Photographer, Graphic Designer Pop Culturalist, and sometime Travel writer, based in Auckland, NZ. You'll find here snippets of my world, seen through my photos.
Photographer, Graphic Designer Pop Culturalist, and sometime Travel writer, based in Auckland, NZ. You'll find here snippets of my world, seen through my photos.
INDUSTRIAL LIGHT AND MAGIC
Sparking the final session of the day Industrial Light and Magic’s Christian Alzmann showed the crowd two reels of his work, an incredible array of effects work, including movies such as Rango, Pirates of the Carribean, Transformers, Jarhead, Super 8, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones.
We were given a outline of the design process used and a brief look at each of the areas the company produces work in, Charactcter Design, Environemnt Design, Hard Surface Design, Visual Effects, Animation, Concepts and Art Direction. Alzmann talked about how they need to work fast and spit out ideas, sometimes doing 30 designs before reaching a resolution. The presentation included a lot of technical details as well, break downs of the effects and such. At one point early on he showed the audience his resume, spanning 12 years with ILM and an amazing number of movies. It’s mind blowing to think that much of what is seen in these movies, as far as effects go at least, has largely been shaped by this down to earth guy.
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Alzmann’s advice? Have fun and stay passionate, even with his large skill set he’s studying cinematography in his spare time.
He also mentioned a lovely story of someone who started working for them as a janitor who is now one of their best character designers.
OVERALL PICKS
Moffitt.Moffitt. and Alex Trochut impressed me on Friday with their incredible work and inspirational advice, while Kelli Anderson blew me away on Saturday with her positive attitude, creativity, and all round awesomeness. Hi-Res was another favourite, as I really related to a few of Florian’s quotes, particularly this: Stay Stupid and Keep Learning, If you know what you are doing you end up doing what you know.
An inspiring two days. Anyone want to collaborate on something involving anything analogue techniques?
Stefano De Luigi
Documentary Photographer Stefano De Luigi was first up in the penultimate session of the 2012 conference and his passion for the medium shone through his very long presentation (he ran about 15 mins over). Struggling a little with his English, De Luigi still managed to deliver a brief history of Documentary Photography, pointing to the masters of the medium (Henri Cartier Bresson, Nan Goldin, Robert Capa) and explaining how the genre has evolved from the rigid divisions of classic vs outsider to the modern introduction of artificial lighting sources and new technology.
Following this foundation has delved into his own work, including a project that involved him to spend two and a half hard years on the sets of porn movies, a series on blindness and his latest work, a documentation of Homer’s The Illiad using an iPhone.
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Always try to tell a story
Bec Winnel
They immensely talented Melbourne illustrator was clearly nervous as she hit the stage but throughout she managed to display her bravery in striking out in a new field and provided some stirling advice for those struggling in a tough industry.
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Having role models gives you something to aspire to
Be brave and start somewhere
“People told me I was crazy going to college to pursue graphic design… I had a secure job as a nail technician”
Entering competitions is a great way of getting exposure
Wallpaper*
Meiron Pritchard manages to handle the pressures of sending out the Wallpaper covers across multiple platforms with an incredibly small team, just a handful of hardworking designers. Through his presentation we got to see the processes they go through to produce the covers and then translate them into an iPad friendly version. Encouragingly the focus is still on the print side, as Pritchard suggested the print provided a strong base upon which they could build.
A hilarious workout video that incorporated designer furniture managed to drive home another familiar theme - Don’t take yourself too seriously. We’re just creatives! He also emphasised the benefits that can come from limitations. Rules and small budgets can push your creativity. He also managed to touch on another recurring theme: collaboration.
An enlightening talk from a respected source.
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“Cool happens when you don’t take yourself too seriously”.
“A cross between Jane Fonda and American Psycho”
“Work really hard..but know your short cuts”
Hi-Res
Florian Schmitt, one of the co-founders and chief creative minds behind Hi-Res provided the audience with an avalanche of quotable quotes. The advantages of analogue were once again stressed, along with the need to be continually applying new skills. Another favourite, i’ll leave you with a few of his principles.
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Respect the people (who you work with / for and the clients)
Ideas can come from anywhere (learn to listen)
Great stories happen to people to can tell them
Don’t be limited by the tools you know
Learn new things – because if you are a specialist you will only do what you know
Keep your idea simple and memorable, and place that idea above everything else
Be passionate – but remember there is more than work to be passionate about
Look up
Have fun
Smile
Be fearless
Be grateful
Show your work to your parents (far more meaningful than any industry award!)
Stolen Girlfriends Club
SGC opened the second day with a mischievous wink and irreverent banter treating the crowd to a trip through the brands philosophy by way of short films and photography. Demonstrating the labels trademark artistic bent and focus on brand building over selling it’s clear these guys don’t lack for creativity and determination. Amazingly, they’d managed to capture the interests of the fashion savvy before even producing a complete line, simply leveraging of a trend setting t-shirt and short film.
They mentioned the value of networking, often relying on friends to put see projects to their resolutions, to the mutual benefit of all involved. Valuable lessons from some down to earth guys.
