Tim Donnelly: January 2008 Archives

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Seattle (Not-So-Sunny) Times"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

We asked our Marketing Department for a way to send our Hot Talent Newsletter with all the bells and whistles and boy did they come through!

You DID hear "La Cucaracha" when you opened your e-mail, right?

Hope so, because the rights to that little ditty cost us a mint.

It just shows the lengths we'll go to showcase Aquent's newly available Talent to you. Perfect timing, because you need someone with amazing marketing, design, project management, and/or proofreading skills, right?

And in case someone else in your office just heard "La Cucaracha" and ran over looking for the taco truck, tell them they just missed it.

Follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

¡Disfrutalo!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Jody T. - Web Art Director
Sean F. - Print & Web Designer
Jeff L. - Print & Web Designer
Mario B. - Project Manager
David W. - Senior Marketing Manager
Philip S. - Web Producer | Project Manager
__________________________________________________

Jody T.
Web Art Director

Working in the Web well before Al Gore "invented" it, Jody is a top-notch creative Talent with (gasp!) great conceptual as well as hands-on coding skills.

Recently freelance Art Director for WhittmanHart (formerly DNA Studios), she's done stunning work for the likes of Razorfish, Tribal DDB, and eCommerce Technology.

Just look at a partial list of her accomplishments:

Special K: Creating visual and interactive designs and direction/design QA
Lexus: Ad concepting
Lexus Financial: Design implementation
Clorox: Design and animation of a Flash game
E! Online: Design composition and show branding
Sage Software: Site design and direction

We could go on and on.

But then, by the time you reached the phone to call us, she would already be working.

Just a tip!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Sean F.
Print & Web Designer

Just arriving to our shores from sunny Australia, Sean's been working in print design for 7 years and Web for 4.

Did we mention he also knows Flash Animation?

Yes, we thought you might want to know that.

As the sole designer for FSU, the Australian union for banking, investments, and insurance employees, he handled all aspects of communications design from concept to completion including quarterly publications, package design, multimedia presentations, and direct mail.

His Web work includes designing, coding, and maintaining sites for Australia's Artworks Inc., Inner West Information, and MidBoh Web Services.

Available right now (and open to print, Web, or both), we think you'll find he's an excellent import!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Permanent
__________________________________________________

Jeff L.
Print & Web Designer

That's Entertainment...

With over 7 years of print and Web experience in the Entertainment industry, Jeff's wide ranging skillset is only matched by his massive client base.

Working for Walt Disney Pictures, NBC Universal, VH1, and USA Network and on projects for Victoria Secret, Playboy, Def Jam Records, The Office, and The Apprentice, he's created a multitude of Web sites, Web trailers, DVD menus, ads, packaging, key art, and much more.

With top-notch hands-on skills in Flash, Photoshop, InDesign, and Quark, we think you'll find his passion for the Design and the Entertainment industry is positively infectious!  

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Mario B.
Project Manager

Mario comes to us with over 10 years of experience in the print production realm and a proven track record streamlining production processes and maintaining brand image.

Working for companies like Disney, The Kern Organization, Design-O-Matic, and Broderbund Software, he's handled budgets, vendors, and traffic, as well as established production schedules, monitored due dates, and made sure all projects hit their marks for on-time, on-budget delivery. His client roster includes Fox, AIDS/LifeCycle, Paramount, DIRECTV, and Miramax.

Armed with outstanding organizational, communication, troubleshooting, and negotiation skills, we know you're going to love Mario!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

David W.
Senior Marketing Manager

David is a veteran Marketing Manager most recently at Digital Theatre Systems (affectionately known as DTS to surround sound aficionados) where he served as Executive Producer for the company's tradeshows and events worldwide.

Working on the Theatre side of the house, David developed and managed million-dollar budgets, continually raising the bar on ROI expectations. At 2007's ShoWest event he helped increase booth attendance by 33%, sales leads by 12%, and hardware sales by 22%.

As Marketing Manager for Pacific Theatres, he planned and executed high-profile theatre openings in LA, San Diego, San Francisco, and Hawaii. He was also the person responsible for orchestrating the media plan for the biggest theatre opening in Pacific's history.

If you need Marketing leadership to increase your ROI, then talk to us about David!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Philip S.
Web Producer | Project Manager

Philip has extensive experience leading and contributing to the design, development, and enhancement of Web-based applications.

All of which make him ideal for any company needing a team player to manage timelines, streamline budgets, and be the "go to" man to communicate ideas between creative, Marketing, and IT.

He led their major Web site redesign project at DVD wholesaler and distributor Image Entertainment and was actively involved in the budgeting, project management, flowcharting, team management, and implementation of the over 3,000 title site.

For the company's subsidiary, Egami Media, he was Digital Production Manager, leading large projects such as directing delivery of digital assets to retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, and Cinema Now.

If you're looking for someone to manage Big Picture Projects while effectively handling daily operations, call us about Philip!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

"And now the weather report, with Weather Bob!"

"What's it like outside, Bob?"

"Well, Carol, as many of you Seattlites are already experiencing, it's raining outside.

We're getting the traffic snarls and hiccups you'd expect from this much continuous rain, so take it easy during your morning commute!

Here's the extended forecast for the rest of the week:

Thursday... Rain.

Friday... Rain.

Saturday... Rain.

Sunday... Rain.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that every day next week in Seattle is also going to be misting, drizzling, pouring rain, or storming.

Going a little farther out on the limb, I'm indicating that the entire month will be nothing but sprinkles, cloudbursts, scattered showers, downpours, thundershowers, and torrential, monsoon-like rains.

In my humble meteorological opinion, during the next six months, you, me, and everyone watching this station will see nothing but clouds and precipitation in the form of buckets of falling rain.

For Pete's sake!

People, tell me, why in the heck did we move here?

What were we thinking?!

I haven't seen the sun in MONTHS!

MONTHS, I tell you!

I've got that MAD, SAD, or whatever the heck you call it, when all you want to do is stay in bed all day and drink.

I need sun!

I swear last night I actually got out my old Paul Simon albums, put them on and just about wanted to slit my wrists, I was so depressed.

PAUL SIMON!

I would have, too, except that I knew the paramedics would have to drag my sorry body out into the deluge.

I'm a weatherman, people, and all I do is tell you about rain! Why the heck are so many of you tuning in day after day? What could you possibly expect?

Look out your window and tell me what you see?

RAIN? YES, RAIN!!

Rain coming down in torrents!!

I suppose I could let you know if the rain was cold or warm, so you could pick out just the perfect rain jacket, but honestly WHAT'S THE POINT?

Or did you expect that I, like the Eskimos and their snow, would come up with 100 words for rain?

In fact I have dozens of words for rain, but regrettably I'm not allowed to say any of them on network television.

I'm sick of me, and my gosh, you should be sick of me, too!!!

You know what? Tomorrow morning I'm going to come in here and tell everyone watching that it's going to be hot and sunny all day. Ha!

Want a laugh? Tell everyone in your office to tune into my weather report tomorrow and they'll get the weather report of their lives.

Then, when they show up at your office drenched to the bone in their short sleeves and espadrilles you can laugh...

HA!

HA HA!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ha.

Sigh.

Back to you, Barbara."

If I wasn't so danged full from my greasy pizza lunch from Damiano's Mr. Pizza, I might find the time to go to one of the fancy restaurants joining in the fun that is dineLA Restaurant Week.

Restaurant devotees galore will be busting down the doors of Ruth Chris Steak House, Zucca, Angeli Caffe, and the like for the offer of three-course dinner menus for $25 (deluxe dining) and $34 (premier dining). Lunches are $15 and $22 respectively.

What's the difference between deluxe and premier dining?

Far as I can tell, places like Ciudad are premier and places like Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. are deluxe.

Wait, no. Bubba Gump is premier, too.

But Cobras and Matadors is deluxe.

Oh I have no idea what's going on here.

