When I wrote my recent feature Test I ignored the usual advice about screenwriting structure. It was a leap of faith and an experiment in not knowing. Compared to earlier writing experiences (a co-written first feature, The New Twenty, and two other scripts that didn’t get made), the process may have been difficult, but it felt right. In addition to letting myself not know the story until after it was written, I also ignored standard industry orthodoxy about keeping description to a minimum. I wanted a movie with long sequences that had no dialogue, that depended on image and sound. If […]...
- 9/11/2014
- by Chris Mason Johnson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
When I wrote my recent feature Test I ignored the usual advice about screenwriting structure. It was a leap of faith and an experiment in not knowing. Compared to earlier writing experiences (a co-written first feature, The New Twenty, and two other scripts that didn’t get made), the process may have been difficult, but it felt right. In addition to letting myself not know the story until after it was written, I also ignored standard industry orthodoxy about keeping description to a minimum. I wanted a movie with long sequences that had no dialogue, that depended on image and sound. If […]...
- 9/11/2014
- by Chris Mason Johnson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
One of this year's best indies Test is about a young understudy dancer in San Francisco. Though it's only made a teensy bit of money in a microscopic theatrical run (that's happening to more and more indies) at one point it climbed to the top 15 on iTunes' indie chart.
Test's dance troupe at rehearsal
It's a topic for another time perhaps but I wonder how far we are away from box office reports that include money from On Demand and iTunes now that so many films hit all three venues at once or in quick succession?
The following are unused excerpts (edited for length) from my Towleroad interview last week with Chris Mason Johnson the director. I thought they were well suited to you cinephile savvy musical-friendly nuts anyway. It's rare that we get such attentively filmed and beautiful dancing onscreen so I had to ask him about the...
Test's dance troupe at rehearsal
It's a topic for another time perhaps but I wonder how far we are away from box office reports that include money from On Demand and iTunes now that so many films hit all three venues at once or in quick succession?
The following are unused excerpts (edited for length) from my Towleroad interview last week with Chris Mason Johnson the director. I thought they were well suited to you cinephile savvy musical-friendly nuts anyway. It's rare that we get such attentively filmed and beautiful dancing onscreen so I had to ask him about the...
- 6/24/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Six years after his debut feature, The New Twenty, writer-director Chris Mason Johnson returns with a film that's less polished but braver.
San Francisco, 1985: AIDS terror has everyone on edge, including Frankie (Scott Marlowe), a gay modern dancer who walks around with his Walkman at full blast — his attempt to drown out the fearful whispers he's hearing all around him (and inside his own head). Can you get it from sweat? Are those freckles or lesions on my back? Should I take the new blood test?
Some viewers may find him too quiet a character to carry an entire film, but when Frankie, an understudy in a small dance company, is given his chance to perform, he, and Test itself, come to life.
The dance sequences (mostly all-male) are riveti...
San Francisco, 1985: AIDS terror has everyone on edge, including Frankie (Scott Marlowe), a gay modern dancer who walks around with his Walkman at full blast — his attempt to drown out the fearful whispers he's hearing all around him (and inside his own head). Can you get it from sweat? Are those freckles or lesions on my back? Should I take the new blood test?
Some viewers may find him too quiet a character to carry an entire film, but when Frankie, an understudy in a small dance company, is given his chance to perform, he, and Test itself, come to life.
The dance sequences (mostly all-male) are riveti...
- 6/11/2014
- Village Voice
Great news, gay cinephiles! LogoTV snapped up a compelling catalog of gay movies and has made them available for free online streaming! (Sorry international folks, we only have U.S. distribution rights, so like so much else these days, these are geo-blocked.)
Now these are small indie films, so while they all have gay storylines and most feature cute male casts, not all of them are cinematic gems. But hey, on the whole they don’t suck!
Some of them are actually pretty good. In fact, we count five that made our reader ranked list of the Top 100 Greatest Gay Movies: Eating Out 2 (#85), Adam & Steve (#79), Eating Out (#56), Boy Culture (#36) and Latter Days (#5).
In Latter Days a young and promiscuous gay man sets his sights on seducing his Mormon missionary neighbor. The resulting affair changes both their lives. The film stars Wes Ramsey and Steve Sandvoss and also has Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a supporting role.
Now these are small indie films, so while they all have gay storylines and most feature cute male casts, not all of them are cinematic gems. But hey, on the whole they don’t suck!
Some of them are actually pretty good. In fact, we count five that made our reader ranked list of the Top 100 Greatest Gay Movies: Eating Out 2 (#85), Adam & Steve (#79), Eating Out (#56), Boy Culture (#36) and Latter Days (#5).
In Latter Days a young and promiscuous gay man sets his sights on seducing his Mormon missionary neighbor. The resulting affair changes both their lives. The film stars Wes Ramsey and Steve Sandvoss and also has Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a supporting role.
- 5/31/2013
- by Dennis Ayers
- The Backlot
Los Angeles (August 18, 2010) . Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and Los Angeles Film Festival, has announced the 12 screenwriters and film projects selected for its 11th annual Screenwriters Lab, sponsored by the Writers Guild of America, West. Taking place in Los Angeles from August 12 until September 16, the Screenwriters Lab is an intensive six-week program designed to help writers improve their craft, and take their current scripts to the next level in a nurturing, yet challenging creative environment. Screenwriter and producer Meg LeFauve resumes duties as this year.s Lab Instructor, and Lab Mentors and Guest Speakers include Nicole Holofcener (Please Give), Erin Cressida Wilson (Chloe), José Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries), Josh Olson (A History of Violence), and Kay Schaber-Wolf (WGAw).
.Our Labs have always attracted a high level of talent from different backgrounds and disciplines, and this year is no exception,. said Director of Talent Development Josh Welsh.
.Our Labs have always attracted a high level of talent from different backgrounds and disciplines, and this year is no exception,. said Director of Talent Development Josh Welsh.
- 8/18/2010
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Allison Strong, Union City, N.J.I remember my first print audition like it was yesterday: I was 11 and thought I was so cool for leaving class early to go into the city. I wore my favorite outfit: a cute orange tank top with a sparkly new pair of jeans from Kids R'Us. I would have to walk into the studio alone because the odds of finding parking in Manhattan were about as good as the odds for winning the Mega Millions jackpot. Terrified, I walked in to see the tan, blue-eyed model I envied from the Limited Too catalogs waiting on line. She had a huge color portfolio, an agent logo on her résumé, and all the confidence in the world. I had one black-and-white headshot, no agent logo, and, suddenly, a lot of doubt. I never felt more uncomfortable in my body than in that moment. No matter...
- 6/4/2010
- backstage.com
Coming soon... It's the end of the book as we know it, and you'll be just fine. But it won't be replaced by the e-book, which is, at best, a stopgap measure. [Viral Loop Chronicle #8]
Take a long hard look at a book, any book. Pull a favorite off a shelf, dust off the top--maybe it's the Bible, the Koran, a novel by Jane Austen or Leo Tolstoy. Perhaps you're more into Dan Brown or Jacqueline Winspear mysteries, Doris Kearns Goodwin biographies, or you've dog-eared page after page in Skinny Bitch. You may even gravitate toward business books like Viral Loop, my latest. Now say your goodbyes, because there will soon be a day that you may view such analog contrivances as museum pieces, bought and sold on eBay as collectibles, or tossed into landfills.
Coming soon ... It's the end of the book as we know it, and you'll be just fine. But...
Take a long hard look at a book, any book. Pull a favorite off a shelf, dust off the top--maybe it's the Bible, the Koran, a novel by Jane Austen or Leo Tolstoy. Perhaps you're more into Dan Brown or Jacqueline Winspear mysteries, Doris Kearns Goodwin biographies, or you've dog-eared page after page in Skinny Bitch. You may even gravitate toward business books like Viral Loop, my latest. Now say your goodbyes, because there will soon be a day that you may view such analog contrivances as museum pieces, bought and sold on eBay as collectibles, or tossed into landfills.
