Beatbox Giant Productions

ASK A NINJA: Question 13 "Ninjas Hate Clooney"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Wed, 1 Mar 2006 16:42:00 -0800

Kyle asks the Ninja about the movie, "The Perfect Storm," and finds out about a ninja named Perfect Storm.
Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)
iPod
Quicktime
WMV
MP3

If you like it, tell a friend!

You got questions, Ninja got answers.

Previous Episodes of Ask A Ninja

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

ASK A NINJA: Special Delivery 1 "What is Podcasting?"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 12:47:00 -0800

The Ninja explains podcasting to people over the age of 12.
Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

WMV

MP3

If you like it, tell a friend!

You got questions, Ninja got answers.

Previous Episodes of Ask A Ninja

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

ASK A NINJA: Question 12 "Ninja Colds"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 21:12:00 -0800

Marty asks the Ninja if ninjas can catch colds.
Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod
Quicktime
WMV
MP3(experimental)

If you like it, tell a friend!

You got questions, Ninja got answers.

Previous Episodes of Ask A Ninja

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

MEDIA: Business Week Interviews Douglas And Kent

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 10:51:00 -0800

http://www.businessweek.com/mediacenter/podcasts/podcasting/podcastbiz_02_22_06.htm

Douglas Sarine and Kent Nichols, the co-creators of the Ask a Ninja video blog, talk about why they see an opportunity for video bloggers to break out. Veterans of the TV and animated world, they discuss their plans to help other video bloggers commercialize their works by creating a network. And they share some of the lessons they've learned about blogging, including the all-important need for consistency

Download the MP3

ASK A NINJA: Question 11 "Ninja Dogs"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 22:18:00 -0800

John asks the Ninja if he can train his dog to be a ninja.

Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

WMV (Coming later this week or sooner if someone out sends the Ninja a clean encode of this episode)

If you like it, tell a friend!

You got questions, Ninja got answers.

Previous Episodes of Ask A Ninja

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Ask A Ninja: Question 10 "Ninja Metal"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Thu, 9 Feb 2006 03:12:00 -0800

Matt asks the Ninja if ninjas are metal.
Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

WMV

If you like it, tell a friend!

You got questions, Ninja got answers.

Previous Episodes of Ask A Ninja

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Ask A Ninja: Question 9 "Ninja Love"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Wed, 1 Feb 2006 12:00:00 -0800

Jason's "wife" asks the Ninja if ninjas can love.

Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

WMV (experimental give feedback if the file has problems)

If you like it, tell a friend!

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Ask A Ninja: Question 8 "Roger"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 09:51:00 -0800

Mark asks the Ninja if ninjas are following him.

Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

If you like it, tell a friend!

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Ask A Ninja: Question 7 "Ninja Grub"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:28:00 -0800

Sandeep asks the Ninja about what kind of food Ninjas eat.

Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

If you like it, tell a friend!

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Flash version will be up as soon as YouTube gets it ready.

Ask A Ninja: Question 6 "Master of Disguise"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 19:30:00 -0800

Nina asks a Ninja about how one can become a master of disguise.

Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

If you like it, tell a friend!

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Flash version will be up as soon as YouTube finishes processing it.

Askaninja.com

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Mon, 9 Jan 2006 02:04:00 -0800

A lot of people have been asking us to get better organized on the site.

One of the limitations of Blogger is that there's no neat little categories -- but they do allow you to have multiple blogs.

So AskANinja.com is live and points to AskANinja.blogspot.com. It has it's own Podcast feed, so if you're only interested in Ninja-type stuff, go there and subscribe.

This site will continue to feature Ask A Ninja, as well as our video journals and our other projects.

Ask A Ninja: Question 5 "Ninja Skills"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Mon, 9 Jan 2006 01:00:00 -0800

Andy asks a Ninja about the different types of Ninja skills.

Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

If you like it, tell a friend!

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Ask A Ninja: Question 4 "Hiring A Ninja"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Thu, 5 Jan 2006 19:20:00 -0800

Have you ever wondered how you can hire a ninja if you want someone killed? The ninja tells you how.

Click below to Download this movie:
(Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows)

iPod

Quicktime

If you like it, tell a friend!

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Remember to send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

To the huffy man at the post office

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Thu, 5 Jan 2006 12:17:00 -0800

When you go to the post office a certain amount of abuse and neglect is
expected. The lines are long, the employees few.

You cussing loudly on your cell phone was a particular delight. Your
inability to call 411 was charming, the failure of your 1999-era cell
phone and wired-in earpiece was inspired.

Thank you for making our shared time in line just fly right by.

--
Kent Nichols
Kinzai Ninjas

Small Gift From LA

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 19:29:00 -0800

I'm sitting in my car listening to Gene Wilder talking about Richard
Pryor and Mel Brooks.

Looking at the view of LA from the top of the Arclight's parking lot is
a small treasure. The structure is busier than I thought it would be,
and I found myself guided to the top level.

