Thank You

We just want to send out a great big THANKS! to everyone who commented on this post over at TV Week.

We're seriously blushing over here, you guys said some really nice things about our show and the flattery is overwhelming!

I can't remember what else I was supposed to write about today. My parents are visiting this weekend and my mind is distracted with thoughts of "how quickly can I clean my apartment?" and "What would be a fun thing to do with my parents tomorrow?"

Oh yeah, our newest video will be online this coming Monday. Make sure you check it out.

And, we're already in rehearsals for our next video. It may have to do with an upcoming holiday - which would explain why we're getting together to make hats this weekend. I can't tell you what kind of hats - that would give it away! You'll just have to wait to be impressed by our awesome hat making.

Tanya

You Can Conte on LFTI

As you can tell by the title of this post, I’ve either had a stroke or I’m referring to Paolo Conte, incomparable Italian composer, singer and pianist.

The fact that I’ve just made myself giggle as I typed the word “pianist” coupled with the fact that I’m not sure which of those two things is true leads me to favor “stroke.”

Bunny banana hammock bi-quarterly.

Okay. Sorry about that. I just got back from having an MRI. Turns out that I’m fine. No visible signs of stroke. So that’s good. Though I’m uninsured, so once the bill gets here for the MRI, I expect an actual stroke to follow shortly thereafter.

I remain confused about the reasons that I typed “bunny banana hammock bi-quarterly” however. Since it wasn’t stroke-related, it’s possibly a magazine I subscribed to at one time or another.

Probably in college.

All right, having ruled out a stroke, it follows that this post will have something to do with Paolo Conte.

And it does.

When I was writing the music for our first “Lou Short” (more to come!) I decided that what it needed was the exuberant feel, flow and pathos of a Paolo Conte tune. Since I was unable to secure the rights to an actual Paolo Conte tune, I decided that what the short really needed was a cheep knockoff of a Paolo Conte tune. Something that had has the essence of Paolo Conte, without the cost or competence of Paolo Conte.

And here is the end result. Tune that can be heard partially at the end of *subject to change. You can hear it here in its entirety.

Hope you enjoy it:

In Other News:

The embedded played above (the one that you just listened to the “Paolo Conte” tune with…you did listen to it right?) is courtesy of a site called ourstage.com. It’s a site where independent artists, unknowns and amateurs (me!) can upload and distribute our music on the internet.

Well, a couple months ago I posted the LFTI theme song; Fine Print. Ourstage has contests that you can participate in and it’s free to enter (and really easy), so I went ahead and submitted the song. Well, it finished in the middle of the pack during the month I submitted it (no surprise since I didn’t promote it…much like this show!). But, for some strange reason, this month it’s reached #8 in the rock competition.

Maybe we can take it to #5 (I’m a realist)!

But I need your help. Listen to the song. Or go through the process of voting at ourstage .com. But the listening numbers definitely help it. I would love your support. Just click on the hyperlinks in this paragraph. The Quarterfinals end August 29th!

Here’s the embedded player again (to make it easier to listen to).

Thanks!

And Speaking of Support!

TV Week is asking people their opinion for the best online web video creators. And we think that LFTI should be included. Why not go to this page and comment? Tell them about LFTI and why you like it! We’re the only full-length original online sitcom left on the web! It’s time the world (or at least TV Week) took notice!

Represent! We Conte on you!

And thank you for your support!

(I just had a flashback to Bartles and Jaymes)

ROBB

This is Not a Very Good Blog Post

I just got off the phone with Earthlink because my DSL is, once again, incredibly slow. Verizon is really screwing me on this DSL service! (Earthlink just resells Verizon, you see. At least to me.) Posting this is a painful experience tonight, let me tell you.

But that's neither there nor here.

Robb suggested I write about how we all took turns running camera for "*subject to change," the first Lou short, released Monday. Did I say "first"? Yes I did! That's right, gents and gams, we're releasing 4 more shorts every other Monday! All of them center around our new and, we think, fantastic character, Lou. The next short is up September 1, so be on the lookout!

Tanya talked about Lou and Laura on Saturday, but I just wanted to re-state that this huge change for the show was a big challenge for us. We have some wonderful fans, people who watch every single episode and short and music video we've put out, and we did not want to let them down in any way. So far, the response has been great! We were so excited once we came up with Lou, and once we got Laura on board, and now, it seems, so are you!

By "you" I mean our fans. Because only fans read our blog. Which makes our blog-reading fans even double extra super special.

Robb has been working hard on the next short, which will be my own first writing and directing credit for LFTI. He's done some great stuff with it, and it's going to, we hope, be as well received as our first Lou video. I can't wait 'til you all see it.

