universal positive » Research

Creative Entrepreneurs: Peter Hansen

Roger Darnell — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:16:04 +0000

I recently reconnected with my close friend and business colleague Peter Hansen. Over the past several years, Peter has been closely involved with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, AB Canada. Having served as the institution’s Chair, Digital Media Design, since 2002, then as Chair Digital Media and IT, since 2009, earlier this year he returned to his private consultancy, Plasmechanica Media Design. I peppered him with some questions about his experiences with NAIT, which he kindly anwers below.

Q. Briefly, what do you feel that interested students should know about NAITl, and the Digital Media and IT program?

NAIT is a very large institution. Established in 1960, principally as a trades college, it has expanded considerably and remains Canada’s largest apprenticeship institution. Notable in its expansion was the School of Applied Media and Information Technology, of which Digital Media and IT is the single largest program. During my tenure as Chair, we successfully navigated the “convergence” years, walking in lock step with the media design industries’ digital reformation. That success was measured by industry’s receptivity to our ability to turn on a dime, so to speak. Remember, we came from a standardized, traditional media world unaccustomed to rapid change and suddenly found ourselves having to increase our own agility as educators, while anticipating emerging trends in technology and society.

Q. What exciting developments in the media design and IT industries are being explored within the DMIT curriculum?

To be honest, the most exciting development in digital media and IT is the fact that we have a program that accommodates the mindsets of both.

As much as they share commonalities and that they are both engaged in what is ultimately a common pursuit, the practical philosophies of media designers and information technologists can be radically different. Harmonizing those views in ways that build synergies rather than destabilizing tensions will be a lasting legacy to what we’ve accomplished over the past decade. It’s not a simple question of replacing Web 1.0 with Web 2.0; after all, information technology predates the Web altogether. Rather, it’s the ability to take standards-rich development methodologies and using them to temper the risks inherent in the agile, open standards of our contemporary practice. This ability serves us tremendously in areas that involve cross-platform development, as found in properties delivering as TV/Web/Mobile hybrids, for example. It also helps us train for game and simulation studio realities that have programmers working alongside visual designers and storytellers, having to serve within complex production pipelines. You may also be interested in techlife, NAIT’s technology lifestyle magazine, and the 2010 DMIT studio portfoios: www.dimd.nait.ca/galleries.

Q. What did you enjoy most about your experiences with NAIT?

The most enjoyable part was going for the ride. Everything was new at every turn. One cannot understate the vitality one derives from speculating on and exploring the possible. It is only in exploring that one innovates, and we continue to live in a world that values innovation.

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PepsiCo Refresh Project 101

Roger Darnell — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:43:59 +0000

There’s a lot to love about PepsiCo’s commitment in America to the Pepsi Refresh Project, which is set to give away more than $20 million in 2010 to “refresh the world, one idea at a time.” PepsiCo has vowed to award over $1 million in grants each month to U.S.-based ideas with the most public votes, with up to 1,000 new ideas accepted each month. I was just asked to look into making a submission, and in doing some homework, I’ve gained a lot of admiration for this thoughtful initiative, inviting Americans to plead the case for a real-world need — or even a dream — with seemingly a very real opportunity to win financial support on some level. While hoping this might eventually become more of an international effort, I invite those now eligible to join me every day in visiting the site and using our 10 daily votes to help along our favorite ideas.

As for the ideas themselves, we can fire away, seeking $5k up to $250k for one idea per month, where you can change your monthly submission even after submitting, and if you don’t win this month, you can resubmit next month. There are five categories: Health, Arts and Culture, Food and Shelter, The Planet, Neighborhoods and Education.

The official website www.refresheverything.com provides this toolkit for developing your idea, along with a wealth of information, including key dates, what to expect and how to follow-up before, during and after submitting, and many other inspiring case studies of ideas submitted to date. You may also be interested in this April story detailing the latest winners, as well as the project’s blog.

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Earth Day 2010 and beyond… onward and upward!

