Visionary is the celebration of extraordinary individuals, innovations, ideas and events that offer progressive or foretelling insights. Bendrix highlights his thoughts and other lunatic fringe thinking.
Michael Rubin is the author of “Droid Maker” a book about the digital video revolution. Rubin states that Francis Ford Coppola, Steve Jobs, and George Lucas were the pioneers of the movie making: special effects, gaming avatars and video editing. The innovations that were created has given tools to everyday people to create motion picture stories in their own homes. This video was created at Macworld in 2006 when Podcasting and video-sharing were just arriving on the scene. The following is a tribute to the pioneers who paved the way for all of us to be able to create movies using the digital format.
I must sincerely apologize to the readers of this blog. For over 11 months I had not updated a single entry on this blog dating back at the end of September 2007. During that time I was trying not to jinx myself because I was preparing for a life altering experience working abroad in China. For all of October and November I studied the Chinese market, I learned about Chinese history and I desperately was trying to figure out the Chinese language, the culture and all of the do’s and don’ts in China.
Because the 2008 Olympics are hosted in China, Nike saw an opportunity to capitalize on an initiative to increase Chinese youth awareness in sports. Nike wantsto be the catalyst for a new generation of Chinese by using television, the web and offline events to rally China’s competitive athletic spirit.
On December 13, 2007, I was flown to Shanghai, China to work on a 6 month project addressing this Nike ambition. I was recruited by W+K (Wieden+Kennedy) to help develop an online strategy and to produce video for the first stage of an ongoing national Nike+China campaign. The campaign was centered around NBA superstar Kobe Bryant and 400 boys from all over China. It was a 6 part reality television series, where 24 out of the 400 boys were selected to go to America to train with US coaches and Kobe. Out of the 24 boys 16 were selected to go to Beijing to play in a championship game.
This groundbreaking national campaign aired all over China on CCTV (China Central Television). The project was an enormous undertaking and when the dust settled I had done the following: I helped to port Kobe’s likeness and the campaigns branding to an established video game. I helped to design and provide strategy for the Kobe website. I had edited 90+ videos out of the 200+ total videos hosted on all the Nike Branded properties. Most importantly I drafted the original strategy blueprint to a Nike branded basketball social network, titled the Ballers Network.
Ok back to my apology… I wanted my audience to be aware that I spent a sum of 8 months in China and China has a habit of blocking websites like Wikipedia, Youtube, Wordpress and Godaddy. As a result I could not access this blog which is hosted on my Godaddy server. Though I was devastated for the first few months I found it to be a minuscule price to pay for a life altering experience. I mean how many people can actually say they helped craft an online/offline social network for Nike? Again how many westerners can say they worked on an initiative to spark a national sports movement in China using both traditional and grassroots media?
When I worked for JWT I worked with this experimental hybrid department. “The Nursery” was established in 2005 as a unit of JWTwo Entertainment. An edgy animation group composed of talented, young and irreverent artists — filmmakers, animators, illustrators — The Nursery was initiated as an experimental vehicle for creating original content that could draw an online following. It has served as a testing ground for innovative online campaigning.
In 2004 I got my first DVD project for WildAid, the international wildlife conservation organization launched its first U.S.-based public information campaign starring gold medal-winning Olympic athletes including Maurice Greene (100m gold medalist), Allen Johnson (110m Hurdles) Cathy Freeman (400m), Dwight Philips (Athens gold medal long jump), Hailie Gebreselassie (mid distance) and featuring a resonant message: “When we all come together, we can do anything.” Eric Steinhauser, Executive Vice President for J. Walter Thompson in New York was the lead Creative on the project. JWT called in favors to secure the highest possible production values from some of the best directors, special effects teams, and film crews, who all donated to this cause. I worked on the DVD distributed with this campaign.
This past weekend I met my brother Marc Williams, in Springfield Massachusetts. We were there to work with his client Bayette Gordon, the NBA hopeful, 5′6” point guard with the talent, heart and discipline to make it pro. Mark’s company Demarc Entertainment arranged a shoot at Spalding’s headquarters, where I kept my camera trained on Bayette as he showcased his amazing ball handling skills. The NBA was there, as was the local paper, which ran a front page article in its Sunday Edition (Springfield Republican, July 23).
Two weeks ago, we entered Miller Lite’s Go Pro Challenge. The rules were to create a 3 minute video testimonial showcasing your skills. Our video got a lot of buzz, from the NBA camp because it featured Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond, 2 of the NBA’s top 50 legends speaking on Bayete’s behalf. Aside from the star appearances and his dribbling dynamics, the story about the 5′6” point guard has peaked some interest from some undisclosed media outlets. Out of 400+ entries, ours was one of the 30 selected, winning Bayette a chance to try out for the NBA’s Pre-Draft Camp at Arlington, Texas, July 28-29.
The second part of the contest judges the 3 most popular videos. The top prize is $30,000; $15,000 for second ,and $7,500 for third. Today, July 23rd, Bayete is in first place. I think voting ends this Thursday. Please go to the following link below, watch the video, vote for “Bayete Gordon” and make sure to tell your friends. Vote at this NBA Go Pro Link
Bendrix is the founder and Digital Media (Brand) Strategist for Codedsignal; a portable media network featuring; 1. Beneath the Beat: Hip Hop, 2. Beneath the Beat: Electronica, 3. Digital Media Tips N Tricks.
