A LOVE LETTER TO FREELANCING

Working Not Working March 23, 2016

A LOVE LETTER TO FREELANCING

While many WNW Members approach their freelancing lifestyles with a love that's pure and true, #7569 Claudio Gugliere has gone a step further and actually written a love letter to freelancing. And he's not afraid of PDA, seeing as it was the landing page on his portfolio site for an entire month. Freelancing can be a terrifying and soul-searching adventure, which Claudio outlines below. But he also shares some great advice for those of you who took the leap, or are ready to: "Understand that now you represent a full company by yourself. Make sure you do for yourself all those things you expected your old job to do for you."

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Tell us a little bit about your creative background.

I'm a Designer trained in Advertising and Fine Arts specialized in designing products and driving design teams with flawless execution. I've been responsible for directing and executing interactive experiences for clients like Lonely Planet, Adobe, Mixpanel, Google, Kayak, EA, CNN, Nickelodeon, Microsoft, History Channel and Motorola to name a few.

What inspired you to declare your love to freelancing?

Freelancing is not for everybody but if you like it you'll probably love it. This letter was a long overdue essay about the pros and cons of freelancing. While exciting, it is important to remember it can be terrifying as well.

Best advice about freelancing you've received? Best advice you can give?

The best advice I can give is: Understand that now you represent a full company by yourself. Make sure you do for yourself all those things you expected your old job to do for you. That includes getting time off, investing time in learning new skills, taking time to meet new clients, networking and having a good life-work balance. Learn quickly from your mistakes and don't repeat them.

A Love Letter

After a lot of thinking last year I decided to go freelance. As part of an agency I had developed my own vision about how an agency should work, what the internal culture and responsibilities towards clients should be and I found myself more and more invested in my side projects. I've always considered side projects a creative escape so the more they took over my life the more I realized I wasn't satisfied with my day to day workflow and how I was taught to approach problems. It was time to try something new.

After talking to some freelancers I decided to make the move. Freelancing seemed like a natural step so I started at it by changing all that I never felt comfortable with while working at an agency. I became a producer, a manager, a designer (yay!), and a consultant. I became the person that sends a recap email after each meeting and the person that chases payments a month after issuing an invoice. I felt scared and excited, but mostly alive.

Pros and cons of freelancing

After 9 months in the world of freelance there are some things I feel I can share, some of them were immediate results from freelancing while others I came to realize over time. I hope this helps you decide if you ever find yourself in the same situation.

Let's compare both the good and the bad stuff:

While freelancing has been a great experience for me it might not be for everybody. It's a trade off, and while it can lead to a more lucrative salary (or sometimes not!) you might be losing out on a great experience and professional development at a company or agency, which is especially important at the early stages of your career when you are building a portfolio of your own. I have definitely missed that bit.

As for me 2015 has been a blast and 2016 is looking even more exciting. Things are changing (they always are) and great opportunities surface all the time. One of my goals for this year is to keep my site more up to date. More posts coming soon ;)

Yours truly,

Claudio

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

Photo by Cris Benitah, taken on the roof of 360i

BEING SOMEONE YOU'RE NOT: SURVIVING GAY CONVERSION THERAPY

Working Not Working March 11, 2016

BEING SOMEONE YOU'RE NOT: SURVIVING GAY CONVERSION THERAPY

Our mission at Free Range is to pull the curtain back from the portfolio, to get to know the personal stories behind the work. As much as we want to know how you make beautiful work, we're more compelled by who you are. It's a privilege to create content for, and with, such a supremely talented group of people, and we are continually honored by the generosity with which you share your stories.

WNW Member #4249 Shloimy Notik is one such member. He's a copywriter with a long line of top agencies to his name. His current project? A book about his own experiences in gay conversion therapy. Coming out to his Orthodox family was one thing, writing a book about it another. Shloimy writes of his self-discovery with clarity and deep honesty. Ultimately, Shloimy realizes, "It takes too much energy to be someone you’re not. You live once. And there are far too many interesting, amazing things to accomplish, that devoting any mental or emotional real-estate to other people’s ideas of who or what you should be is a total waste of time."

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Tell us a little bit about your background. Who is Shloimy Notik and how did he get here? How did you become a copywriter?

I grew up in Seattle, the second-youngest of 7, in an Orthodox Jewish home. I didn’t go to college. In the winter of 2003, a close family friend, WNW Member #3187 Aron Fried, visited Seattle with his wife. He was in school getting his book together at the time. When Aron’s trip was over, he accidentally left behind a copy of Luke Sullivan’s bible of a book, Hey Whipple Squeeze This. I read it twice. And then again, just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, and this was indeed a career path one could pursue.

From that moment, I knew with extreme certainty I wanted a job in advertising. When I found out my web designer brother had installed Photoshop on our family computer, I toyed around with pixels and layouts and quickly developed a thing for graphic design and typography. So in the beginning, I considered myself an art director.

We didn’t have the cash for one of the more popular portfolio schools, so I signed up for night classes at SVC, the School of Visual Concepts in sunny Seattle. There was a surplus of us art directors, so I had to write my own headlines and body copy.

Putting my book together became my main focus. I enrolled in another class, got obsessed with blogs on creative advertising, and started knocking on doors to get whatever opportunities I could. Knock after knock. But nothing. Until I knocked on the door of Williams-Helde Marketing Communications. Even though the spec ads I showed on my interview left something to be desired, Marc Williams had a kind heart, and brought me aboard for a paid internship.

So by day I was working on real assignments with a small, but hugely talented group. And by night I was in class getting feedback on my student work. I couldn’t get enough. I would stay up until sunrise writing and rewriting headline after headline trying my very hardest to nail the insight. I’d then abuse the family printer to see which typeface was right: sans, serif, or slab.

"I would stay up until sunrise writing and rewriting headline after headline trying my very hardest to nail the insight. I’d then abuse the family printer to see which typeface was right: sans, serif, or slab."

After a few months at Williams-Helde, I got a gig at another small shop, DeLaunay Communications. Pete DeLaunay and his wife Wendy were tremendously patient with me. Looking back, it amazes me how they never lost their cool, even when I’d present a 5th round and the work still sucked. Now I was making a few local ads, but I continued taking night classes at SVC.

Eventually, I moved to New York and landed a gig at this tiny shop, K+Z Creative, in Borough Park, Brooklyn. If you walked by the guy who ran the place on the street, with his Hasidic garb, full beard, and side-curls, you wouldn’t think he was a kick ass creative director with a wicked mastery of design. To this day, I can send him a picture of a font I love and he’ll immediately respond with the name of it, or the font file itself. He is the walking, talking version of WhatTheFont! Only, he always works.

One of our clients at K+Z was the owner of Pomegranate, a beautiful grocery store in Flatbush Brooklyn, that a writer for the New York Times said, “looks like a really nice Whole Foods.” Our client pulled me aside for coffee, pitched me his vision, and the next thing you know, I’m working for him, upstairs in the office of his store.

From there, I put in a year at Daylife, a startup that was funded by Getty Images and the New York Times. When I hit my year mark, some SVA night class teachers of mine (Hey Lisa! Hi Steve!) told me there was an internship starting at DDB, the agency they were working at. After a few weeks of working on my book like a crazy person, I managed to get 1 spot of 6 in Matt Eastwood’s LaunchPad program.

I was partnered up with art director #3488 Manuel Aleman (Manuelington), and together we sold through a huge campaign for Tropicana. Our work covered Grand Central, Penn Station, and the Times Square shuttle. Clearly the internship was named well, because this campaign truly launched my career.

I landed at Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, where I made my first spot, radio campaign, and a handful of other ads. That’s also where I met my better creative half, #4298 Chad O’Connell. Together, we surfed the agency waves from Kirshenbaum to Publicis to 360i to Ogilvy, where I just left.

How old were you when you first started attending gay conversion therapy? How did you wind up in these sessions?

I was 20, five months away from turning 21. The headline is that when I came out to my parents, who are rockstars and exemplary people in all of their roles, they simply did not know what to do. Would their dear son Shloimy be happy? Would people bully him? Would he not have a fair shot at marrying a nice Jewish girl, settling down, and having a family? They put out some feelers and quickly discovered JONAH, “Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality.”

While I didn’t have a problem with being gay, and coming out felt like dropping a million pounds I was carrying around for so long, it made sense to me that being straight would be an easier path. And this place JONAH said that change was possible. They even touted men who had “successfully” gone through the program. I figured what’s the worst that can happen, and started going. I often tell people, yeah, my family suggested it, but it was me that took the train to Jersey City twice a week for 8 months. Accountability. It’s a good thing.

But again, this is all just the headline. The body copy will be the book. You hear a lot that people don’t read body copy anymore. We shall see.

"While I didn’t have a problem with being gay, and coming out felt like dropping a million pounds I was carrying around for so long, it made sense to me that being straight would be an easier path."

As you delved deeper into the therapy, what kind of realizations did you discover about conversion therapy, and yourself?

I was able to ask lots of questions. And just like in advertising, questions lead to clarity. The more I delved into who I was and how my family felt about it, the more I learned about the theories of “conversion” or “reparative therapy,” the more I twisted and turned the Rubik’s cube and looked at it from every angle, I began to see very clearly what was right for me and what wasn’t.

Also, while going to JONAH, I met Mordechai Levovitz, the Executive Director of a support group called JQY (Jewish Queer Youth). My parents and the co-founder of JONAH felt attending JQY meetings and events would “distract” me from the “hard work” I had to put in at JONAH. But I saw it as part of the experience. It gave me the ability to compare and contrast the different thoughts and feelings I had in these seemingly opposite worlds. Ultimately, after 8 months at JONAH, I left the group and my private sessions.

"I was able to ask lots of questions. And just like in advertising, questions lead to clarity. The more I delved into who I was and how my family felt about it, the more I learned about the theories of “conversion” or “reparative therapy,” the more I twisted and turned the Rubik’s cube and looked at it from every angle, I began to see very clearly what was right for me and what wasn’t."

When did you realize that your experience was something that you needed to write about?

Throughout history, writing has always been used as a tool to bring difficult aspects of life and some very hurt people to a place of peace. By writing about it, I’m allowing myself to face the next portion of my life in an entirely different way. My writing has been a huge step towards living more peacefully, more lovingly, more compassionately. Seeing life through the lens of my heart, rather than my ego. In a weird way, I see writing this book as closing one chapter so I can turn to the next. Because, just like reading a book, we can’t really open the new chapter until we’ve understood the old one. Writing is thinking, so it’s a way to understand ourselves.

I’m inspired by one of my favorite authors, Augusten Burroughs. He also had a career in advertising before he started writing books. After multiple reads of everything the guy has published, I can tell you that his words continue to make the world a better place and help people through difficult times in their life. They do for me.

At first the writing was just for myself. Affordable therapy. But then I was listening to Kevin Powell being interviewed by Christopher John Farley for the Wall Street Journal. Powell said, “We have to confront who we are. All the hurt, all the pain out there, in spite of what our careers may be, because we’ve got to move this world and this country toward real peace and real love on a consistent basis and that’s not going to happen if we’re not brutally honest about who we are and where we come from.” His words spoke to me. And I thought, I should publish a book.

"As Mark Twain famously said, 'Write what you know.' I know going through 8 months of conversion therapy, because I lived through it."

Tell us about your decision to go public about this: what has that experience been like? What’s been the response?

In advertising, I’ve been telling stories on behalf of brands. Our clients – the visionary ones, at least – give us lots of money to isolate a truth and then build a whole story around it. It’s a ton of fun going through that exercise, and I will continue to freelance because of the joy this creative process brings me.

But as Mark Twain famously said, “Write what you know.” I know going through 8 months of conversion therapy, because I lived through it. And instead of sharing a teeny tiny isolated nugget of truth about my experience, I think it’s perfectly okay to share the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Not just okay, but actually very necessary. Plus, remember what Edward Norton says in Birdman, while sitting on the roof with Emma Stone? “The truth is always interesting.”

The response has been amazing. I posted a ‘life event’ on Facebook about leaving my full time job to focus on the book. Immediately there was a huge flood of people reaching out with support and letting me know how excited they are to read it. What’s crazy though, is that even people I’ve never met are messaging me and sharing their deeply personal stories.

"My book won’t be an instrument of revenge, but rather a deeply personal first hand account of my journey to understanding."

Only one person has criticized me by saying history has already been written in this field and that it feels dishonest of me to portray myself as someone who cares about making a difference. But this only confirms for me why I need to share things from my point of view. Based on a lot of the narratives that have surfaced in the press on this subject, it’s very likely this individual and many others assume I have an agenda to put people in their place, and prove that I was right and they were wrong.

But that’s far too simple. It’s a somewhat more complicated story. People can love you, want the best for you, and still end up unintentionally hurting you. And we can only play the victim card for so long. Because, YOLO. Allan Hunter, author of “Write Your Memoir” once said in an interview, “We protect ourselves by blaming other people, by making them the problem, and not realizing that if we were there, we were part of the problem too.”

So yeah, I don’t plan to humiliate, shame or punish anyone. My book won’t be an instrument of revenge, but rather a deeply personal first hand account of my journey to understanding.

"It takes too much energy to be someone you’re not. You live once. And there are far too many interesting, amazing things to accomplish, that devoting any mental or emotional real-estate to other people’s ideas of who or what you should be is a total waste of time."

What is some advice you can give to fellow WNW members who might be feeling similar pressures to be someone they’re not?

It takes too much energy to be someone you’re not. You live once. And there are far too many interesting, amazing things to accomplish, that devoting any mental or emotional real-estate to other people’s ideas of who or what you should be is a total waste of time.

Working at a bunch of advertising agencies, I’ve learned that everyone has their own idea of what the right answer is. It’s important to be open to other perspectives, but it’s also perfectly acceptable to believe that our own POV is the right POV.

I’ve become somewhat addicted to shattering my preconceived notions. Because when I realize things aren’t how I always thought they were, it gives me permission to dream bigger and accomplish things I probably hold myself back from doing.

BONUS ROUND!

What do you do when you’re Not Working?

I read a lot. Mostly memoirs. I have a very busy mind. So even when I’m “Not Working” I’m working. My main focus right now is the book I’m writing. When I need to step away from that for a breather, I switch to redesigning my magic logo and website. On weekends, I’m big on brunch. And I’m trying to travel more.

