Thank you

// November 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

Thanks to everyone who came out to DIY DAYS LA last night. To the speakers who took the time to share their knowledge to the audience members who stepped up to the open mic and to the Downtown Independent Theater for hosting the event. And a very special thanks to all the volunteers who made the evening possible. DIY DAYS events are FREE because the community pitches in their time and talents!

Over the next week we’ll be working to bring the talks online. For now make sure to checkout the conference dashboard which captured the evening from a variety of angles – bookmarks, tweets, photos, and blog posts.

NEXT DIY DAYS EVENT: In the coming weeks we’ll be making an announcement about the next DIY DAYS event. If you’d like to see DIY DAYS come to your city drop us an email at work [@] workbookproject dot com

Speaker Highlight: Scott Macauley

// November 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

Scott Macaulay has been the chief-editor of Filmmaker Magazine for over 15 years – of which he has also produced a long list of award winning features under his production company, Forensic Films: Raising Victor Vargas, Gummo, Julien donkey-boy, Saving Face, What Happened Was, The Wife, The Chateau and Idlewild – to name a few.

But aside from his impressive history both behind the lens and behind the printing press – what is most encouraging about Scott is his commitment to the art of film.

In the first of our Q & A below, Scott stresses his hope that technology is bringing us back to a culture of “cinematic experimentation”. It can be rare to hear someone, who has been in “the business” for as long as Scott has, rooting for the indie film, the low-budget film, the unorthodox film. Stories that don’t sell toys per say, but spark ideas and emotion that produce change: culturally, politically, personally.

Scott will be moderating the panel discussion “Personas in the Digital Age” with Micki Krimmel and Marc Horowitz.

Q & A:

What excites you about the future?

The possibility that all of this technological and economic change will have the effect of reconnecting independent film to progressive culture and true cinematic experimentation.

What’s a site you couldn’t live without?

I’m something of an internet addict but I haven’t embraced the tenets of recovery yet, so there is no site that I am powerless before.

What’s something you wish you would have known before you found out the hard way?

That things usually work out in the end (except when they don’t).

Audience Highlight

// November 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

DIY Days attracts a wide range of story-tellers, social artist, media junkies, transmedia collaborators, professional futurist and digital entrepreneurs – we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the diverse audience members who’ve registered. And kick off one of the most important aspects of DIY Days: meeting new like-minded people.

Mark Stolaroff, an indie film producer and the founder of No Budget Film School, a series of classes designed specifically for no-budget filmmakers, has been in the low-budget independent film world for over 15 years.

Mark is currently in post finishing a new feature called “Pig,” and hopes to gain some insights as I design my own marketing and distribution plan. “Pig” is currently being edited by “Donnie Darko” editor Eric Strand and I’m developing a number of innovative strategies to help aggregate niche audiences for the film.

Jacob Medjuck is an award winning filmmaker. His first feature length film, the John Cusack narrated Summerhood, won 6 of the 9 festivals it played, and was invited to screen at PIXAR Animation Studios, as well as the Harvard Business School. With a career as a classical animator working on projects for DreamWorks, Disney Interactive, Sony, and Fox, as well as consulting for major video game producers.

Zak Forsman, an American independent filmmaker whose emotionally-charged work is known for highly authentic performances and beautiful compositions. His directorial debut, Heart of Now, has been praised by Ain’t It Cool News as “Brilliant” and “Absolutely Gorgeous,” and by Filmmaker Magazine as “Very Accomplished, Amazing.”

Zak has directed two shorts films, “I Fucking Hate You” and “Model/Photographer” which have won several international audience, jury and festival awards. He is currently developing two new features for production in 2010 and 2011 and serves as editor of the New Breed blog at The Workbook Project.

Jon Raymond is an independent writer, photographer and filmmaker, with numerous narrative and documentary short films under his belt. Jon is currently in post on a feature doc called Got Healthcare?, a film of street surveys with people and their opinions on the current healthcare legislation and situation in this country. Where his DIY distribution plans include making it available for free and for sale online in DVD and Blu Ray at the same.

Mike Hedge, a Los Angeles Film School graduate, with a major in producing and cinematography, is well-known for his RED camera expertise. His first feature documentary, As The Dust Settles is set deep in the Nevada desert, where 50,000 people met up at an event called Burning Man.

This profound social experiment in creation, destruction, and finding equal value in both. From the film’s site, “For one week, life accelerates to light speed, and as the dust settles you realize you are alive.”

Linda Nelson and Michael Madison formed Nelson Madison Films in 2003. Their next film, Delivered, an action adventure, is now in post-production. The goal of NMF is to produce economical, independant features that utilize local talent and innovative, high-tech production techniques – with a strong interest in social networking and DIY options to distribute films, alongside other non-exclusive digital platforms.