Coming soon ... It's the end of the book as we know it, and you'll be just fine. But...
- 12/23/2009
- by Adam Penenberg
- Fast Company
How do you revitalize a downtown area that's become a ghost town? With a stunning new park.
If you've ever been to Cleveland, you know the downtown area is a forbidding, pedestrian desert. The main public space, Public Square, is no better--it's a wind-scarred, 10-acre expanse flanked by skyscrapers. But that could all change, thanks to a series of brilliant redesigns proposed by James Corner Field Operations, the firm best known as the landscape designers who did much of the heavy lifting for New York's superb High Line Park. Fo has sent Fast Company a look at the specific proposals (more on that below).
The economic rationale is that big, splashy public amenities are actually huge drivers of long-term real-estate values, attracting surrounding investment (just look at Central Park in New York, or, more recently, Millennium Park in Chicago). Though the plan has yet to secure any funding, the idea...
If you've ever been to Cleveland, you know the downtown area is a forbidding, pedestrian desert. The main public space, Public Square, is no better--it's a wind-scarred, 10-acre expanse flanked by skyscrapers. But that could all change, thanks to a series of brilliant redesigns proposed by James Corner Field Operations, the firm best known as the landscape designers who did much of the heavy lifting for New York's superb High Line Park. Fo has sent Fast Company a look at the specific proposals (more on that below).
The economic rationale is that big, splashy public amenities are actually huge drivers of long-term real-estate values, attracting surrounding investment (just look at Central Park in New York, or, more recently, Millennium Park in Chicago). Though the plan has yet to secure any funding, the idea...
- 12/22/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
I've always been a big fan of collage. Robert Rauschenberg's work is a vivid reminder of the '70s, when a new phase of this art form took hold. He and many other fine art practitioners of collage have always been fascinating to me; their processes, as well as their end products. I love the depth and hand-built texture of collage. The diversity of materials, combined with the juxtaposition of images, give me a sense of space that goes beyond a lot of two-dimensional art.
With the best collage, the artist takes the viewer on a trip through a given subject matter, or creates an entire world related to the particular idea they want to convey. At its best, I feel transported to that subject and an emotional bond is established. The emotion comes from the story the artist tells--a story usually told without a single word.
I think...
With the best collage, the artist takes the viewer on a trip through a given subject matter, or creates an entire world related to the particular idea they want to convey. At its best, I feel transported to that subject and an emotional bond is established. The emotion comes from the story the artist tells--a story usually told without a single word.
I think...
- 12/22/2009
- by Joe Duffy
- Fast Company
Years ago, I participated in a brainstorming session with Richard Saul Wurman, the entrepreneurial whiz and founder of the Ted Conference. During our meeting he made a simple statement: "Ideas are free, it's what you do with them that counts." A chill ran up my spine. I said nothing for the rest of the meeting, for fear that any creative spark I offered would be fair game.
This memory begs the question: Who owns an idea? What's the difference between being influenced by someone's creativity or simply stealing it?
The ubiquitous "I (Heart) NY symbol designed by Milton Glaser must hold the world record for the greatest number of design ripoffs.
However, somewhere in the back of Glaser's virtuosic mind was Robert Indiana's Love sculpture a seed of inspiration?
Shepard Fairey's infamous Obama campaign poster, with its questionable appropriation of an AP photo, appears Warholesque to some. Fast Company...
This memory begs the question: Who owns an idea? What's the difference between being influenced by someone's creativity or simply stealing it?
The ubiquitous "I (Heart) NY symbol designed by Milton Glaser must hold the world record for the greatest number of design ripoffs.
However, somewhere in the back of Glaser's virtuosic mind was Robert Indiana's Love sculpture a seed of inspiration?
Shepard Fairey's infamous Obama campaign poster, with its questionable appropriation of an AP photo, appears Warholesque to some. Fast Company...
- 12/22/2009
- by Ken Carbone
- Fast Company
In an exclusive interview, new Design Within Reach CEO John Edelman talks about knockoffs, Dwr's desperate need for a better Web presence, and China.
John Edelman, the new CEO of Design Within Reach, officially starts work on January 3, but he's already unofficially on the job and trying to orchestrate a turnaround for the woebegone retailer. He recently spent four days in San Francisco, brainstorming and meeting people. (For the time being, he'll be commuting between his home in Connecticut and Dwr headquarters in California.) In his first interview since his appointment, he talks about the big mistakes that Dwr has made, his background running his family's leather business, and the disrespect that many people show "to the entire nation of China." Here are some choice bits from the conversation:
Fast Company: What's the first thing you did on the job? Edelman: The first thing when I got to San...
John Edelman, the new CEO of Design Within Reach, officially starts work on January 3, but he's already unofficially on the job and trying to orchestrate a turnaround for the woebegone retailer. He recently spent four days in San Francisco, brainstorming and meeting people. (For the time being, he'll be commuting between his home in Connecticut and Dwr headquarters in California.) In his first interview since his appointment, he talks about the big mistakes that Dwr has made, his background running his family's leather business, and the disrespect that many people show "to the entire nation of China." Here are some choice bits from the conversation:
Fast Company: What's the first thing you did on the job? Edelman: The first thing when I got to San...
- 12/21/2009
- by Jeff Chu
- Fast Company
With Sony's Sodium for PlayStation 3 and Ohai's game City of Eternals on Facebook, social gaming could bring Mmo to the masses.
Sony has launched Sodium One, a new sci-fi Mmo that is part of PlayStation Home, its virtual world for the PS3. The online game breaks new ground on the PS3--it's a sci-fi space world with a virtual economy and virtual goods, a series of casual mini-games, and "Salt Shooter"--where players pilot a hovercraft to kill robots and earn resources to upgrade their ships and on components for Home.
Released by Lookwood Publishing, Sodium is aimed squarely at those who've dabbled in social games on sites like Facebook but want something more. "Most of those games are 2-D. They pale in comparison to a traditional gaming experience," PlayStation Home director Jack Buser acknowledges, adding, "Once people play Sodium they will realize social gaming can be just as enjoyable...
Sony has launched Sodium One, a new sci-fi Mmo that is part of PlayStation Home, its virtual world for the PS3. The online game breaks new ground on the PS3--it's a sci-fi space world with a virtual economy and virtual goods, a series of casual mini-games, and "Salt Shooter"--where players pilot a hovercraft to kill robots and earn resources to upgrade their ships and on components for Home.
Released by Lookwood Publishing, Sodium is aimed squarely at those who've dabbled in social games on sites like Facebook but want something more. "Most of those games are 2-D. They pale in comparison to a traditional gaming experience," PlayStation Home director Jack Buser acknowledges, adding, "Once people play Sodium they will realize social gaming can be just as enjoyable...
- 12/21/2009
- by Kevin Ohannessian
- Fast Company
How long does it take to make consumer goods safer? More than a year ago, Fast Company writer David Case published an air-tight investigation showing that some plastic manufacturers were using the big tobacco playbook, manufacturing doubt about the harmfulness of Bpa, a chemical used to make everything from baby bottles to canned food package liners more shatter proof. High doses of the chemical can leech out and are believed to contribute to a range of developmental, neurological, reproductive, and immune disorders. The message to companies was obvious: Innovate assembly lines or face more brand contamination.
But wait. Some actually listened. This week, as two New York Senators finally call for a ban on Bpa for products marketed to children and pregnant women, a handful of new Bpa-free goods are already available. Yes, some food companies have merely switched from plastic to glass, but baby companies like BornFree, thinkbaby, Green to Grow,...
But wait. Some actually listened. This week, as two New York Senators finally call for a ban on Bpa for products marketed to children and pregnant women, a handful of new Bpa-free goods are already available. Yes, some food companies have merely switched from plastic to glass, but baby companies like BornFree, thinkbaby, Green to Grow,...
