This wknd: VR on the Lot, Off the Hook. Disney Accelerator and Techstars LA demo day. Our Fashion Influencers panel tips

Our Fashion Influencers Panel Recap

We celebrated Fashion Week LA with our Digital LA - Fashion Influencers panel on Wed night. Speakers Isamar Batista of ShoeDazzle, Ivka Adam CEO of Iconery, Javon Frazier of Studio71 and Paul Menes of Adli Law Group shared tips on how fashion brands can work with influencers - and how influencers can build their own fashion brands. Speakers shared tips on how to find influencers, how micro influencers can give you more engagement at less cost, how to effectively roll out campaigns and how to measure engagement, sales, and ROI. Iconery and Studio71 discussed how they are working with influencers to launch their own custom jewelry pieces or T-shirts, caps and other apparel. See our article and video highlights.

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6 wknd ideas

AR VR on the Lot features VR panels and demos focusing on entertainment at the Lot on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, speakers from Google, Unity, and more discussed how they are using realtime processing, and more. Zak Penn, screenwriter of Ready Player One, discussed how the film creates the VR world of the Oasis, with Steven Spielberg simultaneously grounding it reality (photo right). Panels continue on Saturday at the Lot (LaBrea / Santa Monica). Created by the VR Society. (Last year, this was called VR on the Lot at Paramount Studios.)

Off the Hook Seafood Festival. Seafood tastings from top chefs, live music, wine tasting, beer gardens, games, oyster shucking competition, Seafood VIP lounge and more! Sat Oct 14, 4-7p. Use code GETFISHY for 15% off tix at othseafoodfest217.eventbrite.com

Art of Spider-Man: Homecoming at Gnomon School. Join Marvel head of visual development Ryan Meindering and other Marvel artists for a behind-the-scenes look at the visual development of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Speakers will explore the early designs, detailing, and visual development of Spider-Man, Shocker, Iron Man Mark XLVII, and Vulture . FREE RSVP on Sat 5-7:30p. Wear your Spidey shirt and look for Digital LA founder Kevin Winston in the Spidey shirt and red shades to take a group Digital LA photo after!

Veuve Clique Polo Classic - wear your sun hats, floral dresses, and polo shirts, bow ties, and suspenders for this annual polo match aka photoshoot for your Instagram. Tag your pics #ClicquotStyleSweeps to enter a chance to win a $1K AMEX gift card. Sat @ Will Rogers State Park.

SHOWS

- Paw Patrol Live, Fri/Sat @ Dolby

- RuPaul, Fri @ Globe

- David Lynch Festival of Destruction, Sat @ Ace

- Depeche Mode, Sat/Sun @ Hollywood Bowl

- Evanescence, Sun @ Greek

MOVIES: The Foreigner, Happy Death Day

Connect 17 'Festival . Oct 13-22. Innovate Pasadena hosts its fourth annual Connect '17, a series of independently organized seminars, workshops and social events taking place throughout the city from Oct 13-22. Attendees will enhance their innovation game and tech savviness . Check out their signature event Connect '17 Festival and Connect URB-E Derby Race Friday Oct 20.

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LA Tech News

Disney Accelerator demo day featured 11 companies of its fourth class at the Disney lot in Burbank. Disney CEO Bob Iger introduced the event. Several companies announced partnerships with Disney departments from film to ABC to theme parks. Article.

Meet the 11 companies

The VOID immerses guests in virtual experiences, combining VR, interactive sets, and real-time effects, such as Ghostbusters VR. Earlier that day, the VOID announced ticket sales opened for its new Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire game that will launch at Downtown Disney in Anaheim on January 5. In the game, you join a group of four rebels disguised as Stormtroopers to infiltrate the Empire. Tickets are $30 per person, and are available at http://thevoid.com

aXiomatic eSports company has a majority stake in sports team Team Liquid, and other esports companies.

Brit + Co digital media company entertains <125M women-focused audience via content, online classes, and products. Founder & CEO Brit Morin announced that the company is teaming up with Freeform, Good Morning America, and the Disney Digital Network. Brit + Co. A

Epic Games is the creator of Unreal Engine game technology for real time animation. Epic real time animation was used to animate K2-SO in Star Wars Rogue One

Ambidio creates immersive sound via regular speakers. Ambidio demoed a Star Wars clip with its immersive sound

Savioke creates the Relay service delivery robot is already installed in dozens of hotels worldwide. Savioke announced a pilot with Relay in a hotel at Walt Disney World Resort and exploring opportunities for collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering. Additionally, Good Morning America is planning to test Relay as part of their team, delivering coffee, scripts, and surprises to the hosts and celebrities.

ProductionPro lets storytellers post scripts, research, designs and more online for film, TV, and theatre production and collaboration. Production Pro was used to help manage production on Frozen, Hamilton, the Crown and will be used at Disneyland Resort.

