November – 2008 – Junior - Celebrating life at the bottom

Monthly Archives: November 2008

The Interview Series // 05

Cut and paste. It used to mean scissors and clag, now it means ctrl+x and ctrl+v. Be that good or bad, it’s still an art form. And for some, it’s also a career. Jack Hutchings is one of Australia’s top cut and pasters. He’s a film editor with an eye for storytelling and now runs his own editing studio, The Butchery (http://www NULL.thebutchery NULL.com NULL.au/). Now we love having a yarn now an then, but Junior has really upped the stakes. Jack invited us over to his studio for gourmet North Melbourne pizza and a row of beers. Yes, awesome. But what came out of our beer fueled yarn was a portrait of a creative who had made it his own way – without climbing ladders, stroking egos or taking his time. And yes, he gave us a few tips on how to do the same.

Junior: Start by telling us what you do.

Jack: I’m a film editor and I edit television commercials, short films and occasionally longer films. In fact, very, very occasionally because I’ve only done one – and it isn’t finished yet.

Jr: Oooh. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for your line in the credits. You own and run The Butchery (http://www NULL.thebutchery NULL.com NULL.au/), how’d that come about?

Jack: Well, I was freelance editing for six or seven years, cutting for directors here and overseas. But I got bored of working in other people’s spaces as a freelancer and wanted to create something that was mine. So The Butchery is that. It’s an extension of the space I wanted to work in. Unfortunately it doesn’t really work being freelance and being the only person in the space – so what have I got to do? I’ve got to get another editor to work in the place, and someone to clean up after us and look after our shit and boss us around as well as look after agency people that come in and pander to directors and their needs and wants.

Jr: So how did you start out in editing?

Jack: I started a little company with a guy I was friends with at the time, and we started doing anything and everything we could to do with film. Things like making little video clips, shooting little promo things and cutting people’s Tropfest films together and other such stuff. Then I started freelance editing because I started cutting for someone and realised I’d found something I totally loved doing.

Jr: Did you know it was even a job? To edit something?

Jack: I knew there were people doing it, but I had no idea that I would like it. I didn’t know any editors, put it that way. So I was self-taught. I went into this production company with a reel of stuff that I’d put together over the years. And went hey, I can do this.

Jr: Was it good?

Jack: I watched it a few years later, and was like “oh my god.” But the funny thing was that one of the directors that I’d showed the ‘reel’ to – I’m now cutting his feature film with him right now. The first job I did with him was in 2000. It was a music video that I did for no money. I’d got a call from the reel I’d sent them and they’d liked it. They said, “hey! Come in, we’ve got no money, but we’ve seen what you’ve done and we liked it. We saw something in it, so come in, we need someone”. A few years later the same guy told me, “look, it wasn’t what was on the reel, it was that you’d made shit into something. You’d taken shit and polished it, so I knew that if I gave you something half decent, you’d make it better than what it was.”

That video ended up doing really well for them, it was for a local band, Magic Dirt. And it did more than they anticipated. The two of us had a natural progression. If you get into a groove with someone you stick with it. So he got into commercials and I started cutting commercials for him. Then other people in the company said, “hey, who is this guy you’re working with?” Then by the end of a couple of years you’re working with everyone in that company.

Jr: So you made your break by forming an alliance with somebody?

Jack: Yeah definitely. Finding someone like minded who you go well with, especially when it’s totally chance, has been great. I’d set-up a meeting and a month later they called saying, “we’ve got no money, but come in and we’ll see what you can do”.

Jr: So all the jobs you started with, they came with that “no money” disclaimer?

Jack: Yeah they come with that caveat and that’s fine – you have to do it. Film is one of those industries where there’s this idea that initially you’re “having to bend over” to get a way in.

Jr: Did you have to support yourself then?

Jack: It’s one of those things where you look back and go, “how the hell did I live?” But you do it because you love it. I drove my shitty little Datsun 1600 or whatever, and had a lot of fun and learned a lot. And the thing with editing is that you do learn a lot. There are always different challenges and thousands of decisions.

Jr: You know, editing is an enigmatic thing to a lot of people. The funny thing for us is when you go to the MADC (http://madc NULL.com NULL.au) awards and there’s the award for best editing – we have no idea why it’s good editing.

Jack: Editing awards are impossible because for me an ad shouldn’t get an editing award if it’s not a good ad.

Jr: So the guy who’s editing the Delfin (http://www NULL.delfin NULL.com NULL.au/) ads – no hope?

Jack: I don’t know man, best use of logo over 3 seconds maybe? It’s funny the whole advertising awards thing. I’d never really entered before. I’ve never entered an award myself.

Jr: But you won a silver CLIO (http://www NULL.clioawards NULL.com) just this year didn’t you?

Jack: Again, I didn’t enter that. Normally now the production company or agency enters the work. I’ve told people that it means more to me that they enter my work than winning itself. The fact that they think, “we like your work and we think it has merit in an international arena”, then that’s enough for me. And I would prefer any job to win a Lion or a best ad, than best editing. Over and above. Easy.

Jr: So can you really stuff up an ad? Have you seen bad editing stuff up an ad?

Jack: No comment. Ha. I think you can influence things. It would be really interesting to take the same material and give it to different editors. Most directors have a good sense of storytelling which is what editing is. Peter, who is the young guy working here – he’s 27. He’s been working with me well over a year now. If people say they want to come and sit with me and hang out, then that’s totally cool – he was one of those people. And he had a really good sense of storytelling. There’s really three parts to being a good editor. There’s the story telling part. Then there’s the people skills – which is being able to chat to anyone. Then there’s the technical side of it as well. He’s got all three. Plus he’s done AWARD School and knows what an idea is. He can read a script and get it. And that’s important to me.