Speaking of "it," did you know the contest winner's name is in the credits of "*subject to change"? A big, marvy congrats to Pie Wrangler Eric, who has no idea how much pie is a part of our lives here at LFTI.

Speaking of "contest," you now must realize which 4 of the 9 "true" contest items have already shown up in this no-longer "episode." "Guv'nuh. Guv'neh?", the forty-three blue-and-white four-color pens, Gavin MacLeod, and the minor e-mail miscommunication are all off the table. That leaves... well, the others, which I'm too lazy to type out again. Two of them show up in the next short. Tension! Drama! Intrigue!

Well, it seems I've gone off on a ramblin' spree and not talked about how we shot "*subject to change." But don't you worry. I can tackle that topic later, when I'm not all ADD on everyone's asses. Sorry, Robb! It's already 15 minutes past my newly-instituted bedtime, my DSL is still sucking, and my neighbors are being loud as usual. Time to log out, wash up, pop in the ol' earplugs, and get some tossin' and turnin' out of the way.

Introducing Laura

By now I'm sure you've seen our newest video and understand why we kept putting the word episode in quotes every time we described it.

I'm very proud to introduce Laura Neufeld as our newest main cast member - playing the part of Lou, Mason's new agent now that Kate has disappeared/run away to represent Dixon/whatever you may think.

I can't tell you how excited I am to have Laura in the cast. I met her when I auditioned for Culver City Public Theater's 2002 Season. From the first time I was in callbacks with her, I knew she was someone whose acting I would admire. She was so friendly, open, fun to be around and welcoming to new people. Laura is one of those people who makes you feel like a better actor when working with her.

Robb, Steve, Laura and myself were all together for the first time in a production of "Hotel Paradiso" at the Morgan Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica where yet again I had a blast working with her. Lucky for me, we stayed in touch (although somewhat loosely) through the years.

When we decided to do an internet show, we knew we had several friends that we wanted to use in our cast. Laura was one of those people that we kept not using because we knew we wanted the part we gave her to really showcase what a talented actor Laura is. Still, it was something that we talked about quite a bit, the fact that we really wanted to use Laura, but the timing just hadn't worked out right and we were all frustrated by this.

I can't believe how right it ended up working. Replacing Kathy and the character of Kate was no small task. We had several conversations about what we wanted to do with the character of Mason's agent, agreeing right away that we wanted the part to stay female. There was the idea tossed around to make Mason's agent much younger than the rest of us, but that idea was quickly tossed aside when we realized this was the perfect opportunity to finally get to have Laura in our cast, if she would have us!

Okay, I'm overlooking the fact that we actually DID use Laura in Episode 7. If you've watched the "Introducing Lou" short, you'll see that Laura and her wonderful daughter Sophie were in our baby parade, although fate was on our side that Laura wasn't really seen in the episode - but we did get a couple of takes where you could see her - which obviously came in handy for our short!

I can't tell you how much fun it's already been having Laura around. It's no easy feat to join a cast like ours, where everyone's been working together for years now and Laura has managed to do so with great aplomb. Not too mention the fact that we really threw her into the middle of things quickly, we shot quite soon after casting her - several shorts in which she is the driving force. Again, Laura rose to the occasion.

So, we welcome Laura with open arms and look forward to many, many episodes together. 

Tanya

Surprise! Not Just Yet!

We've hinted around a little that there are some new things happening around the set of LFTI.

Would you like another sneak peak?

Would you?

Okay fine, I will take your silence as a yes.

Here's another hint at a big change coming up on LFTI.

I wish I could tell you more!

I'm sure you have so many questions. What is going on in this photo? Does Mason become a lawyer? Is Jennifer carrying her tools around in a briefcase now instead of her toolbelt? Has Ashleigh become a pen salesman? What exactly is in that pile on the table? All questions will be answered soon.

I'm so excited for Monday!

This is bigger than the new couch, the new paintings, even bigger than the "Real Bigfoot" those guys in Georgia claim to have found.

Only 2 more days until the big reveal!!

Tanya

LFTI Contest Scandal Exposed!

Earlier this week, it was announced that Lilyempire12 was the winner of LFTI’s “True or False” contest.

However, there have been “developments.”

Lilyempire’s stunning victory in the final stages of the competition did indeed seem like history in the making. Even Robert & Maria’s spectacular clutch efforts fell short as Lilyempire strode confidently across the fish line.

It seemed too good to be true.

And it was.

