Name Benjamin Thompson | Nieces Maggie Thompson | |
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Parents Sylvia Vaughn Sheekman Thompson Siblings Dinah Vaughn Thompson, David Oxley Thompson, Amanda Thompson Great-grandparents Alice Deidrick Stewart, Frank Stewart, Nettie Green Sheekman, Charles Grover Sheekman People also search for Arthur Sheekman, Gloria Stuart Born 21 September 1959 (age 61 years), Oxford, United Kingdom | ||
Benjamin Stuart Thompson is an American director/producer who has worked in documentary films, television broadcasts, theater productions, studio feature films, and live, new media events interconnecting globally networked venues.
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TITANIC'S ALTERNATE ENDING
Life and career
Thompson comes from a strong tradition of Hollywood story tellers and performing artists. His grandmother was actor and artist Gloria Stuart, recognized for her role as 'Old Rose' in Titanic (1997 film). Thompson's grandfather was screenwriter Arthur Sheekman, a close friend and the key writer for Groucho Marx and the Marx Brothers, including “Duck Soup.”
Thompson received his BFA in directing for the stage from UCLA, where he was selected to participate in an intensive, experimental theater director's program in the School of Theater, Film, and Television. Thompson was the founder and creative director of The L.A.TEST Stage. Thompson has worked extensively in film and television, his credits include both studio and independent productions.
Thompson is the director/producer of "The Ranchero," a popular lifestyle television show broadcasting across the US and Canada on JLTV. He is also the director/producer of a series of one-hour television specials. As a director/producer with a vision of 21st century media, Benjamin Stuart Thompson has been pushing the envelop on new models for networked, live, global event production.
Thompson is director/producer of a feature documentary, now in post production, entitled, “Secret Life of Old Rose, The Life and Art of Gloria Stuart,” about his grandmother as an accomplished painter, bonsai master and book artist, featuring interviews with director James Cameron, Jon Landau (film producer), actresses Frances Fisher and Suzy Amis Cameron, among others.
Large-Scale Event Media
Thompson has been at the forefront of developing large-scale, multi-venue, group to group interaction for sporting events, live theatrical events, musical television events, as well as new formats for networked education.
Thompson has been a guest lecturer for multi-venue event media at both UCLA in the School of Theater, Film, and Television and UC San Diego in the Theatre and Dance Department.
AVANTI Lab
"The AVANTI Lab" is the "Advanced Video & Audio Networked Theater Initiative" that develops and produces new content formats for live event media. Thompson founded the Lab, and to honor the memory of his grandmother [Gloria Stuart], Thompson initiated the AVANTI Award for Envisioning New Possibilities. In 2012, the AVANTI was presented to Suzy Amis Cameron by Jon Landau (film producer) at a ceremony at UCLA. The next award is to be presented to Peter Buffett.