Daedalus Howell
Encyclopedia
Daedalus Howell is an American writer, filmmaker and media personality, who leads FMRL, the Future Media Research Lab, a Berkeley, CA-based media venture that produces branded entertainment
and transmedia.
Howell is author of the novel The Late Projectionist and the writer-director of dozens of short films. As a journalist, he has written for the San Francisco Chronicle
, the North Bay Bohemian, the Petaluma Argus-Courier, Los Angeles Downtown News, FineLife Sonoma Magazine (for which he was editor) and the Sonoma Valley Sun. As a broadcast personality, Howell has hosted shows on KWMR (West Marin Coastal Radio) and KSVY (Sonoma, CA) and guest hosts The Drive on KSRO in Sonoma County. He presently writes a weekly column for the Sonoma Index-Tribune. He also pens a media column for the North Bay Bohemian and is credited as the "wine country editor" of Tasting Panel Magazine.
With collaborator Jerry Rapp, Howell wrote and directed the R&H Educational Film Series, a four-part parody of American "social guidance films" of the 1950s. The series has played on Showtime and Canal+
. A portion of the series was showcased on IFC
. Howell has also directed music videos for RCA-signed Longwave
and New York City-based Falcon. Howell also co-produced the feature film The Aviary
.
Howell was named "Lifestyle Ambassador" to his native Sonoma County by the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau in 2008 and stars in a series of videos entitled "Inside Sonoma," which highlight tourism sites throughout Sonoma County's wine country. Howell portrays himself as a cheeky guide to the wine country lifestyle with comic results.
.
The California Tourism Industry Association (CalTIA) awarded Howell first place for his Inside Sonoma series in in October, 2008
In 2011, Howell also won first place in the National Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest for "Best Humorous Column" for his contributions to the 'Sonoma Index-Tribune.
Howell's name itself has sparked controversy, not least of which for its pronunciation, "DAY-de-lus." Howell spells "Daedalus" with the "ae" diphthong which would properly be pronounced "Deedalus." Howell's recorded birth name was "Daedalus Christopher Ferguson," though he changed his surname to "Howell" at 18, which was his father's original last name prior to adoption by his stepfather. Throughout his formative years, Howell used the name "Chris Ferguson" and did not begin using "Daedalus Howell" in earnest until his early 20s when he became a professional writer.
In 2009, Howell formed DHowell Media Group, a branded entertainment company which has produced content for national brands including Annie's Homegrown
, Morton's Steakhouse and Sutter Home Winery
as well as numerous music videos. In October 2010, Howell changed the name of the company to FMRL, an acronym for "Future Media Research Lab" and a pun on "ephemeral." In 2011, FMRL contracted with Wikia
to produce food and beverage-themed content in addition to renewing its relationship with the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau to produce Howell's "lifestyle ambassador" video series. Howell also produces content for Snibbe Interactive, founded by interactive media artist Scott Snibbe
.
.
Howell also hosted and directed the documentary "Copia: The American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts," for WineTV, which never aired due to the closure of Copia.
Branded entertainment
Branded entertainment, also known as branded content or advertainment, is an entertainment-based vehicle that is funded by and complementary to a brand's marketing strategy. The purpose of a branded entertainment program is to give a brand the opportunity to communicate its image to its target...
and transmedia.
Howell is author of the novel The Late Projectionist and the writer-director of dozens of short films. As a journalist, he has written for the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, the North Bay Bohemian, the Petaluma Argus-Courier, Los Angeles Downtown News, FineLife Sonoma Magazine (for which he was editor) and the Sonoma Valley Sun. As a broadcast personality, Howell has hosted shows on KWMR (West Marin Coastal Radio) and KSVY (Sonoma, CA) and guest hosts The Drive on KSRO in Sonoma County. He presently writes a weekly column for the Sonoma Index-Tribune. He also pens a media column for the North Bay Bohemian and is credited as the "wine country editor" of Tasting Panel Magazine.
With collaborator Jerry Rapp, Howell wrote and directed the R&H Educational Film Series, a four-part parody of American "social guidance films" of the 1950s. The series has played on Showtime and Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
. A portion of the series was showcased on IFC
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
. Howell has also directed music videos for RCA-signed Longwave
Longwave (band)
Longwave is an American indie rock band. The band was formed in 1999 by guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Steve Schiltz, guitarist Shannon Ferguson, bassist Dave Marchese and drummer Jeremy Greene.-History:...
and New York City-based Falcon. Howell also co-produced the feature film The Aviary
The Aviary
The Aviary is a 2005 independent film about the ups and downs in the personal life of a flight attendant, coping with a transfer to a new city, finding a new love, and everything in between...
.
Howell was named "Lifestyle Ambassador" to his native Sonoma County by the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau in 2008 and stars in a series of videos entitled "Inside Sonoma," which highlight tourism sites throughout Sonoma County's wine country. Howell portrays himself as a cheeky guide to the wine country lifestyle with comic results.
Awards
In 2007, Howell placed first in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies’ national “Altweekly Awards” for Food Writing/Criticism (circ. 60,000 or less) for his wine column in the North Bay BohemianNorth Bay Bohemian
The North Bay Bohemian is a free weekly newspaper published in the North Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area, in California, United States...
.
