About Zadi Diaz
Zadi Diaz is co-founder and principal of Smashface Productions, a new media production focused on developing original online video content, creating co-productions with traditional media, building and cultivating online communities and providing interactive consulting services.
Zadi is also the Executive Producer of several internet shows, vlogs and audio podcasts, including: EPIC-FU, New Mediacracy, Vidlicious, ZadiDiaz.com and others. Her coverage focus and interests include new media, social media, digital Hollywood, video, education, online collaboration, emerging technologies & aesthetics in video & film-making, and online youth culture.
Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Forbes Magazine, CBS Evening News, Business Week, and The Independent, among others. Recent work on EPIC-FU, a site about Internet culture, has garnered a Webby Award. She is the co-founder of Pixeloden, an annual screening festival held in LA recognizing innovation in global online video.
Previously, she worked as a theater producer/director, playwright and art director. She is also a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS), as well as a member of the Transatlantic Network 2020, an international cultural initiative founded by the British Council.
Recent Posts by Zadi Diaz
“IndieTV” Versus “Immersive Entertainment”
September 6, 2010 by Zadi Diaz
A passionate debate recently took place in the online video world about whether the short, scripted TV show model can gain an audience, versus interactive content and personality-driven entertainment. This is the kind of shit we love for New Mediacracy, so we gathered up Barrett Garese, Brett Register, Craig Frank, Jamie Blair, along with NM regulars Chris McCaleb, Zadi Diaz, and Steve Woolf and downed six, count ‘em six bottles of wine.
The backstory: Barrett had delivered his WebTVWorkshop tip of the day video back in May, which got picked up last week by others in the web show world. That led to a passionate discussion on Twitter with quite a few participants. There was a follow-up Tumblr post by Barrett that led to numerous replies. David Nett put forth his thoughts on Facebook, which also had a lively comments exchange afterwards, and there was a Tubefilter article by Marc Hustvedt, which generated similarly passionate comments. There were other blog posts by creators on their own sites, as well.
I think anyone interested in the future of web shows and online video entertainment would be interested in this discussion, and it goes to the heart of what we’ve been discussing recently on New Mediacracy. Give it a listen and post your comments below: is IndieTV a steady model that people can wrap their minds around, or should creators focus on pushing the envelope of storytelling?
*Note: My replies on Tumblr (post 1, post 2).
Original post on newmediacracy.com.
The Identity Problem of Web Video
August 29, 2010 by Zadi Diaz
Audio file: Newmediacracy – Episode 17, The One Where We Rant and Rave about Web Video
It’s been a while since the last New Mediacracy, so we took an opportunity to go back to basics with the core group of NM, Zadi Diaz, Chris McCaleb, and Steve Woolf. In the theme of getting back to basics, most of this episode’s discussion centers around the identity of web video, or the lack thereof. And a ton of discussion about working towards the sustainability of scripted web shows.
Also, there is the usual excess of drinking and the table we are sitting around hates us. Probably for our freedoms. It creaks and cracks throughout the whole show, sorry about that. But give it a listen, and post your thoughts in the comments.
22 SXSW Web Video/Film Panels to “Thumbs Up”
It’s that time of year again. SXSW panel voting is upon us and Internet land is buzzing with nerds campaigning for a spot in the web’s most fun event of the year. There are a lot of brilliant ideas and it’s difficult not to pick everything listed on the panel picker. Voting ends this Friday, and so with that, here are 22 SXSW web video and film panels to “thumbs up.”
1. The Global Online Community: Improving Cross-Cultural Relations
Andrew Kneale, British Council
I’m starting off selfishly and for personal gain. I’m not even going to attempt to hide it. I was invited to be on this panel. Truthfully, there is a lack of panels that focus on building an international community on the web. This is the Internet, after all! This panel talks about why it’s important, how to communicate our stories across cultures, and what you can do to build a truly global community. Extremely valuable for a show creator.
2. Can P2P Save Filmmaking?
Jamie King, VODO and BitTorrent Inc.
According to Ted Hope, producer of 21 Grams and Adventureland, just four percent of the independent films made in the U.S. annually get traditional distribution. …At a time when the Internet has essentially driven media distribution costs to zero, distributed networks like BitTorrent provide an effective and flexible way for filmmakers to distribute their content.
3. Fundraising in a Box: Crowdsourcing Microgrants
Dianne Debicella, Fractured Atlas
Crowdfunding, combined with fiscal sponsorship, is a powerful and effective way to use online social networks to cultivate new donors. The panel will focus on how to successfully use crowdfunding in conjunction with fiscal sponsorship.
4. The Woman’s Story: marketing, distribution and production.
Lauren Kesner O´Brien, telegraph21
This panel brings together female producers, directors, and distributors to share their perspectives and insights into the role of women in the new media landscape. We will also explore the challenges of being women in a male-dominated industry, how we are different, what we are looking for in new platforms, and what we are looking for as viewers.
