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Sessions Info

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Palisades

Storme Whitby-Grubb

Creative Director
MUSIC INDUSTRY CAREER
Storme is a British, ex music manager and tour manager, living in Los Angeles. During her 15 year tenure in the music industry, she built a disruptive live touring business model that earned her a finalist’s spot in the British Council’s Creative Young Entrepreneur Award scheme in 2010. She managed an array of globally successful artists, including the likes of Frightened Rabbit and We Are Scientists.

IDEATION & TREATMENT WRITING
After quitting her cushy career in music in 2015, Storme had the ludicrous idea that she should spend her full time writing, directing and attempting to make ‘things’. She has since written many music videos for billboard chart topping artists, some of which you’ve probably seen since they’ve accumulatively amassed around 360m + views online and won a few major awards. She’s written commercials for lifestyle and adventure brands, beauty products and alcoholic beverages (drink responsibly, kids).

VIRTUAL REALITY
2016 was the year she stumbled into Virtual Reality, whilst being commissioned to conceptualise and write a treatment for a celebrated video director and prolific band for one of the first VR albums (no, not Björk). True to form, she took the job knowing nothing about VR, ordered a headset, watched a bunch of bad VR ‘experiences’, and wrote a fully interactive, 360 immersive story, weaving together a potential plot line for 12 album tracks that could also stand independently of each other. She was hooked. No more ‘save the cat’ guide lines, or ‘crossing the line’ director rules. All bets were off and she quickly discovered VR and immersive storytelling was her dream medium, and the best part was TV screenwriters weren’t interested, which meant a clear path ahead for the most elaborate form of storytelling with no restrictions (except budget). This set wheels in motion and she got writing, ideating, writing some more, and developed a number of ideas for episodic VR series, one of which is currently in production. She started dreaming up ways of how to use VR with brands and marketing, mental health advocacies, travel companies, ideating an onslaught of ideas and stories in 360 immersive environments. The VR realm is a daily evolving education, something Storme revels in. But this doesn’t mean she’s turned her back on 2D visuals.

VIDEO DIRECTING
Storme has directed a number of music videos for artists signed to Warner, Atlantic, Dim Mak amongst others, as well as independent artists. She recently ideated, wrote and directed 12 videos for the legendary Lisa Loeb for her conceptual children’s album. These were shot across 3 live shooting days in Nashville and Los Angeles and are currently in post production. You can watch Storme’s director reel and other full videos here.

SCREENWRITING
Storme has written a number of short screenplays, one of which is currently in pre production. She has written a full length feature script and a TV pilot which are currently ‘doing the rounds’, as they say.  

PUBLIC SPEAKING & MENTAL HEALTH
If you found this page through Storme’s writing on various online outlets, you will know she openly writes about overcoming mental illness, and her quest for a sane and healthy life. If you’ve come to this page via other means, then, well, surprise! Storme is an advocate of mental wellbeing, having been diagnosed with Bi Polar II in 2011 whilst running a large and successful production company and also managing a number of international music artists. She often writes about those dark times and the pressures of being a hyper productive executive whilst hiding her depression and mania. She writes about her journey to wellbeing, recovery and discovering self worth, and finding that imperative work life balance. Her articles on her journey have amassed tens of thousands of readers across a number of platforms and websites. She speaks publicly about mental health in the music and entertainment industries, including a recent Keynote at Helsinki’s famous tech and startup hub, SLUSH festival in 2016.  

PRESS & ACCOLADES
Storme has been featured in The Independent, The Guardian and many others as a leading female in the music industry. In 2012 Storme was selected by IPC Media to partake in Marie Claire’s Inspire And Mentor scheme, as a prominent female within the music industry. Her words have been published on Huffington Post, Drowned In Sound and many others. She also hates writing in the third person. And no, I’m not writing a book at this time.
www.stormewg.com