Blogger’s log Star date 06.09.2006

Blogger’s log Star date 06.09.2006

Now that I am officially addicted to coffee, thanks to Jackson’s Tim Horton’s brand of caffeinated goodness, lets get started with another Gearhead/Strand/Solstice/Raw-Feed/Objective/Portal/etc. blog. First side tangent, if you don’t know about the Horton, go to www.timhortons.com, you WILL be addicted to coffee…guaranteed!

Life in the Gearhead Pictures world has been busy, but that is expected. I brought in my old Dreamcast; fooling myself into thinking I’d actually have time on my lunch to play my extinct friend…alas, it has happened once just to show off the classic “Space Channel 5.” With Ulala not able to do any reporting from Gearhead, lets get this blog started with exactly what is happening over here in the hot ‘dena burbs.

First up, Mr. Myrick has hopped on yet another plane and this time is heading to Vegas for the weekend to meet with writer/executive producer of “The Strand,” Mark Chainsaw Patton and a few other unnamed people. I am not at disclosure to discuss what is going down in Vegas, but rest be assured, it does NOT involve hookers, stripers, drugs, or any of the other malicious items that coined the phrase, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

Once D returns to Los Angeles he is jumping back into the edit bay for “Solstice,” with his director’s cut due the first week of July. With the looming deadline of “Solstice” at the back of his mind, he has no time to relax, since Raw-Feed begins its four-week prep on the same date, just before kicking off with a shoot date of sometime in August.

Now for most people having to prep a movie to direct + edit a film would be enough to cause a turned over truck 405 traffic back-up of a crisis, yet Dan has one other film this Fall, “The Objective,” which will be swinging into high gear as soon as he wraps “Raw-Feed’s” shooting schedule. We’ve known all year long that if everything went according to plan, 2006 would be a super cramped busy year, and we are in middle of it all, gearing up for “One Crazy Summer” indeed.

While Dan is busy shooting, editing and writing films, Richard Halpern has been dealing with all things related to “Strand,” including a marketing push that now allows users to stream/download all seven episodes for free at www.strandvenice.com. I know there are two things in the last sentence that might not be familiar to those following “The Strand.” The first is the fact that “Strand” is now SEVEN episodes instead of FIVE. The change took place to allow for a shorter more condensed version of the series. In no way has anything been removed from the series, it has just been cut to seven shorter segments, making for a much more addicting viewer experience. Secondly, the FREE part of “Strand.” Consider this – you now have the power to help this show blossom into a word of mouth hit and can watch every aspect of it for FREE! Wait, why are you still reading this boring blog, you should be watching right now and then telling your friends to log on and view it. Go go go!

As for me, my coffee high is coming to a low, which means I will more than likely be having another cup in the next few minutes. In the meantime, keep reading for new updates on all things Myrick related or for the director’s blog for “Solstice,” don’t forget you can get the inside scoop at http://www.solsticethemovie.com/.

-Aaron

05.17.06

Blog Update 05.17.06


It has been awhile since my last blog, and in that time we’ve gone thru lots of Tim Horton’s coffee (thanks Jackson), as Dan made his return to Los Angeles. I picked up Dan at LAX late last week in his new Prius, and with a couple of hitches (couldn’t get the darn thing to turn the parking brake off), Dan, Julia, and Tucker are now home. Exhausted from what D personally called the toughest shoot in his life (19 hour days + bad weather + head cold = a long and tiring production), and ready to jump into post-production on “Solstice” and pre-production on his segment of “Raw-Feed.” I could fill you in on all that is going on with “Solstice,” but why hear it out of my mouth when you can get it directly from Dan’s blog. The link is:

http://www.solsticethemovie.com/

Now on to “The Strand,” we are currently still in talks with several online companies as well as television networks and are pushing "The Strand" not only in new avenues of distribution, but also online partnerships that will enable our audience to double; if not triple what it is currently. As the talks go on with the different parties, we will keep you in the loop as well as adding new elements to "The Strand" page itself, which so far include:

Google Video. Yes, that's right. Are you tired of watching short funny videos on Google that are forwarded from one e-mail account to the next? Well, now is your chance to watch not only the pilot episode on Google Video, but the entire "Strand" series! All you have to do is go to google video and search out "The Strand Pilot," which is:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4680210467549196888&q=the+strand+pilot

After finishing the pilot episode you can watch episodes 2-5 for only .99 cents a show or just head directly to www.strandvenice.com.

What do you want out of "The Strand?" Since "The Strand" is for the people, we want to know what you want to see in future episodes! Be sure to visit the forum and post your thoughts on the show, suggestions, actors you like, or anything that has you excited about "the Strand!" Do it now at:

http://www.strandvenice.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi

Now on to “Raw-Feed.” John Shiban recently wrapped his portion of the 3 part series and Tony Krantz is gearing up to start shooting his section at the beginning of June. To see some exclusive pics from John Shiban’s “Raw Feed” segment, “Rest-Stop.” check out this link:

http://horror.about.com/b/a/256715.htm

As for “Objective,” things have been cleared and it looks as though this project will be shot in the fall of 2006; as though two movies weren’t enough for a director in a year…why not make it three? This one is still in early stages of development, as more comes in, I will of course post the news.

There you have it. Dan back in town, a new office nearly all set-up, no signs of things slowing down over here, which for me is a great thing, hence I get to stay employed J

- Aaron

Blog Entry 03.24.06

Blog Entry 03.24.06

This weekend Endgame Entertainment’s “Stay Alive” hits 2,009 theaters. It not only marks the first film release shot in Louisiana after the hurricane hit, but also the first horror flick produced by Endgame Entertainment and Adam Del Deo (Producer for “Solstice”). The marketing campaign is all over Myspace so it will be interesting to see how this horror flick opens nationwide going against Denzel/Spike Lee’s “The Inside Man.”

With all of that being said, “Solstice” is still slated to start shooting March 31st. Dan is down in NO with Julia and Tucker currently finishing the final days of pre-production, while I am back in Los Angeles managing “Strand,” and the several other projects that names can’t be mentioned on.

Speaking of “Strand” – the blast e-mail was sent out to over 11,000 people this last week and within two days our hits and unique visits doubled on the site! We’ve also sold around 20 DVD’s and this is just the start of the huge revolution number 9 that “The Beatles” sang about. If things go according to plan, we’ll sell enough DVD’s enabling us to start shooting more episodes of “The Strand.” Is it just a fantasy or a possibility? With the strong early responses to Mr. Myrick’s pet project, we are hoping this fantasy will become a reality like whoa.

Elsewhere in “The Strand” world, Richard “The Great” Halpern” is plugging away pushing the marketing strategy to the next level. If we compared it to the game of Ms. Pac-Man, “The Strand” would be past the first level and the intermission would have already hit (where he chases after the ghosts with that classic 80’s tune in the background). We are at the blue level, where things start to get tough, but not quite at the red level, where you know you’ve completely succeeded. But w/ the Halpernator at the controller, we should reach the red level shortly. Goal is to really push “Strand” not only on the internet, but also in local stores around Venice Beach as well as the surrounding Hollywood areas. This way when Dan returns to Los Angeles in May, we can throw “The Strand” DVD release bash that everyone will remember for sure.

There you have it. As the Gearpants office is assembled by Jackson “fizzy water” Douglas and I keep on top of all things GHP related, Dan will be shooting his movie. With a little bit of luck, it will get the same marketing push as “Stay Alive,” which will create even more of a buzz for “The Strand.” Big things ahead…like when you are on an airplane and you wait for the ding that lets you know you are safe. With the turbulence behind us, all that is left is the clear skies and that safety net of the long awaited ding…

-Aaron Goldstein

Blog 3.10.06

It’s March!?!? Really, how the F did that happen? Well, as expected at GHP we’re now in the new office, which is unofficially being labeled Gearpants (Crackerpants + Gearhead Pictures = Gearpants). The move went well with the assistance of our all-star P.A., Jake S. (can never spell his last name correctly). We’ve now upgraded our living space and Dan has to walk up a whole flight of stairs from his office to stroll into this one and Jackson merely has to walk 60 feet. What does this mean? I am working in an office with a bunch of stinky peeps that never shower (and no I am not referencing the kind that blow up in microwave that kids eat during Easter).

With all of that being said, the new office really is sweet. I have a giant mirror in front of myself so I can tell when I get vegan food stuck in my teeth and more importantly I can watch if anyone is sneaking up on me from the backside to pull a prank. The office is still under construction and more than likely will be for the next couple of months as things get put into their correct place. The only downside, which could also be a plus, is that Dan had a mere week to enjoy the new digs before shipping out to New Orleans for “Solstice.”

Currently “Solstice” is full steam ahead with Dan down in the big easy trying not to re-injure his gimp foot and get locations locked. Our production office is already set-up down there and in the next week or so Dan’s wife and baby, Tucker will be heading out there to join him during the mainstay of production. More than likely I will stay in Los Angeles, holding down the fort and getting GHP completely functional. We still don’t have the cast locked down for “Solstice,” but with the diverse/talented crew, we aren’t worried about things falling into place. Besides, this is the movie industry…things are supposed to happen at the last minute, right?

