-
News & Updates
careering
December 1, 2017
How to transform your story into your BUYER’S STORY
It’s a fact not a whole lot of people are aware of.
But half of all new business ventures fail in their first 5 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to CBInsights the top reason is No market need.
Translation: businesses don’t know how to craft and vet a compelling business story that resonates with their market.
It’s as if founders fall in love with a product that is only connected to a nice-to-have problem nobody really cares to solve.
In our visual storytelling workshops, during our Story Making phase, we underscore the importance of clients vetting their customers’ core problems on several levels.
Building an authentic portrait of your top buyer persona profile requires:
1) DIRECT interviews with customers, sales team, and partners to uncover their purchase decision process;
2) INDIRECT social media research – to capture their hot topics, pain points, passions, and interests, including your competition.
This research is critical since your top buyer – like you – processes information on objective and subjective meaning levels.
Objective would carry the largest common ground with your customer segment, whereas subjective – is triggered by personal experiences and belief systems.
Moreover, your job as – the Chief Visual Storyteller – is to map out how your top buyer perceives the core problem your widget aims to solve.
You’ll find that what your top buyer thinks, feels, does and says – is not always in sync.
That’s why the direct and indirect research tactics are super important.
Yes, it requires investing more field work but it’s worth it!
Because the closest you can get to standing in your buyer’s shoes the more chances your story will authentically mirror her problem.
Your goal is to make your story feels as if it’s your buyer’s story, NOT YOURS.
“Wow! This [problem] just happened to me last week and that was exactly why I was so frustrated. This {widget} is exactly what I need to get this {problem} out of the way” should be your buyer’s imaginary thought bubble after consuming your visual story.
What do you think? How are you vetting your customer’s problem? What learnings are your finding? Feel free to drop me a note.
****
Ready to become a pro visual storyteller?
We help you rise above the communication noise with personalized visual storytelling workshops, so you can connect with your audience, empower their lives and grow your company.
Source: Visual Storytelling
November 30, 2017
Hey Startups: Apply to Tech Startup Spotlights
Imagine walking into a room full of the most influential investors in the world, and every one of them wants to meet you and learn about your startup. Sound like a dream? You can make it a reality by applying to be part of the Tech Startup Spotlight at SXSW 2018.
Spotlights are casual exhibitions that bring 20 of the most promising startups together in a reception setting with complimentary drinks. At the Tech Startup Spotlight, companies taking the tech world by storm get to pitch their business in a fun, relaxed environment at SXSW.
During each two-hour Spotlight, participants are encouraged to provide demos and showcase their innovations to attendees. Many life-changing connections happen between startups and the hundreds of attendees of the Tech Startup Spotlight.
SXSW is a well-known catalyst for startups. In fact, approximately $4.63 billion* has been invested in startups participating in events at SXSW between 2009-2017.
Don’t miss your chance to propel your startup to the next level. Apply for the Tech Startup Spotlight today!
*Does not include certain undisclosed funding. This data is as of June 6, 2017.
Photo by Kit McNeil
The post Hey Startups: Apply to Tech Startup Spotlights appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
November 30, 2017
From the StoryCorps App: Lives Impacted by AIDS
Did you know that the broadcast pieces you hear on NPR and our podcast are excerpts of interviews pulled from the StoryCorps Archive? Participants visit one of our recording locations with a friend or family member to record a 40-minute interview with the help of a trained StoryCorps Facilitator, or record a conversation using the StoryCorps App. All interviews recorded using the StoryCorps App, including the selections below, can now be accessed at archive.storycorps.org, our first step towards making our collection of voices accessible to the public.
World AIDS Day takes place on the first of December each year. On this day, we recognize the ongoing fight against HIV, show solidarity with the estimated 36.7 million people living with HIV worldwide, and honor those who have died from AIDS-related illnesses. In these interviews from the StoryCorps App, people share the impact that AIDS has had upon their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
Sisters Melissa Hippler (left) and Judy Hippler Bello remember their brother, author and journalist Michael Hippler, who died of AIDS-related complications on April 2nd, 1991. They describe Michael as a multi-talented storyteller, writer and advocate — “the toast of each town” when he was living in New York and San Francisco.
Judy and Melissa share how the night before he passed away, Michael’s friends came to see him in the hospital. “He entertained everyone,” Judy says, “It was a stand up comedy act — the only difference was he wasn’t standing! He was the MC; he was the host with the most; he gave his monologue; he interviewed people; he had everyone in stitches.”
Henry Windle interviews his mother, Dr. Stephanie Windle (left), about the role she played in founding the first AIDS treatment clinic in Wisconsin. Dr. Windle, now an Assistant Professor of Nursing at San Francisco State University, talks about the pervasive fear of HIV among nurses in the 1980s.
