Toby's Blog

2010-05-18T13:58:00.001-07:00

2010-02-27T03:05:00.000-08:00

My last post

2009-11-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

Art & Copy

2009-09-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

“Art & Copy” is a documentary on the advertising creative heroes of the ‘70s. Names such as such as Hal Riney, Lee Clow, George Lois and Mary Wells; these people did some great stuff. I'm not sure when it is being released here but I'm looking forward to it.

Yes

2009-07-31T19:46:00.003-07:00

& No

2009-07-31T19:46:00.001-07:00

Chav Rotalty Plates

2009-07-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Pick up any weekend newspaper magazine supplement and you will find a chavy ad for commemorative china plates. You know the ones, with paintings of royals or spitfires or for some unknown reason - packs of wolves? (actually I quite like those ones)

If the market is chavs I think there should be a 'Chav Royalty' series.

And why bother using china - just draw on paper plates, it's more chavy.

- I'd love to hear what you think of this idea -

P.S. I know that's a crap drawing of Kerry Katona

Jeff Koons

2009-06-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated by kitsch and the notion of good and bad taste, it's probably a British thing.

I first discovered the artist Jeff Koons when I was fourteen and he's had a massive effect on me since. I was flicking through some art magazines in the art room at school when I was shocked to stumble across a picture of Jeff going down on his then wife the Italian porn star / politician Chicolina. I couldn't believe it, I was in a classroom looking at porn. Was it porn? I asked my art teacher, he said he didn't know but I should check out Jeff Koons's work as he thought it might appeal to me. I thought he was having a laugh and sort of expected it to all be porn or something... Guess what? I checked him out anyway. To my surprise and to be honest initial disappointment my teacher was being genuine and I soon discovered there was more to Koons than pornographic imagery.

Jeff Koons started out his career on Wall Street working as a successful stock trader. But he soon realized that he knew enough about the American art market to make more money as an artist. And the best thing was it really didn't matter if he was any good or not. Well that isn't really true because for him to have any credibility as an artist it was quite important he had to be very bad or perhaps better phrased as 'noticeably bad'.

By making noticeably bad art everything he did would become a comment on the art world.
Now if you are anything like me you will be seriously sceptical of, 'comment on the art world' type art, there's a lot of it about after all. It's what you do when you are shit, (believe me - I've been there). But what I really admire about Koons and what I love about his work is the underlying simplicity of his actions. He needs to make noticeably bad art so he takes something bad and makes it noticeable, like in this sculpture of Michael Jackson and Bubbles which started out as a tacky souvenir. Koons bought it and posted to craftsmen in Italy with the instructions to make it life size. It sounds so easy but we all try to complicate things and it takes a certain mindset not to try and do so.

Q

2009-03-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Those of you who read this blog regularly will know that my Inspirational leader is Quincy Jones. Way back in July 2008 I wrote about Quincy's generosity and genuine commitment to giving something back to society. This is just one reason Quincy is my inspirational leader and here's another.

Quincy has the quality I most admire in people, the ability to overcome adversity and turn it into something positive. In 1974 Quincy suffered a cerebral aneurysm that almost claimed his life. This of course prevented Quincy from ever playing the trumpet again and Quincy 'the jazz trumpet player' could have easily become bitter however instead he reinvented himself as Quincy 'music mogul'. This action is best described by Quincy's friend Clint Eastwood who puts it like this - "Something beyond mere human tenacity helped out there", Clint's a smart guy with a way with words.

This quality really matters to me and I believe it is at the heart of greatness. It is a thread which runs though many people I look up too. And I wonder if it is a coincidence that behind three of my favorite albums lie similar stories of persistence, (although in each case under varied circumstances and expressed through very different musical styles).

Michael Jackson - Off The Wall

Produced by Quincy Jones

Less than five years after suffering from the aneurysm Quincy began work producing the 'Off The Wall' album for Michael Jackson. Michael and Quincy had become friends while working on the film The Wiz . While on set Michael discussed his ambition to break away from Motown Records and the 'Jackson 5' sound and build a new sound and change his image. In Michael's words he, 'wanted to be pop' - Quincy's took him literally. The album has sold 20 million copies to date.

50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying

50 Cent's breakthrough album is as remarkable as the story behind it. In his early days 50 Cent was as well known for dealing drugs as he was for music, and by his own admission was making more money from the former of the two. In 1996 he was introduced to Jam Master Jay who taught him how to write better and progress his music but any attempt at commercial success failed and he made little impact as an artist. Then in 1999 it looked as though he may finally get his break following growing popularity of his his song ' How to Rob' which he wrote in half an hour on the way to a studio, the track comically describes how he would rob rich artists. Following its success he was due to be release a second single 'Thug Love' featuring Destinies Child. Two days before he was due to make the music video he was shot 9 times outside his grandmothers home in South Jamaica. Of those 9 bullets 3 went into his chest, 2 in his lower torso, 1 in his bum, 1 in his leg, 1 in his hand and 1 in his face. The 1 in his face hit his jaw and had a permanent effect his voice.

Following the shooting he persevered with his music career and against the odds released his debut single 'Guess Who's Back'. The single got the attention of Eminem's manager Paul Rosenberg, who introduced 50 Cent to Eminem and Dr Dre. What resulted was a formidable collaboration and the ' Get Rich or Die Trying' album. 50 Cent's voice gives every song credibility and the album is tonally different from anything I have ever heard, although many have tried to copy it since.

