Erin McKean is Redefining the Dictionary

As one of the youngest editors of a "Big Five" American dictionary, Erin McKean is at the forefront of a new guard of lexicographers reshaping not just dictionaries, but our language itself. She's on a mission to debunk common misconceptions and elevate the use - and cool factor - of dictionaries. Watch this video of Erin speaking at the PopTech! Conference. She's able to make a talk on dictionaries and language interesting and engaging because she's passionate about words.


Also, check out this video of Erin speaking at the TED(Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference in Monterey, CA. Erin loves words and, as she says, "love makes things real".

Tell Me, What Would You Do?

My television viewing habits mirror my reading habits. At any given time, I'm reading two or three non-fiction books(Blink, World on Fire, Life After the 30-Second Spot) as well as two or three fiction books(Starting Out in the Evening, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, The Eight).

Similarly, I enjoy watching documentary-style programs(Cities of the Underworld, The Deadliest Catch, Spain - On The Road Again) as well as fictional scripted shows on TV(CSI: Miami, Heroes, Mad Men).

A good documentary-style show feeds your head. It gives you information about the world. A well-told, fictional scripted show gives you information about yourself. It feeds your soul, your heart. Both types of shows can be highly entertaining.

Take the Poll
If you were a high-level television exec and, the economy being what it is, you could only greenlight one new series this year, would it be a documentary-style series or a fictional scripted show?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Reveal: the poll results will sway a plot point in an upcoming episode of The Puppet Diaries.

Great Stop-motion Animation from Across the Pond

Apt Studio made this incredible stop-motion film using over a thousand books, which was shot over two weeks in a makeshift studio in North London. Twenty animators worked in shifts to get it made, often sleeping under the set itself. The short film celebrates the books from 25 years of 4th Estate publishing. You can also check out production stills and time-lapse video from the making of the film.

Episode 3 - "Relationships" Featured Video of the Week on indieProducer.net

Episode 3 - "Relationships" is this week's featured video on indieProducer.net (on the Home page). IP is a networking site for the film and television industry providing resources for actors, producers, writers, editors, and everything in between. Founded and run by working film and TV producers, IP is supported by some of the highest-level professionals in the entertainment industry.

Brilliant Idea For a Cover Band

A heavy metal Bee Gees tribute band.
Check out the website.

Design Your Own Muppet

Design your own own Muppet Whatnot at the Muppet Whatnot Workshop on the FAO Schwarz website. What's a Muppet Whatnot? They're the zany-looking extras you see in each Muppet Whatnot production. On the website you can choose body style, eyes, nose, hair, and clothing and in 3-4 weeks you'll have your creation.