Let's Get A Job – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This week Ashley Gutierrez, a junior producer at Fresh Tape, a sports media production company based in Denver, walks us through her role in a recent project between Twitter, HBCUs, and the NBA. She sees her role as the blueprint to everything – from the pitch, to planning, finding the right people to execute her idea, managing the talent and clients, and even picking up a camera or editing when necessary. Living in the “we just have to make it happen” world, she makes sure the projects get done on time and, most importantly, within budget. Originally from Miami, Ashley and I discuss moving to Denver during the pandemic and the transition from intern to full time. Her advice is don’t think too much about what’s on your reel, putting the experimental stuff you do in your free time is what gets you a job doing what you really want to do. Also, learn how to light a set… it’s what makes an image beautiful. 

SHOW NOTES

• NBAxHBCU 
• Lauren London x Puma
• Avalanche Hype Video
• Gondola.cc - IMDB for social media
• Jobs at Fresh Tape

This week, Patrick Drake, a product designer for Dealerware, an automotive tech company located in Austin, discusses how you can’t separate UI from UX because they inherently enhance each other towards a product’s overall goals. He discusses why demonstrating sound problem solving in your work and the ability to walk someone through your thought process is the most effective skill a designer can develop. Patrick shares his process for usability testing, downplaying biometric eye tracking in favor of fast, high-fidelity prototypes because you don’t have to guess what someone is thinking after a biometrics test. We talk about using parallel work examples to get a job doing something new and how sending perfect work isn’t as important as just showing some level of competency when starting out.  Lastly Patrick compares the autonomy and depth within an in-house design role vs the fast turnaround of project based freelance work at a design agency - it’s all about the iterative self-sustaining loop of finding and improving novel problems.

SHOW NOTES

• Dovetail - A User Research Platform
• Johnathan Stark - Freelance Mentor 
• Articulating Design Decisions, by Tom Greene

This week Tori Richman (@toririchman_photography), Team Photographer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, talks about the trust she’s developed with the players, coaches, and content team to photograph past the helmets and numbers on the field to better humanize their experience. We discuss shooting Super Bowls for the Bucs and NFL,  game day routines, and the comfort of being nervous. As one of 3 female team photographers in the NFL, Tori speaks to the importance of representation in a male prevalent field and getting over the fear some women have of “not knowing enough about sports” to be successful in shooting them. We dig into trimming down student photography portfolios and the idea that having 150 best photos means you’re lying to yourself; being able to take the L on a photo that’s almost there but isn’t technically correct is more important than filling your portfolio with fluff. Lastly, we discuss building confidence in your work and giving yourself a break because if the first thing doesn’t work out, something else will. 

Show Notes:

• Color Rush Pirate Ship shoot 
• Holiday Polaroid shoot

This week Alex Lang (@destroy.design), Augmented Reality expert and Director of Visual Propaganda at Liquid Death, and I nerd out about the future of Augmented Reality and how it involves flipping your camera around to augment the world instead of our faces. We discuss how the technology is in its creative infancy and we need to move past the “fart app” stage of AR where we produce the first thing that comes to our mind. Alex explains the idea behind being a Creative Technologist, someone who can translate between the coders and designers, and how it allows him to take a big idea and dissect it into how it actually works. We dig into the world of branded AR, how difficult it is to pitch clients interactive ideas, and the absolute necessity of prototyping. Lastly, Alex discusses the AR experiments he's working on and how he embraces technology as “the digital guy” to push the vision and visuals of a project. 

Show Notes

• Ingress (Niantic app)
• Fast Food AR work 
• Snapchat in London
• Southwest Airlines 175 Stories
• Liquid Death AR Shirt

This week Lauren Jonas (@laurenjonas_), a Charleston-based Wedding Photographer, breaks down what it means to be a hybrid photographer and breaks down what she loves about shooting on film. We discuss being a third shooter to build up your skills and how being a second shooter has the same level of responsibility (and pressure) as the first shooter. Lauren fondly remembers her mentors and how you can’t be afraid to ask them ALL the questions; they only want to help make you better. We dive into building a network, both on and offline, and how word of mouth is the only advertising you need. She talks about the day-of timeline and gives us a peek into her amazing equipment kit, detailing all the well-thought-out extras she brings to simply wow her clients. Lastly, Lauren talks about why she fell in love with creating an heirloom not just for the couple but for their future family - it’s a legacy you’re helping capture. 

