apollak

The 2007 FYI TeamIn late 2006, when Web video just stared to rear it's pretty little head, the notion of a reconfigured For Your Imagination that specialized in web video began to percolate. Long-time friend and big-thinker, Paul Kontonis, my crazy-talented-illustrator brother Randy Pollak and I had developed the For Your Imagination brand for several years before that and it made sense to evolve that brand into a business that would tackle video - the hottest trending vein of the Web. For Your Imagination has always been about creatively serving the needs of the market, and Paul had the drive and vision at that point to fully invest himself in making that vision come to light. I joined up with Paul a few months later to serve as For Your Imagination's Chief Creative Officer.

foryourimagination.comThree years later, For Your Imagination has continued to evolve and today stands as one of the premiere web-based, branded-entertainment-focused, video shops in New York, specializing in strategic development and syndication of those branded-entertainment videos. As that evolution has taken place, I've decided that in order to better exercise my talents and experience, it is time for me to move on. I'll still be consulting and designing, here and there for FYI and other design and Web related projects, and may find someplace soon to hang my daily hat. However in addition to these projects, I am looking to redouble my efforts, as a budding filmmaker.

In addition to my involvement developing, producing and packaging For Your Imagination's slate of over 20 web series over the pst three years, several particular milestones propel me on into the filmmaking future.

• Co-writing the award winning short, Vita's Garden with the always brilliant Kris Keeley
• Co-creating/writing and producing the multi-million-view web series Kyle Piccolo: Comic Shop Therapist with master storyteller Neil Turitz, mad comic-mastermind Eric Zuckerman and the inimitable John Cassaday.
• Completing the first draft of a feature screenplay based on my short story BodySwappers, Inc.
• The imminent release of love or..., a short film created with the gifted photographer and cinematographer Tom Concordia,
  and my fiancée, the multi-talented and beautiful Swati Argade.
• The pre-production, now underway, for a new short called The Duel, to be released in early 2010
• And all through this, the NYC Screenwriters Meetup continues to inspire me with every comment on every script we read

This post is both a brief notification to those reading about the changes afoot and a thank you, to those who have made my time at For Your Imagination such a rich, challenging and rewarding experience. And one more thank you to those that have encouraged and supported my new filmmaking pursuits along the way and who, along with me, can't wait to see what happens next...