Archive for the 'Orlando Video' Category

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Skull Kingdom Demolished – YouTube Goodness

Published on September 20, 2007 in Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed


The giant skull on the front of a building on I-Drive always made me think of Skeletor’s Castle from my old He-Man toys. Now all the space will do is house an outlet T-shirt shop and 3 Starbuck’s Coffee bars.

From the YouTube page:

Skull Kingdom,one of Orlando Florida’s Landmark Attractions on International Drive. It was a Year-Round Walk-through Haunted House for about 10 years, A Giant Castle with a Skull on the front. They started demolition on Friday,27th July 2007 and will be finished by the end of Saturday the 28th. They started with the iconic Skull Facade, which seemed solid for the years came down like 2 kids attacking a pinyata with chainsaws.

This video is the first in a series, including several from the auction of the interior props and accessories from Skull Kingdom. Robert, who recorded this video, also goes by Bunny, and he performs with the Rich Weirdoes, our own local Rocky Horror cast, at Universal CityWalk’s megaplex theatre.

I also know Bunny does an evening over at Stardust where he dresses up like Groucho Marx and reads poetry. I’ve at least seen it happen once. If I find out any more info about this, come back to this post for dates or links.

This might be Orlando Video’s first revlogging via camera phone, but let’s hope it’s not the last. If you have a camera phone or an interesting video from your friend’s phone, email me at < liberatr AT gmail DOT com > and I’ll see if we can’t get it posted here. I’d also love someone to take up some of the burden of blogging around here. If you want the job, we can share.

SOLMI: Prepare for the Zombie Onslaught

Published on September 19, 2007 in Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed


OrlandoVideo.TV loves SOLMI (The Society of Likeminded Individuals), as is evidenced by our past coverage. They’ve been making some new videos lately after a hiatus of about 9 months, but everything they’re putting out is just great. Today, I noticed… well… holy hell, zombies!!

I think Brian and Meagan are fantastic on camera (even if I miss the sexual tension from the LOFTS), and I often wonder if Brian has taken improv classes in his past. Their storytelling is awesome, but the critic in me is asking for more Laugh-Out-Loud moments. This is a question of writing, and not meant to take away from the quality of everything else in this video. I’d love to see a list of locations for this short - it feels like there are about 20. Props to Jason and the crew on having some great sound and camera work as well.

If you’re into that sort of thing, please Digg this video for SOLMI.

If you’d like your own compliment sandwich, or you know of a locally-made video you want to see revlogged here, please email me at , liberatr AT gmail DOT com >. Peace.

Mark Baratelli: NYC Fringe Improv Cabaret

Published on September 7, 2007 in Orlando Video and Video. Closed

Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click To Watch Mark Jam

I believe Mark Baratelli and his Improv Cabaret act need no introduction to readers of this revlog. View posts tagged with markbaratelli here to get some history (please note that some of those videos are about Mark, not created by him).

Mark recently took his 45-minute, fully improvised one-man musical to the New York City Fringe Festival. From the looks of it by this video, he rocked the house. Improv Cabaret got some good reviews in New York, and I know Mark really loves performing. He’s a multidimensional guy with a lot going for him. At this moment he’s rehearsing for the national tour of Irving Berlin’s I Love a Piano, and it’s a shame they’re only passing through Florida.

If you have a better video than this, I’ll hand over the password to OrlandoVideo.TV, no questions asked. If you have a video that’s almost as good, I still want to share it with the world. Please email me at < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >.

MurderWatch Mystery Theatre brings the Camp

Published on September 5, 2007 in Orlando Video and Video. Closed


I recently discovered the MurderWatch Mystery Dinner Theatre while reading the only Orlando tourism blog I can stomach, The Other Orlando. MurderWatch is in the Grosvenor Resort in Dr. Phillips area (or it used to be? check the Other Orlando post for that), and has… well… just watch the video! They appear to have everything for everyone. Perhaps my favorite part was about 2 minutes into the video, when we learn that on top of all the other promises they’re making, it’s also a musical!

This is a very interesting ad, but they could have hired someone with a camera that was manufactured after 1982, and then a video editor who knows how to cut things down to one minute or less. There was too much copy and too much footage for one commercial here. I would have even accepted two commercials, but if you can’t sell them with the first video, you need to start again.

