Ted Leonsis Takes a Sharp Turn.
"Ted Leonsis was cruising the Caribbean on his yacht a couple of years ago, poring over old newspapers, when he noticed an obituary for Iris Chang, author of "The Rape of Nanking," the best-seller about the killing in 1937 of 300,000 Chinese by the Japanese army.
The story stuck with him, and after he read Chang's book his preoccupation with the tale grew. Then he pulled out his checkbook.
Two million dollars later, having pulled together a film crew and navigated the bureaucracy in China, Leonsis's documentary about the incident is nearing completion." Thomas Heath, TWP, Photo courtesy Ted Leonsis.
My biggest regret from my 2 years as Photography Director at AOL was not getting to work with Ted Leonsis. By then, 1997-1999, AOL was deep into the money making go-go internet boom and Ted and his experimental Greenhouse Studio had been moth-balled. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that innovation at AOL stopped and greed took over during those years.
I am happy to see AOL's real creative genius back in the game with something of substance, and not just attempting to find the internet's next 'sugar water'.