Elsewhere…“Strand” has great news. We were featured in American Cinematographer magazine (no online link for the article) this past month. It was nearly 3 pages all on “The Strand” and new media. We’ve also revamped our marketing team and recruited one of our Producer’s, Richard Halpern (that is Richard the Great in the show), to start selling this thing like the crack candy it is. The marketing campaign includes a full out blast e-mail (sending to over 11,000 people initially), bombarding media magazines, portable devise downloads (PSP/I-Pod Video), an official DVD launch part in Venice Beach, and so much more. Keep your eyes on “The Strand” website, which has already been retooled thanks to our web designer at large, DK (Dan Karcher). Check it out and drop him a line if you like what you see in our forums.

Alas, Project X/Y/Z – whichever one it was…actually all of ‘em – I can’t talk about. Good things are happening, what that entails – my lips are sealed tighter than Bat Boy’s upcoming presidential campaign to overturn President Bush.

There you have it. A new office, lots happening, and most importantly I will soon have my own urinal at the new GHP headquarters.

-Aaron

02.10.06 -- “Bring out the Gimp Edition”

Blog Entry 02.10.06
“Bring out the Gimp Edition”

Daniel “Newly instated Gimp” Myrick is back from his New Orleans location scout. His journey was an interesting one. While most of the town was suffering from severe thunderstorm and worried of flooding as well as more property damage (it isn’t like they haven’t gone through enough down there already), Dan was fast asleep w/ earplugs in his ears, probably dreaming of lil’ Tuck and Julia back in LA. The storm didn’t bother him, except for the menacing air conditioning vent that was blowing cold air directly on his face. So Dan, being the do-it-yourself type of guy he is, pulled a chair out in the middle of the night, stands on it, and then shoves a towel into the vent to make it stop blowing on him. And when he steps down from the chair, he lands wrong on his foot, tearing his precious ligament. Now he is judging distances by how far he will have to limp to get something – hence this “Gimp Edition” of the GHP update. In all seriousness, Mr. Myrick had a totally successful scout for “Solstice” in NO with Adam Del Deo and Bruton Jones. Now if we could just lock in a cast (kind of an important element), we would be all set to go.

The BIG news this past week was with “The Strand.” Finally, we have the future episodes now posted on the site for download to your I-pod (PSP soon to come). The fees are small ($1.99 for pilot episode and .99 cents for each additional episode). If you have either system, you will be able to download it as easy as the “Beauty’s” from “Beauty and the Geek” were able to learn about “hooking up” a PC. www.strandvenice.com -- in case you forgot the link (no idea how you could forget it though)…enjoy the new episodes like whoa!

Since I have been silenced on the other two projects, I can’t reveal any information other than I feel like a character from a Kurt Vonnegut novel or somebody out of “Big Brother. Hopefully the man will allow me to speak shortly and all will be revealed and for these projects…the reveal will actually be cool, unlike the sputtering finish of “Matrix Revolutions.”

And as for the office move, it is coming up quicker than we are ready for. It is going to be crazy at the end of this month as Dan storyboards and takes meetings for “Solstice,” and I set up the new office while still having to do my day job in between. So busy, yet having so much fun…gotta love it J

Till next time, Dobler out to see if he can find a pair of crutches for his gimpy boss.

Blog Entry 01.27.06

Blog Entry 01.27.06

Where have the GHP Blog Entries gone? The last month, there have been none, and I know all of our hardcore fans are in an uproar about not knowing what’s happening within our organization…so alas, here’s the scoop on where we’ve been the last month or so.

Let us begin with “The Strand.” So much has happened with it in this first month of the New Year I feel like it needs its own E! True Hollywood Story. Music Licensing has been cleared…that’s right; the music for “The Strand” is finally cleared! This means we’ve now posted our pre-order DVD link on the website so all of you diehard “Strand” buffs can be the first to watch the additional features that are exclusive to the DVD only + we’re also allowing free shipping if you pre-order now!

With the Pre-order DVD posted on our website, this means we’re finally going to recoup some of the money we spent to make the episodic show, which should eventually enable us to make more shows (fingers crossed) later this year. All is going according to plan, as we are flooded with new hits from the recent New York Times article, which hit the stands on Wednesday 01.25.06. Click here for more information.

And to top off the NY Times article Dan and I just got home from Vegas, minus the Cher references (thanks Zubi) for NATPE this past Tuesday and Wednesday. Dan was on a panel Wednesday afternoon and as soon as he wrapped it, we hit the road faster than a Vietnamese Hooker collecting her money after the Navy passes thru town. That being said, the Wednesday afternoon panel was a success, led by Josh Bernoff as moderator. The room was completely packed with studio execs and filmmakers wanting to learn about the wonderful world of distributing media in new and exciting ways. As Dan answered one question after the next, our mission was accomplished with the awareness of “The Strand” raised and more contacts made. Other than our hangover from drinking the night before, it was a perfect 24 hour Vegas trip, minus the strip club, hookers, and winning any actual money.

Outside “The Strand” world, LCFL – The Patty Labelle Football League went off without any snags. We shot the production all last week, which included three days of day-in-the-life footage with players, the Lawry’s drunken dinner party, the Peterson Automotive Museum, and the final big game. It was the small West Coast Long Beach Lions VS. The East Coast All-Stars in the championship game. The unusually frosty cold wind was blowing harder than… (I will resist a sex joke/reference here), and the two teams philosophies couldn’t be any different from each other. Lions were all about getting the job done and taking care of business, while the East Coast was all about pummeling their competition no matter what the cost. It all came down to the 4th quarter goal line stance of the East Coast, where they stopped the Lions from scoring and making a field goal twice within the final 8 minutes of the game on the 20-yard line. With the defensive stance, the East Coast All-Stars nudged out a 10-9 victory, and with history made, we captured some amazing footage for what’s going to make a truly compelling trailer.

Dan Myrick’s objective this past month was to get the “The Objective” green lit, which was met with a flawless victory last Friday w/ Jeremy Wall and Zev Guber. With it confirmed, stay tuned for the first phase, which of course is tons of exclusive online content – what did you expect from the guy that did “The Blair Witch Project?”

As for Project X or Y – I can’t remember which one is which at this point. I will say we filmed one of them this weekend to turn into the company that financed the project. And as for the Project X and/or Y that that is the second, I have been silenced. Yes that is right. This small blog has created worry with our sponsors, so I will not be able to talk about…lets call it Y, anymore.

And lastly on the GHP horizon is “Solstice.” With all the projects listed above, this is the one that keeps getting delayed with one snag after the next. First it was a hurricane and now it is an actress (not gonna name the person) that is causing the snag. Dan’s still scheduled to do a location scout at the end of this month for the project and we should be shooting March/April. Again fingers and this time even my toes are crossed that it goes through.

From the GHP world, I am signing out and will be back with another update after I get some much needed rest after surviving the drunken Vegas journey.

-Aaron Goldstein

12.09.05

Blog Entry 12.09.05

Well the turkey day has come and gone and since I know everyone is concerned with my meat eating habits and whether or not I cracked and ate some turkey…so I am proud to report that I was strong and resisted the meat. Hope the other veggies out there did just the same. But rather than bore you with my lame personal ramblings, lets get this update started with a perplexing question:

What do Daniel Myrick and Michael Bay have in common? No, it’s not box office respect nor is it their bad tempers (just kidding D). It’s actually a film location. Yesterday I did my best impersonation of Morgan Freeman (almost used black face make-up but figured it would be in bad taste), and drove Ben Rock, Dan, and Matt Compton (no Jessica Tandy jokes necessary) out past the desert center to Eagle Mountain Mine. It was such a cool location, it is just a shame “The Island” had it so prominently displayed in their flick. If all bolds well we could end up shooting both Project Y and a lil’ bit of Project Z (I can’t remember which alias it is, because I have used so many) there.

Moving back into “The Strand” world, the DVD is in Taiwan, awaiting one last piece of music clearance. Should be next week (fingers crossed).

LCFL is still in full motion. Dan is going to have to give a short speech at the end of the season party come January. If our schedule holds firm, we will shoot this trailer the second week of ’06 and ring in the New Year with a kick ass LCFL trailer and party it up with the players.

I wish there was more to report, but for the mainstay, these past two weeks almost felt like a repeat of the two weeks that came before. We are working hard over here (minus our 3-4 twenty minute coffee breaks a day), but most of the projects are at the same point as the last time I updated. I blame the holidays. What is up with this town shutting down 2 weeks before the holidays even hit? Dan has a meeting next week w/ the Project X guys on Wednesday for everyone to touch base before we shut down for the holidays. Next Wednesday is the 14th. X-mas and Chanukah don’t hit this year till the 25th. That is 11 days. Nearly two weeks of work worthy time that every other industry takes advantage of except for the one aptly titled “the industry.”

