Brian Kameoka's blog

What is The Guild?

Yesterday I blogged that it was one year since my affiliation with The Guild began.  I thought I'd back up and give you an introduction to The Guild, and start with the simple question "What is The Guild?"  Sure you could go to Wikipedia or The Guild's website, but here are my words on the subject...

What is "The Guild?"

The Guild is a comedy web series about six online gamers, created by Felicia Day, who writes, produces and stars in the show.

What is a "web series?"

A web series is a TV show, but on the internet.  In the case of The Guild, it's like a sitcom.  Think "Friends" but shorter form (four to eight minute episodes).  In fact, Kim Evey (who produces The Guild with Felicia) has called The Guild as "'Friends' but with gamers" and I think that's apt.

There are now lots of web series out there.  Sometimes web series (or webisodes) are extensions of traditional television shows, like "LOST: Missing Pieces" or "Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy" but there are a bunch of great web series being produced independently that are standalone series.  There are two websites that are great starting points to learn about these many web series, NewTeeVee and Tubefilter.  You can also search Twitter every Wednesday to look for web series suggestions from Twitter users.  The first web series I saw was Kim Evey's hilarious Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine show, which you can see here.

How did "The Guild" come about?

The Guild, looking back one year

Exactly one year ago today, I went to WonderCon in San Francisco to meet up with my friend Kim Evey who I had stayed in touch with over the years but probably hadn't seen in three or four.  Kim was there with Felicia Day, creator and star of The Guild which Kim produces with Felicia.  I knew about The Guild from Kim and I think early on I had even downloaded it when it was available via iTunes in podcast form, but I fessed up to Kim that I hadn't gotten around to watching it.

It was also my first experience seeing how popular Felicia was at conventions.  We walked around a bit just before the show opened, and Felicia in search of some 20-sided dice (to no avail).  Kim and I were catching up on what each of us had been up to, and I remember after about five minutes of walking with Felicia we essentially ditched her because she kept getting stopped by fans wanting photos with her.  This wasn't surprising, Season 2 of The Guild had just finished "airing," and this was 7 months after Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. 

Catching up with Kim was great.  We hung out (along with my friend Avi), saw the Watchmen panel (Kim knew nothing about the movie except that "the guy from Grey's Anatomy is in it!"), and checked in with Felicia throughout the day (she was being hosted at the California Browncoats booth signing photos and DVDs).  I was about to start grad school and had recently been laid off from my job at B Street, so work-wise I really had no idea what was next.  Just a few months later, Kim would ask me to help with marketing The Guild, starting with helping manage their twitter account.  I look at the picture above of the three of us and have that strange juxtaposition that often comes with photos - that it is simultaneously "just yesterday" and also "so long ago."

I remember I also met Sean Becker and Doug Luberts that day, my first step in meeting all the amazing people involved with the show.  So, in honor of the anniversary of my first introduction to The Guild, I'm going to blog this week about the show and some of the interesting projects I've done for it.

Funny sidenote that day: Out of the blue I get a phone call while at the Con from my parents saying "we're here!"  They were visiting my family in the North Bay at the time but I had no idea what they meant.  "In San Francisco?" I asked.  My dad replies, "No, at WonderCon."  See, my parents are old friends of Ron Turner of Last Gasp books, and they had called them to see if they could meet up.  He told them about WonderCon and they assumed it was some kind of publishing trade show (which, technically speaking, it is, right?).  So they just wandered over to the Moscone Center and walked in.  No one even checked them for badges - I guess they're not really the demographic of the Con.  They actually had a blast seeing all the cosplayers and cool art.  And before they left I asked two nice fellows from the 501st if they would pose for a pic:

The Crocker Art Museum

Since May of last year I've been working at the Crocker Art Museum as marketing specialist, but yesterday was my last day as I've had a few great opportunities come my way and have decided to pursue them.  But more on that later.  I wanted to write a blog entry about the Museum and how it was a great place to work, staffed with wonderful people.  Now is an incredibly exiting time for the Crocker as the 125 year old museum is set to open it's expanded "New Crocker" on October 10th of this year (yes, 10/10/10).  So, I'm sad that I will not be a staff member on opening day, and I will miss the marketing team which I was honored to be a part of.  Lead by Marketing Communications Director LeAnne Ruzzamenti, the team of Mark, Michele, Kathleen, Gregg and Anna was a fun group to work with, and I'll miss working with them.  The department was one I always admired and respected since I first moved to Sacramento.  Great marketing ideas and implementation.

I'm proud of my accomplishments at the Crocker, where I was focused primarily on social networking in addition to helping maintain the website and serve as one of the editors of the quarterly member magazine ArtLetter. I'm particularly pleased with the establishment of the Crocker's Facebook Fan page which in less than nine months has grown to over 4,200 fans and is one of the largest and most active pages in Sacramento.  I also established the Crocker on Twitter and YouTube and worked on its Flickr page.  It's funny, I had intended to post a blog entry when I got hired using the black "I am the New Crocker" button but never got around to it, and now it's been supplanted by the new New Crocker button.

