It should go without saying, but don’t read this post if you’re not interested in my editorial opinion of Gemini Division’s first two episodes.

I just watched the first two episodes of Gemini Division, the much hyped Rosario Dawson online sci-fi series that launched today and is having its moment in the spotlight as web-series de jour.

Along with many folks, I had high hopes for Gemini. I saw it as a chance to move the ball forward for web video. On paper, the project looks strong: Rosario is a recognizable celebrity with digital and genre crowd street cred, Electric Farm is a production company with funding and previous online experience and NBC Digital is a major distributor with enough promotional muscle and presence to drive traffic where and when it desires.

Along with many folks, (update:more here, and in the comments on Hulu here), I’m disappointed with the first two episodes.  Here’s why: (more…)

Humanzee, James Gunn’s new Xbox show about the trials and tribulations of growing up in American as a half-human, half-chimpanzee teenager, just got a write-up on the official website of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Bratislava has been a favorite backdrop for number of recent Hollywood productions, but as the article laments, for the most part the depictions have been of a “dangerous and scary place.” Eli Roth’s horror flicks, Hostel 1 and Hostel 2, both featured the Eastern European city in a less than flattering light, as did Eurotrip.

When asked why he chose Bratislava for Humanzee’s country of origin, Gunn, a noted aficionado of Slovak culture (witness his brief stint on the professional polka dance circuit prior to a devastating ankle injury that diverted him into filmmaking), replied: (more…)

Today, Safran Digital went public with the details of our partnership with Xbox. In particular, we’ve announced the directors for our slate of original web video pilots, which launch this fall to coincide with Xbox’s user-interface redesign.

The directors involved include James Wan (Saw, Death Sentence), David Slade (30 Days of Night, Hard Candy), James Gunn (Slither), Lucky McKee (May), Andrew Douglas (The Amityville Horror) and Marcus Nispel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th).

I’m extremely proud of the filmmakers and their camps, the deal we’ve put together and what I believe it represents for the future of digital content economics. (more…)