Friday, October 16, 2015

My HitRecord Story

In the Spring of 2013, I took a class called Surrealism and Film. The class kicked my butt, I never understood the films, and the word "surrealism" brings back painful memories. But for my final project we had to "create something surrealist," and I told my professor that I was interested in the idea of 2D animation.

We discussed how surrealist animators focus more on the process of drawing than on the outcome of the animation, and that by getting totally lost in each drawing, and letting creativity flow in a stream of consciousness style, I could create something very unique. She gave me 400 sheets of animation paper, a lightboard, and I got to work!


I started with an inspiration image, the first few frames of The Lion King, and my only goal was to never plan ahead, but to come up with what I would draw in each frame on the spot. With a DSLR camera I snapped the 360 pictures, uploaded them into Adobe Premiere, and at 12 drawings per second, I had a 30 second animation! 



Somehow I stumbled across Joseph Gordon-Levitt's website HitRecord a few months later, and uploaded the project there. Basically, HitRecord is a collective of artists looking to collaborate and create new work. Joseph Gordon-Levitt started the website as a way to give undiscovered artists an opportunity to showcase their work as well as work together. 

Soon enough, the art, performances, and videos were coming together, and the first 3 episodes of the new variety show, HitRecord on TV, premiered at Sundance in January 2014. They then aired the first season of 8 episodes, each with a unifying theme, on Pivot, from January to March 2014. 

This is where it gets good!


In November of 2014, one of the producers of HitRecord emailed me out of the blue, hoping to get in touch with me about an idea for a project. During a Skype call, we talked about me possibly doing another animation for a future episode, where the theme would be "The Number Two." I was so excited!

 On the inside:


On the outside:

I definitely thought I was finally being discovered.

So obviously I said yes! We went back and forth with some storyboards, I told them I wanted to do a 20 second animation that visualized some symbiotic relationships in the animal world as a way to express dualities in nature. 

This is from my original storyboard. A shark and remora enter, swim around each other, transform into yin and yang, that turns into an anemone and a clownfish, which becomes a dandelion and a bee, and finally a human blows the seeded dandelion into the air. We cut the shark because, as you can see, I can't draw sharks.

But 240 drawings later, I finished! Around Christmas of last year, I uploaded the animation to HitRecord's website. And what do you know, they used it! Season 2, Episode 2 "The Number Two" aired on June 19th, 2015. I should've participated in their sequence about what it's like to be the second child... what a missed opportunity!



But a few days ago, I finally got around to putting my animation on YouTube... for those who don't have the Pivot network on their TV. The experience was incredibly fun and if you're reading this, Pixar, I'm available.


Monday, October 5, 2015

Ranking All 24 Scripted (Current) TV Shows I Watch

This is a fun article I wanted to try, because if you don't already know, I'm obsessed with TV. The only qualifications for making this list is that it had to be a scripted show that is currently still on the air (or not officially cancelled), and I had to have seen every episode...

So enjoy this 100% biased list that proves the following gif to be true.


24. American Horror Story (4 Seasons, 2011)



This gif itself is almost entirely the reason American Horror Story came in last. I have a hard time giving up on shows, and any show that has Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates I will watch regardless, but American Horror Story is a massive disappointment of a show. It's so high concept that I feel inclined to tune in each year just for the setup alone, but I know the plot will inevitably crash and burn. Each subsequent season (Murder House, Asylum, Coven, and Freak Show) has crashed earlier than the last. I literally needed a drink in hand before I could start Episode 2 of Freak Show.

Highlight/Best Season: Season 2 (Asylum) is a well-crafted, (most of the time) well-executed, and definitely well-acted mini series about the horrors of the 1960s asylums, including a great reinterpretation of Psycho/Silence of the Lambs/Texas Chainsaw Massacre inspiration Ed Guin.

23. True Detective (2 Seasons, 2014)


Okay this wasn't the easiest decision because Season 1 IS good, even with a rambling Matthew McConaughey. But this is a great example of another anthology show that probably should've taken more time to figure out what worked and what didn't before scrapping it all and starting over.

