I've been off the radar. They brought me back into corporate culture and it feels good. In April I began working at Studio D at Waggener Edstrom. By July I was running the entire team. I'm not exactly sure if that is their folly or my luck. Studio D's promise is what I've tried to write about in this space. The opportunity to pull the ties of digital storytelling in a new direction. A place were reactive social media content can transact with qualitative experiences that create impact.
The transformation of the magazine publishing model is here. The iPad is the catalyst. It is as significant as the change from Radio to TV seventy years ago. Remarkable.
Jesse just turned me on to the most amazing presentation from Jesse Schell. He is a Carnegie Mellon professor and ex-Disney Imagineer who proposes that Games have broken into "reality." He uses the successes of Guitar Hero, Organic Food, Wii, Webkins, Mafia Wars to highlight this argument. Check out his DICE 2010 presentation.
Painful but true. I've not been on for months my dear friends. Life, work, the holidays pushed me back from my appointed duties.
However I am coming back with a vengeance. This blog entry is focused on my dear friend Zia Mohajerjasbi. Winner of the prestigious Genius Award from Seattle's supreme alt newspaper The Stranger. Heady praise for a young man 24 years old. Mohajerjasbi is redefining not only filmmaking in Seattle, but the entire production ethos of indie film in this city.
Zia and I joke constantly about craft service. On my sets I insist that we have meal breaks + coffee and wholesome snacks. Zia tells me that he never promises food. He tells his crews they will be leaner working with him, because they'll be living off their body fat. Zia's images speak for themselves. Lean and mean is how he shoots and it all shows up on the screen. Mr. Mohajerjasbi made this blog because he is the future of transmedia. An Artist that uses all forms of media from YouTube to Facebook to Vimeo to get his work and message out. He even posts on his current projects on his website Love & Shoe Strings where you will find Behind-the-Scene-How-To-Videos of his erecter set camera set up.
I am constantly in awe of his results. I believe you will be too.
In October, Ted Hope blogged about Brian Newman's remarkable talk on the future of independent media. http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/. Brian is the former CEO of the Tribeca Film Institute. I have not been able to get his positioning out of my head. The image quality is poor. Hit play, go in the clip at 1:15. You will inspired.
Lately I've been obsessed with the thoughtful ramblings of Producer Ted Hope. Ted is the Co-founder of 'This is that' and is a former Good Machine partner and producer responsible for groundbreaking films: Adventureland, The Savages, 21 grams, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Thumbsucker, American Splendor, Storytelling, In the Bedroom and Brother's McMullen - just to name a few out of the 50 odd films he has made.
Recently Ted read his manifesto of sorts at a recent NYFA event. His ideas are right on target. Listen his thoughts on the current Indie Film issues swirling around filmmakers, how he selects projects & filmmakers, he talks about his start in film plus gives the most coherent description of transmedia strategy that I've heard outside of Jesse's insight on Global Couch. Enjoy.
Alexander Olch’s The Windmill Movie is a beautiful portrait of Richard Rogers, Alex's film professor and mentor at Harvard. Olch sifted through decades of archival footage of Roger's and the movie he never finished. This film is a testament to all of us to finish the stories we start and to go after our dreams.
Friends in NY The Windmill Movie is now playing at Film Forum and in Washington D.C. with more cities to follow. Read more: The New York Times at and Valet
I was turned on to Transmedia Storytelling by my friend Jesse Alexander. I will never look at content creation in the same way.
Transmedia Storytelling extends narrative across multiple platforms: TV, Movies, Cell Phones, Websites, Toys, Video Games, Etc. Reaching new consumers, and immersing existing fans in the world of their favorite franchise, hobby or interest. Many believe the term was coined by MIT Professor Henry Jenkins.
aka Edward Rey is a film, television and new media Producer. He is also a respected Digital Media consultant. He runs the Experience team at Studio D at Waggener Edstrom headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
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