Lance Weiler
Encyclopedia
LANCE WEILER'S RÉSUMÉ
Lance Weiler is an American film-maker and writer from Pennsylvania
. Initially working as an assistant cameraman and camera operator on large commercial shoots, in Pennsylvania and later New York City
, he then co-directed, co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in The Last Broadcast
in 1998. In 2005 he wrote, directed, and co-produced his second film, Head Trauma. Head Trauma premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2006.
He sits on a World Economic Forum steering committee for the future of content creation, is part of the Research Institute for the Advancement of Cinema Arts and Commerce think tank on the future of film at NYU and teaches at Columbia University
on the art, craft and business of storytelling in the 21st Century.
He founded the content creator resource The Workbook Project & network, the discovery and distribution film festival From Here to Awesome, and a complementary conference series, DIY Days.
Weiler wrote a column on digital media-related topics at the Blog Herald, from 2006 to 2007. He is also a regular columnist for Filmmaker Magazine. His column entitled Culture Hacker looks at the intersection of tech and entertainment.
His work has been featured in Time, Forbes, "Wired" and on television programs such as Entertainment Tonight and CNN. His first feature, The Last Broadcast, is currently distributed in over 20 countries. It has the honor of being the first all-digital release of a motion picture to theaters nationwide and has enjoyed runs on HBO and IFC. To date, The Last Broadcast, a self-distributed effort, has grossed over 4.5 million dollars worldwide.
Head Trauma had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival in 2006 and had a 17-city DIY digital theatrical run before hitting stores and retail outlets nationwide on DVD. Weiler developed a cinema ARG (alternate reality game) around Head Trauma. Over 2.5 million people experienced the game via theaters, mobile drive-ins, phones and online. In recognition of these cinematic gaming innovations, BusinessWeek named Lance “One of the 18 Who Changed Hollywood.” Others on the list included "Thomas Edison", "George Lucas", "Steve Jobs" and "Walt Disney".
At Sundance 2011, Weiler released Pandemic, a transmedia
experience playing out across film, mobile, web and a live experience.
In addition to making feature films, Weiler directs commercials and music videos. He often lectures at universities and film societies about the changing landscape of content creation and distribution. He has spoken at the Cannes, Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals and has consulted for large ad agencies, entertainment companies and corporations.
Weiler is also the founder of the Workbook Project, a “social open source” project for filmmakers. The Workbook Project’s goal is to help filmmakers understand the changing landscape of funding, production, promotion, and distribution in a digital age.
Lance Weiler is an American film-maker and writer from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Initially working as an assistant cameraman and camera operator on large commercial shoots, in Pennsylvania and later New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, he then co-directed, co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in The Last Broadcast
The Last Broadcast (film)
The Last Broadcast is a 1998 American horror film made by Stefan Avalos and Lance Weiler. The film was produced digitally using inexpensive PC-based hardware and software.-Synopsis:...
in 1998. In 2005 he wrote, directed, and co-produced his second film, Head Trauma. Head Trauma premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2006.
He sits on a World Economic Forum steering committee for the future of content creation, is part of the Research Institute for the Advancement of Cinema Arts and Commerce think tank on the future of film at NYU and teaches at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
on the art, craft and business of storytelling in the 21st Century.
He founded the content creator resource The Workbook Project & network, the discovery and distribution film festival From Here to Awesome, and a complementary conference series, DIY Days.
Weiler wrote a column on digital media-related topics at the Blog Herald, from 2006 to 2007. He is also a regular columnist for Filmmaker Magazine. His column entitled Culture Hacker looks at the intersection of tech and entertainment.
His work has been featured in Time, Forbes, "Wired" and on television programs such as Entertainment Tonight and CNN. His first feature, The Last Broadcast, is currently distributed in over 20 countries. It has the honor of being the first all-digital release of a motion picture to theaters nationwide and has enjoyed runs on HBO and IFC. To date, The Last Broadcast, a self-distributed effort, has grossed over 4.5 million dollars worldwide.
Head Trauma had its world premiere at the LA Film Festival in 2006 and had a 17-city DIY digital theatrical run before hitting stores and retail outlets nationwide on DVD. Weiler developed a cinema ARG (alternate reality game) around Head Trauma. Over 2.5 million people experienced the game via theaters, mobile drive-ins, phones and online. In recognition of these cinematic gaming innovations, BusinessWeek named Lance “One of the 18 Who Changed Hollywood.” Others on the list included "Thomas Edison", "George Lucas", "Steve Jobs" and "Walt Disney".
At Sundance 2011, Weiler released Pandemic, a transmedia
Transmedia storytelling
Transmedia storytelling, also known as multi-platform storytelling, cross-platform storytelling, or transmedia narrative, is the technique of telling stories across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies...
experience playing out across film, mobile, web and a live experience.
In addition to making feature films, Weiler directs commercials and music videos. He often lectures at universities and film societies about the changing landscape of content creation and distribution. He has spoken at the Cannes, Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals and has consulted for large ad agencies, entertainment companies and corporations.
Weiler is also the founder of the Workbook Project, a “social open source” project for filmmakers. The Workbook Project’s goal is to help filmmakers understand the changing landscape of funding, production, promotion, and distribution in a digital age.
Selected filmography
- The Last Broadcast (1998, producer, co-writer, actor, co-director)
- Head Trauma (2006, producer, co-writer, director)
- RADAR - 42 episodes (2008 to 2010, co-creator, producer)
- Pandemic (2011, co-writer, director)
External links
- - Lance shares transmedia design notes
- Bullet Hole in Glass an interview with Lance Weiler MovieScope Magazine
- Lance Weiler's official site
- Head Trauma site
- How Do You Remix Head Trauma?
- Head Trauma cinema ARG - WIRED.com coverage?
- The Workbook Project - open source filmmaker resource project founded by Lance Weiler
- Online conference with Lance Weiler at The D-WordThe D-WordThe D-Word is a worldwide online community for professionals in the documentary film industry. Discussions include creative, business, technical, and social topics related to documentary filmmaking....
- 18 People Who Changed Hollywood