- 12/20/2009
- by Ben Paynter
- Fast Company
The magazine's demise is a good example of why big challenges require full attention--and not half-measures.
The big design news of the week--first broken here--was the closing of I.D. Magazine, an institution in the industry whose demise came as a shock to many. In its 55 years in publication, it influenced and educated generations of designers.
But why did it die now? The recession played a role, for sure. Meanwhile, Bruce Nussbaum has blamed American business culture, for failing to support design. But the story, as offered by several former staffers, is different. (Full disclosure: I was a staff editor at I.D. from 2005 to 2007, and a freelancer there before it folded. Some of the following reflects events I witnessed, but I've verified these with other former I.D. staffers for accuracy.)
"I.D. was treated as a one-size-fits-all commodity, no different, really, from any other magazine in F+W's stable,...
The big design news of the week--first broken here--was the closing of I.D. Magazine, an institution in the industry whose demise came as a shock to many. In its 55 years in publication, it influenced and educated generations of designers.
But why did it die now? The recession played a role, for sure. Meanwhile, Bruce Nussbaum has blamed American business culture, for failing to support design. But the story, as offered by several former staffers, is different. (Full disclosure: I was a staff editor at I.D. from 2005 to 2007, and a freelancer there before it folded. Some of the following reflects events I witnessed, but I've verified these with other former I.D. staffers for accuracy.)
"I.D. was treated as a one-size-fits-all commodity, no different, really, from any other magazine in F+W's stable,...
- 12/19/2009
- by Cliff Kuang
- Fast Company
The FTC Sues Intel for "Running Roughshod Over the Principles of Fair Play" [Update: Intel Responds]
The FTC has just announced that it's suing the chip-making giant Intel for monopolistic market abuses. "Intel has engaged in a deliberate campaign to hamstring competitive threats to its monopoly," said Richard A. Feinstein, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition in a statement (copied below). "It's been running roughshod over the principles of fair play and the laws protecting competition on the merits."
Intel has responded:
"Intel has competed fairly and lawfully. Its actions have benefitted consumers. The highly competitive microprocessor industry, of which Intel is a key part, has kept innovation robust and prices declining at a faster rate than any other industry. The FTC's case is misguided. It is based largely on claims that the FTC added at the last minute and has not investigated. In addition, it is explicitly not based on existing law but is instead intended to make new rules for regulating business conduct.
Intel has responded:
"Intel has competed fairly and lawfully. Its actions have benefitted consumers. The highly competitive microprocessor industry, of which Intel is a key part, has kept innovation robust and prices declining at a faster rate than any other industry. The FTC's case is misguided. It is based largely on claims that the FTC added at the last minute and has not investigated. In addition, it is explicitly not based on existing law but is instead intended to make new rules for regulating business conduct.
- 12/16/2009
- by Kit Eaton
- Fast Company
On Twitter
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And stay tuned for future distribution platforms...
Remember to follow @Fastcompany on twitter for continual updates on design, technology, ethonomics, and general stories we're interested in from around the web.
Via FastCompany Newsletters
Like the way we put stories together? Let us send them to you every morning. Sign Up for one or all of our newsletters.
Along with our Daily Newsletter on the latest news, we've created a series of weekly newsletters featuring the best of each week's stories in Leadership (M), Design (T), Technology (W), Ethonomics (Th) and the Best of Fast Company (F).
You can sign up for these newsletters, or update your subscription settings, by visiting the Newsletter subscription page.
On Mobile
Take a look at our mobile site next time you're on-the-go at m.fastcompany.com
Fast Company magazine
If you don't already, click here to subscribe to Fast Company.
And stay tuned for future distribution platforms...
- 12/15/2009
- by Fast Company staff
- Fast Company
In a year that wasn't particularly kind to traditional media outlets, hyperlocal news aggregator Fwix hasn't missed a step. In September, the San Francisco-based startup released an Api allowing online publishers to add local news feeds serving more than 80 U.S. cities and communities to their sites. By early November, it pioneered a unique revenue sharing arrangement that ensures both content creators and publishers share in Fwix's ad revenues. This morning, the company is taking the next logical step, adding hyperlocal video news to its feeds, turning a growing pool of locally focused online video content into a vehicle for revenue growth.
"Before, we didn't think we could do video," Fwix's 22-year-old founder and CEO Darian Shirazi told Fast Company. "Now that we can, it adds a lot of color to the widgets and the sites they are on. The feature is simple as far as what we're adding, but it will monetize much better.
"Before, we didn't think we could do video," Fwix's 22-year-old founder and CEO Darian Shirazi told Fast Company. "Now that we can, it adds a lot of color to the widgets and the sites they are on. The feature is simple as far as what we're adding, but it will monetize much better.
- 12/15/2009
- by Clay Dillow
- Fast Company
In this month's issue of Fast Company, we looked at a startup and Cornell University spin-off Novomer, which claims it can make plastics from CO2 captured from factories. Now comes word that Novomer plans to make good on its claims with a little help from Kodak, which is teaming up with the plastics startup to make a pilot CO2-to-plastics facility.
The $800,000 project, funded in part by the NY State Energy Research and Development Authority, will use Novomer's CO2-transforming techology in Kodak's chemical reactors at its headquarters, located in Rochester, NY. Novomer's proprietary catalysts will turn CO2 and petroleum products into polypropylene carbonate (Ppc), a plastic material that can be used in film, food wrappers, soda bottles, and more.
The partnership is set to benefit both Novomer and Kodak--the startup will use idle Kodak equipment to make its plastics, which will get into the hands of large suppliers more...
The $800,000 project, funded in part by the NY State Energy Research and Development Authority, will use Novomer's CO2-transforming techology in Kodak's chemical reactors at its headquarters, located in Rochester, NY. Novomer's proprietary catalysts will turn CO2 and petroleum products into polypropylene carbonate (Ppc), a plastic material that can be used in film, food wrappers, soda bottles, and more.
The partnership is set to benefit both Novomer and Kodak--the startup will use idle Kodak equipment to make its plastics, which will get into the hands of large suppliers more...
- 12/14/2009
- by Ariel Schwartz
- Fast Company
Dos and Don'ts on finding someone to represent your work. [Viral Loop Chronicles Part 7]
So you have a scintillating concept for a book, you've penned a tight, persuasive proposal (click here to learn how), and now you need someone to sell it. Realize that a typical acquisitions editor at a major publisher reads dozens of proposals every week with only a scant 1% ever seeing the light of printed day. It's a cold, cruel world out there, and even established writers with a track record in selling books can have trouble cracking the code. Enter the literary agent, who acts as an author's Consigliere, business partner, chief negotiator, and bodyguard during the publication process, when the best intentions can suddenly go awry.
Forget about approaching publishers without one. Virtually no editor at a major publishing house will talk to you about your project unless it's submitted through standard agency channels. Years ago editors may have...
So you have a scintillating concept for a book, you've penned a tight, persuasive proposal (click here to learn how), and now you need someone to sell it. Realize that a typical acquisitions editor at a major publisher reads dozens of proposals every week with only a scant 1% ever seeing the light of printed day. It's a cold, cruel world out there, and even established writers with a track record in selling books can have trouble cracking the code. Enter the literary agent, who acts as an author's Consigliere, business partner, chief negotiator, and bodyguard during the publication process, when the best intentions can suddenly go awry.
Forget about approaching publishers without one. Virtually no editor at a major publishing house will talk to you about your project unless it's submitted through standard agency channels. Years ago editors may have...
- 12/14/2009
- by Adam Penenberg
- Fast Company
This week, Fast Company was all about eye candy--for better and for worse.
