Reviewing the film “The Runaways”

“I have to get back to my life,” Cherie Currie says turning to the door.

“This is my life,” Joan Jett says mostly to herself in a haunting tone.

 Those were the lines that stuck out to me in the movie “The Runaways.”

 I had been waiting weeks to see this film, and it finally went nation-wide on Friday, April 9. Was it coincidence or clever marketing “The Runaways” opened across the country, after a limited release on March 19, on the birthday of one of its stars Kristen Stewart? Whatever the reasoning or crazy random happenstance, it seems fitting that on her 20^th birthday Stewart grew up with “The Runaways.”

 I was afraid I would be disappointed with the film after all my anticipation to see it. Well, I wasn’t!

 The movie was crude, crass, stark, breath-taking and just plain damn good. Sure there were the clichés of sex, drugs and rock and roll. And it had all that, but it also had more.

Michael Shannon’s portrayal of the lecherous Kim Fowley was magnificent. He was in your face, in the girl’s in the band face, and just someone no one could escape or ignore.

Dakota Fanning was 15 when she filmed “The Runaways.” The same age Currie was when she joined the band. In her expressions was a mixture of childhood innocence and blonde bombshell.

The scene were Fowley and Joan Jett mix around with lyrics in the battered trailer to fit Currie, (the song became Cherry Bomb) who came to audition, was a true evolution of a song. Currie had practiced the Peggy Lee song “Fever” to sing, and when she announces to the girls in the band and Fowley that is the song she chose, they all grumble and take a step back.

That scene, and Currie’s song choice, was the first sign of the true distance between Currie and the rest of “The Runaways.” Joan Jett and the others in the band just wanted to rock, Currie wanted to find a place and her self. And just like most rock bands full of egos, no matter the sex, it soon becomes the downfall, something not even the music can salvage.

There is a lot of hype about the kiss Stewart and Fanning share in the film as Jett and Currie. The scenes are a mixture of curiosity and best of limited choices. And the gauzed camera angles and fading in and out on what is obvious sex scenes between Currie and Jett, show Jett as both a mentor and a strong influence on Currie.

As Stewart’s Jett laments at the end of the film, in a radio interview, we grew up on the road. And experimentation, whether it may be with drugs, alcohol or sex, eased the pain of loneliness and feelings of abandonment.

Stewart and Fanning are the future of Hollywood and in “The Runaways” they just may have cemented that claim.

Wakey!Wakey! is My Soundtrack For Tourney

Its tournament time again. My regular job is as the Director of Media Relations for a university in North Carolina. I do media work for the women’s basketball team. Today, we head out to Charlotte to start a run in the Southern Conference Tournament.

 For the past two years, I have chosen an artist to be the soundtrack of my tournament trip. Two years ago, it was Kate Voegele and last year it was Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles. Both artists got me through to the finals of the tournament, with the team winning it all last year.

I thought long and hard about who I would choose for the soundtrack and this year, and I kept coming back to one band – Wakey!Wakey!. It turned out to be an obvious choice. It would be my first male artists and also represented the changes the team has gone through, including welcoming in a new head coach.

So, I am hoping Mike Grubbs and Wakey!Wakey! and their new album “Almost Everything I Wish I said, The Last Time I Saw You,”  can calm my nerves as we get on the bus to head to the arena tomorrow to play. I hope the songs will be the background for another strong tournament run and I hope my favorite song off their new album “Car Crash” isn’t playing because we crashed and burned in the tournament.

Music can truly be a soundtrack to important times in your life. What is yours?

Great article on Southern Gothic Prod. and how a plan comes together

Geeting Hilarie Burton and Southern Gothic Productions noticed in the social media world via the Mashable Open Web Awards. I think you could say we accomplished stage one.

Local actress/producer Hilarie Burton in running for social media award

by Shannan Bowen

Mashable, the go-to Web site for social media news and information is seeking nominations for it’s “Open Web Awards,” recognizing people in various categories of bloggers and social media users. Among the top people nominated in THREE categories is Wilmington’s own Hilarie Burton. She’s nominated in the “Best Actor/Actress to Follow,” “Best Celebrity to Follow,” and “Most Inspiring,” categories. You know her as a former star of One Tree  Hill, filmed here, and for launching her own production company earlier this year.

