Innovative Individuals

Innovative Individuals: Eric Maierson

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I’m pretty sure I don’t have to introduce you to Eric Maierson, multimedia producer at MediaStorm and this week’s Innovative Individual. I’m also pretty sure I can speak for a lot of us when I say that Eric’s work is inspirational, to say the least. And it’s not just his work – all of the advice he happily provides on MediaStorm’s blog and his personal site is an invaluable resource for budding multimedia producers.

Here is a collection of my favorite posts by Eric:
Ten Tips for Working With Music in Multimedia
Advice to Multimedia Producers
Ten Ways To Improve Your Multimedia Production Right Now
MediaStorm’s Multiclip Workflow
Navigating the After Effects Timeline
What is a story?
Three Steps to Improving Your Multimedia Video

Speaking of his work, it is timely that I chose to feature Eric the same week that he won an Emmy in the “New Approaches to Business & Financial Reporting” category for his “Crisis Guide: The Global Economy” package. But wait – that’s not even his first Emmy. Back in 2007, Eric won his first Emmy for the documentary “Kingsley’s Crossing.” With a slew of other notable awards under his belt, it’s no wonder people look to him for inspiration. Furthermore, after reading this excellent Q&A with Eric, I bet you’ll be even more impressed with his work, character, and charisma.

Q) How do you drive innovation in your work?

A) I want to be a better storyteller. I want to be a better editor. I just want to get better. I never want to feel like I’m doing the same thing I did last time.

My background is in film so I watch plenty of movies. And as anyone who knows me will tell you, I spend lots of time watching things on the Internet, too. I like to think about what others have done, particularly in other fields, and how I can incorporate that into my own work. In the end, though, it always comes back to the basics. How do I create a greater meaning from the combination of two specific images? On my to-do list is producing a story that is complete in just four shots. I like limitations, as they force me to think in new directions.

What I like so much about my job at MediaStorm is that there’s always an openness to try new things, to produce in a way that best fits the story at hand. We strive to find the essence. Brian is fond of the quote, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time” which illustrates the difficulty in achieving simplicity.

Plus, I read a lot. If I’m working on a story about a particular subject, I’ll read as much as I can. I want to surround myself with material about a topic. Editing is an act of empathy, and the best way to be empathetic is to understand.

Q) What piece in your portfolio are you most proud of and why?

A) That’s a tough one. There’s so much I’ve done at MediaStorm that I’m really proud of. I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with many world-class photographers like Ed Kashi, Olivier Jobard, and Brenda Ann Kenneally, to name just a few. When I think about that question, though, what comes to mind is moments. Like the funeral scene in Kristen Ashburn’s Bloodline or the shot of the truck pulling away at the end of the “Family Farm” section of Danny Wilcox Frazier’s Driftless or the hospital sequence of Marcus Bleasdale’s Rape of a Nation. Sometimes there’s just this perfect confluence of photographs, story, and music that just seems…I don’t know how to say this without sounding pretentious, but they just feel right together. Of course, that’s the work of lots of people along the way–I’m just lucky to be there at the end of that process.

Q) Please provide a brief educational and professional history.

A) I studied radio and television at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York. Then, I received an M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. I spent most of my 20s working in bookstores and making short films. Then, I worked at a TV production company in New York for a number of years. We produced work for Lifetime, MTV, Nickelodeon, and others. I did a ton of field producing and scriptwriting, which was really invaluable. I started working at MediaStorm in the summer of 2006. My wife works at Slate.com, which was featuring Never Coming Home at the time. I watched the piece once, and I was sold. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. And I was fortunate enough to be hired shortly after.

Since 2006, I’ve produced or co-produced 10 projects on the MediaStorm site as well as MediaStorm client work for National Geographic, Council on Foreign Relations, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and a number of others.

Q) Where do you believe multimedia fits into today’s society and how will that role change over time?

A) I think the not-so-secret partner of multimedia is in the Internet. I love the democratization of media and the sheer number of creative people that are producing work. The desire for visual information is boundless, and that makes for a great environment in which to work. Yes, there’s lots of garbage out there, but there’s brilliance, too. And unlike when I started my career, producers today can be content providers. You don’t have to own a TV station or a quarter-million-dollar Avid system. That notion has been articulated far better by others, but the truth that it holds is remarkable. People want to be told a good story. It is in our DNA. Tell them a good story, and they’ll come back for more. Plain and simple. But not easy

Q) What is one thing on your “To-Do” list?

A) There are so things on my to-do list. Like a lot of others who’ve been featured on this page, I really want to learn After Effects. After playing with the trial for about a month, I finally bit the bullet and purchased a copy. Now that I’ve made the investment, I have to make the commitment. Or so the theory goes. I’ve been spending an hour or so each morning making my way through lynda.com, aetuts.com, and greyscalegorilla.com. Plus, bugging Jody Sugrue a lot. I know enough now to realize how deep the program really is and how you could make a career out of understanding it.

Also, I’m close to finishing the fiction film I’ve been working on with Pam Chen for the last two-and-a-half years. And of course, I’m always looking forward to the next MediaStorm project. I feel like a kid in a candy store most days. And I love candy.

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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, December 18th!

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