How did you get into magic? What kind of magic do you do? Where do you perform?

One of my older brothers was really into card tricks growing up. And my grandpa, may he rest in peace, was also fascinated by the stuff. I always loved their magic, but my gut told me the premises could be pushed. And the amazement dial could be turned up.

I started renting magic books from the library. My mom and my aunt would surprise me with magic sets and instructional VHS tapes. And my dad, being cut from the same passionate and creative cloth, would drive me hours away from home to perform a paid gig for a kid’s birthday party, a company Christmas event, or a 50th anniversary dinner.

I networked with other magicians in the Seattle area and would regularly “jam” with them, trading ideas, methods, and presentational tips. There’s nothing better than being utterly fooled by a fellow magician. It reminds me how my audiences must feel. I love not knowing how something is done.

I’ve spent thousands of dollars on push-button props and one-time-use gimmicks, but all of that stuff now sits collecting dust in my parents’ garage back in Seattle. For me, it always comes back to sleight-of-hand. There’s something so wonderfully simple about being at a party, when someone hands you an ordinary pack of playing cards, and you fry everyone’s minds and create a moment of mind-boggling astonishment.

Unfortunately, most of my shows are for private paying clients. I’ve hosted a handful of improv shows, and plan to do more of that because it’s fun, and gives people who want to see my magic a chance to catch me perform.

"Magic audiences watch in constant doubt of what is being sold to them. Learning how to manage that kind of objection was a good skill to pick up before pitching ideas to creative directors or a room full of clients."

Does being a magician inspire or inform what you do as a (copy)writer?

For sure. The great Dai Vernon, known in magic circles as “The Professor” repeatedly said during his lifetime that “Confusion isn’t magic.” The same goes for advertising. Too many messages, and you’ll confuse your audience. If your premise isn’t simple, it won’t stick.

No matter how amazing or thoughtful or conceptually interesting a magic trick is, it’s nothing if it doesn’t entertain. As magicians, we don’t call them tricks. We call them “effects” because ultimately the most important thing is the takeaway – the effect on the audience. Again, true for advertising.

I’m also very comfortable standing up in front of people selling them on my ideas. Magic audiences watch in constant doubt of what is being sold to them. Learning how to manage that kind of objection was a good skill to pick up before pitching ideas to creative directors or a room full of clients.

It’s also been a fun way to get to know the higher ups in advertising, like CCOs. Sort of helped me level the playing field and gave us something to connect over beyond just advertising.

I’ve done magic for many key decision makers at the offices of BMW, Oscar Mayer, American Express. Nothing diffuses the formality of a meeting like asking your client to think of a card, and then pulling that card out of your mouth.

"I’ve done magic for many key decision makers at the offices of BMW, Oscar Mayer, American Express. Nothing diffuses the formality of a meeting like asking your client to think of a card, and then pulling that card out of your mouth."

Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?

I’m a big fan of #34 Jessica Hische. When I look at her hand-drawn lettering, it fills my belly with such a satisfying gleeful hum. I first heard about her while interning at DDB. She was doing some beautiful stuff for New York Lottery at the time.

Lots of respect for #2120 Jeff Greenspan and #63 Andy Tider. Their personal projects constantly prove that the skills we pick up in advertising can (and should) be applied to create more meaningful conversations.

As a sucker for type, I really love the work of #3096 Juan Carlos Pagan. Sure, he designed Pinterest’s logo. But all of his stuff feels fresh, is hard to stop looking at, and leads you to believe he had a total blast making it.

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5 MEMBERS YOU NEED TO KNOW ACCORDING TO JON CONTINO

Working Not Working March 11, 2016

5 Members You Need to Know
According to Jon Contino

No one creates in a bubble. Your work is an amalgamation of everything around you: what you've seen, read, heard. Your work is you just as much as it is an homage to those that have inspired you. At Working Not Working, we're all about paying it forward and so for this new series, we're asking members to pay their respects to their creative heroes. We're starting with #1412 Jon Contino who has the distinction of being as generous with his time as he is with his talent. We asked Jon which Working Not Working members inspire him to add an extra hour to the 24 hour work day. Check out the lucky 5 below.

Also, Jon will be in the hot seat for our next Overshare, coming up at The Crocodile Lounge on March 25th at 1pm. Tickets released soon.

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Growing up, who were your heroes (creative or otherwise)?

Anyone that I could rattle off as a stylistic influence is pretty hollow in my eyes to be perfectly honest. I grew up with my younger brother being born with Down syndrome, so I spent a lot of my developing years with my parents and grandparents. I watched them deal with surgeries, daily hospital visits, mortality scares, and whatever else came along with being born with a disability in the early 80s, so when my brother came out the other end in good shape, I looked to the four of them as true heroes. Stuff I saw on television was clearly fake and I got smacked with reality pretty quickly. The bonus to all of this is that the four of them were all very intelligent, creative people, so they introduced me to art, illustration, carpentry, engineering, and science at an early age. My obsessions with the topics obviously carried on throughout my life, but no one has ever eclipsed what they've done to shape me as an artist and a person.

Professionally and personally, who would you say has had the biggest impact on you?

My parents and grandparents were definitely the ones who helped shape me as a person, but god damn...growing up in a hospital and not living at home sure does have a big impact on a kid. My brother is an awesome, creative, intelligent person and I think it would be hard for anyone in my family to say that someone could possibly have a bigger impact than he did. He came in with a bang and is larger than life. It's tough for most people to say they've ever even met someone that can do that.

You're hosting a dinner party. Who are your dream guests, alive or dead?

Wow, that's a tough call. I'd probably only invite comedians. Maybe a president and a few baseball players. I'll pick a few, but the list could go on forever. Now, keep in mind, I'm going totally for the entertainment value here. I want to have a good time, ya know. Let's go with Rodney Dangerfield, Larry David, Ty Cobb, and John Adams. I mean...the fighting between Rodney Dangerfield and Ty Cobb alone would be amazing. Then I would imagine Larry David giving John Adams a hard time about being the second President of the United States and not the first. Actually, just make it a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode and I'm good.

Jon's Picks:

"Ged gets it. He's a younger guy that makes you feel like he's three times his age by the way he works."

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"I love Alex's style and I love his attitude. More people should be like him."

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"This guy is a beast. I really appreciate a great designer who can also be a great creative director. Juan Carlos is the kind of person that will be an executive before he's 40."

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"I've known Dan a long time and his work continually stuns me every time he puts something new out."

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"The quirky, fun approach Will has is something most people could never pull off, but he does it and does it really well."

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GET SCHOOLED: HOW XQ IS RETHINKING EDUCATION FROM THE GROUND UP

Working Not Working March 3, 2016

GET SCHOOLED: HOW XQ IS RETHINKING EDUCATION FROM THE GROUND UP

Whether you were homecoming queen or thought high school royally sucked, there seems to be a consensus that what you learn in the classroom often fails to prepare you for what comes next. "XQ: The Super School Project" looks to change that by entirely rethinking high school. Funded by Laurene Powell Jobs and Emerson Collective, XQ is a $50 million initiative whose goal is to inspire educators and students, as well as leaders from other sectors, to brainstorm, build, and implement new approaches to high school education in an ever-shifting world.

We spoke to WNW Members #9904 Heather Larimer and #10213 Danielle Flagg, who (with a lot of talented support) were tasked with the tall order of creating the brand and voice of XQ. Their goal was to establish an identity that would engage the national community to weigh in on how to evolve high school education from its archaic, factory-based model. It's great to hear that Heather and Danielle, who put so much of themselves into this project, were given just as much in return. As Heather puts it, "I really felt like it was the most holistic, brain-stretching experience of my entire career, or uh, career(s)." Danielle adds, "It’s ironic that this brand is about rethinking education, about teaching and learning--because the process of building this brand radically 'schooled' me (in a good way)."

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Tell us a bit about your creative backgrounds.

Heather: I’ve been a copywriter for about ten years, but before that I’ve been a journalist, a fiction writer, and a writing instructor at a community college. So working on this project was such an incredible, almost serendipitous opportunity for me. I was able to bring a very unique set of skills to the table: the journalistic ability to find a compelling angle and tell a story in a powerful and well-paced way, my first-hand experience with how badly our high schools are failing to educate kids, and then brand-building, conceptual, and copywriting skills. I really felt like it was the most holistic, brain-stretching experience of my entire career, or uh, career(s).

Danielle: I have been in Adlandia for 25+ years, After graduating with an art history degree from a liberal arts college, I began as a creative director’s assistant in NYC, then became the first employee of a creative start-up, where I did a crazy range of things: interior design, HR, office management, I.T., eventually honing in on design and art direction. Next was Wieden+Kennedy for 17 years, followed by 6 months in Ethiopia on the Nike Foundation Girl Effect, and most recently TBWA\Media Arts Lab (Apple) and MAL\FORGOOD! I’ve realized over the course of my career that I gravitate towards chaos, situations that require a lot of spontaneity, multifaceted skills, and CAN DO spirit. The XQ Project fits my life’s path perfectly in this respect! It was constantly evolving, always challenging, and so meaningful. It’s ironic that this brand is about rethinking education, about teaching and learning because the process of building this brand radically “schooled” me (in a good way).

How did you come up with the name XQ: The Super School Project?

Finding the right name was like threading a needle at arms’ length; it took us months! The education field is pretty cluttered with names. We wanted something modern, enduring, and even “curious”, that didn’t sound like a “product” or, conversely, a government initiative. We had epic naming sessions and, in one of them, Member #1880 Kevin Li threw out the odd-sounding term "XQ." We then started thinking of that as an interesting way of delineating knowledge that diverges from the “fixed” notions of IQ or EQ. To be successful today, students need knowledge that's variable, and flexible, not static or easily quantified--but that’s not what they’re getting in public high school. The ambition of the project is to create a new, more relevant kind of learning and knowledge. And in doing so, supercharge our schools for the future.

"We then started thinking of [XQ] as an interesting way of delineating knowledge that diverges from the “fixed” notions of IQ or EQ. To be successful today, students need knowledge that's variable, and flexible, not static or easily quantified--but that’s not what they’re getting in public high school."

What was your creative approach to the 4-minute XQ video that is essentially a pitch of the entire project?

It’s such a rare opportunity to do a piece this length vs. an “ad”. So that was thrilling, to be able to tell a deep story, and pose an argument. We knew that this video would potentially get used in a variety of ways: to pitch to policymakers and activists, to explain the project to people in the field, to galvanize constituents, etc. So, we felt that the two most important things to establish were that A) American Public high school is in crisis, totally failing to prepare kids for the future, AND that B) the crisis of high school has a massive impact on the entire world- on global technology, public health, economic stability, and so on. Visually, it was interesting to try to find images that were inspiring but not directive or overly specific. Because the whole point of the project is that NO ONE really knows what a Super School will look like--it’s all going to be new and revolutionary. The process of the video was intensely educational for us—we didn’t know how antiquated the system was, or how well-meaning and democratically minded its origins were. Once we started to learn the real story, we felt so passionate about telling the world how ineffective this vital public system is. We really put our hearts into it!

"Both of us came from Wieden+Kennedy, so we had a shared language and approach that was really important when things got intense. It almost felt like we were bringing a metaphorical baby into the world, with all the ups and downs and a total inability to 'let go'."

Who or what inspired you when shaping the voice and brand of XQ?

So many things. Working together was incredible; we learned a ton from each other, and had such complementary strengths. Both of us came from Wieden+Kennedy, so we had a shared language and approach that was really important when things got intense. It almost felt like we were bringing a metaphorical baby into the world, with all the ups and downs and a total inability to “let go” (ha!) And the agency MAL\FORGOOD, and our incredible clients at Emerson Collective, are mostly women. Brilliant, passionate, creative women. It was so completely enlivening to be able to spend time with them and put our brains together on such a critically important project.

There were so many elements to the building of the brand. The look and feel needed to be fairly consistent overall, but the campaign storytelling started with Jessica Williams “landing” in New York City as an urban astronaut, rallying people to wake up and see how damaged this system is (through confrontational humor). So while her parts were fun, the longer format piece needed to be more educational; the social needed to feel intriguing and friendly, but pack a punch. The campaign’s job was to ultimately engage the national community to weigh in on how education needs to change.

"The campaign’s job was to ultimately engage the national community to weigh in on how education needs to change."

The whole vernacular is an optimistic, playful, modern, even “fun” take on the future of education. Visually, #4750 Max Erdenberger and Megan McGinley worked on the brand identity and they were very drawn to the feeling of stencils, which are by nature democratic, scrappy, ad-hoc. #10348 Mike Calvert - the lead art director who blew out the brand design, logo, and campaign - created something that feels as if it being immediately constructed, always evolving, modular. Member #8840 Christian Laniosz made it a conversational and compelling interactive experience. The language needed to be arresting; for example, the headline "America, We Have a Problem." Eventually, we were able to land on the universal call to action as RETHINK HIGH SCHOOL—which is inviting and spotlights some of the systemic problems. We rotated that construct to include lines like, RETHINK SEAT TIME; RETHINK MEMORIZATION. Linda Knight helped spark this direction and #5527 Cat Doran was instrumental in developing the voice and tone.

Is the failure of the current high school system an issue you'd been interested in prior to this project? What was your own high school experience like?

We both want to be explicitly clear that these were our individual experiences and in no way representative of the brand or opinions of our client or MAL\FORGOOD.

HL: I went to a great public high school in downtown Omaha. It was the best school in the state, housed in the beautiful former state capitol, and anyone in the city could go there. I had a great high school experience, but I learned so much about the state of public high school by teaching community college students for six years. I was disturbed by what they didn’t know, but I was far more disturbed at how deeply they had internalized their negative experiences- they believed that school was stupid, that they were stupid, that teachers were adversaries, and that learning was something to be avoided. When I saw how little positive input it took to turn someone around, it made me realize that they hadn’t been connecting with any of their teachers. That said, it’s dangerously simplistic to blame teachers, who are every bit as victimized by the system as students are.

DF: I did not know the depths of this archaic system until delving into this project. I knew that unfortunately people have to move their entire family or rent a zip code to get their child into a passable and supportive public high school that would prepare them for college. My high school and junior high experiences were both uniquely great, but were not public. I credit my learning to not only creative environments and exposure to new and interesting ways of thinking, but to my extremely impactful teachers. I also was surrounded by great sports programs, which I feel are a huge influence on learning and human dynamics/leadership.

