Modern Atlanta

Atlanta Creativity Recognized in China & MA Agency Plays a Major Role

Atlanta has been selected as a destination for the first filming of “Creative Life”,  a groundbreaking first-of-kind television series for the China audience with a unique concept that combines travel and design. It will present Chinese audiences with examples of how design and creativity has enriched the lives of people from different countries around the world.  Personally guided by Yan Ling Dunn, Casa da Abitare Editor-in-Chief and former host of Travelogue, this program will travel to 16 countries in 2009 to search and feature creative people, products, projects, places, and events from different fields of design and the creative industry.

“Creative Living” Presenter, Yan Ling Dunn, Editor-in-Chief, Casa da Abitare-China

Each destination will be featured in 4 or 5 thirty-minute episodes, which will emphasize design within the specific environment, individuals and society in mind.  “Creative Life” is in official contacts with the national tourism boards and airlines, but also seeks to feature private personalities in the design and fashion scene.  A blend of formal and casual, this program seeks to highlight the best in local design, interview architects, designers, artisits and locals, and even visit favorite ‘creative’ restaurants to get a well-rounded sense of the unique culture of each destination.

Yan Ling Dunn interviews Jude LeBlanc and Claudia Winegarden of GA Tech COA

Filming in Atlanta began in late February. MA (MA Agency) was contacted by Yan Ling in Beijing to direct and escort her and her film crew to Atlanta’s creative hot spots, its design personalities, design schools, restaurants, architecture, and museums. Shooting covered locations in Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead.  Some of the personalities interviewed included Claudia Winegarden, Ph.D (GA Tech Industrial Design), designers Stefan Kjartansson and Kevin Byrd (Armchair), Tom Little (Chairman, DOCOMOMO-GA), designer Malcolm Fontier, Dencity (architecture), Hank Richardson (President, Portfolio Center), Robert Tresch and Dawn Bennett (Harrison Design Associates), Philip Babb (architect), Ron Labaco (Atlanta High Muesuem), Jude LeBlanc (GA Tech College of Architecture), and Brenda Galina Ph.D (Executive Director, Museum of Design Atlanta).

Produced by the Travel Channel, “Creative Life” is the first prime time TV program in China on design and will reach a domestic audience of 350 million in 300 cities. The Travel Channel is widely recognized for its innovative program concepts which influence and tap into trends in China’s growing economic and sophisticated consumer markets.  Its target audience composed of highly educated, urban viewers, raging from ages 18-45.  Ranked second as “My Favorite Channel”, according to CTR Research, The Travel Channel specializes in news reporting, professional and educational programs, high quality dramas, and creative and distinctive programming.

For its cooperation during filming “Creative Living”, Yan Ling and her team and MA Agency would like to thank the following:

Atlanta High Musuem of Art

Two Urban Licks

Armchair

Georgia Tech College of  Architecture

Philip Babb

W Hotel Midtown

Dencity

Portfolio Center

MODA

and everyone contributing time to this project, thank you!