Collaborative Creation Presentation

Here is a presentation I gave at the Marketing Expo of DMEXCO in Germany. It is one of the largest Marketing Expo's in Europe and it was a real privilege to talk about the projects and the collaborative creative process we use at Indie. I hope you enjoy it.Click HERE if you want to skip to my part of the presentation or just skip to 11:55 in the video below.

My New Job as Digital Creative

The headline says it all! Today I have just signed a contract to be Digital Creative at Indie in Amsterdam. I am so excited about this new job and about working with the team at Indie. Indie is a great Agency in Amsterdam with an excellent reputation, formerly known as SVH. For the past month I have been working closely with Lode Schaeffer, the head Creative at Indie on a few projects. I am very excited about all 3 concepts that we have created and successfully pitched over the past month. The chemistry at Indie feels perfect. Here I've found a company that's not scared to try new things and strive to push the envelope of advertising. One of my favorite campaigns they created was with Sportlife and the Yetiball.

Working with Lode over the past month has been a challenge and also a great creative collaboration. In Holland Lode's reputation proceeds himself, and to say I've sat across from him for the past month concepting is enough to make many people in the biz in Holland nearly break their necks in a double take.

There are big plans and lots of great projects on which I will be working, officially starting on January 1, 2010. All I can say is that Indie is finally a place where the crazy ideas I have and the preachings about engagement and approach of digital campaigns do not fall on deaf ears. Quite the opposite, they are being stimulated. What's also great about Indie is that they understand how important it is for me to be able to work on purely creative projects and to keep teaching Design for Virtual Theater and Games at the HKU, which they have re-enforced in our agreement by allowing me to work part-time still as a teacher and digital artist.

To get a perspective on how much Indie is prepared to try new things we have projects ranging from Augmented Reality Games to Virtual Flashmob Dance mash-ups in pre-production. A very exciting time, and a very exciting company to work with. I couldn't have dreamed of a better job at a better company a few months ago. A big thanks toIsabelle O'kanewho made the first introduction with Tim O'Kennedy that landed me an interview with Indie. Thanks a bunch Isabelle! Next time out the champagne is on me. Now I head back to the states for the Holidays to reconnect with my family before starting this next adventure. PEACE!

Image by Guido Van Nispen

PIXAR CREATIVE PROCESS

Image by matlock via Flickr

In this interview from , Michael B. Johnson of Pixar discusses tips on the Creative Process. He also talks about moving from an analog to a digital creative process and some of the pitfalls of working virtually as well as some of the pros. Michael develops software for the animators and creatives at Pixar animation Studios, which is known for it's creativity and 3D animation films. To watch more of these interviews, check the link here.

What Next? post Mobuzz

A lot of people have been posting and asking what happened at Mobuzz. I can not say I have the whole story. I know that there was investment that was said to come in, but at the end of the day, the golden rule is don't beleive it until it is signed and th money is on an account. That is about as much detail as I've got. I mean this happens. Many startups have problems with investors. I know we did at XOLO.TV as well. It's not a new thing, it doesn't mean that money was thrown around all over the place, it just means that sometimes thiese things do not work out. Angel investors are people and have egos and opinions and ideas. And like my father says, "opinions are like assholes, everybody has got one." So what to do? Well, I've been offline for a bit, becuase I've got no internet at my apartment. Didn't feel like getting into a year contract if I wasn't sure I was going to be staying at the small overpriced room for more than a year. So I'll be heading to Le Web, and after that I'll be heading to the States to see my family for the holidays. In that time I will be responding to emails, looking around, thinking about how to start something new possibly, but anything is possible at the moment. Will I stay in Spain? Time will tell. Will I do something with video online? Probably. Will it be another startup? More than likely. In the meantime, I am doing some consulting for some clients, lots of creative work, reevaulating the online media space, editing a bunch of videos that have been sitting on the shelf, waiting for me to get to them, and thinking about if I want to settle down and where that may be if at all.

I have had a great time and expereince here in Spain. It was great to work with Cedric, Anil, Osiris and all the mobuzz team.

Whatever happens next I am sure it will be something that I beleive in, and I am passionate about. That is the driving force. I hope that all the fans and friends follow whatever that may be.

I do want to thank every one for the support and the love that they have shown.

Peace and love-

Go Vlog Yourself!!!!

Mobuzz is closed

So it is now sprung out on the internet. Last week Mobuzz closed it's office. We were told that we would be able to continue, but as things go, that turned out not to be the case. There will be an official message from Anil today about what happend. All I can say it was a really great experience being here in MADrid, and now I am wondering what to do next. So yes I am looking for something new to do. Maybe something that was already offered, maybe start something new myself, maybe continue doing old projects with friends. So first thing I will do, what I am doing now, is take some time off, see family, friends, relax after the roller coaster ride of the last year. Being in Spain I have grown so much, although you wouldn't tell from all the party pictures it is true. I am not worried or sad about what happened. It is the way things go sometimes. It is time now to decide crap or cone folks. I decide cone.

I know a lot of people are worried at the moment about finding a job, there are lots of things going on out there. I am not worried. Being worried moves my focus to the negative. So I am going to probably be doing some traveling, hitting some conferences and putting up some of my own videos like I usually do. I am a vlogger at heart and will remain so till the end I think. I will miss working with my new friends like Meriam, Osi and Cedric a lot. But who knows what the future may hold. In any case life is an adventure, and with every door that closes a new one opens. Want some more cliches? Ok. here it is, "Fuck it Dude, let's go bowling!"

So now I am trying to figure out where to go. Back to Amsterdam, stay in Madrid, maybe Australia, Ethiopia, London, San Fran, Toronto, who knows. There are lots of options I have open. I will land on my feet somewhere. Curious to see where. Only thing is now I really should get some biz cards made. Hmmm.... Or maybe not. ;-)