Louis Dobson's pic is singing one Pink Floyd song to me. How I wish... how I wish you were here...
Go to the name of the post to see one incredible Flickr account. I love photography, dammit.
Feb 7, 2008
This boat is for sale.
Louis Dobson's pic is singing one Pink Floyd song to me. How I wish... how I wish you were here...
Go to the name of the post to see one incredible Flickr account. I love photography, dammit.
Fortune Cookie 500 #'s 5, 6, 7 & 8
On hygiene:
“When in doubt, wipe again.”
On job security:
“Apple Key + S. Use it often.”
On design:
“Bursts are a client’s pacifier.”
On work:
“As long as your check depends on the satisfaction of a client, your best work won’t surface.”
“When in doubt, wipe again.”
On job security:
“Apple Key + S. Use it often.”
On design:
“Bursts are a client’s pacifier.”
On work:
“As long as your check depends on the satisfaction of a client, your best work won’t surface.”
Fortune Cookie 500 #4
Thursday February 7
On quitting:
"It is better to resign than to be fired, always."
On quitting:
"It is better to resign than to be fired, always."
Fortune Cookie 500 #3
Thursday February 7th
On election years:
"Root for who you believe in..... even if it isn't the person you will vote for."
On election years:
"Root for who you believe in..... even if it isn't the person you will vote for."
Feb 6, 2008
A St. Valentines Experiment: LOVE.
February. Month of one thing only: get laid. Ok, fine. Besides the fact that come Feb. 14 is "You will get laid fo' sho'" day, it is also a month when you celebrate loving someone or loving something. The usual stuff will be bought like crazy. Chocolates (be careful, calories, calories), flowers, champagne... plastic dongers (be creative, people)... But here I am thinking: we bitch almost every single day about our work. Here at WAS it's a national sport. Our sole mission is point out the worst things about what we do, but not because we are angry most of the times, I honestly think it's so that somewhere, inside some ad agency, one CEO, one CD, one AE, one creative... reads this and thinks: maybe those guys have a point and we should change this or that to make our jobs easier. Granted, I still haven't heard from one person that has said something changed for the better, but hey, we can still have hope, right? Damn, I still have high hopes that some Sicilian millionaire will take me away to live somewhere cool, buy me loads of shoes and bang the shit out of me on a daily basis...
Um. Where was I? Oh, the experiment.
So here's a challenge to all our WAS readers and writers. You have until February 14 to think up of things you LOVE about working in advertising. It can be anything you want. You can name only one thing, five, ten. A hundred. (Hey if you can list a 100 things you love, you must be a CEO) Just think about it and post your list at the comment box.
My list goes as this:
1) I love doing a decent ad.
Not great. Not fucking awesome. Just a good ad. Those ads that people notice and call you back and say, good work. Those ads that you know that won't get a prize, ever, but you know deep in your heart that you didn't have to read Archive or Communication Arts to get inspiration. That ad that made your client sell a little bit more. That kind.
2) Team work - from your friends.
It can be anything. Don't have a logo and don't want to retrace it? Friends. Not sure if you're making a typo? Friends. Don't know the correct size for a full page ad for this particular magazine that you have never heard of? Yup, your friends will back you up. The same goes back to them. I have sent quite a few logos that I have traced, given measurements for almost everything, including vibrating things (just kidding... or am I?), helped out on calming anger caused by stupid client changes... Being there and having that backup sure makes everything a little more easy to deal with.
3) I can escape or bail out anyone.
This is almost the best thing ever. Don't like your agency? Only in advertising have I seen so much dedication from people when looking for another job. With help, again from good friends, I have given a FUCK OFF to the ugliest places ever and moved on to greener pastures. And I am always there for my friends when they need to get the hell out of where they are fast. I call. I write. I buy beer for higher ups just so that a friend has a decent shot of getting an interview. I never let my friends drive when they drink, and I sure don't let my friends stay where they don't want to.
4) Beer. Tequila. Whiskey. Kareoke.
Happy Advertising hour, anyone? Ok apart from getting free booze once in a while and not having to pay for it, trust me, I love ad parties for only one thing: I can see people humiliate themselves at the kareoke machine. American Idol has nothing on those kinds of nights.
5) THE BEST THING EVER: The people I've met and worked with.
There are some moments in life when you meet people that you know they will be forever in your life, and for a good reason. Deleting ugly, egomaniac idiots that you are bound to know and consider them homo sapiens that happen to work where you are, only in advertising I have met incredible human beings. The kind that stay in contact, share your daily life far beyond talking about your daily typo or some other stupid thing. They become family. Not all do that, just some. But those who do... whoa.
So there it is. That's my list. I know that my I hate working on this shit list is waaaaaaaay more long, but since tonight I'm feeling the love, I'll leave it at that.
Happy St. Valentines day, people. May you get laid in more ways than in the Kama Sutra.
Fortune Cookie 500
Wednesday February 6
On clients or execs
"do not confuse urgent with important"...
