January Calendar

A year ago at the end of 2008, I received a couple of desk calendars from Elevation and from Art 180. These were particularly clever because they came packaged in a CD case. Simply flip the case over backwards and shazam! You have a nice neat little stand for the pages to be displayed. I thought this was a clever gift (and one that I referenced often throughout the year), and when nobody made them '10, I decided to create my own. Here is the page from January- enjoy!

Fiddling about

So this is obviously from one of those cheesy tutorials, but it's something, right? (It's part of my New Year's resolutions to be more diligent about this)

My very first Social Media Club (RVA) event.

Or, My New Obsession With Twitter.

I get home and the first thing I do is reach for a box of cereal. That's right, I'm having dry cereal for dinner, despite the amazing shmorgasborg set out by the very generous Mekong. I had a polite amount of food there, very little of which was vegetarian friendly- but no red meat, thank goodness. Since I'm not willing to cook, and I've been off meat since returning from a 2 week stint in Argentina (two words: cow brains), dry cereal is my DIY alternative to "real food".

So, as it turns out, there is something called #SMCRVA. For those of you who aren't local, "RVA" is our lovely abbreviation for Richmond. The SMC part? Social Media Club. That's right. Social Media. Club. These online junkies (of which there are many) have banded, organized, and gathered, not only forming a CLUB but having real-life events, too. Yes, real life.

Tonight the event featured a panel a local businesses who have used social media to advance their bottom line. As you may have heard, businesses are having a great success with social media, getting the message out, furthering the brand, and having a consistent and trackable audience.

You probably know Facebook, but you may not be as familiar with Twitter. For me, Twitter is the latest and greatest addiction. It's like crack, but more social. Twitter is often described as a"micro-blogging" site, but it's anything but blogging. It's essentially a series of Facebook status updates, which are limited to 140 characters. Folks use this medium to Tweet about "what they're doing right now"- they say funny things, or share interesting links, or inform audiences of products or promotions, etc. They ask questions, they get answers, they share, remark, comment, message, argue, whine, laugh, bemuse, etc. Perhaps the most challenging and frustrating part is also the best part- posts are short and sweet.

So when my boss asked if I would like to join her at the Social Media Club Richmond event, and offered to buy my ticket, curiosity got the best of me. Sure, what the hell! I said. I like my boss, and it's one of those "you should network" things, and what better way to network than to meet all those people you follow on the internet all the time when you should be working?

At first I was amazed. All these people, drinks in hands, chatting it up like a singles mixer at the local Synagogue. We filled out our nametags at check-in, picked up some free candy bars and stickers, and made our way to the bar. My boss began introducing me to people I should know, have heard about, and will probably hear about or work with at some point in the future. We got our drinks, and I snickered at the sign by the bar about Tweeting and drinking at the same time (but not doing either while driving). As conversations began, I scanned the room, looking to see if I could recognize anybody by their 1/2 inch squared icon photos. I read name tags (which were not only filled out with names, but Twitter monikers as well!) in search of folks I might be following. I was giddy that there were so many internet dorks in the same room.

Then I began to get distracted. At the most inopportune moments, the single girl in me comes out and says, "hey those guys are cute. I wonder if they're single?". I began checking out the menfolk, looking for rings (and hoping for none). Then the voice of reason chimes in. "You're here with your BOSS. Stop being such a hornball. You're not going to hook up with anyone anyway and you know it so just STOP". My eyes shifted across the room. Good looking fellow over there in a tie. That one over there made eye contact with me. Maybe he thinks I'm cute. Some days I don't think about this stuff. Other days, it's all I can do to wear a sign over my head blaring the words "ALONE".

As the panel discussion got under way, I noticed the audience kept their cell phones out. There would be no "please turn off your cell phones" warning here. This was about social media, and darn it, we had to tell the world about it- as it was happening. Got your phone out? You're not rude, you're just twittering. Don't forget to tag that #smcrva.

It was good to put some faces to names, including @younghouselove (writers of younghouselove.com), to whom I blurted "Oh my god I LOVE YOUR BLOG" upon being introduced, rather than keeping a subdued, professional "nice to meet you" tone. "I want you guys to do my living room SO BADLY it is such a disaster!" They were polite, and gracious, and awesome, of course. Twitter/Blogger celebrity- I was star struck. I'm still wildly curious about @thecheckoutgirl, and I failed to find her tonight. Perhaps she didn't have a name tag on? Her blog is hilarious and snarky and wonderful. I also saw and briefly spoke to/overheard many other who I will be adding to my Twitter follow list.

All in all, a good night. A few things I learned:

- Social Media is a great business tool because, hey, it's FREE ADVERTISING
- Some people maintain more than one Twitter account. How do they do it?
- Most of us are still pretty new to this business/social media thing. Except Mekong. They're pros.
- We should add our twitter name to our business cards- yes, that is where all this social media stuff is going.
- My type-a-day blog is not as awful as I think it is, and there are people other than my immediate circle of friends who do, in fact, read it.

Who's boring? I'm boring.

Imitate

Created with the help of an online PSD Tutorial that I am unable to locate this morning.

Note: This blog will be featured in the LaDiff blog on Monday morning. Lucky you, getting a sneak peak!

