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New Web Series “Gym Shorts”

When I started going to the gym I couldn’t help but notice what was going on around me. From the cardio fanatics to the heavy-lifters and complete newcomers like myself, I thought all these characters would make for a great sitcom. I began to write down ideas and characters that I saw on a daily basis at the gym, as I went along “Gym Shorts” was born.

With summer just around the corner and fantasies of rock-hard abs and sun-kissed toned bodies, newly out of work Ben decides to join the local gym where his girlfriend Ally works. He enters the facility wide-eyed and confounded by his new surroundings. 

The gym in “Gym Shorts” has the same cast of character’s one may find at any local gym. There’s the cardio jockey, womanizing trainer and the wise old gentleman, who just happens to be naked. As Ben spends more time at the gym, he adjusts to his new surroundings and his desire to get in shape grows. He also learns more about his new extended family, but finds out that a place where everybody knows your name isn’t necessarily a good thing. 

“It’s a fantastic idea for not only a web series but a show as a whole. I think it has great potential to be looked at by television executives for further development,” said television writer/producer Thomas Kelly, who was backing the show with a donation during the fundraising process. “The gym is a place that most people go to on a regular to somewhat regular basis. To use that as a vehicle to drive a comedy is something that hasn’t been done before.” 

“Gym Shorts” will be shooting season 1 this coming May with a release date slated for September 2012.

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IWF Radio Spots

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Independent Wrestling Federation, LLC

The Independent Wrestling Federation is a independent wrestling promotion in Northern New Jersey. They are known to be the number one wrestling school on the east coast. The owner of the company had already created a successful presence within the community and wanted an online podcast presence to expand the IWF’s services. I created the show from the ground up, from the name and logo to the writing, recording and editing of each episode. I also created the radio spots for the wrestling school, merchandise and birthday party venue heard above. The show was successful in reaching thousands of potential IWF clients and fans, and was accepted onto the online media vendor, iTunes Store. 

To listen to full episodes of the show visit: IWF Radio

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Your Uncle… My Brother My mother never really spoke about him. His name never bought up in conversation or in family tree projects as a kid. He was shunned from the family because he was, as I’m told my grandfather put it “not normal”. Thrown into an institution for the feeble minded, to never be visited, called or practically thought about again. But he was a person, just like you and me, who had a name, a personality, a favorite food, color, song. I poked and prodded on and off for years to find out more about him, only to get short vague answers from that side of the family. Until my mother, either slipped up or was tired of me asking, revealed what happen to him, “Your Uncle was sent to Letchworth Village.” Although I was excited to have another piece of the puzzle, it struck me as odd at the wording of her answer, “Your Uncle” she seemed to go out of her way to not mention his name or the fact that he was her brother. I didn’t dare ask a follow up question and just took the new found information I received and began researching Letchworth.Closed in 1996 the facility was only a mere 20 minutes from my home. With most of the structures still standing (although a fire ripped through some buildings in 2006), it was time for someone in my family to visit Letchworth Village, sadly 30 years too late.As I walked the grounds I couldn’t help but think of the poor lost souls, like “My Uncle” who were abandoned by their families because they didn’t fit the norms of society. Each building had a different feel to it, but the overall vibe was the same… sadness. Trying to put myself in the shoes of the patients was difficult, I could feel the anger, the sadness, and the hopelessness pouring out of the walls. And as I exited the complex the depressing feeling stuck with me.That night I chose a select amount of photos, some of which you see in this set, and I called my mom and told her, that I wanted to show her something. When she arrived I sat her down and said I had a great photography session today. Before I showed her the first photo, she looked at me and said, “You went to Letchworth”. I nodded and began showing her the photos. We sat in silence as I scrolled through the first few photos. About halfway through I noticed her eyes were beginning to swell up, and as we finished going through the photos, I spoke the first words since she had arrived, “So… what do you think?” As tears began streaming down her face, she paused to compose herself, looked at me and said, “My brother Johnny would be proud.”

Your Uncle… My Brother

My mother never really spoke about him. His name never bought up in conversation or in family tree projects as a kid. He was shunned from the family because he was, as I’m told my grandfather put it “not normal”. Thrown into an institution for the feeble minded, to never be visited, called or practically thought about again. But he was a person, just like you and me, who had a name, a personality, a favorite food, color, song. 

I poked and prodded on and off for years to find out more about him, only to get short vague answers from that side of the family. Until my mother, either slipped up or was tired of me asking, revealed what happen to him, “Your Uncle was sent to Letchworth Village.” Although I was excited to have another piece of the puzzle, it struck me as odd at the wording of her answer, “Your Uncle” she seemed to go out of her way to not mention his name or the fact that he was her brother. I didn’t dare ask a follow up question and just took the new found information I received and began researching Letchworth.