Except that I'm not going to American Girl Place for Cinnamon Bun appetizers and "Bitty Bites Pizza".

(Not to mention a middle-aged man dining alone in a place that bills itself as "a café where girls can dine with their dolls" probably isn't the wisest idea.)

Regardless, all the details for this week and next are here on the dineLA site.

(Thanks to Rebecca in our office for passing along!)

That's not, as you may very well suspect, another of my misspellings.

The New York Times and AIGA National want you to take your camera into your polling place and record what you see.

William Drenttel of Design Observer initiated the Polling Place Photo Project in 2006, which is a "nationwide experiment in citizen journalism that encourages voters to capture, post and share photographs of this year's primaries, caucuses and general election."

Plus, if you bring a really powerful zoom lens, a way to get some early voting returns to the press.

The photos you upload will be featured here on the NY Times site.

Each photo carries with it some information about the polling place itself, such as type of polling place, ballot type, number of people in line, etc. (They're also interested if you have any feedback of what worked and what could be improved.)

Participation instructions are here.

I guess now I'll have to shave before I vote.

Dang it.

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. RFP/Word Expert
2. Benefits Analyst
3. HTML Coder
4. Marketing Project Manager
5. Email Manager
6. Off-Site Print Art Director
7. Web Content Administrator

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: RFP/Word Expert

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• RFP and on-line research experience
• Long form document skills in Microsoft Word
• Business letter writing and editing skills
• Federal, national health, and/or technical experience a plus

PERKS!:

• Friendly working environment
• Company works with cutting-edge technologies in the aerospace, defense, and commercial industries
  

LOCATION:

• Torrance
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Benefits Analyst

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Experience pulling data, analyzing, and creating reports or summaries
• Project coordination experience
• 5 to 6 month contract, 40 hours a week on-site
• Start date is 2/19/08

PERKS!:

• Great job for a Coordinator or Administrative Assistant who is self directed and loves manage projects
  

LOCATION:

• San Gabriel Valley
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: HTML Coder

TERMS: One-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• At least 2 of years professional experience handcoding HTML & CSS
• Prior work on a team
• On-site only

PERKS!:

• Work for a company that saves lives!
  

LOCATION:

• Northridge
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Marketing Project Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of professional experience as an Account Manager or working in Finance
• Client-facing experience
• Strong project management and proofreading skills

PERKS!:

• One of the top companies to work for in LA
• Positive work environment and a great, friendly team
  

LOCATION:

• Downtown
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION:Email Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Prior work with vendors such as Yesmail or Bigfoot
• Experience blasting many emails (40 to 45 a month) to a large audience
• Must be able to test blast and conduct final QAs
• Knowledge of HTML a plus

PERKS!:

• Great company
• Client is a large entertainment company
  

LOCATION:

• Westside
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Off-Site Print Art Director

TERMS: Freelance (Off-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3+ years of experience
• Prior work on conceptual campaigns
• Proven ability to manage client deadlines offsite
• Must have large clients in your portfolio
• Send samples for consideration

PERKS!:

• Work in PJs!
• ...for a really cool boss
  

LOCATION:

• Off-Site
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Content Administrator

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 3 years of experience
• Light knowledge of HTML
• Beginner level understanding of content management systems
• Strong organizational skills and ability to meet heavy deadlines
• Experience with site updates
  

PERKS!:

• Great perks: parking, paid transportation, great benefits package, and free lunches
• Plus: super, kick butt boss
  

LOCATION:

• Downtown
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Point your friend right to this link and have them drop your name to the Agent.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Why I Was Fired as a Book Jacket Copywriter"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information
__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

Someone left the cake out in the rain.

Just our luck.

And though we may never have that recipe again, we have just the very Creative and Marketing folks to help craft the perfect memorial.

Which is exactly what the cake would have wanted, don't you think?

In the meantime, bring an umbrella, stay out of MacArthur Park, and follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

Enjoy!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Charles M. - Web Art Director | Designer
Darshna K. - Web Producer | Web Analytics
Richard O. - Marketing & Communications Pro
Andrea S. - Proofreader
Kathleen W. - Marketing Brand Manager
Patrick B. - Print | Packaging Designer
__________________________________________________

Charles M.
Web Art Director | Designer

Charles (Blake) comes to Aquent with 10+ years of experience designing full-featured, interactive Web sites for some very hot properties.

As Senior Web/Flash Designer at Warner Bros. Online, he created and executed award-winning theatrical sites and viral marketing projects from concept to completion, supervising teams of up to 10 designers and developers. His art direction can be seen on sites for Harry Potter, The Batman TV series, Scooby-Doo, March of the Penguins, Looney Tunes, and many more.

With a proven track record of translating client visions into well-branded, eye-popping sites, we know you're going to love the ROI Blake can provide!

Click here to see his on-line Aquent profile.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Darshna K.
Web Producer | Web Analytics

A solid Web Producer with agency and Web Analytics experience, Darshna was recently Producer on the Nestle account for McElroy Interactive, where she managed a multitude of projects from inception to their stunning completion.

Darshna's achievements include developing SOWs with client, account, creative, and engineering teams; setting up rigorous QA test plans; on-time and on-budget delivery; and improving site performance by implementing AJAX and RSS technology. She also handled Web Analytics for four of Nestle's major sites.

She has a great background including Hitbox, CRM, and SEM (Google and Yahoo) and thrives in fast-paced environments.

She's the best feature we can think of for your next interactive project!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Richard O.
Marketing & Communications Pro

Whether you're in the hospitality, retail, or entertainment industry, if you're looking for a Marketer who excels in the "customer-centric experience", look no further!

Well, you should read below, then hit the link.

During his tenure as Director of Marketing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Richard handled all PR, advertising, and events for the franchise. He went outside the box to attract new baseball fans, setting a record-breaking debut season at the team's PNC Park facility. In one year alone he saved the franchise more than $100K in marketing costs by developing in-house design and production assets.

His 20+ years of experience includes marketing and business planning for Enigma Entertainment, Buffalo Bisons, Wichita Wranglers, and the Island Sports Center in Pittsburgh, a sports and family recreation destination that attracts over 450,000 guests annually.

Take a look at his resume and on-line profile, but trust us, meeting him is the best thing you can do for your Marketing push this year!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking  here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Andrea S.
Proofreader

Andrea is a rock star, Ivy League-educated Proofreader with amazing copyediting skills to boot!

(You probably didn't think you'd be seeing the words "rock star" and "Ivy League" in the same sentence today, did you?)

Educated at Harvard (Cum Laude), her stellar background includes work at Saatchi and Saatchi and Team One where she was responsible for proofreading and correcting copy decks, scripts, and mechanicals for print, broadcast, interactive advertising and collateral for the Lexus and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel accounts.

She nearly aced our proofreading assessment, which shouldn't be much of a surprise as she's edited and proofread for the likes of St. Martin's Press, New American Library, and The Literary Guild.

If you value perfection as much as Andrea, then call us!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Kathleen W.
Marketing Brand Manager

Kathleen is a terrific Aquent Talent with extensive Marketing experience in consumer products in the pharmaceutical and nutritional product industries.

Most recently at biotech giant Amgen as MarComm Marketing Brand Manager, she worked on new products with clinical teams developing strategies and managing the execution for trade shows, advertising programs and marketing collateral.

While at Otsuka Pharmaceutical, the largest privately owned pharma company in Japan, she managed the introduction into the US market of a Japanese-made nutritional supplement. She managed the FDA review, identified and developed strategic US target markets, created sales and marketing materials and helped boost consumer product sales by 31% and sports team sales by 180%!

Kathleen has a background in financial management, plus experience as a team lead, in addition to budget management and P&L, and forecasting.

And an MBA to top it all off!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Patrick B.
Print | Packaging Designer

With over 7 years of experience in the industry, Patrick has a wide-ranging background working in print design, package design (including licensed products), prepress, and technical illustration for a broad range of industries such as gaming, medical, and pharmaceutical.