When I got here I saw the quiet, mist-shrouded city. This week LA gets
abandoned by its temporary lovers, the summer sun residents who return
to the hinterlands to visit their spawning grounds.

For those of us native to this sunny shangrila(sp?) we enjoy the empty
freeways and uncrowded malls. But it feels empty, less than whole. A
university town on summer break.

This view is the perfect small gift from the city I've grew up next to
and that I now call home.

Thanks LA, thanks Arclight.

--
Kent Nichols
Kinzai Ninjas

Ask A Ninja: Question 3 "Ninja Training"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 02:57:00 -0800

A ninja answers Jeff's question about how to become a ninja.

Click here to Download this movie (Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows):

iPod

Quicktime

If you like it, tell a friend!

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Ask A Ninja: Question 2 "Ninja Santa"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 17:20:00 -0800

A ninja answers Simone's question: Do Ninjas celebrate Christmas?

Click here to Download this movie (Use 'Save As' Control Click for Macs and Right Click For Windows):

iPod

Quicktime

If you like it, tell a friend!

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

The New World

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 22:02:00 -0800

This is Terrence Malick's new film starring Colin Ferrell.

The opening sequence is amazing. No words are spoken and there's this
great music and it just builds a feeling like everything is going to
change. Two huge forces are about to collide and nothing in the world
will ever be the same.

So those first few moments are transcendant. Then the whole thing bogs
down into a swamp of boredom and malaise.

Slooooow.

We left after two hours.

--
Kent Nichols
Kinzai Ninjas

GROSS-OUT FLICK TOPS IFILM VIRAL VIDEOS

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 23:51:00 -0800

Los Angeles—“Four Years Running” has raced to the top of the iFilm.com Viral Comedy Videos with over 12,000 views in just four days. This is a testament to the skill of emerging filmmakers who are showing Hollywood what works in this dynamic new medium. The film has stormed up the iFilm charts and boasts more views than many mainstream movie trailers.

“Our budget was less than $500,” said writer/director Kent Nichols. “It’s cool that we can compete with the big boys and win on sites like iFilm.”

The success of “Four Years Running” proves that in the world of Internet films it pays to be outrageous. The film is about a woman who grew up on a semen farm.

“The topic may be a little gross, but it’s also very touching and sweet,” said Nichols, “I think that’s why it works, when you are creating content for the net you have to play by a different set of rules.”

Nichols is leveraging his expertise in Internet content creation to produce an original animated series called, “Kinzai Ninjas.” He feels independent producers have finally found a place where they have an advantage over more established players because they are only beholden to their audience.

“On the Internet there are no gatekeepers,” he said. “If people like your stuff they watch it, if the don’t, they won’t”.

Kent Nichols is the winner of the 2003 International 48 Film Project. In 2005 he co-founded Beatbox Giant Productions, LLC to produce “Kinzai Ninjas” an original animated series that will be distributed by a major Internet portal in 2006.

Kent's Video Journal: Ep. 10 "Santee Alley"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Sat, 17 Dec 2005 03:24:00 -0800

Click on the links below and save the file (control click on a Mac and Right Click on Windows).

iPod Version

Quicktime Version

And if you like it, tell a friend!

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

King Kong

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 00:04:00 -0800

I went to go see King Kong at the midnight show at the Arc Light. Great
festive mood. A couple Xboxen 360 playing the Kong game, a Lexus 350 (a
car I've lusted after, but after sitting in it I'm way too tall to own
one) and a ton of people. Sorta shocking to see on a Tuesday night.

--
Kent Nichols
Kinzai Ninjas

The Indie TV Movement is Here

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 02:39:00 -0800

We have crossed a milestone with this weekend's announcement that TiVo has entered into an agreement with the popular web show Rocketboom. Finally a model for independent television is upon us.

Right now the television shows are developed by a handful of trusted writer/producers in Hollywood who have become trusted enough to pitch there show ideas to the Networks. They've gained this trust by working on other television shows or by being incredibly success in another medium such as film, or books, or porn. If you're not one of these trusted people, the networks will not talk to you about your ideas.

These pitches are then considered by the network suits and a few are chosen to be turned into full fledged pilot scripts. These scripts are then read and fewer still are made into actual pilots and then the best pilots make it to air where most of them fail to generate the 8-15 million viewers required to stay on the air.

In the last year with maturity of mRSS and the wide dispersal of high-quality digital video production tools, video podcasting has exploded. For the new kids on the block, video podcasting allows programs like iTunes and FireAnt to automatically download video content. It's like signing up for a season pass on TiVo. Once you find a podcast you like, you can tell these programs to always download the newest content when it appears on the net.

That's the groundwork, and now with this TiVo deal you can add that same sort of functionality to your television set through TiVo.