Rollins Band - Weight

In 1981 Henry Garfield quit his job at Häagen-Dazs, sold his car, Changed his surname to Rollins and joined the American punk rock band Black Flag. ( I like him already )

The problem Rollins had was with the die hard fans of Black Flag who didn't like the direction the band's music was going and blamed Rollins for alienating them. Black Flag fans aren't like boy band fans, they'd rather fight than cry. And they focused their displeasure on Rollins at gigs where they would often attack him. Rollins would often fight back dragging members of the audience on stage and assaulting them. This made for bad customer relations and in 1986 Black Flag broke up.

Rollins continued making music as a solo 'spoken word' artist.

In 1991 Rollins and his best friend Joe Cole (no not that Joe Cole!) were accosted by a gunman outside Rollins's home. The gunman shot Joe in the head and he died on the seen, Rollins escaped without injury although he was traumatized by this event.

Weight was not the first album released prior to the shooting, nor is it all about that one event. But in my mind it sums up Rollins tenacity in coping with animosity felt towards him both on stage with Black Flag and in the world that surrounds him everyday.

There should be a self help section in HMV and this album should be in there. Listen to it, it has the power to change your life.

The Best Characters In The Sun Newspaper So Far This Year

2009-03-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

1. David Cerny was given £350,000 to commission art for the HQ of European Union. What did he do?... He thought he would have a go at it instead and make an easy £350,000. I wonder at what point the penny dropped it may not have been such a good idea.

I love this guy.

2. Gunman Bob Sylvester 57, pictured below aiming his gun at police following a 90 mph chase. These were Bob's final moments on planet earth but he looked pretty cool with that cigar on the go. He later died in hospital after being shot by the police.

3.Bobby George gets in for making everyone else look classy.

Tilt Shift

2009-01-30T16:34:00.000-08:00

There's been a real thing about tilt shift photography lately. If you want to create the effect with one of your photos and don't want to folk out £400 - £800 on a specialist lens click the link attached to this photo.

(Colored photos work better than black and white by the way.)

Mr Toast

2009-01-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

I'm also making a 2D version of a bit of my art to go on a t-shirt.

Threadless

2009-01-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

People who regularly read this blog(not many) will remember the CPR t-shirt a while back. Now this t-shirt on the Threadless Critique (the link is connected to the image below). Please go on and leave a comment, with your help they might even make it and that would be really cool. Thanks

The Smell of Violence

2009-01-18T14:02:00.000-08:00

I found an article in The New Review (which comes with The Independent on Sunday) announcing the launch of a new fragrance. This one is unlike typical scents which conjure aromas of nature, flowers, oceans and woods.

It's creator photographer Nick Knight explains, "I've created a lot of imagery for perfumes over the years, but most are based on the past, with the same sort of ingredients - jasmine, rose or musk. The thing is smell is enormously powerful and a lot of perfumes are bland. Yet smells associated with car tyres are just as attractive to us."

His new perfume is called Violence and takes it's inspiration from his "skinhead" series which he photographed on Brick Lane in the early-1980s. The fragrance carries tones of sun on bricks, sweat, boot polish and Indian food.

So is it goodbye Chanel No 5 and hello DMs No 10? Well I doubt it, but I do like Knight's style. And he has produced some great images over the years which have challenged convention.

Alexander McQueen (speaks for itself)

Christian Dior

This was a great shoot Knight did for Levis

I'm looking to have my first go at a fashion shoot sometime this year and plan to do this in reverse (i.e. invent an unconventional smell then create a fashion shoot for it). If anybody has any ideas for fragrances please post them up.

It shouldn't feel like an ad

2008-12-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

Think Meets Do London test a theory that Getty Images records your searches and if they don't have what people are looking for they commission a shoot. They set up a facebook group encouraging people to enter search terms such as "Rollerblading Dwarf" or "Tiny Man Wheels" on the Getty web site. They sent out loads of email invites to people in the creative industry encouraging them to join the group.

The Facebook group group now includes news Patrick Ryan has been commissioned to take these photographs and they are now for sale at Getty Images.

Mistakes Are Great

2008-12-07T14:43:00.000-08:00

I spend quite a lot of time trying to get better at photography. I certainly don't begrudge it as it offers me complete freedom and I now have a purpose which I can take anywhere. I have also been taking directing lessons and directed my first short film a couple of weeks back. It is being edited at the moment, I may post it up when its done although I think it will be shit. But you can't make anything good without making mistakes first. If there comes a point were you are no longer making mistakes it probably means you've gotten boring.

Paul Thomas Anderson

2008-11-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite directors is Paul Thomas Anderson, he hasn't made a bad film. Whenever I come across someone I think is extremely talented I dig for their early and lesser known work. It's interesting to see how great creative filmmakers work on limited budgets. I only recently found out Paul Thomas Anderson made a number of music videos, I have compiled these to share with you.

"TRY" by Michael Penn (1997)

"ACROSS THE UNIVERSE" by Fiona Apple (1998)

"FAST AS YOU CAN" by Fiona Apple (1999)

"SAVE ME" by Aimee Mann (1999)

"LIMP" by Fiona Apple (2000)

"PAPER BAG" by Fiona Apple (2000)

"HERE WE GO" by Jon Brion (2002)

I really like his first video Try . It is interesting to see how later on he creates music videos for songs played on the soundtrack of his films. Here we go is a good example of this taken from Punch Drunk Love. A great director can tell a story in minutes or over hours. Here we go sets a tone and works as an ad for the movie, as does Save me for Magnolia.

