After more than thirty great shows on their current set, Brian Mitchell and his crew will be launching an all new look on Friday’s Tailgate Show. The web show at Bmitchlive.com already has a very professional look and feel to it, so what could possibly be in store for the new digs? I figured there was only one logical way to find out – ask them.
Having just been on the show last week myself, I have to admit that I was more than intrigued when Brian leaked a sneak peak to the new set’s existence on Twitter this week. I promptly asked the show’s Creative Director Ben Brletic, if it was alright if I forwarded along a few questions for them. Ben graciously obliged and promised that I would have them back in short order – and then carried through with that promise (Thanks Ben).
So with curiosity piqued, I wanted to know what was in store for Redskins Nation. The news desk set that the show currently uses is top drawer, and very akin to what you would see on standard TV shows of the same ilk. Was the new theme going to be a freshening up of that look, or something entirely different? Apparently – something completely different.
“A Mancave theme coupled with Sports news and discussions/technology/social media in one convenient place,” said the show’s Executive Producer Matt DeNapoli. “We want to go away from traditional TV based news sets and create a new direction and experience that our viewers can relate to. Imagine grabbing a beer, sitting down in your mancave with a friend and watching a game and talking about all things sports. That’s where we’re going.”
It’s a poignant answer and logical evolution, considering that the majority of feedback that I received this week from my peers, about my appearance last week, is that they loved the fact that it feels like a bunch of guys just hanging out and talking about football. KNOWLEDGEABLE guys.
If you aren’t familiar with the show, shame on you. You really need to check it out. Brian has taken it upon himself to offer something completely different to Redskins Nation – a show where he asks Redskins FANS questions about the Redskins. It’s a unique concept, and only Brian himself can explain the impetus that he personally had for starting the Tailgate show: “It was started to get the fans excited about the upcoming game by bringing insights from super fans like yourself (thanks Brian), and from players that are currently playing. We’ve had Fred Davis, Rob Jackson, Brandon Banks, Anthony Armstrong, Darrel Young, and Adam Carriker just to name a few so far.”
A humble response from someone that is doing something fairly radical.
Combining Brian’s flair and the show’s unique concept, with fan interactivity and the ravenous fan base in Washington D.C., surely it could have landed a conventional TV slot somewhere. But that wouldn’t accomplish the global nature of what Brian is trying to do with the show.
“We chose the web TV format because that is what everyone is going to. The Internet is everywhere, and people don’t have to be at home to watch,” said Mitchell. “It gives us total creative control, and it’s easier for people to see. They can watch at home on their computer, away from home on their computer, or on the go on most smart phones.”
It’s a winning recipe that they have put together, if you ask me. I couldn’t help but notice that on Redskins Nation, specifically The Coaches Show with Charles Mann, they were adopting an eerily similar look to Brian’s set. Gone is the news desk, replaced by Director’s chairs – just like on the BMitchlive.com productions. At least, it was the same as the old BMitchlive productions; but pioneers don’t stand still, they forge ahead – hence the brand new set coming out on Friday. To be successful, when the people around you start copying what they probably initially mocked, it’s time to zig when they zag, and come up with something even better.
“I think you can tune into many television shows if you want the guys in suits behind the desk (Some who have no idea what they’re talking about). People that know Brian, know he carries a strong message but rarely do they get a chance to see Brian in a “Real” environment,” said Producer DeNapoli. “This change will allow fans, players and Brian to all mingle in a real atmosphere and environment that we think will be innovative and refreshing.”
So was it the Executive Producer or the talent/producer that came up with the ideas and plan for the new set?
“Depends who you ask,” joked DeNapoli, then added seriously that, “It was a collaborative effort by all the Bmitchlive crew. We all specialize in different areas of work in our current or former lives. We sit down and have a drink after the show and discuss many things. Some of the most real discussions and debates happen when the cameras go off, we want to be able to incorporate the same feel in the product we deliver to fans and viewers.”
Being a “tech head”, I know that the technology required to do a show like this, is by no means simple, or miniscule. There’s a lot that goes into making any live production, let alone one that streams live to the web, and with guest hosts Skyping in from everywhere, like I did last week from up here in Canada. I wanted to know what magic potions were being concocted on that new set that allowed such wondrous live things to happen:
“While we can’t give away the secret recipe, we utilize the most advanced IP protocols that allow us to transport television over public internet. We utilize the most efficient cutting edge tools for capturing audio/video coupled with custom video players that were built for live streaming media. I can tell you that deliving high quality/high resolution video over internet is not easy. We think we are ahead of our time. When Bmitchlive first launched, NBC’s “Today show” had just aired its first live video stream of behind the scenes of the show. We take great pride in our ability to deliver a full on television production LIVE and Interactive via the internet.”
It’s absolutely amazing the technology available to everybody today. If you haven’t been immersed in it for a long time, it’s sometimes hard to get scope of just how far we’ve come. We live in an age where not only can a guy put on a TV production from the comfort of his own home, but a high resolution LIVE production that people can watch on their phone! That’s just incredible to anyone that ever owned a black and white television set.
The BMitchlive show DOES deliver Live Video streams to Smartphone’s (3G/4G), and there are plans to develop an app for mobile phones and IPADs, as well as many other improvements to come.
“We are excited about some of the projects currently in the works. We plan to add a law, medical, comedy channel and maybe a hogs.TV channel too! We want to make sure that our content is available no matter where you go – stuck in traffic, bored at work or traveling abroad.”
A hogs.TV channel? Seriously? I know a guy that knows a thing or two about The Hogs, and even has a website about them, so just holler. He’d be happy to oblige in any way that he can.
None of this happens without people. The BMitchlive show takes a lot of work, so on top of Brian, Matt and Ben, they also call on Cy Harrison (Technical Director) and Jasper Fazio (Staff Photographer) to put everything together. They’ve all likely been toiling tirelessly this week to get everything ready for the big show tomorrow night at 7:00pm.
I did have one last question for Brian, and it centered around the fact, that I have experienced the snobbery and pig-headedness that can run rampant at Redskins Park sometimes. I wondered if Brian’s peers had received the show and delivery method, as well as the Redskins fans seemed to be.
“Most people like it,” Brian said, “There are also some who seem to have an issue with it, but who cares. We are doing nothing, that no one else can’t do. We were just the first to do it, and seem to be doing it better. It’s new and cutting edge, and we plan on being here for the long haul.”
A true maverick.
Well I for one appreciate your efforts and your vision Brian, and plan on tuning in for the long haul. And Redskins Nation – you should too.
Hail!
BMitchlive Crew:
Brian Mitchell- Talent /Producer
Matt DeNapoli – Executive Producer
Ben Brletic – Creative Director
Cy Harrison – Technical Director
Jasper Fazio (Staff Photographer)
Show information:
Friday nights on Bmitchlive.tv or Bmitchlive.com. 7:00pm.
On Twitter, you can follow Brian at @BMitchlive , Matt at @BMitchliveshow , Ben at @dynastycoach , and me at @TheHogsdotNet
Please click the Twitter button below this blog, and tweet it out to your tweeps. It only takes a second, and I’d appreciate you helping get the word out about the new look. Thanks.