Studio Blog
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Studio Blog
As a young girl growing up in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Tara Perry always knew she wanted to be in show business. She got her start in local pageants and eventually made her way to California, where she found work in both television and film. Her TV credits include appearances on "How I Met Your Mother" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Her resume also includes national commercials, voiceovers for cartoons and independent films.
Her latest gig is as Demand Media's Movie Maven, where she gets to combine her two loves: acting and comedy. Perry hosts reviews of upcoming feature films and gives her take on movies that are hot or not.
How did you wind up as the Movie Maven?
Rich Kuras (the Movie Maven producer) and I met at the Empty Stage Theater where we did improv together. He called me up, said he had an idea for a show and asked if I'd be the host.
How much time do you put in for one segment, including any rehearsal and involvement in the editing and production process?
Each episode is different. Sometimes I'll head down to the Mania office to watch trailers and crack jokes with Rich to get ideas. We also discuss if it should be a green screen episode or a sketch-style one. The sketch-style episodes are usually shot on location. I LOVE the sketch episodes. We got to do one on the Pier, the Renaissance Faire, and of course we went to Austin for South by Southwest and to San Diego for Comic Con. Those take a bit of rehearsing just so all the jokes are delivered properly. There's not much of a rehearsal process though for the green screen episodes. A lot of the best parts are the unexpected ones. It takes a few hours per episode to film, and if it takes longer, it's because we can't keep from laughing. We have enough footage for five more blooper reels!
What's a typical day or shoot like? Do you work off a script or do you mostly ad lib?
Once we start filming we do a few takes following the script that Rich drafted up, and then we'll do a few takes with me improvising. Then it all gets edited together. I'm not in that process. I fully trust the guys in that department.
How is working as the Movie Maven like or unlike other TV, video and Web work you've done?
I love it because I have a lot of creative freedom. With the Movie Maven, a lot of my favorite parts are my reactions that the camera happens to catch, quoting other movies and the ad libs. It's really relaxed and always fun. It's also really nice because there is such a variety to the show. Not only are there the episodes with a green screen, there's the sketch-style ones, red carpet interviews, man-on-the-street [types] and videos of us sitting in on panel discussions. Who knows what we'll come up with next!
What do you like to do when you aren't being the Movie Maven?
I do improv every week. I perform with Big Bennessy at iO West in Hollywood and the group Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em. I also love to paint, hike, go to museums and of course, see as many movies as I can. Also, if it were possible, I'd go to Disneyland every day. It's my favorite place to spend a free day.
How did you wind up in show business and, particularly, comedy?
I always knew I wanted to be an actress. I did pageants in my younger years as a creative outlet and when the judges asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always "a brain surgeon or a comedian."
I guess that was my first experience with stand-up. I had a musical theater scholarship to the University of Mississippi but decided at 19 to move to LA. I figured with what I wanted to do, I needed to be in LA to do it and the sooner the better. But stay in school kiddos!
I started taking improv classes as soon as I got here at the Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade and Improv Olympic. I also take acting class at the Lesly Kahn Institute.
What pageants did you do?
I was Arkansas' Junior Miss in 2004, but I never thought I'd do pageants. I was a bit of a tomboy growing up. Not like, I never wanted to wear dresses; more like, I'd rather play soccer, video games, build forts and watch "[Teenage Mutant] Ninja Turtles." One day, my sister brought home a flyer for a pageant from her school, and I think I said something like "Yeah, I could do that.” I did and won. I found that I really liked the feeling of an entire audience laughing at me. Strange, I know. But it was my first taste of the entertainment biz, I guess.
What was the first movie you reviewed as Movie Maven?
Actually, our first episode was called the "Mania Minute," and it was very much a test. It was a short entertainment news show where we talked about rumored projects of Mania's favorite directors and writers and what comics and DVDs were coming out.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Media Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators — writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers — and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I'm Kristi Gray, and I was fortunate to discover the opportunities at Demand Media Studios. As a single mom, I was looking for ways to supplement my income after I was laid off from my job and had to take a pay cut at my subsequent job. I have a BA in English and have been a prolific creative writer, but now I am realizing the benefits of nonfiction and technical writing. Demand Media Studios has been a godsend for me and my daughter during these tough economic times, and I'm looking forward to the day when I can leave the office forever and make it my full-time job.
I'm Kristi Gray, and I was fortunate to discover the opportunities at Demand Media Studios. As a single mom, I was looking for ways to supplement my income after I was laid off from my job and had to take a pay cut at my subsequent job. I have a BA in English and have been a prolific creative writer, but now I am realizing the benefits of nonfiction and technical writing. Demand Media Studios has been a godsend for me and my daughter during these tough economic times, and I'm looking forward to the day when I can leave the office forever and make it my full-time job.