Nice Things On The Internet

2008-11-01T04:01:00.000-07:00

SOL Comments

Balloon Race

The Global Rich List

Let the game continue

The Power of Photography

2008-10-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

The picture above is taken off set at a Nigerian film studio. We are all used to seeing horrific images from Africa and at first sight we may question whether this is fiction or documentary. That was the intent - by doing so it puts us in a position to question are own reactions.

My own account; At first I though the photograph was real, later I realised it wasn't. But the interesting thing is I had exactly the same reaction to the photograph on both accounts. What does that say about me? Well I guess it says I'm so detached and ignorant about the real horrors going on in the world that I view the with no more or less emotion than I would a horror film. And I have been willing just to sit back and be taken along for the ride.

Will I be different now???

Photographs change people and that's how they change the world. I can feel them chipping away at my ignorance all the time. I feel better just being in their company.

What would Nike do?

2008-10-13T14:53:00.000-07:00

Nike are seen as the holy grail of successful branding setting trends rather than follow them. If your ads seem a little familiar it is worth asking , 'What would Nike do?' Looking at old Nike ads can only get you so far. If you want to do it like Nike you are going to have to create something new, that is the Nike way.

Nike realise that niche markets have mass appeal.

Was this really user generated content - does it even matter? A prototype boot sold for $5,000 on ebay. Youth culture is becoming more obsessed with trainers all the time. Nike + is still the digital benchmark. Nike prove it is possible to be big and still connect on a personal level.

Music Videos 2

2008-10-04T12:20:00.000-07:00

Music videos are a lot like ads. Each song is like a product release and each artist like a brand. I can't get enough of them and my favorite directors are Jonathan Glazier, Dougal Wilson, Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze. My all time favorite video is Daft Punk - Around The World (Michel Gondry). Here some other videos I like.

Bright Eyes-At The Bottom of Everything (Cat Solen)

Red Hot Chili Pepers - Californication (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris)

Sum 41 - Hell Song (Marc Klasfeld)

Rentals - Friends of P. (Matt Sharp & Jason Russio)

Henry Rollins Band - Liar

A Tribe Calle Quest - Scenario (Jim Swaffield)

Herbie Hancock - Rockit (Godley & Cream)

50 Cent - In Da Club (Philip Atwell)

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

Too Much Joy - Donna Everywhere
(the money count resembles the money they saved on the video*)

Gwen Stefani, No Doubt - It's My Life (David LaChapelle)

Coldplay - The Scientist (Jamie Thraves)

FATBOY SLIM -THE BPA TOE JAM FT. DAVID BYRNE & DIZZEE RASCAL (Keith Schofield)

*This money went to a worthy cause.

Richard Pryor

2008-09-28T01:48:00.000-07:00

I would like to talk about Richard Pryor but the question is, were to start? Or perhaps it should be, will I end? One thing I know is there is far too much to say in one blog post. I'll just try and can make start.

Richard Pryor is the complete package, his life is so interesting he doesn't even need the comedy. But when you ad the comedy into the mix you are left with someone very special. He may even inspire you to reassess what being special actually entails. A very intelligent friend of mine once said, “ all the best people seem to have a hard time at some point in there lives”. He was right, ‘although I didn’t think it at the time’. So what is it about Richard Pryor?

Pryor’s life was unconventional from the start - brought up in his grandmother’s brothel by his mother and father. His father was a pimp and his mother practised prostitution. He joined the US military but spent most of the time in a military prison for his part in an attack on a racist college. When he left the armed forces he went to work at a mafia club and tried to hold up the boss with a cap gun. The mafia boss thought it was very amusing, which was very lucky for Pryor!

Pryor’s career in comedy started in the early sixties were he worked his way up as a middlebrow comedian. During this time Pryor was heavily influenced by Bill Cosby. This brings me to the point I would like to make.

Something changed in Pryor’s comedy it strayed away from routines and he started talking about his life. He built a career on the very thing which could have destroyed him. He turned a negative situation into a positive one - he had something and he used it.

This wasn’t actually the point I set out to make - that’s the thing with Richard Pryor. There is just so much there to draw from.

Māori

2008-09-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Most people know of Vice magazine DOs and DON'Ts . I spotted this guy on the south bank, he's the first person I've seen who actually looks even cooler speaking on a mobile phone. I'm going to try and get him into their 'DOs '.

Speak English

2008-09-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

People are talking about the possibility of the atom-crushing Cern project creating a black hole which would destroy the world. But not everybody knows that one of the physicists involved with the project is Professor Brian Cox. Brian was formerly the keyboard player for D:Ream, best known for the New Labour anthem Things Can Only Get Better. Brian dismisses our fears simply saying,
“ anyone who thinks that is a twat ". Somehow I feel more reassured by this response with it’s noticeable absence of technical jargon than anything else I have read in the press. A reminder that we should remember who we are talking to when we speak and not use communication as a means to show off how clever we are. After all the result is what counts.

Here's Brian in action , and some examples of straight talking.

Is it cheating?

2008-09-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

Genetics

This week Nikolay Valuev became the WBA heavyweight champion with a victory over John Ruiz. Valuev nicknamed ' The Beast From The East' is the tallest man ever to hold the title. At 7 feet tall - weighing 24 stone - the Russian giant has a clear physical advantage over competitors. Watching him fight is something of a spectacle although he's not a technically brilliant fighter. In a sport where weight divisions are created based on normal human physics, is it cheating when a guy like this comes along? If he says "net" would you argue?

Is it cheating?

