Biography
Carl (Vincent) Hartman Jr. was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Carl Hartman Sr., of German origin a lighting and sound designer for theater and Alma (Bowman) Hartman of Swiss descent was a dancer and descendant of the Hans Herr family that helped settle Pennsylvania. Alma's father, Chester W. Bowman, was an inventor that worked directly with Thomas Edison. Chester designed some of the first ventilation systems and fans, eventually starting the Audtodraft Blower Company.
When Carl was three, his parents moved to Burbank, California. His father started working at Columbia Studios as a grip and electrician on television shows like Bonanza and I Dream of Jeanie. His mother raised the family and worked in the defense industry during the day and danced in the evenings. During these early years the family moved from Burbank to Simi Valley, California where his parents immersed him in the arts, dance, painting and photography. Carl attended private school in the San Fernando Valley where he took great interest in the school drama and graphic arts program, where he excelled in photography.
After high school Carl began working at Northrop Ventura while he attended Moorpark College, obtaining a degree in Communications and minored in television studio production. Eventually, there was an opening in the company photography and motion picture department and he snagged the position. The photographers and cinematographers at Northrop were permitted to check out and take home any of the camera equipment, which provided him access to the company Arriflex cameras. His supervisor, an award-winning industrial photographer, acted as a mentor and suggested Carl attend film school. Now married with two children, he attended Columbia College - Hollywood in the evenings, graduating in 1981.
During Carl's time in film school the dean recommend him for work as an assistant editor at Universal Studios, where he joined the Motion Picture and Video Tape Editor's Guild (at that time Local 776). He worked an assistant film editor and sound editor on several movies of the week and worked on some of the first digital editing systems on several Donald Belesario projects, which thrust him into the world of non-linear film editing during its infancy. During the eventings he worked at Hollywood Film Enterprises processing 35mm motion picture negative.
It was at this time Carl was offered his first feature length producing and directing project, but with a twist. This would be an interactive feature film written and directed by Paul W. Cooper, Emmy Award winning writer for numerous successful television series. Mr. Cooper would serve as one of Carl's writing mentors and eventual partner on several projects. Chess Wars: A Medieval Fantasy, distributed by GT Interactive, won a number of awards and laid the stage for future interactive projects, including being the producer of Doom (3DO). Subsequent projects including his producing work with Chuck E. Sellier (Grizzly Adams) and numerous television commercials for many of the major advertising agencies. Carl also produced or directed, music and concert videos for a number of artists on major record labels.
Taking a quick side trip from film production, frustrated by sending videos around Hollywood for checking edits on commercials, during the 1980-90's, Mr. Hartman began working on a method to send video over telephone lines; eventually partnering with Whittaker Defense Systems, IBM and Pacific Bell to develop the technology that would evolve into video on demand. Carl then returned to corporate leadership as a senior executive at on of the big four television networks to salvage an ailing business unit which focused on integrating television and interactive media. Eventually, he grew that organization to be three times more profitable than any other division at the network. He also worked with the producers of Reading Rainbow at PBS, developing several original television series and co-producing episodes for the American Experience; eventually, earning two Emmy Awards (uncredited). During that period, Mr. Hartman independently produced Amazing Art Adventures, a children's visual arts educational television series funded by the producer's of Reading Rainbow and distributed nationally through the Independent Program Service. At the request of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Carl developed the original interactive educational program, The Adventures of Kirby Junxston/Wendy Wise a new concept for children's science programming on PBS.
His work at PBS received the top award as Best of the Best from the National Educational Telecommunications Association. Additionally, his work for PBS included collaboration with experts at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute and School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University and production of interactive components for Monkey Trial for the American Experience; the only project of more than 80 proof-of-concept submissions, selected for follow-on funding under the CPB Television of Tomorrow initiative that eventually became the foundation for the smart television technology used today.
While at PBS, Mr. Hartman developed computerized systems to manage multiple large, complex projects (50+) that integrate multiple disciplines. Translation: Manage massive projects that may include interactive software, motion picture production, manufacturing of ancillary products such as toys, games, etc.
Carl in the process of scripting several new projects for a streaming network.
Carl, has been a passionate advocate for people in the creative industries that share his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome, working with some of the leading scientists in the field of spectrum disorders and writing books on the subject of new and creative ways for managing unique neural processing abilities.