Roger Darnell — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 15:35:00 +0000

Huge thanks to Earth Day LA‘s Jim Stewart, Ph.D., for these insights for continuing to make positive impacts through our day-to-day activities… and to my inspirational buddy Kacy Palmieri, who has worked with Earth Day LA for the past several years, for passing along Jim’s sage advice.
1. Become carbon neutral: Use this carbon calculator, fill in the form with your energy use at home and on the road, and sign up to fund measures that will neutralize your carbon output.
2. Drive Less, Take Transit or Bike or Walk: A well-tuned car with properly inflated tires burns less gasoline—cutting pollution and saving money at the pump. If you have two cars, drive the one with better gas mileage whenever possible. Better yet, skip the drive and take walk, bike, or ride public transit.
3. Write your leaders now to urge them to use existing technology to raise fuel economy standards to 40 miles per gallon — the single biggest step we can take to curb global warming. This step can save nearly 4 million barrels of oil a day… and save you personally up to $2,000 at the pump over the life of your car.
4. Sign up for Green Power: Renewable energy solutions, such as wind and solar power, can reduce our reliance on coal-burning power plants, the largest source of global warming pollution in the United States. If you live in Los Angeles, call LADWP (800-473-3652) and sign up for Green Power. Some other municipal utilities offer it as well; ask yours.
5. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, especially those that burn the longest each day. Compact fluorescents produce the same amount of light as normal bulbs, but use 1/4 of the electricity and last 10X as long.
6. Save energy at home: Start with caulking and weather-stripping on doorways and windows, then adjust your thermostat and start saving. For each degree you lower your thermostat in the winter, you can cut your energy bills by 3 percent. To save on heating bills see www.socalgas.com. Finally, ask your utility company to do a free energy audit of your home to show you how to save even more.
7. Become a smart water consumer: Install low-flow showerheads and faucets, then turn your hot water heater down to 120ºF and see hot-water costs go down by as much as 50%.
8. Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances: Replacing an old refrigerator or an air conditioner with an energy-efficient model saves electricity bills and cuts global warming. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances or visit www.energystar.gov. Get rebates: See www.ladwp.com for details or call 1 800 246 0441 for free pick up service, or check your own utility’s website for home appliance rebates.
9. Plant a Tree / Protect a Forest. Planting shade trees around your house absorbs CO2, and reduces air-conditioning bills. In Los Angeles, call LADWP to have FREE shade trees delivered to your home: 800-473-3652.
10. Reduce + Reuse + Recycle! Producing new paper, glass, and metal products from recycled materials saves 70-90% of the energy and pollution, including CO2, that result when products come from virgin materials. And by all means, buy recycled products!
11. Mount a local campaign against global warming: Educate your community about how it can cut global warming pollution. Support measures at the national, state, and local level that make automobiles go further per gallon of gas; accelerate the use of clean, renewable energy sources like solar and wind power; increase energy efficiency and conservation; and preserve forests around the world.
12. Buy less: Consumerism is a pattern of behavior that helps to destroy our environment, personal financial health, and human institutions. See www.verdant.net for information on how to reduce consumerism.
13. Grow your own food, and buy local produce to save transportation fuel. Also, compost your food scraps….
14. Install solar panels.
15. Get Connected! Sign up for regular updates, such as the Sierra Club’s global warming action network: www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/e-newsletter/
16. Educate your business, church and school about how they can save money and the planet by becoming carbon neutral through the Climate Neutral Network: www.climateneutral.com.

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Adventures in Expeditionary Learning

Roger Darnell — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 22:10:13 +0000

Our children are students at Two Rivers Community School (TRCS), a North Carolina public charter school. Established only five years ago, to our eyes, this innovative, ambitious academic experiment has already delivered many amazing results. At TRCS, our kids and some 250 others are enjoying a rare learning curriculum uniquely integrating a pioneering expeditionary learning approach with advanced brain-compatible instructional strategies also known as educational kinesiology or Brain Gym. Focused on teamwork, community and the pursuit of shared academic and character-improvement goals, TRCS students and faculty-members are contributing to society by learning more everyday about the world, their community and themselves as individuals. Despite the excellence in faculty and curriculum development, despite the great promises of current students and those to come, the school’s economic challenges are great. We and other parents whose social and financial contributions give TRCS its lifeblood are intent on keeping the school alive, and if at all possible, soaring to new heights. Those interested in worthwhile charitable causes are encouraged to learn more about TRCS, as well as Expeditionary Learning Schools Outward Bound (ELS), a national, non-profit organization. More information on ELS is available by visiting their website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.

