Tim Donnelly: November 2008 Archives

Yes, some people take the Thanksgiving holiday too far.

Too far, people!

In my own opinion, those people who ruin a good 4-day weekend by lining up outside Best Buy at 4am to buy a heavily discounted Wii Fit or plasma screen TV.

I love Thanksgiving, don't get me wrong, but is there a reason Build-A-Bear needs to have a Build-A-Turkey for the holiday?

Or that Martha Stewart needs to dress babies up as a Thanksgiving Day feast? (I'm not making this up... please don't watch the whole segment. You'll never wake up.)

Or ex-Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin has to talk to reporters while turkeys are being beheaded behind her? (Which I suppose is her take on the presidential pardoning of the turkey. Still disturbing even when blanked out.)

If you're looking for something good about Thanksgiving (besides the fact we should all just being thankful that we're all alive, with people we care about, and have something to eat on our table, I mean), you might want to rejoice in the fact that the Cheetah Girls will not be in this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Happy TDay all!

Seems to me you really come to terms with your urban and suburban-ness when it comes to eating animals. I was a suburban kid and I remember being squeamish whenever I saw fresh cut up turkeys or chickens in the supermarket. (Both my parents, raised in South Philly have always been surprised to see tomatoes growing on plants and carrots growing in the ground.)

So it doesn't surprise me when my kids are a little disconcerted at the 25 pound turkey they see me prepping on Thanksgiving.

I'm used to that.

The harder thing is talking them down after seeing a truckload of live turkeys and chickens being delivered to a "we-kill-and-clean-it-here" poultry shop on our drive to school. (My only concern was the truck was blocking the right lane on my commute.)

I guess it's just one of those things you have to explain to kids. And maybe I should be thankful it's easier than all the stuff I'm going to have to tell them about later.

On the food note, in case you are stressing because you're cooking on Thursday, the LA Times Food Section, as always, can bail you out with everything from making gravy to keeping lumps out of the potatoes. Even a video lesson on carving the turkey from their Sr. Editor, Russ Parsons (and yes, he agrees that Norman Rockwell was wrong - carve it in the kitchen, away from prying eyes. I never trusted that dad with the knives anyway.)

Nothing like a little sage advice.

No Thanksgiving Day pun intended.


(Image by rckenned