Star Wait was filmed in 2002 during the lead-up to Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (the most disappointing of the Star Wars prequels — or at least that’s what I think), and consists mostly of interviews Rotman and editor Adam Schenck filmed with the hardcore Star Wars enthusiasts who spent six weeks waiting in line to see Episode II premiere at the Mann Chinese Theater in Los Angeles.

While Star Wait was available as a feature film on DVD in 2005, its 2002 origin was as a web series. According to Rotman, with whom I spoke via phone, he and Schenck would visit the line, take their footage, and edit together an episode the next day, posting it to their website as a “postage-stamp sized” Quicktime (s APPL) video (as YouTube (s GOOG) and other hosting options didn’t exist back then). The site attracted up to 150,000 hits a week back then, and clips on YouTube still rack up views. Rotman believes it to be “one of the first docu-reality web series ever.”

After being reedited as a feature film, Star Wait‘s 2010 transition back to web series from feature film isn’t necessarily perfect — episode one opens with a 1:45 credit sequence/montage that introduces the primary characters but is much better suited to a full-length film than a web series, and concludes with an abrupt cut (the result of an encoding problem). But future installments, Rotman says, will be more polished and standalone, and in the meantime the content of the first episode is undoubtedly intriguing.

For, as Rotman and Schenck document, waiting in line for Star Wars wasn’t as simple as sitting down in a lawn chair: Those participating in the line were obligated to log a certain number of hours waiting, raise at least $50 for charity and wear customized badges. The entire process is given a great deal of dignity, as these fans aren’t treated as a crazed mob, but instead as distinct individuals, with different reasons for engaging with the franchise and different attitudes towards important issues like spoilers. One of the funnier sequences in the first episode, in fact, is when fans explain the color-coded badges they wear, which indicate not only their participation in the line but the level of advance knowledge they want to have prior to seeing the film.

According to Rotman, he doesn’t plan to leave the series online “forever,” but will keep the nine episodes available for the foreseeable future. The film version is still available on DVD in North America, and Rotman is looking to expand its reach with worldwide distribution. Star Wait might not be perfect web content, but it’s a great example of recycling — especially since, despite the eight years that have passed since its filming, its tale of passionate fans is still very relevant.

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That doesn’t keep the show from being one of the fresher and better-written comedies I’ve seen recently, though, mining hungover mornings and near escapes from rape and murder for maximum funny. The reason for that is mostly down to creators and stars Heleya de Barros and Vivian Kerr being unafraid to set themselves up as figures for ridicule: Elle and Marci, broke but still aspiring to fabulousness, make on average three or four extremely poor choices per episode, but stagger along anyways with no shortage of charm.

The most pleasant surprise about the first four episodes is how the relationship between Elle and Marci gains in depth and complexity — female friendships are often minefields of potential conflict, and the show’s strongest moments are definitely found in the interactions between the two girls. It doesn’t take long for Elle’s role as the leader and Marci’s role as the screw-up to emerge, but the power dynamic between them isn’t nearly so simple, something which will only prove to be more interesting as the series continues.

Some of the references made by the show only really work if you’re familiar with this very specific Los Angeles subculture, such as Marci’s declaration that “this is why I never go east west of the 101 [freeway]” (which is funny to this Angeleno because of friends in the Silver Lake area who seriously refuse to do so).

But Elle and Marci do also have a universal quality to them — whether you’re living it now or remembering it less than fondly, almost everyone has had a taste of the booze-soaked, debt-laden, uncertainty-filled years of one’s mid-twenties depicted here. Hipster or not, we’ve all been there, and us survivors deserve a good laugh.

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Revision3′s latest nonfiction entry, the instructional Food Mob, seems primed to correct that. “I want to cook food that anyone can cook,” says host Niall Harbison before launching into a demonstration of how to make blueberry and white chocolate pancakes (which look amazing). The second episode tackles more savory fare — specifically, the perfect steak — and over twenty Food Mob Bites segments offer quick demos of basic dishes.

While not explicitly said to be geared towards heterosexual young men, Food Mob is clearly meant for that particular demographic, with Harbison suggesting that they might prepare said pancakes for “your friends or your girlfriend” (not, say, your boyfriend, your spouse or your children). Also, in the second episode Harbison wears a t-shirt saying “I’m only two girls short of a threesome.” Classy.

But Food Mob does end up being a pretty good, if basic, cooking show, scattered with fun quick tips on food presentation and preparation. Harbison brings a casual, laid-back confidence to an activity many find stressful, and keeps things feeling informal by conversing with his off-screen cameramen as he cooks. And he even follows in Julia Child’s footsteps by acknowledging little slip-ups like a poached egg sliding where it shouldn’t — all of which contributes to making cooking feel like something easy, fun and achievable.