The California Tourism Industry Association (CalTIA) awarded Howell first place for his Inside Sonoma series in in October, 2008
In 2011, Howell also won first place in the National Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest for "Best Humorous Column" for his contributions to the 'Sonoma Index-Tribune.
Controversy
Among other exploits, Howell and Rapp are known for squatting on the Warner Bros. studio back lot, which became the inspiration for their proposed TV series "Back Lot" (the duo cited Steven Spielberg's apocryphal stories of sneaking onto the Universal Studios lot as an influence). Negotiations with Fremantle Media and the Sundance Channel stalled in 2005 and the project was eventually shelved, though several short stories by Howell and a short film produced by Howell, Rapp and then-producer Ross Martin still exist. The series was pitched as "Two guys sneak off a tourist tram onto a Hollywood back lot, live in the sets, eat craft service and wear wardrobe while trying to get a three picture deal." It is highly unlikely that Howell and Rapp could have evaded lot security for any meaningful duration and their hijinks were thought to be a hoax. Howell's account of the "Back Lot" odyssey was published by Metroactive as "[L.A. Confidential]http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/08.24.05/confidential-0534.html" in the August 24–30, 2005 issue of the North Bay Bohemian. The article was subtitled "In which our writer mines Milton, fends off Fabio, suffers attachment issues and waits to get back on the lot."Howell's name itself has sparked controversy, not least of which for its pronunciation, "DAY-de-lus." Howell spells "Daedalus" with the "ae" diphthong which would properly be pronounced "Deedalus." Howell's recorded birth name was "Daedalus Christopher Ferguson," though he changed his surname to "Howell" at 18, which was his father's original last name prior to adoption by his stepfather. Throughout his formative years, Howell used the name "Chris Ferguson" and did not begin using "Daedalus Howell" in earnest until his early 20s when he became a professional writer.
Entrepreneurial Pursuits
With poets Trane DeVore and Jonathan Legare, Howell published the literary quarterly Deluge Six. Howell would later create Scam Magazine, a satire tabloid published intermittently between 1993 and 1995. The publishing interest also released author Geoffrey B. Cain's novel "The Wards of St. Dymphna." Howell later liquidated the publishing company's assets (including a variety of related Internet domain names) to subsidize his first forays into independent film.In 2009, Howell formed DHowell Media Group, a branded entertainment company which has produced content for national brands including Annie's Homegrown
Annie's Homegrown
Annie's Homegrown is a Berkeley, California-based maker of natural and/or organic pastas, meals and snacks. The company, founded in Hampton, CT, is perhaps best known for its macaroni and cheese product line, which comes in shell form and bunny rabbit shapes, and is the second best selling macaroni...
, Morton's Steakhouse and Sutter Home Winery
Sutter Home Winery
Sutter Home Winery is one of the largest, independent family-run wineries in the United States, and the estate known for the creation of White Zinfandel. It is located in St. Helena, California...
as well as numerous music videos. In October 2010, Howell changed the name of the company to FMRL, an acronym for "Future Media Research Lab" and a pun on "ephemeral." In 2011, FMRL contracted with Wikia
Wikia
Wikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...
to produce food and beverage-themed content in addition to renewing its relationship with the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau to produce Howell's "lifestyle ambassador" video series. Howell also produces content for Snibbe Interactive, founded by interactive media artist Scott Snibbe
Scott Snibbe
Scott Snibbe is an interactive media artist, researcher, and entrepreneur. He is one of the first artists to work with projector-based interactivity, where a computer-controlled projection onto a wall or floor changes in response to people moving across its surface, with his well-known full-body...
.
Education
Howell dropped out of Petaluma High School in 1988 following a suspension from performing a staged adaptation of "Dr. Strangelove" (he would have graduated as part of the class of 1990). He later studied creative writing at San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
.
Filmography
- "Everywhere You Turn" video for New York-based LongwaveLongwave (band)Longwave is an American indie rock band. The band was formed in 1999 by guitarist, songwriter and vocalist Steve Schiltz, guitarist Shannon Ferguson, bassist Dave Marchese and drummer Jeremy Greene.-History:...
. - Hold Me With Your Robot Hand
- Is It Time to Swap?
- What To Do with Your Dead Hooker
- Johnny Come Early
- Farewell, My Android
- Orange
- All's Well That's Orwell
- I Am a Croissant
- The AviaryThe AviaryThe Aviary is a 2005 independent film about the ups and downs in the personal life of a flight attendant, coping with a transfer to a new city, finding a new love, and everything in between...
, co-producer - Life of Making (official selection of the Sonoma International Film Festival)
Howell also hosted and directed the documentary "Copia: The American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts," for WineTV, which never aired due to the closure of Copia.
External links
- Daedalus Howell's Official Website
- Daedalus Howell comments on resveratrol on NPR, “Red Wine Pills: Buyer Beware” Morning Edition. November 15, 2007
- Howell interviewed regarding digital filmmaking. “Speed of Film” North Bay Bohemian
- “Writer’s Line Up for a Chance to Voice Their Passion” Portland Oregonian, August 12, 2007
- “The Wild Bunch: North Bay Filmmakers Forge a New Cinematic Scene” North Bay Bohemian, August 24, 2005
- FMRL | Future Media Research Lab