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I frothed on it
We don’t sew anything. Our mums do it
Remember, it’s ok for 2 guys to hug if there are 3 pats on the back
Setting an atmosphere and vibe - not just about sending clothes down the catwalk
Kelli Anderson
The first female to grace the convention stage, Kelli Anderson blew the crowd away. The Brooklyn based designer, simply put, is amazing. The number of projects she blew through, and the sheer creativity of the work was so thoroughly impressive she came away as the best speaker of the entire conference for many. Projects such as Girl Walk All day, the Paper record player and counterfeit New York Times left most of us in stunned appreciation.
Her portfolio site itself is quite impressive, a hacked google map. I suggest you head over for yourself to check it out, and catch her TED talk while you’re at it.
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The world is full of order that doesn’t necessarily deserve our respect
You don’t need permission or tools or credentials to make things, define them in your own way
Red plus black plus hard edged graphics always means revolution
Design is completed by audience interaction, experience, when it lives in public. Not by toiling over a computer
We approach media with certain assumptions about their properties. Don’t limit yourself
Alex Trochut
Celebrate your Thievery! Alex Trochut came across as a kind of wunderkind, illustrator, designer, typographer & artist. The practice of sampling resurfaced heavily in Trochut’s talk, as he laid out his inspiration’s and the ways he used them to create fresh new pieces. As he put it, “I am a thief and I’m here to tell you about my most beloved robberies.” Particularly impressive was his discovery of his grandfathers type kit, a reference he used to create his own typeface.
The use of traditional methods was once again encouraged, as such methods often led to little accidents that turned out to be more interesting. He also pointed out that we live in an exciting time for creatives, “We are the generation that has seen lots, the quantity generation, we have so much to offer.”
He finished up by outlining the four stages of creativity as he sees it. IMMOBILITY(the period before you start creating), IMITATION (learning from references), INTUITION(don’t think, feel), IMAGINATION (Stop following, create yourself).
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More is more - sometimes minimalism weakens
Collect & Connect, take something that exists and give something different back. Contributes to the ever evolving design aesthetics
The Monkeys
Creative Directors and co-founders of advertising agency The Monkees Justin Drape and Scott Nowell launched into their talk with the above quote. The pair followed this advice when they left Saatchi & Saatchi to begin their own company, beginning with a foray into TV writing.
The duo pointed out the exciting new avenues open for exploration now, with new media creating more options to reach people in inventive ways. They also pushed the realm of social media, an area that allows people to tell real stories and provide a more genuine experience.
The virtues of collaboration were once again extolled, as they pointed out we can use these partnerships to make provocative ideas happen. Day one of the conference wrapped with a look at the Ship Songs Project, a lovely end to a thought provoking day.
Benja Harney
Who knew paper engineer was a full time job? Well, I did, one of tutors talked about at uni, but it’s still amazing to meet someone who has made such a niche practice his full time job. Harney’s work is beautiful to see, and as he took it through his portfolio of work, the crowd constantly oooh’d and ahh’d. This guy can do amazing things with paper, and even made a pop-up book using leather!
The recurring themes of analogue over digital and the merits of collaboration were reinforced, and the crowd even managed to get a little hands on with a bit of mass paper engineering guided from the stage by Harney. The paper folding bookended the presentation and the sound of the packed auditorium folding paper was quite lovely, sounding like a dry rain. The talk was rounded off with a mass paper plane fight, an incredible experience that got everyone in the audience giggling like school kids.
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There needs to be a balance between Art and Commerial
Sometimes simplicity is best
Two minds can make more
South South West
The Melbourne design studio began their presentation with a look at their influences and inspirations, the pieces from their history they like to “sample” (see how I tied it into one of the running themes)
A selection of the team’s work was also put show, and analogue techniques and aesthetics featured prominently once again. Along the way they made a few good points. Chief among them was their belief that, rather then locking themselves into a set formula for designing, outcomes should match the jobs. It’s a seemingly obvious truth but one that often gets lost in to bustle. Further good points: Get out of the studio so you can look at yourself in different ways. And embrace the struggle - it leads to continual learning.
A solid presentation with some handy advice.
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It’s important your place of work inspires you.
We often seek perfection but perfection would drive us crazy, it’s the imperfections in things we connect with.
Brutal honesty is good.
Explore self initiated projects
Swifty
English designer Swifty is known as the Godfather of sampling in design, one of the pioneers of a practice that has become so ubiquitous in the modern creative industry.
His talk took us through his impressive work, from the Levi’s jacket that gained him exposure through to the retro-graphic heavy record sleeves, flyers, fonts, logos (a good discipline to gain) and finally his current obsession, cut and paste publications or zines.
A student of the Neville Brody “hand drawn” school of design(a current resurgent trend) and an advocate for traditional techniques he believes the hands on work of letterpress and screen printing etc frees you from the digital confines of your computer screen, and made an interesting point with regard to physical ephemera vs digital content. Yes, new media can be impressive, and is around forever, but nobody collects it in the same way they collect flyers, magazines and postcards.
