It’s Blackout Wednesday, everybody (don’t run to the liquor store, this is serious.) As you may have heard, there are two pieces of legislation in the works that aim to stop piracy online but could threaten the freedom of the internet in the process. Sites from WordPress to LOL Cats are ‘blacking out” today in protest.

Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden has been a victim of piracy from around the world. However, it is the openness of the internet that allows web-series like us to grow and flourish– even if as a result we lose some of our revenue to piracy. Because we produce content for the web exclusively, we rely on the internet to distribute and promote our show. Much of our success has been from the organic promotion of people talking about and sharing our show with each-other through blogging and social media sites.

While we don’t support piracy or copyright violation, we also do not support the maiming of free speech and creativity, in order to stop it.  Piracy is a problem, but this censorship is not the solution.

Right now, the entertainment industry is pushing the passage of the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act (I would link to the Wikipedia page for each of those, but ironically it is blacked-out in protest today). The intention of these acts is to stop the piracy of music, movies and television online– but in reality it will have a huge impact on much more then that.

This video helps explain the potential effect of Protect IP and SOPA:

[PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.]

Instead of fighting it to the death, Hollywood should embrace and adapt to the internet as a new medium. The internet is a platform for creators to share content in new and exciting ways and makes it easier then ever to be creative. The television and movie industry will adapt to the internet, the same way the radio industry had to adapt to them. We’ve evolved from listening to The Lone Ranger on old-time radio to watching Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog on our iPads– and that’s OK. Entertainment changes (and grows!) with technology. The internet is also a way to preserve and share our beloved mediums of entertainment, old-time radio shows can be listened to online at Archive.org (which is also blacked-out today.)

Right now, websites are required to remove copyrighted content if presented with a formal DMCA take-down request. With the passage of these bills, the government would be able to block entire web domains for one violation and make websites responsible for what their users post and comment. Start-ups could be shut down easily and links and content shared on social networks would be heavily censored by the sites in order to avoid being blocked by the government. Think of all the spam comments and pirated TV episodes that show up on YouTube– should the entire website be taken down because of it?

With the internet, anyone with a webcam and some talent can become a star. With SOPA, Less piracy = less innovation, less creativity, and less content like OJBG. Is that a fair trade?

Thanksgiving is a magical holiday in that, no matter who you are, if you live in the United States of America, you will be celebrating it. Instead of identifying certain events in Washington, D.C. to attend in the following days up to Thanksgiving, I decided to identify the major Thanksgiving traditions every OJBG fan can participate in, regardless of where they live.

*Editor’s Note: The writer apologizes for the tardiness of this blog post. She has been enjoying her own pre-Thanksgiving family time in New Jersey. Happy Thanksgiving to every single one of the OJBG fans!

1. The Thanksgiving Day Football Game

Gather up all of the football lovers in the house and turn on the Thanksgiving football game. Break out the stuffing and have yourselves a ball while enjoying some traditional football on the most traditional day in the United States.

2. Presidential Turkey Pardon

Every year, the President spares the life of one of the thousands of ill-fated turkeys across the country. It’s a comical reminder that all of us deserve a second chance every now and then.

3. Black Friday

Ah the blessed event for all credit card companies: Black Friday. The procedures are simple: wake up at the crack of dawn, head on over to your favorite department store/electronics megaplex and purchase a plasma screen TV or laptop for significantly lower the price. It’s a post-Thanksgiving food coma tradition and everyone can experience it, regardless of the state you live in.

4. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Macy’s has been putting on the Thanksgiving Day Parade for 85 years now and each year, it only gets more thrilling with new balloons, performances, and floats. I have been lucky enough to see it not only on the television, but also up close and personal on the streets of New York City. If you have the opportunity to get to New York City for the morning of the parade, I highly suggest you experience it once in your life. However, sometimes, it is better to cozy up on the couch with your knuckle-head brother while your mom is putting the turkey in the oven and watch the parade in complete warmth and comfort rather than getting pushed and shoved in 30 degree weather trying to see the floats.

5. Being Thankful

With the new year quickly approaching and the holiday festivities upon us, it is most important to remember what each of us are individually thankful for. Whether it has a been a particularly tough year or a year of opportunity and accomplishment,  Thanksgiving and the months that follow it are excellent times to truly reflect on the year and realize all that has happened and all that you have to be thankful for.