“Nobody knew if you could catch it by taking care of a patient,” she says. “I remember making a decision at one point, when no nurses would come into that patient room. I thought, this is not going to happen, I am not going to be one of those people that don’t come in the room — and it defined my career.”
In an interview recorded at the Art AIDS America exhibition in Chicago, friends Stephen Starr (left) and Dave Howser talk about growing up in the Baptist Church, coming out as gay in the midst of the AIDS crisis, and the ways that witnessing the impact of HIV and AIDS has changed their spirituality.
After completing seminary, Dave moved to Chicago to serve as the resident AIDS chaplain at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center. “That could have been me,” he says, recalling the AIDS-related death of a young patient. “I had to decide at that point, was I going to allow HIV/AIDS to keep me from living a full and fulfilling life?”
All material within the StoryCorps collection is copyrighted by StoryCorps. StoryCorps encourages use of material on this site by educators and students without prior permission, provided appropriate credit is given. This interview has not been fact-checked, and may contain sensitive personal information about living persons.
Source: SNPR Story Corps
November 29, 2017
2017 SXSW Film Festival Selections: Texas Shorts and Texas High School Shorts [Video]
In the spirit of celebrating and nurturing bold Texan creativity, our Texas Shorts and Texas High School Shorts Competition present the best new short form work from around the Lone Star State.
Don’t forget, the final deadline for Texas High School Short Film submissions for SXSW 2018 is fast approaching. The last day to submit your work is Friday, December 15, so get those films submitted!
In the meantime, check out the great work from some of last years Texas films!
Check out more short films from past editions of SXSW on our SXSW Film Festival Vimeo Channel.
Texas Shorts Competition
Robert Ellis – ‘California’ directed by Erica Alexandria Silverman and Cullen Kelly
The moment you fall in love and the moment it falls apart. Life is ephemeral, but we are lucky it happens at all.
Beach Day directed by Matt Stryker and Dalton Allen
On a slow day, Matt and Dalton decide to go to the beach.
Other Texas shorts that were part of the SXSW 2017 program, but are not yet available to watch on Vimeo include:
Chasing Grace directed by Julia Barnett
Hold Me (Ca Caw Ca Caw) directed by Renee Zhan
Lucia, Before and After directed by Anu Valia
Makeup directed by Hannah Whisenant
The Rabbit Hunt directed by Patrick Bresnan
The Wait directed by Juan Pablo González
Texas High School Shorts Competition
After Thoughts directed by Xavier Hernandez
What goes through a teenager’s mind after they have had intercourse? After Thoughts explores just that. Witness as a teenage woman and a teenage boy struggle to understand their feelings for each other.
Inge directed by Rachel Schlesinger
Inge Stanton vowed to never return to Germany after she fled her home there days before World War II began. This film follows Inge as she returns to her hometown to show her children and grandchildren the world she escaped from as a little girl.
Game Room directed by Siri Ketha
A young girl has family issues like no other. With intrusive parents and pressure to be perfect she is pushed over the edge. Like mother, like daughter, it’s all just family matters.
Split Ends directed by Miranda Potter
A film portraying female body hair in a different, untraditional way.
Jawn Otis’s Wall directed by Carmela Moreno and Daisy Cervantes
Jawn Otis’s Wall is about an 8 year old boy named Jawn Otis, who is abused by his single mother. Jawn escapes his home and gives us a glimpse into his daily routine to show us the true meaning of innocence.
Red Line directed by Quinn O’Brien and Arfa Chowdhary
A little girl finds herself on a train to discover new places.
Roll for Initiative directed by Adam Weider and Cameron Potter
Four adventurers journey into an unforgiving thieves’ den.
Other Texas high school shorts that were part of the SXSW 2017 program, but are not yet available to watch on Vimeo include:
All You Need directed by Taylor Butler and Raven Robinson
Be Anyone, Do Anything directed by Alyssa “Midori” Brown
Behind the Scenes directed by Jake Billard
Better Late Than Never directed by Atheena Frizzell
Boxed In directed by Andrew Fleming and Nate Grizzell
Breakfast directed by Rohun Vora
Chroma directed by Demar Gunter
Darcy’s Quinceañera directed by Sam Cooper
Flightless directed by Sarah Fonville
La Mano directed by Grace Snyder
Limbo directed by Pierson Hawkins
Newcomers directed by Haley Bunn
One directed by Emily Ma and Grace Zhang
Stripped directed by Kendra Fogleman
The Silent Paracosm directed by Dylan Banfield
Join Us For SXSW 2018
Grab your Film Badge today for primary access to all SXSW Film events including world premieres, roundtables, workshops, and parties. Register to attend by Friday, January 12 and save. Book your hotel through SXSW Housing & Travel for the best available rates.
