I Need Your Opinion!

Hey guys! I'm still kinda ticked over the whole thing with Amber Benson's DRONES and the SyFy Channel's series "Human Relations". I just finished an article that didn't make me feel better about the situation. I posted a comment, trying to be as objective as possible, but I don't think I was all that objective. I tend to side with Amber. But I tried! Anyway, here's the comment I posted. You guys let me know what you think! I anxiously await your feedback!

"My opinion. I love Amber Benson. Although there are coincidences made in the creative world, I don't believe this was one of them. I was priviledged enough to see DRONES at the Slamdance Film Festival and remember thinking what a neat concept it was. I also remember the trailer being covered on SyFy, which leads me to believe they knew exactly what they were doing when the idea for "Human Relations" was pitched. In a previous entry, there was the comment from Prendergast saying he'd been working on it since 2008, which still places it being brought to the table AFTER the wheel for DRONES was set into motion. Also, the comment wondering where their synopsis came from, at film festival I attended, the verbal introductions were the same as the synopsis given by Benson in her blog. Also, it wasn't her idea that was claimed to be lifted... it would have been Acker and Blacker's idea. I'm not saying it was lifted, but I fully believe that SyFy knew exactly what they were doing when they set the field in motion for "Human Relations". To be fair, most people don't even know the name Amber Benson, unless they followed "Buffy", and still most only know her as Tara. Adam Busch's name definitely isn't "Big Hollywood", and while Prendergast's name is an mostly unknown except for maybe as the director of KABLUEY, he's still working for a major television network, so I'd consider that more "Big Hollywood" than Amber Benson or Adam Busch of late. Who's to say this isn't possibly a publicity stunt for SyFy? It certainly isn't harming them that their new program is getting buzz, negative or otherwise. Say the idea wasn't ripped off of Acker and Blacker's work. It still begs the question why SyFy would choose now to come out with this concept for a series. I think it's a possibility they could have known what would happen. Either that or they thought Amber and Adam were too stupid to figure out what was going on before the show aired. It doesn't explain why they would wait until 7 months before DRONES is set to release to make a series from it if they've had the concept all along. All this being said, I don't believe Benson owes anyone a retraction OR an apology. She never came right out and said the idea was lifted; she merely said that it was coincidental. And that point of fact CANNOT be argued. If she has no tangible proof, so what? He doesn't have any either. It's your basic argument of "he said/she said". If anyone is at fault, I believe the blame lays with SyFy. They fully know what is being promoed on their site, and I can guarantee you at least one person from the network made a film festival to see DRONES, so I believe they were fully cognitive of the situation. There is room in the market for similar products, but even in regards to knock off items, have the decency to let the one that was developed first get on its feet before adding to the mix. Indie films have a hard enough time making it as it is, no matter who's directing."

So there ya have it! What do ya'll think?

Miffed

Hey guys! Long time no talk! I wanted to share something with you all that has really irritated me. A few months ago, a film called DRONES, co-directed by Amber Benson and Adam Busch and written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The trailer for the film looked promising, and it didn't disappoint. I don't want to give much of it away for those of you who haven't had the opportunity to see the film yet, but trust me when I say it takes a lot to impress me with a film, and this one did.
This little indie film is set in an office environment and takes place over the course of a week, following the life of Brian Dilks, an office drone who discovers that he may... or may not... be working with aliens who may... or may not... be planning to take over the earth. Yeah, I'm not telling which it is because I want you guys to be sure to see the film when it comes out. The lack of special effects in the movie make it that much better than almost anything mainstream Hollywood would ever be able to put together. The screenplay and dialogue is witty, catty, and just plain hillarious all at the same time thanks to the incredible writing team of Acker and Blacker, who also do the Thrilling Adventure Supernatural and Suspense Hour in Los Angeles; if you're out that way, make a stop in and check it out. The directors, what can I say? It's clear on the film that they knew what they were doing one hundred percent. Everything sounds peachy keen, right? So, you may be wondering what the downside is. I'm about to tell ya.
I have this pal o' mine that was nice enough to keep me posted on all things Twitter while my internet was down from moving over the weekend. I get a text message. "The whole DRONES thing sucks for Amber Benson." I was like, "Wait, what?" I was very confused. You never realize how much you miss until there's no cyber space... Anyhow, back to the story. After waiting patiently, and kinda worriedly, for the next text, I find out that the SyFy Channel is releasing a television series that is remarkably similar to the DRONES movie. I could have hit something. Namely... the SyFy Channel people. You know what? It doesn't even deserve capital letters. syfy channel. There. I like that better. I don't lose my temper all that often, but seeing someone's hard work just ripped off like that... infuriates me. Amber Benson was more diplomatic in her blog about this subject, but I don't have to be. I said RIPPED OFF.
When someone takes the mind spawn of two brilliant men like Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, changes the names of the character and the name of the show, but has the same plot line. IT'S THE SAME THING WITH A DIFFERENT NAME! I mean, COME ON! Acker and Blacker wrote the script in six days. Angela Bettis was brought on one day before filming. The crew pulled up dolly track so the camera could make a full circle, for Pete's sake! Hence the reasoning of the irritation, considering it's pretty much unheard of for a script to be done in that amount of time, or for an actress to do that well in a film in only one day's time. Chances are, the Syfy Channel, a mainstream cable network, probably took all of two seconds to rip the idea off.
Like Amber Benson said in her blog(found here: http://amberbensonwrotethis.blogspot.com/2010/07/drones-tv-show.html) people have similar ideas for programs and products all the time. I mean, look at Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Similar and yet different. However, truth be told, the recipe for Coca-Cola was stolen from an INDEPENDENT Pharmacy and taken to a pharmaceutical CHAIN to be used as cough syrup before the carbonation was added to make it a tasty beverage. So, yeah, not so much a fresh idea as a rip off... much like syfy has done to the creators and proud parents of DRONES. I, for one am miffed, and don't plan on sitting idly by. I'm thinking boycotting the network's programs. I've started a petition which can be signed here: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/saveourdrones
If you guys want to band together to possibly help getting the network to not release the series, sign the petition(for anyone) and add a DRONES twibbon to your Twitter profile pic, for those of you who have Twitter. Be sure to see DRONES when it is released in March 2011. Let's bring 'em down!
BRING IT ON SYFY!!!!!

