Yeah, I think a website is exactly what you need. When I hit "Garden Girl" in google, I get a number of different results and that is what led me here.

I'll tinker around with logo ideas this weekend.

Glad to help.

Looks like they deleted that thread from GardenWeb. I don't know why they would do that, especially when everyone seemed to like your video. I just don't understand how anyone could be against something like this, yet that's the second website to remove it.

Another one?! Man it sure is frustrating. City Boy, it just stuns me. What a bummer. Thanks for info though, and your efforts. It means a lot. I was just getting going there! Its hard enough to do this sort of thing when it is illegal, I guess it's illegal to talk about it and share it too!

I'm still in organic gardening section, but they'll probably find that one tommorow and through me off of that. Wow, ivillage the site for women, amazing

Totally Bummed,


Patti

You know what your problem is? You don't know your audience.

Most of (us) are men. Not women. We say we like your breasts, so you decide to change the format from your trailer (long shots frolicking in the water and so forth). Then you use power tools and construct something... an experience most women do not want to have in the first place, so you've missed the selling point from the get-go. First, women have to be sold on the idea before they lift one finger to do anything truly constructive. For you to come along and present yourself as an ideal, for other women to emulate, is a worthy goal. But the fact is, with only yourself to sell this concept, it doesn't seem interesting. Men are more likely to watch your show as is, as long as you (yes) show skin. Why else would we watch it? Bob Vila can do the same stuff you do, faster and more accurately. All you have on Bob is tits. If you care about transforming the public in an immediate and direct way, go ahead and take your clothes off. If your vanity is more important than being effective, your show will never attract serious viewership anyway. So be more "Madonna" and less "Old lady that talks about sex on Oxygen".

Your car was built by testosterone. So were the roads, the filling stations, and just about everything else! So if you want to reach that demographic and are serious about making a real change in society, reach out to the people who are already willing to go to the hardware store and/or build/landscape something. Otherwise, you'll have to sell the idea to women. In that case, you'll have to present yourself as an attractive option to them. For this to work, the best format is one where you look classy (think Oprah) and feature lots of underlings (the testosterone monkeys) to do your bidding (think "empress" Martha Stewart, not "old biddy/ex-con" Martha Stewart.) Then, you'll have women clamoring to emulate and mimic what you do, and (surprise!) things will actually get done, because thats the way things actually work.

So strut your stuff but don't under any circumstances wear a sweater (old Martha)... unless you just made it or something.

Otherwise, if you want to go middle of the road and try being a success at penetrating the TV market, you should simply emulate an "Extreme Makeover" format mixed with, say, MTV2 series development attitude. Lots of young people- because, lets face it, the 40-up aren't going to change or do anything and those that will will just as eagerly watch the youth-oriented show. Designing a show with them in mind is going to make your show totally irrelevant to the youth (which DO have the required energy and intensity and ability to be creative.)

Lets not go about reinventing the wheel of social programming through television. Going at this idea punch-drunk is a surefire way to make sure your video concept gets hijacked by competitors, or just relegated to Google/AOL video anonymity watched only by internet junkies. That or (shudder) public access.



Take your clothes off, put it on Google Vids, you'll get a small following for sure. Hold up, I didn't mean nude. I meant sexy. That means don't ever wear bulky sweaters. Take sexy shots. Leave your arms exposed. Smile a lot, seduce the camera. The message to men has to be: "If you can make this happen, your (wife/girlfriend/sister*) will praise you, show you their titties, and spend time outside getting exercise and having sexy, sexy fun, getting all wet and dirty, raising and eating chickens and aquarium food, and eat a nice meal, as a prelude to a night of passion." After which, men might actually do some of this stuff and/or be willing to at least bankroll their (Wives/girlfriends/sisters*).

No kidding. Otherwise, WE WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU. Sorry, just the way it is. Certain things work to mass effect on TV, and some don't. Watering down your concept to fit the expectations of Israeli fundamentalist Rabbis or narcissistic old people is, frankly speaking, idiotic. Those people will end up watching the derivatives of your show on other syndicated shows, after they've been "sanitized" for the smaller niche market they represent. You either want to do the BIG YOUNG SEXY concept derivative and prepare to own the demographic or capitalize one of the smaller demographics and downgrade your expectations. It might just suit you, to do the "old person's" show, I don't know. Certainly careers could be made. But (Yawn!) BOOORING, know what I mean.

And expect Oprah & Martha, your direct competitors, will beat you to the concept and capitalize quickly. Roundup and Biotech giants will take your show, sexify it, and rehash with their products it in Xtreme Makeover style featuring sexy appeal and their products.

You gotta be realer than real. You have to make them look like the chumps, the followers, the imitators.

You've gotta ride the mythical line between slut and goddess to be a real video star. Western standards of televised entertainment demand it.


[sub]* applies to Dirty South only.[/sub]

I watched the promo and liked it.

I don't know if it's been posted here but there is a brithish show (season 2 is probably starting soon) called "It's not easy being green". It follows a british family who decides to move to the countryside and live completely off the grid, generating their own electricity, heat and growing their own food. A lot of people liked that series, but it has one serious flaw: They use massive amounts of money to get the whole thing up and running. Very few have that kind of money and land to use for green living, and that's where a show like yours could be a great alternative.

If you have a lot of computer experience it shouldn't be too hard to find a copy of season 1 on the internet - I had to, since the show doesn't air in Sweden where I live.

