Everyone has their favorite July 4th holiday memories and experiences. It’s no different for me. Growing up, we always went to my grandmother’s country church’s picnic. Many years later, Karla and I remember moving into our current house in 1990, and we were painting our bedroom on July 4th instead of participating in all kinds of neighborhood festivities. Who can forget our famous July 4th Choir Cookouts (featuring Back Yard Burgers coming to my house to cook them in my back yard) - with “live” music to annoy our neighbors and a hundred cars parked all over the common ground area.
For reasons I will re-visit in a moment, some very unexpected things were happening at the same time as last year’s July 4th holiday.
It’s been a fun year, and I thought I would take the space here on my blog to re-cap some of those highlights, and then I may finally change my Facebook profile picture! HAHAHA!
Seth’s short film, PLOT DEVICE released on-line on June 27, 2011 with ONE view! -
(I think it was me!)
20 days later it had 478,000 views! -
(currently it has 980,000 views counting YouTube and the “Behind The Scenes” clip)
In a 5-day stretch around July 4 last year, it had 311,000 views!
So, this time last year, we didn’t know what we were dealing with.
(people in countries I could not pronounce were viewing my driveway, front yard, and cul-de-sac on the internet!)
Since July 13 of last year, here are just a few things that have happened:
1. Seth went to Los Angeles in mid-July 2011 to meet with potential Hollywood talent agents
Hollywood Reporter - Article
Hollywood News - Article
2. Seth signed with ICM in August
Hollywood Reporter - Plot Device Filmaker Signs With ICM
3. Seth made his second trip to Los Angeles in September - had (21) meetings in (7) days - met with Producers who make movies and Executives who make the decisions which movies get made. (the purpose of those meetings was to introduce Seth to as many influential movie-making people in Hollywood as possible)
4. Seth was asked to speak at the annual NAB Convention’s MediaMotion Ball in Las Vegas
MediaMotion Ball - Seth Worley
5. PLOT DEVICE was featured as part of ‘in-flight’ entertainment on VIRGIN AIRLINES domestic flights during the month of April
6. PLOT DEVICE was nominated and won a Webby Award - (a Webby Award is supposedly the equivalent of an ‘Academy Award’ for internet content)
Plot Device - Webby Nomination - Red Giant Blog
Webby Awards - Plot Device - Winner - Article
Webby Awards - Plot Device - Winner
7. PLOT DEVICE was featured in an on-line Forbes Magazine article
Plot Device - Forbes - Article
8. Seth will be one of the speakers/presenters at the upcoming STORY 2012 Creative Conference in Chicago in September - (the list of speakers/presenters is quite impressive - if you want to take a minute to read about them at this quirky/creative website)
Story 2012 - Chicago - Seth Worley
There are many other really neat stories that happened along the way - new relationships - potential doors opening, etc… It’s been a crazy, wild ride of a year. Seth continues to educate me about the film industry - I spend a lot of time on my IMDB Pro app reading about who’s making what films, what they cost, and other inside scoop! (takes me back - a little bit - to my days working in the music business where I would open up Billboard Magazine to see what’s happening in the crazy music business!) I would never compare the Nashville Music Business to Hollywood because I know so little of both.
I do know that of all the websites, research, articles, and everything else I have read this past year, the most profound article was this one.
What It's Like To Fail At The Box Office
I will never forget what this guy says at the end of his article! It sums up what I believe about people with a calling and passion and ability. Seth sent this to me, and of all the great and fun things that we have experienced this past year - this article will remain central to anything that may or may not ever happen in Seth’s future. It’s a phenomenal lesson!
So - Seth is taking the necessary “next steps” on his journey, and when the time is appropriate, I will share those. Thank you for sharing in this past year with us.
For now, whenever you need a good laugh, just click HERE and enjoy!