I’ve complained in the past about the amount of advertising Revision3 shows often contain, but in this show’s case there are improvements clearly in action: Specifically, rather than watch an Go Daddy commercial or something similar halfway through each episode, Harbison explains the products of the day personally, which is easy listening.

I’ll admit, though, that’s mostly down to his accent: Food Mob is produced in Ireland with the guidance of the Rev3 production and programming staff in San Francisco. According to a Revision3 spokesperson via email, the show has had a strong start with universally positive feedback, though that’s because it’s something their audience was interested in: “A cooking show was the #1 thing our audience requested when we polled them via a recent survey — so we gave them what they wanted and it looks like they’re taking to it!” The frequently plugged audience interactivity seems to play a major role in this, with hundreds of interactions — including submitted questions and photos of cooking efforts — spread across Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.

Robert Rodriguez, one of America’s great fanboy directors, produces 10 Minute Cooking School shorts as special features for his recent films, and in the first lesson on how to make Puerco Pibil that he says one of the wisest things I’ve ever heard about the culinary arts. “Not knowing how to cook is like not knowing how to f—,” he says. “You gotta eat the rest of your life.” With Food Mob‘s help, life might be a little more delicious.

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iamamiwhoiam joined YouTube (s GOOG) in December 2009, whereupon he/she/it began uploading strange but ethereal music videos featuring an anonymous blond woman, her identity disguised by masks, make-up, masking tape and/or mud. The only publicly-listed information about him/her/it (screw it, I’m going to go with “her”) is that she hails from the the small island nation of Vanuatu, and that she prefers to title her videos with strings of numbers or letters.

Seven videos have been posted so far, and thanks to a serious viral marketing push by whatever entity is supporting this project, many music sites and blogs helped these videos earn over two million total views.

I’m not an expert when it comes to defining musical genres, but the style invoked by iamamiwhoiam reminds me of Orbital, Zero 7 and other trip-hop I enjoyed back in the early 90s, with the addition of a distinctly Scandanavian Sigur Ros-y sound. In short, I do like it — it’s the videos I’m not totally sure about, probably for the same reason that I also wasn’t a big Bjork fan in the 90s: They’re just so friggin’ weird.

iamamiwhoiam specializes in staring at the camera, wearing strange costumes, and posing dramatically in visually appealing but strange settings. o, her longest video yet, is possibly the most coherent and thus the most interesting, but for the most part they seem to be weird for weirdness’s sake. Which is a great way to get some attention, but not necessarily a great way to keep it.

However, the other great way to get attention: Be rumored to be someone famous. In the months since the iamamiwhoiam channel was launched, no shortage of female artists were suspected. Today the conventional wisdom is that iamamiwhoiam is Swedish singer-songwriter Jonna Lee, but according to MTV News, Lee’s management denies the artist’s involvement.

Prior to Lee, though, the frontrunner was Christina Aguilera (despite her management also denying the rumors), as she was working on a new album with collaborators from the indie electronica scene. However, here is what I am prepared to say for sure today: iamamiwhoiam is NOT Christina Aguilera. The idea that the pop artist was prepping yet another comeback with an extremely strange yet intriguing viral campaign did make a certain amount of sense back in February. But that was before Aguilera’s video for the first single off her new album, Not Myself Tonight, debuted.

In said video, Aguilera tries to give Lady Gaga a run for her money with extreme S&M-inspired costumes, frantic dancing and no shortage of simulated bisexual antics meant to titillate. It’s not art, like iamamiwhoiam, and it’s not even that interesting, a quality which Lady Gaga never fails to achieve. When MTV calls out the video’s references as being Madonna, Michael Jackson and George Michael, you know a higher level of thought is not in play here.

Watching Not Myself Tonight made me like iamamiwhoiam a whole lot more, actually. For sure, being weird for the sake of weird isn’t much of an artistic statement, but it’s more than a cheap imitation of those who have come before. These videos are undeniably, authentically hers — whoever she might be.

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Produced by the Sundance Channel, Seduce Me once again brings us the naughty and gleeful Rossellini playing around with the beautiful papercraft puppets and costumes that made Green Porno so much fun. In theory, this edition is meant to refocus the concept on behavior surrounding the act of reproduction, but the rebranding seems relatively meaningless, as Seduce Me is very much in line with past Green Porno installments.

But a few differences are apparent. For example, rather than open each episode with narration setting up a new species, there’s instead an intriguing lead-in which features a turtlenecked Rossellini teasing the method used by the creature in question. “What am I?” she exclaims, “A cuttlefish/duck/snake/salmon/bedbug?” And away we go.