We found 300 of the world's hottest poster designs, 13 cutting-edge kicks, 12 groundbreaking pieces of digital art, and nine of the world's coolest cool subway stations. (Alas, none of them were stateside.) We also chatted with Wolff Olins about why AOL's new brand is from the future and then decided it didn't suck as much as we thought it did.
But eye candy isn't always good for you. Just ask Tiger Woods, whose extramarital affairs have put his billion-dollar brand in jeopardy. Or check out these high-profile architecture bloopers, this creepy protective baby pod, or this Burton-designed olympic snowboarder unform, which our own Alissa Walker likened to "something your stoner roommate threw on for a pre-slopes wake n' bake sesh."
In other news, doctors got iPhone apps, Google unveiled realtime search, Florida judges had to stop social-networking, and Facebook...
We found 300 of the world's hottest poster designs, 13 cutting-edge kicks, 12 groundbreaking pieces of digital art, and nine of the world's coolest cool subway stations. (Alas, none of them were stateside.) We also chatted with Wolff Olins about why AOL's new brand is from the future and then decided it didn't suck as much as we thought it did.
But eye candy isn't always good for you. Just ask Tiger Woods, whose extramarital affairs have put his billion-dollar brand in jeopardy. Or check out these high-profile architecture bloopers, this creepy protective baby pod, or this Burton-designed olympic snowboarder unform, which our own Alissa Walker likened to "something your stoner roommate threw on for a pre-slopes wake n' bake sesh."
In other news, doctors got iPhone apps, Google unveiled realtime search, Florida judges had to stop social-networking, and Facebook...
- 12/11/2009
- by Dan Macsai
- Fast Company
Just as Fast Company published a special report about the murders and corruption in Zimbabwe's Marange Diamond Fields, the world's largest electronic diamond-trading network banned all mined diamonds from the region, citing severe human right violations.
"People were getting killed in the fields," says Rapaport Group Chairman Martin Rapaport, whose RapNet touts more than 4,100 members in 80 countries and lists at least $4 billion worth of diamonds. "We had to do something."
As Fast Company reported, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme--aglobal watchdog group created by the United Nations in 2002--was supposed to have removed all but 1% of these so-called "blood diamonds" from the market. But the truth, says Rapaport, is that it's "being used as a fig leaf" to cover up human rights abuses in the diamond sector, such as the killing of 214 miners.
In addition to banning Marange diamonds from his network, Rapaport is calling on the World Federation of Diamond...
"People were getting killed in the fields," says Rapaport Group Chairman Martin Rapaport, whose RapNet touts more than 4,100 members in 80 countries and lists at least $4 billion worth of diamonds. "We had to do something."
As Fast Company reported, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme--aglobal watchdog group created by the United Nations in 2002--was supposed to have removed all but 1% of these so-called "blood diamonds" from the market. But the truth, says Rapaport, is that it's "being used as a fig leaf" to cover up human rights abuses in the diamond sector, such as the killing of 214 miners.
In addition to banning Marange diamonds from his network, Rapaport is calling on the World Federation of Diamond...
- 12/10/2009
- by Dan Macsai
- Fast Company
Marmite is a British institution, a mud-colored, yeast-based gloop that you either spread on your toast or use as a cooking ingredient. It's got a real love-it-or-loathe-it reputation--rather like working from home. My friends who work in offices are divided on the subject. "Poor you," some of them sigh when they discover that I spend the majority of my working day--that's 8:30 a.m. until around 6:00 p.m. or so--like Macaulay whatsisname, Home. A. Lone. "You jammy bugger," say the others, who see my status as a telecommuter through envious, green-tinted glasses, envisaging my days wafting round in a peignoir, eating violet creams and doing as little as possible. The truth is somewhere between the two--although, for the record, I would like to state categorically that I loathe and detest violet creams.
An estimated 40% of the working population in the U.S. spends at least some of their time telecommuting.
An estimated 40% of the working population in the U.S. spends at least some of their time telecommuting.
- 12/10/2009
- by Addy Dugdale
- Fast Company
Music-video megasite Vevo launched today (sort of, read on). And bloggers and users alike are breathlessly dubbing it "the Hulu for music videos." But here's the thing: It's not.
I mean, sure, there are similarities. Both sites offer high-quality video streams, attract blue-chip advertisers, and are backed by major industry players. (Vevo's partners include Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Emi Music, which churn out a combined 80% of contemporary music videos.) But when Hulu launched, you couldn't get full, decent-quality shows and movies on the Web unless you were a) streaming the limited selections on ABC.com, or b) downloading them illegially, via torrents or LimeWire. Music videos are everywhere.
What really makes Vevo worth your time--and this blog post--is its user experience. In essence, the site lets you to make your own '80s-era MTV: Browse its 30,000 music videos, add up to 75 favorites to your queue, and voila!
I mean, sure, there are similarities. Both sites offer high-quality video streams, attract blue-chip advertisers, and are backed by major industry players. (Vevo's partners include Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Emi Music, which churn out a combined 80% of contemporary music videos.) But when Hulu launched, you couldn't get full, decent-quality shows and movies on the Web unless you were a) streaming the limited selections on ABC.com, or b) downloading them illegially, via torrents or LimeWire. Music videos are everywhere.
What really makes Vevo worth your time--and this blog post--is its user experience. In essence, the site lets you to make your own '80s-era MTV: Browse its 30,000 music videos, add up to 75 favorites to your queue, and voila!
- 12/9/2009
- by Dan Macsai
- Fast Company
It's a safe bet that one of your doctors has an iPhone. But what you may not realize is that he or she is using it as part of your overall treatment. From reading Apgar scores to x-rays, there is a fascinating array of health-care tech available in app form. Some are created by savvy developers, while others are built out of necessity by the doctors. Currently, the Fda has no over-arching regulation in place for mobile medical apps, despite the fact that they have indicated in the past that under certain circumstances the iPhone may be considered a medical device and therefore regulated as one, according to a report by Brian Dolan on Mobihealthnews.
"Many medical imaging software applications are considered medical devices and, as such, are regulated by the Fda," says Justin Dearborn, CEO of Merge Healthcare. "Fda regulations mandate that rigorous processes must be followed during software development,...
"Many medical imaging software applications are considered medical devices and, as such, are regulated by the Fda," says Justin Dearborn, CEO of Merge Healthcare. "Fda regulations mandate that rigorous processes must be followed during software development,...
- 12/8/2009
- by Lydia Dishman
- Fast Company
I love music, almost every genre. And I look forward to this time of year, with all the music award shows. I watched the Country Music Awards a couple weeks ago and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Country isn't the majority of my playlist but I return to it regularly. I guess it's because it does something to ground a person. It provides keen insight into life and does it in a style that communicates from the heart. The stories and sentiments cut an enormous swath across the cultural landscape, speaking to real people about their everyday lives. Artists like Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift appeal to people in almost every age group; white collar, blue collar; rural, urban and suburban, in every corner of this country and beyond.
That country audience is the one we designers need to "play to" if we're going to broaden the appeal of our best work.
That country audience is the one we designers need to "play to" if we're going to broaden the appeal of our best work.
- 12/8/2009
- by Joe Duffy
- Fast Company
Rough Justice: Zimbabwean soldiers escorting a group of illegal gem panners after their October 2009 arrest in the Marange diamond fields. Prisoners are typically held for one to three days before release to an uncertain fate.
Snared: An MP watches over an illegal diamond panner at a detention center in Marange, October 2009.
Zimbabwe's newfound diamond fields could have helped lift the country from its misery. Instead, they've fueled a cycle of government-sanctioned rape, murder, and thievery -- and pushed the place still closer to collapse.
Scarred For Life: Elizabeth (not her real name) once sold blankets and other staples to miners in the Marange fields; during a government assault in late 2008, she says, she and other women were beaten and raped by soldiers.
Ali Moussa and his partner, Shahab Hamdan, are peripatetic veterans of the blood-diamond trade. For 15 years, they based themselves in Bo and Kenema, in Sierra Leone, near the...