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Moving forward: World Water Day 2010

Roger Darnell — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:05:23 +0000

In honor of World Water Day, it’s my pleasure to share this video that takes a hard look at the bottled water industry and proposes some simple and powerful alternative ideas that can greatly impact the Earth, our communities, and our pocketbooks. For more information, please visit http://storyofbottledwater.org.

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The 2010 (Women’s) Effect: The 100th Annual International Women’s Day

Roger Darnell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:08:17 +0000

I am joining with legions of others around the world today to honor women for all they are and all they do as the greatest and most powerful force on Planet Earth. Mine will not be a lengthy tribute, but I do want to point up some of the amazing resources I’ve found that are providing different perspectives on the achievements of women, and some of the biggest challenges faced by many of them.

Last week, in honor of today’s global event celebrating women, CARE presented its “Half the Sky” event, a one-night-only event in movie theatres nationwide (www.halftheskylive.com). Inspired by the bestselling book from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, it was an exciting night of musical performances, celebrity commentary and uplifting stories about women and girls overcoming tremendous obstacles, and featured the nationwide premiere of “Woineshet,” a powerful short film by Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei and Lisa Leone. The presenter, CARE, is a humanitarian organization that fights global poverty by empowering marginalized women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities. Please visit www.care.org to learn more.

In “Half The Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” authors Kristof and WuDunn focused on three major problems facing women: sex trafficking, maternal mortality and violence against women. Their book argues that empowering women is the key to alleviating poverty and uplifting communities in developing countries. This article, featuring an excerpt from the book, appeared last August in The New York Times Magazine, and a new New York Times Op-Ed piece from Mr. Kristof ran today, in which he reassesses the priorities. Embracing initiatives to foster the education of girls, to support deworming and micronutrient education and aid programs, and to help women start new businesses, Kristof’s current article also points up many organizations that are championing and driving these vital causes.

In the meantime, here in the U.S., the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) is successfully propelling female entrepreneurs into economic, social and political spheres of power worldwide. Their website is online at www.nawbo.org.

And finally, I also encourage you to visit the website behind the video showcased above, which lives online at www.girleffect.org, and is based upon the wholehearted belief that powerful social and economic changes are possible when girls have full opportunities to participate.

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The power of dreams…

Roger Darnell — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:30:00 +0000

At an early age, I decided I was going to be a writer. Somewhere along the way, I also took a strong interest in filmmaking, and being very ambitious, by the time I was 20 years old, I developed a clear vision of myself as novelist and filmmaker. While I have made great strides on achieving those dreams over the years, I must admit that I have a long way to go in seeing them through; nonetheless, those dreams have driven me into situations that I never would have imagined, and while I’ve not yet fully accomplished those missions, I feel very fortunate to have progressed as far as I have.

By pursuing the opportunies that have come my way over the years and applying my talents, my writing achievements and my reputation for success have opened many doors. One of them opened in the early 90s when a young Orlando filmmaker named Bill Waxler decided he wanted to produce and direct a 16mm short film based on something I’d written. Delving into my past experiences, I wrote a script for a dramatic short which I entitled “Bumper Crop,” and in that story, I also explored the power of dreams to affect a person’s life. After recovering a VHS dub of a 15-year-old edit of the film earlier this year, I began anticipating some plans… which are now playing out today. In recent weeks, I have done some writing about the process of bringing the film to life — you can find them here if you’re interested: February 22, 1991: Bumper Crop, Part 1; June 29, 1991: Bumper Crop, Part 2; February 26, 1993: Bumper Crop, Part 3. In honor of Bill Waxler and the many other great friends who helped bring the film to life in 1993, it is my honor today to proudly announce a new website where “Bumper Crop” will soon live online. You can find it at this address: http://www.darnellworks.com/bmovie. I hope you enjoy it, and that you have many chances to dream — and to pursue those dreams you hold most dear.