Kahoot! announced it is planning to pilot ESPN and Lucasfilm games and educational content for kids on the Kahoot! platform.

MessageYes e-commerce AI lets mobile users text "YES" to buy products increasing ease and frequency of purchases. Formerly known as ReplyYes.

Hoodline announced that the company is working with ABC to bring local content from Atlas to all ABC-owned TV station mobile apps around the country.

Samba TV provides real-time, opt-in viewership data and metrics across broadcast, cable TV, OTT, and digital media.

Techstars LA Demo Day. Techstars LA accelerator showcased its first class of 10 startups at its demo day at the El Rey Theatre last night.

Techstars invests $120,000 in each startup, and provides access to its international network of advisors and mentors for the three-month program.

Meet the 10 Techstars LA startups!

Blue Fever is a digital content network with web series, music videos, shows for millennial women. Blue Fever sends text messages of 3 short videos a week with 60% watch rate. Co-Founder Lauren spoke on our Women In Entertainment panel

Playfull mobile app games to unlock discounts and freebies at local restaurants like Chipotle and Dennys.

Heartbeat is a community of 130,000 micro influencer women, who partner with brands on campaigns that have more engagement than big pricey influencers. Presenter Kate Edwards was a Top 5 finalist at Silicon Beach Fest last year.

Avisare B2B procurement connects businesses to post and bid for contracts on one universal platform

Stackin' creates short entertaining financial educational videos 1-5 minutes for teens to learn personal finance in a fun way

Slingshot Aerospace gets aerial images from public and private satellite and drone companies, and applies its image object recognition and AI analysis tools to identify trends and action.

DirecTech Labs just released Distro, an AI sales tool which helps sales teams increase efficiency.

Maslo digital AI assistant with personality that is sensitive to your feelings.

Solutions Vending creates PopCom vending machines and kiosks that generate revenue via sales percentages and collecting shopping data. First customer is at Disneyland

LIV VR shows what you look like in VR.

Techstars LA is Techstars third accelerator in LA, following Techstars - Cedars-Sinai Health (which just announced its third class) and Techstars Music (second class starts in November).

IndieCade celebrates 10th Anniversary. Indiecade indie games conference celebrated its 10th anniversary with panels, VR, and lots of indie games at the Japan American National Museum in Little Tokyo in Downtown LA on Oct 5-8. Indie game developers from around the world met to showcase their games, share knowledge on panels, and play each others games. Highlights include Exploding Kittens card game, Santiago the Fish VR, and the 50 Ways to Fail in VR panel, with lots of practical advice on how NOT to do VR. See our article.

ChowNow announced a partnership with Facebook that lets you use Facebook to order food at restaurants near you.

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JOBS

Get or post a job on our job board http://digitalla.net/jobs

- NEW! Dermalogica: Global Digital Manager: Manage development and adoption of web-based beauty tools

- NEW! Dermalogica: CRM Manager. Run customer relationship and retention program including email, subscription, loyalty

- AdvertiseMent is looking for a Digital Marketing Manger in SaMo

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CONFERENCES

Get Global 2017. Get 25% off GetGlobal @GetGlobalConf international summit with speakers from Dropbox, LinkedIn, Sony Pictures Television, Boeing, Pinkberry, Monster Inc, 500 Startups, government leaders etc. Unique and unbeatable insights and networking with the very best in cross-border business. Oct 25 in Downtown LA.

HET Festival, 11/10. Talk US - China entertaiment tech at the Hollywood Entertainment Technology Festival (HETF) on Nov 10 at W Hollywood via panel discussions and expert speakers exploring trends in entertainment technology, cross-border opportunities, and investments within the Sino-US landscape. This year's theme, Innovating in a Global Landscape, looks to inspire collaborations and market growth by serving as a platform for visionaries, content creators, entrepreneurs, and investors. Get 20% off of the "General Admission - Session Only" with code "DigitalLa" at checkout. Hetfest.com

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OUR RECENT EVENTS

Development to Distribution panel. Write stories that move you, in your voice, and spark interest when you quick-pitch to others, said writers and creators with shows on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and TV at our Development to Distribution panel at CTRL Collective Playa Vista. Speakers Ari Berkowitz (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Brett Konner (Deadbeat on Hulu), Kate Mines (Dropping the Soap on Amazon) and Ruby Rae Spiegel (The OA on Netflix) shared advice on writing to researching distribution platforms for your content. Our article.

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Meet the Streamys Winners panel featured winners Mari Takahashi of Smosh Games (Gaming), Paul Ferry of Mr. Student Body President (Ensemble, Directing) and Brandon Rogers of Magic Funhouse (Costume Design). Speakers shared stories how they create content, cast their projects, engage fans, and use social media. Article soon!