Highlight/Best Season: Woody Harrelson in Season 1 basically being the Jim of The Office to Matthew McConaughey's Dwight.

22. Modern Family (7 Seasons, 2009)


Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Television Academy darling Modern Family has FIVE Outstanding Comedy Emmys for its first five seasons. Like... what? Honestly, the show isn't BAD, it's just by far not the best comedy on TV, especially after Season 3. 30 Rock and Parks & Rec were regularly better than this fanfare.

Highlight/Best Season: Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons) has been slaying as Mitch and Cam's daughter since she arrived in Season 3.

21. Girls (4 Seasons, 2012)


Girls probably deserved its Best Comedy Golden Globe for its first season. It was fresh, exciting, and an incredibly subversive take on female sexuality for television. Another great show that has fallen since its start.

Highlight/Best Season: Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) started as the virgin attending NYU, and has continued to have the best lines now that she is a post-grad drowning in a terrible job market.

20. Younger (1 Season, 2015)


Not really sure if I knew TVLand existed before I jumped at the chance to watch a show starring Sutton Foster AND Hilary Duff. If you haven't heard of it (which doesn't surprise me), Younger is about a 40 year old divorcee who pretends to be a 20-something because she thinks it will help her get a job. AND IT DOES! Great acting, kind of cliché writing, and a sort-of interesting take on millenials by the creator of Sex and the City.

Highlight/Best Season: SUTTON FOSTER.

19. UnReal (1 Season, 2015)


Beyoncé forgive me. I never, EVER thought I would watch a Lifetime show. Let alone ANOTHER one that spoofed a famous reality show (more on that later). But this dramedy about a small producer who works behind the scenes on a matchmaking show (à la The Bachelor) is a great summer treat. Her job is to manipulate the women into being as crazy as the American public expects of such a show, and she's GOOD at it. Which raises a lot of issues for her personal life. I can't vouch for where this show will go from here, but I'm along for the ride.

Highlight/Best Season: Shiri Appleby, who plays the lead, Rachel, works tirelessly to ground the show despite some crazy Lifetime-worthy plots. I believe she succeeds.

18. The Middle (7 Seasons, 2009)


The Middle gets that coveted post-Modern Family slot that Happy Endings so badly deserved. But as Modern Family grew into a ratings goliath and then was basically pushed into jumping the shark, The Middle stayed in its lane. It's fun while also being humble. It delves into financial issues in a way that the well-off Modern Family characters will never be able to match, so it feels relatable. I started watching it because it was like an underrated Modern Family, but I stayed because it's so damn funny.

Highlight/Best Season: As a middle child, I can firmly say that Sue Heck (Eden Sher) is the best part of The Middle.

17. Another Period (1 Season, 2015)


Now the theme song is stuck in my head. This amazing show from Comedy Central is the second reality show parody on this list. If Downton Abbey and Keeping up the Kardashians had a baby, it would be Another Period (no I didn't come up with that unfortunately). The show takes place at the dawn of the 20th century and follows the trashy Bellacourt family of Rhode Island. It is absurd and all of the characters say offensive things and none of them will ever get what they want.

Highlight/Best Season: Everyone on this show is so good, but Paget Brewster plays the morphine-addicted matriarch, Dodo Bellacourt, and has a cheesy British accent for no reason whatsoever.

16. Hotwives of Orlando (2 Seasons, 2014)


Okay, the LAST show that draws inspiration from an existing reality show. Hotwives of Orlando (renamed Hotwives of Las Vegas for Season 2) is a Real Housewives parody, and as someone who has never seen a Real Housewives show, I can guarantee that Hotwives has done its homework. The show makes drama out of putting your finger in another woman's face, throwing drinks, and telling other women to calm down. But it's so perfectly self-aware that you can't help dying every time one of those things happens. Can't recommend this enough to anyone who has Hulu Plus.

Highlight/Best Season: Phe Phe (Tymberlee Hill) is the only character who is in both seasons, and she has GOT to say whatever is on her mind.