The family now has a website with a forum. Perhaps you should ask around there, and perhaps post the video.

http://www.itsnoteasybeinggreen.org/

Good luck!

Speak for yourself. I would watch it because sustainable living has interested me for years before I ever saw this video. In fact, sustainable living is one of the main reasons why I left the city and moved to the country. What does Bob Vila know about gardening or livestock? He doesn't know a damn thing.

Your problem is that you think everyone else thinks like YOU, and if YOU aren't interested then no one else will be either. You're wrong.

"To allow ourselves to be dependent on some vast Thing created by the Merchants of Greed is madness. It is time to cut out what we do not need so we can live more simply and happily. Good food, comfortable clothes, serviceable housing, and true culture - those are the things that matter. The only way this can happen is by ordinary people - us - boycotting the huge multinational corporations that are destroying our Earth, and creating a new Age - an Age of Healing in place of the current Age of Plunder.

"Self-sufficiency does not mean ’going back’ to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living; for food that is fresh and organically grown and good; for the good life in pleasant surroundings; for the health of body and peace of mind that come with hard, varied work in the open air; and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully."

~ John Seymour

Perhaps it's not as simple as you state... but a fair critique probably.

I think the "extreme sustainable make-over" idea has merit.

A set of episodes where you "makeover" a family by replacing commercial products with sustainable alternatives is interesting.

I'd say you're a BioFuel Tour Bus & a make-over crew of homosexual men + 1 token bimbo, away from stardom.

BioBus Driver... MOVE THAT BUS!

I don't think it would work. You have to be dedicated to the lifestyle and maintain it or else it will all fall apart. You can't just give someone a garden and a pond and some chickens if that person cannot or will not give it the attention it requires. These are things you truly have to enjoy doing or else you will stop doing them.

Teaching people how to be self-sufficient is just part of the challenge. The other challenge is teaching them to love being self-sufficient.

Ahhh... but media isn't about actually creating sustainable lifestyles... rather it's about creating the appearance of creating sustainable lifestyles.

Or did you think King Kong was a documentary?

It's why we never see any follow-up shows on that House Make-over show on ABC... because half the time the family trashes their new stuff just like they did their old stuff.

Does not matter IMO... as long as the info is good, & the message is delivered then the goal is accomplished.

k patti just found the link to vid at AR15.com survival forum,great stuff!Been there and tried it myself 20 years ago would like to chat about it with you sometime.The presentation is great,liked it!Screen name before everbody starts, is name of a book on my shelf lol.Boston huh my GF's parents live up there ,must be tough living and farming in the cold?Did you consider trout to handle the temp? Aqaculture was a big interest of mine too.Rodal Press had a book on it years ago still have it I think,might be worth a look for old info? got a minute to chat ? blucifershammer13@verizon.net anybody else welcome too,sorry 2 finger typer

Julia Child had neither good looks or coherent speech. All she had was a kitchen and a camera. Yet it was her show that built an empire and spawned countless imitators.

Patti has both good looks and coherent speech. But more important, she has a good message. Keep it simple and just be yourself, and you will have an audience. I believe that.

Farmette emergency!

I want to talk about these new comments, very interesting, however my bunny Paula gave birth to too many kits and so I have to try and save them, she tossed two out of the nest and they are practically frozen! This is her first litter and she doesn't seem to know what she's doing so well. As soon as I get the "crisis" under control, I'll be messaging back! Thanks again for the comments and help-Patti

Which begs the cliche: you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

I don't think suuply side arguments will cut it here. In other words, supply (FilmShack's offering in its purest, non watered down form) will not create demand. It's the other way around. Until the U.S. goes into the economic shitter, I'm afraid mass appeal of her concept is, at best, whsitling in the wind. Her concept has what we in the athletic domain call "potential"--viz, no mass appeal...yet.

Perhaps not mass appeal...yet, but it certainly has niche appeal.

I'm under no illusions about most city dwellers. I was one myself for 30+ years. They are far too content with simply depending on others to provide them with the necessities of life in exchange for 40 hours at the office or the warehouse. It is the life they are accustomed to, and most probably wouldn't change that life no matter what.

But there are others, in the rural areas, and even a few dreamers in the cities, who see things differently. The market already exists. It's just waiting for someone to come along and tap it.

Having thought about it some more, I'd make the follow further suggestions:

1) "Organic" is probably the best 'branding' direction to come from. 'Sustainable' and 'ecology' are too fringe. 'Healthy' and 'care for the environment' are good secondary terms. A title of something like "Getting Organic" or "Not Just a Pretty Face" - no matter what it has to sound good, interesting and not preachy.

2) Whatever you present has to be simple enough that people can feel that they could do it themselves. A good rule of thumb should be that they can set it up in a day, and it takes no longer than 5-10 mins a day after, preferably not every day either.

3) Think modular elements, covering one element in a show.

4) Think and consider aesthetics as a major consideration. Whatever you suggest has to work in suburbia, and if possible be a positive addition. Presenting something as a 'Victorian Kitchen Garden', with all that entails, helps make it acceptable.

5) Present manual effort as a)a way to keep trim without the gym, b) chores for the kids, or c) not really hard work at all.

6) Online, free download plans related to the show are a great way to know how many people are taking what's said to heart.

7) Always worth considering melding it with the makeover approach, eg helping a family of the clueless to do X

I would suggest given the route you are looking at it would be well worth you studying and understanding the path taken by Charlie Dimmock in the UK. Try to catch one of the Ground Force shows to see how entertainment and education can seamlessly meld.