Experiential projects often begin with a question — Can this be done? Deconstructing that instinct, understanding what a brand needs and conceiving what will genuinely move an audience is the real work.
Design and execution follow, often fusing the tactile with technology to deliver real and mesmerizing experiences. A filmed component frequently functions as an amplification strategy, built into the concept from the beginning to extend global reach.
Whether a campaign anthem, a branded documentary, a short or feature — narrative film continues to prove the resilience of cinematic storytelling, and can be hugely effective in amplifying the reach of experiential projects.
William Maher is a director, writer, and creative director whose creative career began in architectural modelmaking — a hands-on craft that led him into art direction in the film industry. After relocating to Hollywood in the mid-1990s, he joined Warner Bros. during a pivotal shift in the industry, working in visual effects just as analog techniques gave way to digital tools. That transition shaped a lasting belief: that technology evolves to serve the human craft of storytelling, not replace it.
His feature Sleepwalking premiered and sold at Sundance in 2008. His recent project Dreamcaster — an experiential film for Michelob ULTRA that used AI and machine learning to enable a blind sports journalist to commentate a live basketball game — became one of the most awarded branded content projects ever made.
His work spans experiential and immersive production, commercial and branded film, documentary and feature. He is currently developing The Archivist and a new iteration of Ascent from Akeron as feature projects.
Dreamcaster has become possibly the most awarded marketing project ever.
Cannes Lions
The One Show
ADC Awards
Clio Awards
D&AD
London International Awards
ANDY Awards
Also
Webby Winner — Food & Beverage