The Ultimate Foley Studio: Perpetuum Jazzile

A foley studio is a professional studio where sounds are recreated for a film. Ultimately the sounds that are made in the studio are often better than the real thing shot on location. In many films, as much as 90% of the sound is dubbed into a film after the actual film shoot. Getting great sound on location is often a big challenge and it's not unusual for obnoxious people to show up at a film location who start running (and creating lots of noise) leaf blowers or chainsaws. Their goal? A quick cash payoff to go away. My the world we live in. Anyway, here's a great a cappella group, Perpetuum Jazzile, performing Toto's Africa live at Vokal Xtravaganzza in 2008.  Note how well it's shot.  From wide to single performers.  Good stuff all around.

"War/No More Trouble" Music for Change: Ensemble Performance

As part of the Playing for Change series, this song is not the top viewed on YouTube, yet it's still a great one with some stellar performances including lead vocals by Bono.  Stellar musical artists from around the world are featured in this video series created by filmmaker Mark Johnson.

Smithsonian Museum Turns to YouTube for Citizen Direction

The Smithsonian (museum) is making an interesting request for feedback on its future. The museum is asking for submissions - call it thought sharing or crowd sourcing - "as [the Smithsonian] begins to imagine [its] future." Perhaps this shows that a museum filled with bones, historical papers and planes can offer nimble thinking too. The new movie  Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian  is also currently offering a nice spike to brand recognition.  Not many museums can gather the critical mass to make an experiment like this work.  We'll see how it fares. It's called the Smithsonian Voice Your Vision Project on YouTube.

Sitcoms Storm the Fall Network schedules. Cougar Bite Me!

After tallying the nets' fall programming announcements, it looks like comedy is king... again.  The nets are trying to get us all laughing after a trying and not so funny fall of '08.  Ten new sitcoms will grace the net schedules featuring stars such as - Kelsey Grammer, Chevy Chase, Jenna Elfman and my personal favorite - the 'high concept' show, COUGAR TOWN, starring good old Courtney Cox. The single camera comedy (as opposed to three-camera studio based shows) is one of four new comedies to join the ABC roster this fall.  Cougar Town will explore "the honest truths about dating and aging in our beauty and youth obsessed culture," according to ABC.  Cougars are hot... but don't forget about panthers and snow leopards (the oldest of the pride - the ones with white hair)?   So that's your cat fact for the day.  Now check out the ABC trailer for Cougar Town.

P&G Results Show Why Social Media is NO longer an Experiment

Just read GROUNDSWELL co-written by Josh Bernoff, Forrester Analyst.  His comments at a recent ad summit drive home the reason social media is being taken seriously be Fortune 500 advertisers and Madison Avenue.  Look at this site for P&G's Tampax targeting young teens - sorry men but it's a Tampax Site .  But it may not be what you think, it's a lifestyle site, not about the product and periods.  It's subtle stuff..... Check it out.  While it's not for those of us outside the demo, guess what --  IT WORKS.  According to Bernoff, per dollar spent on advertising this site is four times more effective than traditional advertising for P&G.  Perhaps this makes the Social Media doubters take pause?