Jay-Z’s #NewRules Prompts Changes from the RIAA

Leave it to Jay-Z to shake things up or create #newrules but he’s not the only one changing rules though. Yesterday the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), posted changes to the way digital singles and albums are counted, what they called a common sense update. Last month, it was revealed that Jay-Z’s 12^th studio album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, would be released free to the first million people through an exclusive Android app.

As you know Jay-Z’s album deal with Samsung has sparked questions, whether it would be considered platinum on the Billboard Charts. Billboard has decided that it will not count it as platinum because no sales have actually taken place but doesn’t mean the RIAA won’t. Read more details of the RIAA Gold & Platinum updates here.

Jay’s album will be released July 4^th for app users and for retail July 7^th. He’s also set to perform on top of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City Monday July 8^th.

Will other artists be able to follow his blueprint and be successful?

by Georgette Pierre




Contributor Georgette Pierre is an on-air personality, writer, and Executive Producer of her own radio show "Off the Record with Georgette Pierre". 

Check out her website www.georgettepierre.com 
Twitter: @GeorgettePierre

A Sit Down with the Ultimate Indie Artist: Minoti Vaishnav

When we heard about triple threat (singer, writer, and film maker), Minoti Vaishnav, making waves within the indie world, we knew we had to snag her while we could. In between promoting her newly released single "So Will You", writing for web series 3 Orbs of Light, and filming her directorial debut Being Independent, we had the opportunity to have a chat with this indie darling and find out what makes her tick. 

Minoti, Thanks for taking the time out of your crazy busy schedule to sit down with us! Let's start from the very beginning - your roots. You were creatively mature as a child- writing a novelette at 9, your own songs at 11, did music demo at 13, and wrote a sitcom at 14. What inspired you at such a young age?


"I think I just watched alot of TV and listened to a lot of music! I was actually quite a loner as a child. I loved to read (still do) and loved to watch shows like Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. My family has always been very musical and almost everyone in my family can play or instrument or sing. I was a huge Spice Girls fan growing up and The Beatles have also influenced my entire musical life and career. I think my creative energy flowed fromall the pop culture that I grew up with, and "you can do anything you set your mind to" motto of my family. That's what inspired me to create my own stuff."

You went to college and after graduating, and got into documentary film making. How was that experience for you, seeing as your roots were in writing and music? How did your earlier experience prepare you for your start in the industry?

Minoti and Katelyn Stark at the Directors Guild of America during production of the 28th Annual IDA Awards in 2012

"Getting into documentary film was never something that I had planned on doing. It just sort-of happened. I studied screenwriting in college and my ultimate goal is to write and produce for television. But then, I got my first internship out of college at IDA (International Documentary Association) and I never looked back.

IDA has been a great place to work and I am now officially employed with the organization, producing and coordinating their documentary film events. Learning about the documentary film industry also inspired me to make my own documentary film Being Independent. The film, which is about unsigned artists and bands and their struggles in the music industry, is shot in three countries (U.K, U.S and Germany), and is currently in production. University actually prepared me more for the producing aspects of my job, and there's definitely some creative writing involved when it comes to preparing outreach for documentary films."

As a well rounded artist, you are in a unique position, being deeply involved in several aspects of the entertainment industry. What are some of the challenges you have had to overcome? What is your advice to other indie artists facing similar challenges?


"There have been a lot of challenges, one of them being not conforming to what society expects from you. I grew up in India and people expect me to write Indian characters in my scripts. Or to write Hindi music or "Fusion" music. But that's not me! I was always influenced by music from the UK and the US, as well as TV and films from the UK and the US. People don't expect to hear the kind of music I make coming from me, and I think that is a huge problem because people already have preconceived notions about someone before they even take the time to find out more about them. I think I've been very true to myself this whole time and not conformed to societies expectations of what an "Indian artist" should be. And I think everyone should just be true to themselves and make the kind of music they want to make.


Another challenge has been financial. I financed my albums on my own (my second album was funded through Kickstarter thanks to 58 amazing backers). But as far as the work done on the albums, I produced and sound engineered, as well as wrote and performed all the songs on my album because I couldn't afford to pay for studio and engineering time. Sometimes when you don't have help with something, you gotta just do it on your own, no matter how hard it is, and I think that would be my advice to other artists out there. You're either in it to win it, and you have to put everything you have into getting your music out there."


