17 | 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM

Transmedia Storytelling - Crossing the Line towards Infinity and Beyond
The Fabric of Dreams: Games, Graphic Novels, Animation, Social Marketing, Web, Social TV, Movies, Apps
Moderator: John Couch, Creative Director, Writer, Transmedia Storyteller http://titaniumsky.com/
Susan Johnston, Founder/Director, New Media Film Festival  http://www.newmediafilmfestival.com/
Alex Barkaloff, Executive Producer, Lionsgate Digital http://www.lionsgate.com/
Blerime '"Blu" Topalli, Transmedia Strategist, Hasbro  
Nick DeMartino, Media & Technology Consulting, Nick DeMartino Consulting http://www.nickdemartino.net/

Click here for photos from this panel at the spring summit

Read More For Bios

Moderator: John Couch, Creative Director, Writer, Transmedia Storyteller http://titaniumsky.com/

John S. Couch is an Entertainment and Technology Specialist focusing on cross-platform content strategies and development for television, film, Internet, mobile, video games and emerging new media platforms. He has worked with multiple agencies, including Method.com for whom he consulted as Creative Director on a virtual worlds project. Recently he was Head of Creative at FLO TV, where he oversaw marketing, original programming, content development and interactive strategy. Before that he was the Vice President of Entertainment & Creative Media Strategy for Digital Kitchen, where he drove strategy and pursued opportunities as the company further immersed itself into the world of interactive media.

Currently he is consulting as Creative Director for Magento, the world’s fastest growing eCommerce platform, driving their design and brand strategy for new products.

Before striking out as a consultant, Couch was Vice President and Entertainment Creative Director for CBS Interactive, driving creative services and delivery primarily for CBS.com, as well as working with the extended interactive network consisting of CBSSportsline.com, CBSNews.com, ShowBuzz.com, Last.fm, Dotspotter.com (now TheInsider.com), Wallstrip.com and Clark and Michael (an original online series starring Michael Cera of Superbad and Juno fame.) Additionally, he worked extensively on The Courier, an original TV and transmedia project.

Couch held the responsibility for developing interactive products and digital strategy for the integration of CBS TV network content with Internet, mobile entertainment, game strategy and development of web 2.0/web 3.0 architectures. This included product development for the content programmers SURVIVOR, BIG BROTHER, THE AMAZING RACE, CSI:, CSI: MIAMI, CSI: NY, NUMB3RS, and MOONLIGHT. Couch conceived, managed and oversaw the CSI: NY Second Life “cross-over” project, wherein the virtual world platform was integrated into the show’s storyline. Additionally, he was involved with the NUMB3RS ARG (alternate reality game) project that blurred the lines between linear storytelling, digital delivery, fiction and fact.

Before moving to Los An geles in 2000, he was Co-Founder and Creative Director of ONE Media, a startup for which he raised venture capital from Sierra Ventures and The Walden Group. Couch started his new media career at Wired Magazine and Internet-pioneer Hotwired.

Couch frequently speaks on the future of entertainment and “transmedia.” He has presented at numerous media and entertainment conferences, including NATPE’s LATV Fest and Promax BDA. He spoke at the HOW Design Conference in Austin in June 2009 about designing beyond three screens.

Couch was on the Blue Ribbon Panel judging for the 2007 Interactive Television Primetime Emmy Awards and is a standing member of theAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences. He is a former VP of the Los Angeles chapter of the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) and led the redesign of the website, aigalosangeles.org.

He is a screenplay writer and a member of the Writer’s Guild of America, West.

Susan Johnston, Founder/Director, New Media Film Festival

Susan Johnston Certified DBE, Award Winning Production Company Select Services Films, Inc.

Susan Johnston, a New England native, worked with the Providence & Rhode Island Film Commissions over 5 years to build the infrastructure used by the Farrelly brothers, director Michael Corrente and NBC's hit TV series "Providence" the New England Screenwriters Conference and helped build 3 film festivals one of which is now an Academy accredited fest.

Susan developed Context Media Studios International production capabilities as well as garnered funds before Senate Committee hearings and helped facilitate the 25% tax incentive for investors of films in RI.

Upon relocating to Los Angeles, Susan Johnston delved into International co-producing, talent producing, directing TV Development and collaborating on innovative projects with her Award winning production company, Select Services Films, Inc. such as:

 idi-font-weight: bold;">The first series ever produced for cell phones, Mini-Bikers, as producer, in conjunction with Fun Little Movies.  

 Developing the SAG Internet contract with Pierre Debs of SAG and Frank Chindamo of FLM.  

 Producing one of the first HD TV Pilots and Music Videos utilizing the Panasonic Varicam.

