INDUSTRY News
GATE 2 & GATE STORYCON LIVE IN LOS ANGELES FEBRUARY 4, 2012!
—Transforming The World by Transforming Entertainment and Media—
by Michael Jeffreys
“For the first time, we humans hold in our hands – and in our minds — the most immediate power to either destroy life on Earth as we’ve known it … or transform our relationship with ourselves, each other and the planet so that life for us all can not only continue, but revivify, blossom, and thrive.” – John Raatz
For two-and-a-half hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon at the Urth Café in Santa Monica, Calif., I sat across from John Raatz, the founder, board chairman, and CEO of GATE. I was there to interview him about GATE 2, which is going to be held February 4, 2012 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, Calif.
After we settled into our little metal table and chairs, he with a bowl of oatmeal and me with a fancy vanilla latte with the foam artfully poured to resemble a kitty cat’s face, I asked John what exactly is GATE?
“Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment,” he began, “is an evolving community of creative, business, and technical professionals in entertainment, media, and the arts, who realize the vital and expanding role media and entertainment play in creating our lives, and who aspire to consciously transform those domains for the benefit of all.”
What John was saying, as I heard it, is that when we aim higher, and we do so from a place of consciousness, everyone benefits. And when you consider the impact the entertainment and media industry has on all of our lives on a daily basis, I can’t think of a better place to start to aim higher. This is especially true when you consider the global infrastructure for reaching people is already in place via movie theaters, cable and broadcast TV, radio, and the internet. So, we have the ability to reach billions of people around the globe; the question is can we provide them with content that inspires people to grow, thrive, be successful and, dare I say it, nurtures their soul.
When I asked John, who is also the founder and CEO of The Visioneering Group, a pioneering transformational marketing firm in Los Angeles, how he came up with the idea for GATE, he said that looking back, the seed was planted in the late-1960s when, as a teenager, he was captivated by the Beatles. At the time they were learning meditation while riding the crest of global fame. In his bedroom, he played his guitar for hours on end every day, immersed in the Beatles’ reality. Suddenly, while playing, the John he had always thought he was vanished, and all that was left was a feeling of bliss and oneness. “Oh, this is what I want to do,” he remembers saying to himself. “I want to bring this music and consciousness more into the world.”
Still, life moves at its own pace, and it wasn’t until more than 40 years later that that initial seed blossomed into something tangible: The first GATE event took place in June 2009. To say it was a success would be an understatement. Since it was their very first event, the consensus was that if they filled the 500-seat venue they would be doing well, especially if the naysayers were to be believed. However, no one had anticipated just how many people were quietly going through their own inner-spiritual transformation and were waiting for an organization like GATE to come along.
This was reflected by the fact that not only did the 500 seats go quickly, but as word of mouth spread of this inaugural event, almost 1,600 more people requested to attend but had to be turned away, as there simply were no more seats.
For those who were fortunate enough to be able to attend, the evening by all accounts exceeded expectations. GATE founder John Raatz welcomed everyone and spoke passionately about the goal of raising consciousness through media.
The keynote speaker for the four-hour-plus session was world-renowned author and spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, who was given a heartfelt introduction by actor Jim Carrey (both of whom are honorary co-founders of GATE).
Eckhart spoke about how the entertainment community can reach out to the public and how humanity is a captive to the mind and obsessive thinking patterns. He also shared how there are some films that have transformative moments in them that can help people break free of their mental conditioning. Those movies include: Groundhog Day, Titanic, The Horse Whisperer and American Beauty.
Prior to Eckhart, several industry leaders gave powerful and inspiring presentations. Scott Carlin, then president of domestic TV distribution for HBO, said, “Audiences are yearning to be nourished deeply.” Will Arntz, creator of What the BLEEP Do We Know?!, by all accounts one of the most groundbreaking transformational films of recent years, said, “Tonight is about putting a name on a movement that is already happening.”
Melissa Etheridge and Donovan provided the evening’s musical entertainment to the delight of the audience, which included Garry Shandling, Billy Zane, Jackson Browne, Virginia Madsen, Alanis Morissette, Roseanne Barr, and many others.
Presenters and audience members alike enthusiastically endorsed and applauded the birth of the GATE movement, recognizing the role that entertainment and media play in creating our reality, and supporting the transformation of these industries in order to make the resulting content more positive and life enhancing.
“The only actions that do not cause opposing reactions are those that are aimed at the good of all. Inclusive, not exclusive. They join; they don’t separate. They are not for ‘my’ country but for all of humanity, not for ‘my’ religion but the emergence of consciousness in all human beings, not for ‘my’ species but for all sentient beings and all of nature.” –Eckhart Tolle
While the program itself was outstanding, the real magic happened before and after the event as people came together, exchanged ideas, and connected. The buzz in the air was palpable.
When I asked John what segment of the population was most likely to get involved in GATE’s vision, he replied, “Cultural Creatives.” According to Wikipedia, there are over 50 million (during our interview, John said the current figure is closer to 65 million) Cultural Creatives in the United States and 80 to 90 million in Europe. And, of course, many millions more in other parts of the world.
What makes someone a Cultural Creative? There are actually 18 characteristics. For instance, if you care about nature, other people, the planet, value relationships, are optimistic by nature, are concerned for the well-being of women and children, and are interested in spiritual and psychological development, then YOU, even if you didn’t know it, may very well be a Cultural Creative!
Global Reach
“Our Family is the World” –Chris Hebard, GATE Leadership Circle Member
“We are the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment.” says John. “The personal and social transformation underway is occurring worldwide. Word about GATE has reached every corner of the Earth, and we have received interested inquiries about GATE from professionals in more than 70 countries. There is a widespread intention to launch GATE chapters, not only in major U.S. cities, but worldwide.”
Next GATE Events:
Saturday, February 4, 2012: GATE 2 and GATE Transformational Story Conference
Saban Theatre
8440 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, California 90211
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM: GATE Transformational Story Conference
The Power of Story to Create Personal, Social, and Global Transformation
The GATE Transformational Story Conference is a working session focused on transformational storytelling and the transformational arc, for authors screenwriters, producers, directors – anyone interested in the transformational genre. Featured presenters include writer/teacher/story consultant James Bonnet; author/social visionary Duane Elgin; film editor Kurt Engfehr; writer Catherine Ann Jones; script consultant Dara Marks; filmmakers Louie Schwartzberg and Norman Seeff; and others.
6:30 PM to 11:00 PM: GATE 2: Only a New Seed Will Yield a New Crop
GATE 2 is a gala celebration of transformational entertainment and media, with presenters, performers, and special surprises to entertain, inspire, and inform. Featured are Eckhart Tolle, Jean Houston, Jim Carrey, Don Miguel Ruiz, Marianne Williamson, Edward James Olmos, Fred Alan Wolf, Barbara Marx Hubbard, and many others.
To learn more about GATE’s vision/mission, programs and initiatives, event tickets, and how you can become involved, visit their website at: www.gatecommunity.org.