5. Short Form Content to Inspire Action
TBD, Participant Media
Films like The Cove and Food, Inc have inspired a nationwide movement. But can short form content be equally effective in a video saturated online market? This panel will discuss how PSAs, funny videos, and short films online work today for causes, how to produce this type of content and how this will change in the future.
6. Zero budget? Video projects using only open-source tools
Jason Ormand, Opus Video Productions
This presentation will introduce open-source tools, cover strengths and weaknesses compared to commercial solutions, and walk users from beginning to end through an open-source video production process.
7. Transmedia Production: Making The New Frontier
Behnam Karbassi, No Mimes Media
Transmedia has become the talk of the town, but the question remains: how do you make this $#it? This presentation reviews the considerations, techniques and unique challenges facing the new type of producer that has to know a little about a lot.
8. Tron Unwired: Engineering New Worlds & Effects
Brent Heyning, Toyshoppe Systems
Check out the energy innovations under the hood as we look at the engineering that goes into building costumes, props, models and sets for science fiction films such as Tron. Producers and creators for film can learn quickly how to budget, plan and execute their special effects. Films large and small can build effective props with lighting, sound and in-camera special effects, often without a large budget.
9. 8 Easy Ways To Sabotage Your Film’s Marketing
Rohit Bhargava, Olgilvy
Creating a film and getting it distributed often gets all the attention, but what do filmmakers today need to know about the marketing behind their films? More importantly, what do they need to know about what to AVOID doing when promoting their films?
10. The Epic Fail of BitTorrent Indie Film Lawsuits
Eva Galperin, Electronic Frontier Foundation
The U.S. Copyright Group has quietly targeted tens of thousands of BitTorrent users for legal action in federal court in Washington DC. What is the U.S. Copyright Group? How are they suing so many people? What should you do if you’re sued? If you’re a movie fan, should you be worried? If you’re the producer of an independent film, should you be suing your fans? We’re going to find out.
11. International DIY Shoots With The Canon EOS 7D
Daniela Capistrano, DCAP Media
During this panel, industry professionals from diverse backgrounds will share their “first time” experiences using the Canon EOS 7D on international shoots, provide insight on their equipment list decisions and workflow, discuss post production, DIY tips & tricks to get the most out of your shoot, and answer questions about career opportunities for 7D shooters.
12. Indie Film Apps, Engage and Distribute
Mark Smillie, Stonehenge Productions
The distribution model has changed for indie film makers. It’s time to take charge and utilize new technologies to distribute and engage your audience. Film makers can now build Apps that run on a variety of platforms such as Apple, Android, and soon Google to distribute their films. By leveraging social media, film makers gain an unprecedented view into their audience. This Panel will discuss and debate this new engagement and distribution platform.
13. Yikes, I’m Being Sued! Managing litigation threats
Patricia Aufderheide, Center for Social Media, School of Communication, American University
How do you stay safe but still get your film made? In this panel you’ll hear filmmaker horror stories, and learn from leading lawyers for documentary filmmakers how to handle challenges such as fair use claims, workarounds to DMCA prohibitions on breaking encryption, and intimidation.
14. Choose Your Own Adventure: The Future of Interactive Film
Benjamin Palmer, The Barbarian Group
How can techniques developed for the internet and physical installations be coupled with the filmmakers’ art to create an entirely new category of digital entertainment? How can content creators leverage technology trends like social media, the prevalence of smart phones, and the convergence of the Internet and television? And how can it be done in a way that gives the audience a palpable sense of participation while maintaining the integrity and emotional impact of the story? A panel of interactive experts and filmmakers discuss where things are headed.
15. Virtually Augmented 3.0 Reality: New Tools for Filmmakers
Wendy Levy, BAVC
Driven by cloud computing, mobile and semantic technologies, virtual, augmented, and alternate reality, and crazy-sexy-cool search functionalities, web 3.0 is transforming the internet from a network of information to one of knowledge, services and linked data — with immersive digital content touching every aspect of our lives. At this panel, you will hear about new, interactive 3.0 doc projects from a panel of filmmakers who are considering stories as data points, subjects as avatars, real and virtual environments, 1st and 2nd life, and collaborative filmmaking “in the cloud.”
16. SXSW Films – Live Digital Makeovers
Chris Shellen, Open Face
More and more filmmakers are using the internet to finance, produce, distribute and market their no/low-budget films. Are you? The best way to learn about your options is to see them in action. In this workshop, we’ll take a few 2011 SXSW films and show how they could use the internet to: • Tell their stories in new ways • Get funding • Get production assistance • Get distribution • Find new fans • Market their films for almost nothing • Save (and even make) money. You don’t need to be an internet geek to use it to make your film a success.
