21 February 2008

a Pittsburgh screening and festival 5.0

As I write this, gravida is nearing 9,000 total views on MySpace Film (rating of 82%), and YouTube (rating of 4.8 out of 5). Our goal is 20,000 total views, so we're on the way.

If you haven't watched it yet and rated it, then what are you waiting for? It's so easy (and fun!). You can see it on the front page of MySpace Film as the featured short. But, for those of you having trouble with it, click the image just below this one:

Now gravida

Much thanks to everyone thus far who's been helping us out, either by watching it, or embedding the video on their MySpace pages and/or blogs, or just getting the word out. I'd list everyone, but there's too many and I'll forget someone and then they'll be mad. So, thanks to everyone.

But, wait, there's more.

We've been invited to participate in Viewer Discretion, a Pittsburgh screening thing. (click here for directions) See? It's even on a flyer.

VD2_08web2

The plan is to play L'Attente and guard duty and maybe gravida, but probably not, as they try to keep things under 10 minutes. So, Tuesday, 26 Feb, 8.30pm. $3. See you there.

Oh, and that festival 5.0? We're in the Bare Bones Film Festival, the schedule just hasn't been announced yet.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna see if I can't get myself added to the Oceanic Six.

18 February 2008

publicity and myspace and such

You may have heard something in the air about a film festival we're in right now. You may be tired of hearing about it. Either way, we've got more information for ya.

The idea behind this festival, as I understood it, was that we were going to be on the front page of MySpace Film for a week. And I suspect that's still the case. I'm told there was something of a crisis situation over at MySpace this weekend and as of right now (7.43pm on Monday), the featured short is still "Bedhead", which I'm beginning to hate the sight of. But, if you click on it, you get us, so that's something. Also, if you go to MySpace TV and go under the film heading, well, there we are as the "hot video".

The other semi-finalists in this fest have amassed anywhere from 5,000 to 20,000 views, so our new goal is to get 20,000 views (and keep our ranking as high as possible). As of right now, we're at 2,170 views with a 87% rating, so we're on the way.

How can you help? View it as often as you'd like. Tell your friends. Click on the "thumbs up" (and not the "thumbs down"). And if you've got a blog/MySpace/whatever, embed the video on your page somewhere. You can find the code here. If you need any help, don't hesitate to email me. I can help you tweak the links on it, if you want.

Also, we've got some media coverage to tell you about. We were featured today on ScreenGrab, the pretty awesome film blog, and the equally cool GreenCine Daily. ScreenGrab called it "the best of the lot thus far" and "a mature character study about a young pregnant woman trying to keep her loneliness at bay."

Go, watch. If you don't have a MySpace account (only needed for rating the film and commenting on how much you love it), then make one. It takes like 5 minutes.

15 February 2008

Hey look, we're in the paper...and on MySpace...and elsewhere...

As promised, the promotional stuff for the Now Film Festival continues. gravida is on the festival webpage for your viewing pleasure, on YouTube, where people are arguing about a pregnant woman drinking wine, and later today on MySpace Film, where we'll be the featured selection for a week.

Today brings a little bit more for your reading pleasure.

First, those of you in Pittsburgh can pick up a copy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and find us on the back page of the Mag&Movies section. Or, you can read it online here.

Also, there's an interview with yours truly about gravida in Actor's Ink, which is some sort of newsletter/publication with a circulation of roughly 70k. The interview starts with a short review that contains the note that, "With a shoestring budget and a few friends, Lucas McNelly tells a story of loneliness and uncertainty better than most of the filmmakers in Hollywood can imagine." You can read the entire interview here, including the parts where I do some name-dropping of fellow filmmakers.

Speaking of name-dropping our fellow filmmakers, our friend David Lowery has made the cut of South by Southwest, no small feat.

13 February 2008

watch us on YouTube

logo

Just in time for Valentine's Day, everyone's favorite love story, gravida is now online in conjunction with the Now Film Festival. Today we're on YouTube and starting Friday we'll be a featured selection on MySpace Film. It's been up for an hour and I've already started getting feedback from "industry" people.

Exciting, no?

Here's what we need you to do: follow the links and boost our numbers/favorites/ratings/whatever. It won't factor into the voting for the finals (and the Hollywood screening), but it can't hurt, right?

I know what you're thinking. Now that gravida is online, does that mean we won't pester you about buying a copy? No way.

05 February 2008

Festival 4.0

So the good news we thought we were going to bring you, that's not going to happen (but fear not, we shall survive).

Instead, we've got something a little different for you.

gravida (you remember gravida) has been selected to screen as part of the Now Film Festival, which runs primarily via the internets, both on their webpage and the MySpace Film page, and YouTube, with a final screening (if I understand this correctly) in Hollywood on 20 May 2008. More information as we get it.

By my math, we should be up and running around the middle of March, at which point you should all go and check it out. And then, go to the d press Store and buy a DVD.

Ok...um...there was something else...Oh, right. The Pittsburgh Playwrights is running a Spring Reading Series where every day for the month of February, a different play will get a staged reading. Our friends are all over this event, too many to name without forgetting someone. Check it out when you get a chance.

And...that's it. If you can vote this Super Tuesday, make sure you do so. Me, I'll be watching the returns and muttering about how badly screwed up the major parties are.

01 February 2008

Festival 3.0

Quickly on this snowy Friday afternoon:

gravida has been selected to appear in the 4th(?) Annual Mid-Valley Video Festival in Salem, OR. We will screen Thursday, 21 February at 9pm with James Spooner's White Lies Black Sheep at the Northern Lights Theatre Pub.

Also appearing in the festival is David Lowery's A Catalog of Anticipations and the Butler Brother's Confusions of an Unmarried Couple, both films by friends of ours.

Strangely enough, we hoped to get a good news update to you this weekend (assuming the news was good, of course), but about a completely different subject, so stay tuned. Cross your fingers.