Most recently at Helix Medical Communications in San Diego, he was responsible for the concept, design, production and prepress of print and multimedia materials for clients such as Genentech and Galderma. At video game manufacturer Mad Catz, he was design lead responsible for concepting, designing, and production of literally hundreds of team-specific products licensed by the NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB.

A trusted Aquent Talent for years, he's brought his incredibly hands-on skills to LA and is ready for new challenges!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Corporal Rules by Roderick J. Clamors

Two identical men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, working in what came to be called the Cinema Age. Why had both chosen the same city to practice occupations at such opposite ends of the moral spectrum?

The answer is a mystery this page-turning book will unravel.

Could they be brothers, mysteriously separated at birth and fated to meet as Cop and Thief, dead by each other's hands and never finding out their true identities?

Um.

Well, yes, they actually are estranged identical brothers, but you don't find that out until page 324.

But that shouldn't stop you from buying this book anyway, because it's really, really good. Really.

Six chapters into it you'll learn exactly why their mother abandoned them and moved from the Bronx to Los Angeles (she was a high-priced call girl, slated to marry Bobby Vixon, Hollywood star, and had to put both children up for adoption in different cities before she met him at The Brown Derby).

Quite a twist, huh?

And when you find out Bobby Vixon is actually a mob boss setting up both brothers the whole time, you're just going to lose it!

Even if you know the ending and these key plot points, there's no way I could possibly cover all the great dialogue in this excellent tome.

For example when Vixon tells a nosy reporter, "Tell St. Peter that Bobby Vixon sent you!", then shoots him right on the red carpet!

That is seriously the best line in the book, don't you think?

Hey, you know what? If you like this book, you'll really LOVE the book I'm currently working on, called "The Joke Killer"! (Well, it may not be called that by the time the Publishers are done with it, but while I'm crafting it on my trusty Royal Typewriter, it sure as heck is.)

Set in the South Side of Chicago in 2030 AD, a scientist creates a sinister psychopath out of genetic material from Jack the Ripper and Woody Allen.

Every night the deranged lunatic is compelled to scour the city to find victims. Unfortunately he winds up feeling so guilty that he ends up taking them out for Chinese food and a good movie back at his apartment.

If you're at all interested, feel free to e-mail me at greatpen@imawriter.com, and I'll send you a preliminary copy.

By the way, if you're going to give me a bunch of notes like, "Making the protagonist's uncle the police detective who captures him is a little far-fetched", like my friend Todd just did, then don't bother. I've got enough critics already.

But if you're a publisher, or know someone in the publishing industry who can actually help me (as opposed to anyone here, who couldn't tell Tolstoy from a hole in the ground), please let me know!

It's really a heck of a lot better than this book you have in your hands, which has taken something like five Editors working around the clock to make sure this baby made bookshelves before Spring Break.

Speaking of which...

The author, Roderick J. Clamors, lives in Seattle with his wife, two daughters, and a Boston terrier.

He's going to make a killing if this thing hits the NY Times Bestseller list, like his last book.

But don't count on it.

As I said, it's really, really good, but I wouldn't say great.

Remember, "The Joke Killer"!

H  O  T     T  A  L  E  N  T
The Newsletter of Aquent's Available Talent

J  A  N  U  A  R  Y   |   2  4   |   2  0  0  8
__________________________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Why I Was Fired as a Book Jacket Copywriter"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information
__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

Someone left the cake out in the rain.

Just our luck.

And though we may never have that recipe again, we have just the very Creative and Marketing folks to help craft the perfect memorial.

Which is exactly what the cake would have wanted, don't you think?

In the meantime, bring an umbrella, stay out of MacArthur Park, and follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

Enjoy!
__________________________________________________

As always, we're blogcasting this Newsletter. Just click here to view!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Charles M. - Web Art Director | Designer
Darshna K. - Web Producer | Web Analytics
Richard O. - Marketing & Communications Pro
Andrea S. - Proofreader
Kathleen W. - Marketing Brand Manager
Patrick B. - Print | Packaging Designer
__________________________________________________

Charles M.
Web Art Director | Designer

Charles (Blake) comes to Aquent with 10+ years of experience designing full-featured, interactive Web sites for some very hot properties.

As Senior Web/Flash Designer at Warner Bros. Online, he created and executed award-winning theatrical sites and viral marketing projects from concept to completion, supervising teams of up to 10 designers and developers. His art direction can be seen on sites for Harry Potter, The Batman TV series, Scooby-Doo, March of the Penguins, Looney Tunes, and many more.

With a proven track record of translating client visions into well-branded, eye-popping sites, we know you're going to love the ROI Blake can provide!

Click here to see his on-line Aquent profile.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Darshna K.
Web Producer | Web Analytics

A solid Web Producer with agency and Web Analytics experience, Darshna was recently Producer on the Nestle account for McElroy Interactive, where she managed a multitude of projects from inception to their stunning completion.

Darshna's achievements include developing SOWs with client, account, creative, and engineering teams; setting up rigorous QA test plans; on-time and on-budget delivery; and improving site performance by implementing AJAX and RSS technology. She also handled Web Analytics for four of Nestle's major sites.

She has a great background including Hitbox, CRM, and SEM (Google and Yahoo) and thrives in fast-paced environments.

She's the best feature we can think of for your next interactive project!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Richard O.
Marketing & Communications Pro

Whether you're in the hospitality, retail, or entertainment industry, if you're looking for a Marketer who excels in the "customer-centric experience", look no further!

Well, you should read below, then hit the link.

During his tenure as Director of Marketing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Richard handled all PR, advertising, and events for the franchise. He went outside the box to attract new baseball fans, setting a record-breaking debut season at the team's PNC Park facility. In one year alone he saved the franchise more than $100K in marketing costs by developing in-house design and production assets.

His 20+ years of experience includes marketing and business planning for Enigma Entertainment, Buffalo Bisons, Wichita Wranglers, and the Island Sports Center in Pittsburgh, a sports and family recreation destination that attracts over 450,000 guests annually.

Take a look at his resume and on-line profile, but trust us, meeting him is the best thing you can do for your Marketing push this year!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking  here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Andrea S.
Proofreader

Andrea is a rock star, Ivy League-educated Proofreader with amazing copyediting skills to boot!

(You probably didn't think you'd be seeing the words "rock star" and "Ivy League" in the same sentence today, did you?)

Educated at Harvard (Cum Laude), her stellar background includes work at Saatchi and Saatchi and Team One where she was responsible for proofreading and correcting copy decks, scripts, and mechanicals for print, broadcast, interactive advertising and collateral for the Lexus and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel accounts.

She nearly aced our proofreading assessment, which shouldn't be much of a surprise as she's edited and proofread for the likes of St. Martin's Press, New American Library, and The Literary Guild.

If you value perfection as much as Andrea, then call us!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Kathleen W.
Marketing Brand Manager

Kathleen is a terrific Aquent Talent with extensive Marketing experience in consumer products in the pharmaceutical and nutritional product industries.

Most recently at biotech giant Amgen as MarComm Marketing Brand Manager, she worked on new products with clinical teams developing strategies and managing the execution for trade shows, advertising programs and marketing collateral.

While at Otsuka Pharmaceutical, the largest privately owned pharma company in Japan, she managed the introduction into the US market of a Japanese-made nutritional supplement. She managed the FDA review, identified and developed strategic US target markets, created sales and marketing materials and helped boost consumer product sales by 31% and sports team sales by 180%!

Kathleen has a background in financial management, plus experience as a team lead, in addition to budget management and P&L, and forecasting.

And an MBA to top it all off!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Patrick B.
Print | Packaging Designer

With over 7 years of experience in the industry, Patrick has a wide-ranging background working in print design, package design (including licensed products), prepress, and technical illustration for a broad range of industries such as gaming, medical, and pharmaceutical.

