You helped us beat the odds to reach our Kickstarter goal after an uphill 30-day campaign.
Kickstarter is an awesome, terrifying beast. It forced us to risk everything for what we believe in. It forced us to ask for help day in and day out, while so many other worthy causes compete for the community’s attention. Thank you for answering our call and making our project possible. We can’t wait to rock out with you in virtual reality!
All backers will be added to our VIP guest list for OffPlanet VR, Thursday April 21st at NextSpace!
Join us for a night of virtual fun and games, demos, plus you’ll have a chance to try our work in progress! Stay tuned for the updated VIP ticket link that will be emailed to backers.
With just 7 days left on our Snow Angel VR Kickstarter we’re fighting the good fight and believe we can beat the odds, but we need your help to do it.
Your contribution gets us closer to being able to complete Snow Angel’s first full-length album and purchase a VR-ready PC and Gear VR headsets to make the music video. The funds also help support two young filmmakers learn the basics of 360 video and cinematic VR.
Check out our latest video featuring Snow Angel VR co-creator Olivia Martinelli trying VR for the 1st time at our OffPlanet VR mixer in February.
She says, “I’m in the 9th grade and I’m really into digital arts and animation. Trying out virtual reality was a really amazing experience because it’s a whole new world of technology that’s completely new and different.”
Here’s Olivia’s first claymation animated short, Chef Stef
Music, filmmaking, new technology, and building community
all of it inspires us to forge ahead and make our virtual dreams a reality. We’re glad you’ve joined us for this adventure and we can’t wait to bring you Snow Angel’s 1st album and VR music experience for their new song, “We Love”.
You have until Thursday March 31st at 9pm to make a contribution. Thanks for supporting us!
If you can’t make a contribution, we’d be grateful for a shoutout on social media!
TWEET: Dive into the past and reach for the future with #SnowAngelVR #VR #Music
Share on Facebook: Snow Angel, an 8 piece all-girl band, based in Oakland is making a virtual reality music video experience and promoting their new album. They need your help! Please contribute today and share this post! Only 7 days left!
We’ve been quiet for a few weeks but we’re not slowing down! Last week we launched our 2nd Kickstarter, Snow Angel VR to make our first virtual reality music experience with Snow Angel! The campaign will also help the all-girl band from Oakland complete their first full-length album on cassette and digital.
Come party with us to celebrate our launch this Saturday, March 12 at Mary Weather in Oakland. Snow Angel is performing a live, all-ages free show! RSVP on Facebook.
Check out our cat-tastic rewards on Kickstarter that include Snow Angel’s album on cassette, the “We Love” music experience with custom cardboard viewer, 2 for 1 music classes with Gabby La La, a 360 video workshop with filmmaker Kevin Kunze and VIP tickets to our wrap party at Longbranch Berkeley.
Cat’s Eye Nebula / Photo: NASA, ESA, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
The We Love experience stars Snow Angel as flower-cats in space living in the Cat’s Eye Nebula until a cosmic wind blows them to Earth where they try to find their way home again.
You’ll be the first to get this VR experience for cardboard and GearVR with your contribution at the $50 level.
We’re working under our new VR creative lab and meetup banner, OffPlanet VR, and collaborating two budding female filmmakers, #Berkeley’s Amalia Roy, and animator Olivia Martinelli. We’ve also put together a stellar technical advisory team of industry professionals who will help guide us on the VR experience design and development.
Watch our campaign update video with Snow Angel VR co-creator Amalia Roy, as she uncovers a Kickstarter phishing scam…glad we didn’t fall for it!
We have a long road ahead to our $10,000 goal and really need your support. Please contribute what you can and help spread the word about Snow Angel VR to anyone you know who loves music and new technology. Keep up with us on Twitter @Quirkeley and @OffPlanetVR
Thanks for supporting indie music and women in the arts and tech.
