the elevator pitch

talking to the top

Bailouts, Palin and Obama: How to Cut Through Media Oversaturation

Published September 21st, 2008 in PR News | No Comments »


Henry Paulson, U.S. treasury secretary, talks bailouts and economic woes.

The media are a fickle bunch.

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were consumed by the gaga over Sarah Palin. A week prior to that deluge of news surrounding the Republicans’ pick for vice president, we were inundated with coverage of presidential hopeful Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention. The price of oil dominated earlier in the summer and the housing collapse in the spring.

It’s been a year where news and potential newsmakers can slip through the lens with ease. When there’s big news, the mainstream media provides saturation coverage. That means TV, print media and talk radio will spotlight one topic because market research has shown viewers and readers are more likely to stay interested if the focus remains on the news of the day.

Producers and editors will exhaust all angles before providing “space” to other subjects. If you’ve ever wondered why the media fixates on a particular topic, now you know. However, if you’re trying to gain attention, you must understand how to get noticed by an industry that can suffer such tunnel vision.

This week, the $700-billion government package that aims to bring calm to the global stock markets will be at the forefront on Monday and Tuesday before giving way to the frenzy of anticipation surrounding Friday’s presidential debate between Obama and John McCain.

If you wanted to get a message out this week, some public relations firms might facetiously tell you good luck. Unfortunately, that’s an approach of surrender and business leaders don’t succeed by giving up.

(more…)

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post 

From Strip to Screen: Z2H Scores Ink

Published March 28th, 2008 in News Hits | No Comments »

CSM Another Hit! Here’s an article published in Creative Screenwriting Magazine about the emerging “fanboy” and “fangirl” social network, Zeros 2 Heroes.

Creative Screenwriting

Published: February, 2008
From Strip to Screen
Startup Seeks Comic Writers with Movie Dreams

By A. Brijbassi

The Internet, with its ceaseless possibilities and never-ending stream of wonders, is fertile ground for wild imaginations. No wonder, then, that when a new online enterprise centered on the creation of original comic books launched last summer it sought the guidance of one of the most fecund minds in the entertainment business.

Paul Dini, a five-time Emmy-winning writer-producer, joined the social-networking outfit Zeros 2 Heroes (Z2H) in October, coming aboard as editor-in-chief of the ambitious Vancouver startup. The goal of the company is to produce one comic book a week in 2008, then pitch each story to producers and studios in hopes of landing deals for big-picture films or small screen series.

“I’ve been interested in the potential of Web comics for a long time. Zeros 2 Heroes came to me with what I thought was a unique and welcoming approach for writers to get their work paired with aspiring artists and then placed before readers,” says Dini, whose credits include the Batman cartoon series and ABC’s hit Lost. “I thought that was a very supportive way to bring new talent into what has generally been a tough business for novices.”

The 50-year-old screenwriter was recruited by Z2H board member and long-time friend Paul Gertz, who is also the CEO of Rainmaker Animation and, like Dini, a former Lucasfilm employee. “We’ve wanted to work together on a big, fun project like this for some time,” Dini says.

Like a giant writers’ workshop, devoid of the awkward moments when criticism is delivered face-to-face, Z2H encourages participants to give feedback online to their peers. Starting in January, that feedback will lead to publication. Z2H’s users upload their storylines, scripts and artwork for evaluation. The projects that receive the most voters from community members graduate to the Z2H production phase, which is where Dini’s expertise with evolving ideas into marketable screenplays comes in.

“He’s helping us help storytellers get their stories out there. He understands the transformation from script, or what’s on the written page, to film,” Gertz says.

(more…)

[Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post