Elaine McMillion Sheldon www.elainemcsheldon.com elainemcsheldon@gmail.com BIOGRAPHY: Elaine McMillion Sheldon is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and visual journalist. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Wired UK, The Atlantic, LA Times, Huffington Post and PBS Mediashift. Sheldon s feature-length and short films have screened nationally and internationally. Her most recent project, HOLLOW, is an interactive documentary that examines the future of rural America through the eyes and voices of Appalachians. Hollow has been exhibited and screened over 50 times from the U.S. Capitol to the American Museum of Natural History. Using interactive data visualizations, short films, archival footage, user-generated content and community content, HOLLOW brings McDowell County, West Virginia to life online for users all around the world to explore. HOLLOW has received recognition from the Peabody Awards, World Press Photo, SXSW, International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam and is a 2014 Emmy nominee. In 2013, Filmmaker Magazine named Sheldon one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film. She works as a freelance filmmaker, editor, producer and media consultant. EDUCATION: MFA Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College, 2013 Concentrations: New Media, Documentary History, Theory & Production Thesis: Changing Identity and Building Community Efficacy Through Participatory Media and Interactive Storytelling B.S. News Editorial Journalism, West Virginia University, 2009 Concentrations: Multimedia Storytelling, Visual Journalism Exchange Student, Aalborg University (Denmark), Spring 2008 Concentration: International Cultural Studies
WORK EXPERIENCE: HUMANITY (ipad magazine) May 2014 current Photographer, Cinematographer, Editor humanity.tv Helios Design Labs April 2014 September 2014 Freelance writer, content strategist, photo and video curation for interactive documentary disaster-resilience.com Reed College of Media (WVU) January 2014- May 2014 Content Strategist and producer for mobile-first project The Drug Next Door drugnextdoor.com Micro-Documentaries May 2013 current East Coast Field Producer Northern Light Productions May 2011 June 2012 Museum and Broadcast Development Assistant Emerson College Sept. 2010 May 2011 Video Editor and Videographer Charleston Daily Mail Aug 2009 March 2010 Web Videographer and Writer Washington Post Digital May 2009 Aug. 2009 Documentary Video Intern West Virginia Uncovered Aug. 2008 May 2009 Journalist and Multimedia Trainer
TEACHING EXPERIENCE: Workshop Leader, October 2014 Future of Storytelling Conference Experimenting with New Digital Storytelling Tools futureofstorytelling.org Mentor and Workshop Leader, Summer 2014 Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University Digging In Artist Retreat Adjunct Professor, Fall Semester 2011 Emerson College Course: Introduction to Media Production Guest Lecturer, Spring Semester 2013 Emerson College Courses: Business of Modern Media Guest Lecturer, Spring Semester 2013 Wentworth Institute of Technology Courses: Society and Visual Media FILM & VIDEO: Title: High Adaptation Role: Director, Editor, and Producer Format: Online short documentary for The New York Times Op-Doc Featured on nytimes.com in August 2014 Title: For Seamus Role: Co-Director, Editor, and Producer Format: Online short documentary for The New York Times Op-Doc Featured on nytimes.com in December 2013
Title: Hollow: An Interactive Documentary Role: Project Director, Cinematographer and Editor Format: Online, interactive documentary Launched online on June 20, 2013. 2013 Peabody Recipient, 2014 Emmy Nominee Title: West Virginia Still Home Role: Director, Editor, and Producer Format: Online short documentary for The New York Times Op-Doc Featured on nytimes.com front page on June 20, 2013 Title: Tales of an AP Journalist Role: Director and Editor Runtime: 23 minutes Screenings: West Virginia University: Tribute to George Esper (December 2012) Bright Lights: It s All True Documentary Festival (February 2013) Title: Lincoln County Massacre Role: Director, Editor, Producer Runtime: 57 minutes Screenings: West Virginia Filmmakers Festival (September 2011) Awards: Audience and Director s Choice at WV Filmmakers Festival Title: The Lower 9 Role: Co-Director and Co-Producer Runtime: 21 minutes (short version); 50 minutes (feature-length version) Screenings: Cleveland International Film Festival, Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, Louisville s International Festival of Film, Big Muddy Film Festival, Thin Line Film Festival and Heartland Film Festival. Awards: Golden Circle Awards from Caucus Foundation for Directors and Producers, Educational distribution deal with Third World Newsreel Title: The Last Mountain Role: Freelance videographer Runtime: 95 minutes Notable Screenings: World Premiere 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (2011)
PERSONAL PRESENTATIONS: McMillion, Elaine (July 2012). Community-driven media. Presentation with Jigar Mehta (18 Days in Egypt) at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. McMillion, Elaine (September 2012). Storytelling Platforms. Panel presentation at Points North Documentary Forum at Camden International Film Festival in Camden, Maine. Presented with Jesse Shapins (Zeega), Annie Correal (Cowbird), Steve Holmgren (Union Docs), William Uricchio (MIT), Jeff Soyk (Hollow). McMillion, Elaine (September 2012). Kickstarter: Crowdsource Fundraising. Panel presentation at Points North Documentary Forum at Camden International Film Festival McMillion, Elaine (November 2012). At the Corner of Hollywood and Web. Panel presentation at Harvard University s Berkman Center for Internet and Society in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Presented with David Weinberger (Author, Everything is Miscellaneous), Jonathon Zittrain (Harvard Law School) and Rob Burnett (Producer, The Late Night Show) McMillion, Elaine (December 2012). WVU: A state of innovation. Presented to over 700 guests at West Virginia University s Capital Classic Luncheon in Charleston, West Virginia. McMillion, Elaine (December 2012). Community participatory media and interactive storytelling. Massachusetts s Institute of Technology s Open Documentary Lab in Cambridge, Ma. McMillion, Elaine (April 2013). Participatory Forms of Media in Rural America. Museum of Moving Image in New York City. Presentation given to NYC Department of Education. McMillion, Elaine (April 2013). New Media Grantee Presentation: Hollow. Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. McMillion, Elaine (May 2013). Filmmaker Collaborative s Making Media Now Conference. Panel presentation about online media in Boston, Ma.
