Seems as though I've been focusing nearly all of my time on doorQ.com, getting that space off the ground, getting the production company it's tied to up and running, and working at making our next series of productions real.
JodyWheeler.Com needs an update across the board, from the opening page to the resume... I need to include the recent script I sold / getting produced... but, as I said, I'm otherwise occupied.
Come on over to doorQ and check us out. Major facelift coming in December. We should finally be at 100% by the 1st of the Year.
Fear not though. I'll be back here, with updates a plenty, soon.
We launch at 6PM PST tomorrow night... full-on Halloween.
Right now, about 90% of what remains is in the hands of my webdesigner / business partner. I'm just watching, keeping my writers focused, the press-releases flowing... and being really, really nervous!
PRESS RELEASE: doorQs Unite To Take Over The Universe
doorQs Unite To Take Over The Universe
doorQ.com joins with The Outer Film Festival
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles, CA – October 26, 2007
The OUTer Film Festival has joined with doorQ.com to bring the best in Gay-themed Genre Entertainment (Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror) to audiences world-wide.
The OUTer Gay and Lesbian Science Fiction / Fantasy Film Festival of Austin, Texas, in its continuing mission to seek out and expose new films of science and of fantasy made by and for the GLBT community, joins with doorQ.com, the Gay Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Website, on the eve of its Halloween 2007 launch. Sharing a similar mission, doorQ.com and OUTer will now bring genre entertainment to a multitude of people and groups, in both theaters and across the World Wide Web. With this joining, OUTer and doorQ.com can now not only offer fans unprecedented access to a unique film festival but, more importantly, offer those fans that great SciFi/Fantasy/Horror entertainment “virtually”-- through computers and other media devices -- as well.
“This is one of those opportunities to really make two good things great,” Jody Wheeler, creator of doorQ.com said. “By blending experiences, histories, technologies and common interests, doorQ.com and OUTer can now increase the reach and exposure of gay-themed, genre entertainment in a way that will have the maximum impact for the majority of its fans.”
“Honestly, when The OUTer Film Festival was conceived, I felt alone in the Universe,” Timothy Caswell, founder and director of OUTer said. “I was proud to bring unique but overlooked genre film and video from around the world to Austin, through the festival. Still, too many fans were missing out on some excellent programming. By joining together with doorQ.com, that’s no longer an issue.”
The OUTer Film Festival was founded by Caswell in 2004, with a mission to enlighten, educate, enrich and entertain diverse communities about gays and lesbians, thru the genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror, by the use of the visual medias. Currently, OUTer also looks to promote and encourage filmmakers and organizations by providing a yearly festival that includes awards, cash prizes and grants. It also cross-promotes other film festivals worldwide.
doorQ.com is the first project of Door Q Entertainment, LLC, a Los Angeles based production company founded by Jody Wheeler, Daniel Greeney and James Barnett. Door Q Entertainment, LLC is focused on bringing genre entertainment to a multitude of groups by utilizing both old and new media platforms, such as Video On Demand, Web 2.0 and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).
Given the spelling of the site’s name, and in light of the popular stereotypes for fans of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror content, the creators and participants of doorQ.com, in both jest and with pride, have taken to calling themselves “doorQs,” (dorks.)
doorQ.com goes live on Halloween 2007.
OUTer's 2007 Festival takes place November 3rd at the Austin Film Studios, 1901 East 51st Street. This year the festival is providing an Encore Exhibition of the best short films from the last 4 years.
Hey, don't tell anyone, alright, but we just added award-winning filmmaker JT Tepnapa, of Hidden Frontier / Odyssey and Masturbation fame, to do some writing/directing/acting/blogging/modeling/shucking for doorQ.com. (We got his awesome boyfriend/partner Adam Browne for a steal as well.) JT'll be fitting us in between his Odyssey duties and his ongoing effort at getting his feature, Judas Kiss, made.
I'm just sharing it with you guys. I haven't had time to write up the press release yet, so don't tell anyone until I do, okay?
Crossposted to doorQ.com, the Gay Scifi, Fantasy and Horror Website.
Ever since returning from Gaylaxicon, I've been a zombie.