I have my sticky little fingers in all kinds of things. From design to DIY, writing web code to ramping up our Search Engine Optimization, and from designing print advertising to managing social media, we designers are expected to do it all. The title "Graphic Designer" often expands and demands that one wears a variety of hats at the workplace. It’s easy to sit back and wonder, in any position, if you’ve missed your calling in life. As a designer, if you think you’ve missed your calling, it’s just because you haven’t been asked to do it yet.

If there had ever been any doubt in my mind that I should have perhaps gone into a field such as, say, film production, it was about to be put to rest.

The task at hand was to create two TV ads to promote two months worth of events: The Bedroom Sale in August, and the Upholstery/Seating Sale in September… so when Andy and Sarah called in Aaron Dotson and Frank Gilliam of Elevation Advertising, I knew we’d be in for a treat. They seemed so mild mannered at first, but after the initial business formalities were out of the way and the discussion got going, I had the feeling that this was going to be a hoot. Our little conference room roared with laughter as we pushed ideas around, and by the end of the meeting I returned to my office, wiped tears from my eyes, and watched as Aaron tweeted that “concepting TV spots is the best stress reliever ever”. Glad to be of service, Aaron. And we couldn’t wait to see what they would come up with, either.

In the coming weeks, we would be back in the LaDiff conference room. We would be regaled with concepts, we would choose wisely which ones would come to fruition. Elevation would then set to work on a storyboard, and get the folks together to produce the ads. Just days before we were slated to film, I met a gang of Elevation cohorts to scope out the space within which we would assemble props, stage bedrooms, and film. I also met with CJ Hawn, graphic designer, to choose nightstands, lamps, props and clocks for the ads. I shyly showed her around the store, offering up opinions on different nightstand/lamp combinations, while secretly envying her arty insights, design experience, and general expertise. While I was stumbling to find appropriate inventory, these are the concepts CJ was mulling over:

The Bedroom Sale ad, (follow the link to see the ad) on-air for the month of August, essentially featured a series of alarm clocks going off in various rooms using various alarm-clocky sounds. The sounds come together to create a rhythm, which moves faster and faster until building to the end of the piece, where hands are seen slapping each clock into snooze. The concept? This bedroom sale is a snooze button’s best friend (because that’s just how comfortable you’ll be!).

The Upholstery Sale ad, (follow the link to see the ad) now dubbed the Perfect Seat for your Seat Sale, is about just that- finding the perfect seat. The concept was to show a variety of seats with their corresponding rear-ends. Quirky, cute and a tad cheeky.

In preparation, we pulled about 8 different nightstands off the sales floor, with 10 lamps, 2 alarm clocks, and some random accessories from the gifts department. We also painted part of the wall in our empty neighboring space yellow, to serve as one of many backdrops to the “bedroom” scenery. I kept my fingers crossed that Elevation’s crew would cover the rest as far as props and equipment, as discussed (just in case). They did.

We started by filming the “Butt Ad” for the Seat/Upholstery Sale. Friends and employees of LaDiff took turns standing shyly in front of a white screen. We stood patiently on a piece of masking tape as the lights and camera were adjusted- custom tailored to frame each toosh. When the film was rolling (actually I think it’s all digital now), we shifted, swayed, turned and twirled. As one of the seats in the ad, I can say that I’ve never felt more awkward than I did then- knowing that all eyes- and the camera- were on me. Well, parts of me. It’s not as though I’ve never been “checked out” before… but it’s different when you’re shaking your derrière on command. ;)

We needed as many butts as possible, so it became my duty to start herding folks into the film-space. After all of the LaDiff volunteers had shaken it (like a Polaroid picture) and signed their release forms, we were still hoping to collect a few more. I ran frantically throughout the store, grabbing LaDiff employees who had most certainly NOT volunteered and shoved them next door. At one point, I even sent a couple of troops upstairs to the Massey Cancer Center to herd us a “suit butt”- someone wearing a suit, trousers, anything but denim! They even found him too, unwittingly having some happy hour drinks with colleagues. The slightly tipsy suited-butt stranger graciously followed us downstairs, agreed to help out, and jiggled his badiggle for our cameras.

As the evening wore on, we were ready to shoot the second ad. One by one, each “bedroom” was set up, staged, and scrutinized. CJ took her time arranging each vignette, adjusting the alarm clock just-so, adding picture frames or trinkets- things you’d see on any nightstand, adjusting the background and hiding price tags and lamp cords. Cameras were set up, adjusted, lighting played with… it’s surprising how the reflection on just a small piece of chrome lamp-base can throw off an entire scene. The actual amount of set-up time (oodles), vs. the actual amount of time filming (seconds, minutes at best) is… well, pretty boring.

Then, one by one, each hand actor would set on the floor next to the stage. Lights, camera, action! Over and over again, Elevation filmed multiple takes of hands hitting alarm clocks. Touching alarm clocks. Tapping alarm clocks. Finding alarm clocks. Falling alarm clocks. Et cetera.

And…Cut!

Generally speaking, I’m not a woman with much patience. The process of waiting while everything is staged, put together, painstakingly adjusted, and eventually filmed was practically agony! As enlightening as the experience was, I’m certain I did NOT miss a calling in a film career. I’d do it again, certainly, it was fun… but call somebody else if you have a feature film you need help with.

Of course, the anticipation to see these ads come to fruition post-production was agonizing as well, but well worth the wait. We are thrilled with Elevation, thrilled with their work, thrilled with their staff, and just thrilled to show these off.

Elevation, my hats go off to you.

Take a seat.