Director, producer, and cinematographer Jeff Orlowski-Yang will come to the Ithaca College campus September 19 – 22 as part of the Park Distinguished Visitor series. On Thursday, September 22, at 7 p.m. in Emerson Suites, Orlowski-Yang will give a public presentation on “The Making of ‘The Social Dilemma.’” a moderated discussion with Amy Falkner, dean of the Roy H. Park School of Communications. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.
Maker of Documentary “The Social Dilemma” to Speak at Ithaca College
By Danica Fisher ’05, September 12, 2022
Jeff Orlowski-Yang will present as part of the Park Distinguished Visitor Series.
Jeff Orlowski-Yang presenting at Ithaca College in 2019.
Jeff Orlowski-Yang presenting at Ithaca College in 2019.
Director, producer, and cinematographer Jeff Orlowski-Yang.
Orlowski-Yang electrified viewers with the Emmy-Award winning documentary “The Social Dilemma,” a chilling portrayal of social media companies and the outside influence they hold over our socio-political landscape. He attempts to reframe our understanding of the function of these giants — from their stated goal of “bringing people together” to their true nature as ruthlessly efficient advertising platforms that need to keep audiences deeply engaged to make money off them.
“What they’re selling is access to our eyeballs,” Orlowski-Yang said. “We’re the raw resource...It’s a business model where volume and eyeballs and attention is directly correlated with how much money they make.”
Orlowski-Yang illustrates how, by serving audiences the kind of content that is most likely to keep them engaged and emotionally invested—misinformation, conspiracy theories, stories that stoke outrage—these companies have dealt a huge blow to democracy at home and abroad by sowing discord in different communities and nations around the world, all while negatively impacting the mental health of their users.
While on campus Orlowski-Yang will also participate in small-group discussion office hours with students and a teach a master class titled “Filmmaking from A-Z: Development, Financing, and Fundraising.”
“What they’re selling is access to our eyeballs. We’re the raw resource...It’s a business model where volume and eyeballs and attention is directly correlated with how much money they make.”
Jeff Orlowski-Yang
Orlowski-Yang served as director, producer, and cinematographer of the Emmy-Award Winning films “Chasing Ice” and “Chasing Coral.” He is the founder of the award-winning production company Exposure Labs, which aims to maximize the impact of film, creating a company dedicated to both quality storytelling and powerful campaigns.
Orlowski previously came to Ithaca College in 2019, where he spoke about his experiences filming around the world, the perseverance it took for him to break through into the industry, and the activism and social change his work has inspired.
In 2017, Orlowski-Yang was the recipient of the Champions of the Earth award, the United Nation’s top honor for spreading powerful environmental messages to a global audience. In 2016 he was named the inaugural Sundance Discovery Impact Fellow for environmental filmmaking. He has traveled on tour representing the Sundance Institute, President Obama's Committee for the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment of the Arts.