A heartwarming love letter to the analogue from a master of the medium.
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“Music Fuels me.”
“When it comes to creative i’ll turn my hand to almost anything.”
MOFFITT.MOFFITT.
Twin brothers Andrew and Mark Moffitt describe themselves as creative directors who solve peoples problems creatively, and over the course of a rather slick presentation chock full of sound bites and inspirational tidbits they proceeded to demonstrate just how they go about doing that, and the ethos that guides them.
The Moffitt’s talk was a highlight of the day, with the boys using pieces from their gorgeous portfolio to underline useful points in their talk. I was particularly impressed with the “Two Words for Australia” installation, an intriguing collaboration with an elegant execution. The guys also offered a stack of their music mag DEMO for audience members to snap up, which they did faster then you could say “swag.”
Despite their polished personas, the Moffitt’s also displayed a healthy sense of humour, keeping the 45 minutes light and easy with their self-deprecating banter.
Can you say man crush? I did, repeatedly.
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To be interesting be interested
New Destinations = Fresh influences, challenges and experiences
Knowledge ≠ Power, Creativity = Power – Self Less Promotion
If you do nothing, nothing happens
The Auckland incarnation of creative conference Semi-Permanent happened last weekend and proved to be a bonanza of inspirational and aspirational talks and showcases. First up; Local agency Special.
Special
Special kicked off the conference with their award winning axis awards intro video, followed by eight lessons for the audience using a selection of their projects to underline said lessons.
1. Think bigger than you are (Relates to the above quote)
2. Use Deception (Smirnof Night Project)
3. Keep it simple (Green Party campaign & eco store packaging)
4. Tell me something interesting (Gravity coffee)
5. Back yourself
6. Collaborate FOUR launch with giant duck artist)
7. Use the force (FOUR’s the home of not rugby)
8. Ludicrous self-belief (Orcon - Iggy “The Passenger” project)
A great showcase for the agency’s work with some clear takeaways for the audience.
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See above
GMUNK
Bradley “GMUNK” Munkowitz dove into his presentation with energy and mischief clutching an early morning brew to help calm the nerves. Following a whirlwind overview of his diverse and impressively large portfolio, showcasing his ever evolving style and visual interests, we were given some insight into his creative process. This guy is astoundingly prolific, applying his talents to illustration, film, lighting, motion graphics, UI and flash sites. He talked in depth about his work on Tron Legacy, covering everything from titles to holograms, demonstrating the incredible amount of work and thought goes into creating the graphic language of the film, something most of it’s audience probably take for granted.
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It’s important to put yourself out there, networking led to Munkowitz landing the Tron job – Draw/sketch a lot and stay inspired by looking at shit all the time. Well said Gmunk, well said.
Degas to Dali has been in residence at the Auckland Art Gallery for a few months now, and is definitely worth a look, although give yourself plenty of time to wander the galleries. The exhibition brings together 79 pieces by 62 artists, on loan from the National Galleries of Scotland, and provides a overview of a century of Modernist art and it’s evolution.
Divided into five rooms, you begin, as suggested in the title, with the Impressionism of Degas and his ilk, a stylistic revolution at the time. Next on the tour is Cubism and Vorticism, a response to the introduction of photography and an exploration of different world views. In the third room you get to see how British artists reacted to the exciting new world views of their European counterparts, while room four shows how the trauma of the world wars and the Great Depression led to the birth of the Expressionists, Dada and Surrealism, something I had never really been interested in until now.
I managed to catch the exhibition at one of the gallery’s late night tuesdays, a great idea which lets punters wander the exhibition until 8pm, with live music often featured as well as some late night art bites provided by the gallery’s well versed curators. On this particular night Mary Kisler gave us some insights into Dali’s Le Signal de l’angoisse (The Signal of Anguish) andRaphaelesque Head, Exploded. Fascinating stuff, especially with the Raphaelesque head exploded. As Kisler pointed out the artwork is packed with hidden gems to be discovered. I returned for a second time to the exhibition (yes, it’s that good) and both times I found it hard to tear myself away from this one.
The exhibition concludes with pieces from Warhol and Lichtenstein in room five’s pop and op art (some fantasticly graphic pieces here) and in room six things come full circle, with artists returning for inspiration to the real world and city life.
Degas to Dali is a brilliant exhibition, concisely showing over a few rooms a century’s worth of stylistic development and revolution. I recommend you catch it before the collection gets packed off back home to Scotland on June 10th.
Late nights will bee happening every remaining Tuesday, with Art Bites, and music and even some fashion students responses to the works on the 29th. Regular Art Bites also run from Wednesday to Sunday at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm.
While you’re visiting the gallery you might like to stop in for a bite at the cafe, which has a special menu for the exhibitions run, with inspiration for it’s dishes taken from various works. I can heartily recommend The Luster Bowl, a green soup of brocolli, peas with a bit of stilton and a hot bread roll. It went down a treat!
Get Tickets and find out more here