Jr: So how did he come across you?

Jack: He was directing a music video with a mate. He took over the edit from someone else and did a really good job. Then he stumbled upon me and started assisting me for a while. I had never assisted anyone when I was coming up through the ranks, and I kind of wanted him to do the same thing. I just don’t want people to assist too much, because you can get stuck in a rut if you get too good at your role.

Jr: We’ve heard that about photographer’s assistants becoming too good. They become known as good assistants rather than good photographers.

Jack: There’s thousands of assistant editors out there. You know they’re great assistants, but until you actually physically try to put two pieces of film together – that’s when you’re cutting. There’s the watching how people do things and then there’s you, alone, just sitting in front of a computer and trying. You only learn from your mistakes, and you’ve got to make mistakes for yourself. Then there’s all the other pressures – having creative directors in the room, presenting to clients, knowing when not to say anything and knowing when to distract attention away. You know, dealing with difficult people.

Jr: Have you had a CD tell you you were bad?

Jack: Yep, one told me, “you’re fucked”. That was pretty early on, and he was just testing me. People like to test you. There’s a lot of people out there with big personalities.

Jr: Any final tips?

Jack: Everyone talks, so start doing. It’s not about being told. You don’t want to be an operator, you want to think for yourself. You have to be able to probe the idea. It’s so easy to try things in an edit suite. If you’re a writer it’s like copy and pasting in word. So think for yourself, don’t just be an operator. They’re hiring you for your point of view. So I agree with Penny, if you want to do it, go out and do it yourself. If you want to be a writer, go out and write a blog. Because people will take notice. And that’s the same with me, in my experience, go out and be self-taught. Like you guys, you’ve got Junior with 400 people who have signed up in two weeks. People take notice.

Jack supplied us with an ad he recently edited. It’s pretty great.

So here it is. It’s titled Schweppes ‘Burst’:

FILM, THE INTERVIEW SERIES | Tags: ADVERTISING, TELEVISION, THE BUTCHERY

The Monday Morning WHIP // 05

Ok. So you’ve heeded our advice and now you’ve got the job. You’re relieved. You’ve got the salary, you can afford food, and your parents are beginning to tell all their friends. Which annoys you, but it’s better than constantly being quizzed on your employment situation since you got that piece of glorified paper in the mail. But now you’re expected to do work? And you’re not being graded, but your job is on the line? Damn. Our resident mentor Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com/) doesn’t have sympathy, but he does have advice.

A couple of years ago, a recently returned to Australia mid-weight art director came in to show their folio to my creative partner and I.

This guy had some terrific work in his folio. His CV was impressive too, having worked in both Melbourne and Sydney, as well as overseas.

As you can imagine I was keen to get this art director on our team.

We spoke money and it looked like it would happen. However our finance director was away on some finance junket, so we had to put it on hold for a while.

So when my creative partner went on holiday for a couple of weeks I decided to get the art director in to work with me.

Now opportunities don’t come along every day in the creative industries, so if you get one you should do everything in your power to seize it.

Which is exactly what this seemingly hotshot art director didn’t do.

We took a brief for a project on a Monday morning. I couldn’t start work on the job however, as I had some urgent copy changes that needed to get done. So I left the brief with him and went and did copy changes.

This took longer than expected. It often does. So I didn’t get to sit down with the art director till late in the afternoon.

And what did the person have to show for a day’s work?

Very little. Very little indeed. They’d surfed the net. Looked at a few ideas for layouts. But in essence they had done two thirds of bugger all.

Oh well, I thought to myself. Perhaps they’re just getting settled. So I told them to call it quits for the day and said that we’d look at it together in the morning.

Things weren’t much better the next morning. I did all the talking. I had all the ideas. All the art director did was say how much they like some of my scribbles and play with a few layouts.

At lunchtime I was called to a client meeting. So I left the aspiring employee to take care of the project. When I returned several hours later I was very disappointed to see that the ideas had progressed no further than the last time I’d seen them.

Suffice to say, by the end of the week this potential employee was no longer a potential employee.

Sure they had a great folio. Yes they had an impressive CV. But the one thing they didn’t have was hunger.

Hunger to succeed. Hunger to be the best. Hunger to crack an idea on their own. Hunger to grab an opportunity and do something with it.

ADVERTISING, WHIP | Tags: ADVERTISING, HUNGER, WHIP

The Interview Series // 04

Junior started out as conversations over beer and goon (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Box_wine) at bars in and around Melbourne. Right from the beginning we planned an international focus. “It’ll be awesome,” we collectively said. “We’ll go to New York, London, even Amsterdam.” Then we clapped and patted each other on the back. “Right. Who knows someone we can interview?” Silence… Damn. A few weeks ago we got an email. It was from a friend saying they knew a Creative Director in Amsterdam by the name of Craig Lovelidge. “Perfect,” we said. And with that we began emailing Craig, who turned out to be one of the most switched on, helpful and willing CD’s we’d come across. Not only that, but he gives some very good advice to those of you thinking about heading overseas for your next big break. And that’s where he’ll be waiting, of course, for people like you. So listen up.

Junior: Who are you and where do you come from?

