anastasia tubanos

I recently entered a rather FANTASTIC sounding contest with a fellow parter-in-crime, Marie Nicola of TwentySomethingTV and Karmacake.ca fame, to win the best travel job ever. Coincidentally that’s the name of the contest, BestTravelJobEver.com.

It seems like Flight Centre, who’s putting on the contest (along with a slew of sponsors including Intrepid Travel and Air Canada), have jumped on the social media bandwagon to rally up the most adventuresome, travel lusty communicators across Canada to create a short video about why they’re the best choice to win the contest.

The videos are up for voting for the month of April and then the Top 25 videos are evaluated by a panel of celeb judges. Six entrants get sent on a trip by Intrepid Travel to vlog to their heart’s content. And then the best two from that gets the GRAND PRIZE from Flight Centre.

Here’s our rather salacious entry. We decided to go for the tongue-in-cheek testimonial approach. Plus, it’s the first piece of video I’ve been the editor for in a looong while. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out:)

So guess who’s a columnist for Women’s Post?

Yep. Me. How rad is that?

It’s a bi-monthly column called “Bridging the Gap” and its aim is to discuss the interactions between Old Media vs. New Media.

I’m pretty pumped because I get to use this forum to analyze and geek out about all the different moves played by traditional media outlets like TV, magazines and newspapers to try to make themselves more relevant via the rapidly changing medium of the Net. On the flipside, I also get to talk about New Media and how its users have been working to legitimize themselves and build business models around the content they’re creating on the web.

My first column really sums it all up:

The Internet has been a catalyst for change for a lot of different industries, but particularly within the world of traditional media, like newspapers, magazines and television.

Over the last six years, I’ve worked various media roles, from a chase producer for Canadian network programs to launching five online TV shows. Coming from a background of both traditional and “new media,” which essentially means online publications and web shows, I have had the benefit of seeing how both worlds have been growing and adapting to each other to accommodate this paradigm shift in how media is being consumed by the general public.

With regards to video consumption, for example, ComScore’s latest Video Metrix data report released April 2009 ranked Canada as the highest in online video viewing - beating countries like the UK, Germany, France, and the U.S. - and reported that the average Canadian online viewer spent 10 hours viewing online content, up 53 percent from last year.

The Internet really is the Wild West for mass media and in this column I’ll be taking a look at how the web has affected traditional mediums and point towards concrete examples of stories like networks launching webisodes to complement their TV shows or original web-only series; citizen journalism or viewer-created content becoming more sought out by news organizations; and newspapers and networks embracing the two-way conversation the Internet has become notorious for.

I’ll even be bringing to light examples of how web start-ups have made the leap into traditional mediums, with online magazines expanding into print or web series being sold to networks and launched as TV shows.

It seems the medium is no longer the message. Not entirely, at least. Content is king. And hopefully this column will help make sense of it all and offer a forum to explore, discuss and bridge the gap between Old Media and New Media.

Every year the CBC holds an annual televised event called “Test the Nation” where Canadians (in-studio and in their homes) participate in a LIVE two-hour interactive IQ test.

There are half a dozen in-studio teams, and this year I was called upon to join arms with the NERDS heh heh. Quite frankly, it was a team of Nerds AND Geeks, but the difference between the two (whether there really IS one) will be left for another blog post.

There were a total of 180 participants divided into six teams, including Twins, Politicians, Believers, Atheists and Contact Sports Athletes. It was a “star-studded” event with the likes of Justin Trudeau, Marc Garneau, Little Mosque on the Prarie’s Brandon Firla and Dragons’ Den’s Brett Wilson. And the TV special exceeded a million viewers across the nation. Pretty rad.

Naturally Team Nerds won. Could it be any other way?:)

Here are some pics of our hijinx:

Check out the episode and cheer along with the Nerds in all their glory:)

One of the shows I produce, Naked Wine Show, won a Tasty Award this week. Yay!

NakedWineShow 1069 Tommasi Valpolicella 2008
by NakedWineShow

What are the Tasty Awards?

Held in San Francisco, it describes itself as the Oscars of the food, fashion, drink and style industries and awards people for outstanding food and fashion programs on television, film and online.