Webbiz reviews and spotlights stuff related to online entertainment and web culture. This is part of the Beneath the Beat Webbiz Podcast.
On Monday July 1st, I was sending a clip to Zadi Diaz to show her the madness over at the 5th Avenue Mac Store in Manhattan, and she wrote back… “that’s insane! Hey — if you’d like, we can probably feature a part of it on Jetset this Monday.”
Actually its no longer called The Jetset Show, its now called Epic-Fu, but in the spirit of preserving an archived memory lets just refer to it as The Jetset Show. Jetset happens to be one of the few shows that I check out regularly. For those of you who do not know, Jetset is a show created by Zadi Diaz and Steve Woolf. They conduct interviews and showcase whats hip and cool on both online and offline. For me I watch to see coverage of the newest online applications and to see what is interesting on the web. They also touch on the music scene and there are some very funny skits throughout the 5 min episodes. Oh did I mention that Zadi is a real hottie, (oh and yeah Steve is a dashing young devil as well). But Jetset is so much more because they are an “Internet and pop culture show for young adults featuring cool, weird, fun, geeky, underground, true-to-life, curious, quirky things and people found online and off.” I also wanted to mention that Jetset has accumulated rave reviews from the online community by winning Vloggie and a Webby awards and they just have a growing number of fans world wide.
I highly recommend the Jetset Show and hope you will watch the clip below and go to the following links to support the Jetset movement: website, youtube, mix.jetset
Visionary is the celebration of extraordinary individuals, innovations, ideas and events that offer progressive or foretelling insights. Bendrix highlights his thoughts and other lunatic fringe thinking.
On Friday June 29th I traveled to the Apple Store on 5th Avenue in New York City to witness the pandemonium over the iPhone. I have been present at both the SOHO and 5th Ave Apple Store grand openings, about 9 Mac World Expo’s, and a slew of Apple product release events. Let me just say that this was a crowd that stretched a full city block and the largest police presence and gathering of news teams that I’ve ever witnessed at an Apple event. So why all the madness and what exactly is the value of this product?
Some people are interested but think the $600 price tag is steep. Others ask what’s the big deal over a stooooopid gadget that is nothing more than an indulgence. Others are griping about the exclusivity with AT&T.
The significance of this event and this device marks the beginning of a Telecom revolution. Just like the iPod+iTunes and now AppleTV are revolutionizing digital downloads and the way we view our entertainment – the iPhone will do the same. Apple will make the cellular networks and device makers step up their game - forcing them to offer services and innovations long over due. I will be blogging more on this topic over the next few weeks… stay tuned and check out the mayhem on the video clip below.
Visionary is the celebration of extraordinary individuals, innovations, ideas and events that offer progressive or foretelling insights. Bendrix highlights his thoughts and other lunatic fringe thinking.
Yesterday I traveled down to the Apple Store in SOHO New York City and saw the first line brewing for the iPhone. Its absolute madness, in order to be first in line you would have had to have been there on Tuesday June 26th before noon. Some people have been camping out for a few days, but today Friday June 29th is the release date of the long awaited iPhone. The revolutionary device that I predict will change the face of the telcom industry just like the ipod is doing to music, and what iTV is about to do the broadcast and film industries.
Being a tech and mac geek I tend to have a first round adopter mentality but a second round adopter practicality. I think I am going to have to sit this one out. I am very interested in the iPhone but at a $600 price tag and the AT&T subscription, its just not exactly what I’m looking for. Actually, I’m not really the phone that excites me… its the video capabilities, the touch screen simplicity, Bluetooth, and the internet.
I will be taking a trip to the Apple store 5th avenue within the next few hours. I gather the madness is probably more intensified there… The real geeks go to SOHO the wannabe’s go to 5th Ave that’s gonna be my theme over the next few days… stay tuned and check what I post over the next 48 hours and peep this exclusive clip below
There is this competition over on Youtube – “Why I should be the “Official Voice at the New York Comic and Anime Con.” Please go to this Youtube Link and leave a comment expressing your support.
Bendrix is the founder and Digital Media (Brand) Strategist for Codedsignal; a portable media network featuring; 1. Beneath the Beat: Hip Hop, 2. Beneath the Beat: Electronica, 3. Digital Media Tips N Tricks.
I worked with NAB (The National Association for Broadcasters) in Las Vegas NABs annual Las Vegas conferences are the world’s largest electronic media events, drawing attendance from around the globe. For their 2006 conference, NAB launched a major interactive initiative, delivering HD video content to interactive, television and mobile platforms. As part of the launch of the NAB Interactive, HD video content was produced and distributed over multiple-platforms. An interactive microsite, HDTV broadcast throughout the Vegas Strip and was also made available via mobile video DVB-H standard mobile devices, via a partnership with Verizon and Microsoft.
Bendrix, Blog, News | bendrix | 
January 10, 2009 5:49 pm | 
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