« Back To SRQ Daily Archive

SRQ DAILY Apr 5, 2016

Freshly Squeezed Content Every Morning

Freshly Squeezed Content Every Morning

"Documentary has never been in a better place."

- Barbara Kopple, Miss Sharon Jones!
 

[Film]  Doc Royalty Descends on Sarasota
Jacob Ogles, jacob.ogles@srqme.com

When the Sarasota Film Festival announced the filmmakers that would win major awards this year, officials were effusive about creating a new honor, the Pennebaker-Hegedus Award. At an event this weekend, namesakes D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, following an In Conversation event chronicling each director’s decades-long career, were given the inaugural award by fellow documentarian Barbara Kopple.

It was a far cry from decades ago when studios barred these directors from even submitting their critically acclaimed films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration. With this year’s festival line-up dominated by strong nonfiction work, it may seem hard to believe, but not so long ago the work by these filmmakers wasn’t treated with much respect at all. “We weren’t taken seriously because these were considered home movies,” Pennebaker recalls. “This was not a way to entertain huge numbers of people and make a lot of money.”

Pennebaker and Hegedus come to Sarasota this year with Unlocking The Cage, a movie shot over four years following lawyer Steven Wise on his quest to have highly intelligent animals like chimpanzees be granted human rights. Kopple comes to Sarasota with Miss Sharon Jones!, which follows the soul singer as she battles pancreatic cancer. The filmmakers today get celebrity red carpet treatment from the Sarasota Film Festival.

Hegedus thought it poignant that Kopple would be the one to give the Pennebaker-Hegedus award to the filmmaking team. “I began filmmaking at a time when there were very few women in the field,” Hegedus said. “Barbara is a contemporary of mine. We started together as we jumped into the man’s world of filmmaking.” 

Kopple, who won an Oscar in 1976 for Harlan County, USA after submitting against the orders of her studio and had to get to the Academy Awards in "someone's Volkswagen," says now is the greatest of times to be a documentarian. “Documentary has never been in a better place,” she says. “People today want a sense of truthfulness. They want to know what’s happening. At film festivals, documentaries are usually the first films sold out.”

The last scheduled showing of Unlocking The Cage will be Sunday at 10am at the Regal Hollywood 20. Miss Sharon Jones! screens Wednesday at 6:45pm and Sunday at 12:30pm at the Regal Hollywood 20.  

Photo by Wyatt Kostygan. Barbara Kopple at the World of Beer Filmmakers' Lounge.

Read more at SRQ Backlot

[Tuesday Tech Talk]  Innovate or Disintegrate

I had the opportunity to attend an event in March regarding empathetic design presented by The CEO Forum and BIG (Big Ideas on the Gulfcoast) guest speakers Dr. Deena McDonagh and Walter Herbst. Dr. McDonagh is an associate professor of Industrial Design in the School of Art + Design at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and faculty at the Beckman Institute of Advanced Science and Technology. Mr. Herbst founded Herbst LaZar Bell in 1962, which has grown into one three largest independently owned product design and development firms in the country.

The two focused their talk on the growing emphasis technology usability plays in the consumer marketplace. What I found most compelling was learning how our assumptions and design concepts are being put to the test. Dr. McDonagh shared a few very interesting case studies including everything from how we use a roll of toilet paper to how we tattoo ourselves with brands like Harley Davidson. She emphasized in one of her examples that it was clear the designers were men and the women’s perspective was never taken into consideration in designing the product. She went on to illustrate how the product was useful and well intended but the lack of understanding and efficacy for the user in the design and implementation of the concept left quite a few people with the inability to fully use the technology as it was intended.

Design and technology forms the basis of manufacturing of every product we encounter. If you really sit down and think about the amount of effort it takes to get a product from initial concept through the design phase into production and finally to store shelves, it’s a wonder things ever make it to market.

Another very interesting design test you can perform is to intentionally deprive yourself from some of your sensory abilities and see how your experience is altered. One of the examples given was regarding hearing. Did you know that impairing your hearing while consuming food will alter your experience? It might even completely change how you experience the act of dining. You should try this one and let me know about your experience.