From what you’ve learned throughout this process, why do you think the high school system remains so archaic?

Again, we are speaking from our personal observations, not the position of the brand or our client.

Money does not appear to be the problem. That’s the greatest misconception. We learned early on in the project that the world “experimental” is not a word any parent wants to hear. As much as people love the idea of a cutting-edge education, no one wants to be a guinea pig. So it seems fear has been a huge factor. And then, there’s standardization and measurement which were once really important tools of democracy, designed to guarantee equal education for all. Now those same well-intentioned ideals are a huge obstacle to change.

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SICK OF YOUR HANDKERCHIEF? TRY A GANGSTERCHIEF.

Working Not Working March 2, 2016

SICK OF YOUR HANDKERCHIEF? TRY A GANGSTERCHIEF.

WNW Member #1811 Vikas Bhalla started a new company rooted in his Los Angeles upbringing and very close to his heart. Gangsterchief, as in Gangster + handkerchief. Growing up surrounded by LA gang violence, Vikas sought to creatively explore his fascination with that world. We asked Vikas why he chose to create awareness about gang violence through high-end silk pocket squares: "It was the perfect medium to disturb the places we find most sacred. Places like weddings, business meetings, dates and interviews."

It was also important to Vikas that his product was manufactured locally. "Instead of going to Italy I also made it a mission to find quality manufactures in the US, and I was fortunate to have found them here in LA... I’d put these squares up against anything made anywhere else." The artwork woven on the first edition is also sourced locally as it incorporates the photography of LA-based Robert Yager.

Gangsterchief is doing its part to wipe away tears both real and tattooed: "We’re donating 15% of the profits to organizations and individuals focused on preventing gang violence by providing jobs, education and tools to the people of inner city Los Angeles."

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Tell us a little bit about your background. Who is Vikas and how did he get here?

I’m an Indian kid from Los Angeles. I spent half of my childhood in Santa Monica and the other half in Inglewood. I’ve worked in advertising for the last 10 years as an art director making advertising. I learned it in SF, first job was in NY, and now I’m back home in LA freelancing.

How did you become interested in exploring gang violence?

The Los Angeles Police Department says there’s over 450 active gangs and more than 45,000 active gang members in LA, making it the “gang capital of America”. It’s such a big part of growing up here you can’t ignore it, a lot of my friends were in gangs.

"For four years I saw Mexican gangs (like SMx13) and Black gangs (like Graveyard Crips) fight because that’s all they knew. I didn’t understand it, so I got obsessed with it."

I went to Santa Monica High School and for four years I saw Mexican gangs (like SMx13) and Black gangs (like Graveyard Crips) fight because that’s all they knew. I didn’t understand it, so I got obsessed with it. I followed street photographers like Robert Yager and Boogie, watched gang-related documentaries/shows and read books like “Monster”, “Always Running” and “Gang Leader for a Day”. When I read David Simon I was hooked and till this day The Wire is my all-time favorite TV show.

How did you start Gangsterchief?

On days when I was not working, I would sit around my house and think of things I wanted to make. One day I was procrastinating (like most people do) and opened up the book “It’s All Good” by Boogie. The idea just hit me and it seemed so simple. Why not combine these gritty street images with this growing high-fashion trend: pocket squares? It was the perfect medium to disturb the places we find most sacred. Places like weddings, business meetings, dates and interviews.

"It was the perfect medium to disturb the places we find most sacred. Places like weddings, business meetings, dates and interviews."

Why high-end silk pocket squares?

From the beginning I wanted these pocket squares to be as beautiful as the images being printed on them. The photographs are art, so they deserved to be treated as such. 100% silk pocket squares with hand-rolled edges are considered to be the best, so there was no other option. Instead of going to Italy I also made it a mission to find quality manufactures in the US, and I was fortunate to have found them here in LA. It was very important for me to have a product made in America that I was proud of, which is why I’d put these squares up against anything made anywhere else.

What’s your take on the manner in which gang violence is portrayed in the news?

People love watching movies and documentaries about gangs, but gang stories don’t make good news stories. Most of the time the news and/or the police don’t report gang violence. They sweep it under the rug and hope people don’t notice, and it works. Out of sight, out of mind.

Where do the proceeds go?

The proceeds go to organizations that address issues reflected in the photographers work. Robert Yager delves into the world of Latino street gangs here in Los Angeles. For his pocket square, "Crack-cocaine cash being counted", we’re donating 15% of the profits to organizations and individuals focused on preventing gang violence by providing jobs, education and tools to the people of inner city Los Angeles.

"We’re donating 15% of the profits to organizations and individuals focused on preventing gang violence by providing jobs, education and tools to the people of inner city Los Angeles."

How did Robert Yager get involved?

I’ve been a big fan of Yager for a really long time so I thought I’d email him, explain the idea and see what he says. His images are extremely powerful and perfect for Gangsterchief so I was a bit nervous, but I knew the worst thing he could say was no and I didn’t have much to lose. He responded pretty quickly and the rest is history, he’s now our first special edition pocket square.

What’s next for you, and for Gangsterchief?

Between Gangsterchief and freelance I’ve kept myself pretty busy. I’ve signed on a couple more photographers I’m really excited about but I’m also starting to reach out to other artists and thinking of ways to expand the line beyond photography. I’ve only been working on Gangsterchief for a little over a year now so I’m just getting started.

What is some advice you can offer creatives based on your experience with Gangsterchief?

I just wrote an article for Makers Row that was titled, Why This Entrepreneur Wouldn’t Start Another Business Alone, and I can’t stress that enough. Being in advertising you’d think I would’ve known better but it’s something that just slips your mind when starting a business, and it’s so important. Find a partner first and then start collecting your billions.

Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire?

I’ve spent a lot of time following the work of David Schwen and Brock Davis. Both designers have an incredible ability to find simple but powerful visual solutions. I’d be lying if I said I just admire their work, I’m extremely jealous of it.

"Have an idea for an app, children’s book, political statement, website, poster, short story, food truck, anything? You can make it right now and have it out in the world tomorrow."

Anything else you’d like to add?

Right now is such a great time to be a creative. You can make anything you want, whenever you want. Have an idea for an app, children’s book, political statement, website, poster, short story, food truck, anything? You can make it right now and have it out in the world tomorrow… it’s amazing. I just hope more people will create more incredible things because of it.

Next artist: Travis Jensen x Gangsterchief — Next artist: Travis Jensen x Gangsterchief

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WONDER WHAT IT'S LIKE GOING TO THE OSCARS? ASK JULIA POTT

Working Not Working February 28, 2016

WONDER WHAT IT'S LIKE GOINGTO THE OSCARS? ASK JULIA POTT

When renowned filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt asked fellow animator and WNW Member #2791 Julia Pott to voice the character of Emily in his newest animated short World of Tomorrow, Julia didn't hesitate. "He said he wanted the woman to sound a bit like Mary Poppins and I was immediately on board." And then, on January 14th, World of Tomorrow was nominated for an Oscar. And then, as if things couldn't get better, Don invited Julia as his plus-one.

We hit the rewind button and make Julia help us live vicariously through her, every step of the way: from recording her best Mary Poppins impression at Don's home in Austin, fueled by sugary cereal and tequila, to waking up to a special Facebook post from Don with the news, to hilarious advice from her mom, to montage-worthy moments trying on dresses for Hollywood's biggest night.

We made sure to ask Julia the most important question of all: Who are you wearing? "In the end I went with a dress from a little known store called ‘Nordstrom’."

Indiewire is predicting an Oscar for World of Tomorrow. Who knows, maybe Don will cast Julia as the voice of his acceptance speech.

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**How did you come to be the voice of Emily in Don Hertzfeldt’s mind-bending Oscar-nominated short World of Tomorrow?**

Don and I met at Sundance in 2012 when both our films were in the Animated Shorts category. I tried to keep it casual and not let on that I:

a). knew his work

b). liked it a lot.

We kept running into each other at film festivals and became real life friends. As I live in LA and he lives in Austin we communicate mainly through funny owl videos on Facebook Chat - but I think that still counts. We ended up at Sundance together again in 2013 when my short film The Event was playing and he was one of the judges (let the record show – I didn’t win). It was there that he said he wanted a British woman for his latest project because his niece, who would play the other role, was Scottish. He said he wanted the woman to sound a bit like Mary Poppins and I was immediately on board.

Had you ever done any voice work before, besides the Golden-Globe winning WNW Microsoft Commercial? Tell us about the experience.

This is my first and only voice-over experience and it was really great. We recorded it in Don’s house in Austin and he has a pool with about 5 - 10 oversized animal floaties in it at any given time. He also has all of the sugary cereals you’ve ever wanted to buy from Trader Joe’s but couldn’t justify, so staying at Don’s is like being 8 years old again. We would get up in the morning, get pumped up on sugar and go into the recording booth for the majority of the day with a mental break around lunch time when we would go get some BBQ or TexMex. If I ever had trouble with the lines I would drink some tequila. Everyone has their methods. Apparently this is mine.

Were you already familiar with Don Hertzfeldt’s work?

I was in college when Rejected was released online so I was one of the many student animators who said “my spoon is too big” way more times than was ok. I went to see him speak in London in 2009 and followed up with a casual/creepy fan email.

Where were you when Don told you he was bringing you to the Oscars? What was the first thing that came to your mind?

I woke up to a facebook post from Don with the news.

My mother rang soon after and we both freaked out. She has since called me up several times with various styling tips. My favourite being that I should walk down the red carpet with helium balloons with my name written on them in sharpie, as an homage to the movie Up because I am in the animation category.

How have you prepared for the Oscars? Most importantly: Who are you wearing?

I am not very good at grooming myself so my friend Eliza Wexelman offered to style me. We had a lot of montage-worthy moments in vintage stores and my living room trying on a variety of dresses she ‘pulled’ for me (I’m learning all the stylist lingo). In the end I went with a dress from a little known store called ‘Nordstrom’.

The other grooming-based preparations started yesterday. The day we found out about the nomination I called up a fancy hairdresser that I’ve been wanting to try for ages. They informed me that they had no appointments on the day of the Oscars so I asked them what their latest appointment was the day before. The woman said 5pm. I asked her if I slept with a hairnet on did she think the style would keep until the next day. There was a long pause and then she said ‘ok’ and I could tell from her tone she doesn’t think this is a good idea. I booked the 5pm appointment.

**Has Don cast you as the voice of his acceptance speech if/when World of Tomorrow wins?**

Hopefully.

Which actors and actresses are you hoping to bump into on the red carpet or in the buffet line? (Is there a buffet line? We’ve never been to the Oscars…)

I’ve been told the best celebrity spotting is in the bathroom line. My mother has advised me to ‘accidentally’ walk into the men’s bathroom instead, “just to see”.

My ultimate celebrity spots would be Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks and Emma Stone. I want to make Emma Stone my friend.

Are you a big movie buff? What are some of your favorites?

I tend to like movies that fall under the category of strange or romantic. I’m a big fan of Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry but my all time forever love is Nora Ephron. More specifically When Harry Met Sally. Everything I do is in an attempt to make my life more like that movie.

What was your favorite feature-length film this year? Any Oscar predictions you care to share? Is it FINALLY Leo’s year?

I loved the movie Spotlight. It made me want to watch every newspaper based movie ever made. There was something about it that was both soothing and compelling – like The West Wing…or Gilmore Girls. I was also completely in love with Room - all the praise and accolades for that bad boy are so well-deserved.

Leo’s been scooping all the awards - he has to win this right? Although I thought he should have won for Romeo + Juliet based purely on his attractiveness.

What’s next for you?

I am currently in development at Cartoon Network in a program that creates projects for potential series consideration. I also just started as a writer on Adventure Time. I’m a huge fan of the show so the whole process is a dream.

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FEELING HANGRY AND INDECISIVE? END YOUR SUFFERING WITH MENULESS

Working Not Working February 25, 2016

FEELING HANGRY AND INDECISIVE? END YOUR SUFFERING WITH MENULESS

*Two very hungry people who can't make decisions*

We've all been there. Hunger sets in, but instead of eating, the next two hours are spent "deciding." It happens when you're alone, with your roommate, or with a bunch of coworkers at the office. And by the end of those two hours, nothing sounds good. Because everything is shit and what's the point? Aziz Ansari's taco indecision scene totally nails it.

That's where Menuless comes in. Started by WNW Member #3520 Jillian Dresser with her partner Julian Tippins (two people who love food but hate decisions), Menuless is a food ordering service like Seamless that decides your order for you... so you don't have to. All you do is enter how many people you have and how much money you want to spend, and they send you food from a good restaurant nearby. Just think about how much more space you'll have after you clean out your menu drawer.

We spoke to Jillian about how hungry they were when Menuless was born, the crazy methods of delivery they considered, and why they're passionate about ending hanger. If you're too hungry and exhausted to order from Menuless, you're probably beyond saving. But I just had Chinese, what about Indian? Does the pork speciality shop have good vegetarian options? Is 4 and a half stars a good enough Yelp rating? Shut up.

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Tell us a little bit about your creative backgrounds.

We both graduated from VCU Brandcenter (different years), and met working together as an art director/copywriter team at Walrus, an ad agency here in NYC.

How hungry and indecisive were you the moment you decided to start Menuless?

Ha. Back when we were working together, we were on a low-budget photoshoot where we were on our own for lunch. We were at a random little studio in midtown. Nobody knew what was around for food, nor did anyone want to take charge or suggest anything. You know how it is, no one wants to be the one to blame if you end up with something awful! So anyway, after some half-hearted Yelping and Seamless review-reading, we settled on some unknown pizza place nearby. It was terrible. Like, so bad, that no one even pretended that it was good. We’ve all been there. We’ve all had those bad ordering experiences — especially in big groups — and we were just like, wouldn’t it be nice if there was something that just sent you food and you didn’t have to decide? So anyway, I’d say we were only at a 7/10 for hunger, but a 10/10 on the indecisiveness scale for sure.

What are your respective roles in building Menuless?

We took on pretty much everything as a team. When it came down to the nitty-gritty of site design and fine-tuning copy, we fell into our old roles a little bit, but really every decision we’ve made has been together.

"Before we found a food ordering API that we could actually use, we considered all sorts of stuff that now seems crazy. Like calling in all of the orders by hand, and even having a dude on an electric bike with a cell phone and bag of cash that would just drive around ordering and delivering shit. We didn’t know what we were doing."