]]> http://orangejuiceinbishopsgarden.com/blog/archives/3427/feed 1 http://orangejuiceinbishopsgarden.com/blog/archives/3129 http://orangejuiceinbishopsgarden.com/blog/archives/3129#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:51:33 +0000 The OJBG Team http://orangejuiceinbishopsgarden.com/blog/?p=3129 By: Samantha

1. Reel Fest D.C.

            The weekend we have all been talking about is finally here! Reel Fest D.C. is in full swing this entire weekend. At the festival, there will be a screening of Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden Episode 4.02 “Sarah Live! At Comet Ping Pong” as well as works by some of Washington, D.C.’s most inspiring up and coming filmmakers! OJBG is being screened Saturday night at 9 p.m. and Monday afternoon at 12 p.m. at the Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts. The address is 1055 Thomas Jefferson Street NW,
Washington, DC 20007. Visit the Facebook event for more details! To purchase tickets, head to the Reel Fest D.C. website: http://www.reelfestdc.com/

*Tip: Note the location change in the Facebook event. It would be tragic if you showed up to the wrong place and missed this splendid event.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=151617208263790

2. The Reel Fest D.C. After-Party

            We have raved about the actual event, but the After-Party is just as important! Right after Reel Fest D.C., head on over to the D.C. Jazz Loft this Sunday night, November 13th,  for some sweet tunes, a cool atmosphere, and great conversations with inspiring D.C. natives who love the arts just as much as we do!

*Tip: Check out the Facebook event for all the little details regarding the After-Party.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=283110075063089

3. Free Burger at Z Burger

            Who doesn’t like getting stuff for free? OJBG certainly does! Z Burger in Tenleytown is offering its customers a single patty burger 100% free of charge. The offer is available from now until November 18^th.  Why are you still sitting here reading this? Go get that burger.

*Tip: OJBG heard of this deal through ScoutMob. Download the app to your smart device and easily stay informed about all of the hot deals circulating D.C. every day.

http://scoutmob.com/washington-dc/today/2011-11-11?referrer=Scoutfinds&utm_source=DC%3A+Scoutfinds&utm_campaign=5ff9cb119c-DC_DailyEmail_11_11_2011&utm_medium=email

4.  Make a wish! It’s 11/11/11.

            It’s okay to give in to the camp tradition of kissing the clock and making a wish at 11:11. Take this once in a lifetime opportunity to make a wish at 11:11 p.m. on 11/11/11.

*Tip: Be careful what you wish for- it may actually come true this time around.

5. The Harry Potter Finale

            If you’re like me and enjoy a cozy night in on the couch with Chinese food fresh out of the carton and your best pals next to you every once and awhile, I suggest making a night like this happen this weekend in celebration of the DVD release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Who would give up an opportunity for relaxation, quality time with the pals, and a night to relish in the FINAL CHAPTER OF HARRY POTTER? I certainly would not.

*Tip: Watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone first. Your mind will be blown by how young the trio was, how sucky the special effects were, and how incredibly wonderful the series’ beginning still is.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

          **PS psst extra addition by Otessa:

#6 see kimya live at the black cat. minus the bunny suit

 #6   Kimya Dawson is playing tonight (11/11/11) at the Black Cat… doors are at 9pm. Check it out, get tickets & info HERE.

It’s been a while since I saw her live…actually it was several years ago, when she and Adam Green were still Moldy Peaches. There was a bunny suit involved & the drinking of (fake/real?) pee on stage. Quite memorable. I also have one of Adam Green’s sweaters. Long story. It was bought from off of his back.

by Otessa

Many viewers have had questions about OJBG. “Why do I feel like I’m missing things sometimes? Why are there gaps in the story line between seasons? Why are there new characters, and mysteriously disappearing/reappearing charcacters? Why do you use corded phones?”

Every season is a new summer– and a year passes in between. So Season 1 is the summer of ’94, Season 2 is summer of 95…and a lot of the story line is not just what IS happening…but also is about playing catch up — trying to figure out what happened throughout that passed year. It is a bit like a mystery. I like that when the characters have lives outside of what we see on the screen. It gives them more life and they aren’t always knowable. We have to get to know them.

I chose summer because it is, in many was, the quintessential high school time period. While you are in school, the social order, and the hierarchy are constantly being re-instated daily, because of the pre-ordained and constantly repeating schedule. But during the summer– people change, their schedules change. Sometimes people get thrown into the mix with an unexpected crew. Sometimes people have to go away to their grandmother’s for the summer. Sometimes they have summer school or work and cant hang out like they used to. Sometimes people have camp many states away. Whatever it is– the order is changed — destabilized. And a person’s place, at that age, is uncertain. Their friends, their “standing”, their beliefs, the very structure of their lives — these can all change, becoming re-ordered or dis-ordered. It is in many ways the most fitting representation of that unknown, unknoweable, unsettling age — precisely because it is so unsettled and up-in-the-air.

