Working with a Creative Technologist with Mark Harris and Heidi Hysell

1. Working with a
creative technologist
with Mark Harris and Heidi Hysell
Saturday, March 3, 12

2. Who are we?
Mark Harris
Director of Platform Engineering
Broadcastr
mark@broadcastr.com
http://www.broadcastr.com
@megamarkharris
Heidi Hysell
Creative Technologist / Software Engineer
Future Future / Nickelodeon
heidi@heidihysell.com
http://heidihysell.com
@heidihysell
Saturday, March 3, 12

3. First, what is a
creative
technologist?
Saturday, March 3, 12

4. What is a creative
technologist?
• Department Head (Brings their take on story)
◦ Cinematographer
◦ Art Director
◦ Sound
◦ Technology
Saturday, March 3, 12

5. What is a creative
technologist?
• Understands the limits and abilities
◦ Existing tools
◦ Custom tools
Saturday, March 3, 12

6. What is a creative
technologist?
• Can ask the questions you don't even know
exist
Saturday, March 3, 12

7. Well, why do you
need one?
Saturday, March 3, 12

8. Why do you need one?
• Everything will be software
Saturday, March 3, 12

9. Why do you need one?
• Everything will be software
◦ VOD / Second Screen experiences
◦ Tablet movies
■ Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
◦ Interactive Books
◦ Web documentaries
■ Highrise collaborative doc
◦ Mozilla working to make movies that act like the web
◦ Vodo.net peer to peer film release
■ The Lost Children
Saturday, March 3, 12

10. Why do you need one?
• Or if it’s not software, it will be created via
software
Saturday, March 3, 12

11. Why do you need one?
• All transmedia will include some sort of
technology (web, apps and AR)
Saturday, March 3, 12

12. Why do you need one?
• Even live events
Saturday, March 3, 12

13. Examples
creativity+technology
It has many different forms, but it all has the same outcome of
getting the user to interact and see things from a different
perspective.
Saturday, March 3, 12

14. Examples
Epic Theatre + Broadcastr
Theatre experience starts before you even get to the theatre
Experience the content customized for your city
Saturday, March 3, 12

15. How to work with a
creative technologist.
Saturday, March 3, 12

16. Working with a creative
technologist.
• Discuss project with open mind
◦ discuss main goals, don’t worry about the how, they
will help you with that
Saturday, March 3, 12

17. Working with a creative
technologist.
• Value their input, partner with them
Saturday, March 3, 12

18. Working with a creative
technologist.
• Set expectations with budgets in mind at
onset
Saturday, March 3, 12

19. Working with a creative
technologist.
• Agile, iterative development
◦ Requirements
◦ Use Cases
◦ Timelines and milestones
Saturday, March 3, 12

20. Where to find a
creative
technologist?
Saturday, March 3, 12

21. Where to find a creative
technologist?
• It’s hard.
Saturday, March 3, 12

22. Where to find a creative
technologist?
• It’s hard.
• Extremely Competitive Market
Saturday, March 3, 12

23. Where to find a creative
technologist?
• It’s hard.
• Extremely Competitive Market
• Find a culture/creative match
• Challenge the tech (more ways than one)
Saturday, March 3, 12

24. Where to find a creative
technologist?
• It’s hard.
• Extremely Competitive Market
• Find a culture/creative match
• Challenge the tech (more ways than one)
• www.storycode.org
Saturday, March 3, 12

25. Questions?
Saturday, March 3, 12