Portable Mind: A sort of travel guide

sxsw wandering in austin

The morning between the end of SXSW interactive and the beginning of SXSW music started with coffee and migas at Austin Java, but it was such a gorgeous day that we didn't linger. Instead, we wandered to Congress Bridge, a place where many people go to see the infamous bats at sundown, and jumped onto the path that runs along Town Lake to wander aimlessly in the sunshine. I ran across this public bathroom, which caught my eye because of it's bold, modern design. And, as a woman who was jogging past us pointed out, "it's very clean". A good thing to know.

by Town Lake, sculptural public bathroom donated by Dell

Migas, at Austin Java

Outside Hollywood at sxsw film

The film and interactive portions of South by Southwest are converging more and more each year, as filmmakers become interactive storytellers, and geeks continue to develop the new technology that the film world wants. (Celeb example: Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore, now posting on Twitter, hanging out at Sundance with Kevin Rose.)

I went to several film sessions during the conference, thrilled with the change of pace in my schedule (there are only so many social media sessions you can endure in one day). Robert Rodriguez, the groundbreaking digital filmmaker who Hollywood wouldn't support, and Henry Selick, the genius animator/director behind Coraline and Nightmare Before Christmas, talked about 3D & HD filmmaking. Both successfully produce films with budgets that are 1/3 the cost of a typical Hollywood film, and because they have chosen the digital path, they have the creative freedom that most directors and producers don't enjoy (Rodriguez was thinking in 3D early on, and considered shooting several scenes for From Dusk Til Dawn in 3D, but the technology was too expensive and cumbersome then [1996]). Rodriguez called his style of filmmaking "Guerilla High Tech". Selick walked the audience through the process of making Coraline, the first 3D stop-motion animation movie. It is an incredibly technical and intense process, but a fascinating one, and further proof that digital filmmaking is just as legitimate as 35mm. Both agreed that this is the way filmmaking will continue to evolve.

sxsw no such thing as a free lunch

Or, free time for lunch. The schedule at this conference is relentless. At least two compelling sessions occur at the same time, and everything sounds important or interesting. For me, it was even more overwhelming this year, as I have a pass for both the film & interactive sessions. We had to force ourselves to carve out time for 3 meals each day, so lunch was had most often at Jo's Coffee, a few blocks away from the sxsw crowd where we could always get a table. A colorful, fun local spot with a bar, outdoor seating, and great food.

Recommended: Chicken burger, Pulled Pork sandwiches with chips, PB&J.

south by southwest

I am in Austin this week for SXSW, an annual media festival that has become massive in both content and scale (it literally takes over downtown). We arrived yesterday morning, and after a full day of conference sessions, turned in early - because you shouldn't start off SXSW feeling the way you will at the end of SXSW  - tired, hungover, heavy with a week's worth of Tex Mex and BBQ. We'd had a fabulous dinner at Public the night before we left, which, in hindsight, probably should have waited until we returned from Austin and had a week to recover. But anyway...

I managed to catch Steven Berlin Johnson yesterday, who spoke about the Ecosystem of News (read: the future of news, which he is optimistic about), and as always, he is brilliant. Thankfully, he's posted his presentation and you should read it. Especially if you are in media.

Today began with breakfast at Austin Java, where I met with the CEO of Blurb, and the COO of Stanza over several cups of "Fog Cutter" coffee (best coffee I've had in the city so far). Despite the economy and the tough time that the media industry is enduring, both companies are innovating and growing. It was so refreshing to hear this, and to understand the passion they both have for their work. Which really, is a passion for books, for photography (in Eileen from Blurb's case), for user experience, and quality of life.