Luckily, the Naked Wine Show made the cut as a nominee in the “Best Critic/Review Show” category. And then beat out unbelievable competition like Gary Vay-Ner-Chuk’s Wine Library TV. For those who don’t know, GaryV’s held the stranglehold on anything having to do with WINE on the Internet for years. So…this really does feel like a double whammy of an achievement for the show.

NewTeeVee broke the story. Then win was also featured in the New York Times and CNN. Badass.

You better believe we celebrated with wine. LOTS of it:)

The past few days have been rather interesting, as I’ve been adjusting to life back in bustling and teeth-chatteringly cold Toronto.

Why, you may ask?

Because I just came back from my dream trip to India! (No, I’m not gloating. I’m just grateful for being able to say that:) I just spent 3 1/2 weeks wandering through central, north eastern and southern India and my GOD, all the reading and interviewing and research in the world couldn’t have prepared me for the raw and unapologetically chaotic world that is India.

People have often asked me why I decided to go to this land of spices, mythology and aggressive development. My answer is simple: I’ve always been drawn to it. Ever since I was about 12, I used to sit in my parents’ living room every Sunday morning and watch Bollywood movies on TV. I usually didn’t understand a word of it, but something about the stories and the way they were presented always drew me in. As I grew older, more and more things about the culture and society intrigued me: the spirituality; the vibrant clothing and jewelry; the mouth-watering cuisine; the traditional values and how it clashes with the rapid westernization of their youth today; the music and movies; the dichotomy of rich and poor; the sheer factor that once you’re there you can’t believe that all the little pieces that make up that society somehow manage to grate against each other and function. It’s like a beautiful engima.

So you see, I could never avoid going. And thus begins my love affair with India. Because once you’ve had a taste of her, I sense you’ll always be drawn back for more.

My partner in crime in my day-to-day life, Matt, joined me on this spicy adventure. And I gotta say, when you stick a journalist and a filmmaker together, you get some pretty informative AND entertaining video diaries:)

Our journey starts in Mumbai then goes up to the mountains of Darjeeling, down to Buddha’s home of enlightenment, Bodhgaya, then over to the holiest point of existence for Hindu’s, Varanasi. It then treks over to Agra, home of the Red Fort and Taj Mahal, then to the palaces of Jaipur and a hop, skip and jump down to the southern state of Kerala, infamous for its backwater boat rides and ayurvedic treatments. The final destination? Notorious Goa, known for its white-sand beaches (spotted with cows, of course!) and echoes of the trance party scenes of the 90s and long-haired hippies before then.

I was recently called by a gal pal with whom it was inevitable I would become friends with, Amber Mac, to guest star on her new-ish (well, re-booted) show Webnation on CP24.

Obviously I was ecstatic to join her and got to come on to do a review of an app that has recently become very popular on the iPhone due to T-Pain’s shenanigans online -  Auto-Tune.

Although I thoroughly embarrassed myself trying to sing the Canadian anthem into it (though my most intimate friends assure me I was bubbly and adorable AS WELL as informative) I also got to review two of my personal faves on my iPhone, Shazam and Recorder.

I still need to get the video to embed to my site, but for now here are some pics and the URL where you can watch me in action:

Anastasia Tubanos on Webnation (October 14 - Part 2)

I have a “thing” for zombie-lore. The more graphically detailed and docu-real, the better. Ever since reading Max Brooks’ survivalist tale “World War Z” I have put an abnormal amount of thought into how I would realistically survive a zombie pandemic. Sounds crazy, I know. But seriously…who says it couldn’t happen. And if it did, do YOU have a survival plan?

Having said that, Jesse Eisenberg’s character in the upcoming zomedy “Zombieland” is MORE than a little anal when it comes to his rules on how to “get by” when zombies have plagued the earth (which may explain why he’s one of the SOLE survivors…). And his general awkwardness and gentle disposition make me giggle uncontrollably pretty much every time he opens his mouth.

In fact, everything about this movie (yes, I begrudgingly admit, even Woody Harrelson) looks hilarious and ever since getting the EPK (electronic press kit) and putting together what I think is our best Your Geek News episode yet, I have been hungrily anticipating this film the way a zombie voraciously anticipates brains:)

~Anastasia “Nat” Tubanos

As you know, I’m a pretty big fan of Battlestar Galactica (I know, I know, that goes without saying if you’ve started your own BSG aftershow…:).

I also happen to have a great appreciation, and growing adoration, for the art of interviewing (or the art of fluid conversation, as I like to see it).