Craig: I’m Craig Lovelidge (http://www NULL.craiglovelidge NULL.com/). I’m 38 years alive and a Creative Director. Originally from London, England and currently living and working in Amsterdam.

Jr: We’ve heard some things, but we’re still out of the loop. What’s your story?

C: Ok, so for the past 13 years I’ve worked in above the line advertising (that’s TV, print, radio, etc…). My career has seen me ply my trade in London, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. During this time I’ve been lucky enough to have worked at some great agencies like Jung von Matt (http://www NULL.jvm NULL.de), DDB Berlin (http://www NULL.de NULL.ddb NULL.com/public/de) and StrawberryFrog (http://www NULL.strawberryfrog NULL.com/) (now known as Amsterdam Worldwide (http://www NULL.amsterdamworldwide NULL.com/)), working on brands including VW, Heineken and Coke Cola Light to name just a few.

Jr: We also heard something about a Trojan Horse? Fill us in.

C: It’s a long story. It involved my partner and I being headhunted by a German agency. We wanted to impress the agency’s creative director so I built a wooden Trojan Horse portfolio. This subsequently landed us a full-time job at Jung von Matt in Hamburg back in 1999. For the full story, please click here (http://craigology NULL.wordpress NULL.com/2008/10/02/dobbin/). (Editors note: Best. Story. Ever.)

Jr: And now you’re in Amsterdam. That’s awesome. Some of the best agencies we know are in Amsterdam. The work is quite often leagues above the rest. Why do you think this is? Does it have anything to do with Space Cake?

C: I think the simple answer here are the agencies themselves. They hire good people. These people believe in the work they do, they work hard creating it and the results speak for themselves. Amsterdam has countless amounts of inspiration to offer. Artists from all creative backgrounds live, work, visit and showcase their talent on a daily basis. There are designer fashion boutiques, museums housing modern and historical masterpieces, big name bands tour here… The list is endless. Amsterdam is a village and every corner has something to seduce your creative senses. As for Space Cake – they have that here too. The effects of which allows the locals to spot the tourists from a very safe distance!

Jr: Ha. That makes sense. Amsterdam must be full of tourists looking for a good time. Lame. Ok, so I guess we should ask your advice from a Creative Director’s perspective. What is the role of a junior in an agency, what should they be doing and how can they move to the next level quicker than the rest?

C: From an ad agency point of view, a junior creative’s role is to enjoy their new found creative freedom to find ideas. Ideas that allow them to create new work from the brief that they are given. And also think outside of the box for ideas that might not be part of the brief. This gives them a focus to be open minded. It’s not a license to fuck about. Although playtime does have its advantages as it helps release those deep-rooted, outlandish ideas that hide themselves deep in our sub-conscience. Tim Brown, CEO at Ideo (http://www NULL.ideo NULL.com/), gave a great TED talk on creativity and play (http://www NULL.ted NULL.com/index NULL.php/talks/tim_brown_on_creativity_and_play NULL.html). Watch it and see why the two things go hand in hand.

To get the hard work/playtime balance right, I always remember this - an hour of pure concentration is better than a day of half-arsed thinking. When you realise you’ve been surfing the net for too long, playing pool or simply goofing around, this statement makes you sit down and pick up the brief/project you are working on. Look at your previous scribbles and doodles on your pad. See where you previously were. Now concentrate on finding new ideas/solutions. Can you combine your previous thinking to make new ideas? Do it for an hour. Be serious. If you’re in the zone, carry on. If you’re not, perhaps you need to loosen up… Playtime again?

So what will get juniors noticed in an agency? Their work will. If it’s great, it’ll opens doors. If it’s shit, you’ll be shown the door. It sounds too simple, but it’s true.

Jr: Simple is a hard pill to swallow. Especially for juniors. But it’s not always just about having good ideas. Any advice on how to act once you’re in?

C: Yes! A junior’s behavior will also get them noticed. Be polite with everyone you encounter. You’re a junior advertising creative, not an egocentric A-List celebrity. Be an arrogant shit and no-one will want to work with you. Work hard (as mentioned above) and produce results! Most creative directors (http://www NULL.diaryofacreativedirector NULL.com/) don’t care how you work as long as you’re producing ideas that stand out and get noticed. If you’re working on a huge car account and you want to go to work dressed as a mechanic, then do so if it gets your brain pumping. As long as you’re coming up with kick-arse ideas, no-one will care!

Jr: Every junior we know wants to travel. The grass is always proverbially greener on the other side of the world. But only a handful can actually get a job, and the rest come home with their tail between their legs. What’s your advice for juniors before they spend their savings on a one-way ticket?

C: Before you travel, do this - LEARN YOUR CRAFT! Get a couple of years working in an agency before you think about upping sticks and becoming the next Dave Droga (http://www NULL.diaryofacreativedirector NULL.com/david_droga NULL.html)! Actually Dave is a good example. He knuckled down and worked. He put in the hours and by doing so started to have his work accepted by his CD’s, they in turn showed it to the agencies clients, the clients bought Dave’s ideas and Dave found himself producing his ideas. It’s the production of your ideas that start you wanting to think of more ideas that you want to produce. The more ideas you produce, the less you think about the grass being greener on the other side.

Jr: This industry is all about ideas. If you don’t got ‘em, you don’t got nuthin’. But coming up with a stellar idea is hard work. Any secret tips from your time learning from other greats in the business?