2008-09-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Technology

Retouching photographs on photoshop can make you look like a much better photographer than you actually are. So is it cheating? Well if your aim is to make people think you're a much better photographer than you actually are then it sort of is, isn't it? But then if you are taking photographs for a living and everyone else is doing it you're probably going to need also do it to remain competitive. Personally I don't like photoshop retouching and don't use it on my photography blog, it means more time sat in front of a computer and that's boring.

Magazine Review

2008-08-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Most reviews we read come from magazines and I suspect this is why I have never read a review about magazines themselves. Reading is good whatever you read, it takes commitment to read and this separates it from other media types. It has the power to shape you and make you think just a little differently from everyone else. And for this reason I feel we should read whatever takes our fancy. I’m not even sure you need to read books just as long as you read something. Personally I find novels quite a risky commitment and often stick to one author sometimes for extended periods of time. Chuck Palahniuk is my favourite author at the moment and I think it’s because his novels read at a similar pace to that of magazines. Magazines are my main reading indulgence along with the newspapers, small wonder then perhaps that my favourite magazine is The Week.

The Week is as it says on the cover the best of British and foreign media. But what’s really great about it is it doesn’t pretend to care about things most British people don’t care about. I have an issue with most global current events publications adopting high brow content as a formula. Actually this isn’t really my issue. In reality I have a problem believing that the people purchasing publications such as Time and The Economist actually read more than 20% of the content, and I include myself amongst those readers. Time will sometimes have an amazing feature it’s true, and Newsweek has the best photography. But if you want to cut back to just one title I would go for The Week. The Week strikes a balance between the most insightful, most relevant and most bizarre stories from around the globe. Articles are concise and are laid out in such a way that anyone can navigate them with ease. I'll give it 8.5/10

My Camera

2008-08-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Nikon D70

Finally I managed to raise the cash to buy a digital SLR. I picked this second hand Nikon D70 which is as good as new and also got a ring flash. This is very, very good and I’m hoping it will take my photography to a new level. I’m very excited.

Nikon F50

The camera I moved from was this Nikon F50. I will still be using this from time to time, I love the effect of vivid colour film combined with a macro lens / ring flash. Nothing beats the anticipation of film and it also makes you a more disciplined photographer, unfortunately it's expensive.

Olympus 700

The other camera I use is this Olympus 700, its a great little camera and I have had some good results with it. I couldn't live without it.

T-Shirts

2008-08-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Fashion Victim t-shirts have become a campaign and we made some ads for them.

We are approaching St. Johns ambulance with the idea. Oh yeah! the name has also changed to 't-shirt revival'. Pretty soon we will be looking for some people to appear in some videos we are making (no real acting experience required although it would be a bonus). Please get in contact if you can help: tobyandrich@gmail.com we can't pay you anything but have a loads of goodies to sweeten the deal. The first three responses will recieve a portfolio complete with sleeves and of course one of the t-shirts.

Fashion Victim T-shirt news

2008-08-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

The first Fashion Victim T-Shirts are 'hot off the press'. When I say " Hot off the press", I mean they have been lovingly stenciled, transferred and hand drawn. Hope you like them.

Art Blog Update

2008-08-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

Just recently I have been spending more time in East London. I have to say it’s growing on me pretty quickly and there are a lot of cool people hanging out there. I would quite like to move but it’s just not going to happen. I can’t move! House prices have gone up there and frankly I get more for my money down here.
Well you can’t have everything - Or can you?? East London wasn’t desirable until the artists moved there. So if I can’t go east, maybe I can persuade some the seen to move to me. Possibly even raise the price of my own place. Or just have a laugh trying.

Isaac Hayes 20.08.1942 - 10.08.2008

2008-08-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Very sad news this week, one of my favourite musicians died aged 65. During his lifetime Isaac Hayes achieved many things.
I like Isaac for his music although his abundant charisma lead him to have another successful career as an actor.

He also wrote the theme to Shaft which won him an oscar. His second album ‘Hot Buttered Soul’ is without a doubt a landmark for soul and one of my all time favourites.

More recently he achieved fame as the voice of Chef in South Park. But self deprecating roles such as this and Hammer in ‘I’m gunna get you sucka’ , turned him into a self parody and I feel this undermined his influence on music. Still at least he had a sense of humour, and Chef is very funny. So to me Isaac Hayes will always be, in his own words’ a bad mother’, and the coolest bald dude to have walked the earth and will be missed.

Hello Nerdy Me

2008-08-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

I watched a really good programme called ‘Comics Britannia’ on 4 the other night. I’ve been looking to find out a bit more about the world of comics for a while and this programme gave me the overview which I definitely needed.

I have to admit I have until now found it very hard to see the fascination with this art form. However this programme pointed me in the direction of Alan Moore and having read ‘The Killing Joke’, I concede I have become an overnight convert. The art work reworked by Brian Bollard is sensational and Moore’s portrayal of the Joker is unlike anything I have read before. The best part of this is it isn’t really considered Moore’s best work and I still have titles like the ‘Watchmen’ graphic novel to look forward to.

I’m also trying to get my hands on some British ‘Action’ titles, I suspect they are rarer than rocking horse shit but if anyone knows were I can get them from please let me know. Cheers

Garbage For Richard

2008-08-09T09:28:00.001-07:00

Water Boy

2008-08-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Adweek is very good at the moment. They are doing a few issues on inspirational work, this weeks creative inspiration is quite brilliant. Brutally simple, this work could have ended up looking very bad. For me it demonstrates the need to have conviction in your ideas and run with them.

