Roger Ebert’s Legacy as a Relentless Empire- Builder. But it wasn. A journalist since the 1. Just as Jay- Z is more than a musician, Roger Ebert was much more than a guy who wrote about movies. He was a newspaper writer, a television personality, a public speaker, a book author, an event impresario and a Web publisher. And through his Web site, Roger. Ebert. com, he is still with us even though he is gone, demonstrating the kind of stickiness and durability that media brands crave. Mr. He began working as a film critic at The Sun- Times in 1. He was prolific and memorable, in part because he perfected the high- low split . Ebert saw the power of syndication early on, negotiating rights to his written work and appearing in 2. In 1. 97. 5, he formed a long- running television partnership with Gene Siskel, his rival at The Chicago Tribune, coming up with an on- air vaudeville act arguing about movies for a local public television station. The pair proceeded to turn their teeny little show into a national juggernaut. In making the leap to television, they demonstrated that two rather unremarkable- looking newspaper hacks could make for good content, in part because they spoke their minds and crossed swords frequently. And their binary aesthetic . Ebert once jotted down some of that math on a napkin to show a local television personality in Chicago how syndication could make her very well known, and perhaps, wealthy. Oprah Winfrey took that advice to the bank. Together, Siskel and Ebert became the most famous and well compensated film writers in history by using television to spread the word. Carson, Letterman, they were all happy to have Mr. Siskel stop by to brandish their thumbs on the late- night couch. They continued to roll, signing on with Disney in 1. Siskel was the more business- minded of the pair, and Mr. Ebert wisely allowed his frenemy and their agent to cut the deals for their show. Ebert was hardly a dummy when it came to business, and in some respects he was a visionary. He used technology to reiterate and reinvent time and again. When illness wiped out his voice, he took to the Web, developing a manic and persistent presence on Roger. Ebert. com, and when it became clear that no surgical remedy could restore his voice, he used a synthesizer to continue his life as an impresario and showman. At a time when media companies are scratching their heads about how to successfully stage special events, he was 1. Ebertfest, his personally curated movie festival in Champaign, Ill. His footprint extended beyond the come- and- go world of print and television. He wrote two dozen books, including one about computer viruses and another about meals that could be made in a rice cooker. He wrote several scripts, including most notoriously . In 2. 01. 2, he wrote more than 3. And after reluctantly joining Twitter in October 2. On the day before his death, he filed yet again to his blog, announcing a . Ebert demonstrated that it is much easier to surf a wave enthusiastically than to crankily swim against it. Roger Ebert (1942-2013) was the world’s most respected and celebrated film critic. I can’t possibly do justice to his legendary career in the movies. For that, I recommend this beautiful obituary from The.
Great writing, constant reinvention and an excitement about what comes next seem to have done the trick for him. And besides, typing your way off this mortal coil is not a bad way to go. Continue reading the main story. Key to Participants: Listed in order of appearance. Nancy Stanley, makeup artist, At the Movies/Siskel & Ebert/Ebert & Roeper/At the Movies redux (1982–2010) Michael Phillips, co-host, Ebert & Roeper/At the Movies redux.
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