Emily Lyon

Get Versed is an annual performance at the Detroit Institute of Art Film Theatre showcasing student poets from Detroit elementary, middle, and high schools. They work with writers-in-residence throughout the year to create a body of work, and this event challenges them to perform their words aloud.

I coached each school's student poets on how to best present their own words. I also organized the presentation order and technical details as well.

Keeping up a twitter campaign #Classicsin140 - both writing the content and responding to followers – was my main responsibility. I also created a meme, a preliminary promotional poster, checked their SEO, and brainstormed strategies for reaching out to their audience.

I write, edit, and oversee scripts with the client's interests at heart. Acting as a liaison between the client's message and our technical capabilities, I discover creative solutions to make everyone proud of the work.

Narrative scripts, ads spots, and copy are my focus. I have also directed several short pieces; Filmic is highly collaborative, so I've had a hand in editing, camerawork, and design as well.

As a producer, my jobs were marketing-based. I rebranded the group with a new logo, and have designed posters for my shows. Keeping contacts, choosing seasons, and establishing new marketing ideas – such as show-based twitter accounts – have been the majority of my work.

As a director:
Hamlet, produced in November 2011, was set in the Mad Men 1960s, making contemporary sense of skewed gender roles and silent oppression in a sleek, powerful world. This drew three times the audience of any other Rude Mechanicals' production in recent history.

Measure for Measure, produced November 2012 just before the presidential election, placed this complex play in contemporary Washington DC, where the themes were disturbingly apt. Intercut with clips of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, modern parallels were inspiration.

I helped consolidate, coordinate, and create messaging for Bourbon Coffee's social media outlets. Editing copy and focusing our branding strategy were key components. I also edited several video projects. Overseeing our work with Metronome 3, a local social media company, to ensure the continued quality of our online presence was the final part of the job.

To prepare for Julie Taymor's inaugural production in TFANA's new theatre, I assistant produced a series of readings, designed cover pages, and edited scripts. Other jobs included organizing props, going through archives, and assisting with daily needs.

As an advertising/film intern for University of Michigan's in-house branding company, concept development and strategic marketing were primary tasks. Copywriting, script writing, and directing were often my roles on specific projects, such as a promo for Michigan's Semester in Detroit. I lead the team in pre-production for many of our early projects.