(Mel Kientz • April) "As a boy, JJ Abrams was fascinated with magic. As a television writer, director, and producer, he has beguiled audiences with a masterful use of suspense, plot reversals, and special effects." - Wired Magazine.

So, here is your introduction to an  Entertainment Renaissance Man. He is an award winning Producer, Director, Writer and Music Composer. He is also named one of Fade In Magazine's "100 People in Hollywood You Need to Know". Chances are you have been exposed to his creative talents. Last year he was asked to speak at The TED Conference. (read more...)

TED (Technology Entertainment Design) is an annual conference held in Monterey, California. It defines its mission as "ideas worth spreading" (www.ted.com), and indeed the best talks given at TED are made available to the public for free on its website. Its lectures cover a broad set of topics including science, arts, politics, global issues, architecture, music and more. What follows is an interesting video with JJ Abrams from last year's TED Conference. It can teach each of us a little bit about the concept of mystery and magic... (read more)

J.J. Abrams traces his love of the unseen mystery -- the heart of Alias, Lost, and the upcoming Cloverfield -- back to its own magical beginnings, which may or may not include an early obsession with magic, the love of a supportive grandfather, or his own unopened Mystery Box  

Why you should listen to him:

As the Emmy-winning creator of the smart, addictive TV dramas Lost, Alias and Felicity, J.J. Abrams' name looms large on the small screen. As the writer/director behind the blockbuster explode-a-thon Mission: Impossible III, Cloverfield and the next Star Trek movie, these days Abrams also rules the big screen -- bringing his eye for telling detail and emotional connection to larger-than-life stories.

Abrams' enthusiasm -- for the construction of Kleenex boxes, for the quiet moments between shark attacks in Jaws, for today's filmmaking technologies, and above all for the potent mystery of an unopened package -- is incredibly infectious.