About Snow Angel’s Gabby La La
Snow Angel’s creative force, Gabby La La, made a major splash with her Les Claypool produced solo album, “Be Careful What You Wish For”. Touring as a member of Claypool’s band, Gabby became known for her virtuosity on the sitar and penetrating stage presence. She created her second album, “I Know You Know I Know” using a Nintendo DS Lite overdubbed with sitar, ukulele and theremin. She’s a graduate of the CalArts school of music where she met OffPlanet VR founder and Quirkeley Executive Producer, Siciliana Trevino.
The day after Unity’s highly-anticipated inaugural Vision Summit was over, a sold-out crowd of 200 developers, filmmakers, entrepreneurs and VR enthusiasts convened at Google for SVVR’s 27th meetup. While I regretted missing Vision Summit (where attendees had an Oprah moment when they were told they’d be getting a free Vive) I’m not entirely missing out.
In San Francisco and Silicon Valley there’s a VR meetup just about every night of the week where you can build virtual worlds or explore Mars using the latest disruptive tech since motion pictures, television, the Apple II or mobile devices depending on who you ask. If you want to purchase a Vive, HTC and Valve’s hype-worthy answer to Oculus Rift and Sony’s PlaystationVR, consumer pre-orders start February 29th.
Organized by Karl Krantz, Bruce Wooden, John Oakes, and Nana Tsui, SVVR is the largest VR Meetup group in the world. Their 1st gathering was in the spring of 2013. As of this writing SVVR has 3,410 members. They’re followed by NYVR (2,570 avatars) SF’s UploadVR (2,162 enthusiasts) BosVR (2,132 avatars) VRLA (2,061 dreamers) and SF Virtual Reality (1,1920 pioneers.)
In 2014 the SVVR team produced the 1st Silicon Valley Virtual Reality Conference and Expo, the world’s first professional conference dedicated to consumer virtual reality. SVVR 2016 will be at the San Jose Convention Center April 27th-29th. (Full disclosure: I’ve volunteered at SVVR meet ups.)
The buzz around VR is intoxicating. Seeing – or experiencing rather, is believing. While hefty price points for premium VR headsets and AR devices (Oculus, Vive, PlaystationVR, Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap and now Meta 2) will still be a roadblock for mass consumption over the next few years, Andrey Doronichev, a Group Product Manager at Google VR and one of the founding members of the original Cardboard told the crowd that so far, over 5 million cardboard viewers have shipped and over 350,000 hours of YouTube360 videos have been viewed.
Asked to comment on reports Google is developing its own premium mobile headset Doronichev reiterated what he heard at Vision Summit: it’s too soon to predict the future, but speculating about it is the media’s job.
Inspired by the Bay Area VR community (and a line from the movie Oblivion) I started OffPlanet VR to explore, create and promote positive VR experiences.
SVVR will be joining OffPlanet VR 2 with their Vive to give attendees a taste of room-scale VR, along with demos from VR pioneers including Tony Parisi of Wevr, who will show their official selections from Sundance, Theresa Duringer Co-Founder and Designer, Temple Gates Games, Nick Ochoa of Kaleidoscope VR, and a special guest chat from Allen Yang, UC Berkeley researcher, Microsoft HoloLens Academic Research Grant Recipient – and lots more! Purchase tickets on Eventbrite. Follow on Twitter @OffPlanetVR.
While the world waits for virtual and augmented reality to hit mainstream, its true believers are building the community and industry to bring it you – in real life.
Vanilla ice cream bombes, Ici Ice Cream. Photo: Siciliana Trevino
This week I fluttered around Berkeley snapping Instagrams of sweet local gifts and tagged many of them with the hashtag #HeartShapedBerkeley. From Whiskey tastings to tea sets, theres something fun to inspire everyone’s inner Cupid or turn Valentine’s Day into a second Halloween, if that’s your thing. Happy Valentine’s Day!
To make the heart shapes I used the free app Insta Shapes.
Downtown #Berkeley‘s abuzz this weekend with the opening of Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive‘s inaugural exhibition, Architecture of Life. The striking, idiosyncratic building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro has 25,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space and opens to the public with Community Daystarting today Sunday January 31st, at 11am.
