PHOTOGRAPHY: In These Tough Economic Times, Invest in...Alien Bees?

I’ve found that people who know anything at all about Paul C. Buff’s Alien Bees strobes either love them or hate them.

Proponents laud their affordability and reliability, Buff’s repair policy, and overall customer service. AB haters, on the other hand, deride everything from the admittedly goofy colors they come in (although you can always buy basic black…), to their “cheap” look and feel (they’re made of Lexan—which is actually bullet-proof glass material—rather than metal), to the quality of the light they produce. At least one naysayer I’ve read on the web goes so far as to call Paul C. Buff himself a con man.

Click to read more ...

MUSIC: Goner Records, Memphis' Own Independent Store & Label

Off to Memphis, strange place for a yankee / ex-patriot. The food will blow you away and there is a little corner store that will make your world all come into focus. That would be Goner Records, a shop that is also a record label. They produce some of the most stripped-down garage punk bands in the land. The late Jay Reatard was one of the label’s stars.

Click to read more ...

Kickstart Paden Fallis' "The Play About the Coach" in NYC

Last fall, we shared an interview with New York-based writer and actor, Paden Fallis. He was in the midst of preparing for a run of his second original one-man play, Dark at the End of the Tunnel, as part of the United Solo Festival in NYC.

Paden’s first original piece, The Play About the Coach, convincingly creates an entire NCAA basketball game from the coach’s point of view—no mean feat for a single performer. The play received critical acclaim for its commissioned run at Dallas’ Out of the Loop Festival, as well as the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, and workshop runs at The Tank and The Peoples Improv Theatre (PIT) in New York. It will play the DC Fringe Festival in July.

A full New York production is the next step for this unique piece, which appeals to theatre and sports fans alike—in itself is a bit of a rarity. To begin raising the substantial funds required for a full New York production, Fallis has setup a Kickstarter campaign, with the realistic goal of $6000. 

As with any Kickstarter, the complete goal must be reached in order to fund the project. We hope you’ll consider supporting this unique production.

Check out the video below and pledge your support now through March 31, 2012.

APP: Flipboard Puts All Your Social Media into a Digital Magazine

Pocket-sized social magazine Flipboard is a new(ish) 5-star app for your phone or iPad that creates a personalized magazine of everything you follow, integrating your Facebook and Twitter feeds into a magazine-style visual presentation right along with more traditional magazines you might follow. Like everything else in social media, you have to try it out to understand how interesting it can be. And, of course, it’s free (<—- You’ve already sold your identity so might as well get your money’s worth.)

VIDEO: The RAARR Exhibit Brings Kids Into the Creative Process

Raarr (pronounced RAAARRGHHH!) is an exhibition of collaborative zoological drawings. But the beauty of the concept is that the illustrations are started by adults, and finished by school kids.

22 illustrators were commissioned to draw a reptile, bird, mammal, amphibian, fish, or insect—without completing the head or face. The kids add the heads, and colors, and anything else they like.

We all know who learns the most when working creatively with children. All agencies should have some kids available for feedback. The results are on view at The Book Club in London, and given their calendar or events, we wish they would expand to New York City.