Cat's Claw Giveaway

Hi guys! I hope enverything is going awesomely fantabulous out ya'll's way! Wanted to take a few minutes and chat with you guys about a little project I was brought on board with.
My pal, Jenny B, approached me a couple of weeks ago, and asked if I'd help her out on something she was working on, and you just have to understand the coolness of Jenny B to know why I said yes after knowing her for a short amount of time. She has to be one of the most warm hearted and generous people I know, and she a big Amber Benson fan, and we ALL know where I stand on that issue! YAY, Amber! Wow... I got sidetracked... imagine that... ANYWAY, so Jenny has this plan, and so of course I tell her I'll help her in whatever way I can, even though at this point I have no clue what I'm getting myself into.
The big day arrives, and finally I get the email with a description of Jenny's master plan. Here's where you guys find out the awesomeness that is her. Although she doesn't have a Twitter page or anything, she keeps up on it. She's been looking at the people that have been tweeting(yep, I checked it is OFFICIALLY in the dictionary) about wanting Amber's newest book in the Calliope Reaper-Jones series entitled Cat's Claw. For those of you not familiar with the series, the first book is called Death's Daughter, and they are TOTALLY worth reading! Jenny was seeing a lot of people wanting copies of Cat's Claw that, because of reasons which I'm sure aren't lost on any of us in the economy at the moment, haven't been able to purchase. So Jen decides she's going to obtain X amount of copies and give them away for free with no strings attached, not something you get much in this day and time. She brought me and a couple of other folks on board to help her with getting the word out since we had resources of reaching people that she did not.
I'm not sure how much of you guys keep tabs on Amber Benson, but she's a busy lady. She's one of those actresses with her head not in the clouds, and seems to be more concerned with her fans and helping other than making a buck. Her new movie DRONES, which was co directed with Adam Busch, was just screen at the Egyptian Theater in LA to benefit a phenominal charity called 826LA. For those of you not familiar with said charity, it's a WONDERFUL program they have set up out in the LA area that teaches kids how to use the creative stores of their mind with teachers that encourage them to do things such as write, which is almost a lost artform is schools nowadays. So again, Miss Benson gave her time, and the screening of a REALLY AWESOME movie, and donated the proceeds to the awesome charity. So, Jen thought a way for a few of her fans to sort of give back to her and help some more people out in the process was to do the free giveaways for Cat's Claw. Fun plan!
Anyhow, I'm going to wrap up here, but if you guys would like, or know anyone that would like a free copy of Cat's Claw, no hooks, no gimmicks, and no money out of pocket, please send an email to black93transam@yahoo.com and watch for an email from the Jedi Master of BS(edited b/c I don't know if any kiddies are reading), or if ya have any questions, feel free to tweet me @tholmes86 and I'll be happy to answer what I can! The giveaway is US ONLY so please keep it in the states! Thanks guys! Thanks to Amber Benson, just for being the coolness of you, and thanks to Jenny B for being the terriffic person you are, and for bringing me on board to assist you! Hugs my friend!
Talk to you guys next time!