Spotlights
Spotlight on Creativity March 2009
March’s spotlight on creativity is local creative professional Shannon Newby. In 1995 Shannon opened Out of House Motion Pictures, a film and video production company based in Philadelphia. Two years later, he wrote, produced and directed ‘Dirty Laundry (Air it Out)’, and won a best director award at the Atlantic City Film Festival and best feature film award at the Philadelphia International Film Festival (Philafilm).
In 2006, Shannon created the repertory theater science fiction television show ‘Heavy Sedation’ and within weeks it became a top 10 hit on WYBE and five months later it acquired by the National Education Television Association. It is now a nationally syndicated public television series that can be seen on 40 stations across the country.
Shannon is also a published editorialist and an award winning orator who was honored on prime time national television at the Constitution Center’s 200th year celebration with Supreme Court Justice Warren Burger.
Your name:
Shannon Newby
Firm/company:
Out the House Motion Pictures
Occupation:
Filmmaker
Current Location:
Philadelphia
Hometown:
Philadelphia
Favorite Philadelphia neighborhood:
West Oak Lane
Best advice you've ever been given:
"Success comes in cans, failure comes in cant's."
Your favorite thing about living in the Philadelphia Region:
It's a big city, but it feels like a town. Everybody knows somebody who knows somebody. I run into somebody I know everywhere I go.
Your favorite thing about working in the Philadelphia Region:
It’s not New York or LA. People are still fascinated with the idea of movies and TV being made in their hometown. Also the amount of talent that grows here is phenomenal. People, who grow up here, don’t realize how much talent is in the city until they live somewhere else.
How would you market the Philadelphia Region to professionals outside the region?
The arts and culture in Philadelphia is great. There is always something good to do here.
What advice would you give to young professionals trying to break into your industry?
Learn as much as you can. Believe in yourself, seek help, but be as self sufficient as possible, and network, network, network.
How has the IT industry in Philadelphia evolved in the past ten years?
Philadelphia is becoming a movie industry haven. There are typically over 20 films major and independents shot here every year. When I first started I would have to search far and wide for many film related resources, but in the past ten years many of these thing are now at hand thanks to the Philadelphia Film Office.
To learn more about Shannon and his work in the region, visit www.outthehouse.com.