Credit where credit is due, thanks go to Restrictionsapply.
On clients or execs
"do not confuse urgent with important"...
Credit where credit is due, thanks go to Restrictionsapply.
Ledger's mistake was... mixing.
According to the AP/CNN, Ledger had a shitload of drugs on his system. Talk about a Molotov Cocktail:
"Hydrocodone and oxycodone are painkillers. Diazepam is an anti-anxiety drug commonly sold under the brand name Valium; alprazolam is also an anti-anxiety drug, sold under such names as Xanax. Temazepam, sold under such names as Restoril and Euhypnos, is a sleeping agent, as is doxylamine."
Six drugs in one body. One little girl without a father. Damn, people. Damn.
"Hydrocodone and oxycodone are painkillers. Diazepam is an anti-anxiety drug commonly sold under the brand name Valium; alprazolam is also an anti-anxiety drug, sold under such names as Xanax. Temazepam, sold under such names as Restoril and Euhypnos, is a sleeping agent, as is doxylamine."
Six drugs in one body. One little girl without a father. Damn, people. Damn.
The Fortune Cookie 500
This is a little project in which I’ll be posting fortune cookie-ish lines when I feel up to it until I get to 500. It’ll be single line posts, there are no set dates for when I will post them and hey, just trying to do something different with my time. I’ll put the date, the topic and the line. I refrained from writing with a thick Asian accent for one main reason though: Fortune Cookies are actually an American concept, go figure. If it sucks then so be it, but hey, for now, hope you enjoy.
Wednesday February 6th
On the creative process
“Thinking you are done will never mean that you are done.”
Ps.: Thanks to Design Crush (http://4designerd.blogspot.com/) for posting a recipe for Fortune Cookies and inspiring this idea of deluded blog grandeur.
Wednesday February 6th
On the creative process
“Thinking you are done will never mean that you are done.”
Ps.: Thanks to Design Crush (http://4designerd.blogspot.com/) for posting a recipe for Fortune Cookies and inspiring this idea of deluded blog grandeur.
Comment wisdom
In our run here on WAS, we've had some ups, some downs and enough comments to publish a book on. That being said, sometimes it's a bit of extra assholeness courtesy of Moi, at times we've had a nice discussion with people and things have gotten extra spicy thanks to topics dealing with race, so maybe for readership's sake I'll write something controversial soon just to get the anger flowing and the hate mail/comments coming in. That being said, a recent post dealt with yours truly commenting on some thoughts shared on scamp's blog. In a comment for that post, one of our readers took the liberty of adding his two cents of wisdom and I thought it meritorious to post the comment and add my own. As an added bonus, I've said it before if you send in a post, we'll not only publish it but donate money to any cause you deem worthy (your bank account though needy is not what I'm referring to). So Ben, if there's a cause you're interested in, feel free to say so but for now, your comment has the floor.
*********************************
With regards to this particular post, I think I could add a bit more advice for the young.
Yes, work on your book... not just now, but throughout your career. Never stop. Save copies of everything you do. Even if you think it sucks. If you're not careful, someday you'll be a 48 year old copywriter with a mediocre book, but when you go back to spruce it up, you wont have copies of anything for reference.
Also, if you do get that job at the great agency, BE APPRECIATIVE AND NEVER BECOME A PRIMADONNA. Someday, someone younger and smarter will come along who is willing to work longer hours and for less money. And you'll be looking for a job at Home Depot, just to cover groceries. Be thankful you have a job in an industry that allows you to be creative and that pays EXTREMELY well.
Retail pays, like, $10 an hour. So when you have an asshole Creative Director bullying you... choke it back and call a headhunter. Don't get cocky and do something stupid.
When you're sitting there, thinking of headlines, imagine how tough life COULD be.
Play the game people. Do good work and suck up when you have to.
And if you see an old fat man at Home Depot or Lowes with a Texas accent... be nice to him. He's already lived your life and is starting a new one.
********************************************
Obviously there's a lot to comment on so lets go through parts.
First off, to work on your book. Having recently been bitten by the "Fuck this place and keep it" bug, I've been working on my book and have actually put forth a decent effort that still needs tweakage but is better than what I used to have, which was nothing. It's incredible I'd gotten jobs without portfolios but a decent hard working reputation did me some favors even if my mood swings and anger pangs are already becoming stuff of lore. Being an artist, you need to be organized and have a mean streak where you keep everything in high-res jpegs that always get in a backup for your convenience. Being a copywriter, it's not so easy because you sometimes have to harass your artist to get you copies of the stuff you've done together That being said, annoy your artist to no avail or better yet, learn to make jpegs, final pdfs and stay after hours to get your book together. Don't be idle. Please don't because it'll bite you in the ass in the long run, in the short run, in any type of run. Don't say, ok I'll do it tomorrow. Trust me, a great friend had to spur me on a lot more than I consider I should have to be spurred because once I saw my book together, I was like damn, why have I taken so long and to add to the goodness, you see exactly how much work you have done in a year or two. you see what's worked, what hasn't, what have been your shining moments and which are more than discardable. So work on your book, trust us.
