In the fall of 1996, i founded ZUMA Digital - in partnership with David Anthony and Jon Silbermann of JSM Music - as one of the first DVD production companies. Back then people sort of laughed at you about DVD. I still keep an early article from USA Today that introduces the format to consumers. Based in New York City, ZUMA focused mainly on the non-entertainment applications for DVD, especially for business and museum clients. Over the years a wonderful group of people were involved in producing groundbreaking projects for worldwide clients such as; GUESS, The Guggenheim Museum, Miramax, RCA Records, The Whitney Museum, Columbia Tri-Star, BBDO, Kenneth Cole, MTV, JWT, TIAA CREF, NASDAQ, TBWA/ Chiat/Day, A&E, WWF, SF MOMA, CNBC, NFL Films, Lifetime, Showtime, Nickelodeon, Clinique, Palm Pictures, Merril Lynch, McDonalds, Revlon, Disney and more.

Soon we were twenty people and involved in a very unique combinations of products and services including; software development and distribution, providing technical support for our software products, archiving huge video libraries for ad agencies and broadcasters, producing sales presentations, working with artists such as Yoko Ono and Nam June Paik, building shopping kiosks for retailers, and of course authoring movie and music DVDs.

In late 1999, we sold ZUMA to Tape House and moved from 19th st. to 44th st. where the company remained well after i departed just before September 11, 2001. Those five years provided me with a very early and very effective education in production and management.

Client - WOW Digital
Photographs by Eric Meola and Chris Rainier

Back when Netscape was the dominant browser, i worked with WOW Digital in NYC to offer multimedia services to their fine art and photography clients. This website was created for a gallery opening featuring the works of Eric Meola and Chris Ranier, both of which had photographed the people of Papua New Guinea - Eric in vibrant color and Chris in b&w.