Check out our quick montage from the member preview on Saturday featuring the Carla and David Crane Forum where two major art pieces can be seen from Center street: The temporary art wall mural by renowned Chinese artist Qiu Zhijie and the dramatic stepped seating created by Bay Area master woodworker Paul Discoe. He salvaged the wood from the Canary Island pine trees that were removed from the building prior to construction.
Charles Renfro makes a brief cameo from the press preview day.
Photo: Siciliana Trevino
BAMPFA Director Lawrence Rinder says, “The new BAMPFA will be the architectural and cultural centerpiece of downtown Berkeley. Combining serene spaces for viewing film and art with dynamic public areas, the building will inspire audiences for generations with its fresh, imaginative design and versatility.”
The first opportunity for the public to discover the new building, Community Day is the culmination BAMPFA’s Grand Opening Week. A day (and night) of activities mark this historic occasion.
Expect music, hands-on art-making, and other fun activities. Kathryn Roszak’s Danse Lumière will perform at 11:30am and 6:30pm. For timed tickets and details visit BAMPFA’s website
Photo: Siciliana Trevino
The new BAMFPA integrates the 48,000-square-foot Art Deco-style former UC Berkeley printing plant with a 35,000-square-foot new structure. It has two film theaters, a performance forum, four study centers for art and film, a reading room, an art making lab, a cafe and an outdoor LED screen and viewing plaza.
The first day of regular programming is Wednesday February 3rd. Architecture of Life occupies all of the gallery spaces from January 31st to May 29th, 2016. Use the hashtags
#ArchitectureOfLife and #BAMPFA when posting.
BAMPFA is located at 2155 Center St., Berkeley; one block from the downtown Berkeley BART station. Street parking, nearby garages and bike parking are available.
Free for opening celebration; regular admission prices on BAMPFA website
Relatively new to Berkeley, the restaurants Mission Heirloom, Longbranch, Pathos and Tigerlily serve the season’s freshest ingredients with their own culinary twists and traditions. Berkeley Restaurant Week is an ideal time to explore the city’s dynamic dining scene with prix fixe menus at over twenty Berkeley restaurants.
Win 1 of 10 $25 gift cards to a participating Berkeley Restaurant Week restaurant.Like this episode on our Quirkeley Facebook page now through Sunday January 24th at 6pm to be entered into our random drawing on Monday January 25th. Winners will be announced on our Facebook page. You must be able to pick up your gift card from Visit Berkeley (2030 Addison Street, #102) by Friday Jan. 29th, 5pm.
Special thanks to Dan Marengo and Visit Berkeley!
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2015 was a milestone year. I created 25 YouTube videos and raised nearly $10,000 on Kickstarter for my documentary about Moe’s Books, New Mo’ Cut. Ifilmed and edited over the summer and premiered it at the Elmwood Theater in August.
New Mo’ Cut’s first festival and Arizona premiere was at the Loft Film Festival in Tucson and in December, NMC won Best Editing at the 6th annual Filmstock Film Festival in Tempe. Arizona loves Moe.
I’m thrilled it’s going beyond Berkeley and am deeply grateful for the family, friends and community that came together to make it a reality.
Speaking of reality! This year I’m excited about 360 video and the arrival of Virtual Reality headsets. I’ll be hosting more OffPlanet VR demo meet ups and am collaborating with Oakland’s psychedelic dream-pop band Snow Angel on a 360/VR music video for the spring release of the their new album and cassette.
Now here are the top 10 most viewed YouTube videos I produced this year for Quirkeley. They all mark the progression of New Mo’ Cut in some way and are sweet reminders that adventure is all around Berkeley.
1. Quirky Berkeley Tour 1
Our first video of 2015 was also our most popular. Although Quirkeley easily gets confused with Tom Dalzell’s Quirky Berkeley, his site arrived first. Quirky Berkeley is an impressive catalogue of the artistic oddities Dalzell encounters as he fulfills his personal challenge to walk every block in Berkeley. Last we heard he has just a few miles left.
