01 | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Transmedia Storytelling: Inventing the Language of Cross-Platform, Non-Linear Narration.
Are we at the beginning of a new era? Have digital technology and the craft of storytelling finally merged and given birth to a new art form and business model? Experience how the masters are crossing the line towards Infinity and Beyond. 
Moderator: Terence Gray, Founder & CEO, NYTVF
Jeremiah Rosen, President & Partner, Campfire
Sarah Szalavitz, Founder, 7Robot
Hope Hutman, Telefon Projekt
Alison Norrington, Founder, StorycentralDIGITAL
Ursula Lawrence, Lead Strategic Organizer, Writers Guild of America, East
Blerime Topalli, Transmedia Strategist, Hasbro


Click here for photos from this panel at the spring summit.

Moderator: Terence Gray, Founder & CEO, NYTVF

Terence Gray launched the New York Television Festival (NYTVF) in 2005 as the industry’s first creative festival for television artists. A pioneer of the “independent television”  movement, the Festival strives to construct new and innovative paths of development and talent identification, while simultaneously complimenting the traditional television development model. The NYTVF works in partnership with networks, studios, brands and agencies to more effectively and efficiently deliver the best projects and showcase the most promising artists.

As Executive Director, Gray oversees all Festival initiatives, events and partnerships, spearheading the NYTVF’s development efforts with current partners including FOX Broadcasting, Sony Pictures Television, IFC, FX, MTV, and Microsoft’s Bing. Under Gray’s leadership, the NYTVF has grown to one of the largest television crossover events on the industry calendar, bringing thousands to New York City each fall to take part in the week-long Festival that hosts events ranging from red-carpet premieres (NYTVF Primetime), focused discussions on digital development and distribution (NYTVF Digital Day), fan panels (NYTVF Development Day) and screenings of the best in independent content (Independent Pilot Screenings). Gray also leads the Festival’s esteemed Executive Advisory Board, which includes network, agency and studio heads including Kevin Reilly (FOX), Doug Herzog (MTV Networks), Nancy Dubuc (AETN), Ben Silverman (Electus), Adam Berkowitz (CAA) and Jay Sures (UTA).

Prior to heading the Festival, Gray was a successful television writer and producer with credits including ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire (primetime, seasons 1-3) as well serving as the creator and producer on projects with NBC, ESPN, TelePictures and Warner Brothers. He is a graduate of Catholic University in Washington D.C.

Alison Norrington, Founder, StorycentralDIGITAL

Alison Norrington is an English transmedia storyteller & producer, novelist, playwright & journalist and is Conference Chair for StoryWorld Conference. As founder of storycentralDIGITAL she consults to publishers, broadcasters, filmmakers and authors globally on transmedia strategies, participative experiences and utilising social media, whilst also developing her own transmedia projects.

She is in year 3 of a practice-based PhD researching Transmedia Storytelling and has presented at a variety of conferences, including TEDx Transmedia, Digital Book World, TOC, London Book Fair Digital Conference.

Alison has written for WIRED magazine on transmedia publishing, consults on fragmenting story, transmedia strategies, production, architecture & planning to European Broadcasting Union, publishers, authors and filmmakers and runs various transmedia workshops, bootcamps and masterclasses in London, New York and Europe.

Ursula Lawrence, Lead Strategic Organizer, Writers Guild of America, East

Ursula Lawrence is Lead Strategic Organizer, Writers Guild of America, East. Her primary tasks include expanding the Guild’s membership in independent film and digital media. Prior to working at the WGAE, Lawrence spent three years as a field representative for the Directors Guild of America, where she was responsible for visiting DGA members on the sets of feature films, television shows, broadcast news and commercials. Lawrence graduated from Oberlin College and achieved candidacy for a PhD in Sociology at the University of Michigan, before leaving academia to pursue a career in the entertainment unions.

Blerime 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.

Photos from the spring panel

Digital Hollywood Content Summit VI - Wednesday, March 9, 2011