Nominations in Mashable’s Open Web Awards go through Sunday, Nov. 15th, and so far, Hilarie’s among the top 10 most nominated in those categories. She’s come a long way in in the social media realm. I interviewed Hilarie and her colleagues earlier in the year about her new production company, Southern Gothic Productions (or, SoGoPro) and the company’s use of social media and video blogs to connect with fans and give insight into their work. At the time, Hilarie hardly knew what a blog was – she said the idea was new to her and she was learning as she went. Now, she blogs regularly on SoGoPro’s Web site, and she and her colleagues run a Twitter account to connect with friends and fans.

Hilarie and her SoGoPro partners Nick Gray and Kelly Tenney rely on social media and blogs for several purposes: broadcasting updates about their work, allowing fans to stay tuned to their work, featuring podcasts from other works, gaining ideas and help from fans and followers and creating a personal connection to the people who will be watching their work. It’s a way to stay transparent, according to the three in an interview earlier this year.

Stay tuned later this month for Mashable’s Web contest winners.

LINK: http://squawk.blogs.starnewsonline.com/10156/local-actressproducer-hilarie-burton-in-running-for-social-media-award/

Social Media, Fans and One Tree Hill – Oh and me

I was getting ready to interview One Tree Hill writer Terrence Coli for my One Tree Hill Podcast next week when a tweet came up over my iPhone. It was from Star News Online reporter Shannon Bowen. She had written a blog about how fans of One Tree Hill were using social media to keep up with news on the show. I read through it and then had to stop. There on the computer screen, was my name. She had refrenced me, citing my recent exclusive interview with Amanda Schull who portrayed the character’s Clay’s wife. I have to say it was kind of humbling but cool at the same time.

Check out the part where she talks about the One Tree Hill Podcast and, well, me.

I bet these fans thank Denise Gideon every day. She’s the host of the official podcast for One Tree Hill, and she also maintains a Twitter account with links to her podcast. Today, for example, she put word out on Twitter about a podcast featuring an interview with actress Amanda Schull, who plays the mysterious character “Sarah.”  On the podcast, Denise interviews Sarah about the character and last night’s episode. They talk about filming in Wilmington and about the “road block” the show almost hit with filming a scene featuring cast members jumping off a bridge in Wrightsville Beach.

Link to full article

Earning trust and its rewards

It is all about trust, and when you earn someone’s trust, it is the greatest gift of all. I have worked very hard over the last few months to prove I am trustworthy. To show someone who if afforded the opportunity to enter into the inner-circle, I will prove my worth – that I have their best interest at heart.

This week was the epitome of that trust seeking endeavor. I was offered the chance to do an amazing interview, and I knew the interview would be made even better, if I was able to speak freely with the person I was interviewing. So, I asked permission and was granted it.

I guess I didn’t realize until after the interview how big that leap of faith was. I have been working with this group for over a year and there was always a small barrier. That glass ceiling was cracked and I think I proved that my lips are, well sealed. And it is a great feeling.

Then it got me thinking. There are other times in the last month that I have been offered that hand of trust. Kelly Tenney and Hilarie Burton have entrusted in me, numerous times, to represent their company Southern Gothic Productions and present it in a positive light. From assisting in getting doing publicity for the company, to helping with social media endeavors and choosing songs to help represent the feel of the company.

Here I was basically a stranger to them – Hilarie and Kelly didn’t even know me last year. And now someone who was once a fan is now working with them to spread the word of their company.

It is of course a true gauge of the level of trust someone can earn from someone else. How hard work, diligence and respect for someone and what they are doing can truly be rewarding.

75 Podcasts and Counting

This week I will post my 75th One Tree Hill Podcast. I started this podcast in May, 2008 after some urging of some new friends. I have told my story before, as I started watching One Tree Hill in February, 2008 due to the writer’s strike and having nothing to watch. Not to mention road trips with the basketball team I work with.

That one decision, coupled with the decision to start a podcast to get my opinion out there, led me to this week and posting my 75th straight podcast about One Tree Hill. It takes a lot of planning to post 75 straight podcasts. That is through hiatus weeks of One Tree Hill, Christmas break, summer break, vacations and sickness. Not everyone has the stamina to do it every week. Wow, when you think about it 75 weeks is a long time. It is kind of daunting really.

But then I look back at my interview list and see who I have had as guests on the podcast, from cast and crew to amazing artists and bands. I can think back to when I first started the One Tree Hill Podcast.

Since the first time I saw her on screen, One Tree Hill character Peyton Sawyer was always my favorite character.  I loved her inner demons and the way she fought to find who she really was. And soon after starting my podcast I put Hilarie Burton, who played Peyton, on my wish list to interview.