C: As I mentioned before, if you get your thinking right, you’ll constantly have fresh ideas on tap. Read James Webb Young’s book (http://craigology NULL.wordpress NULL.com/2008/11/12/james-webb-young/) and understand the technique for finding ideas. Learn the rules and then run with them. Combine this book with a publication that I’ve found to be invaluable – Jack Foster’s book, How To Get Ideas (http://craigology NULL.wordpress NULL.com/2008/11/12/jack-foster/). It’s educational, inspirational and above all, undetectable! (Rule #1 when finding ideas – Never divulge your original sources!)

For inspiration and advice from some of the world’s most renowned creatives, pick up a copy of The Copy Book and also the Art Direction Book (http://craigology NULL.wordpress NULL.com/2008/11/12/copy-book-art-direction-book/) (published by D & AD mastercraft series). Both these publications will inspire you to find great ideas as well as understand how some of the world’s most famous ads came to fruition. Closely inspect their work (and the work of others who inspire you). Ask questions like “How did they come up with that?” Look for the things in their ads that you find amazing. Is it the image? Is it the headline? Is it the feeling you get from the ad? Try to work out what made them come up with the solution you see on the open page. I still do it today… I still have my heroes.

Jr: Having heroes is a very important thing.

C: Absolutely. Back in 1996 when I was a junior art director, my copywriter and I wanted to work at BBH. At the time they produced some of the best advertising and it inspired us constantly… Unfortunately our portfolio didn’t impress the CD enough for him to open his cheque book. Disheartened my partner and I found solace in an book-crit we had with Peter Souter at Abbot Mead Vickers BBDO.

He looked at our work, said we were doing OK and then asked us if we knew the Albany Life press ad “Work out the date of your own death” (http://pic0 NULL.yupoo NULL.com/paolo1984831/4403e1653871/medium/) written by Tony Brignull (http://www NULL.indrasinha NULL.com/tonybrignull NULL.html). We both looked blankly at him and replied “No”. With that he simply zipped up our book and said “In that case, you need to learn your craft. Go to the Westminster Reference Library (London) and read every D & AD annual they have. Study the ads and within a week you’ll make your book even better.”

We did just that. We read, we studied and we made photocopy after photocopy (http://craigology NULL.wordpress NULL.com/2008/11/12/advice-for-junior-creatives/) of the ads that inspired us. Tony’s work came up time and time again. It had a tone of voice that simply rang true on every ad he wrote. He inspired us to “talk the talk of the public.” We re-wrote our work but it still didn’t get us a job at BBH (http://www NULL.bartleboglehegarty NULL.com/). Instead it got us our first full-time job at a smaller, not-so glamourous, lesser known agency. We worked on TV, print, posters and radio. The pay was terrible but everyday we learnt something new, we gained experience and this in turn taught us our craft… 2 years later, we left London and started working in Germany. Was the grass greener over there? Not entirely, but the German beer tasted far superior to the stuff they served in London!

And a final thought from Craig if you’re having difficulty getting work up:

If you are not getting your ideas produced, question why not.

Are you putting in the hours?

Are they focused hours of thinking?

Are your ideas good?

Are you having a laugh finding your ideas?

Is your creative director offering you good feedback?

Are you simply bitching because you think you’re better than you actually are?

ADVERTISING, THE INTERVIEW SERIES | Tags: ADVERTISING, AMSTERDAM

The Very First Junior Event

Last Wednesday we held our very first Junior drinks. Seeing everyone there made us realise the true reason Junior exists: Drinking! Oh, and having a really good time. Because life’s too short to be lame and boring. And we’re not into that sort of thing.

Special thanks to our guest speaker Jeremy Wortsman from The Jacky Winter Group (http://jackywinter NULL.com). You were hilarious and entertaining. And if you missed out, don’t stress. We’re holding the next event at Sweatshop (http://www NULL.threethousand NULL.com NULL.au/eat-drink/the-sweatshop/) (again) on December 10. For those who came, your new facebook photos are posted behind the link that says ‘read more’.

DRINKS, MISCELLANEOUS | Tags: DRINKS

The Monday Morning WHIP // 04

Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com/) is our mentor. He tells us things like, “Nothing worth doing in life ever comes easy.” That’s right, sometimes you need to be told the tough stuff. And sometimes it needs to come from someone who knows better than you. So consider yourself lucky, because we’re sharing our mentor. And we’re doing it because we believe everyone should know things like this:

No matter which creative field you choose to pursue a career in, you must accept that you’re probably going to struggle for a while before you crack it. Nothing worth doing in life ever comes easy. Well not too easy anyway.

It could take you months to get a foot in the door. Possibly even years. Yes years! The thing is, it takes as long as it takes. So you need to steel yourself for the long haul.

Next time you’re thinking that it’s all too hard, and it might be time to go get a real job, take a few minutes to think about three of the 20th century’s most inspirational hard living literary figures – Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg.

All three of these guys were much older than you are when they got their first book published. They wrote because they had to. Page after page. Knock back after knock back.

They were the Beat Generation. Not the beaten generation.

Jack Kerouac was 28 years old when his first book was published. Critics panned it and it failed to sell.

Did he give up?

No. He popped a coupla handfuls of Benzedrine and spent the next seven years struggling until his next book was published. Seven years!

That book was “On the road” and for those of you who aren’t good with numbers, Jack was 35 when it was first published.

Kerouac’s good friend William Burroughs was 39 when his first book was published.

