Interview with David Harris, MTV New Media

David Harris was born in Puerto Rico, raised in Texas, and received his undergraduate degree in Film, Animation, and Video from the Rhode Island School of Design. He worked as the creative director for Love Advertising, producer for ADV Films, Inc. (one of America's leading animé companies), and lived in Paris for a year in between. In 2003, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue his MFA from UCLA in Film, TV and Digital Media. His thesis project, HOWDOISAYTHIS.COM, was sponsored by mtvU and Cisco and won the 2007 SXSW Web Award for Best Student Site. Since launching HOWDOISAYTHIS.COM, Harris worked in the development think tank at Fox Television Studios before taking his current position at MTV New Media, where he is working on the Players project, Jackass World, and a number of interactive projects that are as exciting as they are secret. In the video interview, you will hear David's answers to the following questions: 1. You call yourself the "MacGyver" at MTV New Media. Could you elaborate on your role at MTV? 2. How does MTV New Media compete with MySpace and YouTube in reaching the MTV audience on the Internet? 3. What is your experience in working with the AFI Digital Content Lab? 4. What suggestions do you have that would make the Digital Content Lab more innovative, useful, and rewarding? 5. What is the innovation of the "Players" project that you are working on at the Digital Content Lab? 6. If you can do anything you want at MTV, what will you do?