Contact WorkBook Project for event and ticket information.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 from 6:00 PM - 11:45 PM (PT)
The WorkBook Project presents
a roving unconference / conference for those who create
How do we sustain ourselves as storytellers in this day of shifting
distribution systems? How do we monetize our work and get the word out?
Presented by WorkBook Project
- DIY DAYS aims to answer these questions with a evening of case studies, talks and
roundtable discussions: A look at how to fund, create,
and distribute and sustain.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Anyone wanting to make creative work - film, music, games, art.
Self-identified Independent storytellers, Creatives and Tech-philes.
THE EVENT
The evening flows through a mix of both structured and free form activities
to encourage open discussion and the opportunity to break into groups
and get everyone talking to each other.
Proposed Discussion Topics
- New Forms of Storytelling
- New models of Finance, Production and Distribution
- Audience Building & The Audience Becoming Collaborators
- War Stories: “What’s The Real Deal?”
- Self-Sustaining: what to know when trying to make a living from your art
- Case Studies
Open Discussion Topics
- What are you working on? What are you looking for?
- How do you consume your media?
- What needs to change in order for you to sustain?
SPEAKERS
The following speakers are confirmed for DIY DAYS LA.
Jesse Alexander (Heroes, Lost, Day One) :: Elan Lee (co-founder and chief designer 4th Wall Studios) :: Lance Weiler (The Last Broadcast, Head Trauma, HiM) :: Scott Macaulay (producer of Gumo, Raising Victor Vargas, editor of Filmmaker Magazine) :: Jon Reiss (Bomb it! and author of Thinking Outside the Box(office) ):: Jerry Paffendorf (artist, futurist, entrepreneur) :: Dan Mirvish (Omaha the movie, Open House, The Eisenstadt Experience) :: Steve Peters (No Mimes Media) :: Jan Libby (Sammeeeees, LG15, Eldritch Errors)
PROGRAM
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL GUESTS TO BE ANNOUNCED
FIRESIDE: The Evolution of Storytelling :: Jesse Alexander / Elan Lee
As we continue our series of discussions around the evolution of storytelling we're joined by two pioneers in the space who are extending the experiences that surrounds the stories they tell. From massive global gaming experiences to hit TV shows Jesse Alexander (Heroes, Lost, Day One) and Elan Lee (Co-Founder and Chief Designer at Fourth Wall Studios) share the art and craft of how they design and develop transmedia experiences that create rich media franchises and engage audiences in new and interesting ways.
PRACTICAL: Social Media for Storytellers :: Lance Weiler
With the advent of new technologies, devices and the emerging real-time aspects of the web, stories can travel and build audiences in new and exciting ways. The confines of a single format are replaced with the ability to move audiences from one experience to another — from one screen or device to another. There has been a lot of hype around the concept of social media but what does it really mean for storytellers? How can you use free tools and services to tell stories, engage an audience and most importantly, extend the life of your project? Lance Weiler (The Last Broadcast, Head Trauma, HiM) walks you through the process of getting up and running, understanding how to staff, how to budget, how to engage an audience and how to set realistic goals whilst determining measurements of success.
FIRESIDE: The Art and Craft of the ARG
ARGs offer an interesting extension to a storytelling experience. The real-time web and the connectedness of a variety of devices in one's life become a jumping off point for game-play. Steve Peters (No Mimes Media) and Jan Libby (Sammeeeees, LG15, Eldritch Errors) two pratictionars and experience designers of Alternate Realtiy Games sit down for a candid conversation about the art and craft of designing, scaling and producing ARGs. Where do you start? How do you pace the experience? And how do you know if an ARG is the right extension for your storytelling process?
CASE STUDY :: The Eisenstadt Experience :: Dan Mirvish
Dan Mirvish (Omaha the movie, Open House) charts his course from short film to web series to political scandal to an eventual book deal. The full journey from concept to book is now being optioned and turned into a film. "I Am Martin Eisenstadt: One Man's (wildly inappropriate) Adventures with the Last Republicans.," is a mix of political intrigue, campaign-trail escapades, and cyberspace detective work. Desperate to rise through the ranks of Washington's media punditocracy, Eisenstadt insinuates himself into the last 30 years of American politics - from losing his virginity to Fawn Hall, to interning on the Willie Horton ad campaign, to buying Sarah Palin's wardrobe. Mirvish shares how his work has evolved beyond a single medium and the liberation that working within one's limitations can bring.
ROUNDTABLE :: All About Me ::
As content creators of all kinds strive to build fan bases and cultivate audiences for their work, many are finding that their best promotional vehicle is themselves. Panelists will discuss the benefits and pitfalls of creating an online cult of personality. How to develop an online persona, issues of privacy, and extending your own persona to work by others will all be discussed by a diverse group from different content industries.
PRACTICAL: Think Outside the Box Office :: Jon Reiss
The world of discovery and distribution is changing by the moment. DIY and hybrid distribution is becoming the A option for many filmmakers. But how do you find the strategy that's going to work best for you? How do you reach and engage audiences while achieving a degree of sustainability? Join Jon Reiss, award winning filmmaker and DIY distribution expert as he shares stories from the frontlines, much of which can be applied to those wishing to connect their creative efforts with an audience in meaningfully ways.
CASE STUDY: LOVELAND :: Jerry Paffendorf
Loveland is a collaborative art meets urban revitalization meets social ownership experiment that is attempting to sell off a million square inches of Detroit off at a $1 each. Jerry Paffendorf (artist, futurist, and entrepreneur) shares his vision for the project and how he is crowdsourcing the funding of his start-up while taking a creative approach to the design of not only the concept behind the project but also the way in which it is funded. Rooted within a hook that some might consider a novelty (million dollar homepage pops to mind), Paffendorf is embracing the playfulness of LOVELAND’s actual and virtual inches by documenting the process as if it was a natural history / storytelling project. The approach appears to be paying off as inchvestors are preparing all kinds of creative things around their plots. In the process LOVELAND could prove to be an interesting revitalization project that turns areas of Detroit and other cities into collaborative social art that is self-sustaining.
SPECIAL BOOK SIGNING
Jon Reiss will be signing copies of his brand new book Think Outside the Box Office during and after the event (DIY:Days is the premiere LA event for the book’s release). Think Outside the Box Office is the first nuts-and-bolts guide to distribution and marketing for independent filmmakers. For more information: www.jonreiss.com/blog
BRING A LAPTOP - we'll have wifi and some interesting ways for you to interact with speakers and each other.
*Check back as we’ll be updating this on a regular basis over the next few weeks.
If you know someone who would be interested in volunteering behind the scenes to help make DIY DAYS LA happen let us know. work@workbook.com
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