15. Fresh off the Boat (2 Seasons, 2015)


Fresh off the Boat was one of the only new network comedies to survive the 2014-2015 TV Season. The reason is its diverse cast, stellar acting, and relatable family sitcom ideals. The story of a Taiwanese family moving from DC to Orlando in the 1990s is so funny, and I can already say that it has stepped up its game so far for the new season. I had a hard time putting it higher because it's so new, but if you aren't already watching this show, you should.

Highlight/Best Season: I'm a sucker for middle children, so I'm gonna have to say Emory Huang (Forrest Wheeler), only because he turns the stereotype on its head by being outgoing, smart, and probably the most ostensibly likable Huang.

14. Bojack Horseman (2 Seasons, 2014)


How can a show with a Beyoncé reference not be higher? Well... the show raises a lot of questions about bestiality that I'd rather not get into. In Bojack Horseman, anthropomorphic animals of every species live among our society as normal citizens, and our protagonist, Bojack, is the least likable of them all. Which is strange for a comedy? But I think its attempt to "get real" about issues of self-worth, happiness, and the vacuum that is Los Angeles, does well in this animated format. It can balance being crazy honest and being just crazy.

Highlight/Best Season: I despise blatantly stupid characters in comedies, but something about Aaron Paul as Bojack's roommate/squatter Todd is very endearing.

13. Veep (4 Seasons, 2012)


Veep! Another awards juggernaut. You couldn't let Amy Poehler have ONE Emmy, could you Julia Louis-Dreyfus? Anyway. Veep is a hilarious parody of the absurdity of politics, which I never thought I would care about. I mean... our ACTUAL politics are a parody of politics... right? But the show is so quick and smart that I thoroughly enjoy watching Julia Louis-Dreyfus stumble as the Vice President with a totally inept staff.

Highlight/Best Season: Sam Richardson as Richard Splett is too nice for Washington... but probably just the right amount of stupid.

12. Silicon Valley (2 Seasons, 2014)



I put this next to Veep because they're basically a tie for me. And that's saying something, because I have a REALLY hard time with mostly male ensemble comedies. But... imagine if Big Bang Theory wasn't super annoying? That's Silicon Valley. Nerdy guys that are honestly depicted as being real humans, rather than having to follow stupid network sitcom tropes by getting into clichéd shenanigans all the time? Silicon Valley makes me laugh, and I don't always know exactly why, but I'll keep watching to find out.

Highlight/Best Season: I think Season 2 really kicks the show up a notch, because you're already rooting for Pied Piper and it seems their obstacles are truly insurmountable.

11. Transparent (1 Season, 2014)


An Amazon series? That won two Golden Globes? And an Emmy? Sheesh, and I thought Amazon's next big trick was to have drones swarming our skies like the end of Wreck-It Ralph. Transparent is like one of those HBO shows that just does NOT care about whether or not you like its characters, which is the kind of show that I really love. Honest people who regularly make mistakes and refuse to learn from them. There's no gimmick, but instead the show wants to bring to light real issues for real people. And it feels like it cares about those people, and that feels good!

Highlight/Best Season: Gaby Hoffman as the confused youngest child who begins a path of self-discovery after her dad comes out as transgender.

TOP TEN, HERE WE GO! Note, these are not my favorite shows of all time, just my favorite shows still on the air.

10. Arrested Development (4 Seasons, 2003)


I'm including this based on the belief that there will be an Arrested Development Season 5, which... I mean... does Netflix have the authority to officially cancel it? Anyway, Arrested Development was the most underrated show of all time until it suddenly had a huge cult following and Netflix brought it back about 7 years after it was cancelled after its 3rd season wrapped in 2006. The first 3 seasons are amazing. The 4th is still pretty good! There was a mixed reaction when it dropped, which I blame on nostalgia getting in the way of people being able to appreciate Season 4 for what it was. You can't beg for a show to be saved and then expect a show that aired during the same time as Friends to be the same in our post-Facebook world.

Highlight/Best Season: Portia de Rossi as Lindsay Bluth Funkë, for sure. I will always love self-obsessed women in comedy.

