Tag Archives: News

The Age of Superheroes

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Tingling spider-sense, regenerative healing factor, telepathy, morphing into a giant green fighting machine, who wouldn’t want to possess one or more of these super cool powers? Although I don’t see how turning into a Hulk would actually benefit you, mostly just ruin your clothes every time. In any case, we can’t help but to have these fantasies surrounding the ideals of being a superhero in some way. And when it comes to stability in Hollywood, hero movies tend to be a sure thing. But how long will this trend last?

Superheroes are your quintessential good guys and gals, their morals alone make you want to root for them. And fans want nothing more than to see their favorite comic book icon represented on the silver screen. But how much is too much? Believe me, I love Spider-Man just as much as the next 27 year-old guy, but do we honestly need a reboot of the franchise after a mere five years of sitting on the shelf? I’m still trying to digest Tobey Maguire’s hilariously awkward dance sequence from the third installment.

Our culture has found a source of entertainment that is bankable on endless levels and the demand is only getting higher. I’m convinced that due to the recent inflation of hero flicks, it’s safe to say it has spawned a new genre dedicated to Superheros only.

Adaptation vs. Originality

I would be extremely interested to see Hollywood go for more originality when it comes to superheros, so far there have been too few to even think of. One of which is the actually clever M. Night Shyamalan directed Unbreakable (2000) , starring Bruce Willis. The film doesn’t overtly say that it’s a superhero action movie, but instead uses undertones to get the point across. Unbreakable is a character driven film that relies on dialogue and developing a personal connection with the audience. Something that is often a miss with big budget hero flicks.

With The Avengers coming out May 4th, most fans will get what they pay for, a cinematic popcorn event for the ages! But I’m almost convinced that if I see this movie, I will be completely spent. I mean come on, how many characters are in this movie? Maintaining the integrity of the characters is important, and thankfully most of these heroes have movies of their own to back them up. There is just always the fear of getting lost in the spectacle. And are they seriously expecting me to pick just one of them for my Halloween costume?

Real Life Superheros - Bad idea?

Speaking of costumes, this may be one step too far, a fan film is one thing, but sporting a skin tight custom made suit in the rough part of town simply warrants trouble. I won’t lie though, it’s a good feeling to know the streets of Seattle are being patrolled by none other than the crime fighter known as Phoenix Jones. His motivation for joining the crime fighting force was backed by several botched incidents he experienced with police and bystanders in the Seattle area.

He later went on to form the crime-prevention group called the Rain City Superhero Movement which is comprised of ten very brave and perhaps mentally “off” members.

Here’s an interview with Phoenix Jones himself!

Here to Stay

Thanks to the current uprising of fictitious and actual (yikes) superheros, I’m certain they’ll continue to broaden the market and develop new and old story lines. Hopefully they can find a way to break the mold and create new formulas for underdog heroes like my boy, Spidey. I mean, I’m gonna see the new Amazing Spider-Man, let’s just give it a whole ten years before we start it up again, can we make that a rule or something?

Eat, Drink & Be Covered Winners Announced

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The winners are in for the Pepto-Bismol competition! It was a really successful competition, and we all had a lot of fun with it! The tagline behind the campaign was “Eat, Drink & Be Covered”, and everyone took that and got really creative! The Pepto-Bismol Team said, “There was some tremendous work submitted for the Pepto-Bismol contest. After watching all of the videos (one of the more fun days we have had in a long time), there were a couple that really stood out.”

Drum roll please… and the winners are…

The 1st place Client Award went to Zoopppa user “reellance” with WOAH… These spots are very funny, clever and centered around a great concept! The series featured Game Day, Thanksgiving, New Years and Christmas spots highlighting moments during these events where you would say “woah”. At the end, the moment you realize you’ve eaten too much, you really say WOAH, and need Pepto. “This spot put everything together - great consumer insight, terrific production and great use of humor. The “woah” moments are something that everyone can relate to, which really opens people’s minds to the advertising”- The Pepto-Bismol Team