Most recently at Helix Medical Communications in San Diego, he was responsible for the concept, design, production and prepress of print and multimedia materials for clients such as Genentech and Galderma. At video game manufacturer Mad Catz, he was design lead responsible for concepting, designing, and production of literally hundreds of team-specific products licensed by the NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB.

A trusted Aquent Talent for years, he's brought his incredibly hands-on skills to LA and is ready for new challenges!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

THAT BIT AT THE END
"Why I Was Fired as a Book Jacket Copywriter"

Corporal Rules by Roderick J. Clamors

Two identical men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, working in what came to be called the Cinema Age. Why had both chosen the same city to practice occupations at such opposite ends of the moral spectrum?

The answer is a mystery this page-turning book will unravel.

Could they be brothers, mysteriously separated at birth and fated to meet as Cop and Thief, dead by each other's hands and never finding out their true identities?

Um.

Well, yes, they actually are estranged identical brothers, but you don't find that out until page 324.

But that shouldn't stop you from buying this book anyway, because it's really, really good. Really.

Six chapters into it you'll learn exactly why their mother abandoned them and moved from the Bronx to Los Angeles (she was a high-priced call girl, slated to marry Bobby Vixon, Hollywood star, and had to put both children up for adoption in different cities before she met him at The Brown Derby).

Quite a twist, huh?

And when you find out Bobby Vixon is actually a mob boss setting up both brothers the whole time, you're just going to lose it!

Even if you know the ending and these key plot points, there's no way I could possibly cover all the great dialogue in this excellent tome.

For example when Vixon tells a nosy reporter, "Tell St. Peter that Bobby Vixon sent you!", then shoots him right on the red carpet!

That is seriously the best line in the book, don't you think?

Hey, you know what? If you like this book, you'll really LOVE the book I'm currently working on, called "The Joke Killer"! (Well, it may not be called that by the time the Publishers are done with it, but while I'm crafting it on my trusty Royal Typewriter, it sure as heck is.)

Set in the South Side of Chicago in 2030 AD, a scientist creates a sinister psychopath out of genetic material from Jack the Ripper and Woody Allen.

Every night the deranged lunatic is compelled to scour the city to find victims. Unfortunately he winds up feeling so guilty that he ends up taking them out for Chinese food and a good movie back at his apartment.

If you're at all interested, feel free to e-mail me at greatpen@imawriter.com, and I'll send you a preliminary copy.

By the way, if you're going to give me a bunch of notes like, "Making the protagonist's uncle the police detective who captures him is a little far-fetched", like my friend Todd just did, then don't bother. I've got enough critics already.

But if you're a publisher, or know someone in the publishing industry who can actually help me (as opposed to anyone here, who couldn't tell Tolstoy from a hole in the ground), please let me know!

It's really a heck of a lot better than this book you have in your hands, which has taken something like five Editors working around the clock to make sure this baby made bookshelves before Spring Break.

Speaking of which...

The author, Roderick J. Clamors, lives in Seattle with his wife, two daughters, and a Boston terrier.

He's going to make a killing if this thing hits the NY Times Bestseller list, like his last book.

But don't count on it.

As I said, it's really, really good, but I wouldn't say great.

Remember, "The Joke Killer"!

__________________________________________________

SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE INFO

If you don't want to receive any more of these newsletters, please reply with the word "remove" in the subject line. 

Also, please feel free to reply to give us updates on your contact information.

And of course, we'd love to hear your feedback!

__________________________________________________

Tim Donnelly
Propagandist | Blogger | Stuff Coordinator

A Q U E N T
6100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500, Los Angeles, CA  90048
Phone: 323 634 7000 | Fax: 323 954 8517
tdonnelly@aquent.com

We represent more than 400,000 marketing and creative professionals around the globe.
Visit aquent.com to learn more.

And you will be too, after you hear Jeremiah Owyang, Senior Analyst at Forrester Research, discuss the latest trends in social media in this free IABC Webinar.

Cosponsored by Dow Jones, next week you'll be tons smarter when you:

Discover how social media is being deployed throughout the enterprise and how listening to the conversation can help you identify your audience and their drivers while seizing opportunities and mitigating risks.

Using advanced text-mining and visualization technologies Dow Jones Insight helps you easily discover what's being said about your company in blogs, Web sites and message boards. Learn how to easily monitor and understand the latest news, market trends, and business challenges relevant to your organization and your customer

In fact if you are not tons smarter by the end, I will personally refund the money you spent to get into it.

Yes, I'm just that confident this free Webinar will be of interest to you.

Here's the date, time, etc.

Date: Thursday, January 31, 2008

Time: 9:30 - 10:30 PST

Register right here.

(Don't be fooled by the site's Eastern-centric times.)

You may think you don't have time for this today, but you do.

Instead of tuning into the repeat of Two and a Half Men, take 15 minutes to read Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail.

Though you'll hear snippets from King's "I Have a Dream" speech on the news tonight, this letter -- "a response to eight white clergymen's public misgivings about outsiders protesting in Alabama -- remains a fount of inspiration for clergy and students of the civil rights movement," according to the LA Times (and myself).

I read this every year on this day, and never, ever, has it disappointed.

Happy MLK day!

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. IT Help Desk
2. Sr. Flash Developer
3. Technical Writer for Training Manual
4. Off-Site Business Writer
5. Jr. Marketing Analyst/Coordinator
6. Web Producer
7. Global Brand Manager
8. Consumer Insight Manager
9. Marketing Director
10. Creative Services Manager
11. Coder

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: IT Help Desk

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2+ years of PC user support with Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Microsoft Office
• Basic understanding networking technology
• Excellent software installation and troubleshooting skills
• Great personality!

PERKS!:

• Long-term, stable position
• Wonderful company with a good working environment
• Up to $25/hr. pay, based on experience   
  

LOCATION:

• El Segundo
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Sr. Flash Developer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of hands-on experience in Flash/ActionScript Development and C++ and/or Java
• 2+ years of experience with SQL and Unix
• 1 to 3 years of experience in Internet development
• Working knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, and Internet Architecture is required
  

PERKS!:

• Small interactive agency that develops cool stuff for social networking sites
• Casual office
• Great perm benefits
• Ping Pong table!
  

LOCATION:

• West LA
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Technical Writer for Training Manual

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Technical writing experience for training and documentation
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and RoboHelp
• Excellent project management skills

PERKS!:

• Leading national non-profit
  

LOCATION:

• Pasadena
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Off-Site Business Writer

TERMS: Part-Time Freelance (Off-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Experience writing business proposals or letters
• Experience adapting business style copy for a consumer audience
• Heavy editing background
  

PERKS!:

• Leading non-profit
• Flexible daytime hours (please note hours must be worked during the day)
  

LOCATION:

• Your place!
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Jr. Marketing Analyst/Coordinator

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 + years of experience working in a marketing department
• Data extraction and reporting experience
• Direct response background preferred
• Pay is $25/hr
  

PERKS!:

• Leading non-profit
• Learn/expand your knowledge of direct response media
  

LOCATION:

• Pasadena
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Producer

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3+ years experience as a Web Producer
• Strong Web project management skills
• CMS a plus
• Ability to handle multiple projects and prioritize

PERKS!:

• One of the top companies to work for in LA
• Positive work environment
• Great, friendly team
  

LOCATION:

• Downtown
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Global Brand Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Prior experience working within kids' brands and marketing
• 5+ years of experience in product or brand management
• Successful track record bringing products to market

PERKS!:

• Stock options and target bonuses
• Awesome, high energy team

LOCATION:

• West Valley
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Consumer Insight Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 5+ years of experience
• Ability to manage all aspects of consumer research: focus groups, One-on-Ones, Internet research, and quantitative research
• 2 to 3 years of consumer research and packaged good experience
• Knowledge of marketing research databases

PERKS!:

• Stable company that promotes a healthy work environment

LOCATION:

• Northridge
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Marketing Director

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 5+ years of Marketing experience
• Experience with social networking and Web 2.0 initiatives

PERKS!:

• Start up environment garnishing lots of Web buzz
  

LOCATION:

• LAX Area
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Creative Services Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 5+ years of experience
• Must have Home Video/Theatrical experience
• Able to manage the creative design process
• Understanding of packaged goods and the print process

PERKS!:

• Huge entertainment studio
  

LOCATION:

• Hollywood
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Coder

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2+ years of professional experience
• Exceptional hands-on CSS & HTML handcoding skills (without WYSIWYG)
• Great eye for design and layout
• Enthusiasm for film and TV
• Able to flourish in a fast-paced environment

PERKS!:

• Leading entertainment company
  

LOCATION:

• Los Angeles
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Point your friend right to this link and have them drop your name to the Agent.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

---------------------------

I once heard an interview with eco-celebrity Ed Begley, Jr. that he wasn't "green", he was just incredibly cheap.

