you. And if you have a message different from theirs but still want the publicity, then you need to learn how to play the game while saying exactly what you want to say. I failed at this my first time out of the gate, but I hope to improve as I get more experience. That said, points for me for getting them to air a woman saying "Male Gaze" on national television. I was at least adequate at getting that point across instead of pandering to their stupid Glee question. 

Kelsey: Episode 1

Just before 9pm Tuesday night, we premiered the very first episode of our new web series 'Kelsey' titled "Palette Cleanser"!  

As I said in my last post, our promo trailer was released on August 20th and got a ton of views from our already existing fans anticipating the show as well as new ones that came from being featured on OneMoreLesbian & AfterEllen. We got over 3,000 full plays and the hits slowed down after the first 2 weeks. But then, on September 7th, we were featured in the BuzzFeed article 8 Lesbian Web Series You Should Have on Your Radar! The article & trailer were exposed to over 60,000 people and in less than a week we got over 5,000 full plays! We've now made it past 9,000! And we're still getting a lot of hits daily! Being on BuzzFeed is not only a huge deal because of the exposure but also because there are at least 5 other lesbian-oriented web series that have been out much longer & have a decent following that could've been on that list, but we made the cut! That's so awesome! 

That momentum carried over to our premiere on September 10th and we instantly started getting hits. The amount of positive feedback we got was overwhelming. Comments on facebook, private messages (from some who discovered the series only through BuzzFeed), to even comments on sites that featured the episode, like AfterEllen, the PNT Tv Network & Autostraddle! People have been quoting the episode & reaching out to tell us how much they loved it. The response has been amazing and is only getting better! Kelsey & I, and the rest of our team, are so excited to see the series resonating & connecting with so many different people and it's only been 1 episode! We actually got our first bit of negative feedback on AfterEllen last night, and that's cool too because we know that the show wont be everyone's taste. We also know that the amount of people who like it and get it and want more will outweigh the ones who don't. And, most importantly, we know that a little criticism isn't a bad thing because it gets people talking & debating, which generates more traffic to the page! So if you really wanna help us out in reaching more people, comment! Share what you liked, what you want more of, what surprised you, and maybe even what disappointed you. We wanna hear it all because we're just so excited to be able to share this series with you! 

Now the numbers you want to hear & the ones we're REALLY excited about. In the 38 hours that the 1st episode has been live, we've gotten a total of 1,313 full plays!

And the hits keep going up with every hour! Kelsey & I have turned into crazy people who just hit refresh constantly. I kinda feel like I'm back in spring of 2012 when I was running my Kickstarter for 'Summit'. But really, the support is amazing. So thank you to everyone who's watching & sharing the show! To our first fans who were anticipating the show while we were shooting all summer, to the new ones who found out through word of mouth or our recent press coverage, we're so grateful and cannot wait to give you more of Kelsey & her friends! 

Episode 2 will air in 2 weeks at 7:30pm on September 24th. We've decided to air the first 5 episodes bi-weekly and then the last 5 (of Season 1) weekly after that, in order to make sure we can have all the episodes as polished as we'd like. It'll always be Tuesday at 7:30pm. We're gonna try to keep the updates & inside info fresh & fun between episodes so that you don't forget how much you definitely want to come back for more! Speaking of which, here's an interview I did with 3 cast members, Daniel, Brennan & Lauren, with the weekly interview-based web series Cinema Couch. It was a kind of spur of the moment thing at an industry party. Also, we plan to go live with KelseyTheSeries.com before the 2nd episode; we'll be posting about that over the coming days on social media. But in the meantime, it will continue to redirect to our blip channel.

So be sure to tune in on the 24th & keep sharing the 1st episode! We've been reaching out to press recently and are crossing our fingers that we'll have more good news to share soon! Just please keep supporting us, the show wouldn't be anything without an audience to share it with!

Thanks again, 

Christina