# Douglas Gayeton

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American artist

Douglas Gayeton presenting at [Cusp Conference](/source/Cusp_Conference) 2008, Chicago, IL

**Douglas Gayeton** is an American [multimedia artist](/source/Multimedia_artist), filmmaker, writer, and photographer with ties to farming in Sonoma County, California and photography in [Pistoia](/source/Pistoia), a medieval Tuscan town in North Central Italy.

He is the author of *Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town*[1][2][3][4] and *LOCAL: The new Face of Food and Farming in America*.[5][6]

Gayeton's noteworthy film productions credits include: '[Delta State](/source/Delta_State_(TV_series))', '[Johnny Mnemonic: The Interactive Action Movie](/source/Johnny_Mnemonic%3A_The_Interactive_Action_Movie)', *Know Your Food*,[7] a film series on food and farming produced for PBS, *Growing Organic*,[8] a docuseries on organics in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture. Gayeton is also the creator of *[Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey](/source/Molotov_Alva).*

## Early life

Douglas Gayeton received his BA in Literature and Writing from the [University of California, San Diego](/source/University_of_California%2C_San_Diego) in 1983, where he studied under dramatists Adele Edling Shank and [Alan Schneider](/source/Alan_Schneider). Under the guidance of [Reinhard Lettau](/source/Reinhard_Lettau) he also founded the literary magazine *Birdcage Review*, which featured contributions from a mix of students and notable composers, writers and artists, including [Ernst Krenek](/source/Ernst_Krenek), [Eleanor Antin](/source/Eleanor_Antin), [Robert Creeley](/source/Robert_Creeley), and [David Hockney](/source/David_Hockney) (who provided artwork for the Fall 1982 cover).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Career

### Prior to 2k

Gayeton directed *La Entrada*, a full-length documentary on the lives of Mexican [migrant workers](/source/Migrant_workers) traveling to the US. The film was produced by [9] and later aired on [KPBS](/source/KPBS_(TV)). A transcript of interviews the filmmaker conducted with key immigration figures in the US and Mexico while making the film were cited by Congress and read into the [Congressional Record](/source/Congressional_Record) during the drafting of the [Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986](/source/Immigration_Reform_and_Control_Act_of_1986).

Gayeton abandoned his Masters at the [USC School of Cinematic Arts](/source/USC_School_of_Cinematic_Arts) in 1985 to start a production company called Brass Ball after receiving startup funding from [Quincy Jones](/source/Quincy_Jones)'s [Qwest Records](/source/Qwest_Records) (ironically, he later returned to the school as a Visiting Professor).

A series of [experimental films](/source/Experimental_films) made with Italian music group Minox led to Gayeton signing with Satellite Films, a division of [Propaganda Films](/source/Propaganda_Films) in 1992. His making of a music video for the band [Semisonic](/source/Semisonic) is comically detailed in *So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star*[10] by Jacob Slichter.

In 1993 Gayeton directed *Tomorrow*, the first documentary about [interactive television](/source/Interactive_television). The film featured interviews with [Bill Gates](/source/Bill_Gates), [John Malone](/source/John_Malone), [Barry Diller](/source/Barry_Diller), [Sumner Redstone](/source/Sumner_Redstone), [Geraldine Laybourne](/source/Geraldine_Laybourne) and others.

Gayeton ultimately left Propaganda Films in 1994 to start his own media consultancy, Gayetonstudio, where he created interactive projects for dozens of clients. Most notable are: "Plug In", precursor to the first teen channel on [AOL](/source/AOL) with [Bart Decrem](/source/Bart_Decrem) (1995); "Vanishing Point", first original content acquisition for [MSN](/source/MSN) (1996); "Yahooligans", animated series for web and television for [Yahoo](/source/Yahoo) and [Fox](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) (1996); "Plug in", first teen channel on [AOL](/source/AOL) France (1997); "Zap!", first kids channel on [AOL](/source/AOL) France (1997); "Very Small TV" and "Very Small City" (later renamed www.yafoule.com), online community for [Vivendi](/source/Vivendi) (1999).

Gayeton provided creative support to [Electronic Arts](/source/Electronic_Arts), [Viacom](/source/Viacom_(2005%E2%80%93present)), [Sega](/source/Sega), [Intel](/source/Intel), and [National Geographic](/source/National_Geographic_Society). An in-depth survey of Gayeton's interactive work is featured in *The Interactive Writers Handbook* by Jon Hamsel ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1885452039](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1885452039), [9781885452030](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781885452030)).[11]

With [William Gibson](/source/William_Gibson), Gayeton wrote and directed the 1995 [CD-ROM](/source/CD-ROM)-based game *[Johnny Mnemonic](/source/Johnny_Mnemonic_(video_game))*, the first interactive CD-ROM-based movie, for [Sony](/source/Sony) Imagesoft.[12] He then wrote and designed a CD-ROM sequel to [George Orwell](/source/George_Orwell)'s *[Nineteen Eighty-Four](/source/Nineteen_Eighty-Four)* with Media-X and designed an interactive version of *[Einstein's Dreams](/source/Einstein's_Dreams)* with writer [Alan Lightman](/source/Alan_Lightman).

