Some companies do trust falls. Others do corporate retreats. But animation studio Titmouse, always embracing their true colors, has been doing something markedly different…They throw a big party and smash things in a giant metal cage.
Read MoreWNW Partners With LA-Based Daytime Dance Party “Wish You Were Here”
On Sunday, July 21 at 3pm the legendary CLASSIXX will headline with local DJ duo Peace In Noise opening up the party. Working Not Working Members can get a 20% discount. This next party will sell out so get your tickets and stay up to date with Wish You Were Here news on Instagram.
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Trailers & Promo Tours Don't Cut It: Enter Giant Spoon's Experiential Film Marketing
As film companies try to buck the downward trend of theater attendance, they're eschewing traditional film marketing campaigns in favor of something more engaging and memorable. Giant Spoon shares the stories behind building a seedy pop-up tattoo parlor and speakeasy ripe with degenerate puppets, & why activations are the answer to fluffing audiences. "Once consumers step into an activation and its created world, they become hooked––and the 2-hour film they want to see becomes a continuation of the journey they just went on."
Read MoreThe 2nd Annual LA Holiday Party: Recap
We partnered with our friends at Goin’ Up for the second year in a row, with the event hosted at the spectacular and spacious Playa Studios in Culver City, courtesy of Mophonics Music & Sound.
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The 5th Annual Working Not Working Holiday Party: Recap
We kicked off the holiday season with our 5th Annual Working Not Working Holiday Party on Saturday night. This year we held it in Los Angeles. Big thanks to all of you who danced and drank with us. Our annual NYC Holiday Party has earned a bit of a reputation, and we decided it was time to bring the festivities to the West Coast. Debauchery ensued. Friends were made. Their names were not remembered.
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The Future of Work: WNW Stars in Microsoft Campaign
Working Not Working made its small screen debut in recent weeks in a commercial for Microsoft Office. As part of their #TheNewOffice campaign, Microsoft is showcasing organizations that are enabling the future of work and collaboration. Courtesy of their agency (and WNW members) The Pub, Working Not Working was chosen.
Read MoreMEET #2356 MELISSA FAUSTINE CHANG
MEET #2356 MELISSA
FAUSTINE CHANG
Designer • Los Angeles, CA
WNW Member #2356 Melissa Faustine Chang is a designer who specializes in branding, publishing, typography, and print. She's worked with publishing titans like W. W. Norton, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster. Her work has been recognized by the Type Director's Club and Print Magazine. Melissa offers some great advice to her fellow freelancers: "Routine is key in staying focused and disciplined. Something as small as having a set place to go every day, like a studio or co-working space, helps build a bit of structure in what can otherwise be a rather unstructured lifestyle."
1. How long have you been freelancing?
A little over two years now.
2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?
I have the best ideas right before I fall asleep—it's when my mind is most unfettered. I keep a notebook by my bed to scribble down ideas and decipher the gibberish (genius) the next morning.
3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?
About 60/40. Making sure I dedicate a good chunk of time to Not Working keeps me refreshed and much more effective when I’m Working.
4. Do your parents understand what you do?
Somewhat! They have a general idea that it has something to do with pictures and computers.
5. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?
The Black Knight scene in Monty Python. “Tis but a flesh wound!” Classic.
6. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?
1. Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation around the palm trees
2. Yelp to see where to find the tastiest 5-star coconuts
3. YouTube for videos on how-to best open and cook the coconuts
7. What do you do when Not Working?
I swim, hike (two things that are so wonderfully accessible since relocating from NY to LA), and travel as often as possible.
My favorite thing about freelancing is that if work is ever slow, I have the freedom to hop on a plane to wherever the cheapest ticket takes me.
8. Do you have a hidden talent?
Not taking things or myself too seriously.
9. Any tips or advice for fellow freelancers?
Routine is key in staying focused and disciplined. Something as small as having a set place to go every day, like a studio or co-working space, helps build a bit of structure in what can otherwise be a rather unstructured lifestyle.
10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?
They speed up Seinfeld episodes on TBS to fit more episodes in—so diabolical!
More of Melissa's Work
Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us.
WORK: NATURE IS SPEAKING
WORK: NATURE IS SPEAKING
WNW Members #104 Tim Geoghegan, #2440 Holly Hessler, & #2984 Hillary Coe worked on Conservation International's brand new "Nature Is Speaking" campaign. "Nature Is Speaking" features a series of gorgeous, sweeping films of distinct facets of nature, supplied with commanding voices by the likes of Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Kevin Spacey, Edward Norton, Penelope Cruz, & Robert Redford. The intelligence of this campaign stems from the plausible belief that humans will refuse to hear nature unless it adopts a human voice and gets right to the point. And who better than the aforementioned names to drive this point home and to translate an essential message: Nature doesn't need people. People need nature. Go to Nature Is Speaking to find out how you can help change the conversation about nature.
Julia Roberts is MOTHER NATURE
Harrison Ford is THE OCEAN
Kevin Spacey is THE RAINFOREST
Edward Norton is THE SOIL
Penélope Cruz is WATER
Robert Redford is THE REDWOOD
Are you a WNW member with new work to share? Email us.
MEET #3094 KIRSTEN LEPORE
MEET #3094 KIRSTEN LEPORE
Animator • Los Angeles, CA
WNW Member #3094 Kirsten Lepore is an animator and director based in Los Angeles. Her films have taken top prizes at SXSW and the Vimeo Awards, and she's given presentations everywhere from Pixar to Portugal. Some of her clients include Google, MTV, Yo Gabba Gabba, Newsweek, Whole Foods, Toyota, Facebook, Nickelodeon, Nestle, and Glamour Magazine. Kirsten spoke to WNW about her life as a freelancer and advice from Fred Seibert that she never forgets.