Phew – got that one of my chest. Anyway, in the coming weeks expect smaller news updates as Gearhead gets ready to bring in the New Year w/ a mad crunked out party w/ D & J’s 4-month year old son, Tucker hosting. I spoke with playa Tuck earlier today and he promised not to drink so much eggnog, and he reassured me that he understands the Christmas tree is not to be used as a diaper.

News Update – 3-D Arson @ the Viper Room this Saturday Night!

That’s right. The 3-d Arson whose music was featured in “The Strand” as well as having their lead singer, Craig Rose who played the role of Wes the surfer, are playing this Saturday Night (December 03rd, 2005) at the Viper Room. If you want to get more information on their show, click the link below:

www.3darson.com

Support not only “The Strand” by showing up for the party, but also its musicians.

See everyone there on Saturday night!

-Aaron Goldstein

Bio for 3-D Arson:

It all started in Salt Lake City with a group of musicians that had the same desire and tenacity to inspire and rock the world. Having played together in various bands such as the Moon Family, Eight O' One, and Trisomy 21, Craig, Nate, Andy, & Jim moved to Los Angeles and later formed 3D Arson. Needing a rythm guitarist, they recruited Nate "Howie" Giles from the LA based Sickwater and found a perfect fit to complete the band. 3D Arson is a band heavily influenced by the raw power, and energy of good time party Rock n' Roll. In the manor of such great bands as Guns N' Roses, and early Van Halen. 3D Arson have created an original style that commands attention. A recent recording of "Bored of You" was played on the "Should I stay or should I go" segment of 97.1 FM's Frosty Heidi & Frank show where 3D Arson won a staying vote. The hosts all agreed it was a hit. Immediately afterwards the website was flooded with hits and emails for a copy of the song. With a blistering live performance 3D Arson have been rocking clubs throughout the Southwest and attracting a lot of attention. Always taking the crowd for an enjoyable high energy ride. 3D Arson has taken it up a notch and are a must see act.

Blog Entry 11.23.05...Tofurkey Edition

Blog Entry 11.23.05

Pop Quiz Hot Shot: You are a vegetarian that still enjoys the taste of meat every once and awhile and are heading home for Thanksgiving. There is a yearly tradition of having to go head to head with drinking the grandpa under the table…you’ve lost the past three years, unconscious in a sea of dancing turkeys. If you eat the turkey, you will lose, if you don’t eat it, you have the chance of being king for the night. What do you do? What can you do?

Now that I got that off my chest, lets get into this Thanksgiving edition of the News update from GHP. 2 weeks have come and gone, and in that time another 2 weeks of counting down the days until Dan fires me for the hot assistant. But as for work, we have been extremely busy.

LCFL – Patty Labelle Football League looks to be a go. If it happens, we will be shooting the championship game this January. All that needs to occur is a signature on the dotted line by both party’s and then commence into doing a Deon Sanders inspired touchdown dance.

Technical issues may ensue, please proceed with caution when handling “The Strand” DVD, or so the made-up fortune cookie inside my head states. A slight snag has come up with the DVD, but our main guy Eric White is knee deep in resolving the problem and we (fingers and toes crossed) are looking to launch the pre-order page in the coming week. Once we have a master in hand, pre-order page goes up and we are in business.

Elsewhere in “The Strand” world, the Ninemsn page has officially launched with…drum roll please, all four of the new episodes! Rather than waste your valuable time discussing all the nifty features, I will supply you with the link and let the work speak for itself:

http://www.strandvenice.com/ninemsn/

South Carolina is out and back in is Louisiana. Which means, “Solstice” casting has begun once again. We should be out that way at the end of March to film the much delayed worthy project.

Racer X, I mean Project X is in a good spot as it races along the track of creative outlining and writing. If Speed Racer were driving, this would be the part where he pushes the autopilot button, cause everything is smooth sailing so far.

Project Y, no funny jokes for this one, is finally back in business. We have the funds, the creative team, now it is time to hit the road and shoot this sucker!

And one last piece of shameless GHP promotion – the 200th edition of “Empire” magazine will have Mr. Myrick himself in it regarding the top 200 things that have happened during the lifespan of the magazine. Of course it will be about “The Blair Witch Project,” but it gives Dan another chance to promote “The Strand.”

As I rush to finish this update and catch a plane to get ready for the Goldstein/Kaplin drinking competition I will leave you with this thought…what do you do when you get a fortune cookie that says, “you need to work on improving your exercise routines?” Can I just say, worst fortune cookie ever!

Till next time…Aaron out to Burbank Airport – Happy Thanksgiving!

11.11.05

Blog update 11.11.05

As I come into work today to write another blog entry into the wacky world of GHP, I can’t stop thinking about two off work topics. First up…the Phoenix Suns. They have become the most frustratingly entertaining team to watch in the NBA – they can’t close out close games. Onto a totally different subject, Jackson, the man behind the Fresca and the boy we are sharing the new office with has come to the conclusion if a guy enjoys the music in “Rent,” they are gay. We have been battling back and forth on this one in a showdown that is bigger than the Richard Halpern pro Nintendo DS vs. the GHP pro Sony PSP. The results on both disputes should be solved soon, and I will have them to you faster than Mimi blows out her candle in “Rent” or (if you don’t get that reference) as fast as the graphic capabilities of the PSP are when compared to the slow Mario carrying turtle DS.

Now that I got that off my chest, lets first talk about Project X this week. As I type this blog, Dan is currently in a meeting at the WB going over more creative aspects for the project. There is now a completed script, that will probably need some polishing, but the good news is that this project is still pushing ahead to shoot next year after the so-called “Season of Love,” otherwise known as holiday season.

“Solstice” is in a tight neck battle reminiscent of the old Mario vs. Sonic days as it goes head to head with Project Z. If “Solstice” goes through, we will end up in Louisiana in March and if Project Z happens, we may wind up going to South Carolina in January. Which project will it be? We should know the answer early next week…personally; I am down for both of them as long as I have a wireless connection for my PSP.

The next objective on our list is Project Z-1 (I am running out of alphabet here Dan, please let me reveal the names soon). Project Z-1’s objective right now was AFM, where several prospective clients were interested. In the coming weeks we will find out what Richard “loser DS” Halpern will be able to pair us up with.

LCFL, otherwise known as the Pattie Labelle Football League, is on the cusp of getting approved to shoot its pitch trailer. Should have term papers signed this weekend then, after Thanksgiving, we’d start the hiring of our documentary style crew of 1-2 producers.

Eric White has been slaving away on “The Strand” DVD packaging, and rest assured, his time spent on it has been well worth the wait. He should ship out the latest cover artwork for it today so Dan can proof. We are expecting this bad boy to be ready for duplication by the end of next week, which leaves us with the pre-order button on “The Strand” website. After a few more business tweaks, Julia Fair (“Strand” Producer) will have the pre-order button up on the site, hopefully some time next week (jeez, it looks like everything is happening next week) so fans can start clamoring over what will be a more popular gift than anything the DS has to offer.

With tons of Fresca spread around the new office in a construction site run by Jackson, our estimated move date has been postmarked to the 1st of the year. What better way to ring in the New Year than to have to move offices? I can’t wait to come in hung over to assist on this one.

And there you have it. Another GHP update. Hopefully the next time I write this, the Nintendo DS will be proven to cause seizures, the movie “Rent” will break new ground in homosexual/heterosexual relationships, and the Suns will win their next five games. If all of these things happen, it will be a great way to stuff my face with Tofu Turkey this Thanksgiving.

Aaron out to think about how to turn the classic childhood game, “Red Light, Green Light, Go,” into a drinking game.

Babies on Board

Blog Entry 10.28.05

After a week of double babies in the Myrick hood (in-laws in town), tons of dirty diapers (luckily that isn’t part of my job duty), and some very cute baby pics, Gearhead Pictures is still in full swing on several different production items that don’t involve things that are “fun for the whole family.” Speaking of not having fun for the whole family, how about we start off with some legal business? Wooohoo. The past two weeks have come and gone, and Dan has been jumping from one legal meeting to the next as we try to COA (Cover Our Asses) with Project X, Y and “The Strand.” Between legal meetings, Dan has hardly even had time to play the new PSP game, “Grand Theft Auto: Liberty Stories…” and trust me, I think that game is so what he would rather be doing with the little free time he has.

When not in a legal meeting, Dan started outlining not only the plot for “Project X” but also finishing the final touches on “The Strand” DVD cover art. Still unable to talk about “Project X,” so I will jump right into “The Strand,” which is on course to be released on DVD this fall. With the cover art in place, the music rights all cleared, the only thing left to do is for tech-guru Eric White to lay that bad boy out onto disc. It is a very exciting time at Gearhead as we eagerly await the first draft of “The Strand” DVD.

Elsewhere in “The Strand” universe, our Executive Producer, Richard Halpern, has a film out that is gaining strong word of mouth along with a recent signing with Capital Arts Productions where producer, Mike Elliot, who produced “The Devil’s Reject,” is onboard to help with the distribution. If you haven’t already checked out his project, the official website is: http://www.zzmovie.com/.