The 2nd place Client Award went to Zooppa member petemack. The campaign Pep Talk is very funny, and also a great concept. These spots feature great voice talent giving different people “Pep Talks” in the mirror, and telling them to get back out there! “Loved the idea behind this. It really made Pepto the hero and was executed in an entertaining and humorous manner that is consistent with the brand’s tone.”- The Pepto-Bismol Team

The 3rd place Client Award went to Zooppa member tshort. The campaign, “Don’t Worry, There’s Pepto Bismol!” brings a hilarious spin to the holidays. This campaign takes a normal holiday scene and ruins it, with a very simple and funny visual. This does a great job showing the benefit the product can bring to the holidays. “These spots brought to life a real consumer experience in an unexpected and entertaining manner. Even after watching them multiple times, it still makes me smile.”- The Pepto-Bismol Team

The 4th place Client Award: Zooppa member HoofSC “Any Season, Any Occasion” “Sometimes the best advertising is a simple idea that is done with brilliance – as is the case here. The production quality was outstanding and the humor at the end tied everything together.”- The Pepto-Bismol Team

The 5th place Client Award: Zooppa member CraigMCF “Pepto Puppets.” “This was a really fun spot. I was extremely impressed by the detail in the production. Very well done.” - The Pepto-Bismol Team

And finally the Zooppa Award! This was a tough one for us at Zooppa, because there were so many good entries. But the winner of the Zooppa award goes to Zooppa user Norman_Invasion, with Holidays…In Space. This campaign was a favorite with the Zooppa staff! It is a very “far out” idea, that really works. It uses a very serious voice talent that fits the campaign and the message perfectly. The writing is simple, funny, relate-able and gets the point across. It is a very solid campaign that could work for any holiday!

This was a really fun competition, that came out with great results! Thank you to everyone who participated, and we can’t wait to see what you guys bring to our future competitions! For a full list of all the winners and honorable mentions click here!

“Sometimes a great experience is worth a bit of stomach trouble, particularly when you have a witty friend like Pepto to pick you up.”



Inspirational Reading for Advertising Lovers

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Hello borderline unhealthy, obsessed with advertising, creative geniuses. AKA: ZOOPERS! I know exactly how you feel. Because I am one of you. Maybe your looking to land your dream job at a big agency or design firm. Or maybe you are still in school and just trying to get some work to add to your book. Or maybe you already had your dream job at a big agency, and now your retired. No matter what stage of these you’re at right now, we all have something in common. A little obsession with the world of advertising. So while you’re waiting for that big agency to call and offer you a job, why not pick up a little light reading? I have come up with a list of 4 must read books if you are in the advertising business, or working on being in the advertising business. So here it goes, happy reading!

1. Luke Sullivan’s Hey Whipple, Squeeze This

click here to order on amazon.com

About the Book: This is the new edition of the irreverent, celebrated bestseller, master copywriter Luke Sullivan looks at the history of advertising, from the good, to the bad, to the ugly. Updated to cover online advertising, this edition gives you the best advertising guidance for traditional media and all the possibilities of new media and technologies. You’ll learn why bad ads sometimes work, why great ads fail, and how you can balance creative work with the mandate to sell. This is a must read for anyone in the business or anyone who hopes to be one day.

About the Author: Luke Sullivan is an award-winning copywriter with thirty years experience in the business at many of the top agencies in the country such as, Fallon McElligott and the Martin Agency. Luke has over twenty medals to his name in the prestigious advertising award show-One Show. He currently is the Group Creative Director at GSD& M In Austin, Texas.

2. How to Put Your Book Together and Get a Job in Advertising: 21st Century Edition by Maxine Paetro

click here to order on amazon.com

About the Book: This book is great if you are in the process of putting together your first portfolio. Whether you are a copywriter or art director, this book provides you with everything you will need to know to guide you in putting together your first book. It is written by a very successful former creative department administrator. This is the 4th edition, being updated in order to keep up with this ever-changing industry. This book will explain to you what a “professional” book consists of as well as tips on presenting your book and yourself effectively. The advice comes from someone who saw anywhere from 10-20 books a day, so she knows what creative directors are looking for. I promise you the tips, secrets and information in this book will help make the process of landing an ad job a little easier, and not so long.