What have been some of the challenges you’ve encountered thus far?

Our first major challenge was figuring out how we were going to get the orders through. It took us a long time and a lot of research to figure out how the hell our website would connect to the restaurants. Before we found a food ordering API that we could actually use, we considered all sorts of stuff that now seems crazy. Like calling in all of the orders by hand, and even having a dude on an electric bike with a cell phone and bag of cash that would just drive around ordering and delivering shit. We didn’t know what we were doing. I’d say that, and doing taxes. Business taxes are a bitch.

In the early days of Menuless, does it seem like people are giving up control to stave off starvation?

I think it’s more about making food ordering fun again. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut of just hitting the “reorder” button on Seamless. We all do it — it’s just so easy when you don’t have the energy at the end of the day to try something new. Or the guts, really. Menuless not only makes getting out of that food comfort-zone ridiculously easy, it makes it fun and exciting and even a little dangerous. But really, in a pretty low-risk kind of way. We made the probability of getting something you’ll like high by only choosing restaurants people love, and menu items people rank highly.

The whole voice of the brand is hilariously unapologetic. Did you ever consider a more comforting voice or is part of the fun taking charge?

It’s funny you ask that because that voice was actually one of the first decisions we made. I think the unapologetic tone sort of reflects the mindset of our audience, which are really just non-picky, hungry folks that just want food now, without having to fuss over it.

But yeah, we knew we were building a novelty product that wasn’t for everyone and we knew that if we tried to be more comforting it could have been a slippery slope toward creating a site that wanted to be something for everyone. Seamless already does that, and they’re great at it.

A GLIMPSE INTO THE MENULESS FAQ

What else are you working on these days?

Ironically enough, we’re both pretty into cooking. When we’re not working on Menuless or at our full-time or freelance ad gigs, we’re usually talking about new kitchen gadgets we bought or how to make the best quiche. But no other big projects in the works yet.

What are some top tips you can offer creatives who are thinking about launching a side project?

Just do it. I didn’t mean to sound like a tagline there. I just think you gotta get over that inertia we all have and just start doing whatever it is you’re thinking about. It’s easy to spend a lot of time in the dreaming phase, but if you just start building whatever it is, then you have something tangible that you can work with and mold and shape. That, and find people that are as equally passionate about your ideas as you are. It helps to keep the momentum going.

"It’s easy to spend a lot of time in the dreaming phase, but if you just start building whatever it is, then you have something tangible that you can work with and mold and shape."

What’s one song that always gets you in the creative zone, and still sounds good when you’re hangry?

That’s a funny question. I don’t know if there’s one song per se, but I remember listening to a lot of AC/DC during a work session once, and it inspired a whole other side project we’ll have to talk about some other time :)

Anything else you’d like to add?

Yeah! If you’re curious about what restaurants are on Menuless, follow us on Twitter at @menulessnyc. It’s also where we give away discount codes and other nonsense. Happy food ordering!

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HOW TO DIRECT A FILM ON A SMALL BUDGET

Working Not Working February 24, 2016

HOW TO DIRECT A FILM ON A SMALL BUDGET

Let's face it: directing a film looks really hard. WNW Member #7027 Mikél Leyva embarked on his first directing gig so we had a few questions for him. Like how he juggled his creative brain with solving logistical challenges, getting the crew to work as a team, and keeping his day job in advertising. Oh, and the pressure: "As a director, the final outcome of the film is on your shoulders alone. No one is going to accept anyone else’s mistakes as excuses. In the end, you either made a good film, or you didn’t."

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What inspired you to direct Falling?

I’d been wanting to direct a film for a long time. Whenever I heard interviews with my favorite directors, I often felt that their way of deciphering life-stories was closest to the way that I related to life. But I’m aware that no one’s going to hire you to direct a film if you’ve never made one before. So in 2008 I decided to just go for it and direct my first one.

Where did the story come from?

I was living in LA working on a music project with a drummer friend of mine, while looking for a story for my film. And a close friend there was about to marry into quite a volatile relationship. Their tense wedding planning made me contemplate that need to secure an idea of love at all costs. I wanted to figure out what drives all of us to continually fall in and out of different versions of love, and that seemed like a good beginning for my film’s story. My focus was on the need for love, and not the discovery of it.

"I wanted to figure out what drives all of us to continually fall in and out of different versions of love, and that seemed like a good beginning for my film’s story. My focus was on the need for love, and not the discovery of it."

Where did you find the time while working on commercial projects?

It wasn't easy. I saved money for a few months to start with a small budget, and to take time to do pre-production. Then I set off to San Francisco to lead a large online project for Microsoft while preparing my film. I’d wake up before 6am every day and send film pre- production tasks to my crew. Then I’d go into the agency to lead the Microsoft project during the day. And then follow up on the film tasks in the evenings. I found it more natural to treat both projects pretty much the same, rather than to try to switch modes between personal and client projects. I must say that a huge number of people helped along the way, friends and many (then) strangers too.

"I’d wake up before 6am every day and send film pre- production tasks to my crew. Then I’d go into the agency to lead the Microsoft project during the day. And then follow up on the film tasks in the evenings."

Any advice you can share on learning to sit comfortably in the director's chair?

The phrasing of this question made me laugh – maybe Ridley Scott actually ’sits comfortably’ in the director’s chair, but I think the rest of us are on our feet orchestrating everything under pressure. But as for directing advice, I might just repeat what my good friend (and producer) David Levine said when he called me after reading the script for Falling. He said something like: “Mikel, no matter what happens, don’t compromise. Just don’t compromise." I’ve worked in every creative channel, and this advice has felt particularly meaningful in filmmaking. But it took me making a film to really understand the value of it. When making a creatively affected film, there were many more moments than usual in which you choose to either push on, or compromise.

"If you’re going to make a film, dig in deep, find something honest in you that you can be passionate about. Because it’s likely to take all of that to do a good job, and for your story to be worth sharing; then godspeed."

Another element I find important is motivation. I’d say that each of us sees the world in our own unique way, and our own way of living and understanding our experiences. And there’s already more half-hearted bad films out there than any of us will have time to take in. So if you’re going to make a film, dig in deep, find something honest in you that you can be passionate about. Because it’s likely to take all of that to do a good job, and for your story to be worth sharing; then godspeed. You will succeed in some ways and you will also make mistakes. But that’s okay, just learn from it all, and keep going.

What were some of the biggest challenges on set?

Film pre and post-production can have a project pace close to advertising, but directing on set is quite different. During filming, time is quite unforgiving, and you’re all working to create one big event, with parts that are being recorded at the same time, like an orchestra or scenes in a play. You prepare actors and crew for weeks to play scenes in meticulously transformed spaces that you only have for a certain amount of time, in which budget and the options for shots are directly linked. This event would be challenging to replicate.

And although you work with so many people, as the director, the final outcome of the film is on your shoulders alone. No one is going to accept anyone else’s mistakes as excuses, and having to re-shoot is not a viable option. In the end, you either made a good film, or you didn’t.

Compared to leading an ad agency project over a set of weeks (or more), one directs the course of a shoot by the second. And there’s a rhythm; it’s more similar to making music. Also, when under time pressure, people are hesitant to risk working in ways they haven’t worked before, which sounds understandable, but trying new things is often what you need them to do. And as a director you’re shaping the creative environment constantly and quickly. You define when and how it is collaborative, and when it’s time to keep moving, in a much faster pace.

I was operating in such a driven mode that when someone on the team wasn’t 100% on board, it was very noticeable to me. And so began this dynamic between my creative ambition, and my team’s skills and motivation, which I had to navigate constantly while making this film.

"As a director, the final outcome of the film is on your shoulders alone. No one is going to accept anyone else’s mistakes as excuses. In the end, you either made a good film, or you didn’t.

What differences did you notice in how you approached your work in advertising and this personal project?

Inspiration was gold. At a big ad agency you already have some of the best talent in their field and a team structure. But on a personal project there’s no accountable company structure or obligations. People don’t really ‘have to’ do what you ask, and your team could potentially walk away from your project at any time. So to make the best personal film possible with a rather small budget, and the majority of the team being junior volunteers, you have to find what will drive people to care as much as you do.

**How did the process of Falling make you think of teamwork differently?**

I'd like to think that I've always treated my teams with empathy. But directing volunteers while striving for professional quality means that I had to push a lot of people further than they expected to go. And I'm very grateful that this challenge made me consider what each person is getting out of working on the project, and out of working with me. In advertising, the client experience, the portfolio pice, and pay are often enough, but we don’t often think about what we have to give back to our teams. And I actually really enjoy nurturing talent. I’m the eldest of 3, maybe that’s got something to do with it.

In post-production, the dynamic changes again. And you may have a very clear idea of where you want something to go and feel compelled to micromanage. But if you do that you could block that person’s ability to make creative decisions, and you end up shooting yourself in the foot. So you need to read your effect on the team..

There are times when you just give a direction to aim for and that’s enough, but there’s often times when you need to support your team member enough to enable them to get on that journey with you.

Having directed a big project depending on a lot volunteers has been a gift in a way. You get more candid reactions from your team, and you learn to read people better. And without a budget, you really have to learn to inspire people to care for the work as much you do. Not only does this make you a better leader, it also reconnects all of you with the core reasons that drive the work you do.

"To make the best personal film possible with a rather small budget... you have to find what will drive people to care as much as you do."

What's next for you?

I’m currently most interested in how the emotive aspects of film/video can mix with the uniting power of digital media. I'm also looking into ways that I can contribute to projects that provide a social benefit - especially in the area of bridging perspectives. In terms of filmmaking, my next step is to continue developing my voice, and make more films. I want to find my ‘dream team’ of writers, producers, cinematographers, and crew to continually work with on many projects to come.

I’m currently editing Part 2 of Falling, and plan to finish it by Spring.

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"We present this project to help expose crimes masquerading as commerce." - #63 Andrew Tider & #2120 Jeff Greenspan — "We present this project to help expose crimes masquerading as commerce." - #63 Andrew Tider & #2120 Jeff Greenspan

CAPTURED: PEOPLE IN PRISON DRAWING PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE

Working Not Working February 19, 2016

CAPTURED: PEOPLE IN PRISON DRAWING PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE

Last time we featured WNW Members #63 Andrew Tider and #2120 Jeff Greenspan, they were watching their Ed Snowden statue get arrested by the NYPD. Now they've got a powerful new book out, titled CAPTURED: People in Prison Drawing People Who Should Be, which pretty much says it all. "For over a year, we asked people in prison to paint or draw people we felt should be in prison–the CEOs of companies destroying our environment, economy, and society." You can pick up a copy here. [At the time we wrote this, book #579 of 1000 total had already been sold, so don't slack!]

Where does your money go? "All profits go towards efforts to elect Bernie Sanders as president. Holding corporations responsible for their crimes and reforming the criminal justice system are pillars of his campaign." Below is Andrew & Jeff's mission statement followed by several sample pages. Head over to the CAPTURED website to get the full picture.

"Corporations frequently commit crimes any average person would be imprisoned for. These corporate crimes devastate our environment, economy and society, yet the companies committing them often get away with only paying a settlement. These payouts do little damage to a corporation's bottom line and are practically baked into their budgets. The cost of doing business.

CAPTURED shines a light on these crimes masquerading as commerce. Through the use of art made by people in prison, this project imagines the highest levels of corporate leadership being personally responsible for their companies’ illegal actions.

Money, power, and political influence allow these companies, and their leaders, to not just break the rules, but make the rules. They are “untouchable.” On the opposite end of society’s spectrum lies another “untouchable”–the incarcerated– who even after paying their debts to society are often treated as unworthy.

The artistry displayed within this project may help viewers see the incarcerated as more than one-dimensional criminals and remind them a prisoner is also a person. They may also remind us a corporation is not a person. A corporation has no conscience. It cannot repent or truly pay for its crimes.

As consumers, we can say there are injustices we are not willing to tolerate. By not supporting companies endangering our health and freedom, and by questioning a system that wields punishment so unevenly, we can stop being mute witnesses."

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ICED COFFEE BREWED WITH SUNSHINE, FRIENDS & SHEER WILL

Working Not Working February 19, 2016

ICED COFFEE BREWED WITH SUNSHINE, FRIENDS & SHEER WILL

We caught up with creative couple #2298 Kristina Mueller and #10241 Chris Mueller to discuss their newest venture: creating and branding an iced coffee company called Venice Cold Brew. After Kristina and Chris moved to Los Angeles, Chris saw "a chance to dig in and become a part of the city we lived in, a chance to pour my drive, energy and excitement into something completely new." The Art-Director-and-Photographer couple brought their particular skill-sets to the table, and were further assisted by some additional WNW Members, which Kristina definitely appreciated: "Ask for help. Lots of help. It really does take a village to create a brand. Without the help of so many different people with unique talents, the brand would not be nearly as dynamic as it is." For all of you Angelenos out there, Venice Cold Brew is available in a lot of cool stores from Venice to Downtown, and will help you survive LA's incoming summer, its hottest yet.

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How did Venice Cold Brew come about?

Chris: I’ve always wanted to start a business. I’ve always wanted to take an idea from start to finish and make it fly. When our family moved to Los Angeles I quickly realized that the opportunity was now. It was a chance to dig in and become a part of the city we lived in, a chance to pour my drive, energy and excitement into something completely new. Coffee is something that I’ve always been crazy about and now I’m able to combine that with my love for design, photography and problem-solving into one tangible direction.

How did each of you apply your skill-sets to the project?

Kristina: Chris quickly began to develop a photographic voice for the brand through photos he was taking at the beach and on the streets of Venice. I was able to use my experience in branding and design to help develop a signature logotype to screenprint onto the front of the bottle. From there, along with the other assets we commissioned, I built the website as well as other elements for social media and print collateral.

What were some of the unexpected challenges of starting a coffee company and building its brand?

Chris: Time. Until you begin building a business from scratch you really have no idea how long it takes to make the vision reality.

Relationships. What you realize is how valuable the relationships are that you already have in place and how hard it is to make new quality connections in seemingly endless categories.

Money. This has been big. There are so many hidden costs that you can never be prepared for – permits, trademark attorneys, certified commercial kitchens, insurance, etc...

What about this whole adventure makes you the proudest?