What else do we have to report…well, in the LCFL World of news, Dan had a meeting with the owner of the league, Damascene over at the classic diner, Mel’s on Sunset last night. Also at the meeting was a producer of “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” Both Dan and the unnamed producer’s (trying to keep his name hidden till he is officially attached) goal is to turn this adult football league into a compelling internet/cable TV show. And with the new producer onboard, it looks like Patty Labelle’s Football league may finally get the coverage it deserves.

With our old office becoming a bit small compared to how fast Gearhead is growing, we have decided to abandon ship at the Workshop’s facilities in favor of a shared loft with Jackson Douglas of Crackerpants Productions. How much work will actually get done once you combine the three of us in one office is yet to be determined, but what we do know for sure is there will be a foosball table along with wireless capabilities for three-way PSP action (only time you can say three-way between guys and have it not refer to a sexual act). 12.01.05 – the day of reckoning or what we call around here…moving day.

Our new office/cellmate’s wife is putting on a charity show this coming weekend at the Acme Comedy Store in Hollywood. With a few “Family Guy” writers involved along with some “MadTV” talent…it should be a laugh riot. I will have the full report on that one in my next blog entry.

With all the fuss over legal issues/DVD updates/baby shoots/and an office move, it is amazing that Dan even had time to have a very top secret meeting this past week, which for now will be known as “Project Z.” Lets just say if this one goes through, Dan will more than likely fire me for that hot assistant he has been pining for the last couple of weeks when I come in un-showered after a long night of Irish Carbombs with Jackson.

-Aaron Goldstein out to type 6922251 times 8 into my calculator, flip it upside down and look at the spectacular results J

10.15.05

Blog Entry 10.15.05

With the release of “Virtua Tennis” on the PSP this past week has been a blur. Between several hours of character building within the game, and beating Dan really really bad (sorry D, you need to work on your T-Skillz) there was actual a lot of work accomplished at Gearhead as well as celebrating Rosh Hashanah w/ Jackson Douglas. Lets start off w/ “The Strand and then I will dish on the Jackson situation.

Episodes 1-4 are completed w/ all music in place. Now it is in the hands of Brightcove and Bitpass to be posted onto the site. And with the release of the I-Pod Video this past week, we at “The Strand” have a lot to think about How cool would it be to have “The Strand” available to download via your I-Tunes Music and watch on your I-pod? It will come soon, very soon.

New on “The Strand” website is the separation of the News/Press section along with The Sid “The Agent” Blog. When you go to the site you can access press related material regarding “Strand” by clicking on the new link. Or if you want to read a rant by Sid, just click the blog section on the site, and you get to choose from either the Bartender or Sid. Enjoy!

With the NY Times article circulating newsstands and the internet, it has opened the “Strand” International door even further; with calls coming in from Brazil and Italy. We will be featured in this Brazilian newspaper in the coming week and you can check it out at www.folhaonline.com.br; once it goes online.

On the DVD front, things are looking, as Larry David says, “pretty, pretty, pretty good,” for the Holiday rush and “The Strand.” We nearly have all the elements in place, thanks to some kick ass Producing work by Richard Halpern and some way cool designing from Eric White. With any luck, we will have a rough version of the DVD complete by the end of this month, with hopes of getting it out to fans this December.

Shall I poke fun at Jackson first or move on to the other projects we are working on? Action Jackson time. I just want to point out that Gearhead will be sharing an office with a guy that listens to “4 Non Blondes” and “Crash Test Dummies.”

Anyway…the other projects: AOL Project Y is still going strong like an over caffeinated cup of Coffee Bean Coffee. We just had another creative meeting and with our group, which includes, Ben Rock (Writer/Producer), Mike Monello (Web Consultant), Dan Karcher, (Web Designer), Julia Fair (Writer/Producer), Matt Compton (Coordinating Producer) and Daniel Myrick (Executive Producer/Writer). With the nucleus set this team is sure to come up w/ something cool…if only I could tell you what it is. Soon, I promise…it will be revealed.

“Solstice” is set for a March shoot date. Still to far off to think about, but we are still in constant communication with the folks over at Endgame regarding casting, etc.

And there you have it. The Gearhead update along with a little bit of Jackson bashing…this will teach him not to make fun of my movie hopping abilities and vegetarian ways.

Aaron out to school dan in some more PSP “Virtua Tennis.”

10.04.05 -- “Tribe infused Update”

Q-Tip once rapped, “industry rule number 4,080…record company people are shady” on the classic “Tribe Called Quest” cut, “Check the Rhymes.” You may be wondering, what could this possibly have to do with “The Strand” and Gearhead Pictures? The answer is easier then going to “carvel to get a milkshake” (another classic “Tribe” cut), cause we are currently in music licensing negotiations. It is like when you’re playing a videogame; lets use “Super Mario Brothers” part 1 for example. You beat a really easy stage, like world 8-1 and 8-2, only to be thrust into the toughest stage in the game, world 8-3. Well, we have every single piece of music cleared, except one artist, and they’re Gearhead’s level 8-3. As soon as that piece of music is complete, “The Strand” chapters 1-4 will be like “Lyrics to go.” Instead of getting a happy Peach at the end of the long journey, audiences will be rewarded with 4 sugar high worthy editions that are sure to create more buzz than the initial pilot webisode.

With all the busy editing, legal, and final touches we’ve been working on with “The Strand,” Dan still had time to speak via I-Chat for an event in Philly called “What Price Media Consolidation” run by “Center for Creative Voices in Media.” The moderator of the event, Jonathan Rintels, talked to Dan through a broadband I-Chat connection, which was also able to show the packed house of media gurus’ clips of “The Strand” and the potential of online distribution. At the end of the event, the buzz in the post cocktail/free food meet and great was all about “The Strand.” Hopefully this gets more eyeballs on the website.

One more press addition with “The Strand.” On this past Thursday Dan received a call from the NY Times to discuss Brightcove’s association with Gearhead Pictures. The article will be primarily about the launch of Brightcove’s new technology, but “The Strand” will also be mentioned when the paper hits this Monday 10.03.05. Be sure to buy it at your local newsstand!

As for the other Gearhead related projects, “Project Y” is now entering phase two of pre-production. After several creative meetings the last couple of weeks, Dan has been doing one on ones with the web designer, Coordinating Producer, Web Consultant, etc. With how busy this past week was, the lyrics to “Electric Relaxation…” “Relax yourself girl, please settle down,” feel just about right.

Project X is in hardcore pre-production mode with this past week’s meeting. We are expecting production to hit towards mid-October with a break for the holidays in December and then continuing the shoot through January. Still more to come on this one…

There you have it, another Gearhead update and I am out to listen to more “Tribe Called Quest.”

-Aaron Goldstein

Blog Entry 09.14.05

And now for the latest addition of good Gearhead news versus the bad: With the hurricane striking New Orleans, Endgame decided to postpone the shooting of “Solstice” until early next year. This of course being the bad news, yet compared to everything going on in the victims’ lives right now, this is just small potatoes. With the delayed start of “Solstice,” Dan and his wife Julia Myrick welcomed their baby boy, Tucker into the world three weeks early. The original plan was for Julia to fly out to Louisiana to stay with her parents and have the baby next week (if it came on schedule) at a hospital overflowing with storm victims. Luckily, the baby came early, and with the 7 pound 4 ounce bundle of joy were Julia’s parents, who left their home in Mississippi just before the hurricane hit to spend time w/ the new baby. The personal news is good, and with the “Solstice” delay, Dan has more time to spend with “Tuck Everlasting” or “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” (whatever movie reference you prefer), while we jump into more of “The Strand,” “Project X,” and “The Compound.”

First up is “The Strand:” We recently reached an agreement with BitPass.com to be featured on their digital marketplace on www.ninemsn.com (the Australian entertainment section of msn.com). When you click on the entertainment section of www.ninemsn.com there will be a link for “The Strand,” complete with advertisement. This is fantabulous news for us, giving our independent website some much deserved international exposure from the country that brought audiences both “The Crocodile Hunter” and “Crocodile Dundee” – who could ask for better than that?

With the agreement now in place, Dan has tooled webisodes 1-4 for release hopefully very very soon. We know everyone has been waiting for the future webisodes, and after this past week I sat down and watched each of the new additions…and let me just say, you won’t be disappointed. Expect more drama, more nudity, more action, and most importantly, more of Zubi Mohammed dancing around the drum circle and reciting the classic line, “no habla de Espanol.” Real soon, you will get to see what all the fuss is about.

On the DVD side of “Strand,” Richard Halpern, (Executive Producer/fart CD maker/Venice Magician) is coordinating the arrival of the DVD for your “Strand” stocking stuffer. There will be more extra features on this thing than the Audi Jason Stathom drives in “Transporter 2.” I can’t disclose of them yet, but again, they will satisfy your needs more than another helping of watching midget Oprah (if you haven’t seen pics of Oprah’s midget yet, I highly recommend it).

Moving on up to the Eastside of the “Project Y” at AOL: We just had our second major creative meeting regarding the project and are looking at a completion date sometime in November. I can’t say much about it, because it is ultra top secret, but imagine if you will a world with “Big Brother” crossed with “Survivor” mixed with a little bit of “Saw” and you have “The Compound.” As more info makes it into these creative meetings, I will be sure to release as much as I can.

