Pepsi Refresh Project Launches $1.3 Million "Do Good for the Gulf" Initiative | Fast Company

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Source: fastcompany.com

"There is no shortage of crowdsourced ideas to clean up the Gulf oil disaster, but Pepsi is the first to step in with crowdsourced solutions to help the Gulf communities affected by BP's monumental blunder. The Do Good for the Gulf Initiative--an extension of Pepsi's Refresh Project campaign--will award $1.3 million in grants to projects that help Gulf residents.

Pepsi will accept submissions starting on July 12 for the initiative, which is offering multiple $5,000, $25,000, $50,000, and $250,000 grants to the projects that receive the largest number of votes from online visitors. Voting closes on July 16, or when Pepsi gets 1,000 submissions..."

Read more:

http://www.fastcompany.com/1665876/pepsi-refresh-project-launches-13-million-...

Perfect webseries mash-up? b-boys, poppers, superhero powers? 'The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers' is ready to battle with flips, spins and dance steps

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By Zachary Pincus-Roth, Special to the Los Angeles Times
July 4, 2010

"It's your classic western pastiche: The good guys saunter through the saloon's double doors. The bad guys put down their whiskey. The brawl begins.

But in this scene, rehearsed at Melody Ranch in Newhall a week ago, the two sides compete not with fists and guns but with flips and spins. "What if dance was actually a weapon?" asks the director, Jon M. Chu. "They can use it for good or for evil."

Chu was filming an episode of "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers," a.k.a. "The LXD," a new Web series in which hip-hop dancers are portrayed as superheroes. It's dance crew meets "Fantastic Four" — ordinary people discover their exceptional powers and decide to join the Legion, which then faces off against mysterious enemies. But instead of specializing in firepower or invisibility, it's breaking, popping, locking, finger tutting or boogaloo...."

Much more to read here:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-extraordinarydancers-20100704...

teva « Beyond the World - excellent blog recap of ARG Conspiracy for Good

(source: http://mikepohjola2.wordpress.com/tag/teva/ )

"June 16, 2010 at 7:04 pm

The Conspiracy For Good is a combination of participatory storytelling, gaming and attempt to support real-life NGOs and charities. The story has now begun in earnest, so you can go check out the latest videos on the blog daily. Our story begins in Zambia:

Conspiracy For Goodin website has lots more videos, discussions and riddles…

What is Blackwell Briggs doing in Zambia and can we stop it? Where are Missä David, Nadirah, and Ann Marie now?"

read more here: http://mikepohjola2.wordpress.com/tag/teva/

ARG website here: http://conspiracyforgood.com/

more mysterious, more letters... writing to the entire world one by one- by Lenka & Michael — Kickstarter

(source: www.kickstarter.com)

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

What are we doing you cry?

We're sending letters to everyone in the world, one town at a time.

We're trying to prompt chats around neighborhoods. (Not boring! Exciting!)

We're trying to spread a bit of butter! (Joy.)

We're lighting the long weird wick of community curiosity and waiting for it to do whatever that particular mix of people does. (Who knows?!)

What sort of thing should strangers say to strangers?

Who absolutely hates letters?

What will come for you in the mail tomorrow?

Thanks to the brilliant people who pledged on here last time we wrote over 600 letters to every home in Polish Hill in Pittsburgh in America...

Now we want to go further, quicker, bigger, thinner, taller, shorter, etc.

(6,825,898,913 x better)

Will you help?

Yes?

No?

Join us! It's free! (not free)

(This time we're looking to raise $8000 for travel to a very remote (secret at the moment, sorry) location. Until now we've had to limit our letter writing to 620, the most we can do in two weeks without dying, but with $8,000 we can write to hundreds and hundreds more people, longer letters, further travels, whole cities, etc.)

www.mysteriousletters.blogspot.com

First Annual Kickstarter Film Festival by Kickstarter & Rooftop Films - July 9th - super cool

About this project

On Friday, July 9th, Kickstarter and Rooftop Films are hosting the first annual Kickstarter Film Festival on the roof of the OId American Can Factory in Brooklyn.
The festival will feature 90 minutes of film and video from a dozen Kickstarter projects, including feature films, stop-motion animation, documentaries, art, and dance. All of them amazing.

