Innovation in Hollywood: The Past, Present & Future
with Scott Kirsner

Did you know that we wouldn't have had VCRs were it not for Bing Crosby? That Technicolor, the company that brought a "magic rainbow" to the silver screen with movies like The Wizard of Oz, was founded in Boston -- in an old railroad car? That Avid Technology, still headquartered in Tewksbury, changed the way movies are edited -- and won an Oscar in the process? In an illustrated spin through Hollywood history, Boston Globe columnist and author Scott Kirsner will discuss how innovators like Thomas Edison, the Warner Brothers, Pixar, George Lucas, Steve Jobs, and Bing Crosby (yes, Mr. "White Christmas") have changed the movie industry -- while also facing enormous resistance to their revolutionary ideas. In a talk geared both to movie fans and techies, peppered with movie clips and trivia, Scott will explain the role that new inventions have played in sustaining Hollywood's bottom line, and its role in our culture, for more than a century. Scott's talk is based on his new book, Inventing the Movies: Hollywood's Epic Battle Between Innovation and the Status Quo.

Visit Scott's website at http://www.scottkirsner.com/

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