9. Orange is the New Black (3 Seasons, 2013)


Netflix everywhere! How did they become synonymous with good programming? Orange is the New Black, that's how. This show is pivotal in showing the world that diverse, mostly female casts can make it in this cruel world of television. You treat your characters like 3-dimensional human beings, good storytelling will follow. People hate on Season 3 for lacking drama, but I think it has built such a strong base, that even when it is subtle it succeeds. There are just a million moving parts here, almost all of them interesting (sorry Piper).

Highlight/Best Season: Despite my defense of Season 3, Season 2 is the best, simply because of Vee Parker (Lorraine Toussaint). Also my favorite character is Taystee (Danielle Brooks).

8. Difficult People (1 Season, 2015)


8 episodes, and suddenly it's my 8th favorite scripted show of all time that is currently on the air!? Well... yes. One, because some of these shows peaked early and then had time to get worse, and two, because Difficult People is amazing. Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner kill it in all 8 episodes as two bitter New York comedians. They hate everyone around them and I feel them in their struggle. They just want to achieve their dreams without becoming mindless yes-men of the entertainment industry! You can even hate them if you want, because they usually do awful things, but they always get their comeuppance. And the show is smart as hell.

Highlight/Best Season: Julie and Billy win in equal parts here.

7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (3 Seasons, 2013)


I waited a long time to come around to Brooklyn Nine-Nine. A cop show? Boring. But when I finally did give it a chance, it was magic. Imagine Parks & Rec meets... I can't name any cop shows I like. But Brooklyn Nine-Nine is consistently hilarious, with a ton of great ensemble characters that don't totally revolve around Andy Samberg. But seeing Andy Samberg in a cop's uniform...? Let's just say he could get it.

Highlight/Best Season: Hands down Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti). Brash, sassy, confident, self-obsessed. One of the best characters of any show on TV right now. Ooh maybe that'll be my next list.

6. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (1 Season, 2015)


This isn't even the highest Netflix show on this list! But Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a delightful adventure, led by the amazing Ellie Kemper as Kimmy, the small town girl who is released from imprisonment in a post-apocalyptic cult bunker and moves to New York to experience the world. Robbed of all their Emmys this year! Pinot Noir deserved its own damn Emmy. The show isn't perfect, but it sure has hell has great writing and it is sincerely appreciated in our post-30 Rock world.

Highlight/Best Season: Jane Krakowski as Jacqueline Voorhees (Friday the 13th reference?) is my favorite. I'm starting to notice my weird obsession with vain women who are sassy and entitled?

5. Game of Thrones (5 Seasons, 2011)


Why Season 5 won Outstanding Drama at the Emmys is beyond me, since I would rank it as my fifth favorite season of this incredible, incredible show. I started Game of Thrones around the time Season 3 was wrapping up, and I have been in love ever since. Some shows rely entirely on spectacle, but in Game of Thrones I truly believe spectacle is second to character. These people feel real, and they aren't even from our world (unless you subscribe to Snoop Dogg's belief that Game of Thrones is a historical drama?). That's what makes it good. The effects, the worlds, the hot people, that's all just icing on the cake.

Highlight/Best Season: The best season is Season 3 for the Red Wedding alone, but I still think about Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) every damn day of my life.

4. Sense8 (1 Season, 2015)



Sense8 did not get the attention it deserved when it dropped on Netflix in June 2015. Not only is the cast incredibly diverse and progressive, they are all played by amazing actors. And it's filmed on-location in 9 different cities! That's insane!! If you haven't seen it, it's about eight people who find out that they are actually connected, and can rely on each other's skills, languages, and even locations to escape their own individual drama. I can't wait to see where Season 2 takes this wonderful and very well-executed concept.

Highlight/Best Season: Lito (Miguel Ángel Sylvestre) is literally too precious. He is a Mexican movie star who deals with being closeted in the public eye, but he is also the most dramatic thing to ever happen to television.