His next book, the incomparable “Naked Lunch” didn’t hit bookshops until six years later, by which time Burroughs was 45. Luckily he had a major drug habit at the time so he probably never noticed the years slipping by.

As for Allen Ginsberg, the people’s poet had his first major work published at the age of 30. To put that in perspective for you, both Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain were three years younger than that when they died.

WHIP, WRITING | Tags: JOB HUNTING, WHIP

The Interview Series // 03

When we heard Droga5 (http://www NULL.droga5 NULL.com NULL.au/) Sydney had an executive driver, we went nuts. Who is this guy? He sounds young. He sounds creative. But he’s the driver? Maybe this job is the modern day answer to the ad agency mailroom? We wanted to know more. So we sent an email to Marcus asking if his bosses would allow us to get an interview with their junior minion. And although we may have called the MD and partner Marianne Bess “Shebangabang” by mistake – and it was an honest mistake, promise – they let us into the Droga5 fortress to see how their promising junior made his way in.

Junior: Ok, so you’re the executive driver at Droga5. Tell us the story with the position. How did you get there?

Marcus: Well I went travelling – which was November 2006. I’d moved to London and I’d just finished my degree in a bachelor of graphic design.

Jr: Ah I see. Where did you study?

M: A graphic design college in Broadway, it’s called Sydney Graphics College. I finished that and I wanted to go travelling, but I wanted to keep working. So I went to South America for a while and then I went to London. I was living there, did a bit of Europe, and I just didn’t get anywhere ‘cause I was first year out and it was pretty cutthroat.

Jr: We know someone who did graphic design in Melbourne, she was really over the city and really over the scene, so she decided to pack-up and go to Europe. She knew people in Berlin, she knew people who were working, and thought the whole thing would be her big break. But it just never happened.

M: I was wrong. So wrong. Half of my teachers were telling me, ‘you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine’. I did pretty well at college but when I got to London, I got absolutely nowhere. It’s a bit of a blow to how good you think you could be.

Jr: Did you just show your folio around?

M: I didn’t really get much chance to show my portfolio around to many people. I did show some people and they said, ‘Shit – yeah, that’s alright’ but I had no luck. So I came back from overseas and started working at a record label called Future Classic (http://www NULL.futureclassic NULL.com NULL.au/). I was working there doing some graphic design stuff for Jay and Nathan, who run the label. They were giving me some graphic design work a few days a week. But then I was talking to a mate of mine. I asked him ‘how am I going to get into the advertising industry? That’s what I want to do.’ Because I wanted to learn and make ideas – I don’t want to sit around, pushing a mouse for the rest of my life. So I decided I wanted to try and be an art director. But I’d literally just got back a couple of days after the cut-off date for AWARD school (http://www NULL.awardschoolonline NULL.com/). So I missed that. Then I had a chat to a couple of people in the industry who were from completely different sides of advertising. They said to me, ‘you’re either screwed or you’re not.’ But a mate said, ‘you’ve got to put your book together and then I’ll get you interviews at some places’ and then he said, ‘you should get a job at Droga5, it’ll be the best place.’

Jr: When was this?

M: I think it was March. So two weeks later my mate rang and said, ‘dude, check your email’. So I checked my email and it was an ad from B&T (http://www NULL.bandt NULL.com NULL.au/) saying ‘Office Assistant – Droga5.’ We’d dreamt up this job in our own heads and he said, ‘right you’re going to get this job.’ So there’s this ad saying, ‘Office Assistant, VB drinker,’ and I thought ‘yes that’s me!’ So we went out the front of the Droga5 office and took a whole lot of photos of me dressed in all this VB gear. I looked like an absolute idiot but it was funny. Then we went back to my mate’s studio and we printed out these A4 posters with my picture bleeding right to the edge. In the picture I was holding a sign saying ‘Droga5, Marcus Johnston, New Office Assistant’. Then I walked in there with a VB hat on pretending I was the VB delivery guy.

Jr: What, with a case of VB?

M: No, no with my CV pretending it was a document that I needed to give to them. Sudeep came down and said, ‘uh, can I help you?’ And I said, ’yeah look I’ve got a delivery from VB, and I need to give it to David Nobay.’ (Who is, for those playing at home, the Creative Director) And he said, ‘he’s in a meeting.’ Which is obviously bullshit.

Jr: Ha yeah everyone says that.

M: Yeah of course. So I said, ‘look, I’ve got strict instructions from my boss at VB that I have to deliver this personally.” Sudeep just looked at me and said, ‘OK’. I guess he kinda knew what was going on. Then he said, ‘just sit down’. So Nobby comes down and says, ‘mate I saw you taking photos out the front’. I was like, ‘oh, ok. You know this is my application for the job.’ So he says (completely deadpan), ‘sweet’. I guess he kinda interviewed me there and then. He just asked me why I wanted to work for them. Then I came in for an interview with Marianne. She called me back the day after and said, ‘we’d really like to offer you the job.’ So I said, ‘definitely.’ I’d convinced myself I was going to get the job.

Jr: In our first Junior interview we asked Tim Kentley – if you don’t have a book together but you know you’re good, how should you approach getting a job? You didn’t have a book, and now you’re working at Droga5.

M: Well the thing is with my job, the requirements were: good personality, great smile, intelligent and willing to do anything to get the job done. Then after that it said, ‘two of the people who run this company started in this position’. It didn’t say, ‘you need to go to AWARD school and you need to have a book’. I didn’t even know what that meant before. I had no idea what advertising was about, I’m still learning. All I know is I want to make ideas rather than only do graphic design.