Fashion Victim

2008-07-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

Last week the BRITISH COASTGUARD went on strike. I love a good strike but when lives could be at risk we need a creative solution. We live in a nanny state, it's about time we learnt to help ourselves. Here is my CPR instruction T-Shirt to commemorate the strike. I'm staring a collection under the Fashion Victim label. We could reduce taxes if we learnt to look after ourselves. Next up the Heimlich Maneuver.

2008-07-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

A Good Sketchbook

2008-07-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Someone I admire is on the look out for black, softback, A4 or A5 sketchbooks. I found these at Rymans, they are available in A4 and A5 and fit the bill.

Why Quincy Jones is 'The Dude'

2008-07-20T01:08:00.000-07:00

This month I’ve seen my creative leader on television twice. Once at Nelson Mandella's birthday celebration and again playing himself in Austin Powers Goldmember. I feel these appearances communicate Quincy’s diversity. He wrote the theme tune for Austin powers and his Listen up foundation built over 100 homes for Nelson Mandella’s foundation in South Africa.

I’m going to talk about the reasons I like Quincy Jones & I feel it is important to start with What Quincy Gives Back. I am a very selfish person and I believe that most creative people are. Jobs which involve creativity are unstable, we all have to ask for the support of our loved ones, we are all selfish. But truly great artists always give something back, I don’t believe it’s because they are soft hearted but more likely because they are selfish and need the energy. Quincy sets himself almost impossible goals which I don’t believe he would stand a chance of achieving without a greater purpose. Quincy’s charitable focus is to break a cycle of poverty and violence by connecting children with education, technology, culture and the fruits of music. I like the fact he has chosen to start a charity he can be actively involved in rather than endorsing one with the most PR potential. It shows a real belief in the power of music. Quincy didn’t have a privileged upbringing and his life would have been very different if he had not discovered his own talent. So that's my first reason for liking Quincy Jones, there will be more to follow.

And just for a laugh... here he is in Goldmember.

Play

2008-07-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's good to take a break from writing ads. I think it's probably important to have other creative outlets. Today I took a bus to the Southbank early in the morning to take photographs.

I came across this structure with workers on it, I assume it's for repairing bridges. It was quite surreal and it reminded me of an oil rig in the North Sea.

This guy was feeding the birds, there's something scary about people who feed birds. It's alright to feed ducks that's cute, but pigeons... that's scary. I wonder why that is?

Then as if things were not surreal enough, I stumbled across this photo shoot opposite St Paul's cathedral.

I couldn't resist stealing a shot for fun.

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Next I went to the cinema and saw 'Journey to The Centre of The Earth 3D'. It's actually pretty good, less gimmicky than most 3D movies.

I took my 3D glasses home and tried playing around to see if I could make 3D images. I couldn't and there doesn't seem to be an amp online were you can upload photos and make them 3D. They should have done that, or someone else should and advertise on the glasses.

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I'm reading this at the moment, Chuck Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors. Anyway I came across this passage on my bus journey home.

I will write about this later on my 'Art Blog'.It may seem shallow at first but it's a total revelation for me.

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Here is another book I am into at the moment. I ended the day having a swim at Tooting Bec Lido. Back to work on the book tomorrow, refreshed.

2008-07-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Garbage for Nick

2008-07-07T13:31:00.001-07:00

Newspaper Story 3: Taken from The Sun 28.06.08

2008-06-29T01:44:00.000-07:00

It‘s taken more than two weeks to find a news story I really like, but the wait has finally paid off. This guy got stuck in a hole dug for a lamppost whilst trying to retrieve a cigarette lighter that had fallen into it. Embarrassing enough but made worse as the hole was on a busy street in Swansea . Hundreds of passers by revelled in taking in his ordeal and some filmed him on camera phones. I did my degree in Swansea and if you had to pick a town to get ‘stuck in a hole’ you wouldn’t pick Swansea. The Welsh have a wicked sense of humour and you sure as hell wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of this.

Cheer Up Watford

2008-06-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

My Inspirational Leader Quincy Jones

2008-06-23T11:21:00.000-07:00

Quincy is a living legend best known for producing the Michael Jackson Thriller album. His biography is mind blowing. It has taken me a while and a lot of deliberation to choose a creative leader. Quincy comes across as someone with enormous talent, but he doesn't take it for granted. I really admire this man and look forward to finding out more about him. I bought his album 'The Dude', it's already a favourite of mine.

Watford 2007/2008

2008-06-23T11:01:00.001-07:00

TV Ad Post

2008-06-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

Now and again it feels good to remind myself why I’m getting in to this business, take a look at some ads I like and have a think about why I like them.

It seems right to begin with VW.

This is one of the first ads I remember. It is clearly directed towards women wishing to express independence. A clear target market, a simple idea and nicely executed.

DDB do a great job with the VW account, other agencies rarely get a look in. Crispin Porter + Bogusky made this ad, it just stands out a mile. It comes from a truth about people pimping up their cars, this idea had been used before by DDB but I really like the energy of the Crispin Porter execution.

Look at this endline and imagine trying to write ads to it, this is really rather good.

I love this ad.

What makes this a great is its honesty. There is no point trying to make Pot Noodle out to be something it isn't. But the good people at Mother realised we actually like a bit of rough when it comes to our diet. The skill here was making a virtue of the negative, it had to be funny or it would have fallen flat.

This probebly shouldn't be here. I guess the idea is you would have to be stupid not to remember your first dime. The cool thing is I remember the ads really well, there is one about a bloke who likes Armadillos shot in a garden centre. Harry Enfield is really good in them and I like the randomness of the campaign.