About the Author: From 1975 through 1987 Maxine Paetro was a recruiter and EVP creative department manager at many large and successful New York City advertising agencies.

3. Pick Me: Breaking Into Advertising and Staying There by Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin

click here to order on amazon.com

About the Book: Many people might think they want a job in advertising, probably beacuase they watch Mad Men. However, it isn’t as easy as it is on TV. Advertising is a great industry to be in, but actually landing a job-or even your foot in the door, is very hard. So if you find yourself asking the question, “how do I get a job in advertising” –this book has the answers you have been looking for. The thing I like best about this book is that fourteen industry superstars share their insights and explain how they broke into the business. You’ll hear from Bob Barrie, Rick Boyko, David Droga, Mark Fenske, Neil French, Sally Hogshead, Mike Hughes, Shane Hutton, Brian Millar, Tom Monahan, Chuck Porter, Bob Scarpelli, Chris Staples, and Lorraine Tao. I always think it is interesting to hear everyone’s stories, it kind of gives your more inspiration to write your own. Bottom line about this book: Forget the clichés; forget the Mad Men comparisons, this is advertising as it really is. If you’re stuck on making it, this book will point you in all the right directions for a career in the most exciting businesses on the planet.

In Pick Me, the authors also answer all the ad career questions you have, like:

  • Is advertising right for me?
  • How do I build a killer portfolio?
  • How do I get an interview with the elusive creative director?
  • Should I accept an unpaid internship?
  • How do I find the right partner?
  • How do I beat creative block?
  • How do I avoid burnout?

About the Authors: Authors Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin are veteran creative directors and longtime creative partners. Nancy Vonk is Co-Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy & Mather, Toronto. She started at Ogilvy in 1988 as an art director. She had previously worked at shops in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Toronto. Janet has worked at Y&R, Leo Burnett and Ogilvy, twice, where she met creative soul mate, Nancy. While working together their work has won Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils and Clios.

4. Russell Wiley Is Out To Lunch Richard Hine’s Debut Novel

click here to order from amazon.com

About the Book: Richard Hine’s debut novel Russell Wiley Is Out To Lunch is a corporate satire, set in the New York media industry, that looks at the challenges of print media in making the transition to the digital age. Written by a true media insider, the novel will be published by Amazon’s new AmazonEncore imprint this October, will connect immediately with readers throughout the media and advertising business, and will resonate with everyone who works in a troubled industry. Book reviews include Publishers Weekly: “Will make readers cheer… one part Glengarry Glen Ross and two parts Sophie Kinsella …a winner in every way.” And from Paul Steiger, Editor-in-Chief, ProPublica.org: “A rollicking satire about the slitherings of corporate snakes and the gambits of conjob consultants in the desperate world of modern media, where fickle advertisers and disgruntled readers breathlessly lurch toward the Next Big Thing.” The book will be available October 12, 2010, and in order to publicize the book launch, Amazon & Zooppa just launched the world’s 1st crowdsourced book-launch promotion contest. The mission is to Create video, graphic design or banner ads by following the creative requirements of the creative brief, that will spark interest in the release of Russell Wiley Is Out to Lunch and direct viewers/readers to order a copy from the main online sites or their favorite bookstore - VERY EXCITING! Click here to enter the competition on Zooppa.com. And click here to pre-order your copy of the book from amazon.com!

About the Author: Richard Hine was born in London and began his career as an advertising copywriter. He moved to New York when he was twenty-four, held creative and marketing positions at Adweek; Time magazine - where he went on to become the publisher of Time’s Latin America edition; and the Wall Street Journal, where he was the marketing vice president responsible for the launch of the Journal’s Weekend Edition. Since 2006, Hine’s work included, a marketing and media consultant, ghostwriter, and novelist. His fiction has appeared in many literary publications, such as London Magazine and the Brooklyn Review. He currently lives in New York City. (Amazon.com)

So there it is! All these books can be purchased on amazon.com by clicking on the link provided! I hope you enjoy them, and here is a list of some other must-reads when you are done with these 4! Have a great weekend everyone! Click on the title to order from amazon.com

-Juicing the Orange: How to Turn Creativity into a Powerful Business Advantage by Pat Fallon and Fred Senn

-Sagmeister: Made you look by Stefan Sagmeister

-Hoopla: The Story of Crispin Porter+Bogusky by Warren Berger

The Power of Misdirection in Advertising

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Andy Spyrison is a seasoned advertising industry vet who knows a thing or two about creating for brands. Today Andy is sharing his thoughts with the Zooppa community on the advertising concept of “misdirection”. Learn & Enjoy!

