In this Penntertainment roundup, I've got some awesome projects and cameos from more Penn alumni you should know about!

Check it all out after the jump!

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After the jump, check out my DT roundup of these 12 notable Penn alumni and some of their very cool projects ranging from new films, to Emmy awards, to great TV appearances.

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Recently a Penn alum sent me an email about the heartfelt story of fellow Penn alum Emily Kramer-Golinkoff (C'07) and her battle with Cystic Fibrosis.

After the jump, watch an extremely touching video and find out how you can help.



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We've got another story of Penn alumni working together ....for a good cause!

After the jump find out more about their great idea and how we Penn alumni can vote them into becoming a "fan favorite"!

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Earlier this week, I posted an article about 2 Penn filmmakers that need your vote in an innovative film contest.

Duc-Minh Nguyen (C'07, DP, MUSE, Dining Philosophers, VSA), another Penn alum with another great film just emailed in and he also needs your vote!

After the jump watch his beautiful film and vote!  Please "like" or "retweet" this article to help spread the word! (voting ends Oct. 23)

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Adam and Jim

A couple years ago I did a story on Jim Goldblum (C'07, 34th Street)'s virtual Katrina Yearbook which CNN said, of all the press coverage and all the documentaries, it was "one of the best of the best."

Jim has been working on a new compelling project with a fellow film editor Penn classmate, Adam Weber (C'06). They've teamed up to produce the feature documentary and interactive narrative, "Tomorrow We Disappear".

The project chronicles the Kathputli Colony, a tinsel slum that's been home to Delhi's acrobats, puppeteers, and magicians since the 1970s. Last year the government issued relocation permits to the colony residents; the slum is to be bulldozed, cleared for development.  Jim and Adam will capture the last remains of this culture born out of folk art and molded by poverty.

After the jump, see what great footage they've captured so far.

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Last month, I came across some great wedding shots on Penn's campus of a couple who actually met at Penn (turns out you could actually get married at Penn!)

Since I posted that article, another couple who met as undergrads at Penn came forward with some great wedding shots on Penn's campus.

After the jump check them out!

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Over this past week, Penn alumni were making the rounds at the snowy Sundance film festival.

After the jump find out about these alumni and their new films!

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Here's a gem for our "Penn Performers" week...

Wanna win a trip to LA and meet with a Hollywood casting director, talent agent and headshot photographer? 

Thanks to a Penn alum, the chance is now yours!

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Last week I covered Reg Tigerman (C'07, Mask and Wig) and Matt Johnson's (C'99, Mask and Wig) hot new viral video, "Twitteleh"

Since then (as of this posting), the video has gotten over 177,000 views (!) and has been tweeted by Demi Moore, Alyssa Milano and covered by Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "The Situation Room".

Check out the CNN coverage above! Classic!

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Here's a Rosh Hashananh gift for all of you from the brilliant minds of writer Reg Tigerman (C'07, Mask and Wig) and director/editor DT favorite Matt Johnson (C'99, Mask and Wig).  The piece also co-stars another Penn alum Dov Kogen (C'07).

Reg and Matt put it up this past Monday expecting 10 people to watch it. They're now up to 20,000 after Demi Moore tweeted it last night, and now, barring breaking news, it was supposed to be featured on CNN's Situation Room in the 4PM hour, eastern time (1PM west coast time.)

You should watch it, enjoy it and wear a sweater.

Wishing all of you a happy and sweet new year!

(...If you enjoyed the clip above, then you'll also love THIS clip!)

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Earlier last fall, I posted about how Lindsey Rosin (C'07, The Excelano Project, The Writers House, Kappa Alpha Theta) joined forces with her father Charles Rosin (Executive Producer of Beverly Hills 90210 for the first five seasons) to create www.showbizzle.com, a new form of internet entertainment that combines daily updates of original, scripted video content with a social network aimed at emerging actors, writers, directors, fans of the biz – basically anyone with a computer who is looking for some fun entertainment. (see Lindsey in photo to right directing this week's episode you can see HERE)

Earlier this week, showbizzle relaunched with even more features including:

• A 23 week series set in Hollywood told from the first person point-of-view of Janey, an aspiring screenwriter who likes to hang out at her favorite coffee shop and listen to the crazy stories that her friends are only too willing to share. As Janey puts it, “there’s always somebody hooking up, screwing up, breaking up…all while chasing their first big break.” The series is set in Hollywood in 2009. Season One will feature 29 cast members, with new episodes available on a weekly basis.
• “Inside the Bizzle” is an ongoing conversation with top industry insiders such as David Semel (“House”), Elizabeth Heldens (“Friday Night Lights’) and Ted Cohen (“Friends”) about their careers, how they succeeded and their heartfelt advice for people getting started.
• “Bizzle Bits” is a place to watch behind-the-scenes footage about the show.
• “The Digital Showcase” is a stage to promote professional and upcoming talent.
• A community section as a resource for emerging talent, starting with the 21 contemporary monologues available for free download on the website. It will also feature some of our favorite member-submitted videos on the Digital Showcase, then let the members vote on their favorites – and give a community member the opportunity to be paid to do original material on the site.

On a related note...

Find out how DuelingTampons.com can get your contacts and information to advance your Entertainment career!


Visit www.showbizzle.com here

Other great Website Wednesday posts

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What happens when 4 Penn alumni come together to raise money for a good cause? Ask (l to r in pic in left) David Fraga (C'07, Mask and Wig, Sphinx Senior Society, Performing Arts Council), Allam Taj, (Law '09), Sam Adelsberg (C'10), and Andrew Dudum (C'11).

In February, these 4 created LendforPeace.org, a non-profit microfinance platform focused on the Middle East and was recently featured on Fox Business (see interview clip above featuring David Fraga).

LendforPeace.org was founded by these four Penn students (two Jews and two Palestinians) on the premise that grassroots economic development through microfinance may help increase stability in the Middle East. While the founders disagree about a lot of things, it is hard to disagree about a mission of poverty alleviation and job creation.

Supported by such institutions as the Clinton Global Initiative and Ashoka (the largest association of social entrepreneurs in the world), Lendforpeace.org was launched on February 5th at an event on Penn's campus.

Visit www.LendforPeace.org and their Blog HERE

Other great Website Wednesday posts

New to DT? 14 easy suggestions to get started!

 

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Another Fling, another year of cheers and hisses over some clever "dick" jokes from Mask and Wig.

Watch above to find out how the group incorporated Canada and other popular references into this year's (2009) Spring Fling "Nude Bit". (for those Friars and Sphinx members out there, stick around for the last joke!)

...If you watch the first exchange, you'll hear the following dialogue:

"Excuse Me Noah, I think you put that shoe on wrong"
Reply: "It's because I have a foot dick"

Can you come up with a better reply line?  
...Tweet me HERE with your response!

Check out coverage from the 2007 and 1993 Mask and Wig "Nude Bit" HERE

Videos of Flings from past and present HERE (including a video from this year's Akon SPEC concert performance)

Thanks to John Berweiler (C'11) for the above video!

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If the embedded video no longer works, watch the clip HERE

Three 2007 Penn alumni just had their very unique product, the "assbrella" featured on The Tonight Show!

They were number one on the "Things We Found on Ebay" segment!

Visit their site to get your own assbrella!

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(l to r): Lew Schneider (C'83), event producer Reg Tigerman (C'07), Zach Lutsky (C'97), 

Sherri Cooper Landsman (C'94) and Jason Resnick (C'92)

"How do I break into the entertainment business?" is the number one question Penn alumni and undergrads always ask of me.

In late October, the Penn Club of Los Angeles hosted its annual Penn in Pictures event at ICM and those who attended got some answers from some of our successful alumni panelists.

These paneslists included Jason Resnick (C'92) (Universal acquisitions), Sherri Cooper Landsman (C'95) (Brothers and Sisters Writer), Zach Lutsky (C'97) (ER Medical Consultant) and moderator Lew Schneider (C'83)(Everybody Loves Raymond, New Adventures of Old Christine)

If you missed the event, not to worry!  For the first time, we have recorded the event and starting tomorrow (for the next 2 weeks), I will be sharing with you the videos from all of our panelists and more importantly, the 20+ questions that our alumni asked of our panelists including the ever popular question on "how do I get into the business"!

Check back here on DT, you'll definitely want to know what our panelists said!  (sign up for the free newsletter below to get the updates delivered to your email!)

A special thanks to editor David Chalfin (C'96), a fantastic editor living in Los Angeles who recorded and edited all the Penn in Pictures videos. Check out his reel here!

Check out photos from past Penn in Pictures events!

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What happens when you graduate from Penn, have a hot TV spec that catches the attention of ABC, ..and then the writer's strike happens?!