You are a very busy woman, Ms. Minoti with several projects in the pipeline! Let's start with the release of "So Will You" the first single off of your second album The Secret Garden. The video was released on YouTube and has already hit over 110,000 views since April of this year. Such an amazing feat for an indie musician. How did you promote yourself as an indie musician to achieve such an accomplishment?

"Before I shot the video for 'So Will You', I knew that I had to find a way to get people to actually watch the video. People don't really watch video's from independent artists, so I knew I had to find a way to get people interested. I decided to put my love for television and my love for music together. I placed references to three of my favorite television shows, Supernatural, Doctor Who and Sherlock into the music video. Many people don't know this, but those three shows are somewhat of a trifecta, and chances are that someone who likes one, likes the other two as well. Together, the three shows are known as 'Superwholock'.

I started a 'Superwholock' campaign to get people to watch the video and find all the references. People were immediately interested, looking for all the references and trying to get them all. In the process, they heard my music and liked it, and that was the plan all along. You reel people in with something they already like and in the process, they discover that they also like you and your music!"


Your next project is a sci-fi webseries called 3 Orbs of Light - where you were brought on to rewrite the series while maintaining the original concept. Can you tell us a little more about this project and how as a writer is that process for you? Where can we watch the series?

"3 Orbs of Light is an amazing project and I love working on it because it's directly related to what I want to ultimately do in life. Writing, directing and producing for 3 Orbs of Light is extremely fulfilling. The writing and producing process for this is interesting because I am working with someone else's core concept.

Minoti and 3 Orbs of Light producer Cali T. Rossen looking at the script for episode one of 3 Orbs Of Light

I did get to create a rich backstory for the show before writing the first episode, which was a lot of fun. In essence, I am taking the original characters and revamping the concept to reach a wider audience.

The show was created by Phillip Kim Marra (who is also the Director of Photography for the project) and by Rachel Bailit (she also plays the lead character Rue 'Rouge' Jensen). The show is executive produced by Cali T. Rossen (she also plays Terese 'Tres' Ressen in the show). The team is absolutely great and it's been amazing working on this project with everyone.


The show is about three normal women whose lives change when the immortal wizard Kai tells them that they are destined to be the three protectors of the earth. It's set in modern day, but there's time-travel, magic and mythology involved. The show also stars Robert Weiner as Kai and Corinne LeClaire as Alison 'Astrid' Strider. We're currently in production and hope to release the show online in November 2013."


Finally, you are director and producer on the indie film, Being Independent. A film about indie artists trying to support themselves and their careers. Can you tell us more about the film? your role as producer/director?


"Being Independent is a film about the struggles, hardships and the ultimate triumphs of independent artists and bands in the music industry today. Following artists and bands in the UK, in the USA and in Germany, the film is 30 minutes long and aims to educate people about the hard work and passion that goes into independent music, and the struggles these artists go through as they support themselves and their music career."


How did you come up with the concept?

"I came up with the concept along with co-director Erik McCall when we were talking about how indie artists don't receive the recognition they deserve. Erik is the owner of a music publishing company called EDA Music Publishing Limited and he also owns the radio station EDA Music Radio. He's also an independent artist himself. With the two of us knowing first hand how difficult it us for independent artists, we decided to make a documentary to show the world exactly what we go through. We brought on producer Kitty Kalkbrenner from Germany to help us with the project. She has been amazing as well and our film is lucky to have such great people involved with it."


When can your fellow indies (and public) expect to be able to see the film?

"We're still filming Being Independent and collecting interviews with our featured bands and artists and we're hoping to release the film by the end of the year."

Minoti performing at Orange Coast College

Whats next for Minoti Vaishnav? Directing, Producing, promoting the album?


"All of it! I'll be busy producing and writing 3 Orbs of Light, as well as with IDA's screening series and the IDA Awards that are coming up in December. I'm also planning on a second music video coming soon, and am still working on getting Being Independent ready for release. There's a lot going on and I'm ready to keep adding even more to my already full plate!"

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us, Minoti. We will be sure to continue to keep an eye out for all your work!