I can totally relate to this ad, it works off a real truth. I think I'm right in saying David Droga had a hand in this.

Lynx should probably do this and stop making rank deodorant. One of my favourite integrated campaigns, it would be really easy to write ads to.

This is a beautifully simple ad which recognises the male competitive streak. Ads are supposed to ad value to a product, this ad works a lot harder than just saying 'attracts women'. This campaign also crossed media really well and loads of people made spoof ads and uploaded them on you tube. I'm really jealous of this ad.

This cinema ad is a good example of product demonstration and consumer interaction (no really).

Levi's Odyssey directed by Jonathan Glazier for BBH, a really beautiful piece of film.

One of six episodes Terry Tate office linebacker was first shown at Super Bowl XXXVII,
it must have cost Reebok a bomb. But they aren't stupid, if you find the first episode funny the chances are you will go online to view the rest. The stratergy is to have the consumer spending more time with the brand. The ads are an example of a dissonant juxposition, I find them funny.

This is a great example of a storytelling metaphor created by WCRS. Metaphores are overused in advertising however this works well because the both subjects feel at home within the same envioroment.

Crispin Porter stumbled upon the Burger King Head on e-bay. It feels like something that should belong in your childhood but it is given an adult context. The resulting character is very creepy, the ads are tonally different to a lot of stuff out there.

A negative campaign but very gritty and I love the track.

A favorite ad from way back. It's a good example of creating a world and characters within it. The modern equivilent would be the Lenor ads from Ogilvy but I prefer this, (catchy tune as well).

Still the best Bravia ad.

I love quirky ads and they don't come quirkier than this. There is a logic behind it. Nike have realised that going for niche markets keeps the brand cool.

This is an observational ad which recognises one small aspect of social bonding. The ad effectively gets amidst its target audience, shows it understands them and then starts a war cry. I walked past a Russian guy doing the 'whats up' only a month ago in Liester Square. Not bad for an ad which is over eight years old.

Very funny, extreamley well shot and I like the endline.

This is just a very charming, very English ad which caught on. Writen by the 'jingle king' Rod Allen, it's warm and very human.

This ad has a really nice feel to it and you never get tiered of it. Great stuff from WCRS.

An evolution campaign to end all 'evolution campaigns'. That has to be a good thing.

More Garbage

2008-06-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid I was mad about Garbage Pail Kids. I came across my cards at my parents house this Fathers' Day. I thought it would be a cool idea to try and make some of my own. Below is one of me. If you send me a picture along with your first name I will have a go at making one for you. It may take a few weeks to find the time and I can only really do five or six for free, so get back to me soon if you want one.

Taste

2008-06-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Taste is important, without it there would be no reason to like or dislike stuff. Nowhere is it more important than in advertising. We are sculptors of tastes or something wanky like that. It is possible to have very good taste and still enjoy something very bad, actually you will probably enjoy it more. Too many ads sit on the fence with taste. The best ads are different and relevant but even different irrelevant ads are better than relevant and dull ones.
Satisfactory advertising is not a valuable commodity.

Different Relevant

Different Irrelevant

Relevant and Dull

Sebastien Tellier

2008-06-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

Rich introduced me to the work of Sebastien Tellier a few weeks ago. Sebastien is a French singer song writer and this year he represented France in the Eurovision song contest. Don’t hold that against him though, his song Divine was in a totally different class to the other contestants. His fellow countrymen didn’t like it because he sung it in English.
All this isn’t important but it brings me to a point I wish to make.

The following quote is taken from an interview with Sebastian Tellier
Bad Idea// magazine issue 6// summer 08

One day I discovered, you have to use your intelligence not just to create something or make something or make money, you have to use your intelligence just to feel good. It’s important to try to use your intelligence in everything. A happy guy is a curious, thinking guy; a sad guy is a stupid guy.

I’ve gotta cheer up!!

Newspaper Story 2 (world): Taken from The Week 24 May 2008

2008-06-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Every couple of weeks I pick my favorite newspaper story, here is an entry taken from The Week.

At Louisiana State Prison Rodeo inmates are paid to take part in games such as 'convict poker'. A game were they play cards at a table, the catch being they have a 2,ooolb rampaging bull as company: the last one sitting wins. And there I was getting excited about the return of Gladiators.

Music Videos ( part 1 )

2008-05-31T01:38:00.000-07:00

Music videos provide a great platform for new directors to have their work seen. A lot of directors have made a name for themselves this way; Jonathan Glazer,Chris Cunningham, Spike Jonze, Mark Romanek, Brett Leonard , David Fincher, Dave Meyers, Michel Gondry and Jean-Baptiste Mondino are a few that come to mind. Most of us are familiar with their work and I feel it would be senseless sighting them on this entry. Please take this into account.

Peter Gabrial : Sledgehammer 1987
This is my favourite video from childhood, I feel it still holds its own today.
Peter Gabrial was quick to realise the potential of the music video and was well know for endorsing big budget productions. This collaboration between Stephen R. Johnson, Aardman Animations and the Brothers Quay had a huge influence on me at an early age. It’s packed full of content that just keeps on coming.

Boogie Pimps : Somebody to love
It’s just so weird and so good at the same time. I can’t work out if it’s wrong to like it, that just makes it better. Simon Willows directed it.

The Flaming Lips :The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
The flaming lips do things a little differently. Wayne Coyne (the lead singer) has directed all but one of their videos working along side American independent film and video director Bradley Beesly. Although some of the videos they make feel somewhat unresolved, I really enjoy their quirkiness.