In addition, the new episodes are more focused on penetration-based acts, as opposed to the more surprising and esoteric reproductive methods Green Porno delighted in — no asexual reproduction here, just hardcore bedbug-on-bedbug action. Seduce Me is also surprisingly more graphic — the Duck episode, for example, depicts copulation from both outside and inside a lady duck (turns out the vaginas of lady ducks are impressively complex), including enough thrusting to earn the film an NC-17 rating from the MPAA (provided, of course, that these were human beings and not ducks we were watching).

In an improvement over Green Porno‘s past installments, Seduce Me‘s Brightcove player has embedding enabled for one full episode, Cuttlefish. It is almost like Sundance wants this show to be spread on the Internet! Though let’s be honest, one embeddable episode is not an entire series.

But going to the Sundance Channel site means discovering a bonus feature I’ve missed up until now: Generate your Green Porno name! (Mine is “Yellow Tang” — sassy, right?) There is also additional scientific information courtesy of the official Green Porno biologist, Dr. Claudio Campagna, as well as a personality quiz.

As much as I love the Green Porno concept, I am pretty sure that at some point, I’m going to get tired of it. Seduce Me is possibly a step toward keeping the series relatively sustainable, though, and in the meantime I’m just glad that Rossellini has an outlet for her obsession — one that doesn’t just educate, but maybe even titillates (if you’re into that sort of thing).

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But Elevator creator Woody Tondorf‘s first post-Break project Foursquare Cops elevates minor online infractions to crimes worthy of Judge Dredd-style justice. I invoke Judge Dredd because like Sylvester Stallone’s vigilante future cop, these cops on a mission do not hesitate to shoot transgressors who might violate the Foursquare spirit.

Shot documentary-style, Det. John Harty (Nate Hinchey) and OFC. Frank Ashton (Kyle Paice) roam the streets searching for those who dare to abuse their check-ins and use unfair means to oust the rightful mayors of various locations. If none of that makes sense to you, then you are clearly not part of the show’s target audience — there are no explanations provided for those unfamiliar with the complexities of Foursquare’s location-based interactivity.

However, if you’re no n00b, then you’ll probably enjoy the show’s many clever gags, some of which are built around obscure Internet in-jokes and some of which are just funny. “Policing the streets is just our day job,” Harty shares in episode 1. “We’re also in an a capella group. It’s called Copappella.” And then he starts to sing.

Foursquare Cops is technically branded entertainment, as it was produced by Hubspot, a software product that assists businesses with social marketing. But the brand is never invoked during the actual show, its mention limited to a post-show title card — the perfect sort of branded entertainment from a consumer standpoint, though how the show’s message translates to pushing Hubspot’s services to businesses isn’t entirely clear at this juncture.

The production isn’t flawless — while the cinematography does a nice job of capturing the cinema verite nature of Cops (the clear inspiration), the fight choreography and gun-play stand out as so painfully fake that they often took me entirely out of the story. But the acting is solid and the tone consistently funny.

If there’s an interesting twist to Foursquare Cops, it’s this: Those policing these social media transgressors are just as addicted to social media. As a result Foursquare Cops creates an interesting portrait of the world as it would be if products like Foursquare ruled our desires completely. And frankly, I find it a little scary.

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Directed by Matthew Balthrop of g14 Productions and distributed via Blip, Reservation tells the story of people with extraordinary abilities — and the government agency hunting them.

The approach, though, is pure character with little narrative, with each tightly-paced episode focusing on either someone with supernatural powers and how it affects their lives, or one of the agents hunting them. The closest the show has to a central protagonist is Alec Silva/Agent Pearce (Al Ghanekar), a reactivated agent whose decision to return to duty deeply complicates his personal life.

But in between vignettes about his domestic drama come portraits of people dealing with their special abilities without resorting to cliches like crime fighting or villainy. What would you do if you saw the future and it held tragedy? What’s it like to live life at sonic speed? These are some of the questions Reservation answers without relying on cliche, and as a result of this ensemble approach, the stories told are intimate and focused, shifting to drama to suspense on a dime and keeping things interesting.

The show isn’t perfect — production values are decent, but the sound design could use some work. And while the opening and closing themes are decent, the episodic music choices are pretty poor, hovering on the level of daytime soap operas. Some of the acting is also a little over the top, but the writing’s unique approach elevates some of the more amateurish elements and keeps things moving.

In short, Reservation proves a much more intriguing superhero drama than its most obvious comparison, managing to be affecting and engaging without relying on Peter Petrelli’s boyish charms or Claire the cheerleader’s bisexual experiments. Doesn’t matter what the medium is, in the end — good storytelling is good storytelling.

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