Chris: Making it happen. I’ve always been driven by a challenge – a direction without a roadmap. The thought that through a culmination of friends, life experience, passion, drive and sheer will you can do anything. Past that it’s seeing the bottle on store shelves and knowing that someone will see the product, and based on its presence they are compelled to purchase it and enjoy it.

Did any other WNW members help develop Venice Cold Brew and its brand?

Kristina: Yes definitely. The writer Tatum Shaw contributed early on to help shape the voice for VCB and coined the mantra “Take your coffee with sunshine” which has been a pivotal theme for us. Alexander Barrett then took that phrase and others by Tatum, and illustrated them beautifully. Once the bottles were printed, filled, and capped, Justin Fantl shot some gorgeous product photos. And a shout out to Dana Bruington for her set creative direction!

What’s next for you, and Venice Cold Brew?

Chris: Growth. We have begun taking on larger customers like Whole Foods which is pushing us to create more product with an eye on service and sharpening the brand experience. This is going to require more people. In March we plan to raise capital to bring on employees than can assist in manufacturing, sales, marketing and social media.

How many cups of coffee do you each drink a day?

Kristina: Chris probably drinks his weight in coffee everyday, partly because all his meetings are all done over coffee, and of course making sure the product is consistently tasting great. I drink less only because I like to sleep.

What are some top tips you can offer to WNW members thinking of starting their own company or brand?

Kristina: Ask for help. Lots of help. It really does take a village to create a brand. Without the help of so many different people with unique talents, the brand would not be nearly as dynamic as it is.

What came first, coupling up or work? Tell us the how-you-met story!

Kristina: Coupling up came first. It’s embarrassing to say, but we met because we lived next door to each other. But I learned early on that Chris was a very talented photographer. That definitely piqued my interest.

Do you frequently collaborate on projects, or do you tend to keep working and not working separate?

Kristina: Our work is usually very separate, although many years ago I did hire Chris to shoot a magazine cover for me. We shot it in studio and I remember wanting to kill him. Working together on VCB has been a great meld to our sets of talent but there has been plenty of disagreements along the way, mostly over the fact that Chris expects less than 24hr turnaround times.

Do you find that it helps to promote the fact that you’re married? Ever hide it?

Kristina: We haven’t promoted nor hid it at all really. But I guess the cat’s out of the bag now.

How would you describe the creative scene in Venice?

Kristina: The creative scene in Venice is really strong. There are a ton of independent professionals making all kinds of great work here. Filmmakers, writers, illustrators, photographers, professors, ceramicists… We’ve only lived here a few years, but everyday we meet more and more makers living and working in Venice.

Anything else you’d like to add?

THANK YOU. Thank you to everyone who’s played a role in making Venice Cold Brew a success. Thank you to everyone who believed in the vision and were willing to lend a hand to make this fly.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

HOW TO GET YOUR SIDE PRODUCTS INTO RETAIL STORES

Working Not Working February 12, 2016

HOW TO GET YOUR SIDE PRODUCTS INTO RETAIL STORES

We enlisted WNW's #6379 Vinit Patil to offer some helpful step-by-step advice on getting your products into retail stores. As a creative, Vinit knows that coming up with great product ideas in your spare time is not the hard part, it's what to do next. And as co-founder of SKUE with #6038 Spencer Sass, Vinit's specialty is equipping you with everything you need to sell your products to indie retailers. Below, Vinit puts your product to the test, setting you up for retail success.

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By WNW Member #6379 Vinit Patil, co-founder of SKUE

If you found time between freelance gigs to produce something you’ve had on your mind for a while, kudos! You deserve a hug for going after your passion and shipping it.

While the path to selling online is fairly well-documented, let’s look at how you can go about selling products at your favorite independent retail store. The Kidrobots, Teichs, and Paxton Gates of the world, who serve a niche market and cringe at any mention of big box retail.

At SKUE, the online wholesale marketplace that I run with my co-founder Spencer Sass, we invite indie retailers once a month to source products from independent designers. The items we’ll use as examples are picked from these buying rounds.

We’ll stick to the basic categories of jewelry, accessories and home decor. The following are questions on every independent retailer's mind:

Is it unique?

Jewelry making is popular among the design crowd; however, since the market is saturated, standing out means thinking beyond traditional materials, beading techniques and laser cut pendants.

What sets apart these rings by Angnieska of ORU is the hand-woven Japanese glass beads, using the traditional Native American technique called Peyote Stitch. It’s not something retailers see often. And it is fairly difficult for big box retailers to replicate, which depletes them of all their cost advantages.

The combination of diametrically opposite ideas creates a distinctive selling point for the store owner.

“Love the mixed media. Wonderful job of bringing heritage into the present,” commends Angela Tsay of Oakland Supply Co., a boutique focused on Made in USA goods in Oakland’s historic Jack London Square.

Being unique is in the DNA of creatives so it’s something you’ll figure out. Now the next question:

Is it retail ready?

Retail readiness means your product is in the right shape to add to the store shelves. It could mean simple things like hang tags that clearly explain the product story. Or including care instructions. These are often overlooked by novice designers.

Sometimes it could mean including a feature that a particular store’s customers are looking for.

Oxgut founder Laura Le, who also works as a freelance producer at Google Brand Labs and other agencies, uses decommissioned fire hoses to design bags and home decor pieces. The Franchesi Tote featured here certainly passes the unique test.

Retailers however may have a few concerns before bringing it into their stores.

“I like the clean upcycled design” says Allison McGowan of Teich, a home goods boutique in the West Village. “I’ve learned that NYC customers want pockets in their totes, especially if they are open at the top as this one is. People want to be able to securely store valuables.”

While it’s ready for retail for the beach-going public in NorCal, one solution could be to produce a special edition for the NYC crowd with an extra pocket.

It could be all you need to get retail-ready for your favorite store.

Is it utilitarian?

While stores do stock novelty items, they prefer products that are not only unique, but also have regular use for personal purposes or as gifts.

For designers, stationary is a good place to start. Anything different from the Moleskin or Field Notes are great for grabbing a retailer’s attention.

Alex Pearson, who runs a freelance design studio, recycles the extra inventory from his Wes Anderson themed letter press posters into a set of notebooks.

“Colorful and quirky. Like the movie.” says Sylvia Parker of Upper West Side store Magpie, which focuses on sustainable products. “Three-pack size is an asset.”

Another area with a lot of utility and room for experimentation is barware. The sales are great all year round.

“Anything that can be used towards an alcoholic drink, people are always interested in.” says Michael Levy, Creative Director of San Francisco Curiosities Store Paxton Gate.

Retail stores offer great cred to independent designers and the shop local movement. Stores also purchase in lower minimums so the small batch quantities you make between gigs are welcome.

And how cool is it that you can start a side business selling barware. Tom Dixon would be the first to agree.

Would you like to know how your side product will do at stores? Send a link vinit@skue.co and we'll include you in the next round of reviews and a chance to get sourced by the world’s best indie retailers.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

CALLING YOUR OWN SHOTS IS EVERYTHING

Working Not Working February 11, 2016

CALLING YOUR OWN SHOTS IS EVERYTHING

You may have met WNW Member #8776 Stephen McFadden at the 4th Annual WNW Holiday Party. He was the one filming it, so we can relive the GIFs, the drinks, the jams, and those spontaneous Shake Shack burgers. We recently interviewed Stephen so the WNW community could get to know a little bit more about the director's background and aspirations.

Stephen developed his television and broadcast chops on cruise ships and tourism videos. "My biggest reward has been traveling around the country and the world without ever having to pay for it." After returning to land, Stephen started his own one-man freelance outfit, McFadden Creative. And it seems that being his own boss suits him: "Having the ability to call your own shots is everything."

We also spoke to Stephen about which of his projects he's proudest of, and what he's learned from the high seas in case you're ready for an epic adventure yourself.

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Did you always know you wanted to be a photographer and director?

No, I didn’t always know but when I got to college, I went down the list of majors and chose Radio, TV & Film and it’s been my life’s passion ever since. At this point in my career, I can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s been a very unknown and exciting journey.

Who's inspired you?

No one person has inspired me but I’ve always admired people who’ve paved their own paths and did things their way. Currently, I feel that I’m a part of the new era of “auteurs” that seem to be disrupting internet video content.

Tell us about your career path. How did you get here?

After getting degrees in Entertainment Business and Film, I found myself interning at a major network (BET) where I learned the day-to-day operations of national televised programming.

Then from there, I started working on cruise ships (Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line) in the television and broadcast departments where I really cut my teeth in a fast paced, shoot and edit environment. My cruise ship experience really gave me the confidence and autonomy to manage my time and workflow. Back then, we were still shooting to (digi beta) tape. Ship life also gave me the opportunity to see far corners of the world while having amazing travel experiences.

After a couple of years of working and living on ships, I transitioned into shooting and editing travel/tourism videos which was a blast (Miles Media Partnership). Shooting/editing tourism videos helped me realize the power of content and how far reaching a “local” video could really be. During my travel/tourism time, I learned how important stories and characters are to unscripted content. This time also solidified that work can truly be fun.

From 2010-2015 I split my time between being a Project Videographer in education (St. Petersburg College) and freelancing as an “one man band” producer/shooter/editor under my own freelance outfit, McFadden Creative. The work I’ve done under McFadden Creative, hands down, has been the most rewarding work I’ve done to date. It’s given me the opportunity to create original web series, mini docs, fashion videos and other types of content. Having the ability to call your own shots is everything.

Currently, I’m a video editor at a New York video content agency.

Five Lessons from Working on Cruise Ship

1) Be prepared to work really long days. The average day as a Broadcast Tech involves managing and scheduling .mpg players for TV content, filming on board activities & live shows, turning around quick edits, constantly trouble shooting satellites and old equipment. It's the best crash course I've ever had in time management.

2) If you're lucky to get a great itinerary, it's the best way to travel the world. I've spent months in the Caribbean and one six month contract in the Mediterranean. Waking up in 10+ different countries, on two continents over the course of several months is pretty awesome.

3) When the ship docks, go get lost. Living six months at a time onboard ships can be really intense and can feel quite claustrophobic. The best cure for cabin fever is to go get lost in whatever city you're visiting. I spent a lot of time walking around with my camera, taking in the native cultures. Most places are extremely touristy, so get as far away from the main areas as possible. Always make good friends with cabbies, they will know where to take you for a small fee.

4) Your world view will change. One of the last ships I was on, I was 1 of 19 Americans out of 700+ crew members. It felt very different working in an environment where most people don't sound like you. Although, everyone spoke english, it wasn't everyones first language. It truly opened my eyes to see how big the world really is and how the rest of the world views Americans.

5) If you work hard and play harder, you will have created life-long memories that will last forever. Between all the new friends you'll make, the long hours of work, the long sea days (days spent at sea, not on land), great crew parties and beautiful destinations, it's the most amazing and intense work life you'll ever have.

Do your parents understand what you do for a living?

Not quite. They understand that I do stuff with cameras and computers. Aside from that, it doesn’t really makes sense to them.

What's your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge is selling clients on my personal visions for their projects. It’s an ongoing, healthy challenge that I face.

Biggest reward?

My biggest reward has been traveling around the country and the world without ever having to pay for it. Most people would love to travel but don’t want to pay for it. I went years without ever having to pay for tickets.

What's it like shooting the annual WNW Holiday party?

Shooting a WNW Holiday party is a blast. WNW brings together an interesting mix of creatives who might not otherwise party together, so being able to document people having a good time from so many different backgrounds was the coolest part for me. Obviously, the music and drinks are great but this year Shake Shack was in the house passing out free burgers so that was pretty awesome in itself. Justin and Adam do a fantastic job of hosting a great event. I loved it so much, I wish they would host a summer party.

Favorite piece of your own work and why?

I would say my favorite piece would be a video I created with Chef Steve Phelps of Indigenous restaurant. It’s a piece I worked on for probably 3 years. The final video was called “Being a Chef” which basically documented the three year journey of a chef as he builds his brand and comes into his own as a star chef. He and I did numerous videos in between “being a chef” but he wanted one video which was a statement and testament to what it means to him to be a chef. It’s probably one of the most impactful videos I’ve made.

What's a dream project of yours?

My dream project would involve telling a brand’s unique story through culture, fashion, and food in a docu-series.

Any resources that have been helpful to you in what you do for a living?

The internet as a whole has truly been helpful for me. There are so many resources and avenues out there. Vimeo has been pretty integral in me discovering new ways to do things, discovering other creators and finding inspiration.

What's advice you'd give your high school self?

I would tell my high school self to stop being afraid that everyone is somehow better than you. And do something everyday that helps build my confidence and self-esteem. It took me years to finally realize that I was just as good as most creatives. And the other thing would be to always ask her for her phone number.

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HILLARY COE ON DRAG RACING, FLYING JETS, & HARRISON FORD

Working Not Working February 5, 2016

HILLARY COE ON DRAG RACING, FLYING JETS, & HARRISON FORD

We spoke to WNW Member #2984 Hillary Coe about her experiences modeling, drag racing, flying jets, hanging out with Harrison Ford, empowering women through advertising, and looking to the uncharted territory of virtual reality, augmented reality, and home connectivity. Yes, she's done all of that. Which made us wonder if she's dipped her toes in cloning as well. And which of these endeavors Hillary was in the middle of when she took the time to chat with us. How fast was she going? Did she have Harrison guest answer a question? (Is it virtual reality or augmented reality that allows us to pretend to do all of this cool shit too?)

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Tell us your story! Who is Hillary Coe and how did she get here?

I am a creative director, a hands-on designer, and a technologist. I build experiences, the products that bring them to life, and the stories that make the world fall in love with them.

Growing up I was (and still am) fascinated with technology and traditional art. I studied digital media in college (visual effects, motion graphics, film and advertising), which allowed me to seamlessly work across all mediums of the creative field. This includes film production (Anonymous Content), creative production (Hornet/Famous) my own creative agency (BoxEight), advertising (Chiat/TBWA/Media Arts Lab) and the creative tech world (Google).

In addition to my professional career, I hold a world record in drag racing. I appear on the cover of the world’s largest fashion magazines, and push myself both mentally and physically by climbing mountains, jumping out of planes and learning to fly.

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Growing up, what did you want to be?

I wanted to be an astronaut. I fantasized about space and discovery of new worlds as I ran around the backyard in my underpants. I still romanticize the unknown up there, but with a slightly different lens now and more clothes on.