So when I was presented the opportunity to mashup two of my passions, it gave me the chance to speak face-to-face to two actors I have gained a great amount of respect for over the last six years (yes, it’s been THAT long since the show started. Oiy!).

Chatting to Mary McDonnell (who played President Laura Roslin) was an absolute delight. On a professional level, I was excited to have the chance to interview a a two-time Oscar-nominated actress (My adorable mom will be excited to know she acted alongside Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves). But on a fan level, I couldn’t wait to pick her brain about Battlestar’s finale, Laura’s fate and even the up-coming series, Caprica! Let’s also take a moment to note what fabulous, voluminous hair she has:)

I may or may not have geeked out, just a bit ,when I got to interview Alessandro Juliani, better known as Lt. Felix Gaeta on BSG (obviously, I totally geeked out.) He was a character that started off as a fairly minor role and grew into one of the most dark, tormented and sympathetically flawed characters on the show. I fell in love with him after the episode “Final Cut” where you saw him “letting his hair down” for the first time, or in this case, undoing his collar…and lighting up a cigarette…AND sharing his tattoo with the audience. I knew at that instant that there was more MAN-stique to this seemingly straight-edge military boy than anyone could’ve expected. I’m glad to see I was right:)

~Anastasia “Nat” Tubanos

P.S. Although I’m still developing my interviewing skills, I’m genuinely thankful for the overwhelmingly positive feedback I’ve gotten about these segments on BSGcast. Truthfully, the response blows my mind. But it makes me so grateful that I’ve been able to make the conversations entertaining enough that fellow BSG fans feel like they’re getting something new and valuable out of it. So, thank you:)

Well, it’s a half-marathon to be exact (and if you want to get REAL specific, we’re talking 13.1 miles or almost 21 km. Eep!). If you’ve known me for a long time, you’ll know very well that I’ve never been a runner. At all. But a few months ago, my fabulous publicist friend, Caroline Lennox, asked me if I wanted to train for the Niagara Falls International Marathon with her, and I rather spontaneously agreed! Key motivators? I wanted a new challenge to overcome (especially something that would let me work my body and fitness in a way I never had before) and I knew that I would be much more motivated to train for a marathon with a friend rather than on my own. All in all, it seemed like the perfect opportunity at just the right time.

This marathon has also opened a door for me as a new contributor for Woman.ca, an online women’s magazine that calls itself “the web’s first ’social magazine’.” I’m really pumped to be writing again. And yes, my first article has a bit of that endearing geeky Nat flavour (you DO find it endearing, right?:)

Here’s a link to the article. I’m also posting it into my blog, just to have it here. Cheers!

Running 2.0: iPhone Apps

“Pocket-Sized Personal Trainer”

I’m a woman in my mid-20s and a few months ago I made the decision to become a runner. I have never been an athlete. In fact, I used to avoid breaking a sweat whenever possible. Frankly, the only type of athletic activity I’ve ever enjoyed involved 90s dance music and aerobics. I’ll shamelessly admit this often included dance parties for one in front of my bedroom mirror.

Why running you ask? It seems that training for a 5K run or marathon has become one of those rites of passage to becoming an adult in the 21st century, right up there with “establishing a rewarding self-made career” and “buying a home”. I realized I was at a point in my life where I wanted to try something that not only was going to challenge my body in a completely different way, but my mind as well; something that required an incredible amount of self-motivation and focus. And let me tell you, training for a half-marathon (specifically the Niagara Falls International Marathon in this case) is exactly what the doctor ordered.

As a gal who loves her technology, I immediately decided to scour the iTunes Apps Store for any gems that could help me with my training. I’m happy to report that there are a few options to explore. Here are some of my personal favourites:

1) RunKeeper by FitnessKeeper, Inc. - This is one I’ve enjoyed using the most so far. It enables you to track duration, distance, pace, speed, total rise, elevation vs. speed, and a map of your running route. It’s very user-friendly and can be used concurrently with your music (bonus!). On top of tracking the history of your stats within the app, it also records your runs on your personal web dashboard on the RunKeeper website. Being able to see your progress is especially useful while trying to keep yourself motivated. The major difference between the paid and the free version seems to be the audio cues you get with RunKeeper Pro. Although not mandatory, audio cues are incredibly convenient and somehow help to keep you going.

