Catching up with Jason Schlosberg
After Jason Schlosberg earned his Huntington High School diploma in 1993 he kept coming back home several times a year for many years. That practice continued until his parents moved to New Jersey in December 2006. Now living with his wife, Donna in Arlington, Virginia, he hasn’t forgotten his favorite teachers who helped him develop many of the skills he uses today even though his life is now a whirlwind of activity.
The YouTube (www.youtube.com) craze has dramatically altered Mr. Schlosberg’s world. A video he uploaded onto the site titled “Battle at Kruger” has been viewed more than 28 million times and generated more than 24,500 comments. The video shows a wild battle between a herd of water buffalo, a pride of lions and a crocodile. It recently won an award for Best Eyewitness Video in the 2nd Annual YouTube Video Awards.
“YouTube flew me back to New York, to Google's New York City office, where the winners were interviewed by newspaper and television reporters,” Mr. Schlosberg said. TIME magazine even profiled the video.
Mr. Schlosberg has done quite well for himself since walking off the stage with his Huntington diploma in hand that June day so many years ago. He’s earned a B.A. degree in political science at Emory University in Atlanta and obtained a law degree at American University in Washington, DC. He currently works as a trial attorney for the United States government after previously being employed by a pair of private law firms and the government of Hong Kong.
Yes, life is good – and hectic, for Mr. Schlosberg and his wife, Donna M. Lombardo, who live with their German Shepard, Brooklyn. He is leading an exciting life, yet he continues to keep a special place in his heart for his hometown.
“As a 1993 alumnus, I maintain a fond affinity for all things Huntington,” Mr. Schlosberg said. “I had so many wonderful teachers, but I would count the following as my favorites: Beth Hulsart (English), Mickey Barron (Journalism), Mrs. Brush (English), Mrs. [Judy] Gleischer (Math), and Mrs. [Silvia] Taylor (Photography). The list wouldn't be complete without my first and second grade teacher, Mrs. Helen Stephenson. Each of these teachers contributed greatly to my life in very specific ways,” he said.
“Mrs. Stephenson had no small part in developing my self esteem,” Mr. Schlosberg said. “My English teachers taught me how to think critically and freely, a large reason why I became an attorney. When my writing skills did not fare well - I was a late bloomer, Mrs. Gleischer ensured that my math skills got me into a good university. Mrs. Taylor inspired my creativity. To this day, I still use the skills she taught me in her photography classes.”
His career as an attorney isn’t the only thing that keeps Mr. Schlosberg busy these days. “In my alternative life, I own a small company, NegativeSpace Media (www.negativespace.com), which focuses primarily on my photography and articles I write for independent filmmaker publications,” he said. “My photography has taken me all over the globe. Much of my photography, and the places I have been, can be seen on my photography website.”
Mr. Schlosberg said that he and his wife “have the life philosophy of ensuring that we go on at least one once-in-a-lifetime trip each year. We have been fortunate enough to travel to multiple continents. We even spent our honeymoon in Thailand. In September 2004, we went on a South African safari. During our last hour in the bush, we witnessed a battle between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo, and a crocodile. It was like nothing we, or our guide with 15 years of experience, had ever seen before.”
That “last hour battle” has transformed his life. “As a photographer, I took many shots,” he said. “A gentleman we met on safari, David "Buzz" Budzinski, caught the event on his home video camera. Upon our return home, he agreed to send me a copy of the video and I agreed to send him copies of my photographs. We made the trade and did not communicate for a long time. When placing the photographs on NegativeSpace.com, I dubbed the scene the Battle at Kruger.”
But, that’s just the beginning of the story, one that has ultimately led to worldwide attention and growing business opportunities. “Over the course of the next couple of years, a close college friend, Jeff Rindsberg, originally from South Africa, kept asking me to send him a copy of this too-true-to-believe footage. After about 2 ½ years, instead of mailing him a DVD copy, I uploaded it to YouTube for him to see. After two weeks, the video received over 300,000 views. By the end of the month, it leaped to 4 million. I started receiving phone calls from interested parties. I immediately dug out Buzz's contact information and called him up.
Although we had no idea where this would take us, we agreed to a business partnership. NegativeSpace Media had grown, but I would not realize by how much until months later.”
A large helping of excitement is now on Mr. Schlosberg’s daily menu. “I was humbled and blessed to have been in the right place at the right time to watch this amazing scene,” he admits. “The attention the video has subsequently received, and the opportunities it has afforded me, has only contributed to my great fortune.
Through much negotiating, we licensed the video to ABC and National Geographic. Buzz and I starred in the feature segment of the first episode of ABC's I-Caught. National Geographic sent us back to South Africa to film a documentary about the footage, which will be airing on the National Geographic Channel on Mother's Day, May 11, at 9 p.m. I have also licensed the footage to corporations and non-profit organizations and my photography has been seen in a variety of well-known publications such as TIME magazine and the Daily Mail (UK). I am currently working to have the footage become part of a national commercial advertising campaign.”
Could the Huntington alum have foreseen where his life would take him 15 years ago while he was still a high school senior? Probably not. Who knows where it’s headed?
“The Battle at Kruger's popularity has been staggering,” Mr. Schlosberg said. Two weeks ago NegativeSpace Media unveiled the new website, www.battleatkruger.com, where people can learn more about the video and the documentary and purchase Battle at Kruger merchandise.
To contact Mr. Schlosberg send an e-mail to Render75@aol.com.
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