There's much more than film, though. We're lucky enough to have a handful of Kickstarter food projects serving as vendors for the event. They'll be selling things like artisanal sodas, homemade ice cream, amazing pies, fresh vegetables from urban farms, delicious cakes, and more. It's going to be delicious.

There will also be music! Before the screening enjoy the amazing Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, the focus of the Kickstarter-funded Brasslands documentary. Watch the project video for more.

LOGISTICS

The American Can Factory holds roughly 700 people — 300 on the roof and 400 in the courtyard below (there are two screens). This project's 260 tickets are for the rooftop seats (some are being reserved for the filmmakers and press). Four-hundred courtyard seats will be sold at the door on the night of the festival, weather-permitting.

TIMES

8pm Doors
8:30pm Music
9pm Films
11:30pm Afterparty

ADDRESS

The Old American Can Factory
Corner of 3rd St and 3rd Ave, Brooklyn NY (Map)

LINEUP

The Woods (Extended Trailer) by Matthew Lessner A feature about a group of kids whose attempted Utopia in the Oregon forest turns Lord of the Flies. One of the earliest Kickstarter film projects, and a longtime staff favorite. We'll preview an extended trailer.

Battle of Brooklyn by David Beilinson, Suki Hawley and Michael Galinksy A documentary about the Atlantic Yards fight over a Brooklyn neighborhood (about 15 blocks from the festival) between a developer, the government, and the people who live there. A 25-minute premiere.

Little Brass Bird by Robin Poppert, Rhodrick Magsino & Elliott Bambrough A stop-motion short from Chicago. Every aspect is DIY and handmade. Adult Swim should totally be airing this!

Staring Into the Sun by Olivia Wyatt The latest ethno-folk film from Sublime Frequencies. Photographer/filmmaker Olivia Wyatt explores 13 different tribes throughout Ethiopia in this visually stunning work. The trailer is completely amazing and a must-watch.

Flood Tide by Todd Chandler A road movie on a river. It tells the story of four musicians who create extraordinary boats out of ordinary junk and set out for open water. So good.

Chess Movie (Working Title) by Katie Dellamaggiore, Nelson Dellamaggiore and Brian Schulz A documentary about a Brooklyn middle school with the best chess team in the country and not much else. An amazing story.

A Short Lecture of a Different Time by Karim Muasher It's not a Kickstarter party if there isn't something 8-bit. Karim's 8-bit short on the history of — well — everything is excellent.

Putty Hill by Matthew Porterfield A young man's death in Baltimore unites a fractured family and their community through shared memory and loss. Just given four stars by Roger Ebert!

The Dancing Ecologist by Karl Cronin Karl is documenting his dance-derived imitations of various — and eventually every — endangered US plant and animal species. He will debut a new piece about the Gulf of Mexico.

Lake Beast by Vance Reeser An animated short about a man haunted by a vision he once saw in a mysterious lake. An early Kickstarter favorite.

Jens Pulver: Driven by Gregory Bayne A documentary about a champion UFC fighter and his last match. Its Kickstarter project was a smashing success, raising more than $25,000 in just 20 days.

In Transit Presents 16mm by Jonathan Dueck Jonathan painted 16mm film cells and collaborated with some amazing musicians for a fractured accompaniment. The result is haunting and mesmerizing.

TABLES

We've invited a handful of Kickstarter project creators to join us at the festival. This includes cool things like Trade School and Windowfarms, as well as food vendors like Cakestarter, Brooklyn Soda Works, Ice Cream Club, Pie in the Park, Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm, and more. Yum!

PROCEEDS

Every cent raised by this project will go towards paying for the costs of the event. Any additional funds will be donated to the Rooftop Filmmakers Grants fund.

PROJECT VIDEO MUSIC

Scoring the project video: Julianna Barwick's lovely "Anjos," which was released on deluxe white vinyl thanks to this Kickstarter project. Also heard: "Lipe Cvatu" from the Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band's In the Center of the Village. Buy them both. You won't regret it.


Project location: Brooklyn, NY