Gregory Bayne is a filmmaker and mixed media artist working in film, video, motion graphics and design. His work as a producer, director, editor, cinematographer and designer has appeared in several short, feature length and documentary films including b.Dreams, ibid, Out of the Blue, Purple State of Mind, and Trudell; having shown theatrically, at film festivals worldwide (including Sundance, Seattle Film Festival, Munich, ImagineNATIVE and SXSW) and broadcast nationally on PBS, ESPN and the Sundance Channel.

Bayne is finishing up his feature directorial debut Person of Interest, and is in pre-production on his second film, Driven, a documentary about acclaimed mixed martial arts fighter Jens Pulver.

This is just a small handful of the multi-talented people attending tonight’s event at the Downtown Independent Theater. A lot of hard work, from a large number of volunteers, goes into each DIY Days event, with the goal of spreading and sharing information about current technology in storytelling, and most important, to interact with each other and form relationships with people who are all striving to push the future of Hollywood in new and exciting directions.

Speaker Highlight: Lance Weiler

// November 20th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

Lance Weiler will be speaking on “Social Media for Storytellers” – his experience and pioneering approach to storytelling has earned him critical acclaim, awards, and recognition as “One of 25 people helping to re-invent entertainment and change the face of Hollywood”.

In 1998, Lance’s feature film, The Last Broadcast, became the first film to go entirely digital: it was shot, edited, and even screened all on a computer. Making use of new (and untested) methods of distribution, The Last Broadcast was premiered to theaters all across the US via satellite and DLP projectors.

In 2006, Lance’s thriller-mystery film, Head Trama, incorporated interactive games, grassroots marketing, subplots and parallel story-worlds that played out online, over mobile devices, comic books, and in the real-world (by way of secret meet-ups, only known to those who put all the pieces of Head Trama’s puzzle together in time).

His DIY distribution has been a huge success – his work playing in over 20 countries and grossing over 5 million dollars – shattering the dogma that new filmmakers know how to “make” their films, but not how to sell them. He has been a powerful advocate for “state to finish” filmmaking – giving storytellers, including myself, the inspiration to see their film through regarding every last stage. He is the founder of the Worldbook Project, the roving conference series DIY Days, a co-founder of From Here to Awesome, and a partner in the transmedia, social entertainment company, Seize the Media.

You can read Lance’s personal blog at Text of Light, or follow his updates on Twitter.

Tonight we’ll be streaming

// November 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

For those attending and for those who can’t make it to the live event we’ve built a special conference dash board. There will be ways to join the discussion and share resources in addition to seeing a live stream from the event.

Conference Dashboard

Speaker Highlight: Marc Horowitz

// November 19th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // LA

Marc Horowitz is many things: a virtual cross country explorer, a comedic performance enthusiast, sheep shearer, social experimentalist, and possibly the first would-be inventor of a brick-house, diesel-truck, hybrid helicopter.

His most recent digital adventure landed him on NPR’s Weekend Edition – discussing the Los Angeles to Richmond, Virginia road trip he and friend, Peter Baldes, took via Google Maps without ever leaving their homes. Prior to that, Marc was challenged to to live 168 hours straight in a 2007 Sentra for the “Seven Days in a Sentra” national ad campaign.

And before his rise to fame with Nissan, Marc spent the better part of a entire year traveling from stranger’s home to stranger’s home for dinner, all along a route determined by a coast-to-coast signature on a US map.

Other projects include: the Talkshow247 internet broadcast, his involvement with the Center for Improved Living, The Me & You Show, the Human Video Game experiment, and well, you get the idea. Marc is a busy man, with many talents. He is currently developing both a non-scripted and scripted shows for TV and web.

Q & A:

What excites you about the future?

Global Warming. Not really. I lied. Maybe Laser Disks will make a come back?

What’s a site you couldn’t live without?

Google Maps. I know… boring… but true… and you know it. At least I didn’t just say google.

What’s something you wish you would have known before you found out the hard way?

That you can get mouth herpes from eating undercooked monk fish. It’s not a good idea to get on an onramp at 65 miles an hour. Root canals are actually REALLY painful. And Neil Young, turns out, is not that friendly in person.

Learn more about Marc on his blog – which was named by Dazed & Confused Magazine as one of the 50 Best Websites. Or follow him often hilarious updates on twitter.

DIY DAYS speakers and schedule

// November 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

THANK YOU
We’re excited that you’ll be able to join us tomorrow for DIY DAYS LA. The following are a couple logistical issues to help make your experience at the event better.

LOCATION:
Downtown Independent Theater
251 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, California 90012
http://www.downtownindependent.com/events/diy-days-la

PARKING
In terms of parking there are a number of parking lots and garages
within walking distance of the theater. The closest is a parking lot
located next store.

