"Better Than His Book"

I've been looking at a lot of portfolios lately,* and I've heard the same phrase about five times this week. Someone has sent me a book on behalf of someone else and commented, "They're better than their book."

I don't know what to do with that. I totally trust the people passing these books on to me, but I can't help but ask why the person's book isn't as good as they supposedly are. "They're better than their book" is like saying "Our product is better than our ads make it seem."

Your book represents you. It represents the way you think. So if your book isn't as good as you are, you'd better get to work on making it better. If you're not getting the opportunities, do something on the side. Give yourself some fake assignments. You're competing with people whose books are probably better than they are. That's the reality of the situation.

If your book isn't as good as you are, then your book could be better. So why isn't it?



*We're hiring all creative levels. Drop me a line or send me your stuff if you're interested.

For Those Who Say "It Can't Be Done"

Over the course of your career, you'll have several people tell you something can't be done. It might be an account exec. Or the client. Or your partner. Or your boss.

If you're told, "It can't be done for this much money, but..." That's fine.

If you're told, "It can't be done by the deadline, but..." That's okay, too. These people are offering solutions.

But if someone's first reaction is simply, "It can't be done," there are three possibilities;

1. That person misunderstands something and I need to explain things better.
2. That person is just lazy.
3. That person should be fired, and find work outside of advertising.

Advertising is no place for people who don't think something can be done. That's what creativity is all about.

Freytag's Pyramid

This week kicks off the summer quarter at Miami Ad School. I'll be teaching a scriptwriting class on Thursday nights, and I've been preparing my discussion for my first class. Part of what I'm going to be talking about is dramatic structure, starting off with Freytag's Pyramid (if you've ever taking a fiction writing, literature or drama course, you might be familiar).

As I've been thinking about it, I've been realizing how common this structure is, in various forms, in almost anything that makes us feel an emotion. Stories, music, movies, jokes, sports, roller coasters, tv spots, headlines, fireworks, conversations...they all have this same basic structure in some form or another.

Exposition, climax, denouement.
Context, conflict, resolution.
Flop, turn, river (Hold 'Em).
Pledge, turn, prestige (the parts of a magic trick).
Problem/solution.
Question/answer.
Fact/twist.
Setup/Punchline.
Basically a building of tension to a turning point, then release of that tension.

I've been seeing it everywhere. It's kind of a fun to break things down into their structural parts. And while it may not be completely helpful when you're concepting, it could be very useful when you're trying to figure out why a story isn't working or how to make it better. Even the way you structure your sentences or paragraphs, or the way you present your work, can benefit from an understanding of how drama is created and how stories are told.

Rick Rubin's Creative Process

There's a great interview with Rick Rubin that came out the other day. Some is about him producing Kanye's new album, but a lot is about his approach and creative process. Smart dude. Check it out. 

Four Words That Will Kill Your Job Interview

A really smart co-worker recently wrote a post about four words that will end a job interview. Can you guess what they are?

I've done jail time.

I'm not a reader.

I don't watch TV.

I hate my co-workers.

The answer is here.

Are Award Shows for Losers?

This piece was penned by Prentice Mathew, a senior art director. In the current annual fervor of Cannes, he claims "advertising awards are now for losers." You might agree. You might find it heresy. Either way, it's an interesting read. Anyone agree? Disagree? (And is it easier to agree or disagree based on how many awards you won this year?)

What NOT To Put In Your Portfolio

In this article, Cannes jury members share what they're sick of seeing. If they're sick of seeing it at Cannes, they'll be sick of seeing it in your book.

The two biggest offenders? Vending machine work and case study videos. Just something to keep in mind as you're concepting.

The Lipton Millionaire

Not every project you're asked to produce will be as sexy as a 60-second spot or an interactive microsite. You'll work on table tents, tray liners, 40k online banners that can't handle animation, annual reports and brand standards guidelines. It happens at even the best agencies. In fact, it happens especially at the best agencies. Because clients know they can turn more work over to teams that can turn something mundane into something remarkable.

Most of us couldn't imagine putting a brand guidelines project in our portfolios. But if I had this idea and this case study, it would be one of the first things I'd show off in my book.

 

Trouble viewing? Click here for Lipton Millionaire.

Q&A with Cecilia Gorman

Cecilia Gorman is Director of Creative Services for Oakley in Orange County, and Creative Career Management where she runs workshops and career development for junior creatives looking to break into the industry. With so many of our readers graduating and entering the job market, we though we’d ask her a few questions.

Q: What are you looking for in junior creatives?
A: Mostly I look for Individuality, Conceptual intelligence (lack of cliches and sameness), strength of design style (art directors/designers). I want juniors to be different from one another and allow me the variety to choose from. When they blend into one another, it is hard to make a choice.

Q: What is the most common mistake junior talent makes?
A: Not being daring enough to take a risk and stand out. Being cocky or presumptuous.

Q: What do you see when you look at the job market today?
A: I see a lot of opportunities for folks who are willing to try a different job market or a slightly left of center position. If you are seeking a junior job in Los Angeles with no openness for anything different, you are up against thousands of others. But, if you are open to other states, other related jobs you have way more choices.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing junior talent?
A: Competition definitely. Portfolio schools are getting stronger every day, graduating very strong candidates every quarter. That is your competition, so juniors need to keep finessing their portfolios and adding new, strong work even after they are graduated.

Q: What advice would you give someone about to take a first job?
A: Be humble. You are new, you are learning, you are at the bottom rung. If you stay humble and remind yourself you are there to learn as much as you can every day, you will climb those rungs quicker than others.

Follow Cecilia on Twitter here. 

2013 Radio Mercury Award Winners

The Radio Mercury Awards have just been announced. Click here to listen to the winners.

Radio is still a writer's medium. It's awesome to have an A-list director and a crew of 100 working on your TV or video spot. It's really cool to see top designers and programers bringing a web site or an app to life. But it's equally amazing to sit down with a small team of a producer, a sound engineer, and some great talent to pull off something like this.