FELLOWSHIPS & FUNDING: 2013: Future of Storytelling Fellowship 2012: TFI New Media Fund (Tribeca Film Institute and Ford Foundation, 2012), $65,000 2012: Media Grant (West Virginia Humanities Council, 2013), $20,000 2010-2013: Full fellowship to attend 3-year MFA program at Emerson College PERSONAL AWARDS: 2014: Named one of West Virginia s Wonder Women by WV Focus Business Magazine 2013: Filmmaker Magazine s 25 New Faces of Independent Film 2013: Emerson College Visual and Media Arts Top Graduate Student Award 2009: Order of Augusta recipient. Highest senior honor at West Virginia University. Chosen as one of eight to represent the top 1% of the senior class. 25,000-30,000-student population. 2009: Outstanding Senior. Chosen by the West Virginia University Foundation 2008: Top Ten Journalist Scripps Howard Foundation award and $10,000 scholarship. SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS: FinalCut7- very proficient Adobe Premiere- very proficient ProTools-moderately proficient Photoshop-proficient InDesign:moderately proficient AfterEffects: some experience HOLLOW AWARDS: 2014 Emmy Nominee in New Approaches for Documentary 2014 ONA Excellence & Innovation in Visual Digital Storytelling award 2014 Webby Awards: Web Community honoree 2013 Peabody Award FITC 2014 Awards Finalist in Narrative and Best Visual Design March 2014 SXSW 2014 Finalist in Activism and People s Choice awards March 2014 World Press Photo 3rd Prize Award for Interactive Doc March 2014 FWA Site of the Day (Aug. 28, 2013) FWA: Adobe Cutting Edge Project of the Week (Nov. 11, 2013) Finalist for the DocLab Storytelling Award at IDFA November 2013
CSS Winner of the Day (Sept. 27, 2013) National Coal Heritage Foundation: 2013 Research and Documentation Award HOLLOW AT FILM FESTIVALS: Filmmaker Magazine Film Series: 25 Faces of Independent Film August 2013 Camden International Film Festival, Points North Doc Forum September 2013 New York Film Festival: Convergence September 2013 West Virginia International Film Festival October 2013 Doc Lab at International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam November 2013 Eastern Oregon Film Festival February 2014 SXSW Interactive Awards March 2014 Visions Du Reel i_docs workshop - April 2014 Festival du Nouveu Cinema (Montreal) October 2014 Margaret Meade Festival at the American Museum of Natural History October 2014 HOLLOW AT CONFERENCES: Tribeca Film Institute s Interactive Day (Pre-Launch) April 2013 Making Media Now: Filmmakers Collaborative (Pre-Launch) April 2013 The University Film and Video Association Conference August 2013 A Bright Economic Future for the Mountain State Conference September 2013 IFP Conference September 2013 Future of Storytelling: Story Arcade Exhibit October 2013 Create West Virginia Conference October 2013 DocYard: Boston November 2013 i-docs Conference (Bristol, UK) March 2014 Appalachian Studies Conference March 2014 DC Webfest September 2014 Magnum Photography Foundation: PhotoEx Symposium October 2014 Woodstock Digital Media Festival November 2014 COMMUNITY SCREENINGS & EXHIBITS OF HOLLOW: Photography Exhibit Beautiful McDowell County in Charleston, WV October 2012 Welch, West Virginia June 2013 Caretta, West Virginia June 2013 Kanawha County Public Library Screening Series (3 screenings) September 2013 Princeton, West Virginia October 2013
River View High School October 2013 Mount View High School October 2013 Bisbee, Arizona December 2013 Washington, D.C. in United States Capitol Congressional Theatre July 2014 UNIVERSITY SCREENINGS OF HOLLOW: Virginia Tech University October 2013 Radford University October 2013 West Virginia University November 2013 Emerson College November 2013 Colgate University November 2013 Ohio State University January 2014 Davis & Elkins College March 2014 Alice Lloyd College April 2014 Shepherd University April 2014 Wheeling Jesuit University April 2014 Vermont College of Fine Arts April 2014 PRESS COVERAGE ABOUT HOLLOW: Lens Culture The Atlantic Los Angeles Times PBS POV Blog PBS Media Shift Ignite.me Upworthy Wired.UK The Daily Dot West Virginia Public Broadcasting (radio) WVVA News (television) Charleston Gazette & Charleston Daily Mail (WV) West Virginia University Alumni Magazine Filmmaker Magazine New York Times Huffington Post Codehesive La Vanguardia Collab Docs I-Docs