The Old Dream Club

16 Search Results for "filmmaking"

• We are moving! Please join the We are moving! Please join the new Dream Club community!

  • From: spiritdancer
  • Description:

    You are a member of the Dream Club Community. Please join us at our new location.  We are shutting down the old community and starting a new one.  See below for more details.

    Dream Club has existed for ten years, since April of 2000. It started as a place where people who were discovering their passion and purpose in the world could meet with supportive friends. It continues to be that place. It started with casual meetings at a Star Bucks in Houston Texas, then it went online in the form of a Yahoo Group. Then two years ago we formed an online social network. It is currently at 89 members worldwide and growing.  Now it's time to evolve.

    To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dream Club we have decided to phase out the old Dream Club email list and the old online group and create them anew in a group in the new Dream Power online community "I Wanna Change the World."
    
    The cool thing about this new community is that it's based on the Ning.com network which is growing faster than Facebook so we have the ability to get many more people involved. The Ning technology makes this community more pleasing to the eye and it's much more user friendly.  You can also easily create your own interest and discussion groups within it. Of course you can create blogs, upload and embed videos and pics etc.  So join and play around with it and see how you can make it better.  We want to beta test it with Dream Club members before we officially launch it into the world.
    
    So please join us at:
    
    http://iwannachangetheworld.net.
    
    See you there!
    
    
    --
    William Spiritdancer,
    Director, Dream Power International
    Web: http://www.MyDreamPower.com

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  • 8 months ago
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• A Collection of Canon 5D Mark A Collection of Canon 5D Mark II Test Footage for filmmakers:

  • From: spiritdancer
  • Description:

    A Collection of Canon 5D Mark II Test Footage for filmmakers:
    http://dancingwithlight.blogspot.com/2009/09/collection-of-canon-5d-mark-ii-test.html

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  • 1 year ago
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• Parag_Shah

  • Views: 75
  • Since: 1 year ago

• The Power of Commitment The Power of Commitment

  • From: spiritdancer
  • Description:

    Tama's Musings

    Dive In and You'll Make the Water Warm:
    The Power of Commitment
    
    Are you waiting for something wonderful to happen? Forget waiting. Commitment to the life you desire changes absolutely everything. Lack of commitment changes absolutely everything, too. Commitment is the magic wand, the sorcerer behind the bush, the technical support of the Gods.
    
    But let's keep it simple: If you're not watering you're garden, you're killing it.
    
    I have always struggled with commitment. It seems like a guillotine to me, a bit final. Now me, I like choice. I like walking in the meadows and gazing at all the wildflowers and options. I hate decision. Oh, and sweet mother of prairie dogs, I hate being wrong.
    
    But here's something I'm seeing now, in my middle years. The lack of commitment is a ruptured power line. It leaks energy. Nothing ramps up without it. There are no perfect circumstances. But when we show up with love, focus, and patience, we perfect the circumstances we have. Then everything opens into a new dimension of good and possibility. Or as one of my favorite brilliant dudes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, said, "The only thing that can grow is the thing you give energy to."
    
    So let's talk about diving in full force, shall we?
    
    Commitment Brings Clarity
    
    Sometimes you think you need more information before you commit your devotion. But devotion will give you more information than any other research.
    
    I'll give you an example I've seen when coaching writers. Many people who want to write say, "I don't write because I have no idea what to write about." But I know that sitting down to write is one of the only ways to get clear. Clarity doesn't come out of the blue. It comes out of a black and white decision to delve into our confusion.
    
    When I started writing my second book, it felt like writing in outer space. There was nothing there, but fog, stray molecules, and the ever present existential longing for thin thighs. But I told myself what I tell my writing students, "The writing itself knows what wants to be written." So I knew if I sat there consistently and with patience, something pure and true would come. Nowadays, I can't wait to write. I've mucked around with goop and space and finally named a shape. Now I've plucked a star.
    
    Commitment is A Way to Grow
    
    Years ago I went to couples therapy with my loved one. The therapist asked me if I was committed to the relationship. I stared at him in frustration. You're supposed to be the wizard, I thought. You're supposed to fix this broken carriage and then I'd be happy to commit to jumping right in. But he politely explained, that my commitment would be required if I wanted to move forward. Of course, since he was a therapist, we had to go rooting around into my fear of commitment. "I don't want to miss out on anything," I told him. "What if I commit to this almost relationship, and then Mr.-Oh-My-God- I'm-So- Perfect walks in the door two minutes later." The therapist looked at me coolly, probably with great empathy for the partner who had to live with me, and said, "You don't want to miss out, but you're missing out right now. You're missing out on the relationship in front of you." Wow, those therapists. That's why they get to talk to us about our mothers. Because every now and then they say something that will save you a thousand years of bad choices. I realized then that I would never be able to commit to a relationship only when it was perfect. I'd have to dive in and commit and that would bring out its perfection. You can't have certain experiences in the shallow end of the pool. There's just some lessons that only come with immersion. In the wisdom tradition of A Course in Miracles , it says, "Whatever is lacking in any situation, is what you're not giving to it."
    
    Yeah, exactly. Everything good in my life requires my effort, my love, my dedication.
    
    Commit Fully For Now, Not Forever
    
    When I was deciding what career direction to move in, I was terrified of making a mistake. I didn't want to waste my time, so of course I wasted my time by obstinately not doing anything. I didn't want to go forward in the wrong direction. But the problem was-- I wasn't going forward in any direction. After a while, options turn into dead fish. They start smelling up the room. It's the aroma of guilt and waste and passing time. You need to use your options while they're fresh. I felt haunted and frustrated and depleted all at the same time. Finally, a friend of mine said to me "Why not commit fully for now? You don't have to commit to forever. Just commit fully for now."
    
    I know this seems like a coward's way in, but let me tell you it works wonders. Commitment is a living thing. I believe we can only commit fully to the moment in front of us. But I had stopped doing that, believing that if I couldn't stay with something forever, then I shouldn't even go into it. I had no way of getting vital information and experience. Nowadays, when I'm coaching someone who is afraid to trust their instincts, I'll ask them to practice trusting for a day, a week, or 3 months, and then to evaluate their experience. Most often, someone wants to evaluate their experience before or while they're engaged in the activity. But it doesn't work like that. First you experiment. Then you look over your data.

    ***************

    So, dear one, where would you like to see your life take off? Where do you want to summon energy, clarity, and a touch of invisible helping hands? Where do you want to commit your focus and attention? Just think, you could be sprouting flowers by the next email newsletter. Or you could still be standing by the bus stop waiting for a bus---that never comes by waiting.
    
    I leave you with my love and with these words by poet and filmmaker James Broughton: "Whatever the price, pay attention. Pay attention whatever price it asks. Otherwise you will pay through the nose for your non-attention."
    
    With my love and blessings,
    
    
    Tama
    
    ©Copyright 2008 Tama J. Kieves. All rights reserved.
    
    Feel free to forward this copy to anyone you think might enjoy it.
    Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. Thank you.
    

    ---

    Want to discuss this or any other aspect of living your dreams? Please visit our free discussion forum at:
    http://www.awakeningartist ry.com/resources.discussion.html

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
  • Views: 431

• Give it up and trust God! Give it up and trust God!

  • From: spiritdancer
  • Description:

    Yup giving it all up to God is the only way. Today I woke up feeling so down. It's crazy. I was lost in my head again! why do I keep doing that. it's usually triggered by a survival crisis. like having to pay the rent. that freaks out my wife and then i feel pressured to perform. then I start thinking about how I alone can make this work. then i start forming all kids of plans etc. this is not the way. so I just gave it all up and you know what a miraculous thing happened. first I felt immensely better. how am i going to do the movie? where am i going to get the money? I have no idea1 but i feel good and i realize now as I have realized many times before that this good feeling of peace is really really important. I should never leave it. I don't care what is happening. if the lights are bout to get cut off or if the rent is due. never leave this place.
    