From 1997 to 2000 Gayeton worked with [Alphanim](/source/Alphanim), a Paris-based animation company, where he developed a number of animated television series, the most notable being [Delta State (TV series)](/source/Delta_State_(TV_series)), a project based on his [graphic novel](/source/Graphic_novel) of the same name. Purchased by Canal +, it received a Special Award for a TV series at the [Annecy International Animated Film Festival](/source/Annecy_International_Animated_Film_Festival) and the Frames 2004 Award for best Asian Production. The fourth episode of his series *Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator* was included in the [Animation Show of Shows](/source/Animation_show_of_shows).

Following Gayeton's experience making *Molotov Alva* he joined MTV to work on their virtual world projects. This was followed by a brief stint as Chief Creative Officer of [Millions of Us LLC](/source/Millions_of_Us_LLC), where he developed content for a variety of social network and virtual world platforms including [Gaia](/source/Gaia_Online), [Habbo Hotel](/source/Habbo_Hotel), Scenecaster, Zwinktopia and most recently Sony's [PlayStation](/source/PlayStation) Home, the world's first high definition virtual world.

### 2000s

In 2002 Gayeton was hired by [Scripps Networks Interactive](/source/Scripps_Networks_Interactive) to explore new forms of "enhanced television", namely programming that allows viewers to migrate from television to the Internet and back again. The result was "Lost In Italy", a 26 episode interstitial series for the [Fine Living Network](/source/Fine_Living_Network).[13]

In 2003 Gayeton was commissioned by [PBS](/source/PBS) and *[POV](/source/POV_(TV_series))* to document Italy's [Slow Food](/source/Slow_Food) movement. He focused on the lives of people from the town of [Pistoia, Italy](/source/Pistoia%2C_Italy). "PBS ultimately premiered "*My Shoes are Caked with Mud*[14]" as part of "Borders", a web-based series. It was awarded a [Webby](/source/Webby_Awards) for best broadband site of 2004.[15]

In 2007 Gayeton created the first [machinima](/source/Machinima) documentary made in a [virtual world](/source/Virtual_world): ["Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey"](/source/Molotov_Alva). The American broadcast rights were purchased by [HBO](/source/HBO) Documentary Films in August, 2007, marking the first time a US television network purchased a series which premiered on YouTube. The groundbreaking film has been profiled in two books, *The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World*[16] by Wagner James Au and *I, Avatar: The Culture and Consequences of Having a Second Life*[17] by [Mark Stephen Meadows](/source/Mark_Stephen_Meadows).

[Slow Food Nation](/source/Slow_Food_Nation)[18] unveiled a retrospective of Gayeton's photographic work in 2008.[19]

In 2009, Gayeton released his first book, S*low: Life in a Tuscan Town*,[20] which tells the story of the [Slow Food Movement](/source/Slow_Food_Movement) in Tuscany through a combination of photographs he took and essays.[21] The intro to the book was written by chef [Alice Waters](/source/Alice_Waters) and the preface, by the founder of the movement, [Carlo Petrini](/source/Carlo_Petrini).[21]

In 2013, Gayeton directed a short film, called *The Story of an Egg*, which investigated the claims of "cage free," "free range" and "pasture raised" on eggs.[22][23]

## Filmography

- *La Entrada* (1983)

- *Suzanne Lacy and the Whisper Project* (1985)

- *Not my LA* (1985)

- *Tomorrow Project* (1993)

- *U2's Zoo TV* (1995)

- *WWW.MONDE.COM* (1995)

- *[Ultimate Book of Spells](/source/Ultimate_Book_of_Spells)* (2001)

- *Lost in Italy* (2002–2005)

- *[Delta State](/source/Delta_State_(TV_series))* (2004)

- *[Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey](/source/Molotov_Alva_and_His_Search_for_the_Creator%3A_A_Second_Life_Odyssey)* (2008)

### Selected music videos

- "Freddie's Dead" by [Fishbone](/source/Fishbone) (1987)

- "Three Mothers' by *Minox* (1991)

- "Limboland" by *Minox* (1991)

- "2000 B.C" by [Basehead](/source/Basehead) (1992)

- "Stormy" by Momma Stud (1993)

- "Stay This Way" by [Brand New Heavies](/source/Brand_New_Heavies) (1993)

- "Chains" by [Collision (band)](/source/Collision_(band)) (1993)

