DIY Days in Philadelphia

Current mentions DIY DAYS from lance weiler on Vimeo.

I’m speaking on a panel at DIY Days Philadelphia titled “Extending The Experience.”

PANEL – EXTENDING THE EXPERIENCE
With a decline in the penetration of traditional advertising due to digital technology and the emergence of an on-demand culture, studios and brands are experimenting with extending the way they reach audiences and potential customers. ARG (alternate reality games), virtualization, visualization, geo-locational services, augmented reality and mobile apps are all extending storytelling experiences. But how do you strike the balance between an industry that has come to measure itself by impressions with the value of audience engagement? Where does IP reside when authorship changes and the audience or consumer becomes creator? And is it possible to channel brand dollars into original content? MICHAEL MONELLO (Campfire, producer of the Blair Witch Project), BRIAN CLARK (founder of GMD Studios) and DAVID BEARD (Chief Technology Architect STM), JOHN THREAT (media threat) MODERATOR IVAN ASKWITH (Big Spaceship)

There’s a great lineup of speakers and events, and best of all it’s FREE to attend. All the details are at the DIY Days site. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday and meet a lot of smart people who are actually creating great things. Hope to see you there!

Steve Talks Viral Advertising on NPR

A Brief Timeline of Radio Broadcasting: The radio was invented many years ago. Then Orson Welles scared some people with it. Then music was played on it. Following that, there was a long stint where nothing important really happened…until now.

This morning, our managing partner Steve Wax took to the airwaves to chat viral advertising with John Hockenberry, host of NPR’s “The Takeaway”. Steve and John were joined by Brian Morrissey, Digital Editor for Adweek magazine.

The discussion’s focal point was the success of the campaign we ran for HBO’s “True Blood” last year, as well as the increasing prevalence of similar viral initiatives and what it takes for them to succeed. If that’s not draw enough, you get to hear John call Steve “Stevey”.

Click below to listen to the full interview. Google “radio” if you want a proper history.

Technorati Tags: Hockenberry, @bmorrissey, True Blood, Viral Marketing

The Blair Witch Project 10 Years Ago Today

10 years ago today, The Blair Witch Project was released on a limited number of screens in the US. If you are in Los Angeles on August 20, we’ll be screening the original Sundance print of the film at the American Cinematheque Egyptian Theater, but for the tenth anniversary, I thought I would post some links to personal recollections of Blair Witch. After all, the story is as much theirs as it is ours.

Horror filmmakers Eric Stanze and Adam Green remember on FEARnet

Art Meets Commerce remembers

Mary Elizabeth Williams, the Salon.com film critic who reviewed it, on the tenth anniversary.

Jennifer Thomas recollects her experience

Adam Rosenberg from MTV Movies Blog remembers

Finally, our good friend Dan Karcher reminisces on the original Haxan Films blog.