Rob Helms

The academic study of the social aspects of the media has been my passion for half my life, but my awareness of the subject matter has always far lagged behind my passion. Having lived in Austin for many years, I thought that SXSW was a place where hipsters congregated to drink PBR and listen to a bunch of bands I hadn’t heard of, didn’t care for, or couldn’t afford the wristband for.  I didn’t even realize what went on at SXSW Interactive, and now I regret not getting on board a whole lot sooner—it wasn’t until this last couple of years, when I attended Mass Comm Week and began delving deeper into my studies, that I realized the potential that these panels provided to a burgeoning student.

Here, I see a fantastic opportunity for my skills and knowledge to grow in line with my passion for the material. These panels can be incredibly inspiring to an “ideas” guy like myself—like my other passion, music, I can take a riff or chord from another artist and take it in a new direction, either with or without them. I’m not addicted to the cutting edge, like some of the people in this department, but I feel that I bring an old-school sensibility to new media (and vice-versa) that is often lacking in the industry.

On the floor, I intend to put my existing knowledge of mass media and data manipulation in conjunction with my fieldwork and interview skills. The responses I got back from Bob Metcalfe and Brian Stelter, among the other panelists at Mass Comm Week last year, were invaluable. I also plan to use my artist’s vision and Web design skills to good use when the time to create a presentation arrives.

Additional Info:
New Media Concentration: Yes
Been to SXSW Before: No
Been in Program Since: 2010
Relevant TXST Courses: Issues in New Media, Online Media Design, Content Management Systems
Other Courses: n/a
Website: www.mrrob.net
Blog: capnoblivious.wordpress.com
Twitter: @capnoblivious
LinkedIn: n/a
Facebook: www.facebook.com/capnoblivious
Other: n/a