-Josh

Hope you had a fun April Fools’ Day! In the spirit of the holiday, I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about the power of a misdirect. Some call it a twist or rug pull, what I mean by this is making the viewer assume one thought and surprise them with another. That surprise creatively communicates the brand’s message and creates memorability in your print or video.


Let’s start with a broadcast example using the wildly successful Whopper Freak Out campaign by Burger King. Unassuming real people place their order only to find out that their beloved Whopper has been discontinued. Instead, Burger King offers customers the competition’s burger. The strong reactions from patrons is a fantastic example of the effectiveness of a misdirect. That unexpected surprise not only entertains but reaffirms the Whopper’s iconic status as America’s favorite burger message, and more importantly, the campaign drives sales. Further proof, viral parodies started appearing which are fun for Burger King fans to create and watch but also further evangelize the passion for the Whopper. For creativity, here’s the Cannes Film Festival case study and for effectiveness, the Effie case study.





For print, Sensodyne makes you do a double take. At first glance it looks like a typical toothbrush. After further inspection, the reader realizes that the bristles are really feathers. This visually communicates the “ultra sensitive” benefit, reinforced by a very simple straight forward selling line. This ad was showcased in Archive Magazine and many other creative publications.




As you participate with Zooppa and your creative ideas start flowing, challenge yourself not just to do a fun design or video but really assess the merits of your entry. Are you communicating the brand’s message in a unique and unexpected way? Does it invoke an emotion? Is the take away message memorable? This type of foresight will help ensure a winning submission.

Andy Spyrison is a Creative Director, Content Producer and Brand Consultant. 
With 16 years of experience, he has provided creative and strategic solutions for numerous businesses. Most recently, he was Creative Director for Pepsi snacks in Cairo, Egypt.

Influencer Marketing Case Study: 4-Year Olds + NASCAR

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Influencer marketing is a powerful form of relationship marketing. Steve Ziemba from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) takes you through the basics with this fun case study

- Josh

My Influencer Moments

Whether I am at a non-industry function or a local neighborhood event, when the “what do you do” question comes up, my mental floodgates open wide. As Social Media Director at the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), I get asked everything from “I’m on Twitter - now what?” to “What is this influencer marketing thing all about?”

For the purpose of this post, I’ll skip the Twitter question.

To understand influencer marketing, we’ll start with the definition. It is important to remember that influencer marketing involves two parties, the consumer and the marketer. Fortunately for me I just so happen to have a copy of WOMMA’s Influencer Handbook in front of me. Here is how WOMMA defines “influencer” and “influencer marketing:”

Influencer: “A person who has a greater than average reach or impact through word of mouth in a relevant marketplace.’”

Influencer Marketing: “Influencer marketing is when a marketer identifies, seeks out, and engages with influencers in support of a business objective.”

The one thing that I cannot stress enough is that engaging influencers is a relationship, not a campaign or a one-off buzz tactic. To keep things simple I won’t go into types of influencers, or finding influencers- I’ll simply look at engaging influencers.

My mind works in color and images, not in abstract theories or rote memorization of statistics or charts.

So in explaining influencer marketing, I like to take the Denzel Washington as Joe Miller in the movie Philadelphia approach, “now explain it to me like I am a four year old.” However, rather than explaining influencer marketing as if I am talking to a four-year-old, I’ll explain it using a four-year-old as my example (side note: with reverence to the COPPA Act, I do not recommend anyone try to engage children as influencers). My son was four-years-old only two years ago, so, close enough.

Just as I have a common bond and ongoing and growing relationship with my son, influencer marketers should view their subject matter in the same manner.