So, I began making inquiries about getting her on. I was told no so many times it should have really started to hurt my self esteem. But I have found if you want something bad enough, you just keep plugging away at your goal. Even when someone tells you not to hold your breath about getting her on.

Well, I didn’t hold my breath, but I hoped. And at the end of April, I got news that was more then I could hope for. Not only was I getting Hilarie Burton on my podcast, but I had secured a deal to host and produce a podcast for her company Southern Gothic Productions.

Working with individuals at One Tree Hill and building a reputation had helped me reach a goal and go beyond it. People ask me which is my biggest interview. Is it Nick Lachey or maybe Ben Wysocki from The Fray or even Moira Kelly. And they always tease me about Hilarie Burton because they knew how much the interview meant to me.

And I guess they are all big interviews to me because they lead me here. Led me to do my 75th podcast and counting.

I appreciate all the support and encouragement for the One Tree Hill Podcast. All the support from Lindsay Wolfington, Steve Goldfried and of course all the cast, crew and artists who agreed to be on my podcast.

And I can’t forget Kelly Tenney, who is a producer on One Tree Hill, but also in a way my boss for Southern Gothic Productions. Kelly, you took a chance on me last spring and you have allowed me to help you guys grow in so many avenues. No matter the outcome in the future, I will be forever grateful for the chance you and Hilarie afforded me. It took a lot to put your trust, and your company, in the hands of someone you barely knew. And I will never forget it.

When A Podcast Changes Format – Good or Bad?

This week we posted our final weekly Southern Gothic Productions Podcast. We are moving to a bi-monthly schedule, which really is a good decsion. As Kelly Tenney said, co-owner of Southern Gothic Productions, the industry moves slow and when we come on with a new podcast, fans will know we have something to say.

The funny thing? The final weekly podcast, with just myself and Kelly Tenney, was I thought one of the best ones. A lot of information and sometimes that one-on-one interivew yields a lot of tidbits. Add to that, the killer music in the podcast, and I think it was a great episode.

Music, is a cornerstone of the Southern Gothic Productions Podcast, and will lead to great partnerships with artists for future projects with the company itself. In fact, I just got an email from an artist who sent me info on himself, asking to be featured on the podcast, and saying we can use his music, for no charge, in future projects as well.

It was the plan all along, you see. To cement Southern Gothic Productions’ podcast as a place for listeners and fans to find new music. And when the artist realizes the benefits of being featured on the podcast, then it allows each side to build a great relationship.

It has been a long line, lately, of artists and artist managers beginning to contact us about highlighting their music.

So, how do we continue to foster the musical relationships on weeks we don’t have a podcast? Well, we are continuing the #musicmonday tweets on Twitter, highlighting artists we like. Now that doesn’t neccesarily mean that artist will be featured on the podcasts upcoming, but it does allow us to bring attention to these artists, and hopefully get them to tweet that we featured them. Because it is all about cross promotion and re-tweeting.

So, we move forward and when the SoGoPro Podcast returns in November there will be plenty of news on the short film, graphic novel and webseries. And when it comes on, you know we will have something to say.

On a side note, I have also taken on another producing position. I am assisting Amy Bennett and Kaitlin Mattison in their new Friday Night Ligthts Fan Podcast. So, that should be fun.

The Benefits of a Retweet – Priceless

It is all about the retweet right?

We had a very successful day today with retweets for the Southern Gothic Productions Podcast. Just like every Monday, we chose one of the artists and songs highlighted on this week’s podcast for our #musicmonday tweet.

If you haven’t heard of the #musicmonday tweet, it is the day set aside for Twitter fans to tweet about their favorite music. We use #musicmonday to highlight one of our featured artists and songs on the podcast.

This week we chose the band that exits the podcast, The Swell Season and their song “In These Arms” After posting the tweet, I contacted the band and the bands manager to let them know we had tweeted about them.

I also emailed the manager of the band Wakey!Wakey! to let them know their song “Brooklyn” opened this week’s SoGoPro Podcast. This was a fun email as I know the manager Wes and the lead singer, Mike Grubbs, pretty well. Really great guys.

This afternoon, Mike Grubbs tweeted from the Wakey!Wakey! twitter site that not to miss the band being featured on the SoGoPro Podcast. We re-tweeted their tweet to get some nice cross promotion.

This evening it was two-for-two when The Swell Season tweeted a thanks for using their song. They have over 2,000 followers so hopefully we are getting into a fan base that may not know about the SoGoPro Podcast and pick up some new listeners.