Sacramentjoe Episode 2: California State Fair

Just posted Episode 2 of 'Sacramentjoe' - Joe and I trekked out to the California State Fair for this one. What resulted includes cinnamon roles, livestock, bellydancing, and a terrible Schwarzenegger impression. Oh, and Joe hits on a Pea (you gotta see it to understand).

Here's the episode:

Come check out 'Sacramentjoe' - 2 episodes so far plus a few "vlogs" (video blogs), all of which are available on our YouTube Channel.  Hope you'll subscribe on YouTube, and we'd also love it if you would connect with us on the various social networking sites:

http://myspace.com/sacramentjoe
http://facebook.com/sacramentjoe
http://twitter.com/sacramentjoe

There was a delay between episodes 1 and 2, but episode 3 is actually ready to go.  We'll leave it up to our viewers - once we get 500 hits for episode 2 we'll post 3.  Enjoy!  Thanks for watching...

Sacramentjoe - new web series about Sacramento

Check out 'Sacramentjoe' - a web series I created with Joe Styron.  We just finished and posted episode 1 to YouTube.  Hope you'll subscribe on YouTube, and we'd also love it if you would connect with us on the various social networking sites:

http://myspace.com/sacramentjoe
http://facebook.com/sacramentjoe
http://twitter.com/sacramentjoe

Here's the trailer, and below that is episode 1.

Social Networking workshop w/League of Sacramento Theatres

Chris McSwain (Twitter: @ChrisMcSwain) and I are presenting a workshop on social networking next week for the League of Sacramento Theatres.  Space is limited, and the League is handling RSVP's, so if you're interested contact me and I'll put you in touch with the right person.

If you're not familiar with the League of Sacramento Theatres, check them out at SeeAPlay.com 

Social Networking on the Web 101
A League of Sacramento Theatres Marketing Workshop

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogging and MySpace ... gibberish? confusing? a way to kill time online? Perhaps, but also a practically free way to engage current and potential audience members. The session will introduce various online social networking sites, talk about what works and doesn't work, and give tips on increasing the number of your fans, friends and followers. Learn innovative ways to entertain your audience and promote your productions on the Web. Bring your Internet success and horror stories to share.  Presented by Chris McSwain and Brian Kameoka on Monday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m.

 

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World Baseball Classic 2009

Photo "April 15, 2006: Baseball" by Matt McGee licensed under a Creative Commons license

What a game - Japan wins 5-3 in extras to repeat their 2006 inaugural World Baseball Classic win.  I watched it on tape delay, and had to do my best to avoid hearing the results (I was at a bar in the evening and had to sit facing away from the TV's as well as look away when I used the bathroom-they had a TV over the urinals, and of course I had to avoid reading Twitter).  Luckily, I did succeed at staying in the dark, and it really paid off.  This game gave us:

- A tight score - great pitching and defense by both sides really kept either side from running away with it.

- Names you know - Ichiro.  Iwamura.  Even Johjima (who's star has faded with the Mariners but was great for Japan in his first WBC appearance).

- What's in a name?  It was kind of funny to hear Jon Miller/Joe Morgan/Steve Phillips struggle with the names.  They gave a good effort, and were self-deprecating more than anything.  I did hear Miller call Uchikawa "Ugi-yuchi" at one point, and guys, if there's a player named Bum Ho Lee, please find a way to say it without making it sound like "bung hole."

- Names you will know - Shin Soo Choo, who I was a fan of as he rose in the Mariners organization.  Even though he's a Cleveland Indian now, I'll be rooting for him to become a big star.  He played like a star in this game.  And Uchikawa, who in left field had one of the greatest plays by a left fielder (ever).  Yu Darvish claims he doesn't want to come to the US to play, but if he ever does, he'll be a huge star.  Oh, and by the way, stop telling us how Aoki has "surpassed Ichiro in hitting" in Japan.  Ichiro is, and always will be, in a league of his own.

- A comeback! Extra innings! - Also, I kind of have a sick fascination with the statistical anomaly in baseball that a pitcher can get a blown save and then the win...

I was already a fan of the WBC after it's debut in 2006.  I'm even more a fan now.  I love that it's March 24th and we've had some amazing baseball already.  Though the US team had better get it together and get serious about the WBC.

Goodbye, Gorgeous!

I heard the other day via Twitter that Sony did not renew the fabulous web series Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show (GTCMS)- boo, Sony!  I'm sad to see it go, having enjoyed it from the beginning, but I'm excited to see what GTCMS creator Kim Evey (who I'm honored to call a longtime friend) will come up with next.  Congrats to Kim and all the GTCMS cast and crew for a great run - I believe this show will be remembered as one of the greats from the first wave of original web programming.  Oh, and I'm also rooting for Pogo Saito (also a friend) to win the art direction award at this year's First Annual Streamy Awards (list of nominees here).

To keep up with new stuff from Kim, I recommend following her on Twitter, and while you're at it, subscribing to the Youtube page of Mediocre Films.

There are so many great episodes of this show (if you like guest celebrities, check out these GTCMS episodes with Wil Wheaton, Adam Arkin and Ron Jeremy).  But I think my all time favorite is the very first episode: