The Puppet Diaries

Watch Episode 4 - "Send Money"

2009-09-13T01:09:00.000-07:00

Is Creativity and Suffering Inherently Linked?

2009-05-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when you embark on any creative endeavor (writing, painting, music, acting, etc.), other people fear for your mental health? Should anyone be afraid of the work they feel they were put on this earth to do?Watch author Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) answer these questions and more in her talk on nurturing creativity she gave at the TED conference earlier this year.

Watch Another Sneak Peek from Episode 4

2009-05-09T10:22:00.001-07:00

Here's another sneak peek at a scene from the upcoming Episode 4 "Send Money".

Watch a Sneak Peek from Episode 4

2009-04-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at a scene from the upcoming Episode 4 - "Send Money". The entire episode should be posted soon.And here are some production stills from Episode 4:

Snake Oil and Totebags Don't Mix

2009-03-23T00:43:00.000-07:00

Robert Burton's recent article PBS's latest infomercial at Salon.com sparked some very interesting comments from readers weighing in on PBS pledge drive practices. Although the article centered around the the airing of Dr. Mark Hyman's Ultimind Solution pledge program and its role in the erosion of PBS's credibility, the reader comments spoke to the general distaste for the pledge process as a

Episode 4 Script Done

2009-02-12T23:53:00.000-08:00

I've finished writing the script for Episode 4 (working title: "Send Money") and am feverishly working on voice overs and animation. This episode touches on a time-honored tradition of public television: the pledge drive. Look for it soon.

Confessions of a Pixel Pusher

2009-02-06T02:44:00.000-08:00

I was doing my taxes recently and the tax software I use initially takes you through a series of questions, the answers of which help to determine how your tax return will be filled out. One of the first things the software asks is whether or not you've experienced one or more life changing events in the past year. It's the same type of question an insurance or financial expert would ask you to

Erin McKean is Redefining the Dictionary

2009-01-31T00:03:00.001-08:00

As one of the youngest editors of a "Big Five" American dictionary, Erin McKean is at the forefront of a new guard of lexicographers reshaping not just dictionaries, but our language itself. She's on a mission to debunk common misconceptions and elevate the use - and cool factor - of dictionaries. Watch this video of Erin speaking at the PopTech! Conference. She's able to make a talk on

Tell Me, What Would You Do?

2009-01-17T22:04:00.000-08:00

My television viewing habits mirror my reading habits. At any given time, I'm reading two or three non-fiction books(Blink, World on Fire, Life After the 30-Second Spot) as well as two or three fiction books(Starting Out in the Evening, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, The Eight).Similarly, I enjoy watching documentary-style programs(Cities of the Underworld, The Deadliest Catch, Spain

Great Stop-motion Animation from Across the Pond

2009-01-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

Apt Studio made this incredible stop-motion film using over a thousand books, which was shot over two weeks in a makeshift studio in North London. Twenty animators worked in shifts to get it made, often sleeping under the set itself. The short film celebrates the books from 25 years of 4th Estate publishing. You can also check out production stills and time-lapse video from the making of the film.

Episode 3 - "Relationships" Featured Video of the Week on indieProducer.net

2009-01-05T02:19:00.000-08:00

Episode 3 - "Relationships" is this week's featured video on indieProducer.net (on the Home page). IP is a networking site for the film and television industry providing resources for actors, producers, writers, editors, and everything in between. Founded and run by working film and TV producers, IP is supported by some of the highest-level professionals in the entertainment industry.

Brilliant Idea For a Cover Band

2009-01-04T00:19:00.001-08:00

A heavy metal Bee Gees tribute band.Check out the website.

Design Your Own Muppet

2009-01-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

Design your own own Muppet Whatnot at the Muppet Whatnot Workshop on the FAO Schwarz website. What's a Muppet Whatnot? They're the zany-looking extras you see in each Muppet Whatnot production. On the website you can choose body style, eyes, nose, hair, and clothing and in 3-4 weeks you'll have your creation.

Watch Episode 3 - "Relationships"

2008-12-08T01:43:00.000-08:00

Two New Characters Introduced

2008-06-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

Two new characters will appear in upcoming episodes of The Puppet Diaries. Although they are small parts, they will figure prominently in plot twists.Tom is a former entertainment lawyer now working as a talent agent/life coach. Industrious and crafty, he will stop at nothing to get his clients what they want. He knows how to keep a secret and occasionally has moments of honesty. Tom is equals

Crazy Like a Fox Television Station

2008-05-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a PBS conference. A gathering of public television employees discussing, what else, public television. While I was there, Reuters reported that Fox Broadcasting was going to drastically reduce commercial time during a couple of new programs they'll be airing soon in an "effort to reinvigorate broadcast television."Peter Liguori, Fox Entertainment chairman, said that broadcast

Episode 3 in Production, Plot Theories Revealed

2008-04-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

I'm hard at work on Episode 3. Currently touching up the script, voicing the characters, and creating background images (all the character images are green-screened so I can place them in different virtual settings. Kind of a George Lucas approach only without the buckets of cash and cool studio in San Francisco).In up-coming episodes, expect to see cameo appearances by a couple of new characters

Kicking and Screaming

2008-04-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

People have been telling me to “make a MySpace page, make a MySpace page.” This is often followed by “get on Facebook, get on Facebook.” I’ve been working in Internet development for the past 12 years so there are times when the last thing I want to do is maintain yet another online property. If you drive a bus for a living, sometimes the last thing you want to do after a long day of driving a

Eric Cartman on National Public Radio

2008-04-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

Recently, Eric Cartman from Comedy Central's South Park was the subject of an interview on NPR's In Character series which explores famous American fictional characters. Cartman ranked No. 10 on a TV Guide list of the Top 50 cartoon characters of all time. The interview also includes conversation with one of the show's creators Trey Parker. Plus, there's a web exclusive of Cartman answering the

Watch Episode 2 - "Fame"

2008-04-06T19:10:00.001-07:00

Feels Like Home

2007-12-28T21:32:00.000-08:00

Attributes: Unique source of cultural, public affairs and children’s programming. Valued alternative to commercial media. Timely public affairs programming.Liabilities: Elitist adult programming. Lack of audience in segments between children and older adult viewers.This is how a study I read not too long ago described the public’s perception of Public Television and its role as a provider of

Watch Episode 1 - "Wherever You Work"

2007-12-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

Of Beakers and Burners

2007-12-02T00:06:00.000-08:00

I started writing the script and creating images for episode 2 today. I actually have a pretty clear idea of the main character arcs for the next couple of episodes so it's really just about execution and production at this point. I want to be careful not to get too far ahead of myself and the material by figuring out all eight episodes right now. I want to give the characters and storylines a

Episode 1 Wrapping up

2007-11-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

I' m wrapping up production on episode one of The Puppet Diaries - an animated series I've been working on for the past couple of months. The series explores what it's like to work at a public television station as told from view point of puppets. Think Sesame Street meets The Office. I produced it doing frame-by-frame animation so it has a stop motion, claymation-like quality to it only without