Show Notes: 

•  FStoppers 
• AmeriCorps
• Contax 645 medium format camera

This week, Leigh Rubin, creator of the daily comic RUBES, talks about the challenge of creating something new every day and how you can’t wait for inspiration when your mortgage is dependent on it. He breaks down his process of daily action which he says is necessary to deliberately develop a creative practice. We discuss constructing an idea to achieve maximum impact and minimum verbiage: a balance between keeping an idea fresh and working it to death. To stand out amount the noise, Leigh muses about finding ways around the established systems and gatekeepers, and how there are no rules to getting your work in front of the people who need to see it. Lastly, we dig into the patience required when chasing your dream and not exhausting yourself because the world isn’t moving at your expected pace.

Show Notes:

• Creators Syndicate 
• Drawing Inspiration (TV Pilot)
• Comic discussed during the episode - HERE

 IS PORTFOLIO SCHOOL WORTH IT?

Myka Betts, 2020 Miami Ad School NY grad and Art Director at The Bam Connection in Brooklyn, Beth Hughes, 2017 VCU Brandcenter grad and Senior Art Director for Capitol One in Richmond, VA, Rachel Carlson, 2011 The Creative Circus grad and Creative Director at Mekanism in Seattle, and I figure it out. We talk about choosing a portfolio school and why the wash out rates are so high. They discuss the importance of having a specific end goal before starting and the doors opened by the network you make in portfolio school. Myka and Beth open up about the reality of long hours and harsh critiques, while Rachel brings up the lack of diversity and homogeneous perspective of portfolio school graduates. Lastly they discuss the importance of side projects and a well written “about me” section. 

This week, Louisa Lawler (@weezyweasley), Background Artist for animated TV shows discusses how no one just “makes it” in their career and details her year long journey from of moving across the country to landing at Bojack Horseman. We talk about the idea of “Lie and Learn It Later” while laughing about the promises we’ve all made in an interview in order to get the job. She shares her thoughts on getting involved in your professional community and using networking, no matter how awkward, to your advantage. We compare the dreaded “skill test” to the technical challenge of the Great British Bake-off while admitting your day-to-day reality of your jobs is more like the  signature challenge. Lastly, Louisa says it’s okay to not be at the top of your game starting out because there’s no way but to grow when you’re working.

Show Notes -
- Natalie Nourigat's graphic novel "I moved to Los Angeles to work in Animation"
- Women in Animation
- Backgrounds Louisa talks about drawing for practice before landing BoJack

This week Adam Hale (@adam_hale_design), branding expert and Director of Visual Design at Enlisted in Salt Lake City, explains what he hears when a brand says they want to be the Apple of something and how to interpret that request. He speaks to the importance of research and strategy when developing a brand, and how you need to articulate your design choices through the problem and solution instead of font and color choices. We discuss the differences between an Ad Agency and Design Boutique in terms of wide vs deep experience, while bringing to light the challenges of working for a tech startup. Lastly, Adam talks about his first portfolio and how a good concept project needs to be based in reality in order to be taken seriously. 

This week, Megan (greydanusdesign.com), a graphic designer for TV and Film (This Is Us, The OA, Real Steel, Fast & Furious 8 ), explains her ability to mimic any style by being an expert in faking expertise, and how her work is like putting the design frosting on the production cake. She and I discuss the speed and versatility required to created props while discussing the all important question - will the camera see it? She details her strategy for breaking into the industry when you don’t live in LA, and how to find production designers that you want to work for. Lastly we recognize that it’s okay to not know what you want to do but acknowledge that no one is going to find a job for you - you need to show you can do the work before they pay you to do it.

Show Notes -
- Art Directors Guild Perspective Magazine - Here
- Marc Worthington, Umbrella Academy write up - Here