Actors struggle with limited paths to break into feature films in Hollywood. Buzz Lightyear got his foot in the door working as an extra, playing a stormtrooper in The Phantom Menace. Woody’s first on-camera gig was “Saddle Soars,” a :30 second commercial for a medicated ointment. But now, another avenue — the short film — is getting more exposure and respect, leading to more opportunities for filmmakers. This Oscar weekend I emceed the Shorts Awards at the Soho House in West Hollywood.  Shorts International honored John Lasseter with the Lifetime Achievement award, and recognized the Oscar nominees in all three short film categories: animation, live action and documentary.   We also handed out a few short film visionary awards to Melissa Leo and voice-over actress June Foray best known for playing Rocky the Squirrel and Cindy Lou Who. Hopefully the press coverage, which included the Washington Post, ABC News, and the  Hollywood trades will help more short films find the funding for production.

I was cut short of my 15 minutes of fame. A few shots we filmed that didn’t make it into the final edit of this spot included my character yelling “HEY” then running along the printing press, and Matt’s character in safety glasses and ear muffs, speaking at the crawling dude-cadence.  The ad ran during the Super Bowl in the Boston market.

Click image to view the spot.

The age of the curator seems like the perfect time to assemble a collection about something, so I put together a list of the Top 10 B2B Comedy Videos for a guest post for the Social Media B2B blog.  Above is a bonus video for Valentine’s Day.  Thanks to Jeff Cohen for the opportunity, and for his virtual tour of North Carolina wine.  His Biltmore photos compelled me to plan a return trip to my favorite vineyard in the Smokies.