For whatever reason, my son loves NASCAR and it’s certainly not because I am a gear-head or race fan myself. My son has several drivers he likes on any given day, but for the sake of this example we’ll use good ole #48, Jimmy Johnson. Jimmy is such a good driver you would think that his car is on performance enhancing drugs. But I digress. I have no idea if NASCAR is involved in influencer marketing but I do know they have an inordinate amount of fans and influencers.

So, if I were a NASCAR marketer and my son was an influencer I was trying to engage, here are a few things I’d keep in mind.

Balance: The relationship between marketer and influencer need to be in balance. If your relationship with an influencer is too one-sided in your favor, the influencer will lose interest over time.

Example: NASCAR asks my son to attend local fan events, to wear NASCAR t-shirts to school, to talk about NASCAR in every playground conversation from first graders to eight

Result: He’s lost that lovin’ feeling. My son grows weary of shilling for NASCAR and moves on to Monster Trucks. Don’t drown your influencers.

Sustainability: Influence programs are, by definition, long-term, multi-year commitments designed to build a relationship.

Example: Instead of giving products to shill, NASCAR empowers my son to help find, engage, and activate other influencers. NASCAR would do this by providing my son with specific details of an upcoming Sprint Cup event that mere fans would not know about.

Result: By supplying this insider knowledge, NASCAR deepens their relationship with my son. As a result, NASCAR empowers him to help find, engage, and activate future influencers by sustaining his fire and desire to talk about all things NASCAR.

Private access: An excellent way to engage influencers is to capitalize on their passion. Provide your influencers opportunities to connect behind-the-scenes. Give your influencers talkable and sharable experiences.

Example: NASCAR provides my son opportunities to take a test-drive in Jimmy Johnson’s #48 Chevy Impala, or to sit in the pits with Chad Knaus, Jimmy Crew Chief, during qualifying runs.

Result: Experiences always trump material gifts. You could bet that 20 years down the road my son will still be talking about his insider experience versus the copy of NASCAR for Playstation that he received for his sixth birthday.

Feedback: Influencers are a great source of product/service feedback. Ideally, design your influencer-marketing program so that you can close the loop back with influencers on what you are doing with their feedback and suggestions (it is empowering for them).

Example: Through understanding my son, NASCAR can gain a better understanding of what could be done to improve their presence and searchability on iTunes. Or how they can improve the NASCAR.com website experience. Or why we cannot easily find 1:24 scale diecast cars online or offline.

Result: NASCAR takes these suggestions seriously and in return confirms and reaffirms his feedback. By confirming the feedback and ultimately coming back to him and saying “here is what we have done (or not done) based on your feedback,” NASCAR reaffirms his belief that he matters as an influencer, deepening their relationship.

So at this point you should be able to take away two things from this post:

- Influencer marketing is not a passing fad or the latest trend. It is just one component of a successful word of mouth marketing campaign. If done right, you’ll have fans for the life of your brand or theirs.

- NASCAR, if it doesn’t already, should have an influencer-marketing program in place.

Does anyone know where I can pick up a used NASCAR for cheap? I want to convert it to a backyard playset.

Steve Ziemba is the social media director at the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA), which will be hosting the School of WOM this May to immerse marketers in the rudiments of creating talkable brands.

Inspiration Information | Guest Blog Post by Ethan Lyon from Sparxoo

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While we might wish for bottomless wells of creativity, even the most revolutionary artists and thinkers get stuck. Dali developed a system to capture dreams, Hemingway wrote every morning (rain or shine, intoxicated or sober), Hunter Thompson re-wrote entire books. Each had a way to get inspired. We will explore many of these strategies to help you find inspiration:

1. Research

Whether it’s the public library or the internet, research can be a rich source of inspiration. Looking to others can spark your motivation and ambitions. Also consider letting your goals guide your research. For instance Teddy Roosevelt can teach you about ambition, Warren Buffet can give you a lesson in strategic thinking and Dali can give you a glimpse of the creative fringe.