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Women Entertainment panel

Startup founders, CEOs, and digital content creators gave advice on how to start and grow your entertainment startup or company at our Digital LA - Digital Women in Entertainment panel. The panel features Silicon Beach startups and entertainment companies that work with Hollywood Studios, filmmakers and brands to create digital and VR content. See video with their advice!

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Our Digital LA - Pool Party: We had a blast at our Labor Day Summer Pool party at a Hollywood Hills mansion infinity pool. Attendees included Hollywood studio execs, music biz execs and composers, filmmakers, video game writers, startup CEOs, cryptocurrency experts, and more. Thanks Maggie and Ted for hosting! See pics

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Our VR Games panel: 12 Things You Need to Know

VR Games are uniquely different from both games and VR experiences, said expert speakers at our first Digital LA - VR Games panel at CTRL Collective Playa Vista on Monday. Our pre-PAX panel is the first in the LA area to focus on VR and Games. Tips: Brainstorm gameplay that fits your game and VR movement, said Daniel Zeligman, Survios lead engineer on category-establishing Raw Data robot shooter VR game. Emmy-winning Secret Location is switching into games owning its own IP, with today's launch of the Blasters of the Universe sci-fi shooter game, said Eric Shamlin of Secret Location. Franchise game titles like Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider, and Hitman are experimenting with VR mini-games (not full game), said Adam Sullivan of Square Enix. Music is important to help your players achieve the right actions and feelings in your VR game, said Sally of Ossic, 3D sound in San Diego. Composer must play the game, said award-winning composer Penka Kouneva, who played the Mummy VR game before composing the first note You can play Mummy VR now at Star VR's first VR arcade at Hollywood and Highland, by the Hot Topic. Sound is your best ROI, said Viktor Phoenix, audio expert with Technicolor. See our 12 Things You Need to Know about VR Games article, our video with speakers trends for VR games, and tag yourself / friends in the FB photo album.

SteelHouse Summer Cocktails. Digital LA and SteelHouse teamed up for a relaxing Summer Sunset Cocktails at 41 Ocean in Santa Monica last Thurs. Our guest list of attendees included: SteelHouse, The Trade Desk, GumGum, Jukin Media, Taboola, Retention Science, FastPay, Media Temple, eHarmony, Beachbody, Me Undies, Iconery, Sugarfina, Thrillist, and more. The event celebrated SteelHouse's Innovation Hub, which gives brands and agencies access to new video, mobile, and social ad formats and digital distribution channels. SteelHouse Innovation Hub partners include Facebook, Instagram, The Trade Desk, Factual, GumGum, Taboola, and TripleLift. The cocktails kicks off a series of adtech panels that SteelHouse is planning for the fall. See our articleand FB photo album.

6 Secrets to Successful Subscription Services

Successful Subscription box services go beyond selling boxes, to creating community, content marketing, branded boxes, partnering with influences, and more said CEO founders and executives from Loot Crate, FabFitFun, SnackNation, and Watch Gang at our Digital LA - Subscription Services panel held at CTRL Collective Playa Vista on Monday. Speakers said LA is a home for subscription services because LA understands connecting e-commerce and fulfillment with fan passions, influencers, content creation, storytelling, and brands. See our article with 6 Secrets to Successful Box Services.

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Esports: LA is epicenter for publishers, teams, events

Esports athletes can make $50K - $300K a year, with more including brand deals, and winning championship prize money, like the $24M at the recent Doda 2 tournament, said esports experts at our first Digital LA - Esports panel at CTRL Collective in Playa Vista. Speaker included Noah Whinston, CEO of The Immortals, a top LA-based team, Brian Kim of Damage agency which helps traditional sports companies and brands work with esports athletes, and Darren Yan of Everyday Influencers which helps place Twitch streamers, YouTubers and esports players in games and mainstream publications like Rolling Stone. Esports is rapidly growing, with increased prize money, sponsorship dollars and attendees at tournaments. Panel highlights, photos, and video of top esports trends in our article.

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Hollywood Movie Marketing: VR, AR, VFX, Superheroes

At our post-Comic-Con pre-SIGGRAPH panel on Wed, speakers from Fandango, VNTANA, 8i and Framestore, discussed how Hollywood studios are increasingly partnering with digital companies to provide never-been-done-before content, AR, VR and VFX for superhero movies and other projects. AR company VNTANA has even developed "Hologram Best Practices"! Yes what a time to be alive! See how these companies create AR holograms, VR, VFX, and other digital campaigns to promote superhero and other movies. Article. Video.

