Our friends over at The Keva Dine Agency always have something new going on. Get the all of the facts from Keva herself about getting a job, the importance of your resume and how to present yourself to make clients happy and earn yourself some cash.
Follow them on twitter@tkda or keep up with their great blog here. They are super friendly and really helpful if you’re looking for work. Check out their website here.
I found a great post of beautiful photos that I wish I could crawl into with a book and spend all day. 
Thanks to the community of laceandflora over at livejournal for the inspirational post.
Ross Ching, a recent SDSU grad, created a beautiful music video for Death Cab for Cutie’s: Little Bribes and it got picked up by Atlantic Records! Ching has been making beautiful films for years and he specializes in stop-motion and time lapse. He created the music video on his own and by promoting it online, he got the attention of the band! On July 1st, Atlantic Record sent out a press release announcing Ching’s video as the official music video for the Death Cab song.
I knew Ross from SDSU, so I got in touch with him to find out more about how he created and promoted this film.
(Mel) About how long did it take you to create the Death Cab music video?
I spent about 50 hours/10 days working on it.
How long ago did u create this?
I finished it around May 18th.
How did u promote this? (blog/digg/facebook/youtube)
I made some friends on Twitter that had 50,000+ followers and gave them a digg.com short url to view it. One of them submitted it to Digg and it just exploded from there. It got about 100,000 views in the first week.
How did u get the attention of Atlantic Records? did u reach out to them or did they contact you?
Atlantic actually emailed me. Apparently, Nick Harmer, the bassist for DCFC saw the video first and he sent it to their management. Then the management sent it to Atlantic. Everyone along the chain loved it.
How has the death cab video changed your work load? have you gotten new offers since creating this video?
The Death Cab video has DRASTICALLY changed my work load. Before this I had all the free time in the world and basically just surfing the wanted ads. Now, Atlantic has me doing a new music video for an artist named Robert Francis, I’m doing a video for one of the biggest bands in Mexico (can’t say which one just yet), and I’m doing Collective Soul’s next music video set to begin on July 10th. And a few other little projects in development. So I definitely have my work cut out for me.
What advice would you give to filmmakers who are trying to promote their work?
Don’t break the bank trying to make your student film. Whatever you do, DON’T go into debt for your short film. Write a story that you can shoot affordably and use the internet to learn how to work around some of the obstacles. As far as trying to promote your work on the internet, you have to create something that not many people have seen before for it to go viral. Nobody wants to watch a “The Office” parody or some poorly produced, hand held home video with your friends as the actors. You really have to think outside the box and think of some original ideas. Granted that’s easier said than done, but once you have a solid idea, it makes things a lot easier to promote. Oh, and if you’re trying to promote something on the internet, it better be less than 4 minutes.
PS. Film Festivals a kind of a waste of time for us small filmmakers. It’s really hard to get people to pay attention to your little short film, and unless it’s a wonderful masterpiece, the odds of making it into a big festival is like 1 in 100, or 1 in 1000. Why not do some research and use new media tools to promote yourself as a brand virally instead?
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Ching’s video also got the attention of the NY Times online and his video was featured last week under “Must See: Videos Worth Watching.” Way to go Ross! I am proud to see on of our own getting some well-deserved attention. 
Check out more of Ross Ching’s amazing films on his website. OH and follow Ross Ching on twitter.
Congratulations Nick, on your 4th official win! Nick has been dominating the Iglu & Hartly t-shirt design contest. Check out some of his other popular designs in Iglu & Hartly’s online store. If you’re not familiar with Iglu & Hartly you need to be. Follow them on twitter @igluandhartly and check out some of their tunes on their website. Yay Nick!
WEEKLY WINNER 07.06.09
Congratulations Nick!
This shirt is on sale now. BUY . Nick’s other great designs:
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Think you can design better?
DESIGN the next Iglu & Hartly tee and VOTE for your favorites.
Click to see the Official Iglu & Hartly store.
Marketing for a soft drink can go many different ways. I saw this commercial for Sierra Mist Ruby Splash last night and I immediately searched for the creator. It’s true… when I watch TV, all I see is the animated elements, the fonts and that great shot with a jib arm. The campaign was run by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. That’s all I have for now, but when I get more details, I’ll pass them along. See the commercial:
This got me thinking, is this funny to the general public? Is humor the way to go? What do you think?
I was reading Don’t Panic and I came across an artist interview with the amazing David Ho. I love his twisted illustrations that take you an a dark, emotional adventure.
Read his Artistis Interview @ Don’t Panic
Congratulations Carly as this week’s winner in the Iglu & Hartly t-shirt design contest.
