Transmedia Zone celebrates innovation in creative industries
The Transmedia Zone hosted their first event in the new Creative Innovation Studio at 110 Bond Street, celebrating innovations in storytelling and the creative industries.
Ryerson students and industry members were invited to explore the projects created by four of the Transmedia Zone’s immersive and entrepreneurial teams: Science Everywhere!, Sensaride, Kariakoo and Inappropriate Questions.
Here’s what participants had to say about the showcase. All photos courtesy of the Transmedia Zone.
Part of the team behind the podcast Inappropriate Questions. From left: Sabrina Bertsch, Cindy Long and Elena Hudgins Lyle.
Elena Hudgins Lyle, one of the founders of Inappropriate Questions (external link) , a podcast that helps listeners develop understanding of marginalized groups including LGBTQ2S+, disability, and religious groups shared her journey to completing their podcast, said, “The facilities we were able to use, particularly the Allan Slaight studios, provided us the professional quality that allowed us to stand out.”
Most recently their podcast has been featured by Apple podcast as a Staff Pick and as a new and noteworthy podcast. This team has further pushed the boundaries of podcasting by working with artists from marginalized communities to create webcomics that accompany each of their episodes.
Kariakoo is an immersive 360° documentary that takes you on a one-day journey through the historical, cultural and commercial heart of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
“The community in the Transmedia Zone is asking tough questions and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Doing that alone is hard, but doing that within a community makes it easier,” said Ola Mirzoeva, founder of Kariakoo (external link) , who recently completed her first event activation with MaRS Impact Investing. “It was an amazing opportunity to use our film to address preconceived notions about sub-Saharan Africa and create new understanding.”
The Science Everywhere! team.
Science Everywhere! (external link) is changing the story of science to be one that is fun and exciting for everyone by innovating a new way to host live events called FreeStyle Socials. Through their FreeStyle socials, they have reached over 5,000 people while addressing challenging topics like gender identity, cannabis and artificial intelligence.
“Being part of the Transmedia Zone was the best thing we’ve done for our company,” said Anthony Morgan, creative producer/founder. “On its surface, it's kind of a silly open mic. At a deeper level though, it's something sorely needed by today's society; A place where people can practice changing their minds."
From right: Dr. Zainab Fatima fits headgear on Dr. Natasha Kovacevic to test brain functions.
Sensaride is an app that reverses the effects of aging of the brain by providing direct access to your brainwaves and allows users to train the brain network through an interactive story. Winners of the Smart City Award, they are expanding their reach by partnering with George Brown College and National Research Council Canada.
“I didn’t think of myself as someone in media production,” said neuroscientist and Sensaride founder, Dr. Natasha Kovacevic. “Having interns and associates through the Transmedia Zone has been huge and has allowed us to improve our brand story.”
