Addison O'Dea

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, Ozy, and Youtube.[3]

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


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 Discovery TRVLR 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. 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.
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