I had a classmate in college who quipped that she wanted to bring about positive change and to do good for society–that’s why she had narrowed her career choices to either real estate or advertising.
The joke still brings a smile to my face but thankfully there’s some truth to her tongue-in-cheek career musings about the advertising industry as evidenced in this week’s lead story on the Hacking Autism initiative, which grew out of an invaluable insight uncovered by John Coyne, group account director at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, for its then client Hewlett Packard.
“Our job was to sell HP’s TouchSmart technology computers,” related Rich Silverstein, co-chairman/creative director of GS&P. “In trying to figure out ways to apply the touch screen technology, John thought of a family he knew whose son had autism. John isn’t a scientist but he wondered if the youngster, Jordan, would find the touch screen interesting. As it turns out, Jordan found the technology riveting and began communicating through it. John saw the amazing potential and pursued it, pushing to get the technology in the hands of families we identified, to see if these results could be replicated.”
GS&P hooked up with HP’s chief technologist Phil McKinney (since retired) who provided access to TouchSmart technology for designated families, working with Hope Technology School, which specializes in educating a classroom mix inclusive of both neurotypical students and those with developmental differences. McKinney’s impetus brought HP into the fold to team with GS&P and Hope Technology School to create Hacking Autism, an initiative to develop and deploy technology to give people with autism a voice. Families impacted by autism, technologists and educators met last October for a two-day Hacking Autism session at HP headquarters to develop innovative touch-enabled applications for those with autism, and to make this software available free of charge.
While Coyne got the ball rolling, picking up that ball and running with it on the filmmaking front were Bodega Studios’ partner/executive producer Clint Goldman and director Peter Sorcher.
Bodega and its artisans committed time, talent and financial resources to a short-subject documentary that put a human face on the technology-fueled breakthrough.
Sorcher and Goldman spent the better part of two years chronicling 22 families with children affected by autism and how touch-screen technology impacted the youngsters’ lives. Titled I Want To Say, the powerful, emotionally moving and enlightening documentary produced by Goldman and directed by Sorcher wound up focusing on six of those families,
These families opened their homes and bared their lives and souls to the camera in exchange, said Goldman, “for the hope that they can help just one other child. Maybe a child in some part of the world they’ve never seen who some day will get access to a discarded iPad and download some free software–and that child will be able to talk, to connect with others, to participate in life just like your children and mine. That’s all these kids want–to be like you and me.”
Utah Leaders and Locals Rally To Keep Sundance Film Festival In The State
With the 2025 Sundance Film Festival underway, Utah leaders, locals and longtime attendees are making a final push — one that could include paying millions of dollars — to keep the world-renowned film festival as its directors consider uprooting.
Thousands of festivalgoers affixed bright yellow stickers to their winter coats that read "Keep Sundance in Utah" in a last-ditch effort to convince festival leadership and state officials to keep it in Park City, its home of 41 years.
Gov. Spencer Cox said previously that Utah would not throw as much money at the festival as other states hoping to lure it away. Now his office is urging the Legislature to carve out $3 million for Sundance in the state budget, weeks before the independent film festival is expected to pick a home for the next decade.
It could retain a small presence in picturesque Park City and center itself in nearby Salt Lake City, or move to another finalist — Cincinnati, Ohio, or Boulder, Colorado — beginning in 2027.
"Sundance is Utah, and Utah is Sundance. You can't really separate those two," Cox said. "This is your home, and we desperately hope it will be your home forever."
Last year's festival generated about $132 million for the state of Utah, according to Sundance's 2024 economic impact report.
Festival Director Eugene Hernandez told reporters last week that they had not made a final decision. An announcement is expected this year by early spring.
Colorado is trying to further sweeten its offer. The state is considering legislation giving up to $34 million in tax incentives to film festivals like Sundance through 2036 — on top of the $1.5 million in funds already approved to lure the Utah festival to its neighboring... Read More