Snared: An MP watches over an illegal diamond panner at a detention center in Marange, October 2009.
Zimbabwe's newfound diamond fields could have helped lift the country from its misery. Instead, they've fueled a cycle of government-sanctioned rape, murder, and thievery -- and pushed the place still closer to collapse.
Scarred For Life: Elizabeth (not her real name) once sold blankets and other staples to miners in the Marange fields; during a government assault in late 2008, she says, she and other women were beaten and raped by soldiers.
Ali Moussa and his partner, Shahab Hamdan, are peripatetic veterans of the blood-diamond trade. For 15 years, they based themselves in Bo and Kenema, in Sierra Leone, near the...
- 12/8/2009
- by Joshua Hammer
- Fast Company
Beginning next week, the FTC will hold a series of public roundtables covering the growing number of challenges to consumer privacy on the Internet. Dubbed "Exploring Privacy," the daylong discussions will focus on "the collection and use of information by retailers, data brokers, third-party applications, and other diverse businesses." Hold that yawn. Behavioral tracking and ad targeting have everything to do with the pesky "Warning!" pop-up blinking behind your browser window right now. The one that could shatter your online privacy.
In advance of the roundtables, Fast Company spoke with online privacy advocates Jules Polonetsky, co-chair and director of the Future of Privacy Forum, and Ari Schwartz, vice president and chief operating officer of the Center for Democracy and Technology. Below, Polonetsky and Schwartz highlight five of most nefarious techniques used to trick and track you.
1. "Malvertising Gangs"
"One of the biggest challenges in the ad ecosystem right now is...
In advance of the roundtables, Fast Company spoke with online privacy advocates Jules Polonetsky, co-chair and director of the Future of Privacy Forum, and Ari Schwartz, vice president and chief operating officer of the Center for Democracy and Technology. Below, Polonetsky and Schwartz highlight five of most nefarious techniques used to trick and track you.
1. "Malvertising Gangs"
"One of the biggest challenges in the ad ecosystem right now is...
- 12/3/2009
- by Lucas Conley
- Fast Company
If you're like several of us, you've received the email claiming to offer info about state H1N1 vaccination programs run by the Cdc. Considering the frenzy that's ensued over the national shortage of H1N1 vaccines, it's easy to understand why you might be anxious to follow the link within.
But the Cdc would never send an e-mail like this. They're not that pro-active, at least not like this. Ironically, the note is a sort of virus rapped in a fake solicitation for a very real vaccine. And clicking on the link activates a malware program that makes users' computers start sending out spam.
The spam attack started Monday and was still causing problems later in the week, according to a recent article in Computer World. This certainly isn't the first instance of H1N1-themed spam, but it appears to be one of the largest efforts, and the...
But the Cdc would never send an e-mail like this. They're not that pro-active, at least not like this. Ironically, the note is a sort of virus rapped in a fake solicitation for a very real vaccine. And clicking on the link activates a malware program that makes users' computers start sending out spam.
The spam attack started Monday and was still causing problems later in the week, according to a recent article in Computer World. This certainly isn't the first instance of H1N1-themed spam, but it appears to be one of the largest efforts, and the...
- 12/3/2009
- by Erica Westly
- Fast Company
South Korean ad company Chiel Worldwide just signed a deal to acquire The Barbarian Group, the Boston-based digital shop best known for its work on Subservient Chicken and Esquire's augmented reality issue, and (ahem) its appearance on Fast Company's 2009 Most Innovative Companies list.
Benjamin Palmer, Tbg's CEO, told AdWeek that the time was right for a sale, and that Cheil is an ideal, if unlikely partner. "It's hard to grow beyond 70 people incrementally," he explained. "Cheil is excited about us and our creative approach. They have an international infrastructure, but they're just starting to do things like the deal we did with them."
As part of the deal, Tbg will move its headquarters to its New York Office and current agency heads Palmer, COO Rick Webb and Chief Experience Officer (huh?) Keith Butters will remain in charge.
"This is still The Barbarian Group, we're still called The Barbarian Group,...
Benjamin Palmer, Tbg's CEO, told AdWeek that the time was right for a sale, and that Cheil is an ideal, if unlikely partner. "It's hard to grow beyond 70 people incrementally," he explained. "Cheil is excited about us and our creative approach. They have an international infrastructure, but they're just starting to do things like the deal we did with them."
As part of the deal, Tbg will move its headquarters to its New York Office and current agency heads Palmer, COO Rick Webb and Chief Experience Officer (huh?) Keith Butters will remain in charge.
"This is still The Barbarian Group, we're still called The Barbarian Group,...
- 12/3/2009
- by Dan Macsai
- Fast Company
Medical tourism--foreigners traveling to India or Thailand for procedures that would cost an arm and a leg in their home countries--has made for great segments on 60 Minutes and even magazine features. But now the economic downturn, and health-care reform, is taking a toll on the once-booming industry. The number of Americans traveling abroad for elective medical treatment has fallen nearly 14% since 2007, according to a recent study by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.
Is the medical tourism industry--which aims to provide quality care for those who can't afford or access it at home--losing its target audience?
Americans are cutting back on health care: In 2008, 22% of adults reduced visits to their doctors, and 36% admitted to putting off needed medical care. So it's not surprising that the medical tourism industry would falter. Not only are people more likely to forgo elective procedures, but they're also not as eager to dole out cash for a flight overseas.
Is the medical tourism industry--which aims to provide quality care for those who can't afford or access it at home--losing its target audience?
Americans are cutting back on health care: In 2008, 22% of adults reduced visits to their doctors, and 36% admitted to putting off needed medical care. So it's not surprising that the medical tourism industry would falter. Not only are people more likely to forgo elective procedures, but they're also not as eager to dole out cash for a flight overseas.
- 12/3/2009
- by Stephanie Schomer
- Fast Company
Q: I am currently employed full-time and grateful to have a job. I am in the finance department of a small company which has no accountability, multiple "hands in the pot," and uses unethical business practices. My suggestions to improve the department and to comply with Gaap (generally accepted accounting principles) are always met with, "That's just the way it's done here." I can't live with this. I have an exit strategy and the support of my spouse while I seek employment. How do I approach the issue in interviews with future potential employers? Although honesty is the best policy, I most certainly cannot discuss the wrong-doings. Suggestions?
A: You just need to say it the right way: "I want to work for your company because you are one of the shining lights in this industry. I left my previous company because as a small, closely held operation it behaved...
A: You just need to say it the right way: "I want to work for your company because you are one of the shining lights in this industry. I left my previous company because as a small, closely held operation it behaved...
- 12/2/2009
- by Nick Corcodilos
- Fast Company
Partners "People who have negative comments about online schools are being old-fashioned," says former Ge CEO Jack Welch, above. He has invested $2 million -- and his own name -- in the Jack Welch Management Institute, an Mba program at Chancellor University, a for-profit school in Cleveland, which is part of the education portfolio put together by investor Michael Clifford, left. | Photographs: Aaron Lindberg (Clifford); Joe Raedle/Getty Images (Welch)
For-profit higher-education programs are booming -- even Jack Welch has signed on. Can market-driven schools award online diplomas that graduates are proud of?
Photograph by Jamie Chung
Michael Clifford never went to college. He was a trumpet player "strung out on sex, drugs, and rock and roll," he says, until he started a new life as a born-again Christian and successful tech investor. Then Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, gave him a life-changing piece of advice: "He knew...
For-profit higher-education programs are booming -- even Jack Welch has signed on. Can market-driven schools award online diplomas that graduates are proud of?
Photograph by Jamie Chung
Michael Clifford never went to college. He was a trumpet player "strung out on sex, drugs, and rock and roll," he says, until he started a new life as a born-again Christian and successful tech investor. Then Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, gave him a life-changing piece of advice: "He knew...
