Alex Westerman

Alexander Westerman (born 1969 [1]) is a United States of America Creative Director based in Los Angeles. He began his career as an Art Director having studied at Ithaca College and New York University. Currently Westerman is the executive creative director for OpusLA.[2]

Alexander Westerman
Homage to David Bowie
Born
New York City
NationalityAmericans
Alma mater
OccupationCreative Director
Spouse(s)David Gleason

Career

Alexander Westerman started out as a prop master and art director. Westerman's experience ranges from television to movie and theater productions. He was an executive in charge of development at Bona Dea Productions, a production executive of The Weissberger Theatre Group, and a year as an assistant to producer Fred Zollo. In 2000, Westerman left his job at Disney to found a start-up called RadicalZoo.[3] RadicalZoo was to be a destination for independent filmmakers.[4]

Alex Westerman, an energetic former art director who on an impulse had quit a job working for a children's television show to found a Website called RadicalZoo...envisioned the site as a kind of artists' commune in cyberspace, a home for filmmakers and musicians who wouldn't necessarily be heard in mainstream media.

Chris Erikson, The New York Times [4]

RadicalZoo folded in 2003. Westerman joined the staff of Nickelodeon in 2004 and went on to create award-winning sites and applications for the company. Westerman lead the team that created Nicktropolis the award-winning and much loved virtual world. In 2009, Westerman left Nickelodeon to become Creative Director Worldwide Marketing and Communications for Mattel.

In 2007 - 2008, Westerman created an Adobe Air application as an Adobe launch partner. The application was the first game to be created using the air runtime. The game allows users to engage in a scavenger hunt, collecting jig saw puzzle pieces and assemble and solve the puzzle offline in the Air runtime.[5]

In 2012 Westerman joined Guthy-Renker as head of digital creative.

In 2015 Westerman joined Spark Networks as head of creative.[6]

Westerman is also the publisher of a popular amusement park and roller coaster website; ThrillNetwork.com. ThrillNetwork is large community dedicated to provide news and information about the amusement park industry. The site contains one of the most comprehensive databases of statistical data on almost every park and ride in the world.

Personal life

In the Spring of 2014, Westerman married David Gleason, senior vice president of research for E! and Esquire Network [7][8]

Early Work

Westerman's background is diverse. He was classically trained as a ballet dancer studying at The School of American Ballet in NYC. While attending Ithaca College he choreographed ballets for the dance school, two of which were critical successes: La Belle et la Bete [9] and Flight of Icarus.[10][11] In 1989 Burt Supree of the Village Voice reviewed Westerman's performance and choreography as a member of The Saga Dance Company.

Westerman caresses a wooden office chair, then balances tilted across it and another chair. He flexes his feet as a little joke, sensitively fondles the skinny chromium leg of the second chair, and, standing, smoothly swings his legs over the chair backs That small, reticent solo was lovely, the most coherent moment of the evening.

Burt Supree, The Village Voice  [12]

At Nickelodeon Westerman served as Production Director of Nicktropolis. Nicktropolis is Nickelodeon's massively multiplayer online game and massively multiplayer online role-playing game that is part of Nick.com.[13]

Transformers Game - A Transformers Game and area, based on the popular Hasbro toys, is being developed. Teams will compete for Nickpoints and prizes. Game players will have to choose which team to join, evil DECEPTICONS or the noble AUTOBOTS? These two opposing teams will battle it out for control of the elusive Energon Cubes. The area will contain brand new rooms, features, and gameplay, this is sure to be the next evolution of games in Nicktropolis.[14]

Involvement with REDCAT Theater

In 2017 Westerman accepted a position on the REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) COUNCIL having served as a Circle member from 2010-2017.[15] As a council member Westerman has presented the following productions: Christiane Jatahy: What if they went to Moscow?[16] The Wooster Group: THE B-SIDE: “Negro Folklore from Texas State Prisons" A Record Album Interpretation,[17] A PINK CHAIR (In Place of a Fake Antique),[18] Wallace Shawn's The Designated Mourner,[19] The Room by Harold Pinter[20] and The Town Hall Affair.[21]