  Producing for several years, The Amec Awards & the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles Industry Leadership Awards.

Susan has won the Imaginite Award from Austrailia for Filmmakers who Ignite the mind and A Maverick Filmmaker Honor from Cinequest (top 10 film festival in the world) in 06.

Interviews can be read in “Hollywood Drive-What it Takes to Break In, Hang In and Make it in the Entertainment Industry” by Eve Honthaner, “Career Opportunities in the Film Industry; 2^nd Edition” by Jan Yager and “Ciao Artista!” by Fioretta Mari and Manuella Metri and in ‘11, Suzanne Lyons newest book. Successful Tips From Hollywood Heavyweights.”.

Susan has relationships and access to experienced on-camera and creative talent, craft and technical crew, include Oscar nominees, as well as Grammy, Emmy, Golden Globe, Telly, and Cleo winners. Our clients include ABC Family Channel, NBC/Universal, Fox, Kaiser Permanente, NATPE, and “The Hollywood Reporter” Fred Silverman and keeps the title of VP Production Big Vision Studios-a 4K ft. Green Screen Sound Stage.

In addition, as Founder/Director of www.NewMediaFilmFestival.com has brought the Best of the Best in New Media-(40 new Media Leaders) What’s New, What’s Next..(30 New Media Content Makers) honoring stories worth telling to critical acclaim in its Inaugural year:

“A new L.A-based festival has just popped up that addresses and celebrates all of the unique forms that visual storytelling can take in our new media world.”-BadLit

“This fest proves Tinseltown's chops…the creativity and ingenuity of film.”-Cool Hunting

Critical acclaim continued in the SF Bay Area New Media Film Festival being touted as “Sundance for the Facebook crowd.” –Crystal Clear Culture Rehab

This has led to a Distribution Deal and Professor Emertus in New Media at Los Angeles Film School.

www.SelectServicesFims.com www.SusanJohnstonCasting.com www.BigVision.com

Alex Barkaloff, Executive Producer, Lionsgate Digital http://www.lionsgate.com/

As Executive Producer of Digital Media at Lionsgate, Alex Barkaloff heads up the development of transmedia, social and mobile media properties. These include the Lionsgate/Massify incubator that is developing crowdsourced comedy feature; Trailer Trash, a animated short format comedy series, and a number of mobile, episodic, and mobile and game application projects. Additionally, he explores opportunities within the Lionsgate catalog of 14,000 film and television library. As digital/mobile dealmaker, Alex relies on his experience in the technology and business worlds and from broad international experience. He began his career at JPL/NASA as a software engineer in the 80’s and later branched to entrepreneurial ventures in the software arena. In the 90’s he headed up PSION’s operation in Poland/Central Europe for the development of mobile applications for the worlds first mobile connected PDA. He was also Director of Application Server Marketing for Oracle (Redwood Shores, CA -- 1995- 1998) where he worked with the leading, nascent digital entertainment ventures. In 1998, he set up his own venture capital group, GlobalNet Ventures, in San Francisco where he invested in digital online media startups. For much of the 2000s, he has spent dealmaking with some of the leading mobile entertainment platforms, including UCP Morgen (Vienna, 2003-2004), Improove Technologies (Tokyo, 2004-2005) and Nellymoser (2005-2007) and joined Lionsgate in 2008.  

Blerime '"Blu" Topalli, Transmedia Strategist, Hasbro

Blerime has 15 years of experience in film, television and digital entertainment, with specific expertise in transmedia storytelling and product development. Beginning with visual effects on films ranging from Jurassic Park to Titanic, Blerime crafted an interdisciplinary approach that placed her as a trusted translator between technical, creative, production and business agendas. She evolved into several unique executive roles straddling business and creative for breakthrough films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and for producers such as Dino De Laurentiis.

More recently, Blerime has advised Hasbro, Inc., in conjunction with MIT Media Labs to help elevate children's content through future technologies and transmedia storytelling. Blerime also has a film degree from Boston University, an MA in interdisciplinary Arts from San Francisco State University, an MBA from Oxford University, and lives between her homes in Los Angeles and Boston as much as possible.

Nick DeMartino, Media & Technology Consulting, Nick DeMartino Consulting

Nick DeMartino launched a strategic consulting practice in media & technology after a 20 year career at the American Film Institute where he created programs that explored the frontiers of digital storytelling, including the AFI Digital Content Lab, the AFI-Apple Computer Center, the AFI Computer Media Salons. Details on his consulting approach are at http://www.nickdemartino.net. He is the author of REINVENTING HOLLYWOOD, a column for ACM's "Computers in Entertainment" online magazine.

Photos from the spring panel

Digital Hollywood Content Summit VII - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - TRANSMEDIA SUMMIT