3. Bob's Burgers (6 Seasons, 2011)


Bob's Burgers is one of the few things America did right. It is an amazing piece of comedy and deserves a million awards. Unlike in other animated shows for adults, the Belchers genuinely look out for each other, and regularly go out of their way to lift each other up. It's amazing and beautiful and I will never stop gushing about how awesome Bob's Burgers is. The show varies from parody to ordinary sitcom style, with wonderful pop culture homages to movies like The Breakfast Club or The Goonies. There aren't enough Bob's Burgers episodes in this world.

Highlight/Best Season: All the seasons are the best, and I am in a pickle trying to decide if Linda or Tina is my favorite... but I'm leaning towards Tina because she is so confident in her passions (horses, zombies, and most importantly, boys).

2. The Mindy Project (4 Seasons, 2012)


This show wouldn't be on this list if it weren't for Hulu Plus! Mindy Kaling left being one of the best writers on The Office to become her own Tina Fey. But Mindy is so different from the show creators/stars/writers that came before her, and her humor is so in tune with my interests (sass meets pop culture). She regularly takes creative risks, opting for her character Mindy to follow through with an unplanned pregnancy, even though a baby usually equals death for a sitcom. Her take on dating and motherhood is too clever for that kind of trap, and the show has flourished because of it.

Highlight/Best Season: Mindy. I'm sorry. She's the best part.

AND NUMBER ONE IS:

1. Broad City (2 Seasons, 2014)


I will FIGHT anyone who disagrees with this, but Broad City has 20 episodes of pure comedy gold. This little Comedy Central show takes all of the stress of being a 20-something and turns it into hysterical portraits of New York City life. All the way from LA, this feels relatable as hell, and the empowerment that comes from Abbi and Ilana just totally taking on the world together is beyond exciting. Broad City is, in my opinion, the best show on television right now because it satirizes so many things about our society, from social media to race/gender issues to what it means to be a millenial today.

Highlight/Best Season: Season 2 is even better than the first because it takes the show to a whole new level of craziness, and I'm gonna have to say it's a perfect tie between Abbi and Ilana for the best part about this show.


Anyway, if you stuck around this long, thank you! I believe we get the TV we deserve, and that by watching great shows, with diverse casts and comedy that is edgy without being offensive, more great shows will get made. So go out there and watch great television!


Friday, October 2, 2015

Catalina and Wine Mixed Together

Flashback Friday! Let me take you back to the end of August, when I visited the nearby island of Catalina, drank lots of wine, and also zip-lined my way across the hills of the resort island with mom.


We arrived after an hour long ferry ride (and two glasses of champagne), and decided it was time for lunch (and wine). We ate outside, facing the water, and realized we still had two hours to kill before our zip-line reservations!



I had never been to Catalina, mainly because the ferry ride is too expensive, but I was surprised to discover how the island balances being a nature reserve as well as a resort town. Santa Catalina Island is 75 square miles and is the largest of the Channel Islands, or so says Wikipedia. Once entirely owned by gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr. from 1919 onward, it was eventually donated to the Catalina Island Conservency in 1975, and now 90% of the island is protected from being developed. The remaining portion of the island is the two towns, Avalon in the south, and Two Harbors in the north.


Anyway, time for zip-lining! This is a view of Avalon from the bus just as we arrived at the first post. The Catalina Zip Line Eco Tour is made up of five zip lines and offers some great views of the island along the way.


In this wonderful panorama you can see the starting point on the far right, with the first and longest zip-line going all the way to that small wooden structure in the center of the picture.


Here I am casually posing in all my gear. The zip-line tour was a great break from all of the hours I had recently clocked in promoting the dog walking company I work for, but also gave me a nice retreat from LA in general. It's just nice not to worry about planning my day around rush hour!


After our zip-line tour, we headed to the nearest bar for happy hour, and then to a gift shop for some souvies. I talked my mom into buying me a cheese plate for my apartment that said Catalina on it, it's the best. I fell asleep on the ferry ride home, because drinking all that wine was exhausting. Here's Adam Scott ending my post with a reference I don't understand.