"I want to lick the gelato from Milan in late Summer with the violin gypsies and Parisian chainsmokers dancing on ships as they twist through Fjords under glowing northern lights."

Do your parents understand what you do for a living?

I used to chase my father around his agency when I was a kid - learning the letterpress and what that big Avid box machine did. I owe a lot of my storytelling to his never-ending openness to creativity. My mother is still upset I don’t make greeting cards.

What are some cities you’ve lived in, summed up in one sentence?

I want to lick the gelato from Milan in late Summer with the violin gypsies and Parisian chainsmokers dancing on ships as they twist through Fjords under glowing northern lights.

What's a dream place you’d like to move?

I would be satisfied never settling anywhere and always exploring. My inspiration pulls from the experiences outside of where work lands me, and I find it absolutely essential to my work (and growth as a human being) to seek that out.

You’ve been a successful creative director, designer, technologist, drag racer, model, and the list goes on. How does having such varied experiences impact your work?

I have this need to surprise, disrupt and hopefully inspire people to see things differently. If I wasn’t applying this to the rest of my life I would be dishonest.

How does one experience inform another? Do you apply insights from drag racing, flying jets, and modeling to your work as a creative director?

The psychology behind me seeking out those “experiences” is the same tension that drives me to constantly reinvent the way I tell stories. “Girls can’t race”. Bullshit. I spent every weekend for 2 years tossing wrenches with the right team until we broke records and made history. I see storytelling in this brilliant technological age the same way. There is nothing we can’t do, we just need to be smart, not fear change and have a damn good Creative Technologist backing us up (I recommend Hai Nguyen).

Are there any fields you haven’t conquered? If not, then next question. If yes, what are one or two things you always wanted to try your hands at but haven’t yet?

I want to invent new fields and conquer them. I want to take the sparks of magic in new platforms and shape them into the flaming powerhouses I see them becoming. Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, home connectivity….there is a huge list of areas for creative influence yet to be defined. It is an exciting time to be a creative.

Work

“Real Time Advertising” won pretty much every award that ever existed. What was your involvement? Did you and your team know that you were onto something groundbreaking during development?

Twitter was winning and we were tired of every brand wanting to “re-create the Oreo moment” during live events. This was a perfect example of reinventing the way we saw advertising to meet the challenges of an ever-changing social environment. My creative role allowed me to imagine how this project existed in the world and how people used it. Ex: How could Nike provide an innovative experience on users' second screens when Messi scored a goal? Display ads were no longer something pushed on a user, they started a real conversation. That is the power of real-time advertising - it reflects real life as it happens, just like social media.

The adidas campaign “all in for #mygirls” addresses gender stereotypes on and off the proverbial field. I'm sure you have something to say on the topic of gender stereotyping.

The adidas campaign was very important to me - beyond my quest to tell real, authentic stories of girls all over the world kicking ass and taking names. Women who exist in male-driven worlds (including advertising) are rarely shown the perspective of other females fighting that same battle. I grew up a tomboy and seemed to be the only girl within 15 miles who liked to skateboard and swim in the ocean. If I had access to girls who shared those same passions I wouldn’t have felt so isolated- something a lot of women now feel in the workplace. The adidas campaign set up a community for girls to locate and set up their tribes online. I highly suggest to any young woman in advertising: find your tribe.

"If I had access to girls who shared those same passions I wouldn’t have felt so isolated- something a lot of women now feel in the workplace."

Harrison Ford still hasn’t finished building his WNW profile, but we still think he’s super cool. Did you get to meet Harrison and all of the voices behind the Conservation International's "Nature is Speaking"? Who most exceeded your expectations, or most surprised you?

I am truly inspired by how passionate and involved Harrison is toward this environmental crisis (he’s on the Board of Directors with Ed Norton). I respect all these actors: they have the eyes and ears of the world and volunteer that power for the sake of doing something good. One of them recorded a version based on a famous line they are known for and I wish we had permission to release it.

I’ll be sure to remind Harrison of his profile incompletion.

Do you have other causes you’re especially passionate about, that you’d love to work on in the future?

Any with truly good intentions. There is no better feeling than taking the skills and passions I have and applying them to ACTUALLY make a difference in the world. I just finished some work for the UN Climate Conference, and currently I’m lending a hand to XQ: who are rethinking the education system by empowering the right people to bring schools into the 21st century. Keep an eye out.

Inspiration & Advice

Who are some other WNW members you admire, and why?

Blake Kidder - One of the craziest creative minds I have worked with

Tim Geoghegan - Because he’s not afraid to cross dress on a casual Wednesday

What’s the best advice for a creative that you’ve ever heard? Do you have a favorite quote, or personal mantra?

Lee Clow: Make it smart. Make it beautiful. Have fun.

If a problem you are trying to solve doesn’t work within the constraints of the brief, the platform or technology--change the constraints. Be prepared to go to bat for it.

Learn. Don’t get comfortable. Know what’s out there. Find out who is doing cutting edge work. Watch lectures, go to conferences, attend dinners even if you aren’t particularly social. LEARN to be social.

Things you would tell your high school or early twenties self.

Stay weird and don’t drop out of that C++ class.

"I highly suggest to any young woman in advertising: find your tribe."

Bonus Round :)

What do you do when Not Working?

I’m learning to fly. Once you ride in an F-16 you’ll never look at the sky the same way again.

What song always gets you in the creative zone?

I’m not sure about creative zone but this question reminds me of that Kenny Loggins song I used to play before races.

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WHAT THE F*#!CK IS A UX DESIGNER, ANYWAY?

Working Not Working January 27, 2016

WHAT THE F*#!CK IS A UX DESIGNER, ANYWAY?

We've all heard of UX Design, but what is it? We enlisted the help of Sweden-based WNW Member #2079 Anton Sten to peel away some layers from this mysterious, ever-shifting role. As Anton notes in his new e-book User Experiences that Matter, it really boils down to valuing your customer, and understanding how to make them happy. But he also stresses that while UX is integral, it is only part of a great experience: "Even if your product is amazing - like really the best of the best - it can all be destroyed by one impersonal customer service answer, a slow loading website, or not delivering on a promise. After that it’s back to square one. I think Uber is a good example. Regardless of how ‘friction-less’ the app is, if your driver is bad, then you’ll have a bad experience. Everything has to play well together."

WNW members, use the code 'wnw25' to get 25% off of User Experiences that Matter.

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Your book does a great job of breaking down UX Design (and all of the abbreviations that come with it) so that its purposes and applications are more transparent. What lead you to write this book?

Thank you! It was about a year ago that I started writing more and more. When I started, it was purely out of wanting to share my personal reasoning behind my designs in a more thoughtful way. Due to working remotely, I often have to express my concepts in written text. It was only natural to begin to share my ideas and opinions with the world about UX Design and what it takes to make a really great user experience. I started working with a great editor, Joshua Yuhas, who helped me to transform these articles into better pieces, making sure the structure is easy to follow. We both noticed how they would do even better if they were placed in an order where they could build off from each other.

What gaps in understanding UX do you hope to fill?

There are so many opinions on what UX Design is and I wanted to provide other UX Designers with a simple guide to clear up the confusion. I sincerely believe that even the best wireframes - a UX Design mainstay - can result in a really poor experience for the user. A really well thought out plan needs more than just a UX Designer, but participation from the entire team. The user needs to be considered in every step of their journey.

What’s your background? How did you become a UX Designer?

I started way back in 1996 with web design. Back then, there really wasn’t much in the way of ‘design’ and it would be many years before UX Design was even a concept. Because the industry was so young, I was able to get a job at a traditional advertising agency without an education or any prior experience. While working there, I learned all the ground rules of good design (typography, color theory, etc) from the people I worked with.

In 2000, I started at Hyper Island and for the next ten years I spent much of my time working as a designer/art director for agencies in Sweden and Denmark. Ironically, my last two full-time jobs were at large advertising agencies (BBDO and Bates Y&R) teaching the “traditional” staff how to do better digital work. It was a real role reversal.

When I did finally venture out on my own, I was much more aware of what I was good at - and what others do better. I realized that my strengths were in making sure everything fits well together and understanding how people use these “things”. I found that even while working as a designer, I was more focused on the big picture than just adjusting the drop shadow perfectly on a button.

If you weren’t doing what you do, what do you think you’d be?

I like to think that no matter what I’d be doing, I’d still be focused on making sure people are having a great experience. I’ve specialized in digital products because it’s still such a new field and there’s so many exciting things going on. I do have a passion for animals, and working with them would be amazing. In fact, I bring my dog to my office every day. She’s my only co-worker.

In User Experiences That Matter, you stress how it really boils down to valuing your customer, and understanding how to make them happy. Can you tell us a little bit about the challenges that come with that?

While most of us want to create great user experiences because we know that happy customers equal happy sales, we tend to limit the scope of what really creates that great experience. I have worked with numerous e-commerce sites that only wanted me to improve 2 or 3 pages believing that if we get those right, it’ll be all blue skies and unicorns. I think the challenge with user experiences is that it takes so much effort to build something great and it can be destroyed with just one mistake. Even if your product is amazing - like really the best of the best - it can all be destroyed by one impersonal customer service answer, a slow loading website, or not delivering on a promise. After that it’s back to square one. I think Uber is a good example. Regardless of how ‘friction-less’ the app is, if your driver is bad, then you’ll have a bad experience. Everything has to play well together. For larger companies, this can be especially difficult since they tend to work in silos.

Any advice you can give to our members on the importance of understanding the customer / how to keep ‘em happy?

Become a customer! :)

There are some great books on this topic, but I believe Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh is one of the best. To better understand the customer’s point of view, it’s important to see what their full journey is. What did they do before visiting your site? Why did they end up on your site? If you sell something, why did they choose to buy from you? There are so many questions here and they boil down to the exact same thing - you have to really understand your customer. If you don’t, you can’t make them happy in the long run because you’re just guessing.

If nothing else, what are five things our members should know?

1. Work problems are very rarely solved in the office. I usually take my dog for a walk around Malmö and I get so much more done that way. Staring at a blank canvas on a computer screen doesn’t get good results.

2. Don’t have an ego - it’s OK not to know everything.

3. Don’t make promises you can’t keep, especially as a freelancer, but really as a human being in general.

4. Try new things. About a year ago I finally tried Pilates Reformer and now I love it. For many years I had an idea of what it is (I was wrong) and that I wouldn’t like it. Finding an exercise form that you love makes it a lot easier to keep in shape.

5. Find out when, where, and how you do your best work. Then adjust your life to better support it. It’ll mean you’ll create better work and be happier when not working.

What’s next for you? What are some dream projects?

I was asked to work on the UI of new car models recently and that would have been a great experience for sure. They are so important to our everyday lives, but have evolved so little. I bought a new Audi last summer and basically it has the same UI and UX as a model from ten years ago! While companies like Tesla are doing some great things, their improvements seem to be primarily technical. You get a 17” touch screen, but it’s still showing things that we are all used to. It would be a dream project of mine to create a new and exciting UI and UX in something we use as often as the car.

Unfortunately, this position would have meant moving, which I wasn’t up for. I enjoy the freedom that freelancing brings and will continue to do great work for my awesome clients.

What do you do when you’re Not Working?

I enjoy hanging out with my wife and dog, reading, watching football (soccer), and playing FIFA on my Playstation.

Are there other WNW members whose work you admire?

I’m sure that there are a bunch of awesome people on WNW, but it’s hard to communicate great UX work/projects just through screenshots. Lia Software Art seems to do awesome work and I would love to hear about challenges in working on a voice-controlled experience. Adam Glynn-Finnegan has done awesome stuff and I’ve always loved the Evernote branding.

Tell us about the significance of your email address :)

I’ve always had a love for France and anything related, so when I started my first company I called it Le Petit Garcon (The Little Boy). Mostly, this was because I felt very small compared to the agencies I was pitching against. The last year though, I’ve come to realize that my clients hire me and I might as well just do business as Anton Sten. My website is now antonsten.com and has the added bonus of being far easier to pronounce to someone over the phone.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

TAKE A BREATHER WITH LEE MOULTON

Working Not Working January 22, 2016

TAKE A BREATHER WITH
LEE MOULTON

When we first heard of Breather we were immediately intrigued: beautifully designed spaces for rent by the hour or the day, unlocked with an app. After partnering with Breather for this year's holiday party, we sat down with Lee Moulton, Head of Strategic Partnerships, to learn more.

Not only did we get the inside story on the company, Lee told us about his unique background: his upbringing in the midst of the Liberian Civil War, starting Youth Action International while at Amherst, and how he switched from Goldman Sachs to startup: "Being able to make it through early adversity and excel both academically and professionally was really fueled by my belief that I was spared from the killing and horror in Liberia for a larger purpose. I value and treasure every opportunity that has come my way."

WNW Members: check this week's newsletter for details on Office Hours we're hosting 1/27 in a NYC Breather. We'll be answering all your questions about freelancing, full-timing, and the future of Working Not Working.

Members can also book their own Breather space and get an hour free, just use the code WNWVIP.

Tell us about your background: Who is Lee Moulton and how did he get here?

Oh boy, where do I start? So I was born in Madison, Wisconsin, where my mother, who is a native of Liberia, was finishing her graduate school work. We moved back to Liberia before my 2nd birthday and I spent my early years there growing up in the capital of Monrovia. Around the age of 5, the Liberian Civil War began and we had to evacuate. Because my young sister and I were both American Citizens, we left on the U.S. Embassy plane while my mother stayed back to help her family get out of the country. For almost a year and half, I didn’t get to see my mother as I settled with family in North Carolina. I have to admit, it was a rough way to spend my formative years.

Pushing through that rough start, I managed to get a scholarship to attend the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Northfield, Massachusetts. Afterwards, I gained admittance into Amherst College and went on to Goldman Sachs. Being able to make it through early adversity and excel both academically and professionally was really fueled by my belief that I was spared from the killing and horror in Liberia for a larger purpose. I value and treasure every opportunity that has come my way and make sure to always aim for excellence in all I do. Thanks to my mother and extended family, I’ve had the support needed to keep going and keep pushing myself to new heights.

You spent six years at Goldman Sachs. How’d you make the transition to startup life?

