SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/81859
Interactive's launch of the PanelPicker in the months prior to SXSW 2007, though this feature really began to show its popularity and infl uence the following year as users determined the programming for SXSW 2008. By giving registrants the means to propose and then vote for which panels should be presented, Interactive looked to the crowd to determine its programming. Th is feature became so popular that it was extended to the other two conferences. During the summer of 2008, SXSW Film underwent a big change with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, or more specifi cally how the audience reacted to it. Dissatisfi ed with the way the interview was con- ducted, a number of attendees used mobile social media such as Twitter to post instant feedback, which could be seen by others in the room. Th e result demonstrated how social media enabled the crowd to alter events as they happened, by putting the communication means in the hands of all users. Th e idea of user-generated content was instrumental in SXSW Morello, Serj Tankian of System Of A Down, Ben Harper, Billy Bragg and Kimya Dawson, with Young in attendance. Th e interactive festival was remembered for the keynote interview as festival producer Matt Dentler left for a job in New York City and was replaced by indie fi lm stalwart Janet Pierson. Having had a hand in the making of such landmark fi lms as She's Gotta Have It, Roger And Me, Slacker and Clerks, as well as creating the show Split Screen for the Independent Film Channel, Pierson brought a wealth of experience and a reputation as a champion of independent cinema. After a long pursuit, SXSW Music was able to procure the iconic Quincy Jones as keynote for 2009. With some six decades of memories to refl ect on, Jones kept the audience transfi xed for two-plus hours with stories of artists ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Michael Jackson. As for the nearly 2,000 showcasing artists, the buzz bands of the day You, Man, a buddy comedy with Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and Rashida Jones (daughter of Quincy). Th e conference attracted a number of fi lm luminaries, including directors Henry Selick, Sam Raimi and Todd Haynes, as well as Jan Harlan, who was Stanley Kubrick's longtime producer. Still, noise came nearly a year later, when Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War drama, Th e Hurt Locker, which had its American premiere at SXSW 2009, won the Academy Award for Best Picture in March 2010. SXSW Interactive presented key- note speakers with innovative ideas, including Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, who shared his belief that customer sat- isfaction is the best form of marketing, and Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired. Anderson, author of Th e Long Tail, came to SXSW in advance of his book Free: Th e Future Of A Radical the biggest 18 were in full force, including the Decemberists, Black Lips and Th ose Darlins, while a slate of acts from Colombia showed attendees why that country is viewed as a key hotbed of Latin American music. Th e highest-profi le show featured Metallica, who performed at Stubb's as the "surprise guest" on the Guitar Hero Metallica show. Who knows how long it had been since the band had played a venue with a capacity of fewer than 2,000, but the fans who packed the club got to see one of those "only at SXSW" events. Th e fi lm festival opened with I Love Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's 2008 Keynote interview had SXSW Interactive attendees all atwitter. Director Kathryn Bigelow, actor Brian Geraghty and writer Mark Boal at the American premiere of The Hurt Locker at SXSW 2009, which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in March 2010. SXSW ORLD / M AY – J UNE 201 1 COURTNEY DUDLEY MARY SLEDD