2. Experience

Famed Gonzo journalist, Hunter Thompson, found himself at a dead end early in his career. He was too wild and crazed to be taken seriously by traditional publications like TIME and The New York Times. In this lull, he turned to his favorite authors for inspiration. Hunter would meticulously re-write works by Tom Wolfe and Ernest Hemingway. To borrow a concept from Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink, we see that Hunter’s tireless re-writing exercises constitute an ‘unconscious decision-making process’; this helped him develop his own style, Gonzo Journalism

3. Dream

Famous surrealist painter, Salvador Dali often tapped into his dreams for inspiration. Before he entered REM sleep (or NREM), Dali would wake himself and begin painting. It is during NREM that we have the most vivid dreams. It is said he would sit in front of his canvas with a paintbrush in one hand and a dense ball in the other. Just before he entered REM sleep, Dali’s body would relax and the ball would drop — awakening him during NREM, or during the most vivid dream cycle. He would then immediately begin capturing his dreams on canvas. While this strategy might not be effective for the next million dollar business model, tapping into your dreams can be a rich source of creative inspiration.

4. Don’t Stop

Every morning, Ernest Hemingway would spend hours writing. No matter if he was traveling or severely intoxicated, he would write. No matter the content, only that he was producing something. It was during these daily writing sessions that Hemingway produced the most important pieces of literature in American history. His routine can teach us the value of relentlessly keeping to a schedule and creating even when we are not feeling creative.

5. Borrow

How Magazine suggests borrowing as the no. 1 way to find inspiration. How Magazine cites the invention of the drive-through lane by restaurants for car-loving patrons in the 1950s. Soon thereafter, banks and dry cleaners adopted the idea and drive-throughs are now ubiquitous with America’s fast-paced culture. You can also observe customer’s buying behavior or review speeches to find nuggets of inspiration. Be careful, though — there is a thin line between borrowing and stealing. Build off of other people’s ideas, do not take them verbatim.

To read more about creative thinking, go to Sparxoo, a digital marketing and branding blog.

Get Your Story Straight! | Guest post by Jan Sheeley from GA Creative

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Today’s consumers are exposed to a whirlwind of marketing campaigns – via the Internet, social media channels and e-mail, not to mention all of the advertising mediums that don’t fit neatly onto a computer or mobile phone. With each campaign, a company is working to further define its brand and differentiate itself from the competition. Yet, these companies frequently falter with their core message, muddying it with a lack of clear direction and challenging consumers to interpret what should be obvious. In today’s world of constant white marketing noise, the key to success is to get your story straight right at the beginning, before one pencil touches the copywriter’s paper or one key stroke is made on the designer’s computer.

The most effective way for marketers to truly connect with their audiences and achieve outstanding results on a project is to start with a strong creative brief that elaborates a well-defined strategy. A tighter and more defined strategy will provide the opportunity to create an outstanding campaign. While some creative minds feel that tight strategies limit the creative process, binding them before the process has even begun, the contrary is actually true. A clear and precise strategy will offer an open door to “big ideas,” allowing the creative team to concentrate on sharing the right message and not wasting time by dividing up efforts in multiple directions. Simply put: the idea is to define the strategy before executing the creative.

So how do you build a strong strategy? Looking at the definition is a starting point. Create an outline of what messages should be conveyed, to whom and with what tone. This provides the guiding principles for copywriters and art directors who are assigned to develop the creative content. Within the context of the project, any marketing tool that is then created should conform to that strategy and align with the defined messaging. This process goes by many names, but “discovery” covers the meaning exceedingly well. It is not an easy process, but hard work for any team.

After all, if you do not know who you are talking to, what they want to hear or when and where they want to hear it, how can you create anything?

Jan Sheeley, Director of Business Development for GA Creative
Jan works with GA clients to indentify business-building opportunities. With more than 15 years of experience in branding, advertising, and direct response, she quickly understands clients’ business objectives and helps clients prioritize initiatives. With an unwavering focus on campaign results, Jan delivers business insight on meeting sales and financial goals. Her work has earned local and national awards.