1. How long have you been freelancing?
I think it's been about 7 or 8 years?
2. Is there a time or place that you feel most creative/have the best ideas?
Definitely late at night - once most people are asleep - I have my quiet late night work session of intense focus. I also get super inspired being out in nature....or the craft store.
3. What's your ideal Working:Not Working ratio?
I usually love to have something I'm working on constantly or I get bored. I also never usually have consistent days off...I'll just work more on some days than others. I'd say 85% working 15% not working?
4. Do your parents understand what you do?
Surprisingly yes! They're super supportive! There have also been several instances where I was watching TV with my mom and an animated commercial came on, and she'd be like "Was that done in Flash?" and guess the software, haha. Sometimes she's way off, but I'm always impressed with her understanding of animation.
5. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?
Pretty much any scene from Wayne's World, like this one. I can pretty much quote that entire movie.
6. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?
I regret to admit it'd probably be facebook...but probably also Vimeo and SoundCloud. Does email count too??? Might need my gmail out there...
7. What do you do when Not Working?
Cooking!!! ...and eating!
8. Do you have a hidden talent?
I guess it might be considered "hidden" to my current friends since they've probably never seen me do it, but I've played piano since I was about 2. Music was the biggest part of my life before filmmaking or animation ever entered the picture.
I also used to be really good at making armpit farting noises.
9. Any tips or advice for fellow freelancers?
The best advice I ever received from a client that was eye-opening at the time was from Fred Seibert (the guy responsible for all the awesome creative direction for 80s MTV and Nickeodeon). I was doing a project for him and pitching a few concepts that I must have thought he would "go for." He stopped me at a certain point and told me that he'd rather me come up with a bunch of ideas that I loved and that excited me, rather than trying to just do what I thought the client wanted. He was such an awesome, brilliant guy and I've been thinking about and have tried to stick to that advice ever since.
10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?
It's a tie between these guys and the moon emoji meme.
Are you a WNW member with new work to share? Email us.
NOT WORKING: ON LAST PHOTOS
NOT WORKING: ON LAST PHOTOS
WNW Member #96 Ivan Cash is at it again. Last Photo is Ivan's new ongoing video series, in which he travels to different cities and asks random strangers about the last photo on their phone. The results are both fascinating and at times somewhat alarming. What's the last photo on your phone?
Are you a WNW member with new work to share? Email us.
NOT WORKING: WITH EMOJI IRL.LOL.
NOT WORKING: WITH EMOJI IRL.LOL.
Brand new WNW Member #2922 Liza Nelson just reinvented the Emoji. Liza writes: "Emojis mean everything and they mean nothing at the same time. They're completely personal and completely universal. They're really quite stupid. And they're the best thing that ever happened to our generation. They deserve to be observed and worshipped individually. By finding, posing and sculpting Emojis in real life I've created a set of shrines to the individual characters. Because somebody had to do it." Amen! Check out Liza's clever and hilarious recreations below, and be sure to visit Liza's Emoji Tumblr.
PRAYER WARRIORS
PRAISIN
MUSTACHE
POUND IT
LICK
WHO, ME?
MURDERBALL
YUSSS
ALL WET
DRUGS
GODDESS
Are you a WNW member with new work to share? Email us.
MEET ZAMBEZI LA
MEET ZAMBEZI LA
Brittany Schmitt : Creative Manager
Employees: 61
Clients: 2K Sports, Champs Sports, TaylorMade-adidas Golf, Ashworth, popchips, Strongbow, Glaceau, Eastbay, WSOP.com, E! Entertainment, Gold Peak Tea
1. Describe Zambezi in 3 words.
Big. Ideas. Win.
2. What qualities are most important in a prospective freelancer?
Be fast, good and passionate. Take your work seriously, but never yourself. We work in an amazing, progressive industry; embrace it, stay educated, move it forward and take pride in everything you do.
3. Which social network do you prefer for stalking people, creative or otherwise?
Well I am undoubtedly addicted to Facebook, but honestly, I don’t stalk anyone who wants to work here. I would never want anyone to judge me based on my social networks before they meet me. I save it for when they get here. Then I like every status/picture/update they ever post and comment on everything like a distant relative who shouldn’t be on Facebook in the first place.
4. What is one thing that creatives do on their portfolio sites that drives you crazy?
Not have their email on their site, like, what am I supposed to do? Shoot up a smoke signal and hope they come running? It’s like online shopping without a checkout. (Read: torture.)
5. What is your creative outlet?
I write. I have a blog and I’m working on a book about how catastrophically hilarious my life has been. I like when my life is going right and takes a hard left, it’s entertaining. So I tell people about it.
6. If you had to have a different job, in your current agency, what would it be?
I honestly love what I do now, but I could see myself writing too.
7. What scene from a movie makes you laugh just thinking about it?
Step Brothers. That whole movie is just the best. “I’m not going to call him dad, EVER! Not even if there’s a fire.”
8. If you were stranded on a desert island, with your computer, what 3 websites would you take with you?
8 tracks, Funny or Die and ESPN.com. Music, laughter, sports—is there really more to life? Also, I know you didn’t ask, but I’d like Johnny Depp and a barrel of rum there too.
9. Any tips or advice for freelancers?
Call me maybe?
But seriously, at least look at the agency’s website and familiarize yourself with our work before you meet with us. There’s nothing more awkward than asking someone, “What’s your favorite piece of work we’ve produced?” and they can’t name a thing. Total Buzzkillington.
10. What's your favorite thing on the internet this week?
March Madness brackets of course. #gomarquette (watch them lose before this even goes up…)
