H O T T A L E N T
The Newsletter of Aquent's Available Talent
D E C E M B E R | 1 3 | 2 0 0 6
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Hot Talent
Featured Talent This Week
That Bit at the End - "Why Am I Such a Misfit?"
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HOT TALENT
Why is it the holidays are always "upon us"?
Doesn't that sound a little combative for a season supposedly marked by peace and joy?
Perhaps it has something to do with all those plans we're trying to accomplish before the holidays descend upon us like a Mongolian horde.
For example, getting a Corporate Communications Manager before November (oops). Or finding a Designer fill in while everyone else in the department is in Aruba (or Reseda).
Which is exactly why you should give us a call to wipe those items right off your To Do list in a jiffy.
And get onto other important holiday tasks, like fighting traffic or heatedly discussing where to get the best potato latkes (we're partial to Langer's).
Follow the links for profiles, samples, resumes, sour cream, and applesauce.
Enjoy!
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FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK
Frank H. - Corporate Communications Manager
Michael P. - Senior Brand Manager
Leslie C. - Marketing Communications Manager
Rochelle L. - Writer | Editor
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Frank H.
Corporate Communications Manager
Former Director of Corporate Communications and Senior Copywriter for GE Consumer Finance (previously WMC Mortgage), Frank has an extensive background in marketing communications, media relations, Web site content, public affairs, employee communications, event coordination, copy writing, speech writing, video production, presentations, and desktop publishing.
Aside from his on-site work, his freelance experience as a Writer and Event Coordinator includes top-notch work for Los Angeles MTA, City of Hope, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and USC School of Education on corporate and employee magazines, collateral, as well as management handbooks and presentations.
With his MA in Communications Management from USC Annenberg School, he'll make sure your company gets noticed!
See his on-line Aquent profile!
Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
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Michael P.
Senior Brand Manager | Product Manager
A recently relo from New York, Michael has 8+ years of wide-ranging experience in product management ranging from P&L responsibility to new product development, marketing partnerships, and advertising.
At collectible trading card giant, Topps, he was responsible for creating and launching multiple products lines, packaging, and brand strategies and handling a sales operating budget of over $100 million. His stellar work includes developing creative briefs for advertising agencies, reviewing creative materials, managing budgets for each product, and training the Topps marketing staff. He's organized and led countless research studies including on-line surveys, in-product questionnaires, and focus groups.
If you want to significantly grow your top and bottom line through new product development, brand enhancements, and cost reduction initiatives, call us about Michael!
See his on-line Aquent profile!
Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
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Leslie C.
Marketing Communications Manager
A Marcom/Account Manager with extensive background in the non-profit healthcare industry, Leslie has over 15 years of solid experience in marketing, team building, and vendor management.
At American Social Health Association, Leslie was responsible for overseeing all aspects of their marketing, public relations, and collateral production. As a freelancer, she's coordinated scores of marketing and communications projects for dozens of non-profit clients, creating marketing strategies, designing collateral and fund-raising efforts, conceiving content for newsletters and Web sites, overseeing print production, and running teams to hit high goals and on-target budgets.
She's a perfect fit at any company, non-profit or not!
See her on-line Aquent profile!
Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
Skills: Advertising/Account Management, Event Co-ordination, Event Management, Management, Marketing/Commercial Services, Marketing/Media & Entertainment, Marketing/Professional Services, Media Planning, Media Strategy, Business Development, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Photoshop, Customer Service, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Word, Office Management, PR/Account Management, Reception, Typing, WordPerfect
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Rochelle L.
Writer | Editor
A Sr. Writer and Editor with unmatched proofing skills, Rochelle was most recently Editorial Director for the American Film Institute, responsible for writing, editing, and proofreading all the institute's printed, published, and online materials.
Her work at AFI included Life Achievement Award Tribute Books for the likes of Harrison Ford, Robert De Niro, and Meryl Streep, as well as annual reports, press releases, newsletters, and all content on the institute's Web site.
As a freelancer, she's been published by The Washington Post, Salon, Glamour, Movieline, Los Angeles Magazine, and many more.
You won't find a smarter, more professional Writer and Editor!
See her on-line Aquent profile!
Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
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What if Charles Shultz pitched his script for "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 2006 instead of 1964? We explore that very theme in this week's edition of:
"SCRIPTS OUT OF TIME!"
The setting: Two TV network executives meeting with Charles Schulz at their office.
