Spotlight: Lookbook

Tuesday, 2 April 2013

Lookbook.nu premiered an original digital series yesterday, all about the world of fashion blogging. The "digital series" genre has become increasingly popular as of late. Examples: I've already mentioned Buffering a few times on this blog, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a giant hit, and, of course, anything produced by Felicia Day's channel Geek and Sundry.

Lookbook: The Series is interesting because it's directly tied in to the already popular website, using the show as a marketing tool for not only the Lookbook "brand" but also the many fashion sponsors who have no doubt paid good money to have products shown on upcoming episodes.

WHY WATCH LOOKBOOK: THE SERIES?

Lookbook is adding a new dimension to fashion, using it as a background to tell a unique story. I love seeing where people draw inspiration from for storytelling and fashion is an interest shared by a lot of people.

I think it's important for bloggers to see how this corner of the web is changing. Sure, Lookbook.nu has a really big platform, but it's important for blogs to produce creative, original content in order to survive in an ocean of similar fish.

Also, the incredible Kimberly Whalen plays a vindictive b*tch (that's probably being polite, to be honest) and she steals the show. You will instantly hate her and love her at the same time. She's the gorgeous redhead (not that you'll have any trouble figuring out the villain).

Watch the first episode below (it's only nine minutes long) and let me know what you think!

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Spotlight: Eric Carroll Photography

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

There are many ways to tell a story and I think photography is a beautiful storytelling medium. I recently fell in love with Eric Carroll's photography and asked him to answer a few questions about his work for I Believe In Story. Some of his prints are featured below, but be sure to check out his store to see the other photographs he has available. (They're even more stunning in person.)

I discovered Eric Carroll's photography from following him on Twitter. I was familiar with Buffering, the digital series he is a part of (his character, Alex Brody, is hilarious), and was surprised to find out that he is also an amazing photographer. Eric's photos capture some beautiful, natural moments in the LA area, a space too often attributed with the rushed lifestyle of Hollywood. As I've mentioned, Eric is also an actor and this balance between two passions is something I truly admire.

How did you get started in photography?

I started a t-shirt company called 40-Love with my friend Mike Tobias. We needed some promo shots of models wearing our shirts and had a really difficult time finding a photographer to do so. So Mike and I bought a camera, and I gave it a shot. After hearing a few people say, "Hey Eric, you should continue doing photography," I took their advice. I started practicing, learned about lenses, studied free online courses and here I am today.

In your opinion, what makes a good photograph?

There are so many different opinions on this in the world of photography. For me personally, I think a photo is similar to a poem or a scene from a film. A good photo needs to be about something. A good photo expresses a feeling or an emotion, sometimes an idea. A lot of photographers today try to convey so much with their photos, but I think it is such a harder task to show just one thing, and express something. Simplicity at it's finest. But that is the beauty of photography, there are no real rules to it; express something and make someone feel something from looking at your photo and you've achieved success.

29 Palms (above) is my favourite photograph in the store. Could you share the story behind it?

"29 Palms" was one of my favorite songs when I was younger. It's a song by Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin. Now that I live in LA, I finally got to visit the actual 29 Palms out in the desert. That place is truly magical. I went with several friends and I think we all felt different leaving it, like something had changed in all of us. For me, it was a feeling that I had finally arrived in the place and time that I'd dreamed of for so many years. It was so inspiring to be out there.

Who are your influences? Is there anyone or anything that inspires you to be creative?

A major influence for my photography is Ansel Adams. His photography would inspire any artist in their respective field. For me, music and film are also huge influences. Listening to music creates images in my mind and I try to re-create them with my photography. However, at this point in my journey, my friends and family are my biggest influences. They are so hard working and struggle day to day as I do, and we pick each other up and keep moving forward. I'm grateful for that.

If you could choose one of your photographs to represent yourself as an artist, which one would you choose and why?

This is such a great and difficult question to answer. I think my photo entitled Misty Ocean (above) would be my choice. I was out doing some long exposure shots in Malibu that day. I had my tripod in a "secure" spot when a massive sneaker wave came up and hit me and ruined the shot. Turns out that shot was one of the best pictures I've taken. It was an accident, or so I thought. I also got into photography by accident, or so I thought. Now I'm grateful for all of these experiences and challenges, cause they make you grow and develop.

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You can purchase these prints (and more) from Eric Carroll's photography store: http://ericcarroll.storenvy.com. Follow Eric on Twitter (@EricRobertC) to be updated when new prints are added to the store and receive discount codes.

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Spotlight: Buffering

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

This month’s Spotlight is dedicated to Buffering, a web series created by Mike Tobias. The story follows Ben Little, a recently unemployed actor, as he attempts to put together a web series of his own, hoping to turn his life around.

The series stars Curt Mega, whose portrayal of Ben Little’s desire to be successful and do something meaningful with his life is mixed with excellent comedic timing. Other members of the cast include Eric Carroll, Matt H. Zimmerman, Chase Edmonson, Stephanie Stuart, and Malgosia Tolak. Kimberly Whalen has already made an appearance in the series and there are promises for more guest stars in the future.

Buffering is about the difficult process of waiting and how we deal with the cards we are given. Everyone knows what it feels like to sit and wait, to work hard for something that seems unattainable. The characters struggle in their own (often humorous) ways, but the situations they go through are very real. Ben Little’s dream of writing a profound web series is an echo of the hearts of many – the drive to do good, to make a difference, to use art as an expression of what makes us human.

Both the content and the medium of Buffering remind us to look inward rather than outward. There is room in this world for all of us to tell our stories – we just need to find the right outlet. We need to think creatively. As much as we may plan out or futures, we can’t control them – it’s more important to make the most of the present moment, to appreciate the people that support us on a daily basis.

The popularity of original web content has increased in recent years. The cast and crew of Buffering are taking advantage of this contemporary medium.

“In my opinion, the rapid expansion of new media has changed the whole game. Although we as actors all still long for those network TV and movie jobs, the fact that an artist can, with a reasonably small budget, go out and create a story on film and distribute it freely without having to handle the huge costs typically associated with distribution changes everything. People exist in an online world. Even if they’re watching TV or movies in the typical setting, they’re hearing about them and furthering the connection to the characters by means of fandom and web content. The web series is a powerful and relevant source of creativity. My hope for Buffering is to get it to a place where we are creating a network quality show that you can take with you on your phone, watch on your dashboard, or play through your Apple TV. So many new possibilities not to be ignored." - Curt Mega

The creative cast and crew of Buffering are sharing an important story with the world. Everyone involved spends countless hours preparing, writing, acting, editing, and promoting the show. They are dedicated to sharing this story and their fans truly appreciate the passion. Buffering is a series that people can relate to, a narrative that everyone belongs to in one way or another.

Buffering has already produced three episodes as well as four “The Ben Diaries” videos, vlogs created by Buffering’s main character. You can learn more about the series by checking out the links below.

Website: http://bufferingthewebseries.com

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/bufferingseries

Twitter: @bufferingseries

Tumblr: http://bufferingthewebseries.tumblr.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BufferingTheWebSeries

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