On that Saving-Money-And-End-Up-Being-Green front, Tamara Krinsky came up with this idea:

Save Paper By Increasing Your Margins

Really.

Now, I'm just quoting the math here from her site (yes, you don't want me to bring out my math, do you? No, you don't...):

"According to a study done by the Penn State Green Destiny Council, reducing margins to .75" on all sides results in a total reduction of paper by 4.75%. This means that using these Efficient Margins on a ton of paper saves 19 reams of paper, which saves 1.14 trees.

So, you ask, what's the big deal? 1.14 trees don't seem like much of a tree-savings for a whole ton of paper.

So cynical! Check these numbers out - they add up fast:

In 2003, the U.S. consumed approx. 5.4 million tons of office paper. If everyone used Efficient Margins, every year we would save 6,156,000 trees.

" She has the citations and math on her site for all that, plus a calculation on how much money you'll save by changing your margins.

Here's how to do it (once again, I'm stealing Tamara's stuff):

ON PCs:

On your WORD screen, go to FILE, then PAGE SET UP.

Click on the MARGINS tab, and fill in your desired settings. Then click on the DEFAULT button (it's on the bottom of the Margins tab). You'll be offered "Do you want to change the default settings for the page set up? This change will affect all new documents based on the normal template." Click YES.

ON MACs:

On your WORD screen, go to FORMAT, then DOCUMENT.

Once on DOCUMENT, click on MARGINS and you'll be able to fill in the settings for your margins.

The problem here is, of course, you'll have to do this for every new document you create until people start telling Microsoft to build in a Paper Saving Option into their next release of Microsoft Office.

But let's stop our bellyaching about what "someone else can do to solve our problems" and just do it every time we make a new document, shall we? As Eldridge Cleaver once famously said, "You're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem".

And no, I'm not calling Eldridge Cleaver cheap.

Or Green.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Yodacrantz & Vaderstern Are Dead

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information
__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what are 150 words worth?

15% of a picture?

We think once you read the following short bios of our Aquent Talent that you'll agree, 150 words can be worth quite a bit more.

Say the price of a great new Flash ActionScriptor, Content Coordinator, or Project Manager.

Simply read then follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

Get the picture?

Snap!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Sharon R. - Web Designer | IA
Salvador R. - Web Producer | Web Content Coordinator
Kristopher J.  - Senior Art Director | Web & Print
Joseph R. - Art Director
Pamela G. - Sr. Marketing Coordinator
__________________________________________________

Sharon R.
Web Designer | IA

A talented Designer and IA, whether it's site design or process, your site needs Sharon!

As Interactive Designer at United Future (WongDoody) she worked with the UX team, architecting and designing interactive systems for clients including ABC, Emmys.com, Evite, and KCRW. As User Experience Designer at Yellowpages.com, she composed layouts and built wireframes and flows as a part of their new user-focused site.

As Web Designer for high-end skincare company Murad, she was responsible for on-line promotions including email blasts, ad banners, and promotional landing pages focusing SEO and user experience to generate more satisfaction for customers.

If you or your site is looking for more user satisfaction, then call us about Sharon!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance
__________________________________________________

Salvador R.
Web Producer | Web Content Coordinator

Question: What do you get when you combine MAD project skills, AWESOME experience in Web content, and an INSATIABLE appetite for everything new in the Web world?

Answer: Salvador R., that's who!

(If you answered, "A penguin reading the newspaper," please subtract two points.)

As Web Production Coordinator at CBS Interactive, Salvador updated and maintained email campaigns as well as Flash, video, and Podcast content for the broadcast giant's well--traveled homepage.

An organization devotee, he helped turn an overly stressed department into a lean, mean content-updating machine.

If you're looking to sharpen your processes and your site, Sal is available right now!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.
__________________________________________________

Kristopher J.
Senior Art Director | Web & Print

Live from New York...!

Okay, live from LA, but just in from New York, Kristopher is a terrific Web Art Director with over eight years of experience in Web art direction and strategy.

Former Senior AD for E*TRADE FINANCIAL, he managed a team of Designers and Project Managers and helped bring the investing and trading site to its fullest potential. An expert at integrating brand strategy, usability & user interface, information architecture and design, he helped manage the complete redesign for the site and created the design standard for all printed marketing materials.

He's helped other clients such as CNBC, MTV, Seed Magazine, and Nickelodeon push their brands to the forefront through innovative Web, print, and packaging solutions.

Kristopher is appearing now, but we can guarantee he won't be for long!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Joseph R.
Sr. Art Director

Joseph is a high-end Sr. Art Director with a wealth of entertainment, corporate, and agency experience.

Working on his own and as staff for JJLA Associates and Hill and Knowlton, his extensive client roster includes Krispy Kreme, Aon Services Group, Pick Up Stix, Mazda Motor of America, and Sony Imagesoft. His work includes developing and executing high-level concepts for consumer advertising and marketing collateral from concept to completion (including budgeting).

Joseph's entertainment work includes key art, DVD packaging, and marketing campaigns for clients like NBC, Lionsgate, and Vox.Adv on projects ranging from Grease to The Devil's Rejects.

We think he's great, but we'll let his samples speak for themselves!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent
__________________________________________________

Pamela G.
Sr. Marketing Coordinator

Most recently at Princess Cruises as a Marketing Communications Specialist, Pamela has a deep understanding of the print process as well as excellent organizational management and team communication skills.

With 15 years of experience in the commercial imaging industry, her busy days at Princess had her managing innumerable direct mail, collateral and brochure projects simultaneously from creative brief to prepress.

Pamela's background includes supporting internal clients, managing vendors, juggling budgets, and working with outside agencies.

Just the kind of experience needed if you're a company looking for a self-motivated pro expert at orchestrating multiple tasks and achieving lofty project goals!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Permanent
__________________________________________________

To: Finance Dept.

From: Office of the CFO

Re: Martin Cornblum

To put to rest anything the rumor mill may have already churned out, I wanted to take a moment to publicly announce that Martin Cornblum, one of our Sr. VPs, has left the Empire Finance Department, Death Star Accounting Division, to pursue other opportunities.

While many of you may have heard (and spread) rumors that Mr. Cornblum is leaving us to become CFO of Rebel Alliance LLC, at this point the administration is neither confirming nor denying this statement.

These rumors must come to a halt immediately.

I should like to point out, regardless of the whereabouts of our former Sr. VP, your work will not be affected in any way other than being without a team leader for a short period of time. Rest assured that this office is already seeking a qualified candidate for this vacant position and is looking into promoting from our own ranks or turning another senior level Accountant to the Dark Side.

I would like to remind each of you that we are still woefully under-financed for construction of the Death Star. Though passing crudely drawn pictures of Mr. Cornblum holding a light saber and dueling Lord Vader may be considered funny by some, it is frowned upon by our current administration. It is also taking attention away from the work at hand.

Please keep the fun and games to a minimum.

Might I remind you that the last time his Lordship came down to find out why his RC/489-2b form had been rejected (he was informed he didn't fill it out in triplicate), we ended up short one Director of Finance and two Auditors.

