Addison O'Dea

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Addison O'Dea
Born (1979-06-15) 15 June 1979 (age 42)
New York, NY
EducationNew York University (BSc.)
OccupationExplorer
Film director
Screenwriter
EmployerCartography, Inc.
Known forAnthropology • War • History
Ethnography • Religion
Websitewww.addisonodea.com

Addison O'Dea (/oʊˈdeɪ/, oh-DAY) is an American filmmaker and writer who specializes in anthropology.[1] His work has been published and broadcast by National Geographic,[2] Discovery and Ozy.[3]

Family and education[]

Addison was born on June 15th, 1979 in New York Hospital to his parents Patrick O'Dea (1938 - 2007) and Sara (née Greenway) O'Dea. Raised as the eldest of three brothers in New York City, the family traveled internationally extensively for both personal and professional reasons.[4] O'Dea attended the Dwight School in Manhattan for international baccalaureate and holds a BSc. from New York University.

O'Dea's father, Patrick, was murdered in August of 2007.[5]

Work[]

O'Dea, a former contributing editor at National Geographic Traveler,[6] has written and directed a number of virtual reality documentary films focusing on subjects such as the origin of voodoo through West African Vodun in Togo and Benin;[7] and ancient Quranic libraries in the Sahara.[8]

As of 2019, O'Dea was producing an action film written by Eugene Jarecki with the working title "Tuareg Project".[9] It is an action film about a member of the Tuareg people native to the Sahara.[10] He is also the writer and producer of a documentary series called Beat Nation, currently in development with Ginedo Films, also produced by Nabil Elderkin and Mattia Bogianchino.

Discovery TRVLR[]

His largest project to date is writing and directing the thirty six episode series for Discovery, Inc. and Google. Filmed on all seven continents, the series centers around a “Guru, Renegade, Entertainer or Explorer” in each environment as they pull the curtain back on varying rituals, unique traditions and life-threatening quests that encompass their culture.” At that time, Discovery TRVLR was Discovery's largest virtual reality project to date.[11]

The series was designed by O'Dea to go to as remote locations as possible and focus on the universality of the people who live there. Rather than sending a message of 'we are all the same' or forcing Western ideals on the characters, the idea is to create an elegant juxtaposition at a hyperlocal level. “Defying convention” in Communist Vietnam is significantly different when contrasted alongside the same idea in Catholic Mexico.[12]

From an interview with Addison in Filmmaker about the show:

A core tenet of TRVLR is access, getting into closed communities that are otherwise not open to visitors. Given how popular the travel genre is, you have to work harder as a producer and director to seek out these communities and earn their trust. That meant we were shooting in locations that required negotiations for safe passage through gangland and armed security.[12]​

Personal life[]

On September 23, 2019, O'Dea was reported to be engaged to be married to actress Minnie Driver.[13]

See also[]

Additional reading[]

References[]

  1. ^ Robinson, Eugene S. (June 7, 2019). "When Albanian Singers Crushed the World". OZY. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  2. ^ O'Dea, Addison (August 19, 2010). "Hiking Through Capri's History". National Geographic. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  3. ^ Alcinii, Daniele (November 3, 2017). "Addison O'Dea talks Discovery, Google VR's "Discovery TRVLR"". Realscreen. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  4. ^ Romanek, Neal (December 5, 2017). "'Discovery TRVLR': Exploring and Experiencing the Discovery/Google VR Series". Creative Planet. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  5. ^ "Obituary, Patrick O'Dea". Louisville Courier-Journal. August 15, 2007. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "Speakers, corporate sponsors boost Energy session". Florida Weekly. March 3, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  7. ^ O'Dea, Addison (Director) (May 12, 2017). Witness the Mysterious World of West African Voodoo (Virtual Reality). Togo: Seeker.
  8. ^ O'Dea, Addison (Director) (April 19, 2017). Discovering the Hidden Treasures of Mauritania's Deadly Sahara Desert (Virtual Reality). Mauritania: Seeker.
  9. ^ Dale, Martin. "Sundance Winner Eugene Jarecki Prepares 'Tuareg Project' in Morocco". Variety. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  10. ^ Dale, Martin (December 5, 2019). "Sundance Winner Eugene Jarecki Prepares 'Tuareg Project' in Morocco". Variety. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  11. ^ Spangler, Todd (October 5, 2017). "Discovery Sets Biggest VR Project to Date, Teaming With Google on Epic Travel Series". Variety. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Astle, Randy (December 4, 2017). ""Speaking to a New World": Addison O'Dea on the Virtual Reality Series Discovery TRVLR". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  13. ^ Williams, Marielle (23 September 2019). "Minnie Driver Debuts Blinged Out Engagement Ring From New Love Addison O'Dea At Emmys After Party". Access Hollywood. Retrieved 9 December 2020.

External links[]

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