WEEKLY WINNER 06.29.09
Congratulations Carly!
This shirt is on sale now. BUY
About the Artist:
1. Name: Carly K. Meyer
2. Location: Central Coast California
3. What’s your sign: I’m a Sagittarius: Optimistic and freedom-loving, jovial and good-humored, honest and straightforward…descriptions I fit well.
4. Nickname: Carlos! This has been with me since 8th grade, went on the class DC trip where none of the name gift shop items came in “Carly”…so, I resorted to the closest thing, “Carlos”…so…from then on…thanks to my closest friends Christina & Jack…it stuck!
5. Paper or Plastic: I prefer the cute reusable graphic/decorative bags when shopping. These allow you to help the environment, all while sporting a bit ‘o flare!
6. Dog or Cat: MOST definitely a cat person by nature…and that can be seen w/ the wee one I adopted, at my local animal shelter, Merlin…a spastic lovable black cat. Who, might I add, has brought nothing but good luck!
7. Mac or PC: I’m totally PC…but, can work a Mac too…just prefer the ease of the PC…contrary to those quirky commercials.
8. If you could be a font what would you be? Carmencita, it’s fantastic! It reminds me of the front styling of a violin…it has a very romantic old world appeal to it.
9. Name 3 of your RSS feeds (what blogs/websites do you love): LOVE beyond words Apartment Therapy…they have such great ideas that I try and implement when going about my personal decorating as well as assisting friends. The other main one I like is MODERNCAT…it’s another portal that is great for ideas, this time targeting the cat lovers out there! 
10. How long have you been a fan of Iglu & Hartly? Checking out this group has actually been a recent endeavor, as in the past 3mos or so! And, what can I say…I’m hooked! Was SO stoked to see them perform live at the Billabong: Design for Humanity event in Los Angeles the other week. Great cause combined with great music!
11. What was your inspiration for this design? A couple of things really…1st of course is the main “&” symbol logo, and the hammer that is associated with it. I wanted it to appear as if the hammer had shattered my graphic. 2nd HAS to be the music…with its pure vibes: ocean air, beach, relaxing, surfing…my graphic evokes the free spirit of those who know what it’s like to wake up from camping at the beach and watch the sunrise…
12. What is your favorite medium? (paint, pencil, clay, t-shirts, posters, photography, etc): I could never settle for just one, I absolutely LOVE to express myself in different ways. Photography, painting, drawing, designing, decorating, clothing, hairstyles…etc! It’s the core of who I am and can honestly say that without a creative outlet, I couldn’t imagine the person I’d be!
13. What inspires you? Life. Those personal moments that happen whether people know what’s going on with you or not. It’s being able to express yourself without the forced need to explain yourself. The freedom and release of simply creating is such a liberating feeling. Unlike any other for me!
14. What is the most played on your itunes? Jazz and anything from the 60s/70s
15. Who are the designers/artists who have influenced or inspired you? Van-Gogh, Alphonse Mucha, Dali, Warhol, Monet , & Picasso. I’m also inspired by timeless eras such as the 20s, 50s, & 60s
16. Your personal website/twitter: PERSONAL: myspace.com/carlitabonita_qt PHOTOGRAPHY: www.myspace.com/photo_darlin
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Don’t forget about last week’s winner Nick with his awesome design “Gramophone” on sale now!
Think you can design better?
DESIGN the next Iglu & Hartly tee and VOTE for your favorites.
Click to see the Official Iglu & Hartly store.
Our Collar Free 1 yr anniversary party was a success! Thanks to everyone who had a chance to stop by and say hello. Thanks again to Syrah who provided us with excellent wine, wonderful cheese plates and a great atmosphere. I think Pat had a good 30th birthday too. We will be posting all the pics from the party later this week.
Collar Free Inc. is always expanding. See our new projects at Artistic Hub.
Mel is always telling me about awesome blogs I should be following. My new favorite blog is I Can Read. Everyday there are several simple text-based posts with inspirational, beautiful and thoughtful sayings creatively shown through photographs, drawings or design. Here are a few of my favorites:
Subscribe to i can read here.
-michelle
@mybell
@dailydesignfix
It has been a while since we threw a killer party. We know you miss the fun and we do to and we have two reasons to party this summer. The first is the 1 year anniversary of Collar Free launching. The second is that Pat is turning 30!
Come join us for a night of food, wine, friends, and fun!
We are hosting the event this year at Syrah. Syrah is an awesome wine bar in downtown gaslamp with a cool atmosphere inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Syrahwineparlor.com
Hope to see you there!
And don’t forget about the awesome discounts at Collar Free! Use code: “anniversary” SHOP NOW