- 12/2/2009
- by Anya Kamenetz
- Fast Company
President Obama has pledged $19 billion to encourage physicians and hospitals to adopt electronic medical records and similar systems. The assumption is that recycling paper-based patient records and turning to more advanced, wirelessly networked electronic records will be more efficient and save money too. But two recent studies by Harvard researchers suggest these systems do little good in terms of cutting costs or improving patient outcome.
The first study (Pdf file) looked at the relationship between computerization and costs at 4,000 hospitals across the U.S. between 2003 and 2007. While the more wired hospitals seemed to offer a slightly higher quality of care, there was little to no effect on efficiency or cost. The study authors propose several possible explanations for the results. While they concede that paperless hospitals could pay off down the road, they warn that choosing the wrong It system--say one that isn't customized for medical use--could make hospitals even...
The first study (Pdf file) looked at the relationship between computerization and costs at 4,000 hospitals across the U.S. between 2003 and 2007. While the more wired hospitals seemed to offer a slightly higher quality of care, there was little to no effect on efficiency or cost. The study authors propose several possible explanations for the results. While they concede that paperless hospitals could pay off down the road, they warn that choosing the wrong It system--say one that isn't customized for medical use--could make hospitals even...
- 12/2/2009
- by Erica Westly
- Fast Company
I got all excited about Twitter's geotagging feature before, and now it's getting a new spin that wraps in another neat technology: Augmented reality. Enter Twitter 360, an Ar iPhone App that puts Tweets in a global navigational context.
It's a product from Presselite, the company that snuck the very first Ar iPhone app into the App Store under Apple's nose before the system had been officially enabled. It has a slightly familiar look and feel to those of you who've used the company's Metro map apps. Essentially it superimposes Tweets from your Twitter feed onto a view of the world through your iPhone 3G S's camera--each Tweep responsible for the Tweets gets a digital tag in the Ar view that corresponds to their approximate location (if they've just used a generic location in their Twitter settings) or a precise location if they've switched on the new geotagging feature.
One neat thing,...
It's a product from Presselite, the company that snuck the very first Ar iPhone app into the App Store under Apple's nose before the system had been officially enabled. It has a slightly familiar look and feel to those of you who've used the company's Metro map apps. Essentially it superimposes Tweets from your Twitter feed onto a view of the world through your iPhone 3G S's camera--each Tweep responsible for the Tweets gets a digital tag in the Ar view that corresponds to their approximate location (if they've just used a generic location in their Twitter settings) or a precise location if they've switched on the new geotagging feature.
One neat thing,...
- 12/1/2009
- by Kit Eaton
- Fast Company
Nokia is suing 11 LCD manufacturers--including Toshiba, Sharp, Philips, Samsung, and LG Display--for price-fixing. It alleges that from 1996 to 2006, these companies artificially inflated the prices of the displays Nokia uses in its products.
Just last year, the U.S. Department of Justice fined numerous LCD makers for price fixing, including Sharp and LG Display, who pleaded guilty. Currently, the European Union is looking into display price fixing. As a result, Nokia feels confident in its case.
The company did not disclose how much money it is seeking. The company stated in its complaint that "Nokia suffered damages as a result ... and is entitled to treble damages and injunctive relief to remedy these injuries."
It seems like 2009 will be the year of the lawsuit for Nokia--the company announced in October that it was suing Apple for patent infringement, alleging that the success of products like the iPhone was a result of Apple...
Just last year, the U.S. Department of Justice fined numerous LCD makers for price fixing, including Sharp and LG Display, who pleaded guilty. Currently, the European Union is looking into display price fixing. As a result, Nokia feels confident in its case.
The company did not disclose how much money it is seeking. The company stated in its complaint that "Nokia suffered damages as a result ... and is entitled to treble damages and injunctive relief to remedy these injuries."
It seems like 2009 will be the year of the lawsuit for Nokia--the company announced in October that it was suing Apple for patent infringement, alleging that the success of products like the iPhone was a result of Apple...
- 12/1/2009
- by Stephanie Schomer
- Fast Company
We love technology here at Fast Company. And we're big on design too. Which is partly what makes Red's digital cameras quite so awesome, since they mix the two exquisitely. And the newly official Red Scarlet may even change the Dslr game too.
Red has been hyping the Scarlet for over a year, and it's taken until now for the company to make the device official. Partly that's been due to tweaks and improvements, and partly (as the demise of the CrunchPad has shown) it's because bringing a novel, unique, and potentially revolutionary product to market is no easy thing. Still, the delay has meant the Scarlet 2/3-inch device now has "one additional Asic and four additional boards" bringing "many new features to the program." That does, of course mean that while the price shot up, so did the feature set. The price is now a serious sounding $4,750 (up from...
Red has been hyping the Scarlet for over a year, and it's taken until now for the company to make the device official. Partly that's been due to tweaks and improvements, and partly (as the demise of the CrunchPad has shown) it's because bringing a novel, unique, and potentially revolutionary product to market is no easy thing. Still, the delay has meant the Scarlet 2/3-inch device now has "one additional Asic and four additional boards" bringing "many new features to the program." That does, of course mean that while the price shot up, so did the feature set. The price is now a serious sounding $4,750 (up from...
- 12/1/2009
- by Kit Eaton
- Fast Company
The closer a table is to the front of the bookstore, the more expensive the real estate--and each book on each table costs publishers anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000, and even up to $50,000 depending on placement. [Viral Loop Chronicles Part 6]
Step into any Barnes & Noble and the first thing you see are tables covered in books. 'Tis the season, so there's the "Happy Holidays" table, with its quirky array of titles--Cornell West's new memoir, Ken Auletta's Googled, Alexandra Horowitz's Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, a biography of Thelonious Monk--authors and subjects with seemingly little if anything in common. The "Gift Books" table (20% off) is stacked with painstakingly crafted art books--one with gorgeous photos of the Vatican flanked by the Marvel Comics Encyclopedia and a history of Lego, the snappable children's toy. There's "Children's Books," "History," "Biographies," "New Arrivals," and "New in Paperback." Off to the right, Dean Koontz warrants his own narrow shelf.
Step into any Barnes & Noble and the first thing you see are tables covered in books. 'Tis the season, so there's the "Happy Holidays" table, with its quirky array of titles--Cornell West's new memoir, Ken Auletta's Googled, Alexandra Horowitz's Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, a biography of Thelonious Monk--authors and subjects with seemingly little if anything in common. The "Gift Books" table (20% off) is stacked with painstakingly crafted art books--one with gorgeous photos of the Vatican flanked by the Marvel Comics Encyclopedia and a history of Lego, the snappable children's toy. There's "Children's Books," "History," "Biographies," "New Arrivals," and "New in Paperback." Off to the right, Dean Koontz warrants his own narrow shelf.
- 11/30/2009
- by Adam Penenberg
- Fast Company
Looking for the distant early warnings of tomorrow.
In Futures Thinking: The Basics, I offered up an overview of how to engage in a foresight exercise. In Futures Thinking: Asking the Question, I explored in more detail the process of setting up a futures exercise, and how to figure out what you're trying to figure out. In this entry in the occasional series, we'll take a look at gathering useful data.
Like the first step, Asking the Question, Scanning the World seems like it would be easier than it really is. In my opinion, it may actually be the hardest step of all, because you have to navigate two seemingly contradictory demands:
You need to expand the horizons of your exploration, because the factors shaping how the future of the dilemma in question will manifest go far beyond the narrow confines of that issue. You need to focus your attention...
In Futures Thinking: The Basics, I offered up an overview of how to engage in a foresight exercise. In Futures Thinking: Asking the Question, I explored in more detail the process of setting up a futures exercise, and how to figure out what you're trying to figure out. In this entry in the occasional series, we'll take a look at gathering useful data.
