Exit Strategy

The West Side

zack — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 21:18:25 +0000

The West Side is an urban western. Set in a unique, alternate universe, it melds together elements of two disparate film genres: the grit of an urban setting with the tradition of the American Western. The show is presented free on the internet as a contemporary version of the serial novel. Production is currently on hiatus.

With press from publications such as Newteevee, Spout, The Guardian, and Der Spiegel, The West Side garnered international attention and won the 2008 Webby Award for Best Drama Series. The series was written, directed, produced, shot, edited, and designed by Bilsborrow-Koo and Lieberman, who were named two of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film; the magazine heralded The West Side as “ingenious low-budget independent filmmaking that just happens to be viewable only on the Web.” The West Side and an accompanying production blog are available at http://thewestside.tv.

Role: Writing, Directing, Producing, Cinematography, Editing, Post-production, Web Design, Web Development

NoFilmSchool

zack — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:04:02 +0000

NoFilmSchool was Ryan’s personal blog for five years, from 2005 to 2010. It got him a job in New York. But it also included all manner of solipsistic ramblings, which no one wanted to read (as blogs often do). Ryan grew weary of all the navel-gazing and decided the site should become actually useful to other would-be filmmakers and creatives, and so he set out to redesign and re-envision the site.

Role: Created a colorful site designed to incorporate advertising progressively. Designed and developed a custom Wordpress theme and implemented a number of custom PHP functions. Wrote all content, including The DSLR Cinematography Guide, which averages 40,000 views/month; Filmmaker Magazine called it “astonishingly detailed and useful.”

Client: Internal

Date: 2010

Exit Strategy

zack — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:42:58 +0000

Time for some self-reflection! We designed and developed the very site you’re on now. It’s a work in progress, but please click around and enjoy! Fully valid XHTML and CSS.

Role: Full design, development

Date: 2009

RADAR

zack — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:46:11 +0000

RADAR is an online arts and culture show produced by WBP Labs in partnership with Babelgum; the show highlights innovative projects and events across different creative disciplines. We directed and DP’d two Season 2 episodes, the first of which is “Undetermined Measurements.”

In this episode, ten people dressed in stark white “clean suits” and masks disperse amongst picnickers, inspecting the ground in sunny Central Park. Heads turn, unsure, and people start asking questions. Undetermined Measurements is an ongoing performance and documentation project. During each phase of the interventionist series volunteers gather, dress in protective clothes and silently engage with the audience in a non-confrontational manner. Why are they there? The question is left open ended, expressing the ever-changing perception that the United States has transformed from a unique symbol of freedom to a more fragile and fearful representation of uncertainty. We follow Sean Hovendick and his team as he takes Undetermined Measurements to NYC for the first time.

Role: Directing, Cinematography

Client: WBPLabs, Babelgum

Date: 2009

MTV/Rhapsody Online Player

zack — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:20:29 +0000

Rhapsody Online’s web-based music player required a design refresh as well as a transition to a flash-based playback architecture (in lieu of the previous plugin-based player). The visual redesign of the pop-out player was intended to inform the global look/feel of all future Rhapsody design refreshes. The player was also required to be easily adaptable for use on partner sites such as MTV, CMT, VH1, and LOGO. Player currently receives millions of plays a day.

Role: Lead visual design of both the pop-out player as well as a page-integrated version for non-subscribers.

Client: Rhapsody

Date: 2008

zdLdz

zack — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:21:06 +0000

zdLdz is the online home, blog, and portfolio of Exit Strategy co-founder Zachary Lieberman.

Role: Full design and development

Date: 2009

MTV Rough Mix

zack — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:19:24 +0000

A next-generation user experience, Rough Mix allowed viewers to watch a concert from multiple, switchable camera angles — in real-time, on the web. Users could edit their own multi-angle show and share it with friends. On-demand subtitling and bonus videos were also available to view within a fun interface designed to replicate a “live” mixing experience.

The project was completed, multiple artists had been filmed and signed, and the application had successfully undergone load-testing when a corporate merger delayed Rough Mix’s launch indefinitely.

Role: Lead visual design of the player from conception to delivery; worked closely with Flex developer on implementation; lead online production.

Client: MTV

Date: 2008

MTV Video Valve

zack — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:02:00 +0000

MTV built an online platform for delivering personalized music video playlists based on a user’s tastes. Video Valve was designed to tap into MTV’s massive back catalog of videos, delivering them in a fun way while also maintaining a separate look and feel from MTV’s other online presences.

Role: Created a visual design in MTV’s desired “lo-fi” style suggestive of a start-up. Lead design on the project from inception to completion; after a successful launch, adapted designs for a Video Valve Facebook application.

Client: MTV

Date: 2007

Veritrope

zack — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:42:27 +0000

Veritrope is a personal blog covering “the art of technology and the technology of art.” It was launched early 2008 and as a fully custom custom wordpress design and development. The site’s owner wanted a fully flexible/liquid layout (for equal sleekness on all resolutions) and a dark, deco look and feel.

Role: Full design and development

Date: 2008

URGE Mobile Applications

zack — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:15:30 +0000

MTV’s digital music service URGE planned to adapt their browser-based web service to a variety of next-generation mobile devices, enabling over-the-air purchases and downloads of albums, playlists, and other featured content — all on a QVGA (320×240) screen. URGE partnered with Motorola and had completed several rounds of product and visual design when URGE merged with Rhapsody.

Role: Designed several visual interfaces, all focused on readability and ease of use on a high pixel-density, 2.5″ screen. Interfaced with both URGE management and overseas Motorola engineers.

Client: MTV URGE, Motorola

Date: 2008