Retweets in Twitter is all about expanding your circle. Talking about people and subjects and getting others to pass it along thanks to a retweet.

We just started pursuing the retweet avenue lately and in the last three weeks it has been met with great success. I am happy with the results so far.

Even when we don’t have a new podcast in certain weeks, we still plan to participate in #musicmonday, tying into the company’s belief in fostering relationships with bands and helping spread the word of new artists and new music.

Social media is fun and it can be a great tool. You just have to have the right plan. Many people are thinking of stage one, but there are so many times you need to be at stage one and thinking about stage four.

I think Southern Gothic Productions follows that belief. We may look to be at stage one but in actuality, there are many times we are already in another stage. It is fun and it makes the work fun and it is rewarding to see a plan come to fruition.

It’s All About Balance

As I write this, it is Sunday afternoon. I have everything set up for a volleyball match, for the job that pays the bills. Working in college athletics can be a hectic business, and made even more hectic by my outside jobs as well.

After the volleyball match, and posting the story, then it is time to get busy on jobs two and three. Hosting two very succesful podcasts take a lot of planning. It is all about juggling schedules and looking ahead.

For example, my One Tree Hill Podcast has scheduled guests through mid november. In fact, interviews have already been recorded for three of the next five weeks of podcasts. The other two interviews are already in the books, they just need to be recorded.

As for my podcast for Southern Gothic Productions, well, that is about balancing schedules for four people. Kelly Tenney and I usually touch base once or twice a week about people’s schedules and we work around the hectic time table of writer Nick Gray and co-owner and actress Hilarie Burton. There are times it has been extremly difficult to get us all together. There is an annoucement in the works that will elevate some of the stress of scheduling and make things fresh for when we post a new podcast.

Also on the books today is editing. I will edit and clean up any audio for the podcasts and then cut intros and exits for the One Tree Hill Podcast. For the Southern Gothic Productions Podcast, I will also incorporate the two artists we have chosen to intro and exit the podcast. Not to mention input the intro and exit recording from Hilarie Burton.

Then the social media implementation begins. For One Tree Hill, I spend the days after posting the previous podast reminding listeners a new one is coming up and also about the upcoming guest.

For the Southern Gothic Productions Podcast we go a step further. On Monday, we do a #musicmonday tweet on Twitter highlighting one of the artists on the podcast that week. We also post a preview of the podcast on Tuesday on Twitter and then send out a twitter message on Wednesday that the podcast has posted.

I also cross promote both podcasts by posting a new episode on various message boards and fan boards.

It is something that I have found keeps your podcasts in the minds of your listeners.

Welcome to my new site

I want to welcome everyone to my new blog site. I felt it was time to make a change and re-focus my priorities on my blog postings.

A lot has changed in the last few months for me. I have seen priorities change but my views are still the same. I have found my love for social media and how that can tie into my love of podcasting.

I am currently hosting the official podcast for the show One Tree Hill. It is weird to say that, since I only became a fan of the show in February of 2008. But it was through my promise to the producers of One Tree Hill that I wanted to be a mouth-piece for the show, and then doing everything I could to prove it, that convinced them I had made a true statement.

But it wasn’t something that happened because I sat back and waited for it to happen. I proved my loyalty to the producers of One Tree Hill, as well as my knack for discretion when needed. I earned the trust of the cast and crew, and through word of mouth, people realized how well they would be treated if they came on my podcast.

That trust and word of mouth, also led me to host the podcast for actress, and former One Tree Hill star, Hilarie Burton’s podcast for her company Southern Gothic Productions. I work closely with Hialrie’s business partner Kelly Tenney, who is a great guy. He is open to my suggestions and also shares an affinity for social media.

He and Hilarie both have allowed me to incorporate my love of highlighting artists in the podcast for Southern Gothic Productions. We blend amazing artists, in the intro and the exit of the podcast, to add a different aspect to the podcast. Hilarie has also been amazing, sharing her love of music with me as well, as we try to find a sound that meshes with us both.

It is a partnership that has far-reaching implications. As the production company builds strong ties with artists and artist managers, and perhaps that bond, will help both sides when the company begins various projects, including the filming of their feature film Pedestrian.

This blog will be full of insight and information on how social media and the right timing and connections allowed a Director of Media Relations in college athletics, to host two very succesful podcasts in the entertainment industry. And how social media was a part of it all.