Small Pursuits

Experiment 1: Video (with very little structure)

I have been thinking for a while about turning my McSweeney's-based Wine Column into some sort of audio or video show. The idea was more an anti-idea (as most of my ideas are): I wanted to do a wine show that wasn't about wine; at least not about wine in the way most wine content is, which is to say, about what it tastes like and what it goes with (even if how they are saying it seems totally new and irreverent). But of course take away the wine talk and you're pretty much just left with talking. And drinking.

Hypothesis: Talking AND Drinking

In order to better find out just what kind of show I am able to make (and make well), I am starting a series of Episode Experiments. In this first episode experiment, I shot some video with my friends Craig and Kevin.

The structure and approach was most definitely inspired by You Look Nice Today, an audio podcast that is very funny and is really only something that makes sense on the internet or public access. You Look Nice Today features 3 guys doing some hybrid of improv comedy and talk radio in short little bursts. This is not the meandering brilliant conversation doodles of a Best Show - it is conversation origami (somehow)

My plan for the show was this:

1. I would show up at a friend's house with a bottle of wine.
2. We would talk while consuming this bottle of wine.

Hell of a plan.

Results

I discovered two things:

Shooting video is quite hard and editing it is even harder.

Luckily I had Craig to help with the shooting and Kevin to help with the editing; but neither of them is available for a regular thing. This means that as long as I am a one-man band, video is probably out.

Just showing up with a bottle of wine wasn't enough.

Even with Kevin, one of the funnier people I know, the talking bit got off to a slow start. We tried to organize our talk around some use of Wikipedia's Random Article Generator, but it didn't flow like I had hoped. We eventually got into a rhythm, but next time, I am going to be working with a much clearer structure.

After a number of editing sessions, I showed the video below to a small group of friends and got some really good feedback, some of which is up above. One other item that some folks wanted more of was: more wine info. I'm not sure how I will incorporate that.

The Experiment

The video below is long, 20 mins, so I don't really expect you to watch it all in front of you computer. However, perhaps with a bottle of wine, I can tempt you to stay. Feedback welcome. Anything to help the experiment.

An experiment by Matthew from McSweeney's Stained Teeth to make a Wine Show not about wine. Instead there is drinking and talking and some dancing at the end.

As I indicated earlier, You Will Not Believe is now open for your questions about wine. I understand that the world of wine can be confusing and life-threatening; and so, I have decided to put my copious credentials in this area to good use.

To ask a question, you may either call YWNB by clicking the "Call Me" widget in the right column of this publication; or by posting your question to @mattlatmatt.

Our first question comes from @theguru42 from Twitter:

Well @theguru42, I'm about to save your life.

Matthew from McSweeney's Stained Teeth Column About Wine answers your wine questions.

Recently, I gave a talk at an event in Idyllic Amherst MA called Ignite - an evening of 5 minute talks accompanied by slides. The slides progress automatically every 15 seconds - just like my brain.

I spoke about the possibility (and difficulty) of writing about wine from an experiential stand point. It is in conjunction with an upcoming web project whose name shall simply be PROJECT DRUNKARD.

Or, what I have been in training for

OK SO: Murphy-Goode Winery is hiring for a six-month position they are calling the A Really Goode Job. They describe the job as a Lifestyle Correspondent:

We want to hire a social media whiz (your title will be “Murphy-Goode Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent”) who will report on the cool lifestyle of Sonoma County Wine Country and, of course, tell people what you’re learning about winemaking.

I am applying for this job.

My application for the job is below. AND AS THIS IS SOCIAL MEDIA, there is the obligatory voting portion. You can vote for me on their website; specifically on this part of their website.

Matthew from McSweeney's Stained Teeth leads you through yet another intelligently smart wine tasting.

AND YES: that is W.A.G.

Matthew from Stained Teeth guides you through an incredibly smart tasting of a wine he can't pronounce.