[NEOPO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FilmShack', 'T')hanks folks, means a lot, you get nervous when you put yourself out there like that. Send it out to everyone, Neopo what does your avatar mean, it's a bit scary.

Patti

[seldom_seen]

are they real?

[skyemoor]

Patti,

Good lead-in video to your series. Some thoughts;

1. You might talk about how you are going to explain each of the topics in future shows in simple-to-establish/maintain steps. Your raised bed example can be a built-in teaser. Don't be afraid to use content hooks to get people eager to see your next show.

2. Speaking of teaser and hooks, you certainly got the attention of male viewers (I'm happily married and am looking forward to more of your series); any input from women on whether some of the busty intro clips could affect the interest of the average female viewer (single or married)? What is the demographic you are trying to reach? I'm willing to bet that your biggest draw will be families, as single guys tend to involved in many other pursuits (though you just might change their mindset). As much as it caught my attention, you might consider backing off of the intro pond dipping scene (as you have enough other [a tad more] subtle cleavage shots), though you might also have different versions for different markets.

3. Your articulate, upbeat manner helps keep people's attention and interest.

4. Have you considered discussing container ("lasagna gardening") and rooftop gardening for the more space-pinched urban dwellers in your series? What about moveable animal cages for suburban dwellers to utilize lawnmowing rabbits and chickens? And disease-resistant fruit and nut trees? Note that we also discuss raising rabbits and poultry in our Planning for the Future forum here at peakoil.com.

5. Are you going to have recaps on your website so that people can make a printout or have something static to refer back to when planning/building?

6. Good emphasis on goals ("feed your family xxx, yyy...", "save $ by ...", etc), without too much greentalk. You might even ask upfront, "Why garden?" and perhaps add to your exising material by talking about how gardening helps you relax, gives you a sense of accomplishment, can be started in baby steps by rank novices, a hedge against any disruption in the food supply chain, etc. You might even should a scrumptious plateful or two of appealing recipes (though not intended as a cooking spot) as another teaser/hook.

7. Your use of movement effectively keeps attention focused. I liked the way you closed your piece by strolling through your garden area. Your knitting together of short clips showing steps is a good execution of that classic videographer rule of thumb.

8. In your detailed shows in your series, you might discuss variations in the way something might be accomplished and the criteria by which people might do something slightly differently. For example, if people decide not to use rabbits, they might use a composting toilet (or both). The Japanese used to have their poultry cages over a corner of their ponds, as another way of recycling feed.

9. Discussing rabbits as pets or food sources will be a tightrope act for some, as most people do not associate pets with dinner fair. How might you keep from turning off vegetarian viewers? Egg laying chickens are fine with ovo-lacto types, of course.

10. How about incorporating some edible landscaping techniques, so that people will want to sit out in their backyard in a pleasing environment (and not think just about weeding or garden chores, for example). In other words, how can you make it visually appealing as well, instead of just utilitarian? Urban permaculture could be a fast growing segment.

11. Any plans to discuss companion planting?

12. Have you considered 4 season gardening tips? Raised bed frames can be constructed in a manner that makes it easy to transition to cold frames. While winter gardening might be difficult with lack of access to sunlight, more output in spring and fall could be a big plus.

Other comments forthcoming after we can see a list of the 30 shows with preliminary outlines.

[lateStarter]

Totally blown away! I would actually start watching TV again (or just buy the DVD) if something like this was available. Can't wait to show my wife... I doubt you will have any problems getting this done. Please, if you really believe in this (and I get the sense you are genuine - the real thing) - get this done. Hats off to your efforts!

Not to get ahead of things, but seems like lots of opportunity for in-depth coverage of various topics... So much to learn!

[maga]

Hi Patti,

wonderful work, presence, ideas, easy to grasp. Maybe to see more people and context around you in the movie would be good.

I had a lot of questions though to you and other people here: how do I contact this person? Is she real? Is she an actress? Does she have a series coming up? A website? A workshop series? Is she travelling to talk meet with people? With youth? Can we use this to outreach to communities with low level of earth and energy issues awareness? To sparkle dialogue and actions? Where is she based? Other community connections to build on this, or that have lead to this short video?

