Tag: Boston

Economic Realities of Actual Hardcore Show Promoter Differ From Those of Imagined Hardcore Show Promoter

Nicholas Porter

For several years I ran a production company and booking agency with my best friend and business partner.

We were passionate and active in the Boston area underground hardcore/metal music scene and one day realized if we wanted to see our favorite bands we would have to book them ourselves — DIY style.

So we did and it was a blast. It was also at times pretty miserable. Plenty of stories from those years. We met a ton of characters. But I’ll save some of those stories for another day.

You may know about the awesome satirical punk news website, The Hard Times. I wrote an article recapping some experiences from those wild years booking hardcore shows and submitted it for consideration. It didn’t make the cut so I decided to post it on my own site.

You can read it below. I’d say about 2/3s of it is completely true. A word of caution: it contains some rough language. Consider yourself warned. Enjoy!

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Indie Film’s Not Dead, It Just Needed a (Social) Kick in the Ass

Nicholas Porter

When it came time to bring his passion project to the screen, indie film maker Dom Portalla wasn’t counting on a venture capitalist to swoop in and save the day.

Instead, he turned to the crowdfunding platform IndieGogo to turn his latest vision into reality — an approach a large number of  independent directors are now taking.

I caught up with Dom to discuss his upcoming film “Nicky,” the role of social media in current day independent film and the most rewarding aspects of his career.

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9 New Media/PR Lessons from the Experts at Boston University

Nicholas Porter

I recently had the pleasure of sitting in on a Boston University College of Communication course titled, “New Media and Public Relations.”

Taught by the PR veteran/thought leader/dragon slayer, Todd Van Hoosear, the 300-level course aims to explore the effects of new media on the fundamental theories, models and practices of public relations. It also covers and uses the interactive tools that are currently redefining the practice of public relations.

Below, I’ve shared nine key take-aways from my audit of the course. These — along with several others — were shared during my live-Tweeting of the lecture. I think even the most seasoned professional can pick up something new, here:

  1. Filter bubbles = dangerous. Our info is being filtered by our friends as well as Google and FB. | #BUNewMedia
  2. Key elements of a successful viral video: brevity, humor and appealing subject matter. | #BUNewMedia
  3. You can’t guarantee a viral video. But, you can maximize its likelihood. | #BUNewMedia
  4. Videos are filmed with 1st, 2nd and 3rd screens in mind — TV, computer and mobile screen. | #BUNewMedia
  5. Pinterest and copyrighting – major concerns emerging as businesses incorporate service into marketing strategy. | #BUNewMedia
  6. Blog comment activity has plummeted in last two years. Convo has moved to social media platforms — where it’s owned by FB, etc. #BUNewMedia
  7. Blogs — really referred to as websites and news sites these days. “Blog” now really refers to content management systems. | #BUNewMedia
  8. Facebook “Like-gating” proven to be a negative engagement tactic. | #BUNewMedia
  9. PR is about telling stories. New official definition [from PRSA] does not get an A+. | #BUNewMedia

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Note: Some Tweets listed above were slightly altered from their original form for the purpose of this blog post.