The other example is to tape all four of your fingers together and try to do simple things like writing a letter or talking on the phone. You will quickly discover how the design of the objects you’re using works or doesn’t work. Ask yourself if you feel attention was placed on the design or conceptualization of the technology. From the phone device itself, to how you use a hairbrush or a pen for writing a letter.

Good design and good technology is the responsibility of the developer, the designer and the manufacturer to challenge the norm and go beyond what’s expected. Understanding the empathetic component in how we design products and services and how the end user will experience our creations is imperative in our ability connect with the consumer.

Pedro Pérez is a founding partner of Nuevo Advertising Group and an adjunct professor of Global Brand Strategies at Ringling College of Art and Design. For over 17 years Pedro has offered clients his knowledge and expertise. Pedro has always demonstrated a keen analytical sense combined with a good dose of common sense in crafting digital and online marketing strategies as part of an integrated marketing plan. 

Nuevo Advertising

[Partner Spotlight]  Emergency Critical Funding for Local Non-profits

For the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, evaluating and assessing the areas of need in the community is a constant focus. By partnering with donors and groups looking to make a major impact in Sarasota County and beyond, the Community Foundation plays a critical role in supporting causes like education and  human services, which directly build a strong future for the greater population of the region. But for critical needs in the community that demand immediate attention, the Community Foundation is proud to offer a channel of funding to meet these urgent needs for regional nonprofit organizations.  Immediate Impact Grants provide supportive funding that the Community Foundation is known for, but in an expedited fashion. Since 2012, more than $1,000,000 in Immediate Impact Grants have been awarded.. Established to serve as a lifeline for organizations that need access to funding now, rather than a standard grant application period timeframe. These emergency grants have addressed critical needs such as a new exam room and equipment for Good Samaritan Pharmacy and Services, a new medical dispensing tower for the nursing program at State College of Florida, a management information system for the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness and a college preparatory program for high school students at Links to Success. Local nonprofits with a profile in The Giving Partner can request up to $5,000 for an immediate need, and an advisory committee, made up of Foundation staff and members of the community, reviews monthly applications to approve either the full or partial funding. As Sarasota continues to grow and develop a portfolio of organizations that allow for positive growth in the community, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County is poised to be a leading force in paving the way for successful partnerships. 

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a 2016 SRQ Story Project partner. To learn more about their mission and the powerful ways they are shaping the future through giving, visit them online at CFSarasota.org. Pictured above: High school students from Links to Success’ College & Career Readiness Academy, partially funded by an Immediate Impact Grant, visit the Florida State Capitol Building. 

[Relocation]  Women's Resource Center Moves to E. Venice

The Venice office of the Women’s Resource Center of Sarasota County has a new location on East Venice Avenue in Venice. Closed this week while moving, the office will open again on April 12. The new office will have added parking space and two bus stops right at the building. 

Women's Resource Center of Sarasota County

[Recognition]  Sir Speedy Honors Schoff

Carol Schoff, a salesperson at Sir Speedy in Sarasota, has been recognized for reaching $1 million in sales and also as a Platinum Level Top Performer for the calendar year of 2015. The Top Performer Award is presented annually in recognition of top achievers in the Sir Speedy franchise network. This year, Schoff was one of only 16 salespeople who achieved million-dollar status from more than 300 salespeople worldwide. 

Sir Speedy

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

Copyright © 2024 by SRQ Media Group, 331 South Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236.
Powered by Sarasota Web Design | Unsubscribe

Read More

Where Oil Meets Water

Where Oil Meets Water

Phil Lederer | Mar 1, 2024

Freedom to Wander

Freedom to Wander

Laura Paquette | Mar 1, 2024

Drive and Dine

Drive and Dine

Laura Paquette | Mar 1, 2024

A Mesmerizing Journey

A Mesmerizing Journey

Barbie Heit | Mar 1, 2024