Creative Futures Week- Notes
Introduction
The Creative Industry-
Easily accessible
Highly scalable
Self-employed, freelancers, micro + small business
Hubs of excellence are invaluable
400 creative businesses in Wrexham
3000 are within an hour’s drive from Wrexham
UK Creative Industries make up 7% of GDP
Largest in Europe
67% are graduates
Without creative content, technology achieves little
Creativity is important for success
The ability to communicate is paramount
Focus on clients, customers and audiences
UK has largest number of games development companies in Europe.
£56 billion by 2014
Business + Enterprise skills
Management and leadership
Experience of the ‘real world’ industry
Industry – endorsed
Harriet Buckley- Showreels and portfolios
General things: Online blog
Showreel/Portfolio
Business Card
Do homework on companies (flattery goes a long way)
Job advertisements
Keep channels open
Perseverance is key
‘Tailor’ your showreel or portfolio to match the job
Music makes it look better
The first 45 seconds are the most important- short and sweet
End with name and URL
Online- More accessible online
Easier to upload information
Designing own site is impressive
Digital Disc- Physical (proof that you exist)
Life drawing is good in a portfolio- showing anatomical knowledge
Don’t put anything in that you need to explain
Written material should be minimal but if you have to, spelling is crucial
CV- Preferably 2 sides of A4
Covering letter- 1 side of A4
This is really a one chance thing
· Concise
· Most impressive
· Briefs undertaken
· Responsibility
· Teamwork
· Dedication
The company wants to know what you can offer it, not what it can offer you
Paul Gravett- Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
Comics, Films, Games
Start off with competitions-
Graphic Short Story, The Observer
Pickled Ink
Karrie Fransman
Beano + Dandy
Myriad Books
Nobrow
Hyper Comics
Sid Madge- The Business of Branding
Brands
1) Built from a great idea
2) Holds true to core purpose and values
3) Employs brand as central organising principle
Understand where pressure points are, and eliminate them
Use innovation in the workplace
Link brand to a key driver
Lucy Jones and Jane Trudgill- Getting Work Experience
Work placements
- 6-10 weeks
- Full-time or part-time
- At least £250 per week
- Available all year round
- Quality experience
- Enhanced CV
- Salary
- Improves chances of employment
- May lead to further work
Tasters
- Short and flexible
- Improve CV
- Develop work experience
- Helps make contacts
Sue Jeffries- CVs for the Creative Industries
Doesn’t have to be linked to the industry directly (but indirectly)
‘Package’ skills to distinguish yourself
skillsetmediaacademy.org
Send hard copy but e-mail too
Referees are better ‘on request’
-One from teaching
-One from work experience
Don’t need nationality, marital status, children, personal information, etc
Useful to put driver’s licence
Work experience is much more important than qualifications
Don’t lie on the CV
Don’t send showreel or portfolio with CV (unless company is interested)
Make sure showreel is identifiable separately from the CV
Don’t need ‘Curriculum Vitae’ at the top
Be clear if experience is with college projects
1 page (2 pages max)
More interested in your employability
Size 12 font
It should: Introduce you
Say what you have to sell
Get some kind of reception
Lee Carter- Computer Games, Concept Art and Illustration
Concept Artist and Freelancer
Figure-drawing skills
Knowledge of architecture
Traditional artist = more ideas and concepts based
Reference material = photography
Research is important, as are personal sketchbooks
Quick cutting and pasting from reference material is used a lot
Storyboards
Reference is the most important aspect
Concept artists can virtually design anything ranging from environments, characters and props
Phil Barratt- A photographer’s retrospective
Awareness of the industry is important
Don’t sell yourself short
Marketing and Networking are important
Make sure you have a USP (Unique Selling Point)
Blogging is useful
wordpress.org
Businesses like ‘business’ (busy workers)
Differentiate between service and methods