“X” is in full-on prep phase with John Shiban leading the way on the 1st section of the new project. I’d reveal more, but I don’t want to have one of my toes cut off ala “Prison Break” style, so I will keep this section of my blog with only the above information.

There you have it, a hurricane, a healthy baby boy, some Venice/Strand action, and Oprah’s midget compounded over “Project X.” Busy times at Gearhead, and I failed to mention we are also in the midst of moving offices.

Till next time...Aaron out to Carvel to get a milkshake.

8.29.05 update

Has it already been two weeks since my last blog entry? Jeez, time is going by faster than Mark Patton (EP/Writer of “The Strand”) can pound out a 90-page script. These past two weeks have brought a lot of good news to the table, here is the scoop:

For the past week and a half Mr. Patton has been in town, brainstorming the future webisodes with Dan along with Zubi (another one of “The Strand” writers). The rough drafts of the new webisodes are written, now it’s just a matter of re-write upon re-write. As Mark diligently wrote the script, Dan has been balancing whatever free time he has in the editing world. As of now, webisodes two and three are complete, and in our ace soundman’s (Robb Williamson) hands. It has taken awhile to crank these bad boys out, but they should be ready to post shortly.

Brightcove Player is still up and running on the site to rave reviews. There hasn’t been much in the way of technical issues with their media player, other than the routine maintenance, which is completely expected. If you haven’t watched “Strand” on the new player, see what all the buzz is about at www.strandvenice.com.

Onto “Project X.” Contracts are now signed for the project but I’m still not allowed to disclose the 4-1-1. Pre-production is speeding along and we should enter production on it this fall right after baseball season ends.

And now we are left with “Solstice.” Offers have been made to some talented up and coming young actors. As soon as we cast our lead, “Megan,” Dan will be off to Louisiana to shoot his latest physiological horror film. When the leads are casted, and the contracts are signed, I will reveal the actors...so be sure to keep reading these blogs!

In the coming weeks we should finalize the sound mix on “The Strand,” continue pre-production on “Project X,” and possibly have leads cast for “Solstice” (my fingers are crossed). Lot is happening, and I will be sure to keep everyone up to date with the latest and greatest from Gearhead.

And now I will go back to nursing my sore throat from screaming at last night’s Backstreet Boys concert. Yes, that is right, I was there and proud to admit it, they tore it up!

Aaron Goldstein

brightcove player launched!!!

08/18/05

Does anyone else know the meaning of “fun bread?” As we move closer to a development deal with several different portals out there along with the recent launch of “The Strand” w/ the nifty Brightcove player (both of which I will get into later), I propose this question to all the readers of this bi-weekly blog. I am still trying to figure it out. Dan’s very pregnant wife Julia, always requests “fun bread” from “Subway,” but I for the life of me can’t determine what makes fun bread…well, fun.

All fun bread aside, the real fun in “The Strand” world comes in the form of the new Brightcove player. You can use this great online tool to watch the first webisode of “The Strand” completely free on the website (in case you still don’t know where to go: www.strandvenice.com). When you get to the newly vamped website (again major props to Dan Karcher for turning in this groundbreaking work), just click the middle screen and you can watch what everyone is talking about. And just in case you don’t know what everyone is talking about it, you can peep the latest press article from Dan Zak at the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/12/AR2005081200395.html

So with your thirst for “The Strand” quenched until the new websiodes appear at the end of this month/early next month, you can explore the other sections on the website – like the forum or souvenir areas. Also, coming soon will be a section where you can pre-order the DVD and be the first to have what is sure to be a DVD that will have more extra features than you’ll no what to do with.

On to other Fun Bread worthy news, Project X is still going great, with Warner Brothers backing it. The outline for one of the sections of X is near complete, meaning the script should be underway shortly which will lead us to casting, followed by shooting X. As I get info that I can actually write about, I will be sure to post, but as of now, my lips are sealed.

“Solstice” casting sessions are underway, with Dan meeting a flurry of actors/actresses with Endgame Entertainment. Still scheduled to start shooting in Louisiana this October, and as we get closer, I am sure we will have tons of updates for all you Dan Myrick/Strand/Blair fans out there.

So there you have it, “Strand” is up and running online the way it was meant to be, “Project X” is moving along faster than Jessica Simpson’s acting career will last, and “Solstice’s” casting sessions haven’t involved any pre-Madonna stars (always a good thing)…now if I could just solve this fun bread thing…

Aaron Goldstein

july 25th, 2005 update

Not wanting to become the “Fall Out Boy” of blog entries, I am back with another update as to what’s going on in the world of Gearhead Pictures. We have been running around working hard, like a Michael Bay chase sequence in “The Island,” except with a purpose.

“The Strand” was recently in the Playhouse Film Festival at the El Portal Theatre in the Arizona like heat of the NoHo Theatre and Arts section of the Valley. It played to a standing room only where it once again received a warm reception. After the screening, Dan went on stage with Executive Producer/actor Richard Halpern along with actors, Marshelle Fair, Vince Joilette and Holly Henderson for an in-depth thirty minute Q & A session. The excitement level was still there and audience members wanted to know when D is going to release the next two webisodes, which brings us to…

The new site: Dan Karcher, web designer at large has been putting in “A Hard Day’s Night” as we prepare for the new and improved site to be re-launched on August 1st. The new site has tons of cool features and a nifty new interface making it even more accessible for fans, but rather than spill all the new additions, you’ll have to wait till the 1st of the month, cause what better way to celebrate having to pay rent than watching the latest and greatest from www.strandvenice.com. On top of that, we’re going to have a little “bonus” shortly after the new launch that is guaranteed to be better than the new lame Crackerjack prizes found at the bottom of the once cool boxes.

On to “Project X.” With a casting director and pre-production schedule in place the search for writers continues as D continues working on the secretive venture. I can’t say much about it, as I am silenced to secrecy much like Tommy Lee’s new album, which has a single with, get this, Nick Carter! Unlike their venture into the music world, “Project X” should be a hit minus Motley Crew and the club-hopping girlfriend swapping recently reinstated Backstreet Boy.

“Solstice” time: Location scouts are scheduled in Louisiana the first week of August, right as “The Strand” is re-launched. We have a casting director hired on, courtesy of Endgame Entertainment and they have sent the script out to several A list actresses for the lead. Just waiting to hear back from them as to who is going to be the next Myrick scream queen.

“From Under the Cork Tree,” Aaron Goldstein’s out to listen to some more Fall Out Boy and get some work done that doesn’t involve downloading new music on I-tunes

Gearhead Back In Gear

To all those Gearhead aficionados out there wondering what has happened to the wonderful blog brought to you by Daniel Myrick’s assistant, Aaron; no need to fret, for it’s back.

Over the past month, a lot has happened. Several deals have come to fruition. We are right on the cusps of signing a couple of big ones, but not wanting to jinx them by “counting the chickens before they are hatched,” I can’t fully report on them until we have it signed, sealed, and delivered.

But as for “The Strand” – this weekend the first webisode will be screening in the Playhouse Film Festival at the El Portal Theatre in the beautiful NOHO theatre and arts district. The website for the festival is:

http://www.pwff.net/Main.htm

Dan will be there along with a few of the principal actors on Saturday for the screening and then speak after the film is complete. This should be a great opportunity for even more public awarness/publicity for the project. If you aren’t going to the festival, check the list of movies – you won’t be disappointed.

For a list of the schedule breakdown check this link:

http://www.pwff.net/Saturday.htm

If the link doesn’t open “The Strand” plays on Saturday at 1:00 pm followed with the Q & A session. Hope to see some fans there.

As for Project X (can’t reveal name of the project yet), things are in total bloom as we are going through countless scripts, looking for the perfect writer to fit the style needed for these it. In the coming month, we expect things to get super busy with the project, and that isn’t even mentioning Dan Myrick going to New Orleans for…

“Solstice” – is back. We leave for New Orleans in September and jump right into production with our first shooting day scheduled for October 11th. As long as there are no weather delays, it looks like “Solstice” is a sure thing as Dan gets ready to head down there in a little under two months.

Lots is going on, and hopefully this blog will go back to being bi-weekly or even weekly keeping readers/fans in the game with Gearhead pictures.

Aaron Goldstein out to ponder this thought: ‘better not take a dog on the space shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you're coming home his face might burn up.”

Two weeks have passed, and no new blog entry from Aaron and Gearhead Pictures. Is it because times are slow and we have nothing to report or am I just getting lazy? It is actually a combo of both. Surviving a sting from food poisoning, Lincoln and Washington Blvd – avoid the Italian restaurant like the plague, I am back to report what is new with Gearhead. Here we go with another Jack Johnson inspired “Breakdown” of what is cracking in the Gearhead world:

“The Strand” -- Dan has locked himself in another office, gamely titled “Crackerpants Productions,” trying to complete the next two webisodes as quickly as possible; or is he playing “Generals” on the computer? If Dan is able to pull himself away from the videogame, we’ll have both of the webisodes posting online shortly, which should help us with an even bigger marketing tool to sell the show.