Awards for associated websites

Patents

Parental control for multiple virtual environments of a user[25]
United States US20110219084 A1
Issued March 7, 2011

A computerized method is for controlling a virtual environment of a user and includes providing, over a communications network, a plurality of virtual environments in which a user is able to interact with other users using electronic messaging. The computerized method also includes transmitting, from an authentication server, information about the plurality of virtual environments to a first computing device associated with an agent in response to user request for access to a restricted electronic messaging format associated with one of the virtual worlds. The computerized method further includes receiving, at the authentication server, an indication of authorization from the first computing device, wherein the indication of authorization includes a separate indication of authorization associated with each of the plurality of virtual environments.

System and method for controlling a virtual environment of a user[26]
United States 11,840,647
Issued August 17, 2007

A method and a system for controlling a virtual environment of a user, e.g., a child is provided. In the virtual environment, users are able to interact with other users using messages. Each message is made up of one or more items contained in a dictionary. Information is transmitted, e.g., by e mail, to an agent, e.g., a parent. The transmitted information is information that may be used to authorize the agent to control the virtual environment of the user. The virtual environment of the user is controlled by setting a level of interaction at which the user is permitted to interact with others. The messages may include pre-written messages and messages composed by a user using items contained in the dictionary. A message checker bars unsuitable combinations made up of items contained in the dictionary. Inappropriate language and personally identifiable information may be excluded from the contents of the messages.

Selected projects

Selected theater and filmography

References
  1. "Internet Movie Database". 2007-01-29. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  2. "LinkedIn".
  3. Dan Kadison (2001-05-13). "Are You Working Your Life Away? If, So You're Not Alone in This Job-Obsessed City, But Here's Why You Should Give Yourself a Break". The New York Post. Retrieved 2001-05-15.
  4. Chris Erikson (2001-05-06). "A Wing, a Prayer And Presto, It's Web TV". The New York Times. Retrieved 2001-05-06.
  5. Robert Scoble (2008-02-26). "Adobe Air Engage 2008". Archived from the original on 27 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
  6. "Nasdaq Earnings Call - Spark Networks, Inc. (LOV)".
  7. "12 Hollywood Weddings on the Way - The Hollywood Reporter". 2013-08-08. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  8. "Fifty States—Plus D.C.—and Fifty-One Ways to Get Married". 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  9. Patty Jacobson (1989-12-07). "Thematic diversity expands Horizon". The Ithacan. p. 17.
  10. Tammy Lynch (1991-02-14). "Unusual dance exceeds limits". The Ithacan. p. 11.
  11. Tammy Lynch (1991-02-14). "Unusual dance exceeds limits". The Ithacan. p. 14.
  12. Supree, Burt (1989-07-11). "Contrivances". The Village Voice Burt Supree Critic Archive.
  13. Mike Jovel (2007-01-29). "Parents' Choice Awards". Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  14. "Transformers Teams in Nicktropolis". Archived from the original on 2008-12-31. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  15. "REDCAT Council member page". 2009-06-08.
  16. "Christiane Jatahy: What if they went to Moscow?". 2018-10-26.
  17. "The Wooster Group: THE B-SIDE: "Negro Folklore from Texas State Prisons" A Record Album Interpretation". 2018-12-07.
  18. "The Wooster Group: A PINK CHAIR (In Place of a Fake Antique)". 2017-12-18.
  19. "André Gregory directs Wallace Shawn's The Designated Mourner". 2016-12-19.
  20. "The Wooster Group: The Room by Harold Pinter". 2015-08-13.
  21. "The Wooster Group: The Town Hall Affair". 2016-08-13.
  22. "Webby Award 2010 - Official Honoree Mattel Games Portal mattel.com/games". 2010-05-29. Archived from the original on 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  23. "Parents' Choice Awards: Website". 2008-09-29. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  24. "Forbes Magazine Best of the Web". 2007-01-29. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
  25. "Parental control for multiple virtual environments of a user". 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
  26. "System and method for controlling a virtual environment of a user". 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2007-08-17.
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