August marks the beginning of back-to-school season for millions of kids and parents across the country. It’s a special time when swim goggles and video-game controllers are traded in for pencils, lunchboxes and book bags. Here at Demand Media Studios, we’ve decided to commemorate this exciting time of the year by launching a special edition of our popular Write for a Cause book drive.
Our back-to-school campaign will make sure that when kids pick up their book bags this year; they feel the welcomed weight of brand new books tugging on their shoulder straps.
In the previous two Write for a Cause campaigns you helped raise over 26,000 brand new books. Just like last time, for every eight articles approved between August 12 and August 31, a book will be donated through our partner FirstBook.org. This time though, we’ve made it a little more interesting - YOU will have a chance to impact what books are donated. Stay tuned for more information on how!
Here are just some of the places you've helped to fill with much needed books so far:
• Trousdale County After School Academy – Hartsville, TN
• Claiborne Boys & Girls Club – Haynesville, LA
• West Austin Development Center – Chicago, IL
• Westlawn Elementary School – Texarkana, TX
• The Salvation Army Red Shield – Modesto, CA
• Innovative TUTORS – Jacksonville, FL
To sweeten the deal even further, our friends at FirstBook have generously offered to recognize our top Write for a Cause contributors with fun prizes, commemorative certificates and personalized mentions in a press release. Visit our Facebook page for daily news and updates. We'll also announce the prizes and their winners there.
With your help, thousands of kids are about to have great new school year – Write on!
Click here to log in and start writing!
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Media Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators — writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers — and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
Hi, I'm Beth Palladino. I’m an editor with Demand Media Studios. I gained my professional experience in the field of librarianship and reference book publishing where I edited, proofread and trained other indexers. After 27 years, I was laid off due to the work being outsourced to India. Thank goodness for Demand Media Studios. I love the work and find it much more interesting than my previous job. I love how you can keep track of your earnings and are paid twice a week. I also love the nice comments from the authors whose work I have edited. Through Demand Media Studios, I've found a good-paying job in a bad economy. I love the fact that, if I wish, I can still work here once I start collecting my pension. Thanks again, Demand Media Studios.
Hi, I'm Beth Palladino. I’m an editor with Demand Media Studios. I gained my professional experience in the field of librarianship and reference book publishing where I edited, proofread and trained other indexers. After 27 years, I was laid off due to the work being outsourced to India. Thank goodness for Demand Media Studios. I love the work and find it much more interesting than my previous job. I love how you can keep track of your earnings and are paid twice a week. I also love the nice comments from the authors whose work I have edited. Through Demand Media Studios, I've found a good-paying job in a bad economy. I love the fact that, if I wish, I can still work here once I start collecting my pension. Thanks again, Demand Media Studios.
Editor's Note: This is the third of a four-part series from Greg West, our Studio intern who is currently majoring in print/digital journalism at USC.
Read part one here.
Read part two here.
Casting my desk in shifting shadows, faulty florescent lights clicked on and off above me. Even from my hiding spot among the cubicles in the office, I could still hear the soft “click” of keyboards somewhere in the room. Slowly, I laid my head in the warm inviting nook of my arm. Sleep…
“Greg…No sleeping… GREG, you know that you have to write this story.” I tilted my head to the left; my editor’s nose just peaked over the side of the cubicle wall. “I know its 8:00AM and you didn’t get home till 2:00, but you’ve still got to pump this out.” She sat back down at her desk.
I felt like I was in some sort of Orwellian nightmare. I couldn’t believe I had to write about the Phish concert when I could still smell the show on me. It took all night just to drive back. I’m sure that there had to be a labor law for this.
Thinking back, the concert unfolded in a disjointed blur. It was a flood of images and senses: brilliant lights and glittering pastels, Winnebago’s and hippy women, car exhaust and burning wood. The experience was still so fresh in my mind, but I didn’t know where to begin. This was honestly the first time I’d had the opportunity to write something big in the newsroom. I was starting to become concerned that there was no way I’d be able to fit in everything that I had experienced.
Where do I start?
In front of me, the cursor blinked ominously in the word document, taunting me to begin.
I realized quickly that this Phish concert had the potential to become a flurry of interwoven personal narratives, social histories, and branching perspectives. Unfortunately, I couldn’t nearly tell every story or discuss every point of view. I had to pick and choose what to put in and to leave out. More than anything, I wanted my article to capture the culture of “the jam band” and its fans.
