HoloGramma: How Tech Can ’Bring Back’ Our Departed: South By Southwest Session Explores the Nature of Death in the Digital Age

The time has come when a person’s digital imprint will survive long after death. Thanks to social media, archives of photo and video memories, and advances in holographic engineering, people are going to live on the Internet far longer than their ability to post updates. A panel titled “HoloGramma: How Tech Can ‘Bring Back’ Our Departed” will discuss this topic in greater depth at the South By Southwest (SXSW) conference this year. The session was created by YesVideo and will feature a panel of augmented reality and holographic imagery experts from YesVideo, AV Concepts, Metaio, and ABC News 20/20.
 
In this session, the panelists will dive into how technology enables people to reconstruct their loved ones online and the ethics surrounding this capability. Selected from over 3,300 submissions, “HoloGramma: How Tech Can ‘Bring Back’ Our Departed’, will feature questions around how video technology, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and predictive software are coming together and making it possible to ‘reconstruct Grandma.’ It will also examine how posthumous appearances, like those of Tupac Shakur, will become available to everyone in the not-so-distant future.
 
The panel will take place on Sunday March 15th, at 3:30 PM in the JW Marriott. Participants include Michael Chang, CEO of YesVideo; David Deal, Director of Marketing of AV Concepts; Alexander Oser, Manager of Special Projects of Metaio; and Christina Lopez, ABC News 20/20 Producer.
 
Michael Chang is CEO of YesVideo, the leading cloud platform for viewing and sharing vintage video memories. Chang brings over 15 years of experience in business and technology to YesVideo and is responsible for defining the company’s market vision and leading his team to continued success by creating innovative products and services for the millions of consumers that YesVideo serves. Previously, Chang was cofounder and CEO of Greystripe, the leading brand-focused mobile advertising network. Greystripe was acquired by ValueClick in 2011. Chang also worked at Incubic Venture Capital and was responsible for investments in Internet and software companies.

At AV Concepts, David Deal directs marketing, advertising and new product and service strategies that drive event marketing tactics to new levels of effectiveness. AV Concepts is the company responsible for resurrecting rapper Tupac Shakur at 2012’s Coachella music festival. The recognized industry leader in the intersection of creative services and technical staging implementation, the company’s proprietary Liquid Scenic® technology creates dynamic visual experiences with nearly limitless content creation possibilities. It makes what was once thought of as impossible, possible.
Alexander Oser serves as Director of Business Development at Metaio and oversees the successful deployment of Augmented Reality solutions for Metaio’s partner agencies and corporations across North America. In this role, Metaio’s SDK is leveraged to develop the industry’s highest quality AR applications for daily use in Design, Engineering, Operations, Marketing, Sales and Support scenarios. Metaio is one of the leading companies for the development and licensing of Augmented Reality Technology worldwide with over 100 employees in its locations in Munich, Dallas, and San Francisco.
 
The panel moderator, Christina Lopez is a constant storyteller. As an associate producer for ABC News 20/20, America’s no. 1 news magazine program in prime time, Lopez has covered stories including the public fallout between former NBA LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling and girlfriend/personal assistant V. Stiviano; the Boston Marathon bombing and manhunt; and trials for Oscar Pistorius and Jodi Arias. Prior to her time with 20/20, Lopez shot, edited and produced stories for Good Morning America, Nightline and ABC News Digital.
 
Based in Austin, TX, SXSW is the biggest annual interactive and music festival in the world, where music, film, and technologies converge over a span of 10 days. This March, a combined 32,000 registrants are expected to attend.
 
To attend YesVideo’s panel, please visit http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP37612.
 
About YesVideo:
 
Founded in 1999, YesVideo digitizes family tapes and videos and safely stores those memories online forever. Named by Forbes as one of America’s Most Promising Companies in 2014, YesVideo serves over eight million customers by turning old family tapes and films into online videos that can be viewed over and over again on computers, connected TVs, smartphones or tablets. Retailers including Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart, CVS, and Target rely on YesVideo to handle all of their video transfer needs. To learn more go to: yesvideo.com
 
In 2014, YesVideo launched Legacy Republic, the first mission-driven marketplace that combines the power of social selling with family legacies as told via personal videos and photo albums. The Legacy Republic marketplace connects anyone with a passion for family legacies and a desire to earn additional income, with potential clients who face the imperative task of preserving their family heritage and history for generations to come. To learn more go to: legacyrepublic.com
 
About SXSW (March 13 – 22, 2015)
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Conferences & Festivals offers the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery. Year after year, the event is a launching pad for creative content. New media presentations, music showcases and film screenings provide buzz-generating exposure for creators and compelling entertainment for audiences. Conference panel discussions present a forum for learning, business activity thrives at the Trade Shows and global networking opportunities abound. Austin serves as the perfect backdrop for SXSW, where career development flourishes amid the relaxed atmosphere. Intellectual and creative intermingling among industry leaders continues to spark new ideas and carve the path for the future of each ever-evolving field, long after the event’s conclusion. sxsw.com

Contact Information

Molly O’Connor

VSC Consulting for YesVideo

YesVideo

Contact via E-mail