For more on Minoti or her her projects, follow here:

Minoti

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Minoti/131142990252675
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/minotiblee
Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/thatfandomlovingsinger


Being Independent:

Website: http://www.beingindependentfilm.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Being-Independent/177936355691053
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/beingindiefilm


3 Orbs of Light:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/3OrbsOfLight
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/3OrbsOfLight

Actors/Filmmakers - Be careful of promoting your work to soon

Watch for some very smart advice regarding "promoting your   

work"! Don't tout maybes!

           

              

Will Smith Not Returning for Independence Day Sequel

Will Smith’s name has become synonymous with major blockbuster movies so it comes as a surprise that he won’t be in the sequel of Independence Day. According to the film’s director, Roland Emmerich, via E! News, the actor is “too expensive but he'd also be too much of a marquee name.” Now what would the 1996 alien invasion sequel be without him? We have some time to find out. The movie won’t be hitting theaters until July 3^rd, 2015.

During his press run for his latest film After Earth, the actor mentioned his desires to scale back on big budget movies and “finding more danger in my [his] artistic choices.” I’m with you Will! Danger it is.

What do you think about Will Smith not being in the sequel? Do you think the movie will carry its own? Let us know in the comments below.


- by Georgette Pierre




Contributor Georgette Pierre is an on-air personality, writer, and Executive Producer of her own radio show "Off the Record with Georgette Pierre". 

Check out her website www.georgettepierre.com 
Twitter: @GeorgettePierre

Interview with Industry Insider: Associate Producer Julia Conley

Name:  Julia Conley

Industry: TV and documentary 
                film production

Where do you work? 

I am an associate producer on “Moyers & Company,” a weekly news analysis show that airs on PBS affiliate stations.

What made you choose a career in TV and film?

I started feeling interested in working in film production when I was in high school; I guess I just watched a lot of movies and wanted to be involved in them when I grew up. In college, I became more and more interested in politics, current events and social issues, so documentary film or TV news started to seem like a good way to combine both interests.

I got an internship at a small documentary film production company my sophomore year in college, and fell in love with the kind of work they did there. I loved the idea of being able to tell a compelling true story in an artistic way. That led to more internships and random set PA jobs that I found on Craig’s List, which helped me get familiar with what it was like to work on set, and eventually my first full-time job on a weekly PBS show.

Tell me about one of your best experiences on the job.

I worked on an historical documentary film about the US Navy a couple of years ago. It was quite challenging – I was the associate producer and was responsible for getting permission from the Navy to film on their property (FYI: the Navy does not like to let filmmakers on their property), and did all of the production coordination on several shoots that were taking place across the country. It was honestly more responsibility than I’d had on my previous job and there were some overwhelming moments. But it also made me push myself to be the best negotiator I could be, and to be as persistent as I could be in order to get everything we needed. I also was involved in finding, pre-interviewing, and selecting people to appear in the film. It was fascinating to hear the stories of all these men and women who had been in the Navy, and it was also really satisfying to be trusted with all that responsibility all at once for the first time. 

What was something that took you by surprise when you first got started?

I think I was surprised by how persistent you really need to be in order to get jobs. If you find a person or company you want to work for, you may think that contacting them too much will be annoying. But if you make a point of stating your interest in a job or company, getting in touch and telling them why they should interview you, and then following up every few weeks or so in a friendly way to make sure they haven't forgotten - you are actually already showing them that you have production skills. So much of working in production (and probably other jobs) is following up with people - everyone has emails and voicemails piling up and you're not always their first priority. When you show you're willing to work tirelessly to get a job, you're showing that you'll also work tirelessly to get permission to film in a location, or figure out the answer to a complicated research question, or clear rights to some obscure photo for a show that needs to be delivered in six hours.

Trying to break into this field is a real eye-opener for many that want to rise in the ranks. For the purpose of sharing the reality of working in media and entertainment, what do you feel is the most difficult part of trying to establish yourself in the industry.

Networking is a big part of working in film/TV, and it's just something you have to get used to if it doesn't come naturally to you (it definitely doesn't to me!). I'm fairly shy, and I also don't love to talk about work in social situations - both fine personality traits to have in general, but not ones that go well with staying on people's radars. So over the past few years I've just forced myself to get comfortable with starting conversations with people about what they're working on at industry events. I've gotten over the idea that offering my business card is "pushy." Everyone in the industry is always networking, reminding people of when they'll be available to work, finding out if there are positions available on a production or at a company - you just have to believe that you have the right to be out there doing the same thing, and that you won't be pestering anyone any more than they've pestered other people during their careers.

