When Showtime’s smash TV hit DEXTER made its 5th season premiere on September 26, 2010, the date also marked the finale of a nine-week ARG (alternate reality game) that whipped fans into a frenzy just before the season’s launch. The game development team (which called the ARG an "actual reality game" because it so infiltrated their real lives) built the world of the Infinity Killer, a serial murderer obsessed with fate and social control, and the Serial Huntress, an ex-FBI agent who caught serial killers through crowdsourcing. This SXSW Interactive presentation brings together the Dexter ARG team – Showtime and Modernista!, with Promax/BDA President Jonathan Block-Verk moderating, to take attendees through the thought process, story development arc, execution challenges -- and exciting possibilities -- of the ARG format.
Howard
aka
@goldzillen
I am a medianaut. I love to flow thru all media new, old and otherwise. Let's explore together the future of storytelling and make things that have never existed before.
I am the co-founder of Soundlab Cultural Alchemy a multi media platform for experiments in the electrotechtural now. Artists such as Anti-Pop Consortium, DJ Spooky, Alec Empire, Autechre, Dizzy Rascal, DJ Singe and many others have come thru the frequency modulation of Soundlab.
I also make sculpture, sound and software.
hey.now.
We live our own fictions and write our own histories.
As President and CEO of PromaxBDA International Jonathan Block-Verk has transformed the organization into a year-round, membership-focused, hyper-relevant resource for marketing professionals in the entertainment industry. In this position, Block-Verk oversees all aspects of the global organization including business operations, membership and international conferences that service the television, video game, sports media and local television marketing industries.
Under Block-Verk’s leadership, PromaxBDA launched brief magazine, and daily email newsletter, Daily Brief, showcasing industry news and creative work from the international entertainment marketing community.
Block-Verk also launched The Sports Media Marketing Summit & Awards, the first international event celebrating creativity, excellence and innovation in Sports Media Marketing. And this year, the organization will launch The Station Summit, a 2-day event specifically designed for marketing executives in the local television business.
Recognizing a critical diversity deficiency, in 2010 Block-Verk launched the PromaxBDA Diversity Council, an industry supported “Action Tank” designed to create a sustainable pipeline of diverse talent into the entertainment marketing industry. Through this initiative, he lead the development and deployment of the country’s first accredited ‘Television Promotion’ college-level program. Launched earlier this year, the pilot program targets high-risk youth (18-25) and provides them with college-level education opportunities and training for high-paying jobs in the entertainment marketing business.
In 2010, Jonathan partnered with award-winning producer, Ted Hope and Academy Award-winning producer, Pascal Vanguelsy to produce his first feature film ‘The Collaborator starring David Morse, Olivia Williams and Katherine Helmond set to premier in late 2011.
Prior to leading PromaxBDA, Block-Verk was Publisher and Executive Producer of events for ‘boards Magazine, an international trade journal for the advertising production industry. He was also the driving force behind the subsidiary events, the Boards Summit, Boards University and The First Boards Awards.
Encompassing previous posts in sales, marketing, production and management, Block-Verk has held executive positions in print and digital publishing, advertising production, motion graphics, animation and babysitting.
Block-Verk is a graduate of Quebec's Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies. He lives in Venice Beach with his wife, two kids and a boxer.
As Vice President, Digital Marketing, Marcelo Guerra creates and oversees the digital media marketing strategy and operations for Showtime Networks. He is responsible for developing and implementing the cross platform marketing promotional plans for SHOWTIME’s original series, including social media marketing, community outreach, sweepstakes and other digital marketing initiatives for the network.
Before joining Showtime in 2008, Guerra was Vice President, Digital Client Services at entertainment agency Trailer Park, where he built their online advertising service line and led campaigns for blockbuster movies including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Simpsons Movie, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
Prior to that, Guerra served as Account Director at Organic, one of the world's leading digital marketing agencies. During his tenure at Organic, he worked with category leaders including 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sprint PCS, Symantec and Macys.com. Before then, Marcelo led the online marketing team in the Education Group at Microsoft.
Guerra studied philosophy and psychology at Boston University. He is based in Showtime Networks' corporate headquarters located in New York City.