On Creating for Advertising | Guest post by Paul Uhlir from AdReady.com

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I cut my teeth in the Internet world as a salesman for Go2Net. No, not Goatnet.com or Goto.com – Go2Net. We had a great management team in Russ Horowitz and John Keister. One lesson they taught me was that anyone in business can give 90%- it is very hard to give 100%. But putting out 100% every day is essential if you’re committed to thriving and to succeeding. At Go2Net it meant that I had to always deliver on my promises, never miss a deadline, never misspell a word in an email. I simply had to strive to out-work the other sales people out there.

I would extend this message for anyone who is seeking to make it in the creative world. It is not enough to be able to make the killer ad. I probably don’t need to tell you this, but you could close your eyes and throw a rock in downtown Seattle and probably hit three designers who can make eye-catching, conversion-driving ads. I have hired many myself when I ran my own agency, Don’t Blink Media, and for my networking event www.nwiag.com.

As a person looking to make it in the creative world, you need to think beyond eye-catching visuals. You need to fully understand the goals of the client. This goes beyond sticking to brand and using appropriate messaging. You need to know exactly what response the client wants your art to achieve.

As a hiring manager, if a creative person ever asked me “what CPA are you looking to achieve with these ads”, I would hire them right then and there and probably buy them a beer as well.

It is a competitive world you have entered. Give yourself an edge up by thinking both as an artist and a business person. Give 100%.

Paul Uhlir is an 11-year veteran of the internet advertising industry. Paul is the Director of Account Management at AdReady.com, founder of the Northwest Internet Advertising Group, and creator of the hearingaids1000 website

The pros and cons of film school

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For young inspired film makers, choosing the right film school is a tough decision. Where do you start?

Many of us will start looking at community colleges or universities that offer a film or production major in hopes that we will make the right connections and shoot a spectacular film. Unfortunately the entertainment industry is tough to penetrate, and many jobs are based on who you know. While passion and drive can take your far, setting yourself up early to succeed can save you a lot of pain in the future.

The pros and cons of going to film school:

Pros:
- Make friends who may help you out in the future
- Professors can open doors for you into the industry that you wouldn’t otherwise have access to
- You get to work with equipment you wouldn’t normally be able to afford and produce better quality video
- You will have a degree which will allow you to get a visa in another country to work if you don’t like where you are at now
- Professors are always available to answer questions even after you graduate
- A degree may help you get your foot in the door in a larger company and increase your earning potential

Cons:

  • Expensive, but if you can get financial aid then this isn’t a problem.
  • Although school is great it doesn’t guarantee success in a field.
  • You may like the major in the beginning and then find out you don’t, but can’t afford to change.
  • Time intensive depending whether you go to a 2 year or 4 year.
  • May not have time to shoot if your a full time student with a crazy work load.
  • Your still broke and broke = low video budget.

The pros and cons of not going to film school:

Pros:

  • You can use the money that you save to shoot your first film or buy equipment
  • You can attend events, seminars and mingle with other film makers to make connections
  • Gain experience on our own by filming, producing and directing constantly
  • It teaches you patience and hard work

Cons:

  • In today’s economy not having a degree can disqualify you for certain positions depending on where you work
  • If you don’t surround yourself with other filmmakers and get feedback, it may be hard to judge the quality of your work
  • You may end up working at a job you don’t like, because you don’t have a degree

Quick Tips for Choosing a School:

  1. Figure out the underlying value of the school: is the school known to produce great filmmakers? Animators? Screenwriters?
  2. Do the professors and students seem easy to get along with, and do you get a good feeling from your school tour?
  3. What is the quality of the talent there? Will you be around people who can teach you more than you already know?
  4. Always ask the professor if there are job placements afterward. If they avoid this question it can be a red flag.
  5. Get phone numbers or e-mails from alumni and ask them how important their school experience was in their career.

If you’re an experienced professional with a bachelors and looking to further your education, the American Film Institute offers a Masters in Cinematography, Directing, Editing, Producing, Production Design and Screenwriting. Although the admission process is quite selective, you work in small class sizes, there are no textbooks, and you shoot 2 movies in the 1st year. If your interested you can check them out at HERE.

If want to check out reviews of film schools, click HERE.

What school did you go to? Did you do it on your own? We would love to hear YOUR film school experience in the comments section!