Stay tuned for the 2018 SXSW Film Festival lineup which will be announced in January.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage, announcements, and updates.
See you in March!
The post 2017 SXSW Film Festival Selections: Texas Shorts and Texas High School Shorts [Video] appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
November 29, 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Mirrorless Camera and a DSLR Camera?
DSLR Cameras made by established brands like Nikon and Canon have been the go-to camera for decades. But 2018 will see a sharp rise in mirrorless …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed
November 29, 2017
Samsung’s graphene batteries could charge your phone in 12 minutes
While persistent efforts in phone design and software optimization have got us to the point where our handsets can now last a day on a single charge, there’s work to be done yet if we’re heading for a future rife with VR and AR apps.<p>To that end, Samsung says it’s inching closer to making better …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed
November 29, 2017
HDMI 2.1 is here with 10K and Dynamic HDR support
Back in January, the HDMI Forum unveiled its new specifications for the HDMI connector, called HDMI 2.1. Now, that HDMI specification is available to all HDMI 2.0 adopters. It’s backwards compatible with all previous HDMI specifications.<p>The focus of HDMI 2.1 is on higher video bandwidth; it …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed
November 28, 2017
25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Joe Cornish, Leigh Janiak and Sophia Takal
To commemorate the 25th edition of the SXSW Film Festival, we continue our weekly alumni spotlight on careers launched, artists discovered, powerful performances, and more with filmmakers Joe Cornish, Leigh Janiak, and Sophia Takal.
Joe Cornish
Cornish debuted his first feature Attack the Block in 2011 and received the Audience Award in the Midnighters category. Prior to his SXSW debut, Cornish was one half of The Adam and Joe Show, a UK comedy series with Adam Buxton, from 1996-2001. Subsequently, he’s a co-writer of the film adaptations The Adventures of Tintin (2011) and Ant-Man (2015). Cornish’s next feature, The Kid Who Would Be King, is due out September 2018.
“SXSW changed my life by choosing my first feature film Attack the Block for its Midnighters section in 2011. It was the first time the movie had been shown to a real audience anywhere in the world.
I love SXSW because it has the best crowds, the best atmosphere and the best movies. The connection between the audience and the movie they’re watching is something else. It’s an amazing launch pad for new filmmakers and new films, with a unique mix of passionate film fanatics and industry people that can propel a movie and its makers like nowhere else.
I’ll never forget sitting in the corridor leading to the theatre while my movie played, curled into a ball of nervous anxiety, listening for the audience response, then hearing a massive cheer as Moses ran from those alien-gorilla-wolf motherfuckers at the film’s climax. To hear the movie connect with the audience like that was an unforgettable thrill.”
Leigh Janiak
Janiak worked as a crew member on many films before premiering her first feature, the mystery-thriller Honeymoon, at SXSW 2014. She continues to work in the horror genre, directing the pilot episode of Outcast and episodes of Scream: The TV Series.
“My first feature Honeymoon premiered opening night of the Midnighters. It was a whirlwind – a mix of incredible nausea from out-of-control nerves and utter amazement at the milkshakes and cookies at the Alamo – but most of all the amazing support and enthusiasm I received from both the festival and audiences. I was surrounded by true film lovers, people that just love movies. The festival really helped launch the next step of my career and I try to remember the joy of that experience with every new project I tackle!”
Sophia Takal
Takal is an actress and filmmaker and has appeared in thirty films. She premiered her feature directorial debut Green at SXSW 2011 and won the Chicken & Egg Emergent Narrative Woman Director Award. In 2012, she acted in SXSW selection V/H/S, a horror anthology film. Takal returned to the SXSW Film Festival in 2014 with Wild Canaries as a producer and cast member.
“SXSW changed my life by connecting me with the filmmakers who inspire me most – the ones who make vibrant work, push boundaries, and use art as a way of bringing humans together.”
Stay tuned each week to SXSW News for more 25th edition stories.
Join Us For SXSW 2018
Grab your Film Badge today for primary access to all SXSW Film events including world premieres, roundtables, workshops, and parties. Register to attend by Friday, January 12 and save. Book your hotel through SXSW Housing & Travel for the best available rates.
Stay tuned for the 2018 SXSW Film Festival lineup which will be announced in January.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SXSW News for the latest SXSW coverage, announcements, and updates.
See you in March!
World Premiere of Attack the Block – Photo by Michael Paolini
World Premiere of Honeymoon – Photo by Yoomi Park
World Premiere of Green – Photo by Will Hollis Snider
The post 25 Years of SXSW Film Festival – Joe Cornish, Leigh Janiak and Sophia Takal appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
November 28, 2017
Featured Speakers Brendan Greene, Sam Mathews and Rahul Sood Announced for SXSW Gaming
Competitive gaming is in the spotlight of the latest SXSW Gaming Featured Speakers announcement including PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG) creator Brendan Greene, Fnatic founder and chairman Sam Mathews, and Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood.