Also, in terms of characters disappearing and re-appearing… we are a super indie and we don’t have the luxury of 5 year contracts, which is how most TV shows work, and how they are able to guarantee that the actors can stay around for a while. (Ever wonder what happened to Carly Kittredge-McBride?? Yea — me too. I had big plans in store for her, which I had to scrap.) Sometimes our characters/actors just arent available for that season. Sometimes they have moved, sometimes they have job conflicts, sometimes they are college visiting, sometimes they have summer school. Simply put — we have to roll with the punches a lot more. And we hope that you are willing to too.

And as for the corded phones… if you have to ask, the show is set in the 90′s, and you might just be a lost cause.

Here at OJBG Headquarters we’re editing new Class of ’96 Yearbook Videos, and we’ve been looking a lot of old footage from all 4 seasons of the show.  Seeing scenes from the rave in Season 2 made me think of the even more awesome, insane, seizure inducing rave from episode 3.4, “Cavort in the Bog”… And, of course, our favorite fakey faker–little Miss Betty Crocker herself–Remi.

Ep. 3.4 Cavort in the Bog (…lots of cavorting in the bog)

Ever wonder why Remi was christened the “hippopotomas” in Season 3?  When I first read it in the script, I had no clue what the reference was.  Apparently I was deprived as a child because it all comes from a 1982 children’s book by Sandra Boynton, But Not the Hippopotamus.  Granted, I wasn’t born yet when this book was released, but I’m definitely familiar with some of Boynton’s other work (she’s written more than 40 books!)  Here’s the title poem from But Not the Hippopotamus:

“BUT NOT THE HIPPOPOTAMUS”

A hog and a frog cavort in the bog, But not the hippopotamus.
A cat and two rats are trying on hats, But not the hippopotamus.
A moose and a goose together have juice, But not the hippopotamus.
A bear and a hare have been to a fair, But not the hippopotamus.
Now the hog and the frog hurry out for a jog, with the cat and the rats in their new running hats… While the moose and the bear and the goose and the hare are doing their best
to keep up with the rest, But not the hippopotamus.
Then the animal pack comes scurrying back, saying “Hey! Come join the lot of us”
And she just doesn’t know – Should she stay? Should she go?
But YES the hippopotamus! But not the armadillo.

Alas, Remi was the hippopotomas, it all makes sense now. And as we all remember, this little revelation didn’t go over too well with her friends.  But, luckily everything worked out in the end, and we’ll get to see the the 4 not-so-new-anymore kids embark on new adventures in Season 5, starting in November!

by Otessa

So, you may or may not know what the production office looks like, over here at 20/20 HQ…

For those of you unfamiliar with our little “Hive”… I (Otessa here) recently went on a furniture-moving rampage… with the help of Jorge (our sound guy), Bayan (dp/gaffer), Emily (Social Media/Marketing), Ashley + Kathryn (Production Office Co-Ordinators).

Why, you may ask?

The SOFA.  It was a problem.  It stood in the middle of the office space– looking so nice and comfy — but taking up the whole room and making everything epically disproportionate.  It had to go.  We needed more desks. The room was awkward.  It was a HGTV show disaster.

So it moved.  All the way UP the stairs and away.  To the Fairy Never Never Land of Furniture.

Why do I care? you may ask.  Exactly.  Why would anyone care!  This is stupid.  And a stupid-ass janky blog post.
HOWEVER….people DID care?!?!

Apparently, it was, like, THE LIFE FORCE of the office. People had such strong feelings about it.

It was like the Big Lebowski’s f-ing RUG… so it moved back…all the way down the stairs… and onto a different wall.

You can see the AFTER picture here.  It looks much better. And the life force is back.  2020 has its mojo back.

The COUCH. (Note the Harlem Shakes & Comet Ping Pong posters in the bg)

Next upcoming project– the 20/20 BRAIN ROOM… for our little bi-weekly Google Brainstorming meetings (another post about that one).
Suffice it to say the Conference/Dining Room (which consisted of a craft service table from Tar-jay) is to become a stellar Opium Den Extraordinaire… of sorts.

Another note from Ashley:  We were lost without our beloved couch.  A revolt was inevitable if it didn’t return…

Two 16-year-old girls begged us to buy them a pack of black and milds and we ended up chatting about high-school and boys and best friends for most of the night (or at least until their 11 o’clock curfew.) Their boasts of never getting hangovers and never getting caught (even though they’d been drunk every night this week) made me both cringe and smile. They painfully reminded me of my friends and I at that age– for us it was sneaking mixed drinks in Dr. Pepper bottles down to the river to watch movies screen on Magic Island or spiking Slurpees before class.