Closed in 1996 the facility was only a mere 20 minutes from my home. With most of the structures still standing (although a fire ripped through some buildings in 2006), it was time for someone in my family to visit Letchworth Village, sadly 30 years too late.

As I walked the grounds I couldn’t help but think of the poor lost souls, like “My Uncle” who were abandoned by their families because they didn’t fit the norms of society. Each building had a different feel to it, but the overall vibe was the same… sadness. Trying to put myself in the shoes of the patients was difficult, I could feel the anger, the sadness, and the hopelessness pouring out of the walls. And as I exited the complex the depressing feeling stuck with me.

That night I chose a select amount of photos, some of which you see in this set, and I called my mom and told her, that I wanted to show her something. When she arrived I sat her down and said I had a great photography session today. Before I showed her the first photo, she looked at me and said, “You went to Letchworth”. I nodded and began showing her the photos. We sat in silence as I scrolled through the first few photos. About halfway through I noticed her eyes were beginning to swell up, and as we finished going through the photos, I spoke the first words since she had arrived, “So… what do you think?” As tears began streaming down her face, she paused to compose herself, looked at me and said, “My brother Johnny would be proud.”

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I created “The Cardio Critic” as a way to review films that my local gym plays in the cardio cinema room, here is an example of one of the reviews: CASINO ROYALE Doing cardio with a migraine is bad enough, and this movie didn’t help. I’m not sure if it was my migraine or maybe all of a sudden a british accent was foreign to me, because I had no idea what they were saying half the time. From what I can gather, heres the gist, Bond needs to save the world and it’s set in a casino and their’s hot chicks. On a different note it’s great to see that Joe Montana found a post football career, and his british accent is damn near perfect!  The saving grace of my 45 minutes of thinking I’m having a stroke and not understanding a word, was Eva Green. I credit her with me getting through cardio today. Grade time! Cardio Grade:A.Ran 25 minutes none stop, not sure if it was because of the few days off in between sessions, or one Ms. Eva Green, in any case it was good and I hope it’s the standard for future sessions. Casino Royale Grade:C-.Nothing special about this movie, it pretty much was like every other Bond movie out there, I guess if you are into that sort of thing, check it out. I couldn’t wait to stop watching but a few people stood next to their machines watching a few more minutes before leaving… they probably speak British though. To see more reviews from “The Cardio Critic” visit: The Cardio Critic

I created “The Cardio Critic” as a way to review films that my local gym plays in the cardio cinema room, here is an example of one of the reviews:

CASINO ROYALE

Doing cardio with a migraine is bad enough, and this movie didn’t help. I’m not sure if it was my migraine or maybe all of a sudden a british accent was foreign to me, because I had no idea what they were saying half the time. From what I can gather, heres the gist, Bond needs to save the world and it’s set in a casino and their’s hot chicks.

On a different note it’s great to see that Joe Montana found a post football career, and his british accent is damn near perfect! 

The saving grace of my 45 minutes of thinking I’m having a stroke and not understanding a word, was Eva Green. I credit her with me getting through cardio today. Grade time!

Cardio Grade:A.Ran 25 minutes none stop, not sure if it was because of the few days off in between sessions, or one Ms. Eva Green, in any case it was good and I hope it’s the standard for future sessions.

Casino Royale Grade:C-.Nothing special about this movie, it pretty much was like every other Bond movie out there, I guess if you are into that sort of thing, check it out. I couldn’t wait to stop watching but a few people stood next to their machines watching a few more minutes before leaving… they probably speak British though.

To see more reviews from “The Cardio Critic” visit: The Cardio Critic


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Asset Recovery Group, LLC Asset Recovery Group, LLC is a nationwide company that specializes in the deconstruction and cleaning of deactivated power plants for the sole purpose of redevelopment. They approached me on a recommendation and were in need of a logo and slogan for their company. Within the logo you will notice the recycling symbol being surrounded by the letters ARG. The recycling symbol was included to indicate that the company recycles all the material removed from the job sites. The slogan for the company - “Turning Liabilities Into Assets” -  was created to imply not only what the company does, but also the need to have deactivated power plants taken down for safety reasons.

Asset Recovery Group, LLC

Asset Recovery Group, LLC is a nationwide company that specializes in the deconstruction and cleaning of deactivated power plants for the sole purpose of redevelopment.

They approached me on a recommendation and were in need of a logo and slogan for their company. Within the logo you will notice the recycling symbol being surrounded by the letters ARG. The recycling symbol was included to indicate that the company recycles all the material removed from the job sites. The slogan for the company - “Turning Liabilities Into Assets” -  was created to imply not only what the company does, but also the need to have deactivated power plants taken down for safety reasons.

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