Pulitzer Center and MediaStorm Present “Japan’s Disposable Workers”

In collaboration with the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, MediaStorm created a documentary based on Shiho Fukada’s portrait series, Japan’s Disposable Workers. In three sections the film explores the labor issues affecting Japan, and in so doing, illustrates the larger global labor crisis: Overworked to Suicide After the recession of the 1990s, Japan’s white collar salarymen increasingly must work arduous hours for fear of losing their jobs. Working essentially two shifts a day for weeks at a time leads frequently to feelings of depression, something that is still stigmatized in Japan. Net Cafe Refugees Internet cafes have existed in Japan for over a decade, but in the mid 2000s, customers began using these spaces as living quarters. Internet cafe refugees are mostly temporary employees, their salary too low to rent their own apartments. Dumping Ground Kamagasaki, Osaka, Japan used to be a thriving day laborer’s town. Today, it is home to approximately…

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Coming Soon: “The Long Night” – A Feature-Length Documentary by Tim Matsui & MediaStorm

As many as 2.8 million children live on the streets. One out of every three will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. Set in Seattle, Washington, The Long Night, by Tim Matsui and MediaStorm, gives voice and meaning to the crisis of minors who are forced and coerced into the American sex trade. The film weaves together the stories of those whose lives have been forever changed by this issue. “I’ve never seen more vulnerable, more open people,” said editor and producer Tim McLaughlin. “They’ve managed to articulate this situation in ways that are so human and so open. We didn’t intend to make a feature film, but the issues, the moments, and the importance of what Matsui captured warranted it. It’s not an issue-based story. It’s the human experience of this issue.” The Long Night was made possible by the generous support of the Alexia Foundation and the…

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Read more about the article #AskMediaStorm: Our Producers At Your Service
Eric and Tim. Photo by Shameel Arafin.

#AskMediaStorm: Our Producers At Your Service

Have a burning question about storytelling? Is Premiere Pro driving you crazy? MediaStorm Producers Eric Maierson and Tim McLaughlin are ready to answer your questions for their next blog post. You may know Eric from his rants on multimedia or his countless Premiere Pro tutorials here on our blog. Tim’s pretty amazing, as well. Between the two of them, they’ve logged a decade at MediaStorm, produced dozens of projects, and launched our new Editing Workflow Workshop. So we’re fairly certain they know what they’re talking about. Tweet your questions to @MediaStorm with the hashtag #AskMediaStorm, leave us a note on Facebook, or in the comment section below. We’ll pick the best questions for a special crowd-sourced blog post from Eric and Tim.

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Support Philly: Friends of Philly 7th Annual Golf Outing

Philly Mayer’s story made A Thousand More one of our most powerful workshop projects to date. The short film documents his family’s determination to give their son a whole and vital life after Philly was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic disease that leaves the spine underdeveloped.

Philly is still going strong and you can join in his fight against Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a disease occuring in an estimated 1 out of every 6,000 births. The Friends of Philly 7th Annual Golf Outing supports the Philly Fund’s commitment to lifting some of the financial and emotional burdens on families who care for these special children.

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