    The miraculous thing is now i feel guided to solutions. like for instance even though I did not plan to make calls logically with a set schedule today. I actually feel like making calls. why because i don't have to. i should never set schedules where I have to do something. that is a guaranteed way to get me to feel pressure and then do it from a fearful place. like "I have to make calls and I have to get donations etc. " this is the wrong way. let it all go and let the spirit guide your actions. how do you know. by how peaceful and joyful it feels. if you can't do it from this place then don't do it at all.
    
    its like to get results I have to get in a place where I don't care about results. then I get the results. to not care means to not be afraid of the outcome. to not care if I fail. the only way to be in that place is to rest fully in god's grace. to really believe that god is there for you. if you depend or look to the world for solutions then you will be inherently fearful. so it is a paradox. to get good results from the world you must give up the world and depend fully on god then you can be guided to the right solutions.
    
    What do you feel like doing?
    
    Do that.

  • Blog post
  • 2 years ago
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• Learn why Sophocles is the bes Learn why Sophocles is the best Screenwriting Software

  • From: spiritdancer
  • Description:

    sophocles

    wikipage start

    Sophocles is a screenwriting program that currently comes in two “flavors”: The “original” , known as “ Sophocles 2003 “, and the “Beta” , now called “ Sophocles 2007 “.

    The original was in its own right a fantastic screenwriting program, with all the bells-and-whistle one needed not only to write one’s screenplay, but also to handle revisions and breakdowns. It was, and still is, extremely reasonable in terms of price, only $120, with 50% discounts for academic users. It would still be a deal at twice the price.

    Highly intuitive, Sophocles allows one to easily work, and write, in terms of Acts, Sequences, and Scenes.

    Unlike bloated versions of other screenwriting programs, this program is lean and mean in terms of file size, but full-featured in every way. One has to really try it to fully appreciate it. With the downloadable Sophocles 2003 demo (which one can get here: http://www.sophocles.net/download.asp ) one really can “try before one buys”, without those “30-day” or “15-page” limits other screenwriting program “trial versions” have. With Sophocles the “trial” is the full-blown program, and one could actually write an entire screenplay, with the only limitation being that printout output displaying a watermark, if I remember correctly.

    Online Registration is a breeze, and one can actually have THREE concurrent instances of Sophocles installed at the same time on THREE different computers, WITHOUT having to have a installation CD, or some other onerous software protection scheme to deal with. That ends the problem of having 1) a work computer, 2) a home computer, and 3) a laptop, and wanting to work on a script using Sophocles.

    Should you either “crash” your computer, or get a new one, reinstalling the software, or installing it again, is a breeze, as is adding on those computers. All it takes is typing two or three bits of information on an online validation tool, and and email arrives with the unlock codes!

    I’ve actually got THREE instances of the Sophocles 2003 and THREE instances of Sophocles 2007 Beta running on my various computers, and have easily added on new computers as I got new ones and got rid of old ones.

    The “Beta” version , which one gets for free right now when one buys the “Original” version, adds all the bells-and-whistles of a full-blown Production Manager Program for budgeting, scheduling, and breakdowns, that one would normally otherwise have to purchase separately, at the cost of several thousands of dollars !

    While other Screenwriting programs, such as Movie Magic Screenwriter export such data to Movie Magic Budgeting and Movie Magic Scheduling (both programs now sold to Entertainment Partners, or EP, which has re-branded these two industry standards under their own banner), Sophocles 2007 Beta does it all from within the same program, and all without any additional cost to purchase those kind of programs! It’s “built-into” Sophocles 2007 PM Beta, and not an “add-on” or external program that needs to be exported to.

    A smart person would buy Sophocles 2003 now for $120 just to get the free Sophocles 2007 Beta (and subsequent upgrades) for free while they still can, since one is literally saving thousands of dollars on the software.

    My guess is that after the “Beta” period ends, the “full-blown” Production Management Version of Sophocles 2007 will cost in the $1,000 range (SEE below for more info on the different “versions” it will have.) Buy the Sophocles 2003 version NOW so you get the full upgrade to Sophocles 2007 PM for FREE while it is still in Beta. Once Sophocles 2007 goes out of Beta, all the “free upgrade” deals are off. Only a fool would not take advantage of this unbelievable offer!

    So why should a Screenwriter care about Production Features? Right off the bat, it encourages leaner, tighter, and more logical screenwriting since one can easily see errors in slug lines, character names and character aliases, and just how many locations one’s script is really using. One can even estimate how long a shooting schedule one’s script could take, and how much it could cost to produce.