Jr: So back to the driving thing… Do you have a car?

M: Yeah I drive Nobby’s car.

Jr: You drive Nobby’s car? What’s that like?

M: It’s good! It’s a VW GTi. Goes pretty quick. Oh, he’ll love this story. I picked him up one night out the front of The Establishment Hotel where he was having lunch with a client. I was parked in a bus lane, and as I was pulling out I got a fine.

Jr: Nice.

M: Three points.

Jr: Oh shit. Did Nobby take it?

M: Yeah he took it. He took the points and he paid for it.

Jr: Ha. Legend. So a few weeks back, Stan said in our first Monday Morning WHIP that ‘you need more than just talent, you need patience and persistence.’ Do you think either of these helped in your search for the job?

M: Yes. Persistence is one of the things but patience is something that you really have to learn when you start at the bottom. If you don’t have patience you’ll just…

Jr: Crash and burn?

M: Well you won’t even get a chance to crash and burn.

Jr: Yes. And I guess the thing that’s really key for young creatives is to be patient, be persistent, and then say, ‘I can work wherever I want.’

M: I think you can work wherever you want. If you want to get a job anywhere you can get it. You might not get it that day but they’ll remember you. I’ve now realised how valuable people who are willing to do anything are in an agency. Because they can kick the little goals that those higher up are too busy to do. You need to have people that do that stuff.

Jr: Something I’ve now said in the last two interviews – Networking: a stupid fucking buzzword…

M: Yeah I remember reading that.

Jr: Yes! It’s such a big thing for us because there are so many young kids who say, ‘gotta go network, gotta meet people.’

M: Networking is everything, unfortunately. Well it’s not everything, but it is a big thing. When I say networking I don’t mean schmoozing or being a wanker but actually becoming friends with people. The fact that you’re friends with someone at the end of the day is more important than using them for work.

Jr: Yes! Absolutely. One thing we want to do with Junior is say to the kids out there, ‘stop trying to network, and start trying to make friends’.

M: Yeah. I think you’ve just got to try and be yourself. If you’re not yourself, that’s when you start networking.

Jr: On that note let’s stop the interview and get a beer somewhere else.

M: Yeah we should go to the Cricketers and grab a VB.

Jr: I love Sydney.

ADVERTISING, DESIGN, THE INTERVIEW SERIES | Tags: ADVERTISING, Droga5

The Monday Morning WHIP // 03

Finding it hard to get a job in advertising? Maybe you’re too ‘Gen-Y (http://www NULL.news NULL.com NULL.au/business/story/0,23636,22242110-5012424,00 NULL.html)‘ for your own good. This week Stan (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com/) gives some good old-fashioned advice – thankfully without birds or bees – and reminds us we need to do it the hard way.

RMIT advertising students held their graduation show last week. That’s another bunch of talented wannabes getting ready to traipse the streets of Melbourne town looking for a junior gig.

Or is it?

According to an anonymous commenter on a popular advertising blog, “When I graduated (RMIT) it was in a total mess….only three of us walked out of the place with a job after three years.”

Pass the tissues!

If you’re sitting there wondering why you haven’t got a job as a creative since you graduated, you should probably stop reading right now.

Since when has a university degree come with a “job at the end of the course” guarantee?

Never.

Never has. Never will.

Your degree is a piece of paper. It says that you have completed a required number of study units. And that’s pretty much it!

Unless your Daddy has his own design studio, or is an overpaid adland fat-cat, you’re never going to get a job as a junior creative just because you have a degree.

So stop whinging. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop thinking the world owes you a living just because you managed to find the money to go to uni.

Then start walking the streets. Knocking on doors. Making phone calls. And making sure that your portfolio is better than all the other young punks chasing the exact same job you are.

ADVERTISING, WHIP | Tags: FOLIO, JOB HUNTING, RMIT, WHIP

The Interview Series // 02

If Penny Modra were to have a Wikipedia entry it would read, “Melbourne’s Godmother of Culture”. A founding member of the whirlwind poster publication Is Not Magazine (http://isnotmagazine NULL.org/), the current editor of ThreeThousand.com.au (http://www NULL.threethousand NULL.com NULL.au), a regular columnist for The Age’s M Magazine, and until recently, an impoverished waitress; Penny is an editor slash freelance writer who knows how to make the best of her time. She may be mad as a brush, but she’s also as sharp as a tack. Any young creative that comes into contact with Penny invariably ends up being the best at whatever they choose to do. So listen up kids, you’re lesson in how to be very, goddamn good begins now.

JUNIOR: Yo Penny. Let’s do this interview. First things first: you’ve been working in publishing how long now?

PENNY: OK, well, if you don’t count the newsletter I typed out on my babysitter’s electric job, then I guess four years. I started off doing Is Not Magazine (http://isnotmagazine NULL.org/) in 2005 with four of my friends. (Magazine on a poster, two metres wide, 12 issues over three years, all that.) Is Not was a total money pit, as are all independent publishing projects, at least in the beginning. We funded it by putting on parties. Anyway it went incredibly well, publicity-wise, from the start. We were on kottke.org (http://www NULL.kottke NULL.org/), style.com (http://www NULL.style NULL.com/), gridskipper.com (http://www NULL.gridskipper NULL.com) – all those US based big time design blogs and we started getting lots of online orders. I think these people liked it because we were using Underware (http://www NULL.underware NULL.nl) fonts. Anyway, all of a sudden I get this call from Barrie Barton, who’s now my employer. He rings up and leaves a message on my phone as though we’re old buddies. “Oh hi, it’s Barrie. I’m at fashion festival right now. Don’t worry, I’m drinking peach vodka for free.” And I started working on Right Angle Publishing (http://www NULL.rightanglepublishing NULL.com)‘s custom titles – writing up venues etc. I became gradually inculcated over time – doing contract work and earning actual money from waitressing. Now I’m editing ThreeThousand.com.au (http://www NULL.threethousand NULL.com NULL.au) for BB. Which is great. People send me sneakers.