Lord Vader, you should know, is not a great advocate of "upward feedback".

On the subject of rumors, I would like to put a stop to the one that the Rebel Alliance is quickly amassing a superior AR/AP team to ours.

Absolutely false!

We still have an unheard of turnaround time of 15 days on all invoices and our Credits and Collections Team have an unprecedented 100% retrieval on all monies owed us by non-paying clients.

We have nothing to worry about from this ragtag band of Rebel Accountants.

While we are on the subject of "loose lips", the Death Star is not your personal highway to dating opportunities (and I'm speaking just to the gentlemen here). We are taking part in the construction of the greatest military weapon ever devised and our Empire's secret weapon. Please do not discuss its inadequate number of restrooms for a facility its size or its potential vulnerabilities just to score points with some Bothanian "hottie" at the cantina.

Do I really have to point these things out?

On another, but still important note, our monthly pot luck in the Dark Side Executive Meeting Room will be postponed until we locate the staff member who placed a yellow "The Force Is With Me!" post-it on the back of Admiral Ozzel.

Grow up, people.

You can't buy anything from this Dutch company's fake Web page, but dang is this funny.

Click here and wait a moment to see what happens.

HEMA's real storefront is here .

Not normally into the blogging about celebrities mode, but those of you who don't live in Los Angeles may not be aware of the kind of stuff that goes on all too often here.

This email from our own Charlotte was too funny not to pass along (with her blessing):

Some of you may appreciate this and others may not but I HAVE to share...

So on my way home I stopped by the local Ralph's. Just as I am about to leave I hear screams of the paparazzi and see tons of flashes going off. Of course I have to go back in. Lo and behold, there's Britney with her new beau, mohawk and all. The grocery store folks chased the paparazzi out (and blocked the doors with shopping carts) and I did my best to follow her.. incognito!

Do you blame me..??

I found her in the candy aisle as she grabbed a candy bar and started eating it. (FYI.. she is so not fat... not in the "real world" anyway.) She had on huge glasses and checked out buying cigs...

The whole time the paparazzi were plastered to the window screaming profanities at her and trying to get her picture. The crazy part, when she gets to the the checkout counter, there she is on the cover of all the magazines with headlines like, "Britney's mental illness." Wonder what the heck that feels like..???

I think they let her out the back as her beau got in the car and drove around to pick her up.

Meanwhile the paparazzi were sprawled out all over the parking lot parking, anywhere and everywhere, so they could make a quick escape to follow her.

What a life I tell you!

Crazier still, this footage on TMZ shows Charlotte, with her purchased groceries in hand, walking behind the "star" incognito.

It's true, even getting groceries in Los Angeles is incredibly exciting.

You know, I should just give up reading.

Because, as you may well know, there are times when you read an article by someone smarter than you and you end up thinking, "Man have I been passing a lot of bad information around."

Like that Frog in the Boiling Water myth I used to tell everyone.

So it comes as no surprise that just days after I applauded Apple on the beauty of their iMac that I'd see this article in Gizmodo exclaiming that many Apple products spearheaded by Designer Jonathan Ive are incredibly similar to Dieter Rams' designs for Braun during the 1950s and 60s.

(If you are dying to see something eerie, check out the similarity of the Braun T3 pocket radio and Apple first generation iPod.)

Before we all shout "stealers!", the author of the article is quick to point out "in a world where industrial design and art is constantly being recycled into new work, I just see Apple's products as a great evolution to classic concepts. Now, as I look at Rams' work I can't help but to wonder: which of these old Braun designs will Apple revive next?"

Which makes me feel much better about stealing his article for use here.

(Thanks to Gizmodo!)

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Photo Retoucher
2. Sr. Flash Developer
3. ActionScriptor
4. Marketing Manager
5. Developer
6. Channel Marketing Manager
7. Web Project Manager
8. Sr. Web Designer
9. Web Designer/Coder
10. Information Architect
    

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Photo Retoucher

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 years of high-end product retouching experience
• Excellent hands-on skills in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
• Ability to function under tight deadlines, work independently
• Must provide samples for consideration!

PERKS!:

• Work on globally-recognized consumer brand (think of your book!)
• Incredibly fast growing company over last 15 years
• Easy freeway access
  

LOCATION:

• South Los Angeles

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Sr. Flash Developer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of hands-on experience in Flash/ActionScript Development and C++ and/or Java
• 2+ years of experience with SQL and Unix
• 1 to 3 years of experience in Internet development
• Working knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, and Internet Architecture is required
  

PERKS!:

• Small interactive agency that develops cool stuff for social networking sites
• Casual office
• Great perm benefits
• Ping Pong table!
  

LOCATION:

• West LA
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: ActionScriptor

TERMS: Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Extensive knowledge of ActionScript 2.0 (3.0 a plus)
• 5+ years of professional experience working in Flash
• Experience developing large sites and rich media applications

PERKS!:

• Large interactive agency that just acquired great clients
  

LOCATION:

• Culver City
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Marketing Manager

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of product development experience
• Experience with new brand creation/development
• Strong project management skills
• Experience managing budgets a plus

PERKS!:

• Fun-loving and charming coworkers
• Creative environment
  

LOCATION:

• Santa Monica
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Developer

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 3 years of experience with PHP and Web production
• Strong Photoshop skills
• Experience in a startup environment a plus

PERKS!:

• Innovative Internet company
• Flexible, laid back environment

LOCATION:

• Santa Monica
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Channel Marketing Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of marketing experience
• Strong project management skills
• BS in Marketing
• Retail experience a plus

PERKS!:

• Interactive entertainment company
• Well-funded company with startup feel
• Stock options!
  

LOCATION:

• Universal City
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Project Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Strong understanding of interactive
• 3+ years of interactive project management experience
• Strong project management skills and attention to detail

PERKS!:

• Fun environment with a cool boss
  

LOCATION:

• Mid-Wilshire
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Sr. Web Designer

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of professional experience
• Excellent hands-on skills in Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash, and HTML
• Experience working on large sites with big teams
• Ability to deal with outside vendors
• Excellent UI design skills

PERKS!:

• Major entertainment studio
  

LOCATION:

• North Hollywood
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Designer/Coder

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Great hands-on skills in HTML and CSS
• 2 to 5 years of experience
• Must have great eye for design and ability to flourish in a casual work environment

PERKS!:

• Start up environment with stock options
• Great for people who love pop & counter culture!
  

LOCATION:

• Hollywood
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Information Architect

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent  (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Strong samples of wirefames
• 2 to 3 years of experience as an Information Architect
  
• Automotive and agency experience a huge plus

PERKS!:

• Top interactive agency in LA
  

LOCATION:

• Long Beach
  

CONTACT AGENT

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED:

Point your friend right to this link and have them drop your name to the Agent.

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

Our new iMacs are here and, I may add, they are drop dead gorgeous.

True, they are just a computer, but dang it all, a really beautifully designed one.

They've been here a week and I'm still waiting for the person seeing them for the first time to say something other than, "I want one".

At what point does envy become marketing?

Gotta look into that one.

I don't know about you, but when I hear the expression "Marketing Ops", I picture MBAs stalking around in black ninja outfits using collateral as throwing stars and nunchaku.

But then again, I work in a very small Marketing department.

If yours is a bit larger, you may want to listen in on another one of our uber popular Aquent/AMA Webcasts: Do More with Less: Put Marketing Operations to Work in your Department

Marketing leaders in many industries and in companies large and small are responding by launching transformation initiatives to operate more efficiently, to improve the effectiveness of marketing initiatives and programs, and to better align and measure what marketing does against company objectives. Critical to a transformation are new enabling technologies like Marketing Resource Management (MRM), adoption of a measurement mindset, and the establishment of a centralized Marketing Operations function.