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Women VR CTO s discussed how they manage the ever-changing world of VR technology software and hardware, and more at our Digital LA - Women in VR: CTO panel at CTRL Collective Playa Vista. The panel is the first Women in VR: CTO panel ever held in LA and nationwide, featuring only women CTOs of VR companies. Speakers included: Linda Gedemer of Source Sound VR, and Adriana Vecchioli of VRTIGINOUS, moderated by Espree Devora of Women In Tech podcast. Gedemer and Vecchioli described their paths from their schooling to tech to VR. They also described issues VR CTOs face with ever changing camera hardware, stitching and producing software, increasing data needs and scalability. They also shared advice for women developers to get into tech and VR. See our article including video.

Our Digital LA - Anime PokeParty . We celebrated the one-year anniversary of Pokemon Go with our Anime PokeParty during Anime Expo. We celebrated with Pokemon Go Club LA, Cuddli dating app, and Bionic Buzz at CTRL Collective DTLA. Attendees chose red, yellow or blue trainer candy, dressed up, played Jenga, and compared notes on Anime Expo. Pokemon Go remains one of the most downloaded game apps ever, with hordes of Pokemon trainers packing parks and piers around the world. The app made AR mainstream, and has helped AR companies raise funding, because people are familiar with AR now. Companies are using AR in movie marketing, like the Spider-Man Homecoming app, where you can use the AR Suit Explorer to make Spider-Man appear next to you and your friends.

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Content Creators experts talk Post-VidCon wrap-up. Experts from digital studios, agencies, and creators spoke about trends in content, creators, brands, social and m onetization at our post-VidCon panel discussion at CTRL Collective Downtown LA. Speakers from Studio71, DEFY Media, Live.me, Portal A, and more discussed trends both at VidCon, and in the broader creator / influencer space. Top trends: More brands "get it" now on how to work with creators authentically and within the creators own voice, rather than advertisers asking for a bunch of product shots and mentions. C reators are branching into other revenue streams beyond YouTube including merchandising, Patreon, touring, paid appearances and more. See our article and pics.

AR Panel: Augmented reality experts discussed AR applications, games, access and revenue models after Pokemon Go at our Digital LA - AR panel at IgnitedSpaces in Hollywood last night. Ben Conway of VNTANA discussed creating branded HOLLA-gram kiosks at events that fans can interact with to make videos sharable on social media. VNTANA has created hollo-grams with Marvel Disney to wear Doctor Strange's cape, and with Spongebob Squarepants to throw him a football at the Super Bowl. Drew Minock described how DAQRI's AR helmets help construction workers learn maintenance and repairs. Josephine Munis of Candy Labs AR creates location based AR games using GPS, or beacons when there's no wifi/service. She said that for her Texas Rope 'Em location based AR card game, she asked her engineer to create three card stops near our panel so people could play. Philippe Lewicki of AfterNow described AR as part of a mixed reality continuum, exemplified by his Microsoft Hololens egg hunt demoed at VRLA Expo. Allyson Cunha of Image Metrics described creating face-filter digital makeover apps, working with L'Oreal and other cosmetics brands. See our summary article and what speakers are most excited about in the future of AR in this FB video.

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- Digital LA - VR Music panel featured e xperts from Live Nation, the composer of Survios Raw Data VR game, and Silicon Beach startups. Speakers shared insights on four areas of VR and music: spatial sound in VR, composing music in VR, music VR startups, and bands creating 360 music videos or livestreaming their concerts in VR. We also talked about the future of VR Music, including VR teleporting to multiple VR cameras at a concert, festival, or worldwide festival; composing music in VR, and social music VR attending concerts with friends in VR. Summary in our 10 Keys to Music VR article.

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Our Digital LA - EdTech panel featured Silicon Beach startups discussing tech sites and apps, and tech and entrepreneurship tools at schools and universities. Panelists described AI, AR, and VR applications for EdTech. Thanks speakers from CreatorUp, Flocabulary, Cue Career, GoGuardian, and LMU Leeds student group. See our article and video including Flocabulary's Ike Ramos' history/geology rap that got panelists standing up and audience clapping along (can we do music raps at all our panels?) in the last five minutes of this video .

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HR Tech Panel. We hosted LA's first panel on HR Tech with speakers from Hired, ZipRecruiter, Comparably, Purple Squirrel and TriNet on how to create and develop tools, platforms, and apps for recurring and comparing salaries, and recruiting, as well as HR operations.

We also discussed how to get a job and find talent in Silicon Beach. Thanks to Hired for sponsoring, and CTRL Collective for hosting. Article.

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Silicon Beach Meets Silicon Valley. We discussed how tech ecosystems in LA, SF and San Diego can increase communication at our panel at WeWork Golden Gate in San Francisco. Speakers included Cam Kashani of CoAccel, Matt Kosko of Service, Tim Ryan of Lab Fellows and Desirae of Rewardopoly discussed what they do, and increased communication of tech ecosystems in LA, San Francisco, and San Diego. Many LA and SD startups go to SF for investors or accelerator programs. Article