Category: Movies and TV

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PressPausePlay Official Trailer

Official Documentary Trailer

PressPausePlay Sneak Peek #1 - Seth Godin

Extended Preview Clip

This documentary looks great, and they have Seth Godin in it, so you know it will be great (Seth is brilliant).

About the Documentary

“The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent of people in an unprecedented way, unleashing unlimited creative opportunities. But does democratize culture mean better art, film, music and literature, or is true talent instead flooded and drowned in the vast digital ocean of mass culture? Is it cultural democracy or mediocrity? This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a documentary film containing interviews with some of the world’s most influential creators of the digital era.”

Key Themes Explored

Democratization

How digital tools have opened creative opportunities to everyone, regardless of formal training or institutional backing.

Quality vs. Quantity

The tension between increased creative output and the challenge of finding truly exceptional work in a sea of content.

The Future of Creativity

Exploring what the democratization of creative tools means for artists, audiences, and the evolution of art forms.

Featured Voices

SG

Seth Godin

Marketing Guru & Author

+

Many More

Digital Era Creators

Learn More

Visit the official website for more information, screening dates, and sneak peeks:

www.presspauseplay.com

What Do You Think?

Has the digital revolution improved or diluted creative content? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The Social Network

The Social Network: A Geek’s Perspective

Fact vs. Fiction in the Facebook Origin Story

The Social Network Movie Poster

Christina and I went to see The Social Network, and I would give it a 7 out of 10. As a geek, the subject matter appealed to my interests, but you might be offended by how geeks are portrayed. If you don’t consider yourself a geek, don’t like social networking, or if you’re a woman, there’s an even better chance you won’t enjoy the movie. Not all geeks are out to screw everyone over as depicted, and I’ll leave it to you to decide how women were portrayed.

Fair warning: potential spoilers ahead. Being obsessed with researching things to verify accuracy, I did some post-movie Googling to fact-check the film against reality and learn more about the real people behind the characters.

Erica Albright

Erica Albright

The movie begins with Mark Zuckerberg creating a website rating the attractiveness of female Harvard students after his girlfriend Erica Albright breaks up with him. The real Erica says: “The movie definitely brought back some great memories… I guess you could say the movie is ‘based on a true story’ but there are many scenarios that were soooo made up by Hollywood! As far as the two scenes I’m in, the first one is fairly accurate, we did ‘break-up’ over dinner… but the second scene of me at dinner with my friends blowing Mark off never happened. (also he NEVER friended me on Facebook) lol!”

Sean Parker

Sean Parker

Not that he’s the best role model, but Sean Parker is someone I’ve read about for years. My favorite article is the October 2010 Vanity Fair piece titled “With a Little Help From His Friends.” Parker is described as a “Web oracle; more than a few acquaintances and colleagues use the word ‘genius’ to describe him. He understands not only computers and Web networks but also how people want to incorporate them into their lives.”

Even among his many supporters, Parker “has a reputation for being an erratic party animal.” He was pushed out of Facebook after an arrest for cocaine possession in 2005, though no charges were filed.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss

Cameron and Tyler are identical twins on Harvard’s rowing team who meet Mark and request his help creating Harvard Connection. Soon after, Mark launches “TheFacebook.com,” prompting the Winklevosses to sue, claiming Mark stole their idea. I can’t say I fully understand their case – unless the idea was patented, isn’t Mark free to create whatever he wants?

Winklevoss Twins - Facebook was our idea - Tyler & Cameron
Eduardo Saverin

Eduardo Saverin

Of all the “real world” characters, Eduardo was the most difficult to research online. He gets the “worst way to be portrayed” award, coming across as a nice guy who finishes last. Ironically, he seems to be the only one with ethics, so he should be the character we appreciate most. He once owned 30% of “thefacebook,” which was reduced to 0.03% once Peter Thiel (PayPal co-founder) and Sean Parker took control of the startup’s finances.

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan

Mark Zuckerberg

According to the film, Mark creates thefacebook.com to meet women after his breakup. In reality, Mark’s girlfriend, Priscilla Chan (shown above), “was one of his pals at Harvard, where he studied back in 2004. Moreover, Chan is amongst the initial supporters who were with Mark when he came up with the concept of Facebook.” Chan even relocated to Silicon Valley with Zuckerberg after Facebook’s launch. She’s a medical student at UCSF with dreams of becoming a pediatrician.

From Business Insider: Zuckerberg On The Social Network

Interesting Facts About the Movie

The Blue Backstory

Mark Zuckerberg is red-green colorblind, which is why Facebook is blue. (Not about the movie, but interesting.)

Star Consultant

Natalie Portman, a Harvard student during Facebook’s creation, gave writer Aaron Sorkin insider information. He thanked her by referencing her in a scene.

Perfectionist Director

The opening breakup scene between Zuckerberg and Erica took 99 takes to complete under David Fincher’s direction.

Join the Conversation

Have you seen The Social Network? How accurately do you think it portrays the real story behind Facebook’s creation? Share your thoughts in the comments!