Dalzell treated us to a tour of his top “quirky manifestations” including the garden sculptures of Buldan Seka, Bruce Dodd’s giant orange stand, and Mark Olivier’s beach detritus art. A walk in Berkeley is always good for strange and magical encounters.
2. Berkeley Restaurant Week
Every January Berkeley Restaurant Week offers diners the chance to explore new flavors at special savings with prix fixe menus at over twenty locations in 2016.
Last year we partnered with Visit Berkeley and went to Rivoli, Bistro Liaison and newcomer Longbranch Saloon (now Longbranch) to find out the inspiration behind their Restaurant Week menus. All three restaurants are participating again along with The Advocate, Easy Creole, Mission Heirloom and more.
3. Nabalom Bakery Farewell
When 40-year-old Nabolom Collective Bakery went out of business in early August I was consumed with finishing New Mo’ Cut in time for its Elmwood Theater premiere at the end of the month. Nabolom was a favorite in the neighborhood and had a good sidewalk vibe. I got the warm and fuzzies whenever I saw their painted wood sign even though I wasn’t a regular.
Luckily I was able to duck out of editing for a spell to enjoy the last of their baked goods and live music by Friends of Old Puppy. I hurriedly made this montage from what I could capture. Filmmaking is stealing time.
4. Downtown Berkeley CupidCon
During my stint as the Marketing Coordinator for the Downtown Berkeley Association I had fun producing Berkeley’s first Valentine’s Day CupidCon bar crawl, Instagram scavenger hunt and costume contest with former Marketing Director Shifra de Benedictis-Kessner (now the Executive Director of the Temescal Telegraph BID).
Hundreds of revelers toured Downtown bars and restaurants to explore themed cocktails and post silly Instagrams to our BerkCupidConhashtag.
While working with David Peoples on New Mo’ Cut he told me about Jugger, the game he invented for his 1989 post-apocalyptic film Blood of Heroesaka Salute of the Jugger. Since the film’s release the contact sport has adopted a global cult following with tournaments taking place in the US, Europe and Australia.
Peoples introduced me to Evan and Valkirie Savage who brought Jugger to Berkeley from Germany and started the Berkeley Riot team. Pummeling your opponent never looked so much fun. Here’s their meetup page. They’ve recently expanded to San Francisco.
6. Buy Local Berkeley Holiday Gift Guide
Quirkeley’s holiday series for Buy Local Berkeley is one of my favorite to make because I get to interview the city’s intrepid shop keepers, learn about their craft and the gumption it takes to be an entrepreneur in Berkeley. There’s a story behind every neighborhood and address. Last year’s guide led me to Doris Moskowitz owner of Moe’s Books which sparked my New Mo’ Cut adventure.
Last summer we mixed and mingled with some of YouTube’s biggest stars and pioneers of viral video including Tay Zonday of Chocolate Rain fame, at the 6th annual VidCon in Anaheim, California.
The largest gathering for online video makers on the planet, VidCon is like being in a YouTube summer camp at Disneyland or a near future sci-fi film. Many attendees live-stream from their phones on selfie sticks as they’re walking around. The sell-out event with industry keynotes, panels and workshops puts into focus the takeover of mobile video, gaming and now, Virtual Reality. Get your tickets for 2016!
8. ASMR Kinder Eggs
The YouTube phenomenon of unboxing and ASMR videos (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response – sounds that give you the tingles) inspired Sarah Aguirre (as Monroe) and I to create this unboxing/ASMR mashup using Kinder surprise eggs we found at a convenience store in Downtown Berkeley. We had a lot of fun making it but I kept thinking, I went to film school for this.
Monroe has since left us for an all-girl Ukulele band in Portland Oregon. 😦
9. Quirky Berkeley Tour 2
Tom Dalzell is back with more quirky manifestations. We visit Eni Green’s Doggie Diner Head and Eugene Tsui’s radical Tardigrade House in West Berkeley. Thanks for the tour Tom!