Second off, if you do get a good job, don't be an asshole. Being good will only take you so far... actually it can take you pretty far but when you retire, do you want to be remembered as the talented prick, or the talented guy everyone looked up to. Throw bitch fits, break shit, fine, just don't suck as a person. you never know when someone you step on can help you out in your career or in life.
Third, advertising can pay extremely well but it's an industry that at least leaves me empty on a few levels and gets me to thinking if it's really worthwhile. True I enjoy my job and when I'm allowed to do great work I feel like a million bucks, but regarding extra hours worked, weekends lost and friends forgotten, I don't think we get compensated enough because when you see some other professions, you can get more ahead with less effort in other fields even if it's boring as shit.
Fourth, don't get cocky and do something stupid. Tex is spot on regarding this and especially in this industry. Fuck up bad enough or piss someone off to ever higher levels and you won't be able to escape it. in large part I often recommend people don't eat where they crap for the same reason. if you're a shitty lay in advertising, odds are more people than you care for will know about it. Just a thought. But blasting off and burning bridges is a pretty big no-no in this industry especially.
Fifth, imagine how tough life could be. This is self explanatory. you just need to look to your left or right to see there are people worse off than you, including within advertising. If you hate your accounts, know there's somene who has to do shoppers. If you do shoppers, know there's someone who has to do brochures. If you do brochures, know that someone has to do classiffied ads, and if you do classifieds, just know that there's someone that has to proof read all of that shit.
Regarding sucking up, some people insist on having to do so and I'd rephrase it to be likeable with everyone especially a CD. Don't be a kiss ass, be genuinely interested in their well being and who they are besides their job role. i don't know if it works wonders, but a couple of people in high places have appreciated that I give them 3 minutes to vent even if I'm still a little shit.
And if you see an old fat man at Home Depot or Lowes with a Texas accent... don't only be nice to him, tell him to open that damned restaurant he rants about so he can put the life lived in the past and enjoy the present.
Cheers
*********************************
With regards to this particular post, I think I could add a bit more advice for the young.
Yes, work on your book... not just now, but throughout your career. Never stop. Save copies of everything you do. Even if you think it sucks. If you're not careful, someday you'll be a 48 year old copywriter with a mediocre book, but when you go back to spruce it up, you wont have copies of anything for reference.
Also, if you do get that job at the great agency, BE APPRECIATIVE AND NEVER BECOME A PRIMADONNA. Someday, someone younger and smarter will come along who is willing to work longer hours and for less money. And you'll be looking for a job at Home Depot, just to cover groceries. Be thankful you have a job in an industry that allows you to be creative and that pays EXTREMELY well.
Retail pays, like, $10 an hour. So when you have an asshole Creative Director bullying you... choke it back and call a headhunter. Don't get cocky and do something stupid.
When you're sitting there, thinking of headlines, imagine how tough life COULD be.
Play the game people. Do good work and suck up when you have to.
And if you see an old fat man at Home Depot or Lowes with a Texas accent... be nice to him. He's already lived your life and is starting a new one.
********************************************
Obviously there's a lot to comment on so lets go through parts.
First off, to work on your book. Having recently been bitten by the "Fuck this place and keep it" bug, I've been working on my book and have actually put forth a decent effort that still needs tweakage but is better than what I used to have, which was nothing. It's incredible I'd gotten jobs without portfolios but a decent hard working reputation did me some favors even if my mood swings and anger pangs are already becoming stuff of lore. Being an artist, you need to be organized and have a mean streak where you keep everything in high-res jpegs that always get in a backup for your convenience. Being a copywriter, it's not so easy because you sometimes have to harass your artist to get you copies of the stuff you've done together That being said, annoy your artist to no avail or better yet, learn to make jpegs, final pdfs and stay after hours to get your book together. Don't be idle. Please don't because it'll bite you in the ass in the long run, in the short run, in any type of run. Don't say, ok I'll do it tomorrow. Trust me, a great friend had to spur me on a lot more than I consider I should have to be spurred because once I saw my book together, I was like damn, why have I taken so long and to add to the goodness, you see exactly how much work you have done in a year or two. you see what's worked, what hasn't, what have been your shining moments and which are more than discardable. So work on your book, trust us.
Second off, if you do get a good job, don't be an asshole. Being good will only take you so far... actually it can take you pretty far but when you retire, do you want to be remembered as the talented prick, or the talented guy everyone looked up to. Throw bitch fits, break shit, fine, just don't suck as a person. you never know when someone you step on can help you out in your career or in life.
