by The Editors on July 25, 2011
Forgive us for going a little overboard on the surf lately. The world’s largest surf event (The Nike US Open of Surfing) is kicking off this weekend in Huntington Beach, California and it seems that every single brand in surf has a video event coming up. Most will be showing at Newport Beach’s Lido Theatre.
One of the films premiering there next week is Transworld Surf’s Surprise Excitement Party staring Conner and Parker Coffin, Michel Bourez, John Florence, Mark Healey and others. The film debuts on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at 8:30 PM. The showing is free and open to civilians.
by The Editors on July 20, 2011
Shaun White was in New York City on Monday night July 18, 2011 to attend the premiere of the Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis film Friends With Benefits at the Ziegfeld Theater. In the film Shaun White plays himself, apparently, according to a story on Entertainment Alley. As they said:
Benefits screenwriters, Keith Merryman and David A. Newman were also in attendance, as was Olympic-winning snowboarder Shaun White – who plays himself in the flick. The “Flying Tomato” rocks, but his porn ‘stache is kind of freaking me out!
Can’t say we disagree. Will be interesting to see him freaking out on the big screen. Friends opens around the country Friday, July 22, 2011.
[Link: Entertainment Alley]
by The Editors on July 12, 2011
Proving it’s not all MMA and rally car driving at FUEL TV these days, the action cable network announced today that they will run live coverage of the surf, skate, and BMX finals from the NIke US Open of Surfing on Sunday August 7, 2011 beginning at 1:30 PM PST.
“The 2011 Nike US Open of Surfing is surfing’s biggest and most-watched event,” says Scott Paridon, FUEL TV’s VP of Production and Development. “It’s an honor to be the primary television partner and provide astonishing coverage of the various competitions throughout the entire weekend.”
If we had cable TV we’d be looking forward to being astonished. Follow the jump for more details. [click to continue…]
by The Editors on June 29, 2011
Since dropping out of the print world we’ve missed a few of the goings on in the business of dead trees.
Apparently, in January of 2011, infamous graphic designer David Carson announced the launch of a new print magazine named, not surprisingly, Carson Magazine. Since then two issues have reportedly been printed. We’ve see neither of them, and from the looks of a message on David Carson’s personal website, it would appear that we never will. Things don’t seem to be going well at the magazine six months after launch. Here’s what Carson says:
david carson has no connection whatsoever with the website and magazine calling itself “carson mag”, nor the RECENTLY formed ( from the same people) delaware based corporation calling itself “carson media” legal action is pending and no other comments can be made at this point. june 27, 2011.
Sounds like another case of investors deciding they know more about business than the artists do. Which brings us to reminder number #57: Don’t put your name on something unless you plan on owning at least 51 percent of it forever.
[Link: David Carson and Carson Mag]
by The Editors on June 21, 2011
It must have been a sad day in the Thrasher Magazine office today as they said goodbye to another of the company’s founders Eric Swenson (August 4, 1947 to June 20, 2011).
People talk, but seldom act. Eric Swenson got things done. Never one to clamor for the spotlight, he preferred the hard work, orchestrating the show from behind the scenes. It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of a dear friend and one of our founders. His mark on skateboarding is extraordinary. Without him there would be no Thrasher Magazine, Independent trucks, or Spitfire wheels, to name a few.
He is shown in a 1983 MoFo photo on the left with Craig Stecyk and Fausto Vitello in 1983 in San Francisco. Our thoughts are with Swenson’s family and friends.
[Link: Thrasher Magazine]
by The Editors on June 7, 2011
Suggesting that it’s never too late to launch a video portal Transworld Media has aggregated all of their video content into one site and called it, Transworld TV, according to a story on Transworld Business.
“We´ve finally delivered the perfect platform to service all of TransWorld Media´s original content and exclusive partner videos,” said Editorial Director Rob Campbell. “This makes TransWorld an immediate player in digital content delivery, capable of serving the best video programming whenever our audience demands it.”
Guess playing catch up with ASG’s GrindTV probably isn’t that bad an idea if that’s the business you’re in.
[Link: Transworld Business]
by The Editors on May 25, 2011
The ultimate skate shoe history book, Made For Skate, is now an iPad app. For those who’ve never seen the book, or worn out the print version, this app comes as a welcome e-relief. It is absolutely FREE. If we had an iPad we’d download it right now. Guess we’ll have to wait until we’re at Grandma’s house.
[Link: Made For Skate via N-SB.org]
by The Editors on May 17, 2011
Can’t fault ESPN executives for playing into one of their few sports property strengths. Today, as just one of the items the company rolled out to advertisers during “2011 upfronts” ESPN announced that they are doubling the number of live, faux-sporting, action entertainment television events to a total of six for the coming three years, according to a story in the LA Times.
Currently, X Games events are held in Los Angeles during the summer and in Aspen, Colo., and Tignes, France, during the winter. Under the new plan, called Global X, four events will be held outside the U.S. ESPN will hold a competitive bidding process beginning in 2012 to select the three new locations, which will be signed to three-year agreements and work with ESPN to stage the events.
Not surprisingly ESPN’s Senior Vice President of Programming and Global X Games Scott Guglielmino is “incredibly excited to take the X Games to the next level.” More events, more coverage, more sponsors, more money, more dilution, more irrelevance. Sounds like a perfect plan.
[Link: LA Times and Broadcasting & Cable]
by The Editors on May 12, 2011
For a guy responsible for millions of kids sitting indoors all day playing video games, it is so quaint that Tony Hawk announced today (May 12, 2011) that he is launching a 24 volume series of SF adventure novels for kids 10 – 14 titled, Tony Hawk’s 900 Revolution with Capstone Publishing Group, according to a story on Publishers Weekly.
The series is inspired by Hawk’s feat, first accomplished in 1999: successfully completing in a competition a 2.5 revolution, 900 degree aerial spin on his skateboard. The premise behind the series is that when Hawk lands his initial 900-degree aerial spin, a mysterious force shatters his skateboard, catapulting pieces of it all over the world. A group of teenagers set out on a quest to collect the pieces of the magical skateboard, and put it together again, thus restoring its powers.
We’d get critical, but at this point anything that gets kids away from the video games is fine with us. Happy birthday, Tony!
[Link: Publishers’ Weekly]
by The Editors on May 9, 2011
We don’t follow the energy drink world too closely. We find few things uglier than cool, respected athletes peddling caffeinated sugar water. That said, we had to laugh we we saw the recent article in AdWeek touting Red Bull’s new (in America, anyway) magazine Red Bulletin. No one explains what they’re after better than URB Magazine publisher and Red Bulletin associate publisher Raymond Roker.
“The perception is that there is content and there’s advertising,” Roker adds. “We’re challenging that perception that the media industry is still holding on to. The audience grows up and understands their athlete has brand logo stickers all over the board and the helmet, and that’s OK. If the end result is a good piece of content, parsing where it comes from is missing the point.”
Roker has worked in the music media business for years so we understand why he finds it hard to believe there should be a difference between editorial and advertising, but people should understand that anyone with Roker’s perspective on “content” is definitely working solely in the “advertising” space.
For a better look at where Red Bull’s “perception challenging” eventually ends check out David Foster Wallace’s The Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment, Mike Judge’s Idiocracy, or Morgan Spurlock’s POM Wonderful presents:The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. It isn’t pretty, but then we’ve been purposefully missing the point for years.
[Link: Adweek]
