shapeshifters tag feed: usa

Call for Submissions Nestle Contest

Alexandra — fri, 19 oct 2007 13:57:07 +0000

Hi all,

This is a call for submissions for filmmakers, and screenwriters.

I am a producer at a web media company ScribeMedia.

Nestle & ScribeMedia.Org has just announced a 100 grand candy bar commercial contest.

The winner, selected by Nestle, gets $5,000 and their commercial aired on national TV in 2008.

Below is the contest site ScribeMedia has created. It includes all the details: the creative brief and the guidelines: http://100grand.scribemedia.org

Learn about the contest, register, and submit your commercial about the glorious 100 grand candy bar!

Here's the last commercial Nestle created for the 100 grand bar over 10 years ago:

http://www.scribemedia.org/2007/10/17/100-grand-commercial-u...

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS AS WELL!

Thank you and good luck!

Peace

Alexandra Lerman

Mash-Up Contest

Yvette — fri, 19 oct 2007 09:28:44 +0000

The excellent ReadyMade magazine and Instructables website are co-hosting a competition challenging people to take everyday items and reinvent them as something new: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Enter-the-Instructabl...

I'm looking forward to seeing what people come up with; though, unfortunately, the prizes are all US electrical goods...

(Via http://readymademag.com/blog/)

Mojave meets Berlin

storytracker — fri, 12 oct 2007 11:31:00 +0000

Dear Manu, come over for coffee here, the sun shines, it is beautiful. Have some chocolate This is an official go ahead! (Cecile Bouchier, Mojave/CA) http://www.cecilebouchier.com

With these words the cooperation between two members of Shapeshifters was decided. It all started with a posting on Shapeshifters http://www.shapeshifters.net/manu/stories/1158/
by Manu Kumar. The initiator and founder of The Business Class. Net (BCN) - a network of Plug-&-Play working spaces for rent and a digital internet platform for freelancers and creative people as well as new nomads - was searching worldwide for new locations besides the headquarter in Berlin, Germany. When establishing new BCN-ports Manu Kumar always looks for special and unusual personalities as partners and prefers loctions in international cities or off the beaten track. The Mojave Desert has exited Manu Kumar: "This is exactly the place where BCN members can retreat, find new ideas and prepare projects. No 'civilization' to worry about! After personally meeting with Cecile in Berlin we have built up a friendship - the perfect foundation for success." The new BCN-port in the Mojave Desert opens on Halloween, October 31. http://www.TheBusinessClass.Net

Hi Manu, thank you very much for your kind offer. Unfortunately I will not be ab...

Joachim (anonymous) — wed, 03 oct 2007 13:01:06 +0000

Hi Manu, thank you very much for your kind offer. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the conference myself.
Anyway, for people like me your business model is absolutely great and I will spread the news about it.
I will as well send you an email with a contact person form "new thinking communications" to send your information to.

Hi Joachim,

thanks for the information - thats quite interesting....

manu — tue, 02 oct 2007 11:03:47 +0000

Hi Joachim,

thanks for the information - thats quite interesting. Wow - Sugata Mitra Hole in the wall is coming as well! I´ll post this news on my web site because even me (living in Berlin) didnt know about it yet there are so many conferences and events heading Berlin right now. Barcamp, Web 2.0 Conference, Art Forum, Berliner Liste, Preview Berlin, ...

Some weeks ago I went to a lecture from Netzpolitik and NewThinkingStore organising the Sustainable-it now. They are really brilliant guys and worth to feature and to support. If you need a place to work at while you are in Berlin - I offer you a workspace in our office (for free), the week where the conference is taking place (15th to 20th) October. I think there will be quite a few people form all over Germany coming to this conference they are also invited please spread this information. They should log in at http://www.TheBusinessClass.Net and send me an e-mail which days they are intending to come so I can plan a bit :)

Do you know somebody at Sustainability-it I can contact and send this information too?

Hope to see you soon in Berlin,
cheers Manu

The RedBox :: by nothingGrinder's Aaron

nothingGrinder — tue, 07 aug 2007 14:48:50 +0000

I attended a club party several weeks ago in downtown tokyo. It was produced and directed by a group we are currently in negotiation with. They are big on House music and have a really strong presence in the club scene. The party I attended was a mixed media event with everything from live painting to dance performance to photography and video. They are known as Deep House Project, which anyone from San Fransisco may be familiar with. It is where DHP was created and started by Carlos Gibbs. Recently they have been expanding with both music and photography and the man in Tokyo is Laurent Novatin. He is a DJ / Photographer / Designer. These guys make great House / Club music and throw a great party. The current website is http://www.deephouseproject.com and The RedBox Project website will be coming soon.

Hi

rainer — mon, 06 aug 2007 08:08:35 +0000

i am new in the world of shapeshifting and want to say hello. thanks eric for the invitation.
i will also be in los angeles from mid september to mid october, in case somebody wants to meet an industrial designer from europe/austria. lets talk & inspire.

greetings, rainer

Living rooms as concert venues

ericpoe — sun, 05 aug 2007 08:09:47 +0000

Recently on a bus to Los Angeles Intl. Airport I met Rachel, a musician from San Francisco http://www.rachelefron.com. Rachel mentioned that she is currently planning a West Coast live tour - and it will be a houseconcert tour. In other words she will be performing in private homes, backyards and small community meeting rooms. Check out http://www.houseconcerts.com/about.html for more.
I am aware that a lot of musicians in the US might know about all this already. Nevertheless I am sharing this information on Shapeshifters for all those who are looking for new opportunities to reach a small but appreciative audience out there.

