Thompson comes from a strong tradition of Hollywood story tellers and performing artists. His grandmother was actress and artist Gloria Stuart, recognized for her role as 'Old Rose' in Titanic. Thompson's grandfather was screenwriter Arthur Sheekman, a close friend and the key writer for Groucho Marx and the Marx Brothers. Thompson received his BFA in directing for the stage from University of California, Los Angeles, where he was selected to participate in an intensive, experimental theater director's program in the School of Theater, Film, and Television. Thompson was the founder and creative director of The L.A.TEST Stage. Thompson has worked extensively in film and television, his include both studio and independent productions. Thompson is the director/producer of ', a popular lifestyle television show broadcasting across the US and Canada on JLTV. He is also the director/producer of a series of one-hour television specials. As a director/producer with a vision of 21st century media, Benjamin Stuart Thompson has been pushing the envelop on new models for networked, live, global event production. Thompson is director/producer of a feature documentary, now in post production, entitled ', about his grandmother as an accomplished painter, bonsai master and book artist, featuring interviews with director James Cameron, Jon Landau, actresses Frances Fisher and Suzy Amis Cameron, among others.
Large-Scale Event Media
Thompson has been at the forefront of developing large-scale, multi-venue, group to group interaction for sporting events, live theatrical events, musical television events, as well as new formats for networked education. Thompson has been a guest lecturer for multi-venue event media at both UCLA in the School of Theater, Film, and Television and UC San Diego in the Theatre and Dance Department.
AVANTI Lab
is the "Advanced Video & Audio Networked Theater Initiative" that develops and produces new content formats for live event media. Thompson founded the Lab, and to honor the memory of his grandmother , Thompson initiated the AVANTI Award for Envisioning New Possibilities. In 2012, the AVANTI was presented to Suzy Amis Cameron by Jon Landau at a ceremony at UCLA. The next award is to be presented to Peter Buffett.
