04/30/08: Color me Scarlet
No matter how nice the airlines make business class, flying from Singapore to LA is a long time. I had received an invite to the opening night for what I thought was this new TV mini-series “Scarlet”. I was looking forward to it since it was supposedly directed by “Sopranos” director David Nutter.
I initially wasn’t going to make the flight, but during my business in Singapore, I saw a number of billboards for Scarlet. After seeing a trailer online, I asked to have my plans changed and RSVP’d the event. I couldn’t wait to see the new series.
So my assistant meets me at the hotel with my tux. After a quick change, we head over to the Pacific design center in LA. For the red carpet opening night. My assistant was head over heels for sitting next to Tila Tequila during the event.
So the lights go down, and the stage lights up. the curtain pulls back and a the show is about to start. But instead of the mini-series I flew in to see, I am watching a commercial for LGs new line of TVs named ‘Scarlet’.
The lights came up to reveal a bunch of flat panel TVs and LG’s North American point person. A collective sigh and then applause erupted from the packed house as they explained how the campaign promoting the mini-series was all just a hoax to promote the new line of LG tvs.
While I enjoyed the evening and didn't even mind the long flight for a hoax, I still really wanted to see the new Mini-series!
So my assistant meets me at the hotel with my tux. After a quick change, we head over to the Pacific design center in LA. For the red carpet opening night. My assistant was head over heels for sitting next to Tila Tequila during the event.
So the lights go down, and the stage lights up. the curtain pulls back and a the show is about to start. But instead of the mini-series I flew in to see, I am watching a commercial for LGs new line of TVs named ‘Scarlet’.
The lights came up to reveal a bunch of flat panel TVs and LG’s North American point person. A collective sigh and then applause erupted from the packed house as they explained how the campaign promoting the mini-series was all just a hoax to promote the new line of LG tvs.
While I enjoyed the evening and didn't even mind the long flight for a hoax, I still really wanted to see the new Mini-series!
While many of you read about the American Airlines flight cancellations, I had the distinct pleasure of living it while connecting through DFW. Once I was able to get another flight established a few hours later, I was able to relax at the airport.
Airports are great places to people watch. During Grad School, I took a number of anthropology courses as a way to better understand how people live. This has proven extremely helpful during I found myself a seat at an airport pub, ordered a Makers and Coke and began my people watching. Drawing on my Anthropology classes, I like to try and build a story around the people and their situation. Occasionally, I’ll even get to talk to the person to validate (or invalidate) my conclusions.
One thing I noticed was how many people were on their phones. But they weren't talking on their phones, instead these people were checking email, texting, playing games and surfing the web. All valid tasks, but none involving the core purpose of a phone, which is to make and receive calls.
On my ride home, I plugged in my cell phone charger and started thinking about just how similar the phone and lighter were. My car is full of cigarette lighters, labelled as ‘power ports’. Their shape is defined by the legacy of the push lighter that every car had. That legacy form factor continues to this day, even though I would imagine that few are used for lighting cigarettes. In fact, my car doesn’t even have an ashtray!
Airports are great places to people watch. During Grad School, I took a number of anthropology courses as a way to better understand how people live. This has proven extremely helpful during I found myself a seat at an airport pub, ordered a Makers and Coke and began my people watching. Drawing on my Anthropology classes, I like to try and build a story around the people and their situation. Occasionally, I’ll even get to talk to the person to validate (or invalidate) my conclusions.
One thing I noticed was how many people were on their phones. But they weren't talking on their phones, instead these people were checking email, texting, playing games and surfing the web. All valid tasks, but none involving the core purpose of a phone, which is to make and receive calls.
On my ride home, I plugged in my cell phone charger and started thinking about just how similar the phone and lighter were. My car is full of cigarette lighters, labelled as ‘power ports’. Their shape is defined by the legacy of the push lighter that every car had. That legacy form factor continues to this day, even though I would imagine that few are used for lighting cigarettes. In fact, my car doesn’t even have an ashtray!
04/13/08: Skiing without the Snow
Skiing is one of my great loves and something I try to do when my schedule allows. I was invited to visit Toronto to sit in on the shooting of Mark Wahlberg’s film, Max Payne. Figuring it was close enough to the mountains, I had my ski gear packed on the plane just in case.
The film set was impressive. I am always impressed with how many moving parts there are on the set of a movie, from the lighting to makeup to even catering. A collection of freelancers and small businesses all working together for a common goal of making a major motion picture. Sure it can be a bit like watching sausage being made, but it always amazes me.
I was invited up by my dear friend Tie Domi. While Tie earned a justifiable reputation as an enforcer on the ice, he is a lot of fun off the ice. We were introduced to each other during my quest to get some hockey questions answered. I was helping coordinate a financing drive to build the a new hockey arena and wanted to know what amenities were needed to make the arena first rate for players. We wanted to attract an NHL hockey team through the creation of this stadium. The plan fell through, but my friendship with Tie remained.
