Michael Wong: Doggedly Digital

Michael Wong believes that you can teach an old dog new tricks. Since graduating from NYU in 1988 with a BA in journalism, Wong has developed and written about cutting-edge software technology for publishing, music, and film, creating the tricks and convincing the old dogs to give them a try.

Wong first became interested in new computer technologies during his first job as an editorial assistant at Media Projects, a Manhattan publishing company, in the late 80’s. Soon after his job began the computer programmer quit, leaving Wong to figure out this mystifying technology.

After experimenting with computer publishing possibilities at Media Projects, he took a job testing and writing computer publishing software with Jack Powers, who was creating the first desktop publishing programs like Pagemaker and Adobe Photoshop.

“These programs were just seeds of ideas and now they’re the industry standard,” said Wong.

As a regional product manager for Apple, Wong tests and writes about film editing software like Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro. The new technology that Wong markets would allow a single reporter to film an event digitally, download the video, and edit on the computer with the film software in a matter of minutes. NBC correspondent Bob Arnett used this technology in Kuwait.

Film-makers like Joel and Ethan Coen and Steven Soderburgh have solicited Apple’s help in updating their process. “Last year we helped Steven Soderburgh achieve his vision of making a feature film on a shoestring with ‘Full Frontal,’” said Wong. He also used the technology himself as a producer and editor of the feature film “Blue Fire.”

Wong has had an easier time marketing Apple products and the publishing software he helped create in the late 80’s due to his journalism education and prior work experience. “I understand where the customers come from because I have been a writer, a journalist, a musician, and a film-maker,” he said. “I can talk the talk and walk the walk.”

—Rebecca Davis, G’03