    The more a Screenwriter knows what happens to his or her script in terms of Production, the better, since they will become much more aware of factors that Producers look at when considering a script for Production.

    Unfortunately, for you Mac users, there is no Mac Version, but with the new Mac upcoming operating system and computers that will run Windows programs, that should no longer be a limiting factor.

    I have tried ALL of the “major”, and most of the “minor” Screenwriting Programs out there, and would have to say that in terms of features and value vs. price NOTHING beats Sophocles, not even the so-called “free programs” like Celtx!

    You really have to download the demo, and check out some of the features of BOTH the original AND the Beta version to really appreciate Sophocles for the fantastic program that it really is!

    And no, I don’t have anything to do with the company at all... It’s just THAT good a program!

    If I had had this program in Film School when I was getting my MFA in the USC Stark Producing Program, things would have been a heck of a lot easier! Even a fellow Starkie like John August might have switched from his Mac to a PC back then just to have been able to use Sophocles 2007 and its features!

    Review by: ~Starkie~

    ===

    Here’s what some others have to say about Sophocles 2003:

    “A revelation. The first program I’ve found that’s actually designed for writing – not just typing.” -Michael Goldenberg (Contact, Peter Pan)

    “Highly recommended. This is now the screenwriting program I use regularly.” -Charles Deemer, Screenwriters & Playwrights Home Page

    “...anyone who writes a script using Sophocles may not want to go back...” -Peter Bohush, WriterDirector.com

    “I’ve been using [a very popular scriptwriting software program] for years now and Sophocles just blows it clean out of the water.” -A User

    “Wonderful and affordable! It is great!” -Eric Colley, The IndieClub

    “Sophocles will be my program of choice from now on... If only you’d devised it sooner!” -Chris Harvey, UK Screenwriter

    “Sophocles has the best combination of story development tools, scriptwriting features, and production features of any other scriptwriting software on the market.” -Carl Hose, Writer’s Inkwell

    ===

    Here’s the blurb from the Sophocles Website on the “ Original ” flavor, “Sophocles 2003” , which can be found at http://www.sophocles.net/ :

    A New Kind of Screenwriting Software

    Sophocles is a new screenplay software program that emphasizes the writing process. While other script writing software puts the focus on margins and page breaks, Sophocles was conceptualized from the start as a story creation tool for screenwriters. By allowing you to easily navigate and manipulate your story elements, Sophocles helps you craft a tighter, smoother flowing screenplay.

    Professional Screenwriting Format Default format settings derived from a sample of 50 recent Hollywood screenplays.

    Fully Compatible Export to and import from all major screenwriting programs and generic word processors.

    Story Centered Design An interface that directs your attention away from mundane formatting issues while directing it towards the actual creative screenwriting process.

    Get the Big Picture Tools to help you stay oriented within your story-space, and to easily navigate related scenes and plot points.

    Easy to Use A clean, uncluttered interface, and an extremely shallow learning curve. If you have prior word processor experience, you can get up to speed in minutes.

    ===

    Sophocles Features

    Scene List The scene list displays all the scene headers in your script along with a variety of statistical values for each scene. You can sort the list according to any of these values by clicking on the buttons at the tops of the columns. Double clicking on an entry jumps you immediately to that scene.

    The first paragraph of the selected scene appears at the bottom of the list, along with scene notes and a synopsis. As with the other lists, the scene list can be exported to a spreadsheet or database application by clicking on the save button.

    Dyad List A “dyad” is a pair of related characters. The dyad list displays all the dyads in your script, along with an indication of the relative strength of the relationship between the two characters (a measure of how frequently they speak to each other). The strength values are scaled such that the strongest dyad scores one hundred.

    The tool’s bookmark button allows you to mark all locations where the members of the selected dyad speak to each other.

    Title Page Editor The title page editor provides a quick and easy way to generate an industry-standard title page for your screenplay. Also, when production mode is active and you’re generating revision sheets, the title page editor allows you to specify the placement of revision slugs.

    Statistical Analysis How many scenes are in the typical screenplay? How many characters? What proportion of a typical script is dialogue? How long is the typical scene? The answers vary greatly from one writer to the next, of course, and from one genre to another, but if you’re too far off the mark your screenplay won’t seem professional.

