minicine?

Creatives who understand the power of the Internet comprehend the next level of social marketing for their work.

The organizers of Monday's upcoming event at minicine? in downtown have a sweet grasp on this power. Locally they've got coverage on their own website and on Trudeau's. The event is and has been touring all over the US and Canada. To follow the progress check out its blog Channeling an invocation of spectral bodies and queer spirits.

We Googled some of the artists involved and discovered this Vanesssa Renwick and Elliot Montague and Aay Preston-Myint.

Welcome to Shreveport

We get all giddy inside when people on our screens, movie, television or computer, say the word "Shreveport." Rob Senska and Mindy Bledsoe say it bunches in their new web series, Welcome to Shreveport. The show is about a couple trying to break into the entertainment industry. Tune in and see how many SB Land sites you recognize.

Shreveport True

Love these opening credits. How many SB Land landmarks can you spot?

Alexandyr Kent's been following the making of this HBO series.

Tour de Shreveport

The chance to star in your own ghost hunting video? It happens in downtown Shreveport on the weekends. Shreveport Spirit Tours* take place Friday afternoons at 6 and Saturdays at 1:30 and 6. New this year is the opportunity to appear in your own YouTube video. It's the perfect outing for families, couples and birthday parties.

*Editors note: My daughter, Katee Fontane, and I own and operate these fun seasonal tours. Under her influence we've created MySpace and Facebook pages for the tours. Come explore the West Edge of downtown Shreveport with us. Also, if you have trouble viewing the above video, click through to the actual YouTube site and you should get it to play. YouTube has its moments of wonkiness.

W are Somebody

Shreveport is all over the May 16 issue of Entertainment Weekly because of Oliver Stone's movie W. Alexandyr Kent has the front cover pictured on his blog.

If you want to work on W or any other movie in Louisiana, again you'll want to check out Kent's Louisiana Movies Blog. Louisiana still has the best incentive package to draw movie makers to our state.

Note: Reading all those Shreveports in EW made us feel like that scene with Steve Martin when he gets the new phone book. "We are somebody. We are somebody."

Shreveport Stomp

Watch this and you will have to eat at Herby-K's before the end of the month.

Robinson Film Center

Number 3

Shreveport is number three in the nation when it comes to places in America to make independent films. Austin is number one says MovieMaker.

KTBS has this little blurb on it. We'd link to the Shreveport Times story but they always dead their links after a month or so... The best place to go for all your moviemaking Shreve news is Alexandyr Kent's blog.

Pictured is the Entertainment Weekly review of Mad Money.

Sex Superstore

...in Highland? RRBJ found this sign on the side of the old Video Express building at the corner of Centenary Blvd and and Stoner Avenue. Katee was the one who pointed out the 555 number.

It's time to email movie blog boy to see what he knows.

Hope Your Family Doesn't Drive You Crazy in This Merry Season

Even Movie Blog Boy is doing the family thing today. Trudeau has an idea for a fun family project. Since RRBJ ate Christmas dinner yesterday, we'll brunch it today, complete with Noma's jam on our instant waffles.

Shiny Stars Love Us

In the November 07 issue of InStyle Jessica Simpson confesses to liking Shreveport.

For the behind the scenes scoop on Jessica's SB Land photo shoot swing by Designers Consortium on East Kings Highway and visit with Jane Ryder. And to see more of the magical work of this Shreveporter click janeryderdesigns.com.

Keep Shreveport Weird

RRBJ is all about supporting small home town businesses. When visitors come to town they are looking for authentic Shreveport and Louisiana experiences. Some cities are organizing to keep up the awareness of the small guy/gal. That's how that Keep Austin Weird slogan came about.

Even movie stars are looking for the best local experience they can have. While in town filming Mad Money Katie Holmes spent plenty of dough at Julie Anne's Bakery and Cafe, located at the corner of Line Avenue and Kings Highway. Her Shreveport snacking habits made it into People magazine and Maggie Martin covered it in her blog.

Just this month SB magazine listed the bakery as the best in town. It also rates high with the folks at the LSU Health Sciences Center School of Medicine Shreveport.