If you disagree, or want to comment, please share with us. If you have a video of your own to share (or tear apart), please send a web link to < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >. Question: Would you like to be able to post your own videos and reviews to this revlog warehouse? Inquiring minds want to know.

“Positive” TRUTH Ad – Kris Truelsen

Published on September 2, 2007 in Orlando Video and Video. Closed

Kristian Truelsen is a talented actor and director who’s since left Orlando for the cooler climate in Toronto. Film fans might remember him as a guy whose town got burned by the British army in The Patriot, or as a teacher (I think) in My Girl. If you watched Nickelodeon during the “Snick” era, you might recognize him from a show called Welcome Freshmen. See his full film and television exploits on IMDB, for his theatre credits, headshots, and resume, check his professional website.

TRUTH is an ad campaign that started out as being local to the state of Florida, but was so successful it went national. They even mention it in a book I’ve been reading this year called Punk Marketing. Once the campaign went national, apparently there were two sets of ads being produced, and this ad was produced for Florida, but never made it nationally.

Here’s the DL from Kris’ blog:

Two versions were made of this spot; a 60-second edit for TV, and this full, 2-minute version which was shown in movie theatres. Everyone thought it was such a good commercial that it would have to go national, but it never happened. Those of us bitter about that believe the national campaign people were probably too protective of their own work to allow this ad to air outside of Florida, even if it was for the same cause. It was shown once on “The Best Commercials You’ve Never Seen.”

By the way, everyone in the ad is lip-synching to a music track that was recorded before any of us were hired. So that’s my voice speaking, but not singing. (We tried to get the producers to let us re-record the song; nuh-uh.) This is also the job that injured my knees, leaving me proud of the work but with pain that exists to this very day.

Kris’ blog has more updates about his work, including a recent TV ad he made for Wal-Mart. I had the privilege of knowing Kris when he still lived here, and I thought followers of Orlando Video would enjoy this video, as well as hearing about the kind of talent Orlando has known in the past.

If you’ve got a video you’d like to see on this blog, send an email to < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >, or use the handy contact form provided on the blog.

Poofy du Vey Promo

Published on August 16, 2007 in Blogging Fringe, Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed

Burden of Poof Demo Add to My Profile | More Videos Today’s revlogging is a promo video for my favorite show to come out of the 2007 Orlando Fringe Festival, Poofy du Vey in “Burden of Poof”. Poofy is a young clown who has set out to discover some things about herself, and she makes some new friends along the way. The material is very endearing and it ends up hitting very close to home more than once. If you have a local Fringe Festival, or if you care to make a trip to Edmonton, Alberta this week, it is absolutely worth your time.

This video is a slight deviation from the norm here on the OrlandoVideo.TV, but I think a welcome one. I hope the video makes almost as much sense to you viewers as it does to me, even if you haven’t seen this stage show. The editor, Matt Lambert, who goes by Mallard Atrocious on MySpace, appears to specialize in acting demo reels. If you’re looking to put one together, you should look him up.

If you’re interested in getting a video you’ve posted to the web revlogged or if you know of a video I should post, please email me at < liberatr [AT] gmail DOT com >.

Fantacine: Sunlit Shadows

Published on June 30, 2007 in Orlando Video and Video. Closed


Sunlit Shadows
by Benjamin M Piety
Currently in Post Production • 2007

Once, again, Fantacine proves their cinematography is gorgeous. I’ve still never met these folks, but I’m hoping I can get them to come out to a future Florida Creatives Happy Hour. We’ve certainly revlogged them here before.

Their work certainly gets around. They have screenings of The Lonely Lights. The Color of Lemons. and The World, Naked as a Jaybird coming up at festival this summer, but film in Florida is more of a Spring or Autumn affair, since we still have nice weather, I guess.

For more info, check their website or our previous posts. You can also see some of their films on Bright House’s channel 98 Vision TV - Cinema Cafe.

If you have a film or video you’d like to see here on OrlandoVideo.TV, send an email to < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >.