    Sophocles’ statistical analysis feature helps get you on the mark. When used in conjunction with the import tool, you can download screenplays from the Web and compare your own stats to those of your favorite writers’.

    Outline Report This tool allows you to view your scene headers, synopses and notes in an outline format.

    True Thesaurus Sophocles provides a true thesaurus – not just a synonym dictionary. By allowing you to explore clusters of word meanings and to follow paths of word associations, Sophocles’ thesaurus helps you brainstorm ways of reworking your sentences, and it also serves as an effective “metaphor finder”.

    Character List The character list displays all the speaking roles in your script, along with a variety of statistical values for each. The report can be sorted by any of these values, or exported to a spreadsheet or database application.

    The Dialogue button lets you view and edit all the dialogue for the selected character. This is a great way to work on the distinctiveness and consistency of your characters’ speech patterns.

    Bookmark Tool This tool allows you to save and load up to sixteen “bookmark collections.”

    ==

    Sophocles gives you industry standard format by default, but if you have special formatting needs you can go “under the hood” and change the settings described below. Each of the screenshots on this page corresponds to a “tab” on the print format tool, which can be accessed by activating the print-preview window and clicking the Edit Format button.

    General Formats Tab Here you specify font and page number information and how to split dialogue across pages. Functionality includes the ability to include act and scene information as a part of the page number (as required by television and stageplay formats), and the ability to adjust line-per-inch and letter-per-inch values for fine tuning your page count.

    Margins Tab Defines margin settings for each of the ten paragraph types and for dual column dialogue.

    Paragraphs Tab Determines special formatting characteristics and line-spacing values for each paragraph type.

    Page Breaks Tab Determines the rules used for breaking each of the paragraph types across pages.

    Production Formats Tab Contains formatting options that apply when production mode is active.

    Feature List

    1. Fully automated revision handling and scene numbering.
    2. A scene notes / synopses tool that remains visible as you write.
    3. Drag-and-drop scenes from one location to another.
    4. 7 different reports and lists, the contents of which can be exported to most spreadsheet and database applications.
    5. 11 predefined formatting setups.
    6. Import your existing scripts into Sophocles.
    7. Export your scripts to rtf, txt, html, and pdf file formats (not available in the trial version).
    8. Dual column dialogue.
    9. View and edit all the dialogue for a particular character at once.
    10. Intelligent cut-and-paste allows you to specify paragraph types when pasting from another application.
    11. Unique timing feature tells you at a glance when a scene is running long.
    12. Spell-checker allows unusual spellings in dialogue (umm, shhhh, t-t-thanks).
    13. Split-view for transplanting a plot point from one scene to another, or for writing a scene that’s critically dependent on some other scene.
    14. The easiest to use auto-type functionality you’ll find.
    15. Bookmark tool allows you to store and load up to 16 bookmark collections.
    16. Customizable color-coding of paragraph types.
    17. Compressed view for small screens.
    18. Undo/Redo to a depth of 128 actions.
    19. Forward and back buttons (like on your web browser).
    20. E-mail functionality.
    21. Auto-save.
    22. Adjustable line and letter spacing for fine tuning your page count.

    ===

    Feature s of the “Sophocles 2007 Beta” version, which one gets for free for now while still in Beta when one purchases “Sophocles 2003”, including all future updates to Sophocles 2007 once it goes out of Beta, include:

    Beta testing is now underway for the next version of Sophocles. The final commercial release of the program will be split into three editions:

    Sophocles Basic will include the core word-processing and script-formatting functionality.

    Sophocles Pro will introduce a variety of story planning, outlining, and visualization tools.

    Sophocles PM will introduce breakdown, budgeting, scheduling, and reporting capabilities. Sophocles PM is the edition being tested now (the entire program, in other words). Sophocles PM will be a free upgrade for registered users of Sophocles 2003 .

    Documentation as to all the features of Sophocles 2007 Beta can be found here: http://www.sophocles.net/beta/webhelp/sophocles.htm

    READ IT! It really explains Sophocles 2007 in much more detail. Once you try it, you will never want to use anything else!

