Lance Weiler approaches his work from a systems thinking perspective. He often develops new methods and technologies to tell stories and reach audiences in innovative ways. For instance, he created a cinema augmented reality game around his second feature, “Head Trauma.” Over 2.5 million people experienced the game via theaters, mobile drive-ins, phones and online. In recognition of these cinematic innovations, Businessweek named Weiler “One of the 18 Who Changed Hollywood.” Others on the list included Thomas Edison, George Lucas, and Steve Jobs.
In addition to his own projects, Weiler often collaborates with other storytellers. In 2010, he was nominated for an International Emmy in digital fiction for his work on “Collapsus: The Energy Risk Conspiracy.” In 2014, he was Creative Director and Experience Designer of “Body/Mind/Change,” an immersive storytelling project in collaboration with David Cronenberg, TIFF, and the CFC. “Body/Mind/Change” was recognized for its innovative use of story and code, winning the MUSE Jim Blackaby Ingenuity Award and receiving a Webby honorable mention in the games and augmented reality category.
Since 2013, Weiler has been a Founding Member & Director of the Columbia University School of the Arts’ Digital Storytelling Lab (DSL), leading the Lab’s activities and helping to shape its enduring vision. The DSL’s mission, to explore new forms and functions of storytelling while encouraging cross-disciplinary collaboration, focuses specifically on the ways in which story can be harnessed as a tool to innovate, educate, mobilize, communicate, and entertain.
Over the course of his career, Weiler has developed a unique understanding of interdisciplinary teams and how to grow businesses in an ever-shifting digital landscape. After speaking at the World Economic Forum in 2012, he was invited to serve on two steering committees, one focused on the future of content creation and the other centered on digital governance.
He is a world-renowned speaker and has given talks at UN and World Economic Forum events, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, New York University, Sundance, Cannes, SXSW, Tribeca, the Toronto, Berlin and Los Angeles Film Festivals, Games for Change, the Future of Storytelling Summit, VPROs Conference of the Curious, and TED. In addition, he has written for publications such as Quartz, GOOD Magazine, Filmmaker, and IndieWire on the future of storytelling.
