WASHINGTON, DC – Leading executives from Facebook, Intel, Reel FX and Mass Animation will be featured during an NAB Show Super Session examining how new developments in technology are transforming the animation industry and providing new monetization opportunities for creators. "Mass Animation: Crowdsourced Creativity on the Social Networking Frontier" will be held on Tuesday, April 21 in association with Producers Guild of America during the NAB Show in Las Vegas.
During the session, executives will discuss "crowdsourced creativity" in animation, a collaborative process where companies seek the collective wisdom of amateur animators around the world. The panelists will also address the success of "Live Music," an animated short film produced by aspiring animators around the world. The project started with building a virtual studio on Facebook and an open invitation to animators around the world to join forces in the making of the animated short film. "Live Music" is slated for theatrical release this fall.
"Mass Animation: Crowdsourced Creativity on the Social Networking Frontier," will be moderated by Jon Healey, opinion writer and a member of the editorial board at the Los Angeles Times. As an editorial board member of the newspaper, Healey's main contributions are features about intellectual property, technology and business. He also created the Bit Player blog in 2006, covering the convergence of entertainment and technology.
Panelists during the session include:
Emmanuel Baligad, a freelance animator based in Las Vegas. Since 2007, Emmanuel has worked with Coded Sky Animation, Mass Animation/ReelFX, and Kareem Co. Productions as an animator, artist, and graphic designer on various projects.
Kyle Clark, chief operating officer for Reel FX Creative Studios in Dallas. During his tenure at the studio, Kyle has overseen production for clients such as DreamWorks, BlueSky/Fox Animation, Disney, Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures Animation. Before joining the RFX crew, he worked as both a lead and supervisor on a number of feature, commercial, and game projects for companies such as Industrial Light and Magic, Sony Imageworks, Microsoft Game Studios, Mooncrescent Animation, Cinesite, and Digital Magic.
John Cooney, senior marketing manager at Intel with over 14 years of experience in developing innovative online marketing programs. Since 2005, John has focused on developing break through co-marketing programs with Intel customers and partners including most recently Mass Animation.
Matt Jacobson, head of market development at Facebook, focusing on key strategic partnerships that uniquely serve all stakeholders. Matt was the architect of the company's first upfront annual deal with Chase in 2005. Matt joined Facebook from Quicksilver Entertainment where he was the vice president, co-founder and global head of marketing services for the California-based surf lifestyle company. Prior to Quicksilver Entertainment, Matt spent two years at Broadcom Corporation where he was the CEO of Broadband Interactive Group. Matt began his career at News Corp, where he served as the executive vice president of News America Digital Publishing. While at News Corp, he built digital assets from scratch into a $40 million revenue business.
Yair Landau, a former top executive at Sony Pictures Animation, and the current founder of Mass Animation, a new collaborative animation company developing content and tools for crowdsourced creativity. The company is currently developing its next generation of tools and stories for crowdsourced creativity.
About the 2009 NAB Show
The NAB Show will take place April 18 - 23, 2009 in Las Vegas (exhibits open April 20). It is the world's largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums. Complete details are available at www.nabshow.com. Online registration is now available for news media reporters interested in covering the NAB Show.
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. As the voice of more than 8,300 radio and television stations, NAB advances their interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.