The worst part about writing this blog is not being able to spill all the gushy details regarding the other Gearhead projects before the deals come in. We are right on the cusps of something huge, yet I can’t reveal it until it happens not only because of my non-discloscure agreement, but so I don’t jinx the deals by talking like they are in the bag. As Shaq would say, “can you dig it?”

The bad news, which is now actually good news, is the “Solstice” delay. It has been pushed back a couple of months with a new October 11th start date. Next week Dan starts the meeting process as we try to find a casting director. Endgame Entertainment is definitely committed to making the flick, it is just going to happen a little later rather than sooner.

With “Solstice” delayed it gives Dan even more time to focus on the several different internet projects going on plus “Project X” and his latest script which may get financing before the end of the summer. If it does, it would be a cool big-budget psychological action pic that is reminiscent of “Primal Fear” mixed with “Silence of the Lambs.”

Next week brings more meetings for Dan regarding “Project X” and “Solstice” along with the long editing hours. Another busy week…looks like we are in for one hectic summer of organized chaos.

Aaron Goldstein out to think about this Jack Handy “Deep Thought:” I hope if dogs ever take over the world, and they chose a king, they don't just go by size, because I bet there are some Chihuahuas with some good ideas.

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

No, it isn’t just the title of the first single off Jack Johnson’s latest CD; it’s also been the theme for Gearhead Pictures as we enter the final week of May. With Dan nursing a head cold, and trying to keep a low profile this week, I only have a few pieces of information to divulge for this nifty blog.

First up, Project X: Still in full bloom. Dan was in meetings all day on Thursday with the producers and possible writers.

Back to “The Strand:” We had a slight delay this week as one of the band’s revoked clearance on a song from webisode one, so we had to go back in and reedit the audio. Luckily, our music guy Robb Williamson was able to compose something similar to what we already had plus it had its own originally style adding even more to the already cool scene. Dan also has a conference call today with an unnamed company (loving that non-disclosure form I signed) in regards to making “The Strand” mobile. Just think, you are sitting bored at the airport waiting for a flight or on the bus (who actually rides the public transit system in LA anyway?) and you can tune in and watch the hit webisodes via your cell phone! Hey if Japan has been doing it for years, why can’t we?

A special side note: One of “The Strand’s” Executive Producer’s, Richard Halpern’s latest film is screening this weekend for the first time in Los Angeles. The movie is called “Zzyzx,” and I’ve attached the official website link below:

http://www.zzmovie.com/

Peep it sometime on one of those nights when a naked game of Twister just isn’t enough.

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, bringing a down time in the industry (or should I say a party time). Next week should bring far more to the Gearhead table. With Endgame turning in the preproduction/budget for “Solstice” by midweek, there should be lots to report on.

Till then, Aaron Goldstein out to think about why people in ship mutinies always ask for "better treatment?" If it were me, I'd ask for a pinball machine, because with all that rocking back and forth you'd probably be able to get a lot of free games.

“The Update Blog”

Over the past two weeks Mr. Myrick has been plugging away going to one meeting after the next. In the meantime it has given me some free time to explore the wonderful world of the Mac widgets. This just in, our national terror alert is “elevated,” the word of the day is bindlestiff (def: a hobo who carries a bundle of bedding and other possessions) and my hula dancer is still grooving on my screen at all times. All I got to say is “thank you widgets, for a new found way to waste my time during the day.”

Onto the real updates:

“The Strand” is still in talks with several major companies for partnership. We should have an answer, hopefully in the next two weeks. Trying to put the final touches on this deal is like trying to get Ron Artest reinstated into the NBA for this year’s playoffs…it sounds good in theory, but it just keeps getting pushed back. The second webisode should be up on the site in the next 4-6 weeks, depending on what happens with the different companies we are discussing deals with.

The “Project X Beat:”

With this new project, Dan has been to several meetings as we try to get everything in place to shoot towards the end of this summer. Hopefully all goes well, and so far they have…I will keep everyone posted as things move full speed at a faster pace than Steve Nash dishing out assists.

“Solstice:”

The script is done and we’re beginning the process of all the fun meetings for our production crew. After that we’ll jump into casting, and as long as we don’t get a star that becomes pregnant ala Uma Thurman in “Kill Bill,” we should be good to go for shooting at the end of June.


And there you have it, the Gearhead Pictures update. And now I am back to play with these widgets.

Aaron Goldstein out to ponder why a termite eats through wood two times faster when listening to rock music and how come emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards.

NAB Aftermath + Dawn of a New Week = Illness

The NAB has come and gone and in its place are two sick Gearhead employees, Julia (Dan’s wife), and me. Julia avoided the drinking aspects of Vegas due to her pregnancy, but as for me, one too many late Vegas nights has treated me bad. As I battled through this last week at work, a lot of business possibilities have happened, but we are still waiting on deals to go through. Why is it that everything in this town always gets stuck in the development phase? With that being said, we now have verbal agreements with three different Gearhead projects, yet we still have to wait for the managers/lawyers/paperwork/lawsuits/signing away your first-born kid to come into play.

The first deal is with “The Strand.” We are nearing an exciting time with it, as we are about to partner up with a GINORMOUS Internet company that I still cannot name in this blog entry, due to the fact I would like to keep my first born kid. Here is my question of the day, if studios can approve the apocalyptic worthy “Garfield II,” why can’t they throw a little money Gearhead’s way and get the ball rolling on making more webisodes of “The Strand?” Oh that’s right, “Garfield II” has a talking animal…note to Dan, in future webisodes of “Strand” include a talking Venice dog, hey it almost worked on “The Krusty The Clown Show” in “The Simpson’s” with Poochie.

More internet news: We have teamed up with Michael O’Donnell who recently was the Chief Executive Officer with Bitpass. He is now going to head up all Gearhead related internet business affairs, which will leave Dan time to focus on the creative stuff, which he “supposedly” thinks he is better at (he directs one great movie and all of a sudden he is a creative genius… Just kidding D…please don’t fire me yet for the hot assistant you’ve been wanting.).

Onto the other side of Gearhead: “Solstice,” our full-length feature with Endgame is in full bloom like this crazy spring weather. We are set-up to have our first budgeting/scheduling/casting meeting in the next week or so. Things are looking good as Dan prepares to shoot it in New Orleans towards the end of June. Just as Katie Holmes and Tom Cruises relationship blossoms with more information, I will be sure to have more info to report on Solstice as well. It may not make the tabloids, but at least it is legit news and not what celebrity is dating who…especially when one is 24 and the other is 42.

Project X. Dan has been pitching this DVD project like crazy and it looks like we might finally have a buyer. One of the partners on it is Tony “24” Krantz along with several others, but if everything goes according to plan this thing should be “signed, sealed and delivered” in the next week or so.

As I take more cough medicine and sip my herbal tea trying to recuperate from the Vegas Gearhead partying, I leave you with this thought, even though Wesley Snipes said, “always bet on black” in “Passenger 57,” this rule does not apply to Roulette.

Aaron Goldstein out to do the hokey pokey and turn myself around while I try to feel better.

In the car with Daniel Myrick driving back from the National Association of Broadcasters, which was a complete success, not just on a drunken personal level...but on a business level as well. Here is the exciting breakdown of all that is “Strand” and NAB:

We got into Vegas on Monday afternoon, after making a quick stop in a small desert town where I sampled the rubbery Veggie Burger from their local Burger King. Man, vegetarianism is no fun on road trips. Back to Vegas. We arrived and quickly made our way to the NAB booth aboard the newly implemented Vegas monorail, which I was almost blacklisted from the next day. (You may see me in the future on Monorail’s Most Wanted; I was the one who used my foot to stop the Disneyland like train from leaving because Zubi, one of “The Strand” writers, was trying to get a water bottle to cure his sake induced hangover.) Dan, Zubi and I get to the NAB and make it through a virtually hassle free registration, then stumble over to the Panasonic booth, where we witnessed the latest HD camera…simply amazing. Your tape is now a hard drive that plugs into your USB port on your PC or Mac, allowing filmmaking to be even more consumer/independently driven. We do the quick walk around. After all tomorrow is the big day; Monday is just the warm up, and we head back to the hotel so Dan can get on the first of two XM radio interviews. Dinnertime at the Tropicana with a grip of peeps from “The Strand…” turns into drunken fun. I crawl into bed at 5:30 in the morning after getting instructions on Yoga from a Cher look a like in the middle of the floor at the Palms Casino. The best part was making her sing “If I could Turn Back Time” while she demonstrated Yoga to the fullest – Blog Note: I would go into more details, but as they say, “what happens in Vegas…well, stays in Vegas.”