In this Aquent-Sponsored webcast, MarketSphere National Practice Director Mayer Becker will discuss the importance and role of a Marketing Operations function in a marketing organization and will lay out a 5-step approach to achieving a successful transformation. These steps include:

• Gaining the Commitment
• Improving Marketing Processes
• Selecting & Implementing Enabling Technologies
• Helping Marketing Staff Adapt to Change
• Promoting Continuous Improvement

Sound intriguing?

Then fly, my friend, to the registration link here.

Just remember to come armed.

Photo courtesy of jhritz at Creative Commons.

Hellooooooo!

Hellloooooooooooooooo!

Down here on the curb!

Maybe you don't recognize me.

Perhaps it's because you'd gotten used to seeing me upright, green, and standing in your living room, not lying in your gutter like some sort of coniferous derelict.

Yes, hard to believe that a Christmas tree can have gone from iconic symbol of the season to potential fire hazard in under one month, but there you have it.

Was it something I did? Was it the way I brightened up your holidays by displaying your heirloom family ornaments and that tacky tree topper you insist on putting up every year? Perhaps it's the way I stood silently as you tried to put me into my stand and your wife kept yelling that I wasn't quite straight?

If I was the harbinger of the holiday season, what am I now, a harbinger of the wildfire season?

I just have to ask, did you even READ the notice that the Department of Sanitation sent out informing everyone that they would NOT be picking up trees off the curb? Was it the 16-point sans serif font that threw you off? Or did you just feel compelled to irritate neighbors and commuters alike with a sad, brown remnant of the great American forest?

With all those good times we spent together you're telling me it's not even going to end with a final goodbye at the Christmas Tree Recycling Center?

Dumping a tree in the gutter is NOT what people mean when they say we should "Green up the Earth."

Sigh.

Remember when you picked me out at the lot? And that time I rode on the top of your car? How about that time I ran out of water and started dropping needles all over the presents?

Wow, those were some good times, wouldn't you say?

Now look at me. You've had to walk over me to get to your car every single day since December 28th.

And are doing it again today.

Don't just walk away from me!

Come back here!

This isn't over, Mister! Not by a long shot!

Turn off that car and that "High School Musical 2" CD!

All right, then, just drive away and act like you don't care!

I guess it was true when your holiday guests kept saying you were self-centered and superficial!

AT LEAST I KNOW WHO I AM!

Just you wait until you get a call from my lawyers!

Or my therapist!

Then we'll see who's lying here on the curb drying out in the sun.

Hey, you! Lady with the $800 stroller!

Can I get a hand up, here?

Hello? Hello???!!!!!

Fine. You're gonna hear from my lawyer, too!

You all just wait until my autobiography comes out, then you'll be sorry!

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Oh, That Tannenbaum!"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

Welcome to 2008!

A lot has changed for us in the New Year.

For one, you'll find our Hot Talent Newsletter in full color!

Of course, it will need some help from you, as you'll have to print it out and color it yourself, but we thought you might enjoy a little creative break during your hectic day.

(We recommend Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna for the Bit at the End section, which makes it funnier.)

Color or no, you'll still find great Aquent Talent below available immediately to help out with all your Creative and Marketing needs, from Web Design to Brand Management.

Just follow the links for profiles, samples, and resumes.

Happy coloring!

__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Anthony W. - Flash Developer
Alice F. - Art Director | Senior Designer
Leah N. - Web Designer | Producer
Clarence G. - On-Line Marketing Manager
Lorena J. - Marketing Manager
Gayle C. - Traffic | Production Coordinator

__________________________________________________

Anthony W.
Flash Developer

Need a hardcore Flash ActionScripter with brand-name streaming multimedia experience?

Then you need Anthony!

Anthony came in and ROCKED out our ActionScript assessment. Not a big surprise since he's worked on heavy multimedia applications for BLT as Sr. Interactive Developer, freelanced on sites for ABC and United Artists, and is currently working on high traffic, large applications running on open source 24/7 servers.

Not only does he know his way around developing full lifecycle Flash applications, he familiar with PHP, Flex, AS3, and video-editing software. Heck, he even has a BSCS in Engineering.

Did we say he won't be available for long?

We should add that.

Click here to see his on-line Aquent profile.

__________________________________________________

Alice F.
Art Director | Senior Designer

Alice comes to us with extensive experience in branding, identity, collateral, advertising, direct mail and publications for both the American and European markets.

At RAP Communications she was responsible for the concept, design, and production (including press checks) of collateral and identities for a myriad of high-end builders and real estate developers. Her industry experience covers hospitality/travel, music/entertainment (including DVD key art), and car/audio and includes clients and companies like Qantas Vacations, Baskin-Robbins, Edmunds.com, and Car Audio and Electronics magazine.

Able to shift styles from clean and sophisticated to edgy and raw in under 6.5 seconds, we think you'll find her as versatile, professional, and talented as we do!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

__________________________________________________

Leah N.
Web Designer | Producer

Working in the Web for over seven years, Leah's got some very terrific hands-on technical as well as design skills.

Most recently at beauty products company American International Industries, she designed and produced six sites, working through phases including planning and development of wireframes and information architecture.

Her technical strengths include hands-on HTML, CSS, design-oriented AJAX, and a working knowledge of Flash, Drupal, and PHP, which she's used at clients such as Beachbody (Million Dollar Body), Warner Bros., and Mariloff Diamonds.

Let Leah be your first terrific find of 2008!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance

__________________________________________________

Clarence G.
On-Line Marketing Manager

Web 2. Clarence 4.

Things are moving fast in the world of on-line marketing, let Clarence show you the way to market to the new generation of Web users!

For Octane TV, he created an interactive strategy to make it easier for users to register and vote on the site, thus increasing their Web traffic and providing detailed audience member profiles. He's created strategic MySpace pages for music artists using viral marketing initiatives and social networking software to drive Web page views and sign-ups for e-subscription services.

For The Medical Supply Group he created systems to track data on users and the effectiveness of e-mail campaigns. For a multi-million dollar non-profit he created a community site and subscription service, significantly improving the quantity of membership /sponsorship leads generated.

Are you ready for Web 2.0? Then call us about Clarence!

See his on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

Desired Work: Freelance & Permanent

__________________________________________________

Lorena J.
Marketing Manager

A Senior Marketing Manager with brand, product, direct mail, and e-commerce experience, Lorena has an extensive background in product positioning and branding through catalog and Web marketing initiatives.

Over 10 years of experience in books, music and DVD products including health & fitness and feature films, she's helped companies like Discovery Channel, Wellspring Media, Winstar New Media, and Infinity Resources drastically reduce costs and massively boost their customer bases.

She's a pro at developing key customer retention initiatives and has a track record of reducing COGS up to 15% thanks to her contract negotiation prowess.

Looking for a position where she can utilize both her print and Web marketing skills, Lorena's available immediately!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

__________________________________________________

Gayle C.
Traffic | Production Coordinator

More than 9 years of experience in print traffic and production, Gayle was Senior Operations Specialist/Production Coordinator at publishing giant Primedia managing millions of printed pieces that absolutely couldn't miss their deadlines.

While at Primedia's Circulation Department, Gayle was handling traffic and distribution management of proofs for approval, tracking status of all projects, working with vendors on shipping schedules, and the distribution of final printed pieces. At Variety magazine she trafficked artwork and created and processed insertion orders and so much more in an extremely fast-paced, high-energy environment.

Don't let traffic drive you nuts...

Call us about Gayle!

See her on-line Aquent profile by clicking here.

__________________________________________________

I just spent the holidays back home in Nebraska with my family (and lived to tell about it) and I'd have to say that one of the unexpected pleasures was, weirdly, the Wii.

Both my brother's and sister's families both have the Nintendo Wii and it seemed like every time we got together (all 21+ of us), there were always a couple of folks playing Wii bowling, tennis, or golf.

What's amazing to me is how Nintendo invented a system that converts non-game playing adults into "gamers", thus opening up a whole new age range of consumers for them.

Not that I consider my mother a gamer, but there she was bowling on the Wii.