    Source: http://johnaugust.com/jawiki/sopho cles

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  • 2 years ago
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• Non Profit Fundraising Tips No Non Profit Fundraising Tips No. 1

  • From: spiritdancer
  • Description:

    Well I'm learning somethings about fund raising. I am in the process of raising funds to produce a children's film called Star Kids. These are my notes about what I am learning about this arduous process.
    
    1. focus on businesses.
    
    Approcahing individuals is almost a waste of time. I mean for all the work and time you spend trying to get something from an individual you might as well go to a business at least the payoff could be larger.
    
    2. Phone calls to indivuals do not work. Nor do emails. The only time I can get donatios from individuals is door-to door or in front of a grocery store. You have to pull it out of them. It's crazy!
    
    3. from idividuals I have gotten a couple pledges but nothing has shown up yet.
    
    4. Emails do not work. They should only be used after the initial contact has been made as a means of communications but not as the main selling vehicle.
    
    So I'm not going to call individuals.
    
    Now setting up meetings with businesses. That is working as far as getting meetings. so far I have gotten one donation but we will see at the end of the week about the others. it's a more drawn out process with businesses . this is why we need a short term vehicle for getting short term money. Which for right now is going to be door to door. I don't like it but it's the only thing that seems to work. also I am going to focus more on quality encounters and not quantity. I am going to try to really connect with each person as if they are the only person.
    
    5. Don't approach your family unless you really want to get depressed and discouraged.

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  • 2 years ago
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• How to get discovered on the How to get discovered on the Internet

  • From: spiritdancer
  • Description:

    Go ahead, post that dumb video online, you could get some work

    LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Voice-over work in Indiana wasn't too lucrative, so Daniel Geduld made a classic actor's move: He headed for Los Angeles, Califronia. And like most Hollywood dreamers, Geduld didn't get hired for much.

    So Geduld combined his creative talents with his abundance of free time. He took footage from the 1980s "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" cartoons, re-edited it and redubbed it to make the evil Skeletor and his cronies into a bumbling gang of losers. Geduld added incongruously peppy jazz by Django Reinhardt, called his farce "The Skeletor Show" and posted episodes on Google Inc.'s YouTube .

    Geduld added his e-mail address to the credits, along with this line: "Please give me a job. I'm talented."

    Actually, that was a joke. Geduld didn't think much could come of it.

    But he was underestimating how much the Internet has broadened the ways people get discovered today, often for jobs in the entertainment industry that didn't exist until a few years ago.

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    Enough people liked "The Skeletor Show" that it got mentioned on some popular blogs. Before long, several Web sites were paying Geduld to do similar comedic "mash-ups" for them. Video portal Heavy.com hired Geduld to be a voice for its new horror channel.

    When he got the first e-mail inquiring about his services, Geduld, 30, was shocked. "Oh my God, this actually worked!" he thought. The first few gigs paid only around $500. But now he's making "enough to support myself," and offers keep coming. A tech company asked if he'd do promotional material. He got invited to a sci-fi convention.

    "It just gets better and better," Geduld says. "I'm thinking of getting an agent."

    One of Hollywood's animating legends is the story of the ingenue who got discovered by a studio honcho while she sipped a soda in a drugstore. The myth spoke to the lightning-strike luck that making it big generally took in a system controlled by a few big studios.

    Now, the Web has blown things open. It is easier than ever to get discovered. Web sites trying to develop into entertainment hubs are hungry for people to write, shoot or star in new content, so its representatives scan for talent in the piles of homemade videos on MySpace , YouTube, Revver and personal blogs.

    It's certainly no secret that the Web can launch new faces. The medium already has its tales of regular Janes who made it big, like Lisa Donovan, who leaped from YouTube to the cast of Fox's "MadTV," and Brooke Brodack, a Net video character signed to a TV production deal by Carson Daly. This is the vision that drove the creators of YouTube's "LonelyGirl15" faux-reality videos.

    But the lesser-known story is of non-stars like Geduld, riding the Web's radical openness to find new kinds of online entertainment work.

    Often these online jobs are with sites that may be a step above the user-generated schlock of YouTube, but still are sorting out the economics of attracting advertising. As a result, discovery sometimes comes with modest trappings. And it often extends to people who wouldn't have made it through Hollywood's old-school gatekeepers -- or even tried.