Bioneers 2007 Conference

CarolineofCabal — fri, 03 aug 2007 10:22:45 +0000

Are there any 'Shapeshifters' planning to attend the Bioneers Conference in California this October 19-21? http://www.bioneers.org If so, I'd be keen to connect there ... "The Bioneers Conference is a dynamic, leading-edge forum, focused on practical and visionary solutions for restoring the Earths imperiled ecosystems and healing our human communities."
Alternatively .. what other great events are happening around the planet in october / november this year ... on the subject of ecological intelligence, creativity and future (collaborative) design paradigms?? Ideas??
cher.

Cross-Cultural Collaboration:China & The West

randytsang — mon, 09 jul 2007 14:58:30 +0000

Attended a very interesting lecture this week by Christina Wenjun Li founder of http://www.uigarden.net/ an online bi-lingual magazine focused on user experience. It strikes me that companies are only just beginning to take Chinese internet users seriously. There is currently a lack of communication between Chinese and Western designers. However, I am sure this is all about to change very soon. It has been estimated that within the next 15-20 years, the number of Chinese language websites will eclipse the number of English language ones.

Since the Chinese population represents about a 1/4 of the world population and as the number of broadband users grows, it would be foolish for designers intending to operate in the international community not to research and understand the habits and needs of this market. This is an interesting article on the top ten "myths" about design in China. Well worth a read.
http://www.uigarden.net/english/the-top-10-myths-truths-abou...

Here is another interesting article on usability in China. A quick look at any Chinese website and you will be struck by how distracting and chaotic it can be. There is currently a debate over whether this is because Chinese users actually prefer it this way or if they simply haven't yet settled on any specific usability preferences.
http://www.uigarden.net/english/usability-half-way-round-the...
When designing for an Eastern audience, bear in mind that due to the huge differences in culture, society and language, just because something works for a western audience does not necessarily mean it will work for the East. Tastes can be widely different. Just try finding cheese in China!

International Artists / Musicians in New York

bmunch — sun, 08 jul 2007 19:34:10 +0000

Greetings,

ScribeMedia.Org is starting a video series on international artists and musicians and their cultural contributions to New York City, and are gathering a roster of people to interview and/or profile.

These can be anyone from established players/artists to a cab driver who also happens to be an exceptional kora player.

People who fit the bill include visual and performance artists as well as musicians. Filmmakers and documentarians fit the bill too. The point though is that they've come from abroad for whatever reason (political, economic, or just because they though NYC would be better than wherever it is they're coming from) and are trying to make it here.

If you know of individuals, groups or organizations you think we'd benefit from getting in touch with, please let us know.

You can find out more about us at http://www.scribemedia.org, and view our profile of Shapeshifters at http://www.scribemedia.org/2007/06/21/weather-report-01/

You can contact us at pubs [at] scribemedia [dot] org.

Shapeshifters and Weathermakers

storytracker — thu, 28 jun 2007 07:40:17 +0000

ScribeMedia.Org travels the US to capture and deliver speeches, lectures, roundtables and interviews of thoughtleaders across a broad range of subject areas that includes current events, technology, media, business and the arts. ScribeMedia provides a neutral forum for intelligent dialog and debate, uncluttered by soundbytes, instant punditry and shoutfests. The latest headline story is about Shapeshifters - and how social media goes niche.

The interview was recorded in Manhattan early April 2007 while the Shapeshifters World Seeding Tour had a stoppover in New York City. The video gives you a comprehensive 10 minute insight into previous world tour destinations and provides the big picture on what is going on behind the scenes of the website. For the first time ever.

Thank you Damon Berry in Johannesburg for providing and editing the video footage. Thank you Sasha and Michael from ScribeMedia for putting so much efforts into this feature and telling the story in such an amazing way: http://www.scribemedia.org/2007/06/21/weather-report-01/

Amazing Chocolate Historian

ericpoe — fri, 08 jun 2007 16:50:50 +0000

You think you know everything about chocolate? Well, think again. Just recently
I met Mark J. Sciscenti from http://www.kakawachocolates.com at a reception in Santa Fe and got a taste of the most amazing chocolate buffet one can imagine.

These guys are specialized on hand-crafted historic European and Mesoamerican Aztec drinking chocolate and I wish I could describe you how amazing these elixirs taste. What I also like about Kakawa Chocolate House is their cultural approach to chocolate. They organize Chocolate tours and presentations that reach far beyond the taste of sweetness. I can highly recommend Kakawa as a customer.

Mark also told me that he would like to go abroad with this product and that he his on the lookout for potential partners e.g. in other parts of the world.

eric

Rebranding of Africa...

mojisola — thu, 07 jun 2007 15:22:04 +0000

Hi there,

I'm trying to find people/design/companies/orgs/trade shows/events etc who are involved in Africa's contemporary culture and design industries.

I've come accross a couple of new mags (www.bhfmagazine.com) and someone here recommended Design Indaba which was a great find, thanks for that!

Any other recommendations on what's going on in Africa that I should know about?

Contact: rachel@mojisola.co.uk

kiva.org

hempstar — sat, 19 may 2007 18:59:56 +0000

http://www.kiva.org is a non profit organization in the US hat provides micro-loans to entrepreneures in developing contries. People like you and me can lend the funds needed. On my blog I write about experiences: http://www.rattenschwanz.net.