2. Would you consider the Maine Media College an extension of the Maine Media Workshops brand or a new-product development strategy—or both? Explain.

Since 1973, Maine Media Workshops has seen some of the most talented filmmakers, photographers, and writers pass through its doors. The program started as a summer camp of sorts for amateurs and professionals wanting to hone their creative arts skills while enjoying a week along the beautiful coast of Rockport, Maine. Over the years, students have had the opportunity to work with and learn from Hollywood’s heavy hitters: Vilmos Zsigmond, cinematographer on “Close Encounters,” “The Black Dahlia,” and “The Deer Hunter”; Alan Myerson, Emmy-winning director of everything from “The Love Boat” to “The Larry Saunders Show”
to “Boston Public”; and actor Gene Wilder. The names are impressive, but what has always set the program apart is its intensity and quality. The family style lobster dinner at the end doesn’t hurt, either.
Sadly, in recent years, the workshops had lost their way and the school was in danger of closing. “When it fell on hard times, and there was the possibility of it not surviving, it was hard to imagine being here anymore,” says Charles Altschul, Rockport resident and current executive director of the school. Something had to be done to revitalize this gem along the rocky Maine coast.