But all these questions mean one simple thing: great work, inspiring, I want to know more about you and your work, and best of luck with wider broadcasting and more filming. Keep us posted!

~Laura (Boston)

"The eyes of the future are looking back at us and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time" Terry Tempest Williams

How big is your ecological footprint? www.myfootprint.org

[FilmShack]

1. Seldom Seen: Everything I do is all natural.
2. Skymore: Thank you for the time and insite. In terms of the breasts, I am puerto rican and am dressed like a nun from a cultural perspective. If they are clouding the message or turning off viewers than I think they(the breasts) may be a problem. However if it helps spreads the message than so be it. I'm pretty sure most women don't care about my cleavage, they are more interested in the information that I'm shareing. I think at best case senario my appearance will only help us mainstream the message.

I haven't actually built the website yet. But I will. Everything I am trying to do is heavily influenced by the folks that came before me. It all began for me in the mid-1990's when I read the book Chicken Tractor. Thats what started me on my permaculture path. I feel as if we have so many topics for the show that can make the world a better place. Cooking will be a huge component of the show. I really want to show people how to eat foods that are in season. So in every episode I want to harvest and then prepare something directly from the garden. I don't think America is ready to see me harvest a bunnie and eat him. However, I will admit that rabbit tastes really good when well prepared.

Edible landscapes are ultimately what permaculture is all about. I have a mini orchard I planted last year that will be in the show. My apple trees in the spring look so good its frightening. All of my garden area's feature sitting area's. I really don't do any weeding, the animals and mulch take care of that for me.

Companion planting is one of the many pest reduction techniques I use, and I always plant corn and beans together. Works great! If and when we get picked up, I will definately look to this forum for advise and help before we go into production. When you sit doing this stuff you sometimes feel if your the only one doing it, and this site makes me feel like there is a community out there.

3. Neopo, thank you for explaining yourself. The images you are using are like playing with fire. But I respect your point of view. I lost a good friend on 911(he was on flight 11) so I'm personally conected to those events.

4. Laura, I am real. I'm not an actress. I am a film and video producer by trade and education. I was watching how to show's and said, I can do that why hire an actress? My plan is to make a series for the show. I think that creating a grass roots approach is the best way to get the series made, and also protect the message from being ruined by corporate. If we can show there is an audience for this show then the networks won't be able to dumb it down too much.(Please leave some comments on the google site and forward the link around to as many people as possible and ask them to do the same.) In terms of my website, I have so many ideas. For example I would love to put live webcams in the rabbit nests so that school kids could see the miracle of birth live in their classrooms. I think webcams that track animal growth would be super cool. I am located in Boston and starting next spring I think I will open my garden on saturdays for people(however my livestock is illegal so I'm going to have to get a permit for having what I call a "Demonstration Farmette". I don't want the city to take my precious goats from me! Please feel free to use me like a resource and if you want to help me put this together considering you could be my neighbor I would welcome the help.

So thank you people! I am very encouraged. Please keep pushing the link and leave some positive comments on the google site as well. Here in a Mass. we elected a governer grass roots style. Help me get this show out there with grass roots. The competion on google video is intense so please keep pushing this link out there so we can be legite to networks.

Thanks again,

Patti

[cynthia]

"I heat one of my cottages with a woodstove, personally I love it, but no one asks me to split it since the axe is too heavy for me to swing. Thats what men are for. "

Whoa! You're the same gal using a chop saw and power drill, while having your way with lumber?
I suggest a segment on the proper handling of axes/mauls and how to build a proper fire. Men aren't always around especially when they're sitting in front of computers with their tongues hanging in their laps looking at pretty women.
Keep up the good work. Your post was definately a breath of fresh air to these forums.
cynthia

[AnniCat]

Wonderful work Patti, I'm looking forward to hearing about your progress. You're definitely on the right path, and with new shows on HGTV like "Living With Ed," on the horizon you've got an in. People want to see exactly what you're about to produce. The timing is cutting edge and your presentation is very Rachel Ray (that is a compliment *g*) and will appeal to many.

[rdsaltpower]

great job Patti, My wife and I are going to raise some veggies and herbs this summer and we are also into alternative power, solar etc. We watch hdtv, food network etc. Your style of show would be right up our alley! Good luck.

