Creating a social media icon

How do you turn a respectable newsreader into a social media icon? Writer Chris Leben is part of the creative team behind Australian newsreader and presenter Lee Lin Chin’s comedic alter ego. In this entertaining talk, Chris Leben (joined by Lee Lin Chin) examines why their creative approach to using social media has found an audience. Chris Leben is a writer, director and failed theatre actor. Starting his career as a presenter on ABC’s Andrew Denton produced youth magazine program Hungry Beast Chris quickly learned that he wasn’t made out for being in front of the camera. Partly because he looks like Dan Ackroyd and the Grinch had a love child but more importantly that he just wasn’t very good. After two seasons on the show Chris transitioned to behind the camera writing and directing. For several years he stumbled around doing completely unremarkable work until he was hired by SBS’s youth news, current affairs and satire program The Feed. There he met the love of his life, (non romantic) SBS Newsreader and cultural icon Lee Lin Chin. Together they worked on comedy sketches and created the incredibly popular Lee Lin Chin comedy character, it’s basically just Lee Lin but more violent and overtly sexual. Since then Chris and Lee Lin have collaborated on hours of television, live performances, a book and a failed TV pilot. They currently run the boutique creative TV and ads production company All the Chin’s Men and are hoping that a Hollywood bigwig will see this Ted talk and give them money.