Day 2 rolls around and I am severely hung over, making my way to the NAB floor for our 10 am show with Bitpass. Everything runs like a “smooth criminal” pre-Michael Jackson weirdness, and Dan wanders off to look at the new technology with Zubi and Mark Patton (EP/Writer). I separate from the group and meticulously as I could for being hung over, sneak my way into the pressroom to meet one of “The Strand” producers, Richard. Once inside we spread the word faster than the public found out about Britney Spear’s pregnancy. Pretty soon we both have full stomachs from snatching up some free food, but more importantly we have the press interested in the show. TV Worldwide at 4:00 pm Dan gets ready for the press and has two interviews with different Mac publications and soon after goes on live streaming internet to do an interview regarding “The Strand.” He wraps everything in about 15 minutes and then Marshelle Fair (one of the actors) gives her first interview as an actress. She’s excited as more people engulf our booth to catch a glimpse of the presentation they’ve been waiting for…”The Strand” – streaming live for the first time! Now all of those Mac users out there can watch it as a Window’s Media File and not have to deal with the Bit Torrent technology, which I am not condoling, but you gotta love the click a link and it plays philosophy especially for those none savvy computer peeps out there. We wrap up the day at NAB with the excitement growing and head back to the hotel for another night of food/drinks/blackmail moments that will never make their way into this blog.

The good news we get in the middle of the second day will have to wait till next week’s blog entry…after the confirmation has gone through…but if it happens, trust me, “The Strand” will shortly become a household name much like Balke from “Perfect Strangers…” darn bad example, how about it will become as well known as Pokemon is for kids, but for adults.

Third day and we shoot some sample scenes for “The Strand” Las Vegas – hey, it is never too early to start thinking about the future Strand locations. A few of the actors, Vince, Courtney, Billy, and Marshelle jump right into their scenes, which are made up on the spot by Zubi and the others and we straight do some guerilla filmmaking that would have made other independent film enthusiasts proud. With the scenes wrapped and all of this week’s salary lost gambling, I jump into the car and write this very blog entry before I take a much-needed nap.

Aaron Goldstein out cold…zzzzzzzzzzzz

National Association of Broadcasters + I-Film= Success

Just when we thought we couldn’t possibly get any busier…we did. At the end of last week we got the call from TV Worldwide (http://www.tvworldwide.com/) to attend the NAB (http://www.nabshow.com) in Vegas baby Vegas. On Monday night, the 18th, Dan Myrick will be on XM Radio discussing “The Strand” with David Gardy, the CEO of TV Worldwide. Then it gets even cooler (minus William H. Macy) when we attend the NAB with Bitpass (www.bitpass.com) at 10:00 am on Tuesday the 19th followed by our first live streaming broadcast of “The Strand” with TV Worldwide at 5:00 pm! At 4:30 pm just before “The Strand” hits the net with a live stream, there will be interviews with the press/fans that will also be broadcasted. Look out Vegas – “The Strand” is coming and we are planning to clear the house and as DMX barked, “Tear it up.”

If you want more information on “The Strand” in Vegas, you can also check both Yahoo Press releases which were featured on Wednesday 04/13/05 in the finance section. Here are the links:

http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/050413/084565.html

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050413/sfw072.html?.v=8

Onto some more great new (as if the above stated wasn’t enough)…”The Strand’s” first 8 minutes are now featured on I-Film. In case you are having problems with the Bit Torrent Technology or if you have a mac, at least you can get a preview of the awesome show on one of the coolest internet film sites out there. Here is the link for that one:

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2668270

So there you have it, tons of shameless plugs for “The Strand,” yet if you are a fan of the show or haven’t heard about it, now is the time to jump onboard the next project from Dan Myrick.

I will be back to report more next week after I’ve lost all my money in Texas Hold ‘Em at Vegas; then try to use this as leverage to get a raise from Mr. Myrick himself…just kidding. Hopefully things aren’t to crazy in Vegas as we attend one mad crunked tubberware party after the next.

Aaron Goldstein going to Vegas…oh yeah! :)

NAB 2005!

For those who want a quick fix beyond reading the article below, all of TV Worldwide’s webcast NAB 2005 event coverage will be archived for viewing at www.TVMainstream.com and www.TVWorldwide.com.

Participants should be online by 10:45 AM, PST on April 18th. Questions can be directed to 703-961-9250, ext. 223 before and during the event.

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TV WORLDWIDE TEAMS WITH BLAIR WITCH PROJECT CO-CREATOR TO LAUNCH “THE STRAND”, STREAMING ‘WEBISODIC’ FILM IN LIVE WEBCAST FROM NAB 2005

CHANTILLY, VA. – TV Worldwide, a fast-growing, web-based global TV network, announced that it has signed an agreement with Blair Witch co-creator Dan Myrick of Gearhead Pictures to stream “The Strand”, a live-action, independently produced- narrative episodic intended specifically for the web. The series’ first streaming “webisode” will be launched as part of TV Worldwide’s live webcast of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) 2005 Show in Las Vegas. The webisode webcast, to be held Tuesday, April 19 at 5PM ET, live from the TV Worldwide webcast booth on the NAB 2005 show floor will feature a pre-launch show with Myrick and other “Strand” producers, actors and creators interacting with webcast participants worldwide via e-mail.

TV Worldwide’s streaming video live webcast launch of the first STRAND webisode will premiere at www.strandvenice.com, from a TV Worldwide-enabled webcast event page and be FREE of CHARGE to enable VIPs, critics, reviewers and early website visitors to participate. TV Worldwide will deploy a customized solution utilizing the technology of strategic partner Abacast for efficient delivery of the live event and Tukati for the archived on-demand stream, (which will not be available until the live video stream of The Strand feature has concluded.)

“We are pleased to work with Dan Myrick, who lead a revolution with the Blair Witch Project to develop an economically viable streaming model for ‘The Strand’,” stated Dave Gardy, CEO of TV Worldwide and President of the International Webcasting Association (IWA). “Not only do we believe that his “webisodic” approach in delivering “The Strand” is a veritable ‘asteroid’ aimed at the planet of conventional content distribution, the show itself is so compelling that it will stimulate a viral buzz on the Internet and establish a new benchmark for interactive participation. Once again, content is king.”


"As a pioneer in the field, TV Worldwide’s Internet TV network has grown by deploying ground-breaking streaming media applications that work," stated Dan Myrick, director of The Strand and president of Gearhead Pictures. “While the entertainment industry continually grows more risk-averse, the Internet still beckons with its promise of becoming the great equalizer and we want to work with innovators who can execute a strategy with that vision."

“The Strand” is an uncensored look at the lives of several off-beat characters that inhabit the unique world of Venice Beach, California, and how they are all interrelated. Utilizing many of the method-film techniques that were incorporated into Blair Witch, The Strand maintains a sense of authenticity that cannot be found in large-scale productions. Real people and actors populate a fictional world in which spontaneous as well as scripted dialogue bring a sense of unpredictability and realism to the characters and situations.

Much as with Blair, “The Strand” will encourage audience interaction and feedback to help guide and shape future episodes, as well as interaction with characters, filmmakers and each other. Audition videos, chat rooms and even point-of-view cameras that virtually put the audience in the actors' heads as they work through scenes will all be part of the online experience as the show progresses. After the streaming launch of the initial webisode during the TV Worldwide webcast, audiences will be asked to pay $0.99 for each subsequent webisode, which will be enabled through BitPass digital payments technology.

About "The Strand"

Originally conceived in 2003, “The Strand” grew out of a series of camera tests using the backdrop of Venice Beach. The camera tests grew into a love affair with the city itself. “Venice is so unique, with such a strong personality. I wanted to find a way to capture it for what it was, and most of all, keep it honest”, says director Dan Myrick. A year later, he raised the money to shoot for 8 days in the heart of the city.

The idea was to create a new way of shooting that embraced the hurly-burly nature of the area. Blair had been shot in a remote location; “The Strand” would be shot in the middle of a popular vacation destination. Natural lighting, hand-held cameras, and improvisation would, once again, be embraced. But in order to truly meld in with the city, co-writer Mark Patton re-located to the boardwalk and began befriending every restaurant and tattoo shop owner down the strip. Says Mark, “By the time we started shooting, we were family.”

“The Strand” has over 50 speaking parts, and 30 locations. The three-room production office was also a set, a dressing room, and a cafeteria. Casting for the project also had a distinctly bizarre Venice feel. On one end, Lorenzo Pye, a homeless drummer who has been a longtime fixture on the boardwalk, was cast as a homeless drummer whose “spirit is stolen”. On the other end, film veteran Katherine Helmond was cast as a 1950’s movie starlet who is facing imminent foreclosure on her home. “I can’t say enough about my actors,” says Myrick, “One of the great benefits of this style of shooting is that you really allow them to breathe inside their roles. And it’s a thing of beauty to capture that on camera.”

By the end of production, over 50 hours of footage had been shot, and the long process of editing began. As the film began to come together, Dan realized he had something completely new on his hands. Says Dan, “From day one, this has been an organic process. I loved the idea, loved Venice, and simply wanted to tell a good story. I put myself in the hands of Venice, and let it take me where it wanted to go.”

With high quality streaming media finally becoming a reality, and with the licensing power created by the online payment firm Bitpass, the internet increasingly seemed like the first choice for distribution. Says Myrick, “Obviously, the dream is for an artist to connect directly to his audience. I know how powerful the internet can be. I’ve seen it first-hand. I think this is the perfect home for The Strand, and I’m excited about its potential.”

