Innovative Individuals

Innovative Individuals: Ed Kashi and Julie Winokur

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In the flood of emails, blog comments and verbal reactions to the “100 notable multimedia professionals” post, two names were referenced for inclusion time and time again: Ed Kashi and Julie Winokur. Therefore, I am happy to announce that they were both selected in the inaugural edition of the “Innovative Individuals” series.

Julie and Ed are arguably best known for their intimate visual portrayals of social issues such as elderly care, the uninsured, and oil exploitation, among others. Six years ago they founded Talking Eyes Media, a non-profit organization advocating for positive social change through the use of powerful, visual communication methods. They utilize the wide range of storytelling formats to publicize their stories, such as books, press kits, moving exhibitions, and the viral nature of the Web. Their stories have been featured by numerous news outlets such as MSNBC and Discovery Communications, and several were picked up by MediaStorm.

Below is a brief Q&A I conducted with them via email to help II readers learn more about their work and how they push the envelope for multimedia storytelling.

Q) How do you drive innovation in your work?
A) We don’t see our work as static. We are constantly growing and evolving, as people and as professionals, so every project is an opportunity to stretch our knowledge and creativity beyond what we’ve already done. The nature of the media is also forcing us to innovate because it’s changing so quickly. We can’t rely on the same tools that we used last year, let alone ten years ago. This is what makes the whole process so dynamic and exciting. We also enjoy teaching and working with younger colleagues, because it helps us stayed attuned to their mindset.

Q) What piece in your portfolio are you most proud of and why?
A) That’s a really tough question. There’s no one project that we feel ranks above all the others. They have each grown out of a passion for the subject matter and a desire to communicate something important. Our most successful projects to date have been Aging in America, The Sandwich Generation, Iraqi Kurdistan and Curse of the Black Gold. These stand out because of the life they have had beyond us. We are energized by the impact of our efforts, so when a student writes to us and says that our work on the Niger Delta opened her eyes to the injustice of oil exploitation on local communities, we’re incredibly proud. When a man e-mails a note of gratitude for The Sandwich Generation because it made him feel comforted and empowered as he cares for his ailing mother, we’re deeply gratified. It seems this is the measure of success.

Q) Please provide a brief educational and professional history.
A) Ed went to the Syracuse University and received a BA in Photojournalism. He started freelancing immediately after graduating and has since been published extensively in the US and abroad. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine, and has won numerous awards from Pictures of the Year International, World Press, Communication Arts, and American Photography, among others. He has photographed in over 60 countries and his images have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Time, Fortune, Geo, Newsweek and many other domestic and international publications.

Julie graduated the University of Michigan, where she received a BA in Dance Criticism. After dancing professionally for a couple of years, she took a job with Travel & Leisure Magazine as an assistant editor, and eventually transitioned to freelance writing. Since then, her stories have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, the Boston Globe and the San Jose Mercury News, among others. Her films and multi-media pieces appear on PBS, MSNBC.com, Discovery.com and MediaStorm, among other outlets. Julie and Ed founded Talking Eyes Media, a non-profit social issue media company, in 2003.

Q) Where do you believe multimedia fits into today’s society and how will that role change over time?
A) The beauty of multi-media is that it lives in the space between still photography and documentary film. We believe that it is revitalizing photography because it is providing the still image a place in the fast paced world of today’s media. The nature of multi-media allows us to redefine the visual experience, so we can play with pacing, motion, and narrative with far more flexibility. We also now have a platform to share this type of work, since the means of distribution is shifting almost completely to the web. Although the prevailing wisdom says that web viewers have short attention spans, the web allows us to create pieces of any length since it isn’t limited by the strict confines of television time slots or magazine pages. It also means that whether you’ve got a major media outlet or your own personal blog, you can post your work for the world to see. It’s an incredibly dynamic time in media, and our ability to adapt as multi-media producers is critical to keeping us vital content producers. Increasingly, news outlets are recognizing the need to translate their stories into moving images, and even e-books are starting to incorporate video to expand the experience beyond the written word. We live in a time when there’s an insatiable appetite for visual media, and the outlets seem to continue to expand.

Q) What is one thing on your “To-Do” list?
A) Julie is desperately trying to finish a film about the breakdown in emergency services as told through the perspective of Los Angeles firefighter/paramedics, who are increasingly on the frontlines of medical care. Ed is eager to launch a project that would pursue the significance of his family name, which comes from Iran.

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Want to nominate a deserving colleague, friend or inspirational figure to be highlighted in this series? Confidential nominations can be emailed to tracynboyer@gmail.com on an ongoing basis. Self nominations are also welcome. A person will be featured every Friday, so look for the next “innovative individual” Friday, November 13th!

Other posts that might interest you:

• Innovative Individuals: Nancy Donaldson
• Innovative Individuals: Matt Ford
• Innovative Individuals: Jeff Achen

© 5 November 2009 Innovative Interactivity.