    Consider the experience of Jessica Hagy, a 29-year-old freelance advertising copywriter in Ohio.

    Last fall she started a blog that commented on the world through clever diagrams. (You have to see it to get it -- check out http://indexed.blogspot.com ) Aft er brothers Gregg and Evan Spiridellis encountered the blog in Los Angeles, they e-mailed Hagy and eventually asked her to produce diagrams for content debuting this fall on their growing comedy site, JibJab.com. There aren't big bucks involved, maybe a few thousand, depending on how much advertising the segments attract.

    "It just seems to be the new modus operandi for creative people," says Hagy, who has yet to meet the Spiridellis brothers in person. "There are so many more people out there than you could find before. ... I was just a random kid in Columbus, Ohio. How was I supposed to find anybody under the old way?"

    This is not to say everyone who airs dumb stunts or lip-synchs on YouTube has a chance of landing real work. Representatives of professionally produced content sites who pore through user-generated videos see more rough than diamonds. When there are decent finds, competition can be intense.

    Jason Marks, a former MTV executive who oversees programming and development for Heavy.com, swears this story is true, and that similar things happen several times a month:

    A while back he came across a YouTube video of some young guys "in their dorm room, flicking boogers on their wall." Marks was only mildly amused, but he sensed there might be something in these kids, so he figured he'd scope them out. Marks says he left a message for them -- and got his call returned by someone in a very prominent talent agency.

    "They refer us to their agent!" Marks says. "I'm not even kidding, man."

    In many ways, today's talent search is a reprise of the height of the dot-com boom. Then, sites such as AntEye, Icebox, Mediatrip and Z.com cast themselves as "incubators" and served as scouts for film studios and television networks, essentially producing low-cost pilots and hoping for a hit.

    That model has resurfaced. Last year, UTA, one of Hollywood's biggest talent agencies, launched an online division to scout for people who could be in videos for ad agencies, Web sites and traditional media outlets. While most agencies refuse unsolicited work, UTA encourages online submissions.

    Grouper.com, a site owned by Sony Corp., recently decided to stop trying to make money from user-generated videos and will focus instead, under the name Crackle, on scouting online prodigies for Sony.

    But Steven Starr, a former talent agent who heads the Web video site Revver, says what he sees emerging is "a creator economy online" whereby the Internet will carve out its own slice of the action, rather than just serving as a development league for TV and film.

    "That will start to make it possible for any creator to develop income and careers online and not just be fodder for large media enterprises that are looking to move them off onto other platforms," Starr says.

    Even if untapped talent is not necessarily easy to find, the economics of Web entertainment startups dictates that they try hard to do it. Old-school casting calls -- and Hollywood's union contracts -- wouldn't work for digital media that comes together quickly and relatively cheaply.

    "Hollywood as it exists today was built to produce a relatively small number of very large productions," says JibJab's Gregg Spiridellis. "The new studios ... in digital are going to exist in a way where they can produce a very large number of small productions. I need to produce content at the price of the craft services table on a television shoot."

    Sometimes, online video can juice an entertainment career already in progress.

    Nick Stevens had a decent life as a comedian in New York, supporting himself with acting and writing gigs on TV and radio. But things got more interesting after he launched a zero-budget video blog in his living room. Called TownieNews.com, it features rants by fictional Boston sports nut Paul "Fitzy" Fitzgerald.

    Fitzy developed such an online following that a Boston TV station, believing he was real, called to set up an interview. (Stevens set the reporters straight.) The blog also got noticed by the people at Heavy.com, who hired Stevens to host their regular "SportsCenter" takeoff known as "The Burly Sports Show." Stevens plays himself, more or less, but Fitzy appears as a character.

    Stevens, 33, says he lives pretty well on what he gets paid to do two of the online episodes every week -- which sometimes amazes him.

    "The guy who was buying his coffees with nickels and dimes in 2003 and having beans on toast for lunch is very thankful," he says. "The Web is great. The single greatest distraction from employment is also the single greatest enabler of employment."

    Original article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/08/01/discovered.web. ap/index.html

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• special: what filmmakers reall special: what filmmakers really think of the web

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