I pulled out my recorder, clicked in a pair of headphones, and listened to the voices of everyone I had interviewed. I wrote down my favorite lines on a yellow, coffee stained notepad. Once I had enough quotes, I took out my headphones and tossed my recorder back in my desk. The concert was new to me again.
“Who knows who had more fun during Phish’s performance at the Comcast Center yesterday; the hundreds of Hippies playing drums outside, or the hundreds of concert-goers throwing light sticks at each other inside?” There it was, the first sentence. I was feeling good. Soon, paragraph after paragraph grew out of seemingly blank pages, and my experience began to unfolding on paper.
Before I knew it I was done and it wasn’t even 11:30AM yet. Then I noticed that I had gone significantly over my editor’s word count and my short lived victory turned into more work as I spent the next hour slimming down my article. After a several edits, cuts, reviews and a final read, it was time to get this to my editor. One swift click and it was off. I could hear my story, my hours of work, “ping” in her inbox after I sent it , while I strummed my nails on my desk nervously.
A minute or two later, she once again peeked her nose over the cubicle wall. There was a split second of terrifying silence as our eyes met.
“Good job, Greg.” She said. “You can go home now and sleep if you want.”
I sighed and slumped into my chair. Those were the best words I had heard all day. However, I knew that I wouldn’t be resting for long. This article, as important as it seemed at the time, was only a stepping stone.
Read part one here.
Read part two here.
Casting my desk in shifting shadows, faulty florescent lights clicked on and off above me. Even from my hiding spot among the cubicles in the office, I could still hear the soft “click” of keyboards somewhere in the room. Slowly, I laid my head in the warm inviting nook of my arm. Sleep…
“Greg…No sleeping… GREG, you know that you have to write this story.” I tilted my head to the left; my editor’s nose just peaked over the side of the cubicle wall. “I know its 8:00AM and you didn’t get home till 2:00, but you’ve still got to pump this out.” She sat back down at her desk.
I felt like I was in some sort of Orwellian nightmare. I couldn’t believe I had to write about the Phish concert when I could still smell the show on me. It took all night just to drive back. I’m sure that there had to be a labor law for this.
Thinking back, the concert unfolded in a disjointed blur. It was a flood of images and senses: brilliant lights and glittering pastels, Winnebago’s and hippy women, car exhaust and burning wood. The experience was still so fresh in my mind, but I didn’t know where to begin. This was honestly the first time I’d had the opportunity to write something big in the newsroom. I was starting to become concerned that there was no way I’d be able to fit in everything that I had experienced.
Where do I start?
In front of me, the cursor blinked ominously in the word document, taunting me to begin.
I realized quickly that this Phish concert had the potential to become a flurry of interwoven personal narratives, social histories, and branching perspectives. Unfortunately, I couldn’t nearly tell every story or discuss every point of view. I had to pick and choose what to put in and to leave out. More than anything, I wanted my article to capture the culture of “the jam band” and its fans.
I pulled out my recorder, clicked in a pair of headphones, and listened to the voices of everyone I had interviewed. I wrote down my favorite lines on a yellow, coffee stained notepad. Once I had enough quotes, I took out my headphones and tossed my recorder back in my desk. The concert was new to me again.
“Who knows who had more fun during Phish’s performance at the Comcast Center yesterday; the hundreds of Hippies playing drums outside, or the hundreds of concert-goers throwing light sticks at each other inside?” There it was, the first sentence. I was feeling good. Soon, paragraph after paragraph grew out of seemingly blank pages, and my experience began to unfolding on paper.
Before I knew it I was done and it wasn’t even 11:30AM yet. Then I noticed that I had gone significantly over my editor’s word count and my short lived victory turned into more work as I spent the next hour slimming down my article. After a several edits, cuts, reviews and a final read, it was time to get this to my editor. One swift click and it was off. I could hear my story, my hours of work, “ping” in her inbox after I sent it , while I strummed my nails on my desk nervously.
A minute or two later, she once again peeked her nose over the cubicle wall. There was a split second of terrifying silence as our eyes met.
“Good job, Greg.” She said. “You can go home now and sleep if you want.”
I sighed and slumped into my chair. Those were the best words I had heard all day. However, I knew that I wouldn’t be resting for long. This article, as important as it seemed at the time, was only a stepping stone.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Media Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators — writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers — and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
My name is Janet Boyer, and I'm a multi-published author (including the book “Back in Time Tarot”) as well as a homeschooling mom. Articles and books on niche topics such as tarot aren't selling in this economy, and my family needs additional income. I was working on several tarot books when I found out about Demand Media Studios and decided to try it out. So far, it’s been an incredibly rewarding, relaxed and profitable partnership. I get to utilize my creativity, research skills and writing experience from the comfort of my home. Writing has never been so easy or lucrative!