17. Internets, How Do They Work?: Lessons from ROFLCon
Christina Xu, ROFLCon, LLC
What do you learn when you get the entire internet together in one room? In this panel, the cofounders of ROFLCon (Tim Hwang and Christina Xu) will share what they’ve learned from cramming the internet’s celebrities, content creators, and community organizers into the same space as their fans and the academics that study it all.
18. Hosted Web Series: New Opportunities for Creativity
Kristyn Burtt, Krispy Productions
In the advent of web series developing, an abundance of hosted online shows have cropped up featuring topics like comic books to technology. What does it take to host and produce a show in the web space? How does it differ in terms of gaining an audience and marketing the show versus a scripted web series. Find out the secrets from some of the web’s best and brightest online personalities.
19. How to Get a Web Series Cult Following
Vanessa Pappas, Next New Networks
Original Web series viewership numbers now rival those of prime time cable television networks. But, on the Web where viewers have access to millions of videos of all different kinds, how do you get your content to stand out? And even more importantly, how do you get viewers to keep tuning in and really establish a cult following?
20. VideoBlogging: Go from Amateur to Outstanding
Joseph Jaffe, Powered, Inc.
You have a video camera and a YouTube Channel – now what? This panel will be a “Master Class” in online video and teach the next steps in building momentum in the online video space. The panel will offer many of the tips and techniques video bloggers are using everyday to make videos for themselves and companies that they consult with. At the end of this panel, people will have actionable takeaways that can immediately impact their video production, make better content and be able to promote their work more efficiently.
21. Decision Trees: YouTube’s New Breed of Interactive Storytellers
Marc Hustvedt, Tubefilter
YouTube’s annotations tool opened up a whole new way of telling stories, with the rise of interactive videos that let viewers “choose-their-own-adventure” as they navigate through the story. This panel brings together the best and most creative of YouTube’s new breed of interactive storytellers to share their secrets of how they pull off these complex creations—including a walkthrough of actual viewer decision trees from their projects.
22. Live Content and Interactivity Around Shared Streaming Events
Brad Hunstable, Ustream
Live video is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s environment of real time, 24/7 information cycle. With the rise of interactive communities and information, live video has never been more relevant in connecting people with shared online experiences. Brad Hunstable will speak to the rise of live video and how brands, businesses, public figures and artists are using this new medium to interact and amass audiences that rival those of traditional television shows.
Note: I am *positive* I’ve missed some very good panels on this list… as well as panels from friends. If I missed yours, please add it in the comments and I’ll make sure to take a look.
Venice Beach Skate Park
August 23, 2010 by Zadi Diaz
Trying to catch air on an iPhone camera isn’t easy. But these are some of the photos I got while hanging out at the Venice Beach Skate Park for a while. Some of these guys get some serious height. Next time I’ll try it with the Canon 7D. More photos here.
World Compass: The Skin You’re In
August 17, 2010 by Zadi Diaz
In the first part of the video a young girl vents her frustration with her hair through spoken word poetry. In the latter part of the video (at the 5 minute mark), we talk about (or I talk about) our own frustrations. I admit to spending about an hour straightening my hair with the ol’ heat iron… and it just ends up getting wavy at best. Bad hair days take a whole new level when you have very curly hair… and my hair is cloud puff curly. Many times I love it, and other times I just want to shave it all off. But what’s interesting is how through that frustration we can achieve a deep type of self-acceptance. Mainly because the hair will not give you a choice. It’s like a weed. 
I’m curious to know from the curly-headed mop crew (especially the girls), do you notice a difference in the way people react to you when you wear your hair curly? When I wear it curly, people think I’m just wild and creative, when it’s straight I get taken more seriously, especially at meetings. What’s your take?
WebTV Workshop Tip of the Day
This is my WebTVWorkshop Tip of the Day.
FourCast Podcast
August 11, 2010 by Zadi Diaz
Last week I was on FourCast, a show on the @TWiT network hosted by Tom Merritt and Scott Johnson, with fellow guest Casey McKinnon. I have to say, I had so much fun on this show. It’s basically 50 minutes of predicting future technologies 10, 100, 1,000 years from today. I love, love, love to let my imagination run wild, and I had to kind of hold back from just spilling out the TONS of wild things I think may happen in the future.
If you don’t have time to watch, you can also download the audio track and listen to it at your leisure. Thanks again Tom and Scott for inviting me on!
What do you think will happen 10, 100, 1,000+ years from today?
Hipsters, Hotdogs and Heaven
May 19, 2010 by Zadi Diaz
The streets fill up with artists, musicians, food trucks, and people looking to laugh, dance and just have a good time.