Like the first step, Asking the Question, Scanning the World seems like it would be easier than it really is. In my opinion, it may actually be the hardest step of all, because you have to navigate two seemingly contradictory demands:
You need to expand the horizons of your exploration, because the factors shaping how the future of the dilemma in question will manifest go far beyond the narrow confines of that issue. You need to focus your attention...
- 11/30/2009
- by Jamais Cascio
- Fast Company
Whether you're an Iron Chef or a Top Chef fan you know points for "presentation" are just about as important as they are for taste.
Food always tastes better when its presentation reflects the artistry of the chef's imagination. I've been fortunate enough to see first-hand how the art of food drives the world renowned Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck.
Last year, while working with Wolfgang on his new brand identity, I gained a new appreciation for culinary design. In a "A Day In the Life"-style adventure, a photographer and I followed Wolfgang around on one of his typically whirlwind L.A. days. I realized I was shadowing a true artist at work. Every moment of his day is filled with exquisite design decisions, which results in thoughtful and beautifully created food that piques our senses and fills our souls. We began to refer to him as the Picasso of the culinary arts.
Food always tastes better when its presentation reflects the artistry of the chef's imagination. I've been fortunate enough to see first-hand how the art of food drives the world renowned Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck.
Last year, while working with Wolfgang on his new brand identity, I gained a new appreciation for culinary design. In a "A Day In the Life"-style adventure, a photographer and I followed Wolfgang around on one of his typically whirlwind L.A. days. I realized I was shadowing a true artist at work. Every moment of his day is filled with exquisite design decisions, which results in thoughtful and beautifully created food that piques our senses and fills our souls. We began to refer to him as the Picasso of the culinary arts.
- 11/30/2009
- by Joe Duffy
- Fast Company
Photograph by Jonny Valiant
Out Of Fashion: "It throws people off," says ousted CEO Ray Brunner of his white-stocking style. So did his controversial reign. Then-ceo Brunner said that Dwr Kitchen was ahead of plan. That "plan" must have been extraordinarily conservative. Only one person purchased a Dwr kitchen in 2009. | Photograph by Clay Patrick McBride
Retailer Design Within Reach helped create a new appreciation for the modernist aesthetic. With design more mainstream than ever, why is the company in such dire straits?
Well-founded Fears "Dwr was a profitable, audacious business until the evil forces of mass-market retailing took over," says Dwr founder Rob Forbes. | Photograph by Clay Patrick McBride
The Wigan Garden Spade is a thing of verdant beauty. Its hunter-green steel and sunny ash-wood handle evoke the pastoral fantasias of an aspiring gentleman farmer -- a dwarf maple in your yard, perhaps, around the base of which you can,...
Out Of Fashion: "It throws people off," says ousted CEO Ray Brunner of his white-stocking style. So did his controversial reign. Then-ceo Brunner said that Dwr Kitchen was ahead of plan. That "plan" must have been extraordinarily conservative. Only one person purchased a Dwr kitchen in 2009. | Photograph by Clay Patrick McBride
Retailer Design Within Reach helped create a new appreciation for the modernist aesthetic. With design more mainstream than ever, why is the company in such dire straits?
Well-founded Fears "Dwr was a profitable, audacious business until the evil forces of mass-market retailing took over," says Dwr founder Rob Forbes. | Photograph by Clay Patrick McBride
The Wigan Garden Spade is a thing of verdant beauty. Its hunter-green steel and sunny ash-wood handle evoke the pastoral fantasias of an aspiring gentleman farmer -- a dwarf maple in your yard, perhaps, around the base of which you can,...
- 11/27/2009
- by Jeff Chu
- Fast Company
The numbers are in, and eBooks may very well be the bright spot in book publishing's dim future--but only if publishers can figure out a way to keep the momentum going.
EBook sales accounted for $46.5 million as of the end of September, according to the International Digital Publishing Forum (Idpf), but that number only represents trade eBook sales through wholesale channels. Retail numbers may be as much as double these figures due to industry wholesale discounts, says Idpf. It's a drop in the bucket for book sales overall, which amounted to about $1.26 billion for the month of September, according to the Association of American Publishers (Aap).
What's most astonishing, though, is that eBooks have sold like hotcakes without a marketing or sales strategy. Publishers are moving quick to catch up as new digital innovations come to market.
"Everybody's awake now," says Mike Shatzkin, a 40-year industry veteran and founder of the Idea Logical Company,...
EBook sales accounted for $46.5 million as of the end of September, according to the International Digital Publishing Forum (Idpf), but that number only represents trade eBook sales through wholesale channels. Retail numbers may be as much as double these figures due to industry wholesale discounts, says Idpf. It's a drop in the bucket for book sales overall, which amounted to about $1.26 billion for the month of September, according to the Association of American Publishers (Aap).
What's most astonishing, though, is that eBooks have sold like hotcakes without a marketing or sales strategy. Publishers are moving quick to catch up as new digital innovations come to market.
"Everybody's awake now," says Mike Shatzkin, a 40-year industry veteran and founder of the Idea Logical Company,...
- 11/23/2009
- by Lydia Dishman
- Fast Company
Mind-blowing phrase of the week: "interferometric modulation," which can be loosely translated as "Oh my God! Qualcomm’s Mirasol e-reader has color video!"
Mercedes Benz unveiled an app that lets you control your car with the iPhone. But Intel one-ups the luxe car maker with an implantable chip that lets you control your computer using only your thoughts.Round two of the juice-packaging cage match started late last year with Pepsi’s Tropicana fiasco, and this week Coke’s Minute Maid unveiled a juicy new look (courtesy of Master of Design cover boy David Butler).
Los Angeles took home the crown of Creative Capital of the World, in a recent report. Though we guess the strong surge in sales over at Diy marketplace Etsy proves that any craft-corner in any basement in America is plenty creative enough.Blogging pioneer Anil Dash is bringing crowd expertise to the sizable task of...
Mercedes Benz unveiled an app that lets you control your car with the iPhone. But Intel one-ups the luxe car maker with an implantable chip that lets you control your computer using only your thoughts.Round two of the juice-packaging cage match started late last year with Pepsi’s Tropicana fiasco, and this week Coke’s Minute Maid unveiled a juicy new look (courtesy of Master of Design cover boy David Butler).
Los Angeles took home the crown of Creative Capital of the World, in a recent report. Though we guess the strong surge in sales over at Diy marketplace Etsy proves that any craft-corner in any basement in America is plenty creative enough.Blogging pioneer Anil Dash is bringing crowd expertise to the sizable task of...
- 11/20/2009
- by Kate Rockwood
- Fast Company
Twenty-five years ago, I decided to quit my day job as a partner and creative director for a small advertising agency, which I had started four years prior, to get back into design, from whence I came. My reason at the time was to get my hands dirty again. I was sick of the management responsibilities and politics that came from the ad game, not to mention the creative compromising that was part of everyday life at our little shop. But the biggest reason was that I wasn't really "making" anything--i don't mean money, I mean "stuff."
Back then, "getting your hands dirty" meant exactly that. Before the computer, we quite literally made our designs with messy stuff like markers, paint, and even the occasional really messy pastels. When I look at the finished work from those early days at Duffy Design, what I remember fondly is the cutting, the pasting,...
Back then, "getting your hands dirty" meant exactly that. Before the computer, we quite literally made our designs with messy stuff like markers, paint, and even the occasional really messy pastels. When I look at the finished work from those early days at Duffy Design, what I remember fondly is the cutting, the pasting,...
- 11/20/2009
- by Joe Duffy
- Fast Company
Since Viral Loop hit bookstores a month ago, I've chronicled the Viral Loop Facebook application that was designed to spread and accompany the iPhone app to promote the book, my social Web marketing plan, explained why publishers don't market authors, and why book reviews don't matter anymore. But one question that readers always ask is how do you get a book deal in the first place?