Third, advertising can pay extremely well but it's an industry that at least leaves me empty on a few levels and gets me to thinking if it's really worthwhile. True I enjoy my job and when I'm allowed to do great work I feel like a million bucks, but regarding extra hours worked, weekends lost and friends forgotten, I don't think we get compensated enough because when you see some other professions, you can get more ahead with less effort in other fields even if it's boring as shit.
Fourth, don't get cocky and do something stupid. Tex is spot on regarding this and especially in this industry. Fuck up bad enough or piss someone off to ever higher levels and you won't be able to escape it. in large part I often recommend people don't eat where they crap for the same reason. if you're a shitty lay in advertising, odds are more people than you care for will know about it. Just a thought. But blasting off and burning bridges is a pretty big no-no in this industry especially.
Fifth, imagine how tough life could be. This is self explanatory. you just need to look to your left or right to see there are people worse off than you, including within advertising. If you hate your accounts, know there's somene who has to do shoppers. If you do shoppers, know there's someone who has to do brochures. If you do brochures, know that someone has to do classiffied ads, and if you do classifieds, just know that there's someone that has to proof read all of that shit.
Regarding sucking up, some people insist on having to do so and I'd rephrase it to be likeable with everyone especially a CD. Don't be a kiss ass, be genuinely interested in their well being and who they are besides their job role. i don't know if it works wonders, but a couple of people in high places have appreciated that I give them 3 minutes to vent even if I'm still a little shit.
And if you see an old fat man at Home Depot or Lowes with a Texas accent... don't only be nice to him, tell him to open that damned restaurant he rants about so he can put the life lived in the past and enjoy the present.
Cheers
Feb 5, 2008
Clients don’t give a fuck if you have feelings
Is that clear enough for everyone reading? Is this mic on? Am I coming to you loud and clear? They don’t give a shit and that’s not because they don’t care if you live or die, it’s because they’re childlike to such a degree that the “me” syndrome is permanent and they will always think first and foremost that: A.) They know better than you, B.) They are your only client or the most important one, C.) They know better than you.
They could care less if the revisions they are sending from the bar on their Blackberry make no sense, they are indomitable in their wisdom, proving that sagacity does not require years of experience, talent, brains or what I enjoy calling a clue. They don’t care because they’re right always, and you know why that is, because they’ve always been force-fed the bullshit that bullshit line about clients always being right. You know what? I’m going to take the liberty to not only say the client isn’t always right and take it up a notch, almost every day a client demonstrates that they don’t know rayon from myrrh not to mention a good ad from a bad one. Their shitty taste permeates most of what they do and you just have to see what the client wears to see how square, lame, traditional and nauseating an ad will end up being.
And all along the way, you will cry and bitch and moan and fight and hate and hate some more because this damned client doesn’t stop torturing you while these shit for brains do nothing but sleep like fucking babies having breast fed on Dolly Parton Circa 1974. That’s because they are self centered twits who only care about their opinion regarding what you do for them. And that’s talking about the nice clients you have.
If you happen to have the joy of having some of the Earth walking demons I’ve had to deal with you have to realize that you are a mere serf, serving to their assholiness. They don’t care how much effort you’ve put into, they don’t care if you want them to sell a bazillion things and have actually offered the cost efficient way to do it, they just want you to follow orders, their orders because those are the only ones that matter. Oh and don’t worry, this doesn’t exempt you from having them belittle you to dizzying lows because that’s part of their recipe of happiness. They need to make people feel like shit, cuss at people and offend inferiors only to call your CD or the president of the company to get a memo into your file or just get you fired. They talk about brand equity and how you’re bastardizing the work they’ve been doing all of a year and a half since they got their job thanks to their mommy having given head to some weak ejaculating, flaccid cocked, toupee wearing, Maserrati driving, intern fondling shit pusher. They’re not even 25, they get paid 20K more than you, they copied off the nerds in the class, they listen to you speak with their mouths wide open, they never know anything, they have to ask permission to one leg to see if the other can cut across and they spend more money on coke than you do on your rent. They are devoid of human sentiment and they don’t care that they’re not liked. So next time you’re stressing or angry about something a client, said, sent, did or actually ordered, just know you would do yourself a whole lot of good if you didn’t give a fuck about a sentient being who is equal parts carbon and shit.
They could care less if the revisions they are sending from the bar on their Blackberry make no sense, they are indomitable in their wisdom, proving that sagacity does not require years of experience, talent, brains or what I enjoy calling a clue. They don’t care because they’re right always, and you know why that is, because they’ve always been force-fed the bullshit that bullshit line about clients always being right. You know what? I’m going to take the liberty to not only say the client isn’t always right and take it up a notch, almost every day a client demonstrates that they don’t know rayon from myrrh not to mention a good ad from a bad one. Their shitty taste permeates most of what they do and you just have to see what the client wears to see how square, lame, traditional and nauseating an ad will end up being.