In addition to new Featured Speakers, SXSW Gaming is pleased to announce our collaboration with Next Generation Esports (NGE) to program this year’s Tournament Stage. Plus, the Tabletop Experience powered by Cascade Games will host a variety of tournaments and games in March including Star Wars: Destiny Galactic Qualifier.
Access to SXSW Gaming Featured Speakers and other Gaming festival-related events is complimentary to all SXSW badgeholders, and can also be accessed with a SXSW Gaming Wristband.
New Featured Speakers Added
Brendan Greene (Creative Director, PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS) – Brendan Greene, a.k.a. PLAYERUNKNOWN, is the Creative Director of the breakout hit PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS (PUBG). PUBG has become one of the most popular video games in the world, breaking multiple Guinness World Records and taking the gaming and live-streaming communities by storm. In addition to his role as Creative Director, Brendan serves as an ambassador and spokesperson for PUBG.
Sam Mathews (Founder and Chairman, Fnatic) – Sam Mathews is the founder and chairman of Fnatic, regarded as the leading brand within Esports. Launched in 2004, Fnatic manages pro-gamers and has won thousands of tournaments across more than 20 games, the most out of any organisation. In November 2015, Fnatic became the first team within Esports to launch its own line of hardware products, Fnatic Gear, through Indiegogo.
Rahul Sood (CEO, Unikrn) – Rahul Sood is the CEO of Unikrn, a Seattle-based esports startup. Unikrn’s mission is to heighten the experience of watching and participating in esports. Unikrn is venture-backed and raised a total of 10 million dollars with investors such as Ashton Kutcher, Mark Cuban, Liz Murdoch, Shari Redstone, Binary Capital and many others. In October of 2017, it was announced that Unikrn sold over 127 million Unikoins in the biggest token sale in esports and video games.
More SXSW Gaming Featured Speakers include Christina Alejandre (ELEAGUE), Steve Arhancet (Team Liquid), Brendan Donohue (NBA 2K League), Nate Nanzer (Overwatch League), and Pete Vlastelica (Major League Gaming).
Join Us at SXSW Gaming 2018
SXSW Gaming is the nexus of all things gaming at the legendary SXSW Conference & Festival during the second half of SXSWeek in the Austin Convention Center and throughout downtown Austin. Blending all the things that make gaming great into one wild experience that only SXSW can provide, don’t miss out on the next generation of gaming festivals.
Immerse yourself in the gaming industry and learn more about the impact that’s being made at SXSW, register to attend with an official SXSW Gaming Wristband and book your hotel reservation for the 2018 SXSW Gaming Festival.
Brendan Greene, Sam Mathews, and Rahul Sood – Photos courtesy of Speakers
The post Featured Speakers Brendan Greene, Sam Mathews and Rahul Sood Announced for SXSW Gaming appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Film
November 27, 2017
The Unedited StoryCorps Interview: Monna Sabouri and Asmaa Elamrousy
Did you know that the stories you hear from us on NPR and our podcast are excerpts of interviews pulled from the StoryCorps Archive? Participants visit one of our recording locations with a friend or family member to record a 40-minute interview with the help of a trained StoryCorps Facilitator, or record a conversation using the StoryCorps App. We’re sharing this unedited interview from the StoryCorps Archive with you in its original form.
In April 2017, Asmaa Elamrousy interviewed her friend, Monna Sabouri, about her experiences as an Iranian-American actress and some of the obstacles she’s had to face in her career. This conversation was recorded by StoryCorps in New York City in partnership with the Muslim American Leadership Alliance.
Monna talks about growing up in New York and visiting family in Iran every summer. She describes how awesome it was to be raised in two different cultures, as it showed her two sides of a story.
When Asmaa asks Monna about her experiences as an actress, she lets out a big sigh. Monna tells her about her first audition, which was for the role of “daughter of terrorist”, and talks about some of the disappointment she’s experienced when it comes to the types of roles that have been available to her, “because I know that not all Muslims are terrorists, we all know this, but white writers in a room somewhere writing for a show think this to be true about Muslims, so they write it… It’s always caricatures.”
About 23 minutes into their conversation, though, she tells Asmaa about a recent casting that called for an “East Indian.” Instead of playing her in a stereotypical way, she went into her audition with an Italian American New York accent, saying, “Yeah, you know — we could also be from Queens!”
All material within the StoryCorps collection is copyrighted by StoryCorps. StoryCorps encourages use of material on this site by educators and students without prior permission, provided appropriate credit is given. This interview has not been fact-checked, and may contain sensitive personal information about living persons.
Source: SNPR Story Corps