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Much love to and from The Children’s Playhouse

Roger Darnell — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:39:28 +0000

A creative play space for families, and a powerful force for community goodness in Boone, North Carolina, USA

After helping my wife Beth Darnell, and her sister Ann Kiefert, their comrade Kathy Parham, and many others from our then-new hometown of Boone, North Carolina, open The Children’s Playhouse in November of 2002, I am very proud to see how Kathy has led the venture in countless ways which continue adding precious dimensions to our community. The video featured here was produced by our friend Beth Jacquot in 2003, and much has happened since then. I invite you to visit the official site www.GoPlayhouse.org and explore the Facebook group, and I also wanted to share news from a recent event that reveals a lot about our community, and Kathy.

In 2009, Mrs. Parham launched an event to honor Boone’s “Hometown Heroes,” wherein she invited locals to nominate others for sustained contributions to the well-being of young children and their families in our area. The first winner of the Great Friend to Families Award was Watauga County Children’s Librarian Judith Winecoff, who designated the $500 prize to go to the Hunger and Health Coalition. Sixteen were nominated, including Cynthia Brown-Greer, Laurie Cimino, Lindsay Cobb, Doug Galke, Kaaren Hayes, Karen James, Natalie Lewis, Karee Mackey, Todd Nolt, Sherrie Norris, Jane Penley, Denise Presnell, Jan Rienerth, Robin Triplett, Mary Willis, and Judith. More information’s available here.

The second annual Great Friend to Families Award event just took place, in honor of Julie Bostick, Kim Carter, Ashley McKinney, Laureen Vilas, Matthew Crawford, Angie Dolen, Shirlee Gaines Edwards, Susan Jones, Kaaren Hayes, Dick and Joan Hearn, Virginia MacLeod, Pat Morgan, Tammy Nelson, Carrington Pertalion, Denise Presnell, Susan Weinberg, Delores Wilder, Roberta Yates, and Joan Zimmerman. Kathy lined up sponsors and arranged for world-renowned author and educator Nikki Giovanni to keynote.

These and other events organized through The Children’s Playhouse also have the goal of raising funds to support family resource services, enabling the children’s museum to provide scholarship memberships to low-income families, to offer free parenting classes for community members, and to build its free lending library of parenting books and developmental toys.

For 2010, The Playhouse’s Great Friend to Families Award goes to Pat Morgan, whose bio includes long-term service to the children and families in the Mabel, Bethel, and Cove Creek through reading at the schools, starting the Reading and Rolling program, which brings books to children who can’t get to the public library, taking limited-income children to visit Washington, DC, and other areas, and serving on the school board for 11 years. Taken by surprise with the win, he decided to give the money to the children’s section of the Watauga County library.

These words from one local volunteer and supporter of the Playhouse speak for many of us:

“To me, it is obvious that an event honoring our hometown heroes has been way overdue. I am glad to say that The Playhouse brought it to life!”

Thank you Kathy!

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Focus on cancer today to survive for tomorrow…

Roger Darnell — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:18:17 +0000

With cancer being the leading cause of death worldwide, its tragic realities are all too familiar to most of us. On a more positive note, the World Health Organization is spreading the message that “Cancer can be prevented, too,” and they’ve organized a comprehensive guide to effective programs which you can find online here. Knowing that early detection is a key to survival, the Lance Armstrong Foundation is encouraging us today, which is designated as World Cancer Day, to ask our friends and loved ones to please schedule a visit with their doctors to discuss cancer and their personal risk factors:

“A little encouragement goes a long way, and we all have to work together to keep our loved ones healthy.”

Here’s their link to help us spread the word and reach out: “Make the call.”

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Creative Entrepreneurs: David Bouck

Roger Darnell — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:28:09 +0000

While attending the Boards Summit last October, I had the pleasure of meeting and befriending David Bouck (IMDB, LinkedIn), a veteran producer working in commercials, television and feature films. David is the founder and executive producer of Means of Production in Vancouver, a production services company specializing in television commercial production and still photography servicing all of Canada. After recently sending me his latest company reel (featured above), I peppered him with questions which he has kindly answered below.