And all along the way, you will cry and bitch and moan and fight and hate and hate some more because this damned client doesn’t stop torturing you while these shit for brains do nothing but sleep like fucking babies having breast fed on Dolly Parton Circa 1974. That’s because they are self centered twits who only care about their opinion regarding what you do for them. And that’s talking about the nice clients you have.
If you happen to have the joy of having some of the Earth walking demons I’ve had to deal with you have to realize that you are a mere serf, serving to their assholiness. They don’t care how much effort you’ve put into, they don’t care if you want them to sell a bazillion things and have actually offered the cost efficient way to do it, they just want you to follow orders, their orders because those are the only ones that matter. Oh and don’t worry, this doesn’t exempt you from having them belittle you to dizzying lows because that’s part of their recipe of happiness. They need to make people feel like shit, cuss at people and offend inferiors only to call your CD or the president of the company to get a memo into your file or just get you fired. They talk about brand equity and how you’re bastardizing the work they’ve been doing all of a year and a half since they got their job thanks to their mommy having given head to some weak ejaculating, flaccid cocked, toupee wearing, Maserrati driving, intern fondling shit pusher. They’re not even 25, they get paid 20K more than you, they copied off the nerds in the class, they listen to you speak with their mouths wide open, they never know anything, they have to ask permission to one leg to see if the other can cut across and they spend more money on coke than you do on your rent. They are devoid of human sentiment and they don’t care that they’re not liked. So next time you’re stressing or angry about something a client, said, sent, did or actually ordered, just know you would do yourself a whole lot of good if you didn’t give a fuck about a sentient being who is equal parts carbon and shit.
I have something in common with Tom Brady
Think him an asshole, a prick or whatever, Tom Brady is a hell of a quarter back. He got shown the losing bracket of the Super Bowl mainly thanks to The Giants’ relentless defense (Seriously I’m not a big football fan but if anyone deserves an MVP it’s the whole defensive line for taking the Pats out of their comfort zone).
So That gets me thinking, I have something unquestionably in common with Tom, I have no coverage, no backup, and though my skills as a creative copywriter probably don’t merit the comparison to Brady, I can get my shit done and I don’t ask for much, just back me up.
Apparently I’m asking for a small miracle here since I obviously am in the wrong business if I expect execs to back creative up. Trust me, this is a never ending battle because us creative diva’s take our work seriously and sometimes way too seriously for what it is, some single serving piece of communication that gets us a pat on the back for being clever and sometimes engaging a target audience way beyond what a client limits us. But recently I had a disgusting put down courtesy of a client who is as much of a penny pincher as they are antiquated, boring, hackneyed, dull, lame, annoying and pro-bursts.
It was the duty of an artist and your not so friendly neighborhood joker to put up a memorable sales event that could really turn around sales for this particular client since they have some bold goals before the end of their fiscal year. Props and kudos to my artist for carrying most of the burden and honestly putting forth a promotional effort I can sincerely believe in. But obviously, this is reality and happy endings are for cliché Hollywood cannon fodder so there are going to be some changes done to the campaign. By changes you can look through our back-log to see how many times we’ve written about the de-evolution of a concept and of how clients kill good ideas because they know better and your exec in question is only so eager to agree with them so they sign off on an estimate.
So there you are, you got the skills, you got the ideas of what you want to do, but after you get tossed the job you have little time to execute and the client just itching to sack your ass and tell you who’s house this is, because please don’t ever forget this, 4 out of 5 clients shall forever suspect you of being some vicious scumbag trying to win prizes and steal their money while they end up bankrupt.
Hut-hut… you haven’t finished reading the job and you have two changes… wtf… SACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK…
You get up, dust your pants off, look at your execs, that in theory are your defensive line, and go “What the fuck was that?”… Oh sorry I was busy doing something else but I’ll cover you next time.
“Ok” you say. “Hut-hut!! Ok I have to do a promotion for….. SACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK……
Your vision is blurry and you hear a slurred version of your exec saying something on the lines of: “I had to leave early, I couldn’t make it to the meeting so I sent the artwork via email with no explanation whatsoever.”
You dust your pants off again and pick off the grass dibit from your facemask. “Hut-hut!!! Ok I have to do a 15 second integration? Wait a minute? This is for tomorrow?” SACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
So just remember children, it doesn’t matter how good you are or could be, if you have no one covering your ass, you ARE going to take a beating.
So That gets me thinking, I have something unquestionably in common with Tom, I have no coverage, no backup, and though my skills as a creative copywriter probably don’t merit the comparison to Brady, I can get my shit done and I don’t ask for much, just back me up.
Apparently I’m asking for a small miracle here since I obviously am in the wrong business if I expect execs to back creative up. Trust me, this is a never ending battle because us creative diva’s take our work seriously and sometimes way too seriously for what it is, some single serving piece of communication that gets us a pat on the back for being clever and sometimes engaging a target audience way beyond what a client limits us. But recently I had a disgusting put down courtesy of a client who is as much of a penny pincher as they are antiquated, boring, hackneyed, dull, lame, annoying and pro-bursts.