[markam]

Excellent idea for a show. Just be careful shopping it around. You don't want someone to see what you are doing, think it has potential, and then create their own version, cutting you out.

You might consider consulting an attorney that works in the entertainment industry. I am sure you want to do this to raise awareness and help people, but I suspect that you also would like to make some money (not that there is anything wrong with that).

[skyemoor]

I recommend everyone who watches the video to leave a short note, making sure to click on the rating stars (otherwise you give a default rating of zero stars, like I did at first).

[MacG]

Hehe.. Well, that little trailer carries more weight than the entire po.com, with forums and all. My own posts included. Of course!

Merry X-mas

[Aaron]

Introducing the Garden Girl Avatar!

http://www.peakoil.com/images/gg.jpg

[donsgal]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FilmShack', 'H')i all, my name is Patti(Garden Girl). I have made a TV show sample that I think could be important for the furture and our planet and help people wean their consumption of oil. I need feedback before I try and take it to networks. If you like it forward the link around. I need as much feedback from as many people as possible. Thanks again, Patti

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... hack&hl=en

[FilmShack]

First of all I would like to thank you all. On monday of this week the google site was getting eight hits a day. Now on Sunday we're getting 500 hits a day! That is great! However there is a problem, see to be considered cool(Without having Jessica Simpson/Brittany or Paris in your video) you need to have thousands of hits and lots of comments on your site. So I ask you all to post the link:
(http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... =filmshack)

on other message boards, chat rooms, emails as much as you possibly can. It is the best way to prove the audience potential to the show and me and my little lap top can't possibly get it out as wide as it needs to go if it is going to be taken seriously. There are over ten thousand members to this site alone, I need everyones help.

Annicat: Thanks for the kind words. Rachel Ray clearly has connected with the mainstream and I would be blessed if our message could be so widely accepted.

RD: Sweet. I hope you and your wife have a great harvest. Don't get discouraged, my first planting was dissapointing. I thought I was a plant killer for a while(until I realized that ;the Chlorine in my city water was killing my the microbiology in my soil)!

Markam: So, my Mom was very concerned about people stealing the idea as well. Frankly what I decided was that they can't steal me and this is my actual life. Because I actually do and live this, my show is very unique. Frankly I want to see lots of shows on this subject, mine is unique because of me and my personal expertise that networks would make bad copies of with a pretty host who has no idea what they are actually doing. The other thing that they can't steal is my method, which is designed for being in a urban environment.

Aaron: Who is that girl with the goat? Oh my god it's me! Thank you very much, forever in your debt. I hope folks like it too. It is my first avatar!

Donsgal: Thank you very much! As I mentioned earlier, really just help post the link anywhere and everywhere and help us build the traffic to the google site. Thanks for the great comments there as well! We are developing a website. Some folks I met here may be pitching in and helping with that as well, I welcome all the help I can get on this project. It is a big project that we need to take step by step. The first step is getting into a postion to be taken seriously by the networks, so we need traffic!

Cynthia: Good looking out girlfriend! These guys need to get some fresh air and produce something(other then testosterone)! Can I run my car on testosterone?

Again, thank you all, I look forward to talking with you all again. It's a lot of fun.

Thanks again,

Patti

[FilmShack]

So, I just got banned from HGTV's message board! We had really good response, one of them even started a new thread about helping get the message out. The HGTV viewers were complaining about how little gardening there was on home and garden. This just illustrates how hard it is to get the attention of the corporates and how important it is for them to crush the message, even when it is completely sugar coated for mainstream america. Oh well, you can bring a horse to water, but you can't make'em drink.

All bummed out--Patti

[Ludi]

Patti, I've got a friend in the TV biz in Los Angeles who's willing to give pointers about how to shop your property to the producers, but she's busy with another project for a week or so, but then will be able to give me the info to pass onto you (or I'll see if she can talk to you directly). So hold on, we'll get you seen by the right people!

[ThePostman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('FilmShack', 'H')i all, my name is Patti(Garden Girl). I need feedback before I try and take it to networks. If you like it forward the link around. I need as much feedback from as many people as possible. Thanks again, Patti

[FilmShack]

How do I upload a a pfd file for you all to check out?

Thanks Patti