“I’m a big fan of scrolling games,” said Smith. “I’m not into first-person games. My theory is you’re a game fan of the games you came up with and I came up in the scrolling world. So I still love to this day scrolling games. That’s why I’m so entranced with that Mario game on Nintendo DS. It’s just a total scrolling game with great graphics.”

…

When it comes to the convergence of Hollywood and games, Smith believes there’s a way to bring Jay and Silent Bob to the interactive realm, but he needs some help.

“I’m really not good enough to pull it off,” said Smith. “Games is one field that I like to be entertained, rather than try to be entertaining. For years, people have been telling me to do a Jay and Silent Bob game. I’d be all for it, but I’m just not the guy to do it. I’d be happy to write the back story for the game, but when it comes to what are the levels and challenges and bosses and things like that, I’m so not good at coming up with that kind of stuff. It’d be nice if someone came out with a Jay and Silent Bob game. I’d play it in a heartbeat.”

They do just about everything on the show: shoot it, write it, star in it, edit it, create animations for it. And it gets lots of play on three screens: television, the Web, and on cell phones.

Having people who are part of their core audience actually make a show has been right up mtvU’s alley.

And of course the fact that it gets a hit show for a fraction of what it would otherwise cost isn’t so bad, either.

Cell phone company Amp’d Mobile paid the channel $50,000, which mtvU paid to UCLA for the right to develop the class.

And in addition to college credit, students got a stipend for their efforts.

mtvU executive Stephen Friedman says working with the kids is better than working with stressed out over-committed professionals.

Jason Lee rocking again in “Krater” comedy

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – “My Name Is Earl” star Jason Lee will play a rock star in “Krater,” a comedy project set to film in May, during Lee’s hiatus from the NBC hit.

The Warner Bros. project follows the leader (Lee) of a rock band known as Krater who struggles with massive success after hiring a new lead singer with hidden Broadway ambitions. The story, set in the late 1970s and early ’80s, is based on an idea by Lee and producer Scott M. Martin.

Martin was an associate producer on “Almost Famous,” in which Lee also appeared as a rocker. Lee will produce “Krater” with Martin.

Lee stars as Earl Hickey on “Earl,” playing a crook trying to make amends. He next lends his voice to the title character of “Underdog” in Disney’s live-action remake of the animated classic.