In a routine post-competition test, Lilyempire12 tested positive for “contest enhancing substances.” Substances thought to produce truer “trues” and falser “falses.”

Lilyempire12 also tested positive for “being my mom.”

That’s right, Lilyempire12 is my mother.

In fairness to her, there were no written restrictions placed on the competition. Family members were not prohibited from entering. “Officially.”

“Unofficially” however, we were just going to allow our family members to enter unless they won, in which case the winning family member was to stripped of their title and thrown out of the competition via a confusing series of blog posts.

So you see, we’re just following the rules.

So, in accordance with the unwritten guidelines of LFTI’s first contest ever, the producers of Life from the Inside are pleased to announce the real official winner:


Eric!


No longer simply the first runner up, Eric will get his name in the credits of our next “episode!”

There’s already a spot carved out for you, Eric. So stay tuned Monday to see your name in all its glory! Far more fabulous than you could have ever imagined!

Congratulations, Eric! You are truly deserving of this great honor!

(Even though my mom totally kicked your butt! And everyone else’s too! Way to go, Mom!)

And, Eric, be sure to shoot us an email to tell us how you would like to be credited!

Also, I would like to thank the other awesome contestants who took the time to answer 18 random questions to become the very first contestants in our very first contest!

Dave

Joe

Theresa

Mary

Lilyempire12 (mom)

Robert & Maria

You people are the best! Stay tuned for more contests!

New “Episode” on Monday!

ROBB

"Scandal!"

Behold our attention-grabbing headline! We seem to have a scandal on our hands!

Actually, not really. It's not really a scandal. It's not even a "scandal." Let's just say there are "issues" with the "results" of "our" "contest." Is that enough vaguey-quotes for you?

Robb will be posting more about the contest "thingy" tomorrow, but I just wanted to let you know that we are very excited. Not about the "scandal" "itself," but about having a "contest" in the "first" place. We're also very excited that our upcoming "episode" is almost upon us!

People living under rocks or in caves tend to be very well informed about the goings on here at the LFTI blog, but in case you've been living a full and rich life lately, you may have missed the results of our contest, which ended last night. (The contest ended last night, not the results. Please excuse me if there was any confusion on this point stemming from my lack of grammatical finesse.)

While the contest "results," though "announced," may "be" in "doubt," the revelation as to which listed items will be in our upcoming "episode" is without a doubt. It's doubtless. Undoubtable. And intriguing! Go see the list for yourself if you haven't already. Which of these things will be in our latest "episode"? Let me tell you, here, now, following this colon:

• Bone with a bow
  
• Red Vines
  
• Japanese Noh mask
  
• "Guv'nuh. Guv'neh?"
  
• Forty-three blue-and-white four-color pens
  
• Phrenology chart
  
• Romantic mood lighting
  
• Gavin MacLeod
  
• Minor e-mail miscommunication
  

Could that be more intriguing? No! It couldn't! Well, maybe. But only if it were wearing a trench coat and smoking a filterless cigarette beneath a flickering streetlamp on a rain-slicked street corner at the black-and-white edge of Nowhereville.

The good news—and there is good news, friends!—is that the first part of our new and exciting, non-trench-coat-wearing episode-in-quotes will be live next Monday, August 18th. Can you believe it? We hardly can. It's been a long road, but we believe it's well worth it. We hope you believe it, too.

So starting Monday, and continuing every other Monday following for ten weeks ("Ten?" "Ten!"), you'll see all of the items listed above. Be looking for them! I can reveal that fully four of them will be in Monday's video.

What won't be in the video Monday, but will be in the follow-up parts? Aside from the remaining five items? Excellent question. The below-listed are what you can look forward to in parts two through five. ("Two through five?" "Two through five!")

• Contractual amour
• A splendid view
• Petite Sirah
• A dubious psychological examination
  

Boy, I'll bet you can't wait. Hopefully you can't wait so much that you've forgotten entirely about our little "scandal." If, for some reason, you have not forgotten about our little "scandal," I suggest you tune in tomorrow, when everything will be explained and 100% "transparency" will "blossom" like "mushrooms" in "poop."

"See" "you" "then!"

The Contest is Ending! Get Your Entry In Today!

Just what the headline says. Yes, the last day to enter the contest is Monday! That means on Tuesday, we'll announce the winner and tell you which of the 18 items on the list are coming up in our next vids. And the next vids are coming up much sooner than you could possibly imagine.

Go enter now!

Sneaky Peek!