10. Berkeley Humane: Grumpy Town USA
Grumpy Cat gets an all-star welcome to Berkeley Humane as they celebrate the ribbon cutting of their new mobile adoption center and winning Chronicle Books’s #GrumpyTownUSA contest. It was awful.
“Frown and the whole world frowns with you.” – Grumpy Cat.
Whether you’re glad to see 2015 go or you’re reflecting on the year with fondness, Berkeley has a party for you to celebrate its departure and the arrival of 2016. Here’s a quick, Downtown-heavy sampling of New Year’s Eve parties but you better get your tickets and reservations before they sell out!
Links to NYE dinners and bars are also listed below.
Quirkeley can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store. May the year ahead bring you wonderful new adventures and opportunities. Party on.
All event descriptions are from the event’s website. Updated Dec. 28th, 11:15pm
The Bay Area’s first board game cafe will be open from 9am till midnight.
Founders Derek DeSantis and Areg Maghakian share a passion for board gaming, community-building, coffee and beer. So we combined all of those things to bring you Victory Point, the Bay Area’s first board game cafe. The concept is simple: pay $5 to access our collection of ~800 board games, stay as long as you’d like, and enjoy our selection of locally roasted coffee, craft beers, sandwiches and snacks. We love board games because they bring people together, and we’re so excited to share the love with you, Berkeley.
Ring in the New Year at Jupiter with party favors, champagne toast at midnight and local funk soul legend, dance music with soul featuring band leader, bassist, and vocalist Jerry Kennedy! J-Soul is comprised of some of the most entertaining and talented musicians from the Bay Area.
Live Music. Bites from Handlebar Berkeley. $20 General admission includes, 1 complementory punch cup upon arrival and small bites.
$100 Booth reservation for up to 6 people which will include, formal table side service (starting at 9pm) a complimentory muse cocktail, and a bottle of sparkling wine for the midnight toast.
NYE Bash! W/ Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express + Harold Ray
The Starry Plough is an Irish pub, legendary live music venue and kitchen that offers delicious, locally sourced comfort food. It’s been a staple of the East Bay scene since 1973. With deep roots as an Irish Revolutionary watering hole, the history of protest runs as deep today as it did when we opened four decades ago.
We have entertainment 7 days a week and feature truly talented, interesting and inspiring artists from the Bay Area and beyond.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style at La Peña with Orquesta La Moderna Tradición!
Orquesta La Moderna Tradición bursts with the sweet yet powerful sound of the Afro-Cuban charanga orchestra, which features violins and woodwinds interlocking with driving afro-Cuban rhythms.
Since 1996, the 11-piece group has thrilled audiences across the country with a mix of contemporary timba-infused arrangements guaranteed to get you on your feet and traditional danzónes that transport you back to the Havana social clubs of the 1950s.
La Moderna Tradición has performed at Lincoln Center in New York, the Smithsonian Institution, The San Francisco Jazz Festival, the Telluride Jazz Festival, and many others — their tours have taken them from Alaska to El Paso and abroad.
This New Year’s Eve, Comal will once again usher in the new year by clearing out the tables, turning up the volume on our state-of-the-art Meyer sound system and transforming into a funky dancehall.
Legendary Bay Area DJ Jose Ruiz (KPFA, KPOO), who has an ongoing residency at Comal on Thursday nights, will spin his infectious mix of Latin and funk into the wee hours.
All food offerings are included in ticket purchase. All previous parties have sold out, so advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended.
Please make special note: BART runs until 3am on NYE and Comal is less than a block from the Downtown Berkeley BART station. Also, Comal’s large beer garden is uncovered, so use of this space is weather dependent. Additional tickets may be released December 30th if weather permits the use of the beer garden for the occasion.
If you can’t make a contribution, we’d be grateful for a shoutout on social media!
Comal
quirkeley.com 