SXSW Day One Review What's the future of Experience and Content? Blog

Goodbye from SXSW!

It's day one. Innovative people have flocked in from all over the world to create Austin, Texas their home to spend the next week. discuss topics like innovation, creativity as well as how we can create a better, more connected world.

It's colder in Austin However, the mood is at an all-time high. SXSW 2022 marks the first time in 2 years that the festival has been officially held in person as well as being back to the norm since the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, we added another blanket and headed into the Convention Center this morning to kick off the festival by bringing exactly what we need - new ideas and inspiration.

 The latest in content

We dived deep into the world of content and asked what's fresh to come out, what's in store, and the best way to continue creating content when it feels like it's falling apart around (or inside of your own self).

"If I see one major technology that will impact not only TikTok but all social and online commerce, it's the one that's called social e-commerce... it's going be huge, and TikTok will be leading on the path," Andrew Wallenstein notes. What could get behind it? Regulation. Data protection, misinformation and antitrust , are the top issues.

Other trends mentioned by the VIP+ team noted were around mergers and acquisitions to expand their presence in the field of content in general, as well as the top buzzword, the metaverse. However, Wallenstein wasn't so eager to place all of the eggs in the basket of the metaverse.

"Right this moment, the excitement is too big to ignore," he explains. NFTs are where the current energy is, but it's crucial to concentrate on areas where the greatest activity the world is happening which is around games like Fortnite and Roblox. Interactive, young, and social and game-based players are the main drivers of growth in this sector. And while Meta is betting on Oculus Quest, and each technological giant is working to develop an item in the metaverse however, the majority of the market still doesn't understand what meta means and we should reduce our expectations about the mass use.

We then limped over to another Featured Session, "Creating in a Shit Storm," hosted by the Patreon. The emphasis of this session was all about finding ways to unleash your creativity and not adhering to the advice of others. Indeed, Jack Conte noted frequently that he is not a fan of the advice of others and that we're the only ones who determine who should steer our own ships. That said, Conte did provide useful tips for creative people who could find helpful to get from a rut.

In a nutshell We covered four key aspects: custom design, the inspiration machine, subtraction, and "we are not all on our own."

Jack suggested using the idea of custom designs to help you navigate the obstacles that you could encounter as a creator or even as a community or company. Understanding your circumstance with custom design falls into a few crucial areas of inquiry and defining the problem by asking questions, developing an explicit problem-solving statement as well as brainstorming ideas for solution, and then fleshing out a plan.

In order to clarify what's wrong and explore the issue, think about asking any of the following questions. Some examples Jack gave include: What do I feel? Why? Where is it coming from? Are there any narratives I've invented that lead me to the wrong path? Why am I having trouble? How am I causing my problems? Are there many issues present? Which is the main cause? Are you able to find the cause? What? Why? What are my options? What are the pros and cons? What are the lessons I am taking right now that may assist me later on?

In the next stage, consider trying to solve the issues by writing. Writing is beneficial in that sometimes it can bring its own clarity. The simple act takes us out of the spirals which we often get stuck in our heads if we're just contemplating things in order to bring us closer to a point of crystallization much more quickly.

Once you've formulated the precise issue, it's much simpler to start the idea of brainstorming ideas. Again, try writing these out. List all the possible solutions and then see what insights within your brainstorm. Do they have any similar themes? Are they able to be combined in order to come up with the solution? And from there you'll get to the point where you'll have the ability to develop the plan.

"There's any piece of advice from the outside or from a source outside which can solve the issues we face. Our specific problems and solutions need a personal analysis and investigation by customizing the design... and focusing on what is important."

Then, Jack encouraged something called "the Inspiration Machine" - that is, basically, finding out what works for you to stimulate your creative thinking. He likes to watch videos of Gary Vee. He's transported to the place of inspiration that can be triggered and he is able to go from looking at a blank paper and into a state of flow and creating.

Then, we delve into the idea of subtraction. Here, we may revisit the practice of asking ourselves a number of questions if we are experiencing a lack of motivation: what could be subtracted reach our goals? What is it that we are doing that's not helping us hit these objectives? How can we make it easier? Where is our time going? Are we feeling exhausted? Which activities are getting us closer to our goal? What is holding us back?

What we might find is that by the nature of our lives, we're taking too much on the internet, we're getting in the way of our own self-interest. So remove things, find more efficient solutions and gain access to an easier and more authentic way of expression. It's really all about radical prioritizationand not only to reap the productivity benefits but for the benefits to the mental well-being of our people.

Lastly, Jack finished on a harrowing-yet-uplifting note. The message was simple: we're not alone. The author argued that we're isolated because content isn't life. And while we are consuming the internet more than ever before it is only consuming content and not living. We spend more and more times not being our authentic person and don't see the true selves in others. People are behaving as companies and systems and less like humans. In essence we were left with the instruction to act as ourselves. Don't do it, as advise is loathsome.

 SXSW Keynote Session featuring Alexis McGill Johnson

Then we headed to the Austin Convention Center for a key discussion with Planned Parenthood President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson and actress and advocate Busy Phillips. In their riveting discussion, they covered the current landscape regarding women's health, the role Planned Parenthood plays, and its challenges with the present political climate.

 Talking Metaverse or lack thereof

The panel we attended was fascinating named Metawhat? The Future of Real World Entertainment that was led by Disney Imagineering veterans and current leaders of Zeitgeist, Meow Wolf, Spatial, and Nightscape. The main focus was on creating real-life immersive experience for the people of today as well as into the future.

Backed by the creative minds who innovated new Disney attractions and Meow Wolf's groundbreaking experiences at Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Denver, the panel sought to determine the expectations of audiences for immersive entertainment. From looking at audiences as floaters (those who prefer to not engage) as well as those who are swimmers (those seeking any form of interaction) and divers (those who want to see and feel every part of the puzzle, the conversation shifted from discussing what audiences are expecting from entertainment the future of entertainment. One thing that was consistent that technology is crucial for the future of real life entertainment however, it's there to help enhance audiences to enjoy the experience. Ali Rubinstein of Meow Wolf went so far as to claim that they believe that the use of less technology is unlikely to become a thing. Joe Lanzisero of Zeitgeist drew his connection back to Walt Disney himself, who was a man with two feet in his past, and one foot in the present. The past is what linked Disney to the brand it pioneered in addition to the essential importance of creating things for humans to experience a common human experience. Future-oriented thinking allowed Disney to take on new technologies and view it with curiosity rather than the judgment of others.

 The Seeing Is Believing The Wolf Installation Meow Wolf Installation

Just one step from the Metawhat panel will take you to the multidimensional world of Meow Wolf. If you're not familiar with the collective of creatives and designer, they've designed and created entire worlds accessible through doorways to refrigerators and stores that are influenced by the past. Are you thinking that this is a bit odd? That's what makes it magical.

Their latest immersive experience is a pop-up at the Sunset Hall called Glitch City. The city is made up of several islands, you can walk through the stunning area and be engrossed in the colors, lighting and sounds. You can also engage with it further. Each island comes with the QR code, which will reveal details about its history. We'll leave the mystery for those lucky enough to experience it, but in true Meow Wolf form, it's one to be soaked totally.

 What's Next for Us at SXSW