Any projects coming up that you’d like to tell us about?

I'll be working on my current show until the beginning of next year, and have some great segments coming up this summer about the March on Washington in 1963, and one on hunger in America. After this show, I'd like to work on a documentary film again, but don't have a job lined up (so after I finish these questions I'll be taking my own advice and sending out some emails).

Do you have any advice for up and comers trying to break into tv or film?

Remember to follow up with people *after* they have helped you to connect with someone, or to get an interview or a job; don't get in touch with people only when you need their help. 

Industry mourns the loss of James Gandolfini

The reaction to the passing of James Gandolfini speaks volume to his dedication to his craft and something quite rare in the entertainment industry -  his humbleness, shyness, and kindness. 


Reports state that he went into cardiac arrest while preparing to attend the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily with his son Michael and sister. Michael became concerned when his father was in the bathroom for a long time, went to check in and found James on the floor. It is believed that he was conscious during the ambulance ride, but there have been conflicting reports. 

Organizers of the Festival, Mario Sesti and Tiziana Rocca, said Gandolfini will instead be honored with a tribute “remembering his career and talent.” 

When word broke of his passing, the tributes from his industry peers came pouring in: 

Dominic Chianese, who played Uncle Junior on "The Sopranos"  and was a mentor to his TV nephew described his friend Jimmy, on Good Day New York, as "humble and thoughtful". " He was very generous..he did it from the heart and that's very rare in this world ..."



                                  
                               
                                  

                                   

                                    
     
                                   

David Chase, creator of "The Sopranos" :

“He was a genius. Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his 

performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or 

any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes. I 

remember telling him many times, ‘You don’t get it. You’re like 

Mozart.’ There would be silence at the other end of the phone. For 

Deborah and Michael and Lilliana, this is crushing. And it’s bad 

for the rest of the world. He wasn’t easy sometimes. But he was 

my partner, he was my brother in ways I can’t explain and never 

will be able to explain.”

                                                             James and Steve


Steve van Zandt, played "Silvio Dante" :

I have lost a brother and a best friend. The world has lost one of 

the greatest actors of all time. Maureen and I send our deepest 

sympathy and love to Deborah, Michael, Lily, and all of Jimmy’s 

family.

Sopranos Cast

Gandolfini, most famous for his role as Tony Soprano and putting his native New Jersey on the map, was remembered by NJ Gov. Christie. "Mary Pat & I express our deepest sympathies to Mr. Gandolfini's wife & children, and our prayers are with them at this terrible time. ... I have gotten to know Jimmy & many of the other actors in the Sopranos cast & I can say that each of them are an individual NJ treasure. ...I was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically, Tony Soprano. ... James Gandolfini's passing is an awful shock. He was a fine actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy. 

The 3-time Emmy Award winner had several projects in the pipeline: He was scheduled to star in drama  Criminal Justice as a 7-episode  limited series, as well as 19th period comedy Bone Wars with Steve  Carrell both on HBO. He was also due to stand as  Executive Producer in a CBS comedy Taxi-22 through a deal his production company Attaboy Productions. His final project, crime drama Animal Rescue with Tom Hardy will premiere in 2014. 

    

                                                          James with wife Deborah, son Michael and ex-wife Marcy

Gandolfini will be remembered for his stellar acting and contributions to the entertainment industry. His loss is immeasurable. He leaves behind wife, Deborah Lin, and children, Michael and Liliana. 


I leave you with James discussing the beginnings of his career  on "Inside the Actors Studio".



                               

Off the Record Talks Upcoming Artist, Relationship Woes, and Fade Aways

Bringing you two shows in one, I sit down with an upcoming artist from the DMV area then dig deep into the relationship trenches to break down what I call the concept of fade aways. From meeting a Rock N Roll Hall of Famer that changed one guest’s life to understanding why a guy or girl you once dated all of a sudden stopped calling you, my guests and I get into all. Plus,I run down the OTR (Off the Record) Report including personal tidbits and pop culture-esque news that will make you blush…maybe.

Listen to Off the Record with Georgette Pierre tonight at 6 pm EDT/3 pm PDT.

Subscribe to the free podcast on iTunes and now stream it for free on the TuneIn radio app.