Today we’d like to introduce you to Louis Silverstein.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in the suburbs of Wilmington Delaware. Having been diagnosed with Dyslexia at an early age, the written language was a challenge, but visual communication came naturally. Having started to use computers early in life to aid in my school work I learned how to use them with my creative expression. At age 11, I started to experiment with Computer Graphics. My early work was done in MS Paint mimicking the wire-frame structures I saw in behind the scenes shows about movies. I learned about shading and the facet nature of 3d models. Soon after this, I acquired my first 3D modeling package Bryce 3D. Using this program I created an image that I got published in the International Magazine, Computer Arts. At the time, I was 13 years old and just starting to explore the potential computers could play in my life.
Following my first publication, I pursued numerous corporate sponsorship deals from Silicon Graphics (SGI), IFX, Autodesk, and Immersion Corporation to provide me the tools needed to continue to create computer graphic works.
Through High school, I was awarded tens of local and national accolades from the Scholastic Arts Society and even had my work displayed at the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington DC.
During the summers between sophomore/junior and junior/senior years of High school I spent time at USC taking college classes and working on graduate level films as a VFX artist.
Upon graduation from High school, I worked for a year at an Architectural Pre-visualization company as their in-house video director and 3d modeler. Having been accepted to Bard college for the following year, I spent that year working and pre-reading the required first year literature for my undergrad.
During college, I perfected my Visual Effects style of Photo-Realism and started to explore how technology could influence the visual storytelling medium. I also founded the Bard Film Co-Op to provide film training and education to non-film majors. During the summer between Junior/Senior year of college, I interned at Marvel Studios that at the time was located in Manhattan Beach on the Raleigh Studios Lot. There I was able to moonlight at the on-lot post house Blue Room Post as a VFX artist and learn Flame and Broadcast Engineering skills.
Upon graduation in 2010, I moved to Los Angeles worked at Endgame Ent., and The Institute. I maintained a freelance career doing VFX for commercial campaigns such as: Visine, Mattel, and Verizon, TV shows including, Body Of Proof, The Big C, as well as all of the VFX for the successful Kick-starter Campaign: Doorbot (Amazon Ring). My brother and I also produced the first video commercial for Snapchat.
In 2013, I worked at Digital Domain doing script supervising work for the Playa Vista Motion Capture Stage, then moved on to doing Motion Capture Processing work for video game, commercial, and motion picture projects.
In early 2014, my brother and I built a WebTV Broadcast facility and Technology Development Lab. DromeBox Labs was built in the latter half of 2014 leading up to the first broadcast on January 1st 2015 of DromeBox.com.
DromeBox Labs was a Live-To-Air webTV facility. In parallel we started ModCon IP, an AR/VR Startup with patent pending tech for “Modular Content”. From 2013-2016 I spent three years teaching myself how to code. I became an expert in Python, Node.js, and C++.
In the later half of 2018, I became a Co-Founder and Lead Engineer at Aerial Tracking Systems. This company focuses on using consumer aerial platforms in conjunction with our proprietary systems to create wildlife tracing tools. Our present project has taken us to China to help with the tracking of pandas.
I also currently works with USC Viterbi in conjunction with the graduate level class DR590. I teach students how to work on real-world projects and navigate the realm of bleeding edge technology.
My current active projects include The Mobile Broadcast Studio (BananaCaster), Project: Archer for ATS, Bespoke Booth, and INU.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Trailblazing is never a smooth road. My journey has been an amazing adventure. It has not always been easy, but It has never presented me with anything I could not overcome. I am still here!
The biggest challenge in my life has been ME. I have had to learn how to get out of my own way.
When I was creating Art in the early part of my life I didn’t know the “rules”. This meant that my work was full of expression. But, upon receiving a formal education in college I learned the “rules” and felt stifled by the right and wrong way of doing things. I had to learn how to break the rules and how to apply them to help my creativity.
I find that my constant challenge is that of expectations. I have heard that expectations are premeditated resentments.
Most of my life I had a “Plan”. But I have had to learn that the best plan is to be present. I can handle anything the universe puts in my path, as it is put there for a reason. A view of gratitude and faith are what has helped me overcome all of these prior struggles.
Please tell us about DromeBox, ModCon IP & GripReality.
I am currently exploring freelance consultancy right now. My prior ventures were GripReality Inc, a Visual Effects and Cinema Production company. That entity was known for delivering photo-realistic visual effects for film, tv, and commercials. My second company was The Drome LLC (DromeBox Labs) and that entity was responsible for a Live-To-Air WebTV network. We developed in house hardware and software for the acquisition, editing, and broadcasting of live content. My entity ModCon IP is responsible for any of the technology developments with which I have directed.
I presently have numerous freelance projects I am in charge of ranging from an Augmented Reality Cinema Camera to a Database Platform.
My most recent venture has been with a company Aerial Tracking Systems. Together we are developing a drone and aerial vehicle platform for tracking wildlife. Presently we are working with a Chinese entity to help track and monitor Pandas in some specific Chinese reserves.
I am known for being able to solve any problem. I can assemble the right team, tools, and knowledge to create the solution needed for any task.
Recently I was tasked with engineering a rocket blast proof camera unit for an IMAX 3D film. Between myself and a few of my colleagues, we were able to build a system that could be remotely triggered and monitored within the safety specs of the military base from which we were filming the launch. We were able to do something only Nasa engineers have been able to do in the past.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in “luck”. I believe in Math and the Universe. I need to shut up and listen to what the universe has to say and then I can see what needs to be done. I like to use the example of the kid in math class yelling out the wrong numbers while someone is at the board doing an equation. The equation is there, and the answer is as well, but the person at the board might not have figured it out yet. If I am there injecting my wrong answer into the equation it is just going to take longer for the person to get it, but it is still going to happen. Luck to me is the ability to shut up and see reality.
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