Hey, Insiders (or Lifties or Lefties if you prefer…actually, this parenthetical brings up an interesting question…what do you prefer? Do you have a preference? Does anyone really care? Let us know.)(Sorry, that last parenthetical got the best of me.)(Perhaps I should just start a new paragraph?)(A cleaner paragraph, uncluttered with junk in parentheses?)(Yes, I think I will)(In case you were interested), read the next paragraph!

Hey, Insiders (see above), I’ve been working like crazy to get the next installment of LFTI online. It’s chock full of surprises, interesting twists, daring rescues and a talking wymaraner on horseback!

Okay, only a couple of those things are true. Can you guess which? Maybe we’ll turn it into a contest?! (No, we won’t. We already have a contest like that. You can get your name in the credits! Be sure to enter because it’s going to end very soon)

As a small token of our esteem, and because we’d like to build a little buzz ( a very little buzz), I’m going to give you a small glimpse behind the curtain. A sneak peek at the inner “life” of Life from the Inside. An “Inside” look, if you will (will you?).

You’re about to be treated to LFTI as I (Robb) mostly see it:

As a series of bars and tiny windows.

I’m sorry, did I make that sound like a prison? Oh, yes, I can see how you may have gotten the wrong idea. Hmmm. Purely unintentional, I can assure you.

I was speaking, of course, about Final Cut Pro, whose interface is series of bars and tiny windows. The horizontal bars of its timeline and tiny windows of its display (on my computer anyway) are the sieve through which I most frequently view our show.

Day in and day out. With very little respite. An occasional furlough now and again. Perhaps a stroll through the yard.

Again, in no way am I implying that an editors life is at all comparable to that of a prisoner’s. Most editors sit in tiny cubicles or cramped darkened rooms from which they are isolated from the rest of humanity. Rooms in which no natural light dare enter. Often times wallowing in their own heat, stink and refuse.

And prison cells generally have air conditioning.

Plus, I personally, edit this show at home. So, if anything, I might be compared – if at all – to a “house arrest” prisoner. You know, like Martha Stewart was. Except with about 74 fewer rooms.

See. It’s all fun! And just about the most exciting thing you’ll ever witness! That’s why on all those “behind the scenes” featurettes they have on DVDs, they always show you so much o the editing process.

It’s just so darned compelling!

And I’m going to share some of it with you today. You’re so lucky!

But don’t worry, for fear that it’s just too much excitement for one person to take, I have limited this BTS look to exactly one screen capture (you’re welcome).

And here it is:



Now, I can’t give too much away, but with some detective work, you can glean certain details.

For instance, you’ll note that I’m in it. So you know it’ll be awesome.

You can also see that I’ve labeled the tapes “IL.” That shows that I’m incredibly organized.

You can further see that this sequence is called “Cut 2.” Which intimates that there was at least one cut before it. A testament to my tireless quest for perfection.

You’ll notice that somehow the words “to change” are involved.

And, perhaps most importantly, if you look real hard at the bottom of the screengrab, you’ll spot a sound file marked “Birds.” This is the biggest clue of them all. Is it important? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just homage to the Birdman of Alcatraz? Drawing further attention to the fact that editing all day and prison life are entirely different experiences.

So, be sure to stay tuned for the next installment of LFTI! I just got the call for exercise. The yard’s open. I’m going to trade my neighbor 2 packs of smokes to do my laundry.

What a bargain!

ROBB


Also: The release date for the release date of the next episode will be released soon!

Sorry! No Time!

I'm sorry, I can not post today. Yes, I know, this is horrible news, and puts me in a bad light, but I have some very good reasons. You might think it's because Robb's birthday is today, but that has nothing to do with it.



Not at all.

There are four reasons why I will not be writing a post today.

1) Yesterday, this happened:

followed swiftly by this:

2) Today, for reasons mostly unconnected with the events of yesterday, I am in Cupertino. Obviously, I can not post to the LFTI blog while I'm in northern California. It simply makes no sense to do so.

3) This evening, the following was in evidence:

No one was hurt.

4) 461 people have entered our contest. The overwhelming response has caused mass panic and the illegal hiring of five interns.

So you see, it's not that I don't want to write a post. I really do. I thoroughly enjoy writing for the blog. But what with all these distractions, plus the final shooting day of our new "episode" coming up Saturday, I simply can not find the time to do so. I hope you'll find forgiveness in your heart. If not, then might I suggest a great class at The Learning Annex, "Stress, Environment, and the Modern You: Delegation, Kindness, Forgiveness, Tact: Four Traits for Soul Cleansing: A Post-Holistic Approach." This wonderful 30-minute seminar is taught by the very present Murray Seacruft, late of Pablo Fanques Fair.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have only moments to defuse the following situation: