39 GENIUS INTERVIEW Stephen Mai
are opportunities for us to leverage our access to talent and our audience to create different types of content. And it could live on a streaming platform, or in a cinema, and would present a different point of view that maybe doesn’t exist at the moment. We’re developing documentary formats and TV series formats. Now we have a film platform with 4:3, something that we didn’t have six months ago. We’ve got a really passionate audience and it’s aligned with the interesting parts of culture, arts and music. There are so many areas that we have yet to exploit: the sky’s the limit. Rather than being a traditional media company, we’re trying to subvert what that means, building a brand that’s strong enough to be able to live anywhere that young people are. FEED: So it’s like you’re building a Red Bull-style encompassing brand for culture? SM: If you look at a brand like Nike, they sit everywhere. Yes, they do clothing and shoes, but there’s more. We have a brand that’s really strong in terms of connection, but because we’ve explored a lot of different content areas, we’re very fluid as well and that’s exciting. FEED: The term “transmedia” has gone a bit out of fashion, but there’s still a desire to create content that doesn’t have to stay stuck on a single platform. SM: Absolutely. Because why would you want to limit yourself? Especially if you have all these opportunities. I’m so lucky to be able to work on platforms and work on brands where you have this really strong foundation, and where you can tie it to your passion point and create interesting narratives and make a difference. It’s a privilege.
LIBERTY ISLAND: 4:3 is Boiler Room’s new VOD platform which features alternative films, documentaries, TV formats and raw footage aimed at a culturally turned-on and free-thinking audience
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