Assuming you have an idea that a reader would plunk down $25 to read about, the first step (after you get an agent; I'll address that in a future Viral Loop Chronicle) is to craft a non-fiction book proposal--the more detailed the better. And I'm going to show you how to do that, but first: What kind of book should you write?
You have far greater odds of success writing non-fiction than fiction. According to veteran author June Cotner, 85% of the 55,000 new titles released annually are in non-fiction,...
Assuming you have an idea that a reader would plunk down $25 to read about, the first step (after you get an agent; I'll address that in a future Viral Loop Chronicle) is to craft a non-fiction book proposal--the more detailed the better. And I'm going to show you how to do that, but first: What kind of book should you write?
You have far greater odds of success writing non-fiction than fiction. According to veteran author June Cotner, 85% of the 55,000 new titles released annually are in non-fiction,...
- 11/19/2009
- by Adam Penenberg
- Fast Company
Paul Venables, 30 Second Mba faculty-member and ad man, on what makes a company succeed and how a leader instills success.
I have an ad agency. It does great work. It's a fun place to work. Growth and revenue and new business wins are absolutely nothing more than a by-product of those two facts. Our approach to new business might seem a bit unconventional, but Fast Company asked me to share it anyway.
Don't do it for the money.* I don't know of a single creative person I respect who gets out of bed every morning to earn a paycheck. When things get tough, and that's the default mode in this business, particularly at this time, "the money" ain't going to pull you through. Better to make a reasonable fee working on something you genuinely have passion for than to make gobs on something you wouldn't shed a tear over if it fell off the planet.
I have an ad agency. It does great work. It's a fun place to work. Growth and revenue and new business wins are absolutely nothing more than a by-product of those two facts. Our approach to new business might seem a bit unconventional, but Fast Company asked me to share it anyway.
Don't do it for the money.* I don't know of a single creative person I respect who gets out of bed every morning to earn a paycheck. When things get tough, and that's the default mode in this business, particularly at this time, "the money" ain't going to pull you through. Better to make a reasonable fee working on something you genuinely have passion for than to make gobs on something you wouldn't shed a tear over if it fell off the planet.
- 11/19/2009
- by Paul Venables
- Fast Company
Whee, the Apple Tablet merry-go-round spins and spins: Today adds a clutch of rumors that, if you grapple them all together, are another quietly confident tick in the "it's definitely real" box. But one suggestion is that the beast is delayed, which is the kind of rumor we hate to hear.
Conde Nast Getting Ready, Wired to have an iTablet Edition?
According to AllThingsD, beleaguered publisher Condé Nast is already tweaking their digital magazine publishing format to suit Apple's Tablet, despite the fact there's not a public shred of confirmation from Apple itself that the thing is on its way anytime soon or even that it's real--much less what formats it will support.
Whether it's fallen for the rumors or just wants to jump on the publicity bandwagon, Condé Nast has said it'll have a digital tabletized version of Wired (a very fitting choice) ready first, sometime around the middle of next year,...
Conde Nast Getting Ready, Wired to have an iTablet Edition?
According to AllThingsD, beleaguered publisher Condé Nast is already tweaking their digital magazine publishing format to suit Apple's Tablet, despite the fact there's not a public shred of confirmation from Apple itself that the thing is on its way anytime soon or even that it's real--much less what formats it will support.
Whether it's fallen for the rumors or just wants to jump on the publicity bandwagon, Condé Nast has said it'll have a digital tabletized version of Wired (a very fitting choice) ready first, sometime around the middle of next year,...
- 11/19/2009
- by Kit Eaton
- Fast Company
Last weekend, I attended the 2009 Opportunity Green conference. There were some inspiring speakers with great messages. Len Sauers from P&G got me thinking about small changes across product lines that can make a big difference in the amount of resources consumed. Annie Leonard, who wrote The Story of Stuff, gave a jolting reminder of the waste built into our materials economy.
In light of all this, another of my takeaways was weighing heavily on my conscience, and my shoulder--the Swag Bag.
Looking through my five-pound bag, I encountered piles of cardboard, paper, and plastic wrapping--double-packaged disposable cardboard speakers, various logoed notebooks and pens, and a stack of brochures and magazines. Some of the swag had good intentions. We were encouraged to use our new set of bamboo dinnerware in lieu of plastic utensils and a reusable water bottle and hand towel instead of their disposable counterparts. But how many materials were used,...
In light of all this, another of my takeaways was weighing heavily on my conscience, and my shoulder--the Swag Bag.
Looking through my five-pound bag, I encountered piles of cardboard, paper, and plastic wrapping--double-packaged disposable cardboard speakers, various logoed notebooks and pens, and a stack of brochures and magazines. Some of the swag had good intentions. We were encouraged to use our new set of bamboo dinnerware in lieu of plastic utensils and a reusable water bottle and hand towel instead of their disposable counterparts. But how many materials were used,...
- 11/18/2009
- by Stuart Karten
- Fast Company
In round two of the juice packaging cage match that started late last year with the Tropicana fiasco, Minute Maid unveils a new look that hews to its heritage.
Having watched closely the food fight Peter Arnell triggered with his short-lived Tropicana packaging redesign for Pepsi, Coca-Cola officials have unveiled a fresh-squeezed makeover of their own iconic MinuteMaid brand.
The redesign involves the key brands, primarily MinuteMaid in the U.S., in the beverage behemoth's juice portfolio. Unlike the Tropicana debacle, in which Arnell abandoned the juice brand's visual heritage, MinuteMaid's new design builds on elements of its own former identity, including the black rectangle and white logotype lettering. But it adds a green horizon mark, and fruit photography to buck up the idea that all this orangey flavor is not just chemicals, but the real thing.
Leading the charge on the redesign was Fast Company's own Masters of Design October cover boy,...
Having watched closely the food fight Peter Arnell triggered with his short-lived Tropicana packaging redesign for Pepsi, Coca-Cola officials have unveiled a fresh-squeezed makeover of their own iconic MinuteMaid brand.
The redesign involves the key brands, primarily MinuteMaid in the U.S., in the beverage behemoth's juice portfolio. Unlike the Tropicana debacle, in which Arnell abandoned the juice brand's visual heritage, MinuteMaid's new design builds on elements of its own former identity, including the black rectangle and white logotype lettering. But it adds a green horizon mark, and fruit photography to buck up the idea that all this orangey flavor is not just chemicals, but the real thing.
Leading the charge on the redesign was Fast Company's own Masters of Design October cover boy,...
- 11/17/2009
- by Linda Tischler
- Fast Company
As any entrepreneur who's spent some time trying to understand the venture capital universe will tell you, VCs typically invest locally. The logic goes like this: Having startups to invest in nearby makes it easier for both parties to interact, get guidance, brainstorm, etc.
So if an entrepreneur believes that getting venture capital is incumbent to his startup's success and location is important to venture firms, it's probably worth spending some time thinking about where your startup will call home. A look at the Q3 2009 venture capital funding statistics compiled by ChubbyBrain offers a data-driven view of venture investment by geography, which may help entrepreneurs with another data point as they consider the age-old question of location, location, location. (For a data-driven perspective into the world of venture capital, download the free 44-page Fast Company-ChubbyBrain Q3 Vc Activity Report.)
First, let's start with the easy solution. Set up in California,...
So if an entrepreneur believes that getting venture capital is incumbent to his startup's success and location is important to venture firms, it's probably worth spending some time thinking about where your startup will call home. A look at the Q3 2009 venture capital funding statistics compiled by ChubbyBrain offers a data-driven view of venture investment by geography, which may help entrepreneurs with another data point as they consider the age-old question of location, location, location. (For a data-driven perspective into the world of venture capital, download the free 44-page Fast Company-ChubbyBrain Q3 Vc Activity Report.)
First, let's start with the easy solution. Set up in California,...
- 11/17/2009
- by ChubbyBrain
- Fast Company
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