creative placemaking

Creative Economy Mixer Photo Highlights: PS21

August 1, 2019 By Maureen Sager

Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy our Creative Economy Mixer at PS21. We had a great time learning more about the facility, having a tour, and enjoying beverages from Hudson Chatham Winery, and Chatham Brewing. Special thanks to our event sponsors Columbia Economic Development Corporation, MVP Health Care, and Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region and promotional partner CREATE (Council for Resources to Enrich the Arts, Technology and Education).

We’ll see you at the next event!

Creative Economy Mixer: Arts Letters & Numbers Studios

May 30, 2019 By Maureen Sager

Thank you for joining us at Arts Letters & Numbers Studios, where we toured their facility, met resident artists, enjoyed food tastings by Laughing Earth Farm, beverage tastings by Albany Distilling Co, a performance by Rachelle Smith-Stallman and more!

We’ll also had an engaging discussion with Arts Letters & Numbers Founding Director David Gersten, and Andrew Frishman of Big Picture Learning.

Without the generous support of our sponsors, this event would not be possible. Thanks to Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, MVP Health Care, and promotional partner Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“Lessons from Austin” Moderators’ Notes

May 8, 2019 By Maureen Sager

Thank you to everyone that took time out of their busy schedules to join us for ACE’s First Cultural Tourism Summit: Lessons From Austin with Meredith Powell of Public City. We hope it was as enlightening and engaging for you as it was for us. We are grateful to have had Meredith Powell share her knowledge with us and impart some important lessons that we can use as we continue our mission of shining a bright light on the powerful and thriving Creative Economy of the Capital Region. We also want to thank you for sharing your thoughts with us in our breakout groups. Here’s what we heard:

Your opinions are important to us and we take what you tell us seriously. You can review the photo highlights of the event here.

This event would not be possible without the support of our sponsors, Capital District Transit Authority, Troy Industrial Development Authority, Redburn Development, Columbia Economic Development Corporation, co-mads, Sunhees Farm and Kitchen, Rare Form Brewing Company, Troy Innovation Garage, and Startup Grind. Also thanks to Lucas Confectionary, Plumb Oyster Bar, Bacchus Wood Fired, and Elixir 16.

Creative Economy Mixer at Opalka Gallery

March 14, 2019 By Maureen Sager

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Our March 2019 our ACE #CreativeEconomyMixer was at Opalka Gallery on The Sage College of Albany’s Campus. We saw screenings of amazing Capital Region film projects in the gallery’s Screening Room, including “Safehouse” by Micah Khan of Golden Horde Films and “Zebra” by Lisa M. Thomas of Thin Edge Films. Sam Margolius shared a “behind the scenes” breakdown of a video-enhanced by special effects by visual effects house Branch VFX.

A short tasting menu was featured by Albany-based restaurant UMANA — “Meeting Place for all People” and Druthers Brewing offered a beverage tasting at the event.

In addition to the films, food and drink we also toured the “In Place of Now” Afrofuturism exhibit with co-curator Judie Gilmore.

Special thanks to our sponsors MVP Health Care and the Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region. Photos by Ska City Photography.

Branch VFX Executive Producer Sam Margolius

March 5, 2019 By Maureen Sager

Sam Margolius is a forward thinking producer and business executive balancing the hybrid spaces of art, entertainment, technology, production, and marketing. He is a Twenty year veteran of the content world with deep experience working with world-class studios, brands, artists, producers and visionary storytellers in both their core production needs as well as the strategy and implementation of new channels of communication.

Sam runs Albany-based Branch VFX which is a STARTUP NY designated company focused on high-level TV and Film projects for Netflix, Paramount, Disney/Marvel, Nickelodeon, etc. and is a sister company to Emmy-Award winning Shade VFX. He recently post produced Terrence Malick’s 360/VR experience, “Together” which debuted at SXSW 2018 and then at The TriBeCa Film Festival and is Executive Producer for the Haagen-Dazs, HTC Vive, Google Daydream 360/VR collaboration, “The Extraordinary Honey Bee“, which was voiced by Constance Zimmer and debuted at the World Economic Forum 2018 in Davos, Switzerland. Additionally, he produced the 2016 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition VR and one of the first ever VR music videos, “Crown” for hip hop supergroup, Run The Jewels, which released on the New York Times NYTVR app and launched at SXSW 2016.

Raised in the Catskill Mountains for all of his formative years, he holds a deep respect for the vitality of nature, the importance of sarcasm, and the flavor of whiskey.

Below are two examples of how imagination comes alive in the digital effects that add the finishing touches to a film.