SXSW Interactive is an annual conference for those living, breathing and dreaming in digital. So of course Digital Park journeyed over to Austin to bring you the most up to the minute content and access.
At yesterday’s keynote, Anthony Bourdain, the charismatic host of the food travel show “No Reservations,” discussed how the dynamic of television has changed and how his Zero Point Zero Production team made the jump to social media. With a Shiner Bock in hand, Bourdain recalled how in 2010 his team took over the “No Reservations” Facebook and Twitter pages as a defensive measure, because “we didn’t want them to suck.”
Since then, he has has embraced the online and social media realms. “Social media has encouraged us to violate any and all mediums that we can.” For example, Bourdain’s crew figures out where they’re going to next by paying attention to local bloggers; they sometimes shoot on cell phones to make the show more like a documentary; and his entire production staff uses social media to take fans behind the scenes of the show.
The potential is endless, but it still needs direction. “Social media is a big bathroom wall and anybody can write anything, but at the end of the day a consensus will be reached.”
Last year, Bourdain’s social media forays had an impact right here in Miami, where Bourdain shot an episode of his second show, ” The Layover.” He had to change his plans to dine at a particular restaurant due to the establishment’s error of tweeting about his appearance on the day of the shoot. Bourdain took to his Twitter to explain that he would not be at the restaurant; instead, he quietly and unexpectedly showed up at the Tropical Park Food Truck Round Up.