Anyway, I’m walking through Toronto with Tie and Mark after the day’s shooting and our conversation turned to Skiing. All the years that Tie was in Canada, he was either contractually not allowed to ski or just not available to join me. I was pressing on him again, with Mark helping by telling Tie that he could find some snowboarders to fight with on the slopes.
As if on cue, we turn the corner to see an outstanding ad for skiing in Alberta. The took a park bench and dressed it up to make it look like a ski lift. There was a guy sitting on it that made it look perfect. I even asked him if he was part of the ad, which he wasnt.
Tie looked to me and said, “OK, you win, lets go.” I got the flight plan updated on the jet and started putting the plans together for Tie and I to head to Alberta for a few days of skiing!
The film set was impressive. I am always impressed with how many moving parts there are on the set of a movie, from the lighting to makeup to even catering. A collection of freelancers and small businesses all working together for a common goal of making a major motion picture. Sure it can be a bit like watching sausage being made, but it always amazes me.
I was invited up by my dear friend Tie Domi. While Tie earned a justifiable reputation as an enforcer on the ice, he is a lot of fun off the ice. We were introduced to each other during my quest to get some hockey questions answered. I was helping coordinate a financing drive to build the a new hockey arena and wanted to know what amenities were needed to make the arena first rate for players. We wanted to attract an NHL hockey team through the creation of this stadium. The plan fell through, but my friendship with Tie remained.
Anyway, I’m walking through Toronto with Tie and Mark after the day’s shooting and our conversation turned to Skiing. All the years that Tie was in Canada, he was either contractually not allowed to ski or just not available to join me. I was pressing on him again, with Mark helping by telling Tie that he could find some snowboarders to fight with on the slopes.
As if on cue, we turn the corner to see an outstanding ad for skiing in Alberta. The took a park bench and dressed it up to make it look like a ski lift. There was a guy sitting on it that made it look perfect. I even asked him if he was part of the ad, which he wasnt.
Tie looked to me and said, “OK, you win, lets go.” I got the flight plan updated on the jet and started putting the plans together for Tie and I to head to Alberta for a few days of skiing!
Greetings from UCLA!
My good friend Jack Black invited me out as his guest at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice awards. Of all the awards shows that I have been lucky enough to attend, this was the first one with Green Slime. Jack was the host and seemed to be actually looking forward to getting slimed on stage. Despite the mess, it was a fun night nonetheless.
Afterwards, Jack and I went to have dinner at a nearby burger joint he knew about called the Apple Pan. The place looked like it had fallen out of the fifties, but had the best burgers. Jack refused to clean up after being slimed, so I got a few towels from the waitress to cover Jack’s booth.
Jack and I go way back to his days in the rock band, Tenacious D. One night while we were out in LA, Jack seemed excessively interested in my business and a new team member, Lee. A few weeks later I get this disc from Jack in the mail. All it said on the label was ‘Lee’. Little did I know that Jack wasn’t really interested in what I had to say, he was just writing a song. I chuckle now when I see the video:
Back to the Apple Pan - Jack and I were getting into a very heated argument about the 80s hit tv show, ‘The A Team’. Jack was convinced that there was a woman on the early A-Team. While I couldn’t recall every episode, I was pretty sure that Mr. T, was the only one wearing jewelry.
Jack made me go out to my car and get my laptop. I wouldn’t let him type with his slime fingers, so he started belting out a web address in song. Luckily the site was a short named one, Hulu.com, and he sat down after I keyed it in.
Hulu.com is a great video aggregation site of TV shows, movies and more. Run by NBC Universal, this site offers thousands of shows and movies, all sponsored with advertising. In a few short clicks, I had the first episode of the A Team on my screen. Jack sat on my lap, slime and all, and we watched opening of the pilot. Sure enough, Melinda Culea played a reporter who tagged along with Mr. T and team. After Jack took a bite of my burger, he moved back to his side of the table.
Afterwards, Jack and I went to have dinner at a nearby burger joint he knew about called the Apple Pan. The place looked like it had fallen out of the fifties, but had the best burgers. Jack refused to clean up after being slimed, so I got a few towels from the waitress to cover Jack’s booth.
Jack and I go way back to his days in the rock band, Tenacious D. One night while we were out in LA, Jack seemed excessively interested in my business and a new team member, Lee. A few weeks later I get this disc from Jack in the mail. All it said on the label was ‘Lee’. Little did I know that Jack wasn’t really interested in what I had to say, he was just writing a song. I chuckle now when I see the video:
Back to the Apple Pan - Jack and I were getting into a very heated argument about the 80s hit tv show, ‘The A Team’. Jack was convinced that there was a woman on the early A-Team. While I couldn’t recall every episode, I was pretty sure that Mr. T, was the only one wearing jewelry.
Jack made me go out to my car and get my laptop. I wouldn’t let him type with his slime fingers, so he started belting out a web address in song. Luckily the site was a short named one, Hulu.com, and he sat down after I keyed it in.
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