They’d been sipping rum and cokes out of plastic bottles and flirting with boys who might be old enough to buy them booze all night. As they started telling us about their lives they continually asked, “Are we being annoying?” — but we really didn’t mind. One girl asked me earnestly if things ever get better, if friends ever tell the truth, or if she’d ever not feel like an outsider. And I said yes and no and…maybe.

I warned her that her Junior year would probably be the worst of her life– but Senior year would kick ass. I warned her that soon she’d think back on the people and moments she once loathed with fond nostalgia– “Remember that time you threw-up in my Mom’s closet and I didn’t get to drive the car for a month? Man, those were the days.” I told her the only way to find out who you really love is to move as far away as possible for college and see who you actually miss. The people who don’t matter or aren’t worth the trouble of keeping in touch will just fade away.

The other told me how her boyfriend dumped her after she cheated on him on New Years Eve (Twice. In one night. Ouch.) And wondered if it was possible he’d ever love her again– because she was still “totally in love” with him. Her friend whispered to me, “They had SEX,” as if to validate that love. I paused and told her I sincerely didn’t mean to belittle her emotions, but it was likely in a few years she’d look back on what she thought was love– and laugh. That in a few years she might even doubt the existence of love at all.

Though they were loud and silly and totally oblivious– there was some kind of magic in these girls. The same kind of magic that makes me love watching Orange Juice in Bishops Garden. Because there’s something about watching people make all the same mistakes you did that makes you feel a little nostalgic, a little bit wiser and mostly jealous that you no longer have the same excuse of just ‘being young.’

Episode 4.6 – “Ask Me Anything

In episode 6 of season 4, Sarah and Gwen take a trip down honesty lane revealing things to one another that they’ve kept from one another. They take steps to becoming closer and more vulnerable towards each other.

In my opinion, there’s something quite scary yet so intimate and vulnerable about that phrase “Ask Me Anything”.  In the age old game of Truth or Dare, there is something just as exhilarating as picking Truth because a person just may reveal something about themselves that they never imagined themselves saying.

Favorite Quote About Truth… “The Truth Shall Set You Free” (Let Go Let Flow)

Least Favorite Quote About Truth… “Truth Hurts” (Only Hurts When It Isn’t Told)

Off the soapbox on to the new episode! Check It Out Below

Orange Juice in Bishop’s Garden has proved to be incredibly successful …but unfortunately is not profitable. OJBG makes no money and so every year I must raise funds for filming. And we need your help to continue it. Please show love by spreading the word about our IndieGoGo campaign for our upcoming season.

The show has achieved great acclaim:
–We are watched in 134 countries and still growing.
–Sometimes we’ll have more than 80,000 unique full episode views in 1 day (meaning that in one day 80,000 different people will watch a full episode, all the way through the credits).
–We’re winning awards, like the Telly we just got, which is amazing!
–OJBG was invited to the Dinah Shore weekend, to participate in the events there, and to be recognized for doing great things for the LGBT cause & community.

But, since OJBG makes no money for the company, every year we have to raise the money from scratch. Most shows at our level are made for around $50,000 per season. Ours is made for a SMALL FRACTION –just a very small FRACTION of that.

When I started this show, everyone said it was impossible– year after year they laugh in my face and tell me it is impossible — and year after year — it HAPPENS. We make it happen, to great acclaim.

But it takes a village! So please, I need your help to make it happen.

Our IndieGoGo Campaign can be found here:
http://www.indiegogo.com/ojinbg

There are special perks for contributing like Twitter shoutouts, signed memorabilia, walk on roles, character naming and more!

The 90’s… the lost decade that came to define our generation of misfit youths and grunge teens. Here at OJBG, we are obsessed with reliving the past and reminiscing about the good ol’ days when Nick at Nite defined our weekends and Kurt Cobain dominated our walk-mans.

Finally… we have found a fellow follower of all things 90s, another wayward 20-something still unable to quite grow up.  So in light of the current times… they started a blog to list the Things that 90s Kids Realize. Genius.

I have compiled my favorite revelations from the site… in no particular order.

-       Honey I Shrunk the Kids made us cry over a dead ant

-       Bill Nye the Science Guy taught us half of what we know

-       Fruit Stripe gum is a disappointment

-       TGIF were the bees knees

-       Kenan & Kel great together…Not so great apart

Bonus points for the status updates from iconic 90s characters

Ms. Frizzle: On the Magic School bus inside a kangaroo’s pouch. So trippy!!

Check out http://things90skidsrealize.com/ for more epiphanies regarding life in the world’s greatest forgotten decade.