The time: This morning.
1st Network Executive: Well, Mr. Schulz, we like your script. We really like it a lot.
2nd Network Executive: Love it.
Charles Schulz: That's excellent news! So we'll make it into a TV special then?
1st Exec.: Of course we will!
Charles Schulz: That's just terrific. I've slaved over this thing for 2 solid years.
1st Exec.: And it shows, Mr. Shulz. Now, we only have a few changes for you. Your script is THAT solid. These are minor changes, really.
2nd Exec.: Negligible.
Charles Schulz: Hey, I had to expect some changes, right? Go right ahead.
1st Exec.: Good! Now starting with your choice of font...
Charles Schulz: WHAT?
1st Exec.: Just a joke there, Mr. Schulz.
2nd Exec.: Ice breaker. Sans serif and all that.
(The two executives exchange a laugh.)
1st Exec.: Now, our first item is this Charlie Brown fellow. Great character, by the way. Terrific name.
2nd Exec.: Good old Brownie.
1st Exec.: He's down. He's down about Christmas. I understand where he's coming from. Who doesn't get down about the holidays every once in a while? The shopping, the traffic, the throngs of crazy people at Fred Segal... You know that I couldn't even valet down there last Saturday?
2nd Exec.: Madness.
1st Exec.: You ever go down there, Schulzy? To Fred Segal?
Charles Schulz: Not really.
1st Exec.: They have great menswear.
2nd Exec.: Phenomenal menswear.
1st Exec.: Where was I?
2nd Exec.: Depressed round-headed kid.
1st Exec.: Oh yes. The point is, I know he's down, but does this Charlie Brown kid have to be SO down? I mean we practically open the whole special with him sticking his round head into his empty mailbox and remarking: "I know nobody likes me, why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?"
2nd Exec.: Where's that?
1st Exec.: Page 2.
2nd Exec.: First Act. Not good.
1st Exec.: Here on page 6 he says, "I guess I don't understand the true meaning of Christmas and that's why I'm so depressed".
2nd Exec.: Wow. Guess I skipped that part.
1st Exec.: Just a short page and a half later you have the Lucy character telling him, "Look, Charlie, let's face it, we all know Christmas is a big commercial racket."
2nd Exec.: Little ingrate.
1st Exec.: In fact, during the entire length of the 32-page script, Charlie Brown and his friend Linus spend most of their time complaining that Christmas is too commercial.
2nd Exec.: Probably not going to help us sell a lot of those Dolly Madison pies...
1st Exec.: Now, Charles. Can I call you Charles? We don't want to rewrite you or anything, but is there a way you can tone it down a little? I like a depressed kid. In fact, I have 2 or 3 of them at home worrying that we'll run out of gas before they get their hands on my M-Class Mercedes. That's normal.
But you've got this little kid who has virtually no friends, is suffering from chronic depression, and is dependent on a money-grubbing "psychiatrist" for help. And you end the whole thing ends by having him humiliate himself by bringing a twiggy little tree into the auditorium for the Christmas school play. Page 30 has every person in the cast laughing at him, including his own dog.
2nd Exec.: I like that part where the kids are dancing.
1st Exec.: Honestly, as much as we like this script, if you don't change this stuff, we're going to have to pass.
2nd Exec.: Find another network. Maybe Lifetime.
Charles Shultz: Well...
1st Exec.: Look, Chucky, this isn't art. This is a half-hour cartoon. 22 short minutes without the commercials. It's not like anyone will be watching this 30 years from now.
2nd Exec.: Short attention span.
1st Exec.: So what do you say, Chuckster? Do we have a deal?
Charles Schulz: I guess I could incorporate a few of your changes...
1st Exec.: Fantastic! I'll have my girl get you the papers.
2nd Exec.: Latte?
1st Exec.: Lattes all around! This is great news, really.
Charles Schulz: Terrific.
2nd Exec.: Perfect for the holiday season.
1st Exec.: Oh jeez, thanks, I almost forgot. We do have one more minor change...
2nd Exec.: A trifling.
Charles Schulz: Which is?
1st Exec.: Can you rewrite this thing without using the word "Christmas"?
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Tim Donnelly
Propagandist | Blogger | Stuff Coordinator
Aquent
"We increase a company's internal capacity to execute marketing and communication programs through people, process and technology"
What the heck's that mean? Visit http://marcom.aquent.com/
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