6pm to 6:30pm Registration
6:30pm to 10:30pm Program
10:30pm to 11:30pm mixer / party with DJ

REGISTRATION
Opens at 6pm and we recommend you arrive early because we are expecting a large turnout. (If you don’t plan on attending please let us know as we’d like to make some room for others who are on the wait list.)

Another benefit to coming early is that there will be 10 slots available for “one minute” open mic sessions. Now a minute doesn’t sound like a lot but it is enough time to say “What you’re working on and what you’re looking for.” This was a very popular aspect of the last DIY DAYS event in Philadelphia and resulted in some interesting collaborations and networking opportunities. These 10 slots are available on a first come first serve basis. If there is time within the schedule we might go beyond the 10 slots.

BRING A LAPTOP
There is wifi in the space and we encourage you to bring a laptop. There will be some interesting ways for you to participate in the evening and with the speakers themselves.

AFTER PARTY / SOCIAL MIXER
Following the last session there will be an after party / social mixer. It is a cash bar and there will be some drink specials. The proceeds of the cash bar go directly to helping support the Downtown Independent Theater.

Speaker Highlight: Steve Peters

// November 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

Steve Peters has been behind the scenes of some of the largest transmedia projects of the last 10 years – including recent work for the feature films Watchmen, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Dark Knight.

Creator of the ARG Gaming Network (in 2002), former Director for 42 Entertainment, and now founding partner at No Mimes Media – Steve is constantly neck deep in the art of using every tool available to build award-winning, interactive worlds around everything from big budget games to indie films.

Steve is the kind of new media professional I like the most: the kind that’s very easy to interact with online. You can follow Steve’s work and his updates via Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, BrightKite and TripIt. Steve will be joining Jan Libby on the topic of the “Art and Craft of Building ARGs”.

Q & A:

What excites you about the future?

While I don’t even pretend to know exactly what’s on the horizon technology-wise, etc., the one thing I do get excited about is the fact that I know I’m going to be working with some very cool, talented, visionary, fun people in the future, some of whom I haven’t even met, yet.

What’s a site you couldn’t live without?

Google Reader. I don’t surf the web, it all comes to me. There are definitely some social networking sites I desperately *wish* I could live without, but that’s life, I guess.

What’s something you wish you would have known before you found out the hard way?

I wish I’d have known that it’s better to trust my instincts when it comes to the stuff I know I do best, as opposed to letting myself get swayed by those who only think they know what they’re doing. A close second is the crappy AT&T mobile coverage I get at my house.

Speaker Highlight: Jan Libby

// November 17th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // LA

Anyone who’s ever heard of Lonelygirl15 knows of Jan Libby’s work – as an interactive ARG creator, she is responsible for crafting engaging experiences that take viewers / players to unexpected places.

Whether her involvement in indie games such as Sammeeeees, Wrath of Johnson, and Eldritch Errors, campaigns like Levi’s Go Forth, or her current indie developments for 36nine – Jan’s interest and expertise is in building entire worlds for an audience to not simply to enjoy, but to fully engage in.

No two storyworlds are exactly the same, and every new project requires a fresh look at the new tools available, the unique goals specific to that story, and how users need to interact to make the experience truly three dimensional. Jan will be speaking at DIY Days Los Angeles on the “Art and Craft of Building ARGs”.

Q & A:

What excites you about the future?

As a creator… creating work that can give people, that are not so tech savvy, entry into an alternate reality world. As a gamer & ARG enthusiast the next very cool rabbit hole and storyworld that’ll take me to somewhere else.

What’s a site you couldn’t live without?

Twitter. It’s a gateway and gathering spot for me personally and for my work (link: Jan’s twitter).

What’s something you wish you would have known before you found out the hard way?

That other people don’t always share all of my objectives. Knowing that now, I enter into partnerships or collaborations better prepared
for the road ahead.

Speaker Highlight: Dan Mirvish

// November 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

Dan Mirvish, co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival, will be speaking this Thursday on the subject of The Eisenstadt Experience, the fictional memoir of a campaign season. A storytelling experience that has spanned multiple mediums and even resulted in a political scandal.

A review by Jeremy Jacobs, of Politics Magazine, described the accompanying book, I Am Martin Eisenstadt: One Man’s (wildly inappropriate) Adventures with the Last Republicans, as “What Stephen Colbert is to Bill O’Reilly, Martin Eisenstadt is to countless political pundits. Hilarious…biting commentary on Washington, DC.”

Dan’s career doesn’t simply involve a highly successful film festival and a praise-worthy political satire, his feature film, Open House, completely reshaped the Oscar rules for (original) musicals. His directorial debut, Omaha, was mentored by none other than the legendary Robert Altman.

Q & A:

What excites you about the future?

The hope that Hollywood will now buy the rights to our book, and the wisdom to know that I’ll still get screwed. otherwise? flying cars and taking a cruise to the North Pole

What’s a site you couldn’t live without?