I haven't been screaming "Braaaaaiiiiiinnnnzzzz," mind you. I just had so much fun last weekend that I'm still wiped. Consider: I got home from my Dayjob around 6:30 PM last night, dropped my bag on the floor, pulled my laptop out and started to wonder how best to write this post. Suddenly it was 8:00AM this morning, I was curled up under the afghan, the alarm was singing in the bedroom, and it was time to head back to the Dayjob. (I was naked too, but that's always, and mysteriously, happening.)
In addition to previewing some sample content from doorQ.com, meeting and greeting fellow doorQs from all over the country, showing off the brandspankingnew doorQ.com T-Shirts (available now!!!!), and dressing up my business partners in revealing costumes and forcing them to give out Starburst candies to Gaylaxicans, geeks, nerds, doorQs and the random Straight Person who stumbled into our crosshairs, the real treat at Gaylaxicon 2007 was the Saturday evening official presentation of doorQ.com.
The doorQ.com presentation was 10:30PM on Saturday, opposite the band, the video room, and another con program on sex, so I was a bit worried when James, Ty and I went to set up the room. Video projector: check. Groovy graphics: check. Water: check. Attendees: d'oh!!! My mood escalated to panic: four minutes before start time and only one person was in the room.
Over the years I've gotten quite good at hiding stark, screaming panic. Prior occupational obligations involving the separation of infant children from either gaggles of gang-banging goombas or phalanxes of Harley-mounted Hell's Angels had forced me to pass a darwinian scored "If they smell your fear, you're dead, so stuff it down" exam by, well, hiding said stark, screaming panic. Nevertheless, it was still there, chortling maddeningly in my mind.
James and I launched into the demo. We rolled through various features of the site, talked about the original fiction, the blog functions, the personal profiles, and explained the short films that were coming down the pike. And as we talked, people, blessed people, filled the room from front to back. Mid way into our hour, when we opened things up to questions, we had around 50 people in the room -- what I was told later was one of the best turn outs for a single panel during the convention. That mind-screaming chortle was now a chorus of Hallelujahs.
The chorus wasn't just in honor of people appearing, it was that they all had great, great things to say about the site. More even than just excitement or interest or about the kind of stuff they wanted to see on the site, they offered, as befitting a room full of geeks, nerds, and doorQs, pertinent and knowledgeable thoughts of how they'd like that information presented to them as well as a range of content from which to choose. From Amazon.Com like "rate-the-raters" features, to Diggable post rankings, to user-selected preferences for the explicitness of gore, language, and sexuality accessible by them, we got so much information that Ty filled pages of notes. James left the program jazzed.
I almost cried.
My "stuff it down" skills came in handy with that last bit, too.
"doorQ.com," brings Gay SciFi, Fantasy and Horror to the Web
The Site Will Launch Halloween 2007
Los Angeles, CA – September 12, 2007 -- DoorQ Entertainment, LLC, is launching "doorQ.com," a portal for gay fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror on Halloween, 2007. The site will feature original fiction, photos, comics, short films and serials along with genre specific news, reviews, and interviews. In addition, "doorQ.com" will have the latest in Web 2.0 social networking features such as user homepages, personal profiles, email, matchmaking, discussion boards, chat features, gaming forums, and breaking technology information.
"doorQ.com" started as an idea to create scripted Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror content with gay characters and themes for a long underserved segment of the gay community. The site will also utilize blogs, discussion forums, personal profiles, and matchmaking all intertwined with podcasts, photos, interviews, and member generated content to support and enhance the original filmed productions.
"I’ve been surprised at just how many Gays love Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror, even from people I never imagined would be interested in the genre," “doorQ.com” creator and Door Q Entertainment, LLC partner Jody Wheeler said. "Articles in previous editions of magazines such as Fab, Wired News, The Advocate, and the current issue of OUT, have all documented the appeal of such themes and entertainment to the Gay community “doorQ.com” makes it easier for such fans to watch, meet, share and have fun with others who have similar interests."
"doorQ.com" has lined a cadre of up-and-coming writers, bloggers, journalists, artists and story-tellers to provide daily content for the site. Casual viewers and devoted members will find a continually updated collection of insightful reviews, commentary, and original fiction. Original short films will be available on launch, with more of such content, including on-going serials, rolling out in subsequent months. Visitors will also be invited to contribute their own works. Content and services will be available across a blend of advertiser supported and premium (fee) based sections.