P’sha Productions: Desktop Pegeantry

Published on June 27, 2007 in Orlando Video and Video. Closed

When I first went to revlog this video, I wasn’t really sure what I could say other than “I’m so glad this came out of Orlando”. Since that time I’ve come to know and love Denna and Joey, AKA P-Sha Productions. It is my understanding that they were asked to create this announcement for work. The process of making the video has turned into a process that works for all of their videos, as you’ll see shortly.

The main rule with a P-Sha video is that all materials must come from the desk where Joey and Denna work if at all possible. Because of this, it creates a feeling like that created by G-Mail Theatre (but I know Denna hadn’t seen these videos until I showed them to her) or more simply a children’s tabletop puppet show. Around the same time as the Broadway Across America video, they were asked to do a video for Mark Baratelli’s Improv Cabaret, which we have definitely revlogged in the past.

Another notable video is the Arranging Pixels Theatre, done in the same style as the first two. This one is an ad for an IT company, starring Ken Granger, technology super hero.

If you want to see your videos here please send email containing a web link to a page where I can get an embed code and any relevant information or press release to < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >.

lo-fi is sci-fi : The Script You Wrote is Terrible

Published on May 29, 2007 in Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed


I know these guys, and they’re very strong in their opinions. Yes, they are serious about every one of those lo-fi titles.

Number of eyerolls: a couple.

We’ve posted this band’s videos before. Please refer to our march to the sky post for information.

If you’d like to see a video you or one of your friends made posted to this blog, just send me the link to your favorite video sharing site to .

SOLMI: Grandma Party 2007

Published on April 15, 2007 in Blogs, Events, Florida Creatives, Orlando Video and Video. Closed

Grandma Party was yesterday, and for those of you who missed it, you should be ashamed. Jason Hawkins and Meagan Fisher over at SOLMI put together a cool video about Grandma Party. Not only does Jason have a great camera, but he clearly knows how to use it. If you go to the SOLMI website or iTunes you can get a hi-res version of the video.

We’ve mentioned this group before for their online serial the LOFTS. In addition to their fictional work and short films, they have also started doing event videos like this one. I look forward to every video they release, especially when I get to make a guest appearance. :) You can also be friends with SOLMI and the whole gang at MySpace.

IF you want to see your videos or your friends’ videos here on the blog, send a link to an embeddable video in an email to < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >.

lo-fi is sci fi: march to the sky

Published on March 28, 2007 in Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed

lo-fi is sci-fi : march to the sky

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This is either the most pretentious or the most unpretentious video ever. Aside from the music being good, I can’t think of a simpler idea or executing it better than this. lo-fi is sci fi (aka Chris Zabriske) has just launched the website for his band/solo project. His first record is called The Black Hole, after the Disney movie of the same name.

Do not underestimate Chris or this album. Go check him out on MySpace, download the album from his web page, watch for upcoming shows - seriously. If Chris had a street team, I would be Vice President. Chris has a lot of other video stuff to show off, as he’s worked on some music videos for the likes of John Vanderslice (really) and a number of short films. Chris does video related work for the Orlando Public Library, too. Chris is the type of guy we like to feature again and again here on Orlando Video, so get used to it now.

If you have a favorite Chris Zabriske video, one of your own, something from a friend - as long as I can relate it to Orlando, it’s golden. Just send some linkage to < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >.

Mark on the Road NYC: 3-21-07

Published on March 22, 2007 in Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed

We’ve blogged about Mark Baratelli before here on Orlando Video. Here in town, Mark makes podcasts, sings, dances, acts, improvises, photoshops, social network manages, consults, models - you name it, Mark is there.

Mark has now set a new path for himself - Broadway! Bright lights, the Big Apple, Chinese food, 5th Avenue, the 24 hour Apple store and so much more. Every day Mark has been posting a video of his audition on his blog. Yesterday’s vlog was a great (and fun) example of Mark’s work, so I am sharing this one here. If you like what you see, go subscribe.

In each video, Mark attempts to give us a glimpse of his experience auditioning for shows - musicals, mostly. He gives an introduction, shows us the room outside the audition space, and then sets down his cell phone on the stage to record the performance (I think). In this video, Mark got a callback, so I would consider that success. In sales, if you make 20 calls and 4 callbacks, you’re having a good sales day. Let’s hope Mark can grab a better ratio than that in NYC.