Great. But how does that change anything? Well, it changes things because it gives TiVo an incentive to make other deals with indie producers so that they can distinguish themselves from the generic PVR boxes more and more cable and satellite providers are giving to their customers.

It also will allow for a model where indie producers will have incentive to create longer DVD-length pilots for their shows on the cheap. Why go to a big network that's just going to shit all over your idea when you can produce your own content the way you want it and then take it to the network when you have built a following through TiVo and iTunes. If you can prove your show is being watched by a million people, you're getting close to what the average viewership is on basic cable.

How will the producers make money? Subscribers, DVD sales, and small interactive ads for the people who don't subscribe. The subscribers is a simple extension of how people pay for cable today. ESPN gets around $2.50 out of your monthly cable bill to support it's programming. That works out to $30 a year and about eight cents for each day's Sports Center.

If you charge people $5 or $10 a year to subscribe to your entire archive and get extra content and early access to your new shows you should see a fairly sizable subscriber base (10%-ish). It's important to not that you still give away your content freely on the net and TiVo, but you just charge a reasonable fee for subscription and you treat your free customers with respect.

The market for DVDs is impressive. Sales of TV show DVD is very strong, and it costs under $2 to physically produce a DVD. Add the usual bevvy of special features and DVD only content and you should be able to sell enough discs to recoup your costs with a healthy profit.

Advertising. Again this should not be intrusive. But a simple ad at the end of your content will bring in enough money to fund the project and not be annoying to the viewers. And this ad would not appear on the subscriber's content, this would only be for your free viewers.

So that's where the money comes from, but where does the content come from?

On the indie film front, one of the most innovative companies in film is InDigEnt. They produce films for $150,000 where everyone on the crew gets paid $100 a day and then receives profit participation when the film sells. This is the model for how indie television should be made.

A typical network pilots costs in the millions of dollars, cable a little less. 15 indie pilots could be made for each network pilot. And the indie pilot would be a lot longer than a network pilot.

If you look at shows like the original BBC series The Office, the first season consists of six episodes, with a running time of around 170 minutes. The show did a second season and a few specials in Great Britain and was developed into a full fledged American sitcom too.

Indie Television would do the same thing. We'd create 90-120 minutes of original content that would be divided into weekly episodes. Episodes would be from 5-15 minutes, released weekly for 10-20 weeks and then sold as a DVD. Successful shows would have multiple seasons and have the possibility of moving up to a bigger network if the audience is there.

Projects would have budgets no larger than $150,000 for an entire season with everyone paid the same and have a share of the profits (the more involved you are the bigger the percentage). And the copyrights and intellectual property would be shared with the people putting up the money and the show creators (with the majority going to the creators).

The seasons themselves would serve as pilots for the networks. It would be instantly clear through downloads and DVD sales which shows were popular and striking a chord with audiences. Those shows would either move wholesale to the networks, or be redeveloped for the network. But the network would go in knowing that was an existing, interested audience.

A model like this will unclog the creative arteries of Hollywood. It would allow many flowers to bloom and let the shows with true potential find their audiences. It would also allow writers to take greater risks with experimenting with new forms of storytelling that are outside of the traditional four camera sitcom and single camera drama.

It could turn Television in the new millennium into what cinema was in the late 1960s and 1970s was -- a place for young and talented storytellers to flex their muscles and tell stories like they've never been told before.

Will a system like this produce high production value shows like Lost? Probably not, audiences will always love a big spectacles that only millions of dollars can produce. But sitcoms? Reality shows? This model will set those genres on their ears. If I see another fat husband/hot wife sitcom I'm going gouge out my eyes and feed them to a goat.

Okay bad example, I'd fuck the goat anyway (that's just how I roll).

But the talent is out there and the tools are in there hands. All it takes now is someone with a little money and vision to really start doing it.

--

Kent Nichols
http://beatboxgiant.blogspot.com

Kent's Video Journal: Ep. 9 "HVX200"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Thu, 8 Dec 2005 02:00:00 -0800

Quicktime Version Here

iPod Version Here

Kent visits the DV Expo West and checks out a revolutionary new camera, the Panasonic HVX200 that runs on Linux.

Read the discussions about the camera here.

And if you like it, tell a friend!

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Ask A Ninja: Question #1: The Ninja-Mart Store

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 02:58:00 -0800

A ninja answers Matt's questions about when and where ninjas get their uniforms.

You've got questions, ninjas got answers.

Send your questions to askaninja@gmail.com.

Click here to Download this movie.

And if you like it, tell a friend!

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.

Kent's Video Journal: Ep. 8 "Japan Expo"

beatboxgiant@gmail.com (Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine) — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 03:18:00 -0800

Kent talks about editing the Kinzai Ninjas trailer and visits the Japan Expo.

Click here to Download this movie.

And if you like it, tell a friend!

This is a podcast and can be automagically downloaded to you computer through iTunes.

Please upgrade to the newest version of Quicktime.