The Idea - Live Web TV Shows

Web TV was a broadcast format just beginning to go mainstream. With hardware and streaming capabilities now available, live Web TV was finally beginning to converge the interactivity of the Internet with traditional broadcast capabilities and a worldwide audience—on computer and TV, tablet and phone. Broadcasting can now be done from a full, traditional broadcast studio, to cyber and media cafes, to a roving camera about town, to a garage or a "Waynes World" basement.

The shows I have been involved have been at uDetroit Cafe in downtown Detroit, a pioneer in this format, running live Web TV shows day and night, six days a week beginning the Summer of 2011 with national and local guests. I got involved at uDetroit after launching Detroit Rock N' Fashion: A Virtual Art Exhibit on Bob Bauer's From Paradise Valley to Motown: The Rock Starts Here daily show, which led to creating a physical Detroit Rock N' Fashion art exhibit at the Cafe, and the sale of several pieces of original art and giclee prints. chizzycam1 Chizzy CAM, a live Web TV show with one of my artists from the exhibit, arose from that. The D Factor and Detroit Rock N' Fashion: A Live Web TV Show simultaneously followed Chizzy CAM, the latter to fill an immediate need, the former to develop into a bigger production.

My primary roles included show concept and design, hosting, producing, directing, branding and evangelizing. Having a presence at uDetroit Cafe for over a year allowed promotion for the Gallery of the Arts, the Detroit Rock N' Fashion exhibit, and its artists the entire time in a number of ways. The physical exhibit— eventually extended from the cafe, up two flights of stairs and into two floors of the recording studio. Promotional cards on each and every table in the cafe. Giveaway promo cards at the cafe entrance. Promotion and mention on each live Web TV show we hosted.

Chizzy CAM

Chizzy CAM stands for Charity+Arts+Music. This Web TV show combined these three elements to forge its live shows every Tuesday night 8-11 at uDetroit Cafe, also viewable live on uDetroit.com. Each show arose awareness and/or funds for a different charity or cause each week. We shared the stage with artists, and spectacular musical acts—over 75 guests total in this short-lived, but highly popular uDetroit show.

In December of 2011 after about 10 shows, Danny D and The Vagabonds came onboard Chizzy CAM as the house band. All veteran musicians, Danny D and band added a rich staple element to the show, opening and closing and intermixing with various musical guests. The Chizzy CAM Aftermix was added at the same time—as the final hour of Chizzy CAM, with a mixture of new songs from popular bands, new unheard music, classic greats little heard on the air anymore, and live emerging talent.

The charities we promoted included The Voice on the Street for veterans, Tourette Syndrome Association of Michigan, Life Remodeled, breast cancer awareness, American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, Humane Society of Michigan, a CommuniD BBQ, Brother Al's bicycle cart ministry to feed the area homeless, Rock4Tots, as well as raised funds for a 12-year old boy with leukemia, and to raise funds to offset medical expenses for a seven-year girl with 4th-stage non-Hodgkins T-cell lymphoma.

Our very talented guests included introducing a young lady, Alicia Michilli, who would in 2015 appear as a semi-final contestant on America's Got Talent. Other guests (in order of appearance): TwentyForSeven, Chris Brantley, Tosha Owens with Bobby Black, Trey Simon, and Tosha Owens with Dave Hamilton. Christopher Williams. Gwen Joy, Chris Brantley, Dave Hamilton, Mike Vial & The Great Lakes Effect. Crooked Joint, Justina Fazzolari Black, Widetrack with their blow-your-face-out rendition of Pink Floyd's Welcome To The Machine. A return of Tosha Owens and Bobby Black. Tribute Night with Danny D (Rod Stewart), Cara Lundgren (Stevie Nicks), and John Klenn (Alice Cooper), joined by Queen Bee Karen Neal and The Motor City Rah-Rahs. Wolfman Mac, White Shag, Two Tone Tobacco, and The Nightmare. Area pastors Chris Lambert, Mike Harris, Scott Crownover, and Mike Schmitt. Erica McManus, Bobby Black, Darryl Lee, and Danny D. White Shag. A Gwen Joy fashion show with several area models, Jacx Schanes, Sarah Lapinski, Justin Smith, Jessica Care Moore, Elise Mesner, and Animal Sheets. Mike Schmidt and Brother Al for a CommuniD BBQ. Tony Forman & Kelly, Brandon Gillihan, and John "T-Bone" Paxton. Illy Mack. Greg Hanson, Tosha Owens, Bobby Black, Shelley Miller, Justin Alexander, John Le Sage, and Chad Earley for Rock4Tots. Tamera Menard. Gmo & Detroit Rose, Justin Alexander, Alicia Michilli. The Redneck Saints, Hard Drive, Snesei (creating music with a GameBoy). And to finish the show in style mural artist Dan Cascardo got the audience interactively participating in creating a stage mural while Justina Lee Black w/ Benny Caruso, The Vintage, and Detroit's Diva Eliza Neals capped this show.

I co-conceived the show and concept, co-produced and co-hosted the show, as well as logo co-design, website, posters, branding and marketing. A four-member team and very special guests made this show happen every week.