It was the duty of an artist and your not so friendly neighborhood joker to put up a memorable sales event that could really turn around sales for this particular client since they have some bold goals before the end of their fiscal year. Props and kudos to my artist for carrying most of the burden and honestly putting forth a promotional effort I can sincerely believe in. But obviously, this is reality and happy endings are for cliché Hollywood cannon fodder so there are going to be some changes done to the campaign. By changes you can look through our back-log to see how many times we’ve written about the de-evolution of a concept and of how clients kill good ideas because they know better and your exec in question is only so eager to agree with them so they sign off on an estimate.
So there you are, you got the skills, you got the ideas of what you want to do, but after you get tossed the job you have little time to execute and the client just itching to sack your ass and tell you who’s house this is, because please don’t ever forget this, 4 out of 5 clients shall forever suspect you of being some vicious scumbag trying to win prizes and steal their money while they end up bankrupt.
Hut-hut… you haven’t finished reading the job and you have two changes… wtf… SACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK…
You get up, dust your pants off, look at your execs, that in theory are your defensive line, and go “What the fuck was that?”… Oh sorry I was busy doing something else but I’ll cover you next time.
“Ok” you say. “Hut-hut!! Ok I have to do a promotion for….. SACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK……
Your vision is blurry and you hear a slurred version of your exec saying something on the lines of: “I had to leave early, I couldn’t make it to the meeting so I sent the artwork via email with no explanation whatsoever.”
You dust your pants off again and pick off the grass dibit from your facemask. “Hut-hut!!! Ok I have to do a 15 second integration? Wait a minute? This is for tomorrow?” SACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
So just remember children, it doesn’t matter how good you are or could be, if you have no one covering your ass, you ARE going to take a beating.
How much wisdom is in our backlogs?
Back in November 2006, Scamp wrote this short post that I just re-found and felt it prudent to share. I've had this question in my mind for a while and think I agree with his take on it. Below is the post. Below that are some comments but full credit goes to Scamp, his awesome blog and you just need to click the title of the post to go directly to his post.
*******************************
Young teams often ask "Should I take a job in a not-so-good agency, or hang tough till I get hired somewhere great?"
Between a rock and a hard place
The answer is it depends on your individual financial circumstances. If your internal organs are about to be called-in by loan sharks, then obviously you have to take the job. But if you have rich parents, or some money saved, a cushy part-time job, or have found a way to survive by eating everyday household objects, then it's better to wait.
Plenty of great teams started in not-so-good agencies. The key is what you do when you get there. You don't settle. You don't sit on your arse. You spend all your spare time working on the one good account they do have. And the rest of your time working on your spec book. When my partner and I were at a rubbish agency, we spent every night working on our book. Not once a week. Every night.
There will be lots of nice people there, and probably quite a few good creatives too. Don't get suckered in by that. Keep focused on getting out. Because the vast majority of great work, is done by the great agencies. And sooner or later, you want to get into one of those.
********************************
Something Scamp mentioned rings particularly true for me, and it's regarding your financial situation. Some people might say stick it out, push through to a great shop, eat Top Rammen for 5 months straight but to be quite frank, I don't have that luxury. My experience has always had me make decisions based on necessity more than forward thinking and I'm sure more than one person would call me an asshole or say I've gotten what's coming to me, but many of these people have the luxury of inheriting money rather than debt, and properties rather than problems. No I'm not making this out to be a pity party, but I am pointing my fingers to some of the elite who turn their noses up to some people because of the shit work that they do. Last I checked, they weren't whoring, they weren't selling drugs and they weren't selling stolen kidneys on the black market. This means that sometimes, us mortals have to work at less than glamorous places to pay the bills. That being said, although I sometimes hate my job, I can at least look myself in the eye and always say I've done the best I can do and if the work isn't better, 99.9% of the time it's because of clients, execs or factors I can't control. Apart from that, interesting that I was able to come across the great old school post and my thanks to Scamp for keeping up the good work. Also of note are Eugens, Texanhippie, Thinkinginvain, Makethelogobigger, Jetpacks and anyone else who has caught my attention enough to have me frequent their blogs because they have something good to offer as food for thought. Cheers to you guys and to all the readers who enjoy our brand of Two cent wisdom, you give a purpose to our madness, and I'm thankful for every hit we get, every read you enjoy and every bitchfit I get out of my system for your enjoyment.
Peace, Love, and Maki Rolls.
Joker
*******************************
Young teams often ask "Should I take a job in a not-so-good agency, or hang tough till I get hired somewhere great?"
Between a rock and a hard place
The answer is it depends on your individual financial circumstances. If your internal organs are about to be called-in by loan sharks, then obviously you have to take the job. But if you have rich parents, or some money saved, a cushy part-time job, or have found a way to survive by eating everyday household objects, then it's better to wait.