2) Trainer Lite by AppLabs.nl - Although not as fancy as RunKeeper, I found this to be a great tool for a running newbie like me. It’s simple but to the point and does everything it says it does with barely any glitches. Not unlike RunKeeper, it tracks your time, distance and speed, as well as maps your route. However it also comes with a “Training” mode that eases you into running, complete with audio cues prompting you when to switch between running and walking; it’s like a personal running trainer in your pocket!

3) Runner by DeltaVee - As with the previous apps, Runner covers the basics like tracking your distance, time, speed, pace and even energy consumption. The really unique thing about this app is it lets you customize your run based on whether you want to fulfill a distance-based goal or a time-based goal. It also uses the internal GPS to track your route on a map display and it provides spoken feedback during your run, even on top of your music. The is the latest one I’ve been using, so I’m still familiarizing myself with it, but it’s definitely one of the more detail-oriented applications out there, which is KEY with keeping your motivation up.

Aside from the slew of applications out there, the internet has a wealth of running-related websites to help you with your progress, many of which I’ve explored and will be sharing with you in part two of this series Running 2.0.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have already gotten a sense of how a)insanely busy and b)ego-boosting my previous week was.

Between some fabulous publicity around Your Geek News and my roving red carpet reporter gig with the Mississauga Independent Film Festival, weeks like last week really validate to myself that I’m in the right industry (for now) and I shouldn’t consider a career change any time too soon

Regarding “Your Geek News” (an entertainment news web show I produce and co-host) we recently cemented a partnership with independent TV service Babelgum and got some amazing exposure and media coverage because of it.

Liz Shannon Miller, an insightful journalist I met while at SXSW 2009 earlier this year, broke the story on NewTeeVee, which was then picked up by notable sources like New York Times, CNN, Salon.com and USAToday. TubeFilter also reported on the partnership, getting our story picked up by IMDB. You can’t BUY that kind of coverage and let me say that it has been paying off as we’ve gotten called upon by some very interesting companies and brands offering some rather unique opportunities. And needless to say, I’m excited about it.

Then of course, I was reporting from the Mississauga Independent Film Festival all weekend. It kicked off with a fancy-shmancy red-carpet event and a healthy turnout of more than double the attendees from last year. And yes, I was totally Joan Rivers-ing the evening, asking people why they thought they were important enough to be there and, of course, WHO they were wearing. The FUNNIEST part about this (and can’t say I’m surprised) is not only was no one wearing any famous designers, but a large majority of the people were wearing stuff they picked up at H&M. hahaha I don’t blame them, it’s one of my favourite places. But I think MIFF should consider picking up H&M as a sponsor next year since MIFF filmmakers, producers etc seem to be their target market:)

Gala aside, the rest of the event was packed with an impressive array of feature films and shorts (a surprising amount of which made me cry, of course) and interviews galore with the filmmakers and actors themselves.

The best feature film in my eyes happened to be the one that won at the festival - “Gangster Exchange” a fun, fast-paced Guy Ritchie-esque action film with some sexy leads and laugh-out-loud comedic moments (I know it’s cheesy, but I DID laugh out loud in the theatre). It has thugs, guns, and toilet’s made of cocaine. You just need to see it. Here’s the trailer.

As for shorts, The Prodigal Trilogy was the one that moved me the most (sadly, it didn’t win). The Prodigal Trilogy is a cinematic adaptation of acclaimed solo performer Jason Hildebrand’s monologues based on the Luke 15 parable of Jesus in the Bible. The amazing part of this three-act film is that whether you’re religious or not, the morality tale Jason weaves is one that is guaranteed to speak to anyone who watches it. Simply put, it’s a story about love and everyone can relate to that. Check out the trailer. (On a side note, Jason himself is a fabulous conversationalist with some fascinating stories to share AND has an impressively stylish shoe collection.)

This week has been a nice diminuendo to the excitement last week (which is SO necessary, in my opinion) but, as always, I have at least 2-3 things a day that pop up that I want to share on my blog, and then life gets in the way of it and it has to wait a week, or two. Which is why following me on Twitter is actually a good idea because this micro-blogging system works so well with the type of person I am (this is, of course, only if you care about all the random thoughts/ideas/opinions that roll out of my head). Excuses aside though, I’ll be posting another blog again quite soon:)

xoxo,
Anastasia “Nat” Tubanos