Bjork : Wanderlust 3D
To be honest I kind of feel I have to mention this as it’s the most interesting thing that's out there right now. Bjork loves so spill the cash on her videos, good on her. Encyclopedia Pictura make some interesting stuff, I find it a little weird for weird sake but I’m sure some people will love it. If you happen to have some 3D goggles lying aroud follow this link http://www.encyclopediapictura.com/
or if you don’t watch 2D here http://media.ghostrobot.net/7020_wanderlust.html
(it looks terrible on youtube.)

Dougal Wilson / Music Video

2008-05-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

I was gutted to have missed BUG at the BFI this week especially because it was hosted by Dougal Wilson. I’m a massive fan of his work, a while back I went to see him host a music video festival at the Curzon cinema in soho. He wasn’t what I expected from a music video director.His coolness resides within his mind, which in a way makes him a lot cooler. Dougal also works partly in advertising, he started out as a copywriter at Lieth agency in Scotland. He is now one of the most talented directors in the country. Pretty soon he could be a house hold name, I can’t understand why he is’t already.

A Great Book

2008-05-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

There are hundreds of books related to advertising, not many of them are any good. 'Hey Whipple Squeeze This' is widely regarded as the best for creativity. But creativity is only half the story. The great thing about Jerry Della Feminas' book is it tells it like it is. He is not afraid to offend and although it was written in 1970 it still feels totally fresh. Lessons learnt from this book extend beyond those of creativity. This book is about people, and lets face it nobody gets anywhere without the help of others. I think the best way to give you a feel for the book is to provide a couple of extracts;

Before I got a bug for advertising I was a Chef de Partie*. And so I have chosen this first extract on a purely personal level.

It really doesn't matter what you did before you got into advertising. David Oglivy worked in a restaurant kitchen and he has done quite nicely since. The key thing is, How much do you learn after you get into the business and then how well do you tell the consumer what you've learned? This is what it is all about. When John Kennedy was alive, a friend of his was quoted as saying that he had gone to school with Kennedy and he was as smart as Kennedy in those days. But when they graduated, he got a job and Kennedy kept on learning. He never stopped learning. After a while there was a world of difference between the two.

The next extract I have chosen because I feel we sometimes manage to kid ourselves about creativity.

The feeling in the room between 8:30 and 9:00 is like insanity. Ron is drawing as fast as he can, throwing papers all around, and I'm chattering like a maniac. That's when an ad comes together, this is how it happens. No one has ever written about it. No one has ever come close to describing what it is. They talk about it as though it is magic. There's really no magic, nor is it very creative. You know what it is like? It's like two salesmen sitting down trying to find a handle on how they're going to sell the car this morning. It's nine o'clock and the doors open, people are going to come in, and what are they going to say to get them to buy this car? That's really the whole thing. People shouldn't try to make it into a writer and an art director. It's two salesmen sitting there trying to figure something out and coming up with an idea.

* Chef de Partie; makes cakes, swears

He’s a man without conviction.

2008-05-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

No sign of Boy George at Spitalfields market.

4 Creative

2008-05-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very good day. Dave Buonaguidi kindly allowed Rich and I to take a day out of our Karmarama placement to visit 4 creative along with the rest of the Watford course. Dave used to be the creative director of 4 creative. He must have left his mark, Karmarama was spoken of favourably and un-prompted during our stay.

Richard Burdett provided one of the highlights of the day. He spoke frankly about advertising, and the agency of which he is head. I found everyone at 4 creative to be charismatic and approachable, Richard was no exception.

We learnt about the structure of 4 creative which is unashamedly different to many agencies. Definitely an exciting place to get involved in, with a really cool showreel.

Newspaper Story

2008-05-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

One thing I have noticed since starting our placement at Karmarama is that I'm not spending as much time reading newspapers. So I have decided to force myself from now on. Every fortnight I will publish my favourite story.

This time it has got to be Boy George selling t-shirts on Spitafield market. It's like something from Stella Street only its better because it's real. I'm going to go down and take a look this weekend, if he is there and I get hold of one I'll stick it on my t-shirt blog.

Please let me know if you disagree with my choice.

Eddie Izzard

2008-05-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

I think it's altogether wrong to analyse comedy so innately I have done exactly that. I keep a book of notes on comedy. One of my favourite comedians is Eddie Izzard. Izzards' stand up routines display just about every comedic technique with some truly unique aspects as well. He runs treads and loops, jolts between scoobie doo and god, dresses like a woman, speaks French.... But what I believe makes him truly great is that he is totally fearless. He always comes up with new material. Most comedians find material that works and tour around using that, perhaps adding a little new material each time to try it out. Eddie on the other hand does the opposite, he dumps all the good stuff and takes the bits that don’t work. Then he comes up with great stuff and trys to make those bits work . After all that he takes it graciously if they bomb and typically makes a joke about it.

Yawn

2008-05-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

People I have bored with the story of Marathon and Snickers. And my campaign ( which doesn't quite work ) should look away now.

Club Flyer

2008-05-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Pad just sent over this bute. Cheers Pad

Music

2008-05-10T12:22:00.001-07:00

I like soul music. Here is my muxtape. If anyone else makes a tape please send me the link.

The Muxtape site crashed and all files were lost. I will be resoring my tape shortly. Sorry

Martin Klimas

2008-05-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

Like the Matrix and Terminator 2? Not so keen on porcelain? Then I may have just found the photographer for you. I came across these photographs by Martin Klimas in the May edition of grafik. Nothing new with the split second style but it just seems to work really well with this subject matter.