You partner with your successful Hollywood father to create an entertaining and informative website for other creative types to join and network on.

Lindsey Rosin (C'07, The Excelano Project, The Writers House, Kappa Alpha Theta) has joined forces with her father Charles Rosin (Executive Producer of Beverly Hills 90210 for the first five seasons) to create www.showbizzle.com , a new form of internet entertainment that combines daily updates of original, scripted video content with a social network aimed at emerging actors, writers, directors, fans of the biz – basically anyone with a computer who is looking for some fun entertainment.


Other Penn alumni friends have worked with Lindsey on showbizzle; Gabe Laskin (C'05, Mask and Wig) and Spencer Crawford (W'05, Mask and Wig), both have appeared as actors on the site (Gabe even has one of the three leads). Joey Power (C'06), Stacey Lloyd (C'06), Reg Tigerman (C'07, Mask and Wig) and Jonah Platt (C'08, Off the Beat) all wrote different characters for showbizzle as well.


Per Lindsey,

"The website serves as the daily blog of our fictitious blogger and main character, Janey. She hangs out at her favorite coffee place listening to old friends and new acquaintances, from all strata of Hollywood, confide intimate details about their career ambitions; creative aspirations, pipe dreams, hook ups, romantic liaisons, embarrassing day jobs, galvanizing moments, personal quests, major revelations, unexpected characters and narrative twists – you know, the basic personal and professional stuff that typifies what it's like to be young and in Los Angeles in 2008."

Lindsey sums up the site in 4 points:...+/-

1) Entertainment: it is a social entertainment website that streams scripted two-minute vignettes – updated on a daily basis – these vignettes are centered around the lives of twenty-somethings as they live and work in Hollywood.

2) Community: By joining our site, users can create their own profiles and submit their own videos and blog entries to tell their own stories – as well as comment on our scripted entertainment content, which will influence future story lines.

3) Insider information: Ever wonder what it really takes to make it in Hollywood? showbizzle also offers career advice and insider info via video-taped conversations between showbizzle writer/executive producer Charles Rosin and various Hollywood types. The one thing we can assure you about the 170 videos we will be posting on the showbizzle website this fall is that each vignette feels authentic and different from virtually everything else you can currently find on the world wide web.

4) In addition users will be encouraged to send in videos and blog entries and allow the community to determine their favorites. The winners will then be brought to Hollywood and be involved with the professional production of showbizzle when we go back into production in early 2009,” Charles said.  Lindsey adds, “For some people, it might be an incredible opportunity and a big break -- the amount of exposure available on the internet is endless and that is so priceless to a young talent who is just starting out on their career and trying to break through.”

Find out how Lindsey got her start as a writer, & what she wrote at Penn which led to her selling a pilot pitch idea to ABC.

More of my posts about Penn alumni websites



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Last week I covered Jim Goldblum (C'07, 34th Street)'s story about his virtual Katrina Yearbook which CNN said, of all the press coverage and all the documentaries, it was "one of the best of the best."

If that wasn't cool enough, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting had since commissioned Jim's Yearbook 2006 team (Jim, his brother, and his staff photographer) to create a new interactive website called "Hope: Living and Loving with HIV in Jamaica."

Per Jim,

"The interactive follows poet Kwame Dawes as he returns to his country of Jamaica to meet and write about the people on the island living with HIV/AIDS. On the site you can read the poems and then see documentary photos, videos, and music, which allow you to meet the people who inspired Kwame's beautiful words. The site has gotten great press in The Atlantic, Virginia Quarterly, Huffington Post, and Trendhunter."

Promo:

Jim's documentary style reminds me of some of Loren Mendell's (C'95) documentary work.

Other Documentary filmmakers here

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A few weeks ago, we covered one Penn alum who had taken off his junior year to pursue a dream. Now I've got a story about another Penn alum who had taken off part of his junior year to also do something very meaningful.

For the spring of his junior year, Jim Goldblum (C'07, 34th Street) joined his brother Josh in New Orleans and followed the seniors of New Orleans' top public high school--the first to open after Katrina-- to learn the stories of community and dislocation. They then created a virtual yearbook from their documentary work, with 150 hours of video interviews, 500 photos, and robust maps and timelines. CNN said, of all the press coverage and all the documentaries, it was "one of the best of the best."

Check out their site here

Their great CNN video review

Other Documentary filmmakers here

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