Also, "doorQ.com" has enlisted a noted group of industry professionals from TV, film, publishing, and technology, to advise and contribute to the site. These professionals include Kerry O’Quinn, co-founder and publisher of the legendary Starlog Magazine and Fangoria Magazine. Christopher Racster, producer, marketer and partner at Mythgarden Entertainment; Chad Allen, actor, producer and partner in Mythgarden Entertainment; Paul Chitlik, award-winning TV writer and producer (Twilight Zone, Los Beltran); and Erik Anderson, Manager of Video Production at Apple Inc.’s iTunes Video Store.
"I’m really excited to be helping out with this project," Chad Allen, actor and partner at Mythgarden Entertainment, said. "As a producer, I’ve championed new voices and new stories for and about the Gay community – anything beyond the stereotypical and clichéd. As an actor, I’ve wanted to play the detectives, monster hunters and space explorers that are just as matter-of-factly gay as they are heroic. ‘www.doorQ.com’ and the guys behind it are going to make that possible."
The "doorQ.com" website is the first project of DoorQ Entertainment, a production company founded by Jody Wheeler, Daniel Greeney and James Barnett. Jody is a former social worker turned award-winning writer. He recently sold his first feature-script to Regent Entertainment. Dan is an editor turned writer, producer and director. James is an internet entrepreneur and community activist, who built his first social networking website at age 16. DoorQ Entertainment, LLC is focused on bringing genre entertainment (SciFi/Fantasy/Horror) to a multitude of groups across both old and new media platforms such as Video OnDemand, Web 2.0 and Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).
"doorQ.com” goes live on the most fitting day of the year -- Halloween 2007. Long regarded as fun and festive day filled with imaginative costumes, horror movies, Sci-Fi monsters, and other flights of fancy, Halloween has also become an unofficial holiday for the Gay community. Given the spelling of the site’s name and the popular stereotypes for fans of SciFi/Fantasy/Horror content, the creators and participants of “doorQ.com” have taken to calling themselves “doorQs,” (dorks.) “There’s a long history in our community of owning a negative by spinning it into a positive,” said Jody Wheeler. “This is in the spirit on which we’ve built this site. Besides, it’s funny,” he added with a smile.
Currently, www.doorQ.com showcases the running chronicle of the site launch, an ongoing, behind the scenes look at the various kinds of content, which will appear full and unbound come this Halloween. In addition, visitors can enter their email address and be added to an e-list that will deliver the latest site news directly to them.
The script I banged out for the production company has been done, reviewed, noted and revised. That was a crazy mad process and not the most fun. One week to come up with, then two weeks to write, and then another week to revise based on studio notes, a script is just like school -- only with money and your reputation on the line. I'd have rather had three or four times the time to write and review the script before ever turning it in. And about 10 to 20 times the money over that time as well. But there you go. You take your first break as it comes. Mine was basically coming up with and writing a final screenplay in half the time I had during a 10 week quarter at UCLA…
I should have more to post about that script soon.
I bounded up to San Francisco the other week to marry my best friend….to his girlfriend. I was a "Deputy Commissioner of Civil Marriage" for the day. That was fun. If your state offers a similar program, I really recommend it. Weddings are about friends and family, and Erik and his wife Halle are both. I got quite involved with the ceremony too and read too far ahead. I came dangerously close to saying "I now pronounce you Husband and Wife before they'd even exchanged vows!
[Laughs nervously.]
I caught my mistake, recovered, and the rest of the ceremony went well. Most people didn't even notice I'd screwed up. Except Erik and Halle. But they are family, so it's all good.
We'll leave aside the irony of a Gay man performing a ceremony he's legally unable to receive...
Outside of that, my energy is focused on doorQ.com. Launching a company and a website is just this huge task. Didn't think I'd ever do it or do it this way: bootstraps, blood, sweat and tears. Still, the work JB is doing is frakking cool… and yes, the more geek work I do, the more I've found myself saying "frak"… and Dan's been busy with creative product too. I have a legion of scribes, my Minions, toiling away on their respective desktops and laptops, to create a pile o' posts to get things off with a bang. Brent's going to do a podcast with me to coincide with the launch of the site. Y'all will be able to see Tell Me for free on launchday. Feel free to crash the server.