I realized while working at Goldman that I had a real interest in entrepreneurship. At Goldman, we served companies that were large and established but more and more, coming out of the financial crisis, our focus started to turn to the rapid growth of emerging companies like Facebook and Uber. As I studied those companies and their paths to success, I knew that I wanted to be part of a similar story so I started asking friends in the startup world for intros to small companies that they thought had growth potential and could use my sales and finance skill set. After doing what I call “startup dating” and having a ton of coffees and conversations with various founders, I ended up speaking to the General Manager of Breather here in NYC, Packy McCormick, and meeting with the CEO and Co-Founder Julien Smith. One of the things I learned during my career at Goldman was that organizational culture and values were extremely important in the success of any endeavor. From my preliminary talks with Julien and Packy, I was immediately taken aback by their passion for the Breather concept, their belief in putting people first, and their appreciation and respect for my prior experience. The rest is history.

Tell us about Breather, and what exactly is it?

At Breather, we are aiming to be that “third” space between people’s homes and offices, a place where they can meet, work or relax in peace, quiet and comfort. Right now, Starbucks is the defacto third space for urban dwellers. In a busy, bustling city, if you need a place to take a call or find respite, eventually there will be a Breather within a couple of blocks of wherever you are that you can pop into and get a personal, private space whenever you want it with powerful wifi, comfortable seating, white boards, and all the other tools you might need.

The use cases are pretty uncanny. For instance, Uber’s Head of Design uses Breather for team meetings and off-sites. We are an official corporate perk for employees at Etsy, Facebook and BuzzFeed, and we also have thousands of freelance photographers, videographers and other content creators who use our locations for photoshoots, interviews and meetings with their clients.

In a nutshell, we want to empower individuals and organizations by unlocking the buildings and spaces they walk by each day. Why have 1 office when you can have hundreds, on demand. We want you to walk around feeling like you have 10,000 keys right there in your pocket. To feel like the city is yours.

Breather spaces are not people’s homes or offices, correct? It’s a space that Breather owns, decorates and rents out?

Correct. Breather spaces open at 6:00am and close at 10:00pm, with a few exceptions. We only open space in buildings designated for commercial use. We’ll find an office in a central location, furnish it with all the amenities our users love, and then make it available by the hour via our app and website. The real magic of it is that each location has a keycode to unlock the door so that spaces are super easy to access, whenever you need them.

How do you think WNW members can benefit from using Breather?

One of the central tenants of Breather is to empower. WNW members who need private meeting space to close business, pitch new clients, or to be productive while in the city can leverage the Breather network. I am proud that we worked out an agreement to offer an exclusive discount on our spaces just to WNW members, as well as give each member 1 free hour to try us out for the first time.

What do you do when you’re Not Working?

Play or watch basketball and football. I am a huge sports fan. I love competition and have an extremely high amount of respect for the work athletes have to put in to perform. I also enjoy cinema and try to catch as many movies as I can.

You also helped start Youth Action International, a humanitarian non-profit organization focused on rebuilding war-torn African countries. How did you get involved?

I helped start Youth Action International while in college. It started as a student organization on campus at Amherst and we spread it to various schools in the area. I was the first President of the organization and joined the board when we got 501c3 certification. I had always wanted to find a way to help out Liberia and other countries impacted by war, and Youth Action International was the perfect opportunity to give back. My work with Youth Action International and what we’ve accomplished since 2004 is something I take great pride in.

TIPS FOR TAKING A BREATHER

Lee Moulton’s top tips on how to maximize your time at Breather:

1. Have an idea of what you want to accomplish. Arrive with an action plan and agenda for your meeting so you don’t waste time.

2. Minimize distractions. Try to turn off your phone and really give your full attention to the project you are working on.

3. Find your comfort zone. Some users like working from our couches and some like sitting at our tables and using our work chairs. Figure out which is better for you.

4. Invite attendees to the meeting via our app. They will get a calendar invite with location and time of the meeting, saving you time so you don't have to send a meeting request in your calendar.

5. If you feel the meeting is going to run longer than the time you booked, extend your reservation as soon as you can before someone books behind you.

BONUS ROUND!

Last three things you Googled:

Bernie Sanders
Riley Curry
Purpose Justin Bieber

Most significant creative or entrepreneurial inspiration:

Stan Lee

Favorite quote:

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb” – Nelson Mandela

Advice you’d give your high school self:

Take more risks and don’t worry about failing. Failing is okay, as long as you learn from it.

Need a Breather? Use the code WNWVIP to get a free hour.

THIS PHOTOGRAPHER WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE

Working Not Working January 20, 2016

THIS PHOTOGRAPHER WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE

Interview by Mike O'Donnell

You want to be a doctor. So you spend years studying and get into one of the best med schools in the country. You study nanoparticles. You write a 350-page thesis. On the day of your thesis defense, you stand before a jury, enlightening them on how contrast-enhanced MR nanoparticles can help effectively diagnose heart disease. The jury awards your thesis, and you're now a doctor. When they ask you what's next, you respond: I'm going to become a photographer.

That's just what WNW Member #1138 Ahmed Klink did. We look forward to being proven wrong, but we believe Ahmed holds the distinction of being the only WNW member who is also a certified doctor. So we had to ask a few questions: how did he make such a drastic career change? And what did his parents think? It turns out Dr. Klink has even saved the lives of a few WNW members who partied too hard. We'd publicly shame each of you in a heartbeat, but he refuses to mention names. The Hippocratic Oath is strong with this one.

We also spoke to Dr. Klink about his multicultural background, how it has profoundly impacted his work, and why photographing both a Bacardi house party and Syrian refugees means so much to him. The doctor will see you now.

Follow Ahmed on WNW

Tell us about your background: Who is Ahmed Klink and how did he get here?

I’m a photographer. I live in New York City but my story started very far from here and it’s kind of an extraordinary tale so hopefully you like those. I was born in Lebanon in the midst of a raging Civil war in the early 1980s. My parents were studying medicine in Romania so my grandparents raised me in a small town in the North of the country until my parents graduated. Unfortunately, because of the war, my parents were not able to come back to Lebanon so I had to leave the country with my cousin who was 17 years old at the time. The plan was to meet my parents in France. We trekked from Lebanon to Syria where we were able to catch a flight to France. I was two years old at the time so I don’t remember any of this but my guess is that the plan could have gone terribly wrong. Thankfully we were able to meet my parents in France where I grew up in a safe and happy environment.

After I graduated high school, I went to college in Paris where I studied engineering for 5 years and I graduated with a Master degree in biomedical imaging. This is in 2006. I was interested in pursuing a PhD and I had always been drawn to the States (one of my aunts lives in Houston and I had visited the Kennedy Space Center as a teenager) so I got my GRE and applied to a bunch of colleges and research labs. One of them was in New York, at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. I had a few phone interviews with the professor there (the great Zahi Fayad) and they decided to take me. There, I did research with nanoparticles and wrote a bunch of papers that yielded a 350 page thesis on how contrast-enhanced MR nanoparticles can help effectively diagnose heart disease. I graduated Suma Cum Laude in 2011. At my thesis defense, the jury asked me what was next and I told them I was going to be a photographer.

How did you family and friends take the news when you told them you were leaving a career in medicine to pursue your passion? Or are we outing you now?

No they know. I remember calling my mom a few months before my graduation. We were talking about what I was going to do and I said, "I’m going to be a photographer." I was shooting throughout my 4 years of PhD research so it didn’t really come as much of a surprise for them. It’s not as if I was calling them to tell them I was moving to LA to try to be an actor or something. During my last year I was already getting enough photo work to the point that manning both medical research and photography was becoming difficult so I had to make a decision. I come from a family of doctors but they were very supportive. I think they could see I didn’t suck at taking pictures.

"At my thesis defense, the jury asked me what was next and I told them I was going to be a photographer."

Do you ever use your medical knowledge on the fly?

Yes! Almost everyday. My friends use me as a safety net when we are out partying and stuff. I’ve saved the lives of a few WNW members but you won’t get names. That doesn’t happen so much anymore but I used to get calls in the middle of the night. One of the funniest anecdotes I have happened during the Cannes Lions a few years ago. I remember getting out of the subway on Delancey St. and I got a call from a friend that appeared to be at the hospital in Cannes after a few crazy nights out. She couldn’t speak French and the doctors there couldn’t speak English so she called me to help translate! She was like, "This is my friend Ahmed! He’s French and he’s a doctor, he’s going to help us!"

"I’ve saved the lives of a few WNW members but you won’t get names."

Do your friends call you “Doc” or do you have to remind them, “That’s Dr. Ahmed Klink to you”?

Yeah, my friends call me Doctor Klink. Some of my long standing clients call me Doc. They know the story. Some of them wouldn’t believe it at first. They thought it was some sort of marketing gimmick or something. I’ve written a thesis and papers on how to diagnose heart attacks using contrast-enhanced nanoparticles. I’ve given presentations at conferences. All of that stuff. It’s on Google!

What moment do you see as the true breakthrough in your career where you thought to yourself, “I’ve made it”?

I don’t know if that’s happened yet. I mean there are obviously breakthrough moments: the first editorial assignment, the first celebrity shoot (Kevin Hart!), the first ad campaign, the first award. All of these helped but I’m just not sure I’ve quite ‘made it’ yet. Have I achieved goals I set for myself early in my career? Yes. Do I have more in store? Absolutely. There are still pictures left for me to take.

Which celebrity were you most excited to photograph? Did any exceed preconceived expectations?

David Duchovny because I grew up watching and obsessing over The X-Files. I wasn’t really nervous but rather super excited at the opportunity. I mean this guy has been in my living room since I was 12 years old. When he walked in the studio we shook hands and he introduced himself as ‘David’. I thought I was hearing my dad or something. His voice was so familiar. The shoot was great. I was impressed at how good he was at following directions, and making subtle changes in his expressions depending on what I was asking him to do. I love the photos we took together. They’re some of my favorites I’ve taken in 2015.

You’ve shot a couple music videos and a Converse ad. Have you considering diving into motion more? How does your approach change when doing video?

I enjoy working on motion a lot. I think my way of taking pictures is originally very similar to a film/motion shoot. It’s very dynamic. I like interacting and talking to my subjects while I’m shooting to get a certain emotion or expression out of them so there wasn’t really any differences on that end. I think that working in motion, you learn that it’s much more of a team effort compared to photography where ultimately, the photographer is the one behind the camera and in control of the framing, lighting, mood, etc. In motion there’s a job for everyone on set and the director makes it all come together. Coming from a stills background, I’m very particular about the whole process from start to finish so when I first transitioned to motion I was trying to control everything and do everyone’s job. I’ve learned to let go and trust the people to do what they do best.

You have an ongoing personal project called “Syrian Refugees”. What lead you to start this project?

Well, as I was saying earlier, I’m effectively a refugee of the Lebanese Civil war. It makes me terribly sad that both of my home countries (France and Lebanon) were victims of horrific attacks in the past few months. It angers me even more that some political figures in the U.S are questioning accepting Syrian refugees. My family and I are refugees. My parents lost loved ones to war. My mom, as a kid, lost her dad to war. That’s pretty real, you know? If Europe had turned their backs on us, our lives would have been very different. My parents made a life for themselves in France; both of them are very well-respected doctors. I was able to have a normal childhood and I couldn’t be more grateful to France. I went to school, I made friends, I visited the estate of famous French painters, I listened to French music, my sister was born in France. She’s in med school, and is going to be a psychiatrist. I’m French and I feel French. Today, I’m an award-winning photographer. I photographed people that I grew up watching on my TV and stuff. All of these things would have simply not been possible had I been stuck in a war zone. I was born in the middle of a war but someone gave me a chance.

"I was born in the middle of a war but someone gave me a chance."

This project for me was a way to revisit all of that. I think that too often refugees are depicted in a certain light that is not necessarily flattering. These people are kids, children, parents, grandparents, families that are displaced from their home country. That is not easy. I wanted to show that. The humanity, the resilience but the candidness also. I wanted something lively, colorful and vibrant. There’s life there. We can’t forget that. I know that we have to be careful, that our safety is at stake but some of these refugees will become doctors, artists, architects and what not. You can’t give up on that.

WORK

BACARDI HOUSE PARTY PRINT CAMPAIGN

What drew you to it/why did you say yes?

Danilo Boer came up with the Bacardi House Party concept. The idea is that everyone loves a good house party, right? So for the TV spot they decided to strap on a house on the back of a truck turning it into a rolling party across America. So yeah… it’s a bunch of cool people partying in a moving house in the back of a truck. There are DJ’s, pizzas are being delivered to the house on the highway, a live chicken is flapping around and the tub is full of Bacardi! It’s great. Danilo and I had worked together in the past. I love him. He’s amazing. He knows my style and we had been talking about working together on the print campaign. So when it all finally came together and BBDO called, I jumped on it.

What inspirations helped inform your work?

Well, the treatment that Danilo had originally sent to the client was full of my own work which was amazing. All the photos I’ve been taking out with my friends, the crazy situations etc. They loved it. So he really wanted me to keep that style, energy and spontaneity throughout the campaign. We decided that the best way to do that was to actually throw 11 real house parties in 3 days and photograph them the same way I usually do (just with a more expensive camera). It had to feel as if the photographer was part of the party just as much as the rest of the crowd. That he was one of the cool kids too. It’s hard to fake that. So yeah, we had a real live DJ on set for the three days, tons of props relating to the different parties and of course a lot of Bacardi. It was really fun.

Hardest part?

There were a few logistical challenges; the timeline to produce a shoot of this magnitude was pretty tight. Casting 50 people, finding the right locations, figuring out the set design for 11 different parties etc. But at the end it all came together pretty smoothly. Honestly, I think that keeping our energy high for 3 days straight was probably the hardest part. The rest of came pretty easy. Instead of holding a regular casting, my producer had this idea of holding a casting party in a bar and we asked people to bring their friends. We wanted to make sure that the final photos felt organic so it helped to see people in a party element before the shoot. Making sure we were getting everything we needed while complying with the many regulations around alcohol advertising all around the world was also key. Everyone did an amazing job. Shout out to the team at BBDO, Danilo of course, Jasmine, Janelle, Josh, the entire account team, the good people at Marketing Arm; it was a blast! #Blessed

FUTURE XXL COVER

What drew you to it/why did you say yes?

Future did.

What inspirations helped inform your work?