From Mark’s Blog:

“The Producers” National Tour Audition I got a friggin callback for Carmen Ghia! The callback consisted of a one-take reading from the script. That link is the EXACT scene I read! They didn’t give me any notes or direction. I don’t care. i am just grateful they gave me the chance to be seen. ….. I felt good about my song. I remembered from yesterday to take a bigger breath before that last note and it worked. The piano stopped playing while I sang that note. Made me chuckle inside. But he caught me at the end.

FindingAmerica.TV: Fairhope Street Artists

Published on March 16, 2007 in Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed


We have featured John Rife on OrlandoVideo.TV before for his Finding John video about the Winter Park Farmer’s Market. Now instead of Finding John, we’re finding John and Kamrin as they take a whistlestop tour of the country, meeting interesting people, seeing the sights and experiencing local color all over the place with Finding America.

From FindingAmerica.TV, Fairhope, AL - March 9th, 2007:

Kamrin and I had the good fortune of meeting Bill Harrison and his crew on the street corner in front of the Latte Da coffee and book shop. With a live band in residence each Saturday the Street Artists of Fairhope do their thing - and they do it well, might I add. Check out my interview with Bill, Jean-Marie McDonnell and Georgie “Gigi” Hackford.

The best part about this site is by far the “Follow Us” map - go there and see the latest stops and get a geographical look at where John and Kamrin are, where they’ve been and watch the videos right there on the map. John also has a webcam set up that he turns on during downtime, and a Twitter account to let you get the updates in real time. You can also put a pushpin in the “Lead Us” map, and they might pay you a visit!

If you think a video about Alabama doesn’t fit the Orlando Video theme, I’d have to disagree with you. Here is a Florida boy and his wife cutting a path across the country and sharing it with all of us - this is a wonderful reason for us to blog. If you want me to share more of John’s videos, videos you made, or something you found online that relates to Orlando, email a link to < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >.

Feedbag Films: The Making of Splice

Published on March 11, 2007 in Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed

The Making of Splice - Teaser

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This is the third feature for Feedbag Films here on Orlando Video. Why? They keep putting out new stuff, they blog about it, and I watch the videos, knowing they will be something worth my time. I haven’t been disappointed yet.

Tod Caviness, AKA Sam (Demencius Vex) Ripken left a comment on the blog post for this video containing the following text:

I just wanted to say that I am quite proud to have been a part of the movie that has taken our old paradigms about science fiction and ignited them into a searing ball of plasma

My impression of this short is that they will be showing us the Red vs. Blue, Venture Brothers, The Office, and/or Harvey Birdman side of live science fiction - way too serious and at the same time clumsy and down to earth. If I am wrong Butch, please let me know.

You can find out more about this group at the Feedbag Films webpage, which needs a raw injection of CSS/HTML pixie dust right now, or at myspace.com/feedbagfilms, where you can be fake friends with them and tell them you saw their work on OrlandoVideo.TV if you like. If you want your own videos here on the blog and Liberatr.net, send an email with a link to < liberatr AT gmail DOT com >. There is some editorial process that goes into this blog, so providing some extra info doesn’t hurt.

45 Year Old Productions: The History of Pennsylvania

Published on March 5, 2007 in Blogs, Orlando Video and Video. Closed


Do you ever have one of those moments, when you’re reading a friend’s blog post and you notice a reference to the name of a film company here in town? No? Well, it happened to me yesterday, and, being the author of Orlando Video, I looked into Deeb Studios.

I didn’t find much about Deeb except a webpage with some gorgeous videos. The last one on the list was a particularly well photographed trailer for a short film called The History of Pennsylvania, created by a local filmmaker named Ryan of 45 Year Old Productions (try myspace, the site is “under construction”). They have some videos linked there, as well as on Ryan’s YouTube page. There’s not too much information about Ryan, Deeb or 45 Year Old that I could find, but I’m sure that with a portfolio like this, we’ll be seeing more from them.

If you have something you’d like to see here on Orlando Video, your own or from someone you know, send an email with a link to liberatr [at] gmail DOT com.