Jr: People send you sneakers? Where was I when there were sneakers?

P: Hehe. You already have sneakers. I, however, have the feet of a gorilla. Anyway, these people sent me a sneaker last week and it was awesome. It is a Pop Art Converse with Lichtenstein dots. Anyway, I have to attend the ‘VIP’ launch if I want to get the other sneaker. True story. But you’ve got to get tricksier than that to lure me south of Brunton Ave (http://maps NULL.google NULL.com NULL.au/maps?q=brunton%20ave%2C%20melbourne&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org NULL.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl).

Jr: What a bunch of douchebags. If I wanted to get Penny Modra southside I’d have sent a megaphone and a glass of shandy. Think about it. Ok, so tell me why young writers fail at getting your attention. Are they that bad or is it you?

P: They don’t always fail at it. Usually I find people are just way too narrow in their thinking. They have this idea that they want to get published, but they’ll send me really long creative writing pieces, for instance. Which doesn’t tell me anything about whether they could write for ThreeThousand. OR they’ve been beaten down by one too many journalism lecturers and end up using the word ‘aplenty’ in everything they write. OK, here’s me being a bitter old editor: If you want to make money from writing, you’ve got to understand what copywriting is, and you’ve got to seriously love it (rather than view it as some kind of inglorious detour on your route to literary fame). You also have to actually read the publications you pitch to.

Jr: Undoubtedly so. The amount of young creatives who just don’t put the effort into learning about the job they’re applying for is astounding. But when it comes to young writers specifically, getting a job is confusing. Most believe they either have to write a novel or be a journalist to earn a living from writing. WTF?

P: Not true! Both of those things suck. I mean, look, novels don’t suck, but they won’t make you money and it’s no way to start out. Journalism doesn’t suck either, but there are two ways to do it. Do you really want an internship at The Age (http://www NULL.theage NULL.com NULL.au/) where they’ll pay you nothing and cycle you through business, sports, travel and whatever else for basically no pay? Or would you like to have a column one day that someone has given you because you’ve built up your own identity as a writer more broadly? Better to take on the real world from the start I think. OK. Making money… Copywriting just means being a flexible writer. I charge upwards of $80 an hour for anything from press releases to company profiles. ThreeThousand doesn’t pay so well, but we’re always looking for people who can turn 150 words on a t-shirt into a really good piece of reading. Or a bar write-up into the highlight of someone’s day. And this is a rare and valuable skill.

Jr: Oh indeed! Learning to make 150 words really kick is invaluable. I’m still figuring it out. You’re an editor though, not just a writer. And from what I know, the difference between the job description for a writer and one for an editor couldn’t be further apart. What makes a good editor?

P: Yes! Editors don’t just choose content and stand about looking brunette and frowning at the layout pin-up boards of art directors like you see on the television. You know, it’s a real problem in Australia. People don’t know what editors do. That means they don’t know how to hire them or what to pay them. Editors UNITE! Here’s some stuff we can do: structural editing for long texts (novels, theses, etc); copy editing (fixing grammar and punctuation); and proof reading (including mark-up on printed texts). Editors are also good at anality. Looking at every detail of a document and not ever assuming that something has already been checked. And editors must love the finance department as much as they love their writers because editors are the gourmet filling in that particular sandwich.

Jr: So an editor edits and a writer writes. But I’ve never met a writer who thought they could actually write. How much does an education in writing make a difference in the real world?

P: Eeeee! It can make a big difference. But only if you’ve really studied writing. I mean punctuation, grammar and tone – and writing for different purposes. If you have studied journalism you may well be bitter and pessimistic already – thinking to yourself that life holds no more for you than an internship at the Shepparton Tribune. All the joy and honesty has been sapped from you, leaving behind a husk of a person, capable only of starting paragraphs with the words “Such and such an event at Revolver this weekend promises thrills aplenty.” So try to remember your English language skills and forget everything else. People who are honest, and have genuine curiosity and a real interest in the world are good writers.

Jr: Ok, so say you’re some hip twenty-something itching to start writing for some of Australia’s best publications – be they magazines or newspapers. Should they start camping out the front of RUSSH (http://www NULL.russhaustralia NULL.com/) with a notebook and John Lennon’s old sunglasses or is there a better way?