- "Time Capsule" by [Matthew Sweet](/source/Matthew_Sweet) (1994)

- "[Down in Flames](/source/Down_in_Flames_(Semisonic_song))" by [Semisonic](/source/Semisonic) (1995)

### Other appearances in films

- "Seagull" – writer (2004)

- "Forever is a Long, Long Time" – actor (2004)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Tabori, Lena (March 18, 2010). ["It's A Book, It's A Restaurant Movement: "Slow: Life In A Tuscan Town" (PHOTOS, VIDEO)"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/slow-life-in-a-tuscan-tow_n_361899). *HuffPost*. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Petaluma's Douglas Gayeton left a film career to return to his family's agrarian roots"](https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/petalumas-douglas-gayeton-left-a-film-career-to-return-to-his-familys-agr/). *Santa Rosa Press Democrat*. November 27, 2009. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The Lexicon of Sustainability: Q & A with Filmmaker Douglas Gayeton"](https://www.kqed.org/bayareabites/42488/the-lexicon-of-sustainability-q-a-with-filmmaker-douglas-gayeton). *KQED*. May 15, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Gayeton, Douglas. (2009). *Slow : life in a Tuscan town*. Waters, Alice., Petrini, Carlo., Fried, Katrina. (1st ed.). New York: Welcome. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-59962-072-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-59962-072-5). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [303041911](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/303041911).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Gunther, Marc (March 25, 2014). ["Information artworks are using words to change the world"](https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/food-blog/information-artworks-words-change-world-douglas-gayeton). *The Guardian*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0261-3077](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0261-3077). Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Gayeton, Douglas (June 10, 2014). *Local : the new face of food and farming in America*. New York. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-06-226763-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-06-226763-4). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [869802014](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/869802014).{{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_location_missing_publisher))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["The Lexicon of Sustainability: Episodes List"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140305051149/http://www.pbs.org/food/features/lexicon-of-sustainability-episodes/). *www.pbs.org*. Archived from [the original](https://www.pbs.org/food/features/lexicon-of-sustainability-episodes/) on March 5, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Growing Organic - YouTube"](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4J8PxoprpGYCiGN0FNF8xfOU-kAi36pX). *www.youtube.com*. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Steve Reiss

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Slichter, Jacob. (2004). *So you wanna be a rock & roll star : how I machine-gunned a roomful of record executives and other true tales from a drummer's life* (1st ed.). New York: Broadway Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7679-1470-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7679-1470-8). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [54371667](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/54371667).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Wimberley, Darryl; Samsel, Jon (1996). *Interactive Writer's Handbook*. Carronade. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [188545211X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/188545211X).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Carless, Simon (October 23, 2007). ["Q&A: Douglas Gayeton On Johnny Mnemonic's CD-ROM Wetware"](https://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/10/qa_douglas_gayeton_on_johnny_m.php). Game Set Watch.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Lost in Italy - Fine Living Network"](https://www.pressport.com/uk/media/database/usa/l/lost-in-italy-fine-living-network-131579). *PressPort*. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["POV's Borders . Environment . Talk | PBS"](https://archive.pov.org/borders/2004/talk/dg.html). *archive.pov.org*. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["8th Annual Webby Awards Winners Announced -- The Webby Awards"](https://www.webbyawards.com/press/press-releases/may-12-2004-8th-annual-webby-awards-winners-announced/). Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Au, Wagner James. (2008). *The making of Second Life : notes from the new world* (1st ed.). New York: Collins. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-06-135320-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-06-135320-8). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [155715254](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/155715254).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Meadows, Mark Stephen. (2008). *I, avatar : the culture and consequences of having a second life*. Berkeley, CA: New Riders. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-321-53339-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-321-53339-5). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [190873071](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/190873071).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Gayeton photowork"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081029210530/http://gayeton.com/gayeton_photowork.html). Archived from [the original](http://gayeton.com/gayeton_photowork.html) on October 29, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["The Lexicon of Sustainability • Slow Food USA"](https://slowfoodusa.org/the-lexicon-of-sustainability/). *Slow Food USA*. June 23, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Gayeton, Douglas. (2009). *Slow : life in a Tuscan town*. Welcome. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-59962-072-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-59962-072-5). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [303041911](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/303041911).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-tusc_21-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-tusc_21-1) ["Life in the Slow Lane"](http://www.zagat.com/Blog/Detail.aspx?SCID=42&BLGID=24764). *Zagat.com*. November 3, 2009.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["UNAFF 2013: Films: The Story of An Egg"](https://www.unaff.org/2013/f_story.html). *www.unaff.org*. Retrieved August 18, 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["WATCH: What 'Cage-Free' And 'Free-Range' Actually Mean"](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/story-of-an-egg-film_n_2862282). *HuffPost*. March 12, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2022.

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