A lot of the inspiration came from him, his music and that Hendrix persona he created for himself (for those who are not familiar, he likes to go by Future Hendrix). So I wanted to do something psychedelic with lots of colors and gels. I researched old Jimi Hendrix covers and sort of put a modern hip-hop spin on it. I wanted the images to be bright, poppy but also a little weird. He took care of that part on set when he started hanging chains off of his tongue and biting really big rings in his mouth.

Hardest part?

Fit what previously was thought as a 3 hour shoot into 45 minutes because he was late. He said he had lost his phone.

COMIC-CON STUDIO

What drew you to it/why did you say yes?

The photo editor over at Vulture called me saying she had seen my Future cover and wanted me to do a similar shoot at Comic-Con over 3 days. She said a lot of actors and personalities would be stopping by that she wanted me to photograph them in a similar style. It was the first time they were doing something like this and they were looking to establish a strong visual style. They loved the colors and energy of the Future story and that’s how it came to be. It’s always great to get hired based on a previous shoot you did. It was a big investment for them and the shoot was a hit; everyone was very happy.

Hardest part?

Trying to establish some kind of intimacy/connection with the actors in a very little time frame. Some of the actors literally stopped by for 3 minutes, and creating compelling portraits in these conditions can be challenging. It helped they could see the colors and mood on set so they could see it was something different.

BONUS ROUND

Proudest career moment:

Probably winning American Photography. I used to attend that party for years as a guest and seeing my work hanging alongside some of the photographers I respect the most that night really made me proud.

Biggest career failure:

Good question. I’d say that losing a client always hurts, especially when it’s one that’s helped you early in your career.

What do you do when you’re not working:

I like to go out and party with my friends all around the City. They’re all very good-looking people. House parties, karaoke dance parties and stuff. I usually always have my small camera on me and I like to document the craziness. I’ve created a ton of personal work throughout the years and booked actual ad campaigns based off that body of work, which is awesome (See Bacardi House Party project above). I also unfortunately like the New York Knicks which has caused me a lot of pain recently although we’re getting better.

Last thing you Googled:

in-n-out Los Angeles

Who are your creative heroes:

Philippe Halsman, William Eggleston and Henri Cartier-Bresson are three of my favorite photographers.

Current song on repeat:

Future - "Kno the Meaning"

Favorite quote:

‘I really believe there are things which nobody would see unless I photographed them’ - Diane Airbus

Advice you’d give your high school self:

No one plays Command & Conquer anymore in 2016

Two truths and a lie:

I’m a doctor, I’m lying, I’m telling the truth.

WNW members whose work you admire and why:

Rich Tu, Shane Griffin and Juan Carlos Pagan because they are beasts and inspire me to go out there everyday and outdo myself.

Follow Ahmed on WNW

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

Kirsten Lepore Gives Adventure Time a Stop-Motion Makeover

Working Not Working January 14, 2016

Kirsten Lepore Gives Adventure Time a Stop-Motion Makeover

MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR

Whoever you are, and wherever you are, find a television and sit in front of it at 7:30PM ET. WNW Member #3094 Kirsten Lepore has written and directed "Bad Jubies", the newest episode of Cartoon Network's Adventure Time, which airs tonight. What's more, she's given the show a complete stop-motion makeover. We spoke to Kirsten about the process of recreating this world with her voice: "In terms of creating a version of the show that felt like me, it was actually less of a challenge than I thought it would be. I think my visual style and story sensibilities have a lot in common with AT’s off the bat, which made the process go pretty smoothly. The hardest part for me, that really forced me out of my element, was writing all the dialogue and jokes. My personal films usually have no dialogue whatsoever, so I was incredibly nervous when I finally went to pitch to the network. Luckily it turned out to be a great experience."

Follow Kirsten on WNW

**This is too cool! How’d you get tapped to write and direct an episode of Adventure Time?**

About a week after I released my grad thesis "Move Mountain," I got an email out of the blue from Adam Muto, the showrunner on Adventure Time, saying that they'd always wanted to do a stop-motion episode and after seeing my film (which was coincidentally also an 11 minute stop-motion short), they thought I would be a perfect fit to write and direct an episode of the show. After freaking out with excitement, I said yes, and started developing concepts for the episode.

Did you know from the get-go that you would give it the stop-motion treatment? What was it like, recreating this world on your terms, in your wheelhouse?

It was always going to be a stop-motion episode, as this is what the network was excited about - but it’s also what I specialize in, so it made sense. I definitely came up with some concepts in the beginning where Finn and Jake were a little too aware of the fact that their medium changed and Pen talked me out of that. I’m so glad he did, because I think what the episode evolved into was much better. There’s still a little wink & nod at the fact that they look different, but I tried to keep it subtle. In terms of creating a version of the show that felt like me, it was actually less of a challenge than I thought it would be. I think my visual style and story sensibilities have a lot in common with AT’s off the bat, which made the process go pretty smoothly. The hardest part for me, that really forced me out of my element, was writing all the dialogue and jokes. My personal films usually have no dialogue whatsoever, so I was incredibly nervous when I finally went to pitch to the network. Luckily it turned out to be a great experience - there were about 30 people in that room and everyone laughed! It felt great to know that this storyboard I slaved away at privately in my bedroom for 5 weeks actually worked as an episode once I shared it with an audience.

Can you give a little insight into the process of writing and directing an episode? Were you a big fan before working on the show?

It’s funny, I actually didn’t really watch the show before I got the directing gig. But I set out to watch every episode for research, and about 4 episodes in, I was already completely obsessed with the show and had become a super fan. So at that point, the pressure felt even higher to create something that would fit into this wonderful world that had already been established. Writing was definitely the hardest part of the process, but once I was finished, it was a joy to direct it and actually make it happen. It was incredibly exciting to finally step back from all the animation and building responsibilities that I usually take on, and let the professionals at Bix Pix (where we did all the production) work their magic with me supervising. They did such an amazing job - sooo much better than anything I could have done, and it was such a joy to work with them. And directing wasn’t without its stresses, but it was certainly more enjoyable with a team than by working alone.

What other animated shows would you love to work on, and add your touch?

Oh man! I’ve never even thought about it! Hmmmm, it’d be pretty fun to do a Simpsons' couch gag, actually.

Based on everything you've learned as a creative professional, what are some top tips you can share with the WNW community?

I think the biggest ones that have helped me are:

1. Finish your films/projects.

This is more applicable to people making time-based things or really huge projects that take extended periods of time. I’ve found that inevitably there’s a point in those long projects that you’re totally over it and want to give up. But the world hasn’t seen it yet, so it’ll still be new and exciting to them - but they can only see it if you finish it. Sometimes you really have go back to your initial sketches and get back in touch with what excited you about the project in the first place to reignite that spark.

2. Put them online and keep a well-curated online portfolio.

This is pretty simple, but I have to say it because I often see people hiding some of their best work away because they’re too self-conscious or something. I think it’s really important to keep your online portfolio up to date and constantly evolving. The internet is the best free distribution platform - it’s how I’ve gotten all my work and why I’m able to support myself. The WNW community seems to have their stuff together though, so I’m not even sure how much this applies. I feel like the community members really know how to design and to present themselves professionally.

**What’s next for you, besides remembering daily that you just wrote and directed an episode of Adventure Time!**

Haha - it is really exciting! But currently I’m helping a good friend write her show that’s in development, as well as working on a new short of my own that I hope to complete in the spring!

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PROFILES OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 11TH

Working Not Working January 10, 2016

PROFILES OF THE WEEK: JANUARY 11TH

Sara Kalinoski, Designer. San Francisco.

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Leilanni Todd, Art Director. New York.

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Tiffany Beucher, Illustrator. London.

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Doug Falter, Photographer. Haleiwa.

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Albane Simon, Illustrator. Paris.

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Jonas Bodin, Copywriter. Los Angeles.

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Sept Putra, Motion Designer. Melbourne.

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Chris Shimojima, Director. Lond Island City.

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Going Freelance: Building and Branding Your Own Success

Working Not Working January 7, 2016

Running Working Not Working over the years has given us an inside look into the best practices of going freelance. We're continually inspired by our members and we've learned a lot from their successes - and their struggles. Because it can be scary to take the freelance plunge, we created a Skillshare class that sets the foundation of working for yourself, Going Freelance: Building and Branding Your Own Success.

A LOVE LETTER TO FREELANCING

Tell us a little bit about your creative background.

What inspired you to declare your love to freelancing?

Best advice about freelancing you've received? Best advice you can give?

A Love Letter

Pros and cons of freelancing

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BEING SOMEONE YOU'RE NOT: SURVIVING GAY CONVERSION THERAPY

Tell us a little bit about your background. Who is Shloimy Notik and how did he get here? How did you become a copywriter?

"I would stay up until sunrise writing and rewriting headline after headline trying my very hardest to nail the insight. I’d then abuse the family printer to see which typeface was right: sans, serif, or slab."

How old were you when you first started attending gay conversion therapy? How did you wind up in these sessions?

"While I didn’t have a problem with being gay, and coming out felt like dropping a million pounds I was carrying around for so long, it made sense to me that being straight would be an easier path."

As you delved deeper into the therapy, what kind of realizations did you discover about conversion therapy, and yourself?

When did you realize that your experience was something that you needed to write about?

"As Mark Twain famously said, 'Write what you know.' I know going through 8 months of conversion therapy, because I lived through it."

Tell us about your decision to go public about this: what has that experience been like? What’s been the response?

"My book won’t be an instrument of revenge, but rather a deeply personal first hand account of my journey to understanding."

"It takes too much energy to be someone you’re not. You live once. And there are far too many interesting, amazing things to accomplish, that devoting any mental or emotional real-estate to other people’s ideas of who or what you should be is a total waste of time."

What is some advice you can give to fellow WNW members who might be feeling similar pressures to be someone they’re not?

BONUS ROUND!

What do you do when you’re Not Working?

How did you get into magic? What kind of magic do you do? Where do you perform?

"Magic audiences watch in constant doubt of what is being sold to them. Learning how to manage that kind of objection was a good skill to pick up before pitching ideas to creative directors or a room full of clients."

Does being a magician inspire or inform what you do as a (copy)writer?

"I’ve done magic for many key decision makers at the offices of BMW, Oscar Mayer, American Express. Nothing diffuses the formality of a meeting like asking your client to think of a card, and then pulling that card out of your mouth."

Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire, and why?

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

5 Members You Need to KnowAccording to Jon Contino

Jon's Picks:

"Ged gets it. He's a younger guy that makes you feel like he's three times his age by the way he works."

"I love Alex's style and I love his attitude. More people should be like him."

"This guy is a beast. I really appreciate a great designer who can also be a great creative director. Juan Carlos is the kind of person that will be an executive before he's 40."

"I've known Dan a long time and his work continually stuns me every time he puts something new out."

"The quirky, fun approach Will has is something most people could never pull off, but he does it and does it really well."

Are you a WNW Member ready to pay it forward? Email us!

GET SCHOOLED: HOW XQ IS RETHINKING EDUCATION FROM THE GROUND UP

Tell us a bit about your creative backgrounds.

How did you come up with the name XQ: The Super School Project?

What was your creative approach to the 4-minute XQ video that is essentially a pitch of the entire project?

"Both of us came from Wieden+Kennedy, so we had a shared language and approach that was really important when things got intense. It almost felt like we were bringing a metaphorical baby into the world, with all the ups and downs and a total inability to 'let go'."

Who or what inspired you when shaping the voice and brand of XQ?

"The campaign’s job was to ultimately engage the national community to weigh in on how education needs to change."

Is the failure of the current high school system an issue you'd been interested in prior to this project? What was your own high school experience like?

From what you’ve learned throughout this process, why do you think the high school system remains so archaic?

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

SICK OF YOUR HANDKERCHIEF? TRY A GANGSTERCHIEF.

Tell us a little bit about your background. Who is Vikas and how did he get here?

How did you become interested in exploring gang violence?

"For four years I saw Mexican gangs (like SMx13) and Black gangs (like Graveyard Crips) fight because that’s all they knew. I didn’t understand it, so I got obsessed with it."

How did you start Gangsterchief?

"It was the perfect medium to disturb the places we find most sacred. Places like weddings, business meetings, dates and interviews."

Why high-end silk pocket squares?

What’s your take on the manner in which gang violence is portrayed in the news?

Where do the proceeds go?

"We’re donating 15% of the profits to organizations and individuals focused on preventing gang violence by providing jobs, education and tools to the people of inner city Los Angeles."

How did Robert Yager get involved?

What’s next for you, and for Gangsterchief?

What is some advice you can offer creatives based on your experience with Gangsterchief?

Who are some other WNW members whose work you admire?

"Have an idea for an app, children’s book, political statement, website, poster, short story, food truck, anything? You can make it right now and have it out in the world tomorrow."

Anything else you’d like to add?

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WONDER WHAT IT'S LIKE GOINGTO THE OSCARS? ASK JULIA POTT

How did you come to be the voice of Emily in Don Hertzfeldt’s mind-bending Oscar-nominated short World of Tomorrow?

Had you ever done any voice work before, besides the Golden-Globe winning WNW Microsoft Commercial? Tell us about the experience.

Were you already familiar with Don Hertzfeldt’s work?

Where were you when Don told you he was bringing you to the Oscars? What was the first thing that came to your mind?

How have you prepared for the Oscars? Most importantly: Who are you wearing?

Has Don cast you as the voice of his acceptance speech if/when World of Tomorrow wins?

Which actors and actresses are you hoping to bump into on the red carpet or in the buffet line? (Is there a buffet line? We’ve never been to the Oscars…)

Are you a big movie buff? What are some of your favorites?

What was your favorite feature-length film this year? Any Oscar predictions you care to share? Is it FINALLY Leo’s year?

What’s next for you?

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FEELING HANGRY AND INDECISIVE? END YOUR SUFFERING WITH MENULESS

Tell us a little bit about your creative backgrounds.

How hungry and indecisive were you the moment you decided to start Menuless?

What are your respective roles in building Menuless?

What have been some of the challenges you’ve encountered thus far?

In the early days of Menuless, does it seem like people are giving up control to stave off starvation?

5 Members You Need to Know
According to Jon Contino

**How did you come to be the voice of Emily in Don Hertzfeldt’s mind-bending Oscar-nominated short World of Tomorrow?**

**Has Don cast you as the voice of his acceptance speech if/when World of Tomorrow wins?**

**How did the process of Falling make you think of teamwork differently?**