About CSA
Among the historical artifacts lining my office walls, a small wooden shelf hangs in a darkened corner. An old 8mm movie camera sits on this shelf. It’s a 1959 Keystone K-4C.
My creative journey began with that camera. It was the summer of 1977 and while walking out of a Boston movie theatre screening of Star Wars, I turned to my father and declared that I was going to be a filmmaker. Yes, I was one of those kids so touched by a film that it instantly shaped my future.
My parents gave me a movie camera, a roll of film and lots of support. From there, I wrote, shot, and edited films all the way through high school. I was learning the craft of storytelling along the way.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that it wasn’t the special effects and action sequences that captivated me. It was the power of story.
More than forty years later, I am creating story-driven content. I didn’t become the filmmaker my 7-year-old self once envisioned, and I have no regrets because I’m doing something I consider more rewarding. Today I work with teams creating content.
Creating content is a collaborative experience.
Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with incredibly talented people across a range of projects. Agents, animators, authors, bloggers, cinematographers, composers, costume designers, digital strategists, directors, editors, entertainment attorneys, producers, production accountants, sound recordists, storytellers, writers – I have worked closely with people in these professions and many others.
Every project is a learning experience. I’m introduced to new people, challenges, and solutions.
The world has changed since the convergence of TV and the internet. Today, anyone with a phone can tap into the power of content creation and can even be their own media organization.
I have always wanted to capture and harness the knowledge of my creative network to share with others and, now with the influx of new content creators, I have an audience.
Content Systems Academy will share knowledge, insight and evidence-based strategies to grow an engaged network of people connected by content. Drawing upon my experiences and on-going education, I have developed a framework that will support a creative community of storytellers. This framework is one approach to using content to attract and grow an audience. It’s from my perspective and I hope it serves you well.
In addition to my content, I will tap into my experienced network of professionals and share their insights with you.
The information presented here can be used by businesses, non-profits, educational institutions, and by any individual who wants to use content to reach and engage an audience.
I hope that Content Systems Academy will be a Yoda to your Luke.
Please let me know what works, what doesn’t, and what I need to add to this site to make it more useful.
– Anthony Manupelli
