So for some reason this Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald YouTube documentary is making me feel uncomfortable.   I am all for crowd sourcing but why is a well-known director going the crowd sourcing way?  I know it is likely more of a partnership for YoutTube to earn some marketing cred but why does a well known director want to crowd source? 

I actually thought the YouTube Symphony Orchestra was kind of genius in terms of bringing together musicians across the world to play as these musicians might not have met in other ways.  It would be real interesting for YouTube to circle back with these musicians now to see if the orchestra brought more collaborations or dreams come true to musicians. 

But with this documentary, are the directors chosen for this YouTube documentary really filmmakers?  Do they have any interest in filmmaking at all?  Can’t anyone pick up a flip and film themselves brushing their teeth? 

Why doesn’t YouTube and/or Ridley Scott sponsor or mentor young filmmakers?  I know so many talented filmmakers struggling to make a living in today’s fragmented film marketplace.  Wouldn’t that be a better use of marketing dollars?  I’ll sit by and see what happens but I would love to see a success story on young filmmakers who are really filmmakers - not everyday filp cam users.

We are hanging at our condo - which is very cool and has a hot tub! Our house mom and Dad - Ashleigh and James - are making us an amazing spaghetti dinner. Sundance has been an ongoing haze of networking parties, gift suites and promotion. So far the coolest celebrity I have met has been Catherine Keener at the HP party. She was friendly, talkative and just really chill. Love her!

Bilal’s Stand, the movie I am promoting at Sundance, premieres on Monday, 9 pm at Yarrow Hotel. Check out his article on Moving Pictures Magazine here… http://www.movingpicturesmagazine.com/featuredarticles/guestcontributor/sultan-sharrief-bilals-stand. Sultan is sure to be a big time director - he is very talented.

Shout out to the 1305 condo roomies - Omar, Megan, Zeke, Dayna, Paul, Howie and Matt!

I’ll share some pictures later tonight.

With companies such as HP, Microsoft’s Bing.com, Twitter’s Tweethouse, YouTube as a Sundance sponsor, Rackspace sponsoring a Connectors party and Instant Jury making an online location of Sundance discussion — digital/tech companies are everywhere at Sundance Film Festival 2010.  It make sense, since we are consuming media more and more online and through our laptops, computers and personal home entertainment centers that are virtually computers.  So will these digital companies be a mainstay at film festivals?

YouTube Sundance Article, http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/187322/youtube_gets_into_movie_rentals_at_sundance_festival.html

Sundance Embracing Social Media, http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2010/01/20/12541866.html

Sundance iPhone App, http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/01/19/sundance-film-festival-ramps-up-social-media-adds-iphone-app-for-2010/

I set up a Tumblr page forever ago so my friends and family could follow along with me as I made my way in New York.   Have I used it?  No. But its a New Year.

To just recap 2009, I left Porter Novelli to work on my music and multiple other creative projects, started working with Dayna Ghiraldi at Big Picture Media representing digital start-ups and movies, started producing a movie myself and started co-producing a bi-monthly musical showcase, Musaic, with Caroline Selia.

My highlights of the year include:

-Representing the CMJ Film Festival and working with the great Alex Steyermark and Francis Wallace

-Hob nobbing with Woody Harrelson, Gerard Butler, Brad Pitt, Rachel McAdams, Renee Zellweger and more

-Working with the Blood Night crew, CPX Interactive and Saigon (I even drove Saigon’s car - ha!)

-Rachel’s wedding, what a pretty pretty bride and so fun to see everyone in Pensacola

-Narrowly avoiding three fist fights, wait make that four (NY is making me tough!)

-Many fun nights with friends (Lindsey, Dayna, Lindsay, Ali, Lyndsey, Sonia, Liz, Julia - ATX girls Megan, Eileen, Driver and LSell)

-Many fun NY to Austin phone calls with my Porter Novelli LOVES

-Sundance with Driver

Ok enough reminiscing, this year I already have so many goals I want to accomplish. Its a New Year.  Its 2010.  My main resolutions for the year include,

Resolution Number One:  Use Tumblr

Resolution Number Two:  To really live each day to its fullest.  I know that sounds cheesy but for me I just want to stop planning, stop having such high expectations of myself and to just LIVE.

Of course there are many other goals.

Life is short.  So LIVE!  Until the next time I use my Tumblr account…ha!

So there are multiple beaches close to New York City.  Being from the center of Texas I am not use to being so close to big bodies of water.  Although I have been to Long Beach, Fire Island is my favorite beach I have visited so far. 

After taking a train, a bus and then a ferry you arrive at the cutest little island where cars are banned and locales are forced to ride bikes.