IMDB Pro (the only site I pay money for)

What’s something you wish you would have known before you found out the hard way?

That gravity and ladders don’t mix well

Follow Dan on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube – and be sure to RSVP if you’d like to see him speak at DIY Days Los Angeles.

Speaker Highlight: Jerry Paffendorf

// November 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

Jerry Paffendorf has made a name for himself in taking unconventional approaches to everything from business models to social experiments. A self-proscribed artist, futurist, entrepreneur and swell guy – his work includes the Destroy Television project, the Metaverse Roadmap project, the Electric Sheep Company and Wello Horld.

Most recently Jerry has been committed full-time to a Detroit based project called LOVELAND. The idea mixes crowd sourcing – or as Jerry likes to call the project’s investors: “inchvestors”, an interactive storyline, a HQs inside the Russell Industrial Center studios, real-time video streaming mixed in with gaming, and group collaboration to build something very real and valuable on an empty lot east of Indian Village using the internet. What that “something” ends up being depends on the inchvestors who help shape and grow LOVELAND.

From the project’s about page: “Instead of shares in a company I’m offering square inches of space in Detroit and the ability to creatively contribute to the project in ways that I hope return value. It’s not a traditional proposition, but I don’t really think these are traditional times we’re in. Things are a little crazy.”

Q & A:

What excites you about the future?

More and more people being able to make a living doing what they love. Being able to create things as fast as you can imagine them. Being able to watch the whole world like a movie and track and interact with it like a game.

What’s a site you couldn’t live without?

Zombo.com (make sure your speakers are on).

What’s something you wish you would have known before you found out the hard way?

Your investors can throw you under a bus! Be transparent in any investor relationship and don’t be afraid to invite your audience into it. At the very least your audience can help save you from unfair treatment. If there are no eyes on the street, that’s when crime happens. So to speak.

Follow Jerry’s updates on his twitter account – or on the LOVELAND twitter account, he writes about his other personal adventures on 7 Billion Friends.

Speaker Highlight: Jesse Alexander

// November 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // LA

Jesse Alexander is a storyteller that has proven his worth in every medium – a writer and producer for everything from television (Lost, Alias, Heroes), to films, to video games, even comic books.

His interest in transmedia entertainment is the main focus of his personal blog, Global Couch, where the header to his site reads:

“The name Global Couch is a transmedia concept that describes a paradigm shift in the way audiences find their entertainment. The living room couch had always been the place where families shared an entertainment experience, now, it’s all the about the web. So grab a seat and pass the clicker, I mean the mouse.”

Jesse has most recently been neck deep in his labor-of-love, cross platform, post-apocalyptic, NBC miniseries: DAY ONE. Using a tightly connected network of comic books, online material, interactive gaming, apparel components, and, last but not least, a grass roots effort to draw people deeper into the mysterious story-world he has worked so hard to shape.

Q & A:

What excites you about the future?

Shooting broadcast quality video with Canon’s DSLR camera technology.

What’s a site you couldn’t live without?

Gizmodo.

What’s something you wish you would have known before you found out the hard way?

How to make an idea stick.

Follow Jesse’s updates on twitter, or watch for new behind the scene videos on his Vimeo account. RSVP today to see Jesse speak at the Downtown Independent Theater.

Speaker Highlight: Micki Krimmel

// November 13th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // LA

Micki Krimmel, also quite popularly known in wide online circles as Mickipedia, has always been ahead of the curve in both the “online world”, and it’s social implications in the real world.

Founder of the social sharing site NeighborGoods – a contributing author to WorldChanging, SXSW World, and Wired Magazine – responsible for creating and running the interactive department at Participant Productions, overseeing and building the communities around award winning films, including An Inconvenient Truth. Previously the Director of Community for Revver, recent winner of Oprah Magazine’s Woman Rule! competition for female leaders.

And of course, no introduction to Micki would be anywhere near complete without highlighting her (badass) involvement with the LA Derby Dolls – where she can often be found skating at break-your-face speeds in crowded, banked tracks – jamming her way through walls of teeth-gritting blockers.

Micki will be speaking about her personal and professional experiences with “Personas in the Digital Age” and how to build your own.

Q & A:

What excites you about the future?

The democratization of technology is empowering people to take their lives into their own hands. New media revolution is just the first part of that. Giving voice to the masses is just the beginning. Anyone can start their own business online. People can come together and create revolutions. They can break free of the consumer system by coming together and creating the lives they want for themselves. The same tools that are enabling globalization can be used to strengthen local communities and give people the means to become independent of unsustainable global systems.

What’s a site you couldn’t live without?

Twitter. I’m on it all day long, for my business and just for me. (link: @Mickipedia)

What’s something you wish you would have known before you found out the hard way?

I wish I would have known how to deal with commenters. I’ve learned now that the “OMG I love you”s are just as useless as the “you are the antichrist”s.