Q. Whose work are we seeing in the reel?
On this reel, in order of appearance:
. Mercedes ad for Germany. BM8 was the production company. Director was Ole Peters.
. Nivea ad. Worldwide. Neue Sentimental (Germany). Director was Thierry Rajic.
. Gortex. Germany. Tony Petersen Films. Director was Stuart Parr.
. Land Rover ‘Freelander 2′. Worldwide. Knucklehead from the UK. Director was Johnny Green.
. Channel 4 ‘Russia’ series. UK. Director was Jorn Threlfall.
. Audi Q5. Worldwide. BM8. Director was Marc Shölermann.
. Guinness. Worldwide. Knucklehead. Director was Johnny Green.
. The Coöperative (UK dept. store). UK. RSA. Director was Luke Scott.
. Anadin. UK. Independent. Director was Philippe André.
. Honda. USA. Streetlight Films. Director was Paul Street.
. Acura. USA. Knucklehead. Director was Daniel Barber.
. Hummer. USA. Biscuit Filmworks. Director was Steve Rogers.
. Skoda. Worldwide. Tempomedia (Germany). Director was John Dolan.
. Sprint. USA. ParanoidUS. Directors were Marc Wilkins and Luis Nieto.
. VW Touareg. Worldwide. Independent. Director was John Dolan.
. Porsche Cayman. Worldwide. Pipeline Films (Germany). Director was Daniel Lwowski.
. Porsche Boxster. Worldwide. C3 (Germany). Director was Bernd Seiboldt.
. Hartley’s. UK. Therapy Films. Director was Colin Gregg.
. Skoda. Germany. Markenfilm. Director was Marc Shölermann.
. Sprint. Stink/Psyop. UK/China. Director was Psyop.
. Audi A6. Worldwide. Markenfilm (Germany). Director was Jan Wentz.
. Nokia. China. Dab Hand. Director was BIG TV.
. AT&T. USA. Therapy. Director was Colin Gregg.
. Renault. France. Télécréateurs. Director was Stylewar.
. Hornbach. Germany. Tony Petersen Films. US.
. Starburst. USA. Biscuit. Director was Tim Godsall.

I served as the line producer on the majority of these projects. My company markets itself as a service producer to television commercial production companies from all over the world, with the majority of the work coming from Europe. I prepare the pitches with location photos, budgets, and other creative ideas to help production companies win jobs and produce their projects.

Q2. Briefly, what are the top things you feel filmmakers should know about Canada or Vancouver?Canada has a lot going for it as a shooting location. Natural beauty, experienced and energetic non-union crews, all the filming toys, and it’s less expensive than most European countries and the USA. Vancouver has a lot of very different locations, all within a short distance of the city. So you can shoot on a beach, in an office tower, and on top of a mountain in one day (and I have!). Calgary, Alberta has excellent crews and is right next to the Rockies and the Prairies. Toronto has skyscrapers. All these locations have hosted major US motion pictures and TV series, not to mention thousands of commercials for the US, Europe, and Asia over the years.

Q3. What’s your favorite moment in the reel?

It is hard to nail down a favourite moment because there have been so many. I really love the people I work with, the locations we get to go to, the whole process. Filming Land Rover with Johnny Green at the Gang Ranch in the Chilcotin was incredible. It’s the second largest working cattle ranch in the northern hemisphere, with real, working cowboys… and few people get to see it, as it’s so remote. Shooting a Camel Active (clothing) print ad in Newfoundland way out in the Atlantic Ocean was incredibly spectacular. There’s no place in the world like Newfoundland and we got to go to the most beautiful places… and the sun shone every day. Any job with my friend Nicolas Mirbach from Germany is a constant laugh riot. Seeing the Alberta Tar Sands for the first time for a Thyssen Krupp ad was simply breathtaking. I’m afraid to stop because I’ll be leaving out dozens of other great experiences and wonderful people!

I love my job.

For more information on Means of Production, please call +1.604.255.4302, or visit www.meansofproduction.ca.

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