Plenty of great teams started in not-so-good agencies. The key is what you do when you get there. You don't settle. You don't sit on your arse. You spend all your spare time working on the one good account they do have. And the rest of your time working on your spec book. When my partner and I were at a rubbish agency, we spent every night working on our book. Not once a week. Every night.
There will be lots of nice people there, and probably quite a few good creatives too. Don't get suckered in by that. Keep focused on getting out. Because the vast majority of great work, is done by the great agencies. And sooner or later, you want to get into one of those.
********************************
Something Scamp mentioned rings particularly true for me, and it's regarding your financial situation. Some people might say stick it out, push through to a great shop, eat Top Rammen for 5 months straight but to be quite frank, I don't have that luxury. My experience has always had me make decisions based on necessity more than forward thinking and I'm sure more than one person would call me an asshole or say I've gotten what's coming to me, but many of these people have the luxury of inheriting money rather than debt, and properties rather than problems. No I'm not making this out to be a pity party, but I am pointing my fingers to some of the elite who turn their noses up to some people because of the shit work that they do. Last I checked, they weren't whoring, they weren't selling drugs and they weren't selling stolen kidneys on the black market. This means that sometimes, us mortals have to work at less than glamorous places to pay the bills. That being said, although I sometimes hate my job, I can at least look myself in the eye and always say I've done the best I can do and if the work isn't better, 99.9% of the time it's because of clients, execs or factors I can't control. Apart from that, interesting that I was able to come across the great old school post and my thanks to Scamp for keeping up the good work. Also of note are Eugens, Texanhippie, Thinkinginvain, Makethelogobigger, Jetpacks and anyone else who has caught my attention enough to have me frequent their blogs because they have something good to offer as food for thought. Cheers to you guys and to all the readers who enjoy our brand of Two cent wisdom, you give a purpose to our madness, and I'm thankful for every hit we get, every read you enjoy and every bitchfit I get out of my system for your enjoyment.
Peace, Love, and Maki Rolls.
Joker
Feb 4, 2008
Am I the only one who thinks this is fucked up?
In a society that is ever more “Green” I can’t help but scratch my head to the existence of a logo that goes against all that’s biodegradable and carbon happy.
Enter the Sherwin Williams logo.
Maybe I was bored, maybe it just struck me on the side of the head, or maybe not only is this logo ugly as hell but as twisted as I think can be made. Cover the Earth… in paint??? Are you fucking nuts? This is the company logo. I wish I would have photo shopped this fucker to make a point, but lo and behold, no alterations were needed since it does the job all by itself.
It pretty much promotes pollution and it’s a bit crude to have red paint, ie, fake blood be your main selling point. I won’t even go into the fact that EXTS IN ALL CAPS piss me off or that the company name is written in a shitty font or that even SWP sounds like some toxic bio weapon to bring forth the end of the world, this logo is just wrong on any level you can imagine. I dunno, what do you think?
Enter the Sherwin Williams logo.
Maybe I was bored, maybe it just struck me on the side of the head, or maybe not only is this logo ugly as hell but as twisted as I think can be made. Cover the Earth… in paint??? Are you fucking nuts? This is the company logo. I wish I would have photo shopped this fucker to make a point, but lo and behold, no alterations were needed since it does the job all by itself.
It pretty much promotes pollution and it’s a bit crude to have red paint, ie, fake blood be your main selling point. I won’t even go into the fact that EXTS IN ALL CAPS piss me off or that the company name is written in a shitty font or that even SWP sounds like some toxic bio weapon to bring forth the end of the world, this logo is just wrong on any level you can imagine. I dunno, what do you think?
I love New York!!!!!!!
I might live miles away from Chinatown. I might open the door to my house, far away from the green wonders of Central Park. I cannot, for the life of me, hail a yellow cab and hop to SoHo for a while. But dammit, New York is and will always be my hometown, and yesterday...
WE KICKED SOME SUPER BOWL ASS!!!!!!
Feb 1, 2008
What Blair Witch should have been: Cloverfield
So today, after a week of work and other sans cool surprises at work (maybe I'll post about it, maybe not), it was time to go out and enjoy the night watching Cloverfield. Here is my honest opinion. Don't worry, if you haven't seen it I will not go into it that much so I would spoil it.
First of all, the hype was greatly deserved. Contrary to BWP's failure to be one iota of scary and having the same "strategy" in its drama - a found tape, yada yada yada - Cloverfield delivered. The handheld camera sure gets the job done. You believe that it was done by amateurs, hands down. Oh, a little bit of info... you will get a bit dizzy. This is not your average camera shot. It's very shaky, sharp and fast cuts galore.
Also, the script is very well done. It sounds realistic, 100%. The actors play it very cool, you kind of believe, almost, that they are real people. And the way the editing is done, like with only one tape in hand... brilliant.
