Village Gamer

Corus Entertainment and marblemedia has just announced that Peter-Julian Lee is the winner of the 2011 Innovative Storytellers Award. The $20,000, five-year educational initiative was created in 2008 by marblemedia and Corus in conjunction with Ryerson University’s Master of Arts in Media Production program. The award celebrates an outstanding Ryerson graduate student whose thesis explores the connection between content, new technologies and audiences.

Lee’s winning thesis is entitled The Kenya Help Project: A Work Flow for Not-for-Profit Organizations to Foster Positive Social Change while Increasing Transparency and Donor Dollars. The project showcases a model for charitable organizations to reach new prospective donors through transparent documentary blog posts, including videos, photos and written entries shared through social media networks.

Lee has worked in the media industry for the past ten years as a videographer, producer, business manager and media services director for such organizations as VIVA Productions, Rogers Television, CKWS TV, and Queen’s University’s Alma Mater Society.

“Peter-Julian has proven through his thesis that telling stories in innovative ways can affect positive social change,” said Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg, Executive Producers/Founders, marblemedia, and Ryerson alumni. “We look forward to guiding him on other projects that take storytelling to the next level. The media landscape is rapidly changing, and it’s important to continually develop new and exciting ways to communicate with existing and new audiences.”

The Innovative Storytellers Award-winner receives a grant in addition to mentoring sessions with Corus Entertainment and marblemedia executives. These sessions offer guidance for the award-recipient’s thesis as well as greater insight into the content creation industry. Mentors are selected from the areas of creative production, broadcasting, technology, legal, and sales and marketing.

“Being selected for this award is a great honour. It will enable me to further develop innovative media strategies for not-for-profit organizations in order to reach potential donors, in turn helping to better the lives of many people globally,” said Peter-Julian Lee. “Corus and marblemedia’s recognition of the importance of media development in the not-for-profit sector is truly admirable. I’m excited to draw from their expertise in creating content and strategies by thinking outside the box.”

“When Peter-Julian combined his passion for media with his commitment to humanitarian works, he created a truly exceptional project for the Media Production program,” said Laura Nenych, Director of the M.A. in Media Production program. “His innovative use of media to tell compelling stories has both raised awareness of the Kenya Help Project, and has motivated others to try to build a better world. Peter-Julian’s inspiring work is technologically impressive and has made a meaningful contribution to humankind.”