Probot ToyCinema Vidcast

PREQUEL Episode 3 - Special Edition

2006-04-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

We're up on YouTube now!
PREQUEL Ep 01:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VkmC5VbHq0

PREQUEL Ep 02:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9hT29qvjHE

PREQUEL Ep 03:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGSYCLS4PhE

What's been going on...

2006-04-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Okay so clearly i'm not much of a blogger!

I promise to try to do this more often. It's not like there is nothing to report...

First, we are working on a new project that is bigger and bolder than anything we've attempted before: A feature length movie with all original characters and story, and a cast of all custom figures!! Sebastian has written a killer script that he is polishing up now.

We have a new partner and producer for this project, Hadrian Belove, who is overseeing the business end of things as well as helping develop the script. Welcome aboard, Hadrian!

It's going to be a huge endeavor but we hope to push Probot beyond FanFilm territory and make a fun, comic-style adventure story without relying on established characters.

We're looking for talented people to help make this happen. We need a toy designer/sculptor to help us make the prototype action figures for the movie. Interested? Contact us! Please send resume or email to: mailto:probotvideo@gmail.com

PROBOT VODCASTs

2006-01-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Subscribe now to our new Probot Vodcasts!

We are currently in the middle of upgrading all of our videos to the new Hi-Res m4v format, playable on itunes and new video ipods!

Subscribe now and have Probot videos download automatically.
Copy and paste URLs below into itunes [Advanced menu/ Subscribe to podcast...]
We have 3 different feeds online NOW:

VODCAST #1: PROBOT TOYCINEMA VODCAST
http://www.probotproductions.com/vidcasts/ProbotVodcast.xml
Beginning with ALIEN 5² (in 5 parts), we will be updating weekly with all our videos. Subscribe to this and you'll get everything PROBOT!

VODCAST #2: FARRAH!
http://www.probotproductions.com/vidcasts/FarrahVodcast.xml
This Vodcast is Farrah only! Starting with Farrah! Episode 1, "Farrah Shares A Smile" (in 3 parts) Updated weekly. New episodes in production now!

VODCAST #3: PROBOT: STAR WARS ACTION-FIGURE-THEATER
http://www.probotproductions.com/vidcasts/ProbotStarWars.xml
This Vodcast is for Star Wars fans. Starting with our 3 minute version of A New Hope, we will show all our Star Wars movies here, including from the Probot Vault... PREQUEL!

Tell your friends!

You could be earning college credit for this...

2005-12-24T01:14:00.000-08:00

Looks like the University of Wisconsin doesn't just teach about Probot in class, we're part of the FINAL EXAM:

http://noodle.commarts.wisc.edu/346/final.htm

"Summarize Henry Jenkins's argument about the rights of fans to participate in media culture by creating new media objects such as mash-ups and machinimas that are made of licensed media properties and diegetic worlds. Do you agree with his position? Why? Who might be harmed by this practice? To what extent are their concerns important, and why? When constructing your argument you must include a detailed discussion of one of the examples screened in class, such as: Alien 5 Squared , The Iceman Cometh, or Fett's Vette to support and illustrate your point. In what ways do these examples re-create an oral culture, according to Jenkins? Do you agree?"

The question refers to this M.I.T. Professor's essay on "Digital Cinema, Media Convergence, and Participatory Culture"
http://www.braintrustdv.com/essays/star-wars.html
in which he kindly refers to Probot Productions as examples of resourcefulness in moviemaking!

I'd like to hear what the students of Wisconsin are writing about Probot and our freedom (or lack thereof) to express ourselves with Toycinema.

VIDCAST - FARRAH SHARES A SMILE pt 1 of 3

2005-12-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.probotproductions.com/vidcasts/FarrahEp1ipod1of3.m4v

This is the HI-RES vidcast of Farrah! episode 1, "Farrah Shares A Smile"

more soon...

Technical difficulties...

2005-12-20T23:42:00.000-08:00

WTF? I can't figure out why my vidcasts aren't coming up in itunes!
can anyone help me out with some tech support?
what if i post a regular mp3, let's see...
http://www.probotproductions.com/obey/RichCreamyNougat.mp3

Vidcast - ProbotANewHope-ipod.m4v

2005-12-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.probotproductions.com/vidcasts/ProbotANewHope-ipod.m4v

ALIEN 5² VIDCAST part 1 of 5

2005-12-18T23:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.probotproductions.com/vidcasts/ALIEN5SQUAREDipod1of5.m4v

playable on itunes and video ipods!
part 2 next wk

FARRAH! UPDATE

2005-12-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of images from Farrah Ep4 so far...

Thanks to Bill Boodell for his help on the first scene!

FARRAH! Episode 4: "Cher and Cher Alike"

2005-12-18T21:38:00.001-08:00

LIGHTS... CAMERA... FARRAH!

We are hard at work on the next episode of our Farrah series...

I am also re-editing the original 3 episodes because they were never properly edited.

Episode One: "Farrah Shares A Smile" SPECIAL EDITION is online now.

Episode Two: "Farrah Saves the Day" SPECIAL EDITION
is coming in January 2006.

Episode Three: "Farrah Strikes Again" SPECIAL EDITION
is coming in March 2006.

Check back here for regular updates on the production...

Probot Productions Blog Begins!

2005-12-18T17:25:00.000-08:00

Hello people of Earth!

I suppose i should start with a brief history:

I'm Damon and this is the official blog of my production company, Probot Productions.

Probot specializes in miniature videography and our movies are made with toys and action-figures. We began in 1998 with our first short, ALIEN 5, a 22 minute Alien parody made with my Probot co-founder, Sebastian, for just $150 and a camcorder... back then we didn't even have editing equipment so we had to shoot in sequence and also create all effects and edits in-camera! We got our first exposure on cable access TV in Cambridge MA.
Probotproductions.com went online in January 1999. From our humble beginnings we have risen to become leaders of the toy cinema movement, which is arguably the most (or least) significant milestone in film history since the Dogma Charter.

Probot became more than just a hobby for me in 2000 when, after producing a 45 minute Star Wars action figure epic for Probot, i was approached to make Star Wars shorts for the official Star Wars/Hasbro website, an absolute dream come true for me. I consider myself the luckiest man alive that i was chosen to make the official action figure version of A New Hope. This marked the first use of CGI effects in our movies (digital effects by Kellfire). Our two shorts were hosted @ www.starwars.hasbro.com from 2000 to 2004.

All the while we continued to produce unauthorized movies for our own site, pushing the boundaries of toy cinema with each new title.
Sebastian produced his own superhero/monster miniseries, Barabajagal. I produced a series featuring 12" fashion dolls of the 1970s, called Farrah! written and co-produced by my wife, Carla.

Over the years we have built a Worldwide cult audience who crave toy cinema. We have recieved emails from fans around the world and have about 50,000 visitors annually.
In 2001 Probot Productions was recognized by the academic world as pioneers of "digital cinema media convergence and participatory culture."

In 2003 i again collaborated with Sebastian to make a "big budget" sequel to ALIEN 5, called ALIEN 5², released in June 2004. During the 14 month production i was working by day at a special effects company learning the tricks of miniature photography and pyrotechnics. The result is the most cinematic toy movie we've ever produced.

In 2005 we have ressurected production of our Farrah series, dormant since 2000. Eric reprises his role as Farrah! (expected release 2006)
As we enter 2006 we are celebrating 7 years online!