After writing about my new job a couple weeks ago, I’ve been dying to share all the details of what I’ve been working on! I’m working for a new Web site called Beckinfield.
Beckinfield is the world’s first Mass Participation Television series. Anyone can create and play a character, collaborate with others on subplots, and showcase their acting talents to a large viewing audience.
The back story: the tenth-grade English class in the fictional town of Beckinfield begins a project to get residents to create video diaries. As the individual stories unfold, the mysterious history of the small town emerges and an uncertain future is foretold. An ongoing science-fiction mystery, the story of Beckinfield is filled with plot twists that are delivered to participating actors weekly to provide context for each actor’s performance. Viewers can simply watch Beckinfield like a TV show or choose to interact with the actors. Actors can simply improvise a video diary entry around suggested weekly storylines and then upload it. Beckinfield was created for actors, by actors, and provides an opportunity to network with other actors and enables skill development through backstage training, support, and feedback.
Basically, it’s like YouTube meets “Twin Peaks” with a dash of “Waiting for Guffman” and Second Life.
Since I’ve been working on it, I’ve gotten so into it! The site has been under way since spring of 2010, so I’m a bit of a latecomer. My job includes writing for the site and the blog and working with on all sorts of online communication. I work with our marketing team in Austin and it’s a dream partnership — I have so much to learn from them, but at the same time, I have a lot to offer. Most important, I get the structure of a 9 to 5 (which I like), but I get to do creative work with an extremely talented and laid-back team.
Part of learning about the site meant actually using the site — which meant I had to get in touch with my inner actor, the one that pursued theatre for 10+ years until I realized I was really better suited for improv, stand-up, and therefore writing. Oh, and interacting with straight men on a regular basis. Anyway, I had to suck it up and create my character and make a video.
While I may not fancy myself an actor anymore (and I was seriously going to become Tobias Funke if I continued on this path), I’ve still been having a ton of fun with the site. The thing is, you don’t really have to be an actor to get into it. For me, the fun part is that you get to be someone different. So much of our world today is about being authentic on the Web — it’s all about being YOU, something I’m all about, obviously. But I kind of like the idea that you can play at being someone else if you want.
I went through the character creation tutorial once I signed up, which made it was easier to come up with my character. Eventually, I got her: Elena Hernandez-Brady-Thompson-Tyler, a stay-at-home-wife with four last names due to her extremely liberal parents and in-laws. I had an easy enough time coming up with a storyline (and the tutorials helped a lot), but I was surprised how easy it was to start acting again too. I actually had a lot of fun making my videos — here are a couple clips from my videos.
(You can view the rest here — don’t judge meeeeee!)
I’ve also gotten pretty addicted to watching the other actor’s videos. There are some pretty legit working actors on the site — one of the girls has been on “Grey’s” pretty frequently, and one of my bosses guested on “The Office” — but it’s definitely a positive, not competitive, environment. (I mean, if it weren’t, amateurs like me wouldn’t go near it.) I find myself just loving a lot of the characters, and it’s so hard to remember that these aren’t actually real people.
The site is currently in Beta, which means we’re still working out the bugs and have more cool features to roll out before we officially launch in March. But what’s great about this is that means it’s free right now. Viewing is always free, but to post videos you have to become a subscriber. That will cost $12 a month come mid-March, but until then, it’s totally free! (Also, if you sign up now, you get an additional month free, so you’re set until mid-April.)
When I applied for the job, I was mainly attracted to the idea of performing arts meeting technology, and each day, I’ve been learning a little more about both of these worlds. It’s very cool to be involved with something that’s all about new technology, but is, perhaps more importantly, about giving actors the opportunity to act right now. I hope it does for actors what blogging has done for writers. I’m all about removing the need to ask permission or wait to be given a chance to pursue something you’re passionate about, and I love that technology makes it possible!
Whether you’re an actor or not, I would love for you to get involved in the site and start viewing and hopefully making videos! (If you do sign up, list me as your referrer — not because I get any money for plugging the site, but because, as a marketing person, I can see why it’s good for companies to know this stuff!) You can also follow us on Twitter or become fans on Facebook.
It’s so exciting to be part of a new venture that a lot of people believe in! I can’t wait to see where it all goes.
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