Synopsis for "The Strand:Venice, CA"

Where everyone's a character…

Freaks, Geeks, and Muscle Beach. The method filmmaking style comes into its own in the city of Jim Morrison and Dogtown. The Strand takes us into the lives of several individuals that inhabit this offbeat, slightly surreal world. From the boardwalk to the canals, Venice Beach embraces everyone: whether it’s a yuppie living in his penthouse, a skate punk looking to score weed, or a homeless guy asking for spare change.

By utilizing small crews, combined with minimal lighting and set-up, the method filmmaking approach seamlessly combines the strengths of narrative storytelling with documentary filmmaking. The result is a raw, organic style that captures the spirit of a city that is known as much for its heartbreak as it is for its beauty.

About TV Worldwide

As a leading global Internet broadcasting and streaming media company, TV Worldwide (www.tvworldwide.com) is developing a network of video channels that is an affiliation of community-based Internet television stations, each underwritten by a strategic partner, "aimcasting" sm to targeted demographic audiences worldwide. TVWorldwide.com works with strategic partners to develop the latest in live and archived state-of-the art video streaming content applications. TVWorldwide.com was recently named one of the streaming video industry's "Hottest Streaming Companies” by [url]=http://www.streamingmagazine.comStreaming Magazine[/url], and CEO Dave Gardy was honored by the magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential People in Streaming Media. Mr. Gardy also currently serves as the President of the International Webcasting Association (IWA), www.webcasters.org.

About Gear Head Pictures

Established in 2001, Gear Head Pictures was formed by Daniel Myrick to help facilitate various solo projects, ranging from feature films to Internet content. For more information and press inquiries, email info@gearheadpictures.com or phone Julia Fair at Gearhead Pictures’ main line, 626-395-7674.

About NAB 2005

NAB2004 takes place April 16-21 in Las Vegas (exhibits open April 1. It is the world's largest electronic media show covering the development, delivery and management of professional video and audio content across all mediums. Complete NAB2005 details are available at www.NABshow.com.

About TV Worldwide’s Webcast Coverage of NAB 2005

As part of TV Worldwide’s live webcast coverage of NAB 2005 from Las Vegas, April 18-21, the company will also launch TV Mainstream (www.TVMainstream.com), an Internet TV Channel dedicated to the technology, people and events of the burgeoning streaming media industry. The webcast, being produced in cooperation with Streaming Media.com, Event DV Magazine and the International Webcasting Association will feature the demo launch of the new channel with a perspective of the NAB 2005 from the point of view of the streaming media industry professional. For the last several years, TV Worldwide has served as the official webcaster of the NAB Show and currently supports NAB’s other various streaming media activities. The free week-long webcast will feature interviews with streaming industry leaders present for NAB2005 and selected speakers, and will also highlight the latest products and services which support the sector.

All of TV Worldwide’s webcast NAB 2005 event coverage will be archived for viewing at www.TVMainstream.com and www.TVWorldwide.com. Participants should be online by 10:45 AM, PST on April 18th. Questions can be directed to 703-961-9250, ext. 223 before and during the event.

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Aaron Goldstein, and I will be your inside portal into all that is Myrick/Gearhead Pictures/The Strand/future projects/Captain Caveman…well maybe a little more of the first four items and a lot less about Mr. Caveman himself.

These past few weeks working with Dan Myrick have been super busy, it is as though “I’ve been running around like a Puerto Rican on the 15th of the month,” as Vince Vaughn eloquently stated in “Made.” We started off with our successful launch party on March 15th at the Derby in the artist friendly Los Feliz, and ever since then several large companies have been making offers to either help with distribution of The Strand or even to have their products in future webisodes. It has been as much fun as listening to “The Fun Loving Criminals,” and I haven’t even mentioned the other projects D Myrick is involved with (I would get into details, but there was some really small print on the Non-Disclosure form I signed that was as tiny as the text Charlie had to sign to enter “Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory”).

The initial response to The Strand website has been overwhelmingly positive. Even though we are still working out a couple of kinks in the site, the downloading of the Bitpass software has been a tad difficult, we are currently trying to remedy this with a streaming option to make it easier for users. Also, The Strand is not yet available for Mac, hopefully this will be solved shortly as we aim towards making the streaming of this project a reality.

Yet through all the organized chaos, a light is definitely shining at the end of the tunnel, with prospects of filming more webisodes of The Strand along with the second webisode premiering later this month…date still to come.

If you have questions, comments, concerns, or anything else related to the above, feel free to write back to me, and in the meantime do yourself a favor and check out webisode one at www.strandvenice.com -- you won’t be disappointed.

Aaron “Dobler” Goldstein out…like whoa.

It's snowballing.

Off to Sundance this week. We'll be having a press party to screen a sneak peek of the first webisode of the show. Not long afterwards, (check for the exact date on the site) we'll be premiering the show right here on the web. We've aligned with BitPass.com to help promote The Strand and the micro-payment technology that will be incorporated into our pay per view model once we're up and running. Like we've said before, this is a completely independent effort, to be directly distributed to you, the audience. The result, is that for every click on that BitPass button to view each webisode, every penny goes back to producing more shows...

...the way it should be.

We're very close.

d

Happy holidays everyone...

Just to let you know, Part 1 of the The Strand is in its final stages. We were out a couple of weeks back shooting lots of pick up shots, chase scene stuff, etc. to fill in some of the gaps, and I have to say, I'm very happy with what we came back with. Next week, with the help of our web guru Dan Karcher, we'll be uploading this Part 1 segment to the website to test out the micropayment/download technology. If all goes well, we'll be able to distribute this sucker directly to the public via the site, thus allowing them to watch the show anytime they want, in full sized, living color right on their desktop. Also, they'll have the option to buy DVD direct or burn one right on their own computer to watch in their home system. Yes, I know we're pushing the envelope here, but I believe we can break new ground with this show, not only on the creative front, but also on the distribution front. Be sure to sign up for the mailing list on the site. The more people we have signed up, (tell all your friends to sign up too!), the bigger the "fan base" we have to point to when pitching this sucker.

Over and out.

d

I know, I know, it's been a while. But believe it or not, this sucker is coming together. Robb Williamson and I have been working hard on editing and we're transitioning into music and sound. It's interesting now that I've been making the rounds around the networks pitching a couple of other projects. Suddenly, the catch phrase seems to be "hybrid shows". Hmmmm. We were running The Strand by these folks six months ago and they wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole, mainly because they didn't know what to think of a "scripted reality" format (at least that's what they told us.) Well, here were are, ahead of the curve and my gut tells me to continue full steam ahead, premiere this baby on the web and let these folks watch it with the rest of world. The internet will set us free!

Power to the pixels!

d

Note to cast and crew...

Hey gang,

I wanted to drop a line to you to give you a heads up on the show's progress.

In immortal words of the illustrious Donald Rumsfeld, it's been a long, hard slog.

I've been pounding away at this monster for a while now, as we all know. Between several other ongoing projects, time becomes scarce, but the determination to plow ahead will never fade. I'm about 30 minutes into the overall rough cut and so far, things are looking good. Robb Williamson, sound composer/editor/driver/writer/world traveler stopped by the other day to take a good look at the progress. He'll be helping out with the edit now that I'm at a point to hand it off to someone who can be a bit more objective about the material. There's a point to where you become your own worst enemy in this process, so a fresh set of eyeballs usually a wise decision.

I signed off with the "Internet Investor Group" for the internet rights to the show, but as of yet, they have put no cash on the table. As I mentioned before, I'm cautiously optimistic with these folks, but won't count my chickens until they step up to the plate, otherwise, I continue as planned. The downside is that this puppy continues to be self-financed, so post costs and much of the labor is coming from yours truly. I did meet with a great sound mixing house the other day, who seem totally jazzed to get involved. They cut "Buena Vista Social Club" among many other indie projects and seem to be a perfect fit for this show. No doubt they have the chops, but we'll see what those chops cost, if you know what I mean.

In the next few weeks we should be well into a total rough cut of the film. I'll be screening it to a select few to get general feedback as we continue on to the finish line. The inherent nature of the edit is more like a collage than a traditional linear structure, which makes it very interesting, but a huge challenge due to the fact that you can arrange the stories in so many ways. It's what I anticipated, that most of the "directing" will come during the edit, which is why I probably wasn't yelling at you guys all the time on set! (Actually, I'm not a yeller.)

Believe me, this is a love/hate relationship. I hate the fact that it takes so long and requires so much cash, pleading, deal making, etc. But I love the fact that we have a show in it's purest form. No creative restraints, but our own. This is what it's all about. You can see it on the screen, not just in the actor's performances, but at the edges of the frames as well. The crew, the technique, the "spirit in the frame" as I like to say. The Strand is one big "FU" to the traditional way of doing an episodic and no doubt is breaking a few rules, for better or worse. I love it. I have a few more gray hairs for it, but I still love it.

Okay, enough ranting. Be good, take care and I'll be in touch. Most of all, thanks for being patient.

d