Club Flyers

2008-05-10T01:21:00.000-07:00

Are club flyers art? Who knows, who cares! Could anyone claim to be an art critic sucking a lollypop at five in the morning? The club thing happened and left a cultural legacy upon a generation. Not many people made a name for themselves designing flyers (Pez). Although it wasn’t well paid it was seen as a credible way for artists to supplement their income. Anyway I’ve had a trawl and picked out a few of my favourites.

Book in a week No. 3

2008-05-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

This week has been quite busy. We are doing a book in a week for Karmarama, so this will be a short entry. Rich and I have started taking our book around, everything feels very real; very exciting. We are looking forward to our placement, which is also at Karmarama so this ‘book in a week’ better be good. Plenty of pressure and plenty of potential for embarrassment.

Tony Hertz

2008-04-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

This friday Tony Hertz came in to talk to us about radio. Tony is one of those people who is instantly likeable and engaging. Only two D&AD black pencils have ever been awarded for radio. Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones won one, Tony won the other. There are very few people in the world with Tonys’ ability, his ‘Radio for art directors’ seminar has created world wide demand. He has given workshops in Moscow, Miami, Helsinki, in fact 16 countries in total. This friday he undoubtedly had the best tan in Watford ( TC came a close second).

He taught us how to show listeners pictures through their ears.
The most important technique was starting with a picture. This way we could inspire far more creative opportunity.

He also gave us some practical advise to increase the chances of getting work you believe in made.

During the day we worked on a brief to get across the feeling of a painting using radio.
The painiting I was given was La Reproduction Interdite by Rene Magritte ( above ).

I was a little disappointed with my attempt so I have had another crack at it.

Its 1937 and we are in the studio of a young Rene Magritte. He has just finished a commission for Phillip, a wealthy young parisian banker.

Rene: Viola monsure, la painting c’est finni.

Phillip: Excellent, let me see (long pause)
Is this some kind of joke?

Rene: How do you mean?

Phillip: I paid for a portrait.

Rene: That is correct.

Phillip: So were is my face?

Rene: I have captured your best features no?

Phillip: You paint me looking at a reflection of
the back of my head and now you insult
me. Call yourself an artist!

Rene: Please sir now you insult me. This painting is
unique. Some day the back of your head will be
greatly admired.

Phillip: I can’t see that ever happening.

Rene: This is why I painted you so.

Well anyway it was a great day, here is a link to HERTZ RADIO

Watford Blog News

2008-04-26T11:56:00.000-07:00

I am creating a blog for the Watford ad course. You can view the proposed format for it here. I’m making a project of this and there will also be a web site coming soon. Once the blog has found its direction, I plan to give it up so anyone on this course and future courses can get involved. That time should hopefully be quite soon.

Monologues/ Testimonials

2008-04-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

This ad came out in 1996, I think it is the best written ad I've seen on TV.

Dissonant Juxtaposition

2008-04-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Not sure I understand this but I like it.

Visual mnemonics

2008-04-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Lif is short

A Character Ad

2008-04-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

How can it be wrong when it feels so right. Characters are overused in advertising. John Webster understood them, most people don't. Occasionally one slips though.... my favourite 'Flat Eric'.

A Visual Hyperbole

2008-04-19T07:19:00.000-07:00

This exaggerated truth only works as it comes from a very real insight. It shows a real understanding of the target audience and so it works even though the hyperbole is considered an 'addy' technique. I think it's great.

A Parody Ad

2008-04-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not usually a big fan of parodies however I love this Irn Bru ad. Most parodies are
predictable, this isn't.

A Demonstration Ad

2008-04-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

As ads go it couldn't be more simple than this. I can remember looking for the cut and even when I found it the ad was no less powerful.

Ford FFV Pitch Site

2008-04-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

"Flexi Fuel vehicles??"

I hear you say. "Not much good for your book if nobody
knows the product!" That may be true. But one day we
could all be driving eco fuel cars (that's what they are
by the way). And I am keen to jump on the eco band waggon.

I have created this web site to pitch directly to the client.

Paul Robertson Film

2008-04-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Sophie Calle

2008-04-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sophie spent six years bumming around the world.
When she came back she was lost. She had no job, no
money, no desire. She didn' t have the energy to decide
what to do with her days but she didn't want to stay in bed.
She began to follow random people around, letting that
decide what her day would be. She began to enjoy it, she
took photographs and wrote down whatever they were doing.

Sometimes I feel that we forget how interesting very
ordinary things are. I find them interesting simply because
they have become ordinary.

Yesterday a group of Chinese gentlemen sat in my
carriage on the tube. One man sat on the opposite side reading
a Chinese newspaper. On my side the other two men sat
sharing one paper. Not many english people would actively
share a paper in public or otherwise, maybe we are used to
being selfish. 'Do we find it easier to share when we are younger?'
'Do we grow up under a socialist model?'.
' Did these men?'
I don't know.
My i pod dies.

The Barbican do something different

2008-04-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

This exhibition is well worth checking out,
not sure if the whole martian thing added
anything but it was certainly different.
Like one of the exhibits; Wim Delvoyes’
Arielle, 2006. A stuffed pig tattooed with
Ariel the mermaid. This is why I love art.

Two books in two weeks

2008-04-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

All done. A book for Saatchi & Saatchi and one for Agency Republic. What a great experience. Now we have two weeks until we do a third for Karmarama.

My creative blog with Richard has moved.

2008-04-12T09:57:00.000-07:00