I think it must have something to do with the simplicity of the control and familiarity of the sports included with the Wii that really helps people make that jump.

It turns out the only problem with the Wii is holding on tight enough to the remote.

With any revolution there are bound to be casualties.

No, that's not damage I personally inflicted.

Yet.

It's from the Wii Damage site.

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Word Specialist
2. Marketing Manager (Medical)
3. Web/Email Ad Designer
4. Brand Manager
5. Production Artist (Part Time)
6. Web Content Coordinator

  -----------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Word Specialist

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!: 

• Experience working on large proposals with mixed plain text
• Must be an expert at 2 column work
• Knowledge of PowerPoint images, charts, graphs and photos within proposals
• Must be able to adhere to tight deadlines and work overtime on some weekends
  

PERKS!:

• Working in a creative environment
• Good overtime pay

  LOCATION: San Fernando Valley

CONTACT AGENT

-----------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Marketing Manager (Medical)

TERMS: Freelance-to-Perm (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!: 

• Prior experience marketing medical software (operating room preferred)
• 8+ years of marketing experience

PERKS!:

• Well-known company highly regarded in their industry
• Terrific team!

  LOCATION: Culver City

CONTACT AGENT

-----------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web/Email Ad Designer

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!: 

• Great hands-on skills in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash Animation
  
• Prior work on eCommerce or news sites
• Email marketing experience a plus

PERKS!:

• Large well-known publishing company in LA
• Global leader in their industry

LOCATION: Downtown

CONTACT AGENT

-----------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Brand Manager

TERMS: Freelance-to-Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:   

• 5+ years direct marketing experience including database, acquisition, retention, and loyalty
• Experience in on-line consumer marketing, A/B split testing and control methods, leading cross-functional teams, and SEM/SEO programs
• Copy writing experience a plus

PERKS!:

• Growing-out-of-your-mind company with an incredibly fun environment

  LOCATION: Beverly Hills

CONTACT AGENT

-----------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Production Artist (Part Time)

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!: 

• Excellent hands-on Photoshop skills (able to extract images, retouch, and composite)
• Expert at working with templates
• Part time (3 days a week, flexible)

PERKS!:

• Flexible schedule
• Marketing firm dealing with large retail brands
  

  LOCATION: Century City

CONTACT AGENT

-----------------------------------------------------------------

POSITION: Web Content Coordinator

TERMS: Long-Term Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!: 

• 1 to 2 years of proofreading and/or editing experience
• Journalism or editorial background preferred
• On-line content experience a huge plus!

PERKS!:

• Leave with great new skill, client will train on TeamSite content management system

LOCATION: Pasadena

CONTACT AGENT

-----------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED: 

Point your friend right to this link and have them drop your name to the Agent. 

INTERESTED IN OTHER AQUENT POSITIONS?

Go here, my friend, then select Job Openings 

* MyAquent users, use your UserName & Password to express interest in jobs. Everybody else, the registration is easy!

The JOB CENTER will track which jobs you've applied for and the current status.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THAT BIT AT THE END

"Plant One on Me"

Dear trusted Bentley & Sons customer,

We would like to extend our deepest apologies to any of our valued clients who received an erroneous gift from Bentley & Sons this 2007 holiday season.

As the firm that manages your retirement funds, we hope you can appreciate that it was our desire to express gratitude to you, our top customers, in a fiscally responsible manner.

It was this rationale that had led us to choose a lovely (and very cost-effective) ornamental Lucky Bamboo plant as a client gift this year. Suitable for the office or home, the superbly low-maintenance Lucky Bamboo has been as a symbol of prosperity to the Chinese people for thousands of years.

We were assured not only would this plant provide good "feng shui" no matter where placed, but that it had minimal light requirements.

With these specifics in mind, our Marketing Department ordered over twenty thousand of what we believed to be the perfect gift for our clients: Item #4687, the Lucky Bamboo Plant in a Cobalt Blue Ceramic Vase.

That was our plan.

We recently found out that, through some misunderstanding with our vendor that many of you took delivery of Item #4787: the Venomous Spitting Hemlock Plant in a Fire Engine Red Ceramic Vase.

Our vendor is still trying to track down the source of the confusion (he believes it lies in the dissimilarity between the Mandarin and Cantonese dialects).

Unfortunately, not only does the Spitting Hemlock reputedly cause negative energy, it is also notoriously fussy, and may very well be the most dangerous type of vegetation on the planet.

While touching the Lucky Bamboo is said to bring good fortune, stroking the Venomous Spitting Hemlock Plant will cause abnormal thirst, distorted sight, delirium, incoherence, and possible coma.

You can imagine our embarrassment at this mishap.

We wanted to thank our clients who caught this error initially and alerted us to the problem while their Spitting Hemlocks were still in the box.

For those of you who removed the erroneous plant from its box (black with illustrations of a skull and crossbones prominently displayed on all sides), we ask that you refrain from handling the plant itself. Doing so has caused at least sixteen hospitalizations among our preferred customers, and we do not wish to add your name to the list.

If you have already positioned the plant on your desk or in a sunny nook inside your house, we request that you dispose of it in the nearest biohazard waste receptacle. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and safety glasses while handling the plant and throw the gloves away when you have finished.

If you notice that your plant is bearing tiny yellow berries and seems to quiver violently when you approach it, we beg you to refrain from making any sudden movements and to slowly exit the room. Our vendor (More-4-Less Discount On-Line Plant Emporium) has cautioned that upon reaching what he calls the "Berry Stage," this plant becomes particularly dangerous. At this point any rapid movement in the plant's general vicinity is considered an act of aggression. The plant will attack if provoked. This type of Hemlock (conium lethal lethalicus) possesses poisonous barbs, which it can shoot with deadly accuracy up to 25 feet.

If your Venomous Spitting Hemlock Plant has already reached this juncture, evacuate your office or home and dial the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Ask for Special Agent Adler at the Lethal Plant Squad as he has been very sympathetic throughout this calamity and is the only individual at the bureau credentialed to handle aggressive flora.

Please also phone Special Agent Adler if your plant has recently disappeared. While coworkers may have merely removed it, these plants may develop locomotion and should be considered hazardous to the public at large. If your plant is missing, exit the building by shielding your face and exposed limbs with a heavy winter coat or blanket. Be sure to check under the desks during your egress, as Spitting Hemlocks can conceal themselves and subsequently jump 15 feet to attack their quarry.

We apologize in advance to those offices with multiple Bentley & Sons customers who may have received six or more of the incorrect plants.

Thank you for your continued understanding.

For those customers who received our proper (and very attractive) Lucky Bamboo offering, we genuinely hope all that your holidays were meaningful and that the Lucky Bamboo brings you good fortune and prosperity for years to come.

If you or a loved one are currently hospitalized after coming in contact with the Venomous Spitting Hemlock plant, we offer you our deepest apologies and invite you to phone our office your earliest convenience so we may know where to send flowers.

Wishing you the best in 2008,

Bentley & Sons

I hadn't seen the BBC series Planet Earth, so I was surprised when I saw this incredibly beautiful trailer on YouTube.

Leave it to the Brits, spectacular footage and progressive music (this time by Sigur Ros)

Consider it a belated New Year's present from your Anglophile friend, Tim.

You might not know it, seeing as how I work for a company dealing heavily with technology and write a blog, but I'm half Luddite.

Yes, my family has no cable or satellite TV, still work off a paper calendar, have a rotary phone, and still own heaps and heaps of videotapes. I was probably the last person I knew to get a DVD player. (Wait, that was my mother.)

So how is it, come December 25th that my two children, who had rare access to computer games became the proud owners of:

• A Barbie MP3 player
• Nintendo DS Lite
• Leapster
• Some hipster version of Webkinz
• Littlest Pet Shop TV game
• An original Nintendo Entertainment System complete with 3 versions of Mario Bros. and Tetris

All in a span of 24 hours.

And my wife thought Keifer Sutherland was having really long days.