P: Well, I would recommend starting online. That’s what a lot of really great young columnists have done over the past five years. Marieke Hardy (http://reasonsyouwillhateme NULL.com/), Ben Law (http://www NULL.benjamin-law NULL.com/), Mia Timpano (http://miatimpano NULL.wordpress NULL.com/), Clem Bastow (http://reasonsyouwillhateme NULL.com/guest-poster-4---clem-bastow). Either get your own blog or pitch to an online title like ThreeThousand. (Editors note: There are five more online titles I can think of off the top of my head other than ThreeThousand in Melbourne alone. Do your research, there’s some great ones (http://www NULL.breakfastout NULL.com NULL.au/) out (http://www NULL.lovebento NULL.com NULL.au/) there (http://www NULL.pagesonline NULL.it/).) This is an easy way to prove yourself and to start a network. When you’re pitching to other people, you can send them links to your work. Or you can just meet them by saying “Oh herro, I linked to you in my blog because I think you are rad.” (People do this all the time, apparently. Look, I know it sounds lame, but it’s NOT.) Make sure every piece of work you do is solid gold, no matter what it’s for. Also, approach magazines through other networks. I have hired people who just write really good press releases for bands. You can pitch to people whom you’ve never met, but make sure you know exactly how your suggested piece fits into their magazine and send them the first paragraph so they can see you’re very, goddamn good. Or start your own magazine. That worked for us with Is Not. Just make sure your magazine is distributed in the right places and that it’s not crap.

Jr: I said it in the last interview and I’ll say it again: Networking – a stupid fucking buzzword. You’ve made a living out of having a broad network. What’s your advice for youngsters looking to add a few pages to their address book?

P: Don’t be a douchebag. Remember that every single person you meet might be very interesting. Old, young, ugly, rich, poor – the lot. If they turn out to be an idiot or worse, they will be useful to you later either as a rich vein of comedy, or as a quote in an article. But usually they’ll turn out to be interesting and one day you’ll be glad you know them. So, how to meet them? Work at a cafe. Be in the city. Do not go home to Hawthorn or Essendon. Get away from your university, I mean ASAP. Get away from school and university networks and clubs and join real world clubs. Such as people who sit at bars and bitch about life. Or people who help out at radio stations. Or people who start magazines. Or run arts festivals. And when you are in conversations with people, listen to what they’re saying. Don’t be all shy, just actually listen to them and then you’ll relax and think of things to say back.

Jr: You’ve just spent a week escorting Patti Smith (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Patti_Smith) around Melbourne as part of the International Arts Festival. Did you manage to keep a lock of her hair?

P: Haha! No. But I got a guitar pick from Tony Shanahan and some advice on writing from Patti and Lenny Kaye. Which went something like, “What are you writing for a weekend newspaper lift-out for? What is this sh*t?” Patti Smith is the perfect hero for freelancers, I think. She works hard on everything she does and she has never stopped critiquing her own work. She moved to New York in 1967 with nothing but the intention to “kick poetry in the ass”, and look what she did! It was just a dream that she forced to come true. I mean she couldn’t even play the guitar for most of the ’70s, but she does now. Also, she’s funny and has top-quality friends, which is always a very good sign. One good lesson I learned: Patti hates the phrase ‘Godmother of punk’. She said, watch out because every photo caption and article about me over the next week will use that phrase because it’s in the first paragraph of the Wikipedia entry. And it was true! So don’t treat Wikipedia as your personal reference library because you will get sprung! And rock icons will grow to hate you.

Jr: Ahh Patti Smith. Swoon. Tell us a little about your new project, The Good Copy. I hear only good things.

P: Well, it’s starting out as an agency for editors and copy writers. I called it The Good Copy because of my aforementioned respect for the skill of copy writing and my hatred of the godawful literary hierarchy that plagues Australia’s writing scene. But I hope, hope, hope it can grow into a group that will present great events and publish excellent things online. And that also, one day, will establish an editors’ dojo, where we will all sit on couches reading Style Manuals and no longer feel like freelancers adrift upon a lonely ocean. That’s it.

*Notes from Penny: NEVER use food metaphors in music write-ups. God. Just don’t do it. Watch out for dangling modifiers (having run to the station, the train was 20 minutes late); the subject of a sentence needs to follow a modifying phrase. And remember: If you say, “This festival will have acts like Lykke Li and Leonard Cohen”, that means Lykke Li and Leonard Cohen won’t be there, but acts similar to them will be playing. Which kind of sucks.

THE INTERVIEW SERIES, WRITING | Tags: THREETHOUSAND, WRITING

The Monday Morning WHIP // 02

In this week’s WHIP, Stan Lee (http://branddna NULL.blogspot NULL.com/) has some very important advice for those about to enter the advertising industry. If that’s you, we’re not sure you’re going to be impressed.

Last week I judged the folios of students from the ADMA Creative School. At the graduation drinks I gave a two minute kick start speech to the kids where I told them that finishing the course was not the end but merely the beginning.

Yes it’s great that they’ve done some sort of creative study.

Yes it’s great that they’ve spent time with some senior creative people.

And of course it’s great that they have managed to put a folio together.

But…

Every one of those students now has the same folio. Obviously the concepts are all different. And some ideas are better than others. But ultimately they all have a folio with the same products in it.

Which is why I say finishing a course is not the end but the beginning.

So if you’re looking to get a foot in the door the first thing you should do is throw away the work in your student folio.

Now that may not be the kind of advice you want to hear first thing on a Monday morning, but consider this:

If twenty odd kids did AWARD School in Melbourne this year that’s twenty people fighting for a job.

And guess what – All twenty of them have the exact same products in their folio. So as far as a Creative Director is concerned, you’re just another wannabe with yet another version of the same old AWARD School folio.

So be brave and start your folio over.

It may take you a while to get a whole new book together. But when you show it to a CD you’re going to stand out from the crowd. If the work’s real good you may even be remembered. And even if you’re not, at least your book is different to the other twenty odd AWARD School grads.

ADVERTISING, WHIP | Tags: FOLIO, WHIP

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