Ze Frank, Internet legend and pioneer, comedian, presenter and lecturer, and Gary Carter, President, Creative Networks and Chief Creative Officer, FMX of FremantleMedia, will deliver a joint keynote on creativity at MIPCOM 2008, on Tuesday, October 14 in cooperation with the Entertainment Master Class, The Format Academy for Entertainment Television.
Entitled "A Million Dying Flowers: Popularity, the Network and the Next Big Thing," the two will explore the digital divide between old and new media. Lobbing bombs across this no-man's land, and some at the audience, they will discuss ways in which new technology is enabling a new public creativity, and try to imagine business models which will enable, not shut down, new forms of content. Together, Frank and Carter will try to ascertain, once and for all, if there is a difference between "traditional" and "new" media.
Frank made his name creating viral web content after the surprise success of an online birthday party invitation entitled "How to Dance Properly." His personal site, www.zefrank.com, has garnered a Webby and has been featured in TIME Magazine, THE NEW YORK TIMES, and many other publications around the globe. His daily video blog "The Show" has seen a similar success. He has twice spoken at TED, and has taught widely, including at ITP/NYU, and Parsons School of Design.
According to Carter, Ze Frank's success is due to his capacity to bypass traditional players, "His work online has been a fascination of mine for some time, so you could say I've been a stalker of his for a while -- that's how I introduced myself to him when he was speaking at TED. Thanks to the Web, we are seeing an expression of creativity from people who previously had neither tools nor access to distribution."