While there's plenty on the menu that's tasty, our current fav is the raspberry lemonade.

Lots of Pots

Movie Blog Boy has an interesting story on a silent auction of 200 pieces of pottery used in the making of the movie Mr. Brooks.

On a recent stroll around WEACo we were struck by the beauty of the work of two local playin' with clay artists, Terri Smith (above) and Jane Heggen (below). You can acquire the pictured pieces at 725 Milam.

Columbia Cafe

Ted Danson lubs him some Columbia Cafe grub. With the new patio finally open maybe we'll be able to spot him or TomKat and Suri since Katie loves eating local foods.

More interesting news from CC: Owner Matthew Linn is running for Caddo Parish Commission, District 4. Linn has operated the Highland neighborhood resturant since 2002. He is also the founder of the Krewe of Highland and the founding sponsor of the Highland Jazz and Blues Festival.

Downtown - Alive and Happening!

Art. Film. Music. We found it all this week in downtown Shreveport.

The Brown Bag Series kicked off Friday around lunchtime with the Four Seasons String Quartet. Three more Fridays are left: April 27 - Freddie Pierson; May 4 - Professor Porkchop and the All Stars; May 11 - Buddy Flett and Friends. The live music is sponsored by Downtown Shreveport Unlimited.

Thursday night films were shown on the other side of the Caddo Parish Courthouse, across the street in the Artisan's Court. The most well known being Bill Daniel's* black and white documentary "Who is Bozo Texino?" It was an event put together by Susan Garner (hard to imagine this chicka is only in high school).

As we walked to our car after viewing the movies, near Nanking's we ran into folks getting out of the Coast Guard concert that had been at the Strand Theatre. Animation in an urban downtown, there are plenty of cities around America who'd be tremendously jealous if they knew.

*For more on filmmaker Bill Daniel, see Trudeau's Shreveport blog.

Set the DVR

Samuel L. Jackson loves Shreveport Bossier reports Stephanie Netherton in The Times. Jackson is on David Letterman's show tonight talking about how much he's enjoying working in Shreveport Bossier on his new film The Cleaner.

His favorite ways to relax while in SB Land? Playing golf at Southern Trace and hitting the blackjack tables at the local casinos.

Here's RRBJ's personal story about Jackson in Shreveport. By the way, Netherton has her own blog called In Shreveport.

Made in the Ark-LA-Tex

It might be easier to rent a copy of The Guardian this week. Maybe but not likely. It was released on DVD last Tuesday and one area movie rental place reports by 2 pm that afternoon all their copies were out the door. Most folks slapping down $4.50 for a two day rental were saying "I'm in this movie."

The Guardian is the feel-good drama about the U.S. Coast Guard that was filmed in Shreveport after Hurricane Katrina forced the production to relocate from New Orleans. It was one of the reasons MovieMaker magazine just rated Shreveport-Bossier as the sixth-best place to "live, work and make movies" in the U.S.

This year's top locations: New York City, Philadelphia, Austin, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Shreveport-Bossier, Memphis, Miami, Portland, and Salt Lake City.

MovieMaker has been rating cities for seven years.

Motion Pictures

There's plenty of filmmaking in our area but you know what RRBJ has a hankering for? A screenplay about a local story. A Garden State for us. We're begging -- please look into the brightly-neoned window of our Ark-La-Tex soul and do us proud.

In the meantime we'll just have to rent The Legend of Boggy Creek one more time.

Factory Girl Poster Contest

Want to win a private screening of the film Factory Girl? Enter their poster contest.

Not sure how to create a movie poster? Don't worry the contest package gives you step by step directions.

When is Factory Girl coming out so we can look for the Shreveport locations? Um, maybe never if Bob Dylan gets his way (look for the headline "Dylan Takes on Factory Girl). Page Six of The New York Post has more of the juicy-juice.

Where is Jessica Simpson?

Two things to look for when scouting for stars in Hollywood South:



Parking spaces will be hard to find in downtown Shreveport for the coming days.

When you see this you know you're really close!