marc calamia, ep + founder

Optimistic, curious AF and creative at the core, I’ve been producing stories and experiences for audiences since I was a little boy — from spoof commercials and news bulletins for family in front of sets made of cardboard boxes (way before video, unfortunately), to programmatic content and immersive, virtual experiences today.

Nearly born on stage, my first media love was the theatre. The son of a singer/actress and a Mardi-Gras float-maker in New Orleans in the 70s, I had richly cultured and unusually nomadic childhood, growing up in night clubs and dinner theatres across the states, on set and often on the road.

I pursued thespian crafts vigorously, became a “triple threat” (strong singer, dancer and actor) and was blessed with a tremendously rewarding career as a performer in NYC. Just five years out of college, I was featured in two Tony Award winning Broadway shows, toured as a soloist with an international dance company, and played several roles in an Academy Award winning film, all the while working closely with some of the world’s most talented and creative artists, playwrights, choreographers, directors, librettists and composers.

Feeling boundless, in 2001 I convinced two friends with a great concept to allow me to co-create, direct, edit and produce (and why not!) a television series for PBS, which got me hooked on creating video stories. I quit my job on Broadway, purchased a ton of gear on eBay with savings, and created Sageworx — an independent production company focused on creating purposeful narrative shorts, music videos, TV pilots, celebrity press pieces — everything but weddings. And a few weddings.

By now digital was deeply rooted, and my passion and propensity for leveraging emerging tech and tools to enable storytelling was unleashed, and I began to shift to the business side of content creation — concepting, pitching, selling and producing network shows.

Tired of performing 5 roles at the same time (and I thought theatre was challenging), I lept at an offer to join forces with NBC Universal, charged with helping form a team of writers, tastemakers, and content creators, leveraging cutting edge content production methods and tools, building studios and creating “online extensions” for NBC’s top performing shows and properties.

We were dubbed NBC Digital Studios (as if the entire network wouldn’t eventually become digital). I was given a cube on the 53rd floor of 30 Rock, a P-card, a business card and a telephone with my name on it. A-ma-zing. Would turn out to be the BEST corporate job I have ever had.

Facebook rapidly became the go-to-destination and place to watch video on the internet, Google TV died and turned into YouTube, and brave brands began experimenting with the crumbs leftover from TV budgets to make “social” and “interactive” videos.

Over 3 kickass years, 2005-2008, we created 50+ digital pilots we couldn’t get the sales team to sell. The impact and power of video was so new, the model so unproven, and the internet was fixated with clips of grumpy cats that shot lasers and tragic skateboarding falls.

Our group was revamped — first “reorg” I had ever experienced — and our group started servicing the rest of NBCU on lightweight content creation needs. I personally edited long-form Dateline shows (on tragic topics I wouldn’t show on a reel), created live shows, such as the exit-interview Bravo live show called “Watch What Happens” we started in a conference room (and still a big hit today!), and produced, shot and edited promo packages and story extensions for cable shows that wanted (needed!) to cross over to the web. I also taught 100 or more journalists in the building how to leverage digital cameras and innovative devices and methods to create engaging stories and help update news gathering techniques and timeliness.

We created content in every form, from narrative to news, documentary to magazine series, even experimenting with content creation in virtual environments (remember Second Life?!). We used any emerging tool available, built an incredible digital capability, diverse content library, specialized encoding tools and a fully-equipped, in-house digital production studio for the network.

Best of all, I got to work hand in hand with master storytellers, young writers and veteran producers, shooters and editors with dozens of Emmys and Globes. We shot with skits the talent of SNL, The Office, and just about every Bravo show that existed at the time (Bravo SVP of programming Andy Cohen was wayyyy ahead of his time, and we were there to bring to life his crazy show concepts). Until the entire, un-profitable content machine got laid off in one fell swoop at the end of 2008.

But i was just getting started. I partnered with a small content shop called Big Fuel, and jumped head-first into advertising. That’s when the pace picked up and I experienced countless content heights.

Over the next decade, I would go on to build and lead several more "digital" and “integrated” content production capabilities for some of the top global advertising agencies including BBDO, R/GA, and 360i, and the internal agency and strategic partnerships team at Viacom.

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Today, sageworx is alive and well again in ATL, my newest chapter. Now independently creating campaigns, experiences, and bespoke content solutions for brands, production companies and agencies.

Fond of rich stories, inspired by new, collaborative tools, and hybrid / muti-layered talent and ideas, I love matching best-in-class production talent from my vast network of partners and capabilities, or building internal solutions for companies looking to engage today’s consumer.

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Fortunate to have worked for, beside and with incredible brands in many different market segments: food, retail, consumer packaged goods, entertainment and news, healthcare, hospitality, fashion + beauty, luxury autos, electronics, technology, and toys. Even once produced and marketed an alarm clock device that could wake you up with the sounds and smell of bacon (for real).

Specific client list is growing, and includes Google, Nike, Samsung, Verizon, AT&T, Mercedes-Benz, Toys R Us, Voya, Bayer, Norwegian Cruise Line, Street Grace, The Honey Baked Ham Co, Sanderson Farms, McCormick, Chobani, Jet.com, Royal Caribbean, Pepsi, Smirnoff, Oscar Mayer, Oreo, Coca-Cola, Fanta, Odwalla, Fisher-Price, Facebook, Haynes, Dentyne, YouTube, MySpace, VEVO, Colgate-Palmolive and now several new brands HQ’d in ATL.

contact

Phone 646-580-6272

Email   marc@sageworx.com

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/marccalamia/

Twitter @calamarc

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marccalamia/