Should you see it? Well here's a thought for you. If you like shoot em' up movies or you're into real sci fi shit... then maybe this flick is not for you. This is what seems to be a well done experiment: what happens when you try to mix reality tv with film. If you are waiting for something more complex, for example, Aliens... then maybe you'll be dissapointed. They use the Jaws (first one) factor: tension and hidden stuff that you can't pinpoint. You don't need to see that much of the "real thing" to get scared.
The thing is this: this past month I saw The Mist. Almost same thing, the world is coming to and end (sort of) and you get no answers. More so, there are monsters. You don't know why. You can't see them that much. And in my book, Mist chewed up Cloverfield's ass and testicles. In fact, if I hadn't seen Stephen's latest flick, I would vote tonight's movie as one of my top so far.
So I'm not saying that it sucked, not by any means. It is a great concept. It is acted out very well. The photography and SFX definitively rule (I can remember I am Legend and I cringe). it's just that I liked Mist better, that's all, since they are almost exactly the same. Sue me.
What now? Well, I can only say it like at the NY subway. The next stop is... Rambo!!!!
First of all, the hype was greatly deserved. Contrary to BWP's failure to be one iota of scary and having the same "strategy" in its drama - a found tape, yada yada yada - Cloverfield delivered. The handheld camera sure gets the job done. You believe that it was done by amateurs, hands down. Oh, a little bit of info... you will get a bit dizzy. This is not your average camera shot. It's very shaky, sharp and fast cuts galore.
Also, the script is very well done. It sounds realistic, 100%. The actors play it very cool, you kind of believe, almost, that they are real people. And the way the editing is done, like with only one tape in hand... brilliant.
Should you see it? Well here's a thought for you. If you like shoot em' up movies or you're into real sci fi shit... then maybe this flick is not for you. This is what seems to be a well done experiment: what happens when you try to mix reality tv with film. If you are waiting for something more complex, for example, Aliens... then maybe you'll be dissapointed. They use the Jaws (first one) factor: tension and hidden stuff that you can't pinpoint. You don't need to see that much of the "real thing" to get scared.
The thing is this: this past month I saw The Mist. Almost same thing, the world is coming to and end (sort of) and you get no answers. More so, there are monsters. You don't know why. You can't see them that much. And in my book, Mist chewed up Cloverfield's ass and testicles. In fact, if I hadn't seen Stephen's latest flick, I would vote tonight's movie as one of my top so far.
So I'm not saying that it sucked, not by any means. It is a great concept. It is acted out very well. The photography and SFX definitively rule (I can remember I am Legend and I cringe). it's just that I liked Mist better, that's all, since they are almost exactly the same. Sue me.
What now? Well, I can only say it like at the NY subway. The next stop is... Rambo!!!!
ANALogies
To continue with the constant tirade o swashbuckling client hatred spurred on by fun times on the job, might I offer comparisons for my clients in the creative vein since they have no clue as to what creativity or message effectiveness refers to. Having firmly established the purpose for this and any other comparison that may come forth from the dystopian entrails of the right side of my brain, enjoy my way of seeing some clients. (DISCLAIMER: Obviously good clients exist and obviously I don’t work with them. If you have a good client offer a happily ended massage because you should count your fucking blessings.)
On any given day we have to deal with tons of shit and to be frank (even though that isn’t my name), 80% is client spawned and I’m being kind here, overly kind. Word revisions because something just doesn’t sound perfectly right to them, design requests (I mean orders), creative suggestions (orders yet again), and new ideas (AKA things they want you to do and will subtly or not so subtly suggest you do and which you might as well end up doing because if not they’ll hire a freelance to do it). That being said, I have my first ANALogy for clients.
Clients are like hemorrhoids.
You deal with shit and they just make dealing with it that much more troublesome, painful, annoying, itchy, disgusting and plain ole difficult. They get in the way of dealing with shit, they have no true purpose in life except to annoy and even if you go through the correct procedures to get rid of them, they can come back. In fact, they make dealing with shit so difficult some times that you want to cry and in the worst instances, they’ll cause you to bleed. So here’s to the hemorrhoidal clients we have to deal with. May you all be cauterized in hell.
On any given day we have to deal with tons of shit and to be frank (even though that isn’t my name), 80% is client spawned and I’m being kind here, overly kind. Word revisions because something just doesn’t sound perfectly right to them, design requests (I mean orders), creative suggestions (orders yet again), and new ideas (AKA things they want you to do and will subtly or not so subtly suggest you do and which you might as well end up doing because if not they’ll hire a freelance to do it). That being said, I have my first ANALogy for clients.
Clients are like hemorrhoids.
You deal with shit and they just make dealing with it that much more troublesome, painful, annoying, itchy, disgusting and plain ole difficult. They get in the way of dealing with shit, they have no true purpose in life except to annoy and even if you go through the correct procedures to get rid of them, they can come back. In fact, they make dealing with shit so difficult some times that you want to cry and in the worst instances, they’ll cause you to bleed. So here’s to the hemorrhoidal clients we have to deal with. May you all be cauterized in hell.
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