This is what I’m talking about my darlings, Joshuah Bearman, an ingenious journalist and author, is riding that fine line between the magic box (and by that I mean your computer) and the magic screen… AND, he is distributing his stories digital first. I love it.
By Daniel Miller for the Los Angeles Times – California, national and world news – latimes.com.
July 16, 2013, 5:00 a.m.
Last year’s “Argo” landed producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov the Oscar for best picture, cemented Ben Affleck’s reputation as an A-list director and filled distributor Warner Bros.’ coffers with proceeds from a $232-million worldwide gross.
The movie also had a major effect on Joshuah Bearman, the Echo Park-based journalist whose 2007 Wired magazine story was the basis for the film.
It led him to think about storytelling in a different way — and to go entrepreneurial with his latest project, a tale of San Diego drug smugglers…
On Thursday, a 25,000-word version of “Coronado High” was released by the Atavist, a digital publisher of long-form journalism. The Brooklyn, N.Y., company is selling the story as an e-book single and on its website, where it is augmented with audio and video elements.
“It’s thinking about a story being able to serve different purposes,” said the lanky, bearded Bearman, 41, nursing a beer on the patio of a Silver Lake restaurant. “I started seeing, once ‘Argo’ was optioned, how nonfiction and print narratives can be appealing to Hollywood and find a different or bigger audience — and, in the case of ‘Argo,’ an audience beyond my expectation.”
Coronado High | Atavist – Where Stories Begin. ($2.99 my angels, considerably less than a movie ticket!)
Yes! The technological side of things is exciting and it opens up new vistas, however away from the digital publishing aspects of the article, I’m struck by the extremely intelligent Mr Bearman making a very silly comment: I mean surely it didn’t take Argo’s success for him to realize that Hollywood sometimes finds non-fiction appealing or that films can increase awareness of books or writers?! All the President’s Men, Saturday Night Fever, Primary Colors, JFK… Not to downplay his achievement and the whole epublishing revolution is fantastic but *Come On*, Mr B! In his defence perhaps he was just trying to promote this new super-cheap initiative! Tsk. Ain’t I a stinker?! I wish him luck even if I find his “revelations” obvious. 😉
I should have included more of the article that talked about the autonomy of the author and the equal share Mr. Bearman has in the proceeds from the publication of his material – this was UNHEARD of in previous dealings with studios and publishers.
Dearest V
Very interesting, very interesting indeed.
I have been wondering for some time whether ultimately the internet will see the return of the serialised novel as a truly commercial venture (I know they are out there) but imagine something on the scale of Dickens’.
How much more courageous if JKR had gone with this over the ‘anonymous’ (eyebrow raised) route as a means to launch her new work.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Why, Mr. Dandy –
I perceive of something Dickensian going on at your weblog… How fascinating!
Very interesting! Thanks for the info. The genre goes way back – I’m old enough to remember “Z,” 1969, which was even more riveting than Argo.
My film professors loved “Z” and “The Battle of Algiers” — I have forgotten them both, but I will have to review!
it’s all Very Exciting.
*looksmeaningfullyintocamera*
Yes! We love a story about writers wresting control. 🙂
Loved this and the comments as well. Good thoughts to munch on.
I am back from a few days away and I see I have much to read here at Beguiling… 🙂
Wouldn’t miss it for the world!
We dropped by a wedding and a concert under the stars in beautiful Provence – lovely – and thanks!
Oh you did, did you? Right back at ya for the merci…