My name is Janet Boyer, and I'm a multi-published author (including the book “Back in Time Tarot”) as well as a homeschooling mom. Articles and books on niche topics such as tarot aren't selling in this economy, and my family needs additional income. I was working on several tarot books when I found out about Demand Media Studios and decided to try it out. So far, it’s been an incredibly rewarding, relaxed and profitable partnership. I get to utilize my creativity, research skills and writing experience from the comfort of my home. Writing has never been so easy or lucrative!
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Media Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators — writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers — and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I'm Andrew Simons, and I’m an editor with Demand Media Studios. I enjoy working for Demand Media Studios because it keeps my editorial skills honed. I run another business that doesn't involve much editorial work. Editing and writing for Demand Media Studios allows me to keep those skills — which I acquired after nearly a decade as a professional journalist — fresh. Also, of course, I enjoy interacting with all of the talented individuals in this community. Thanks Demand Media Studios!
I'm Andrew Simons, and I’m an editor with Demand Media Studios. I enjoy working for Demand Media Studios because it keeps my editorial skills honed. I run another business that doesn't involve much editorial work. Editing and writing for Demand Media Studios allows me to keep those skills — which I acquired after nearly a decade as a professional journalist — fresh. Also, of course, I enjoy interacting with all of the talented individuals in this community. Thanks Demand Media Studios!
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Media Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators — writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers — and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
My name is Erin Schreiner. I love working with students as an English teacher during the day, but I also need an opportunity to express myself and flex my creative muscle. Demand Media Studios gives me an excuse to do what I would be doing anyways ... writing. Writing about topics that interest me in a variety of pre-determined formats presents a challenge that keeps me motivated and on top of things. During my time with Demand Media Studios, I have written more than 100 articles. I hope to continue working with Demand and writing 100 more.
My name is Erin Schreiner. I love working with students as an English teacher during the day, but I also need an opportunity to express myself and flex my creative muscle. Demand Media Studios gives me an excuse to do what I would be doing anyways ... writing. Writing about topics that interest me in a variety of pre-determined formats presents a challenge that keeps me motivated and on top of things. During my time with Demand Media Studios, I have written more than 100 articles. I hope to continue working with Demand and writing 100 more.
From DS to DMS: Demand Media Studios Officially Launched Today
Posted by MaryK | August 4, 2010 | Comments (2)
As most of you already noticed, Demand Studios is now officially Demand Media Studios.
Since the launch of Demand Media's new look this last June, the time finally came for the connection between Demand Media and Demand Studios to be clearly defined. Since all videos and articles that this community creates are published on Demand Media's network of websites and select premium brand partners the new name made a lot of sense.
Although it's generally known that Demand Studios is a part of Demand Media, we wanted to take a minute and welcome all previous Demand Studios community members to Demand Media Studios.
Business will continue as usual here at the studio, and please feel free to explore the Demand Media company website if you haven't already.
Since the launch of Demand Media's new look this last June, the time finally came for the connection between Demand Media and Demand Studios to be clearly defined. Since all videos and articles that this community creates are published on Demand Media's network of websites and select premium brand partners the new name made a lot of sense.
Although it's generally known that Demand Studios is a part of Demand Media, we wanted to take a minute and welcome all previous Demand Studios community members to Demand Media Studios.
Business will continue as usual here at the studio, and please feel free to explore the Demand Media company website if you haven't already.
Ever wonder what it's like to work for Demand Media Studios? We checked in with our community of freelance creators — writers, copy editors, filmmakers and titlers — and asked them to share their experiences. Hundreds of people chimed in about why Demand Media works for them. Tune in daily to read their firsthand accounts.
I'm Ally Gibson, a writer and titler with Demand Media Studios. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in geography. After a year of odd jobs that I never really enjoyed, I decided to become my own boss. I started as an IC with a local company doing data entry. I struggled to pay my bills. I didn't start freelance writing until last July. I started writing for eHow, and in August I joined Demand Studios. I love the flexibility and the twice-a-week payments. I enjoy writing, and I never thought I would make a living doing it.
I'm Ally Gibson, a writer and titler with Demand Media Studios. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in geography. After a year of odd jobs that I never really enjoyed, I decided to become my own boss. I started as an IC with a local company doing data entry. I struggled to pay my bills. I didn't start freelance writing until last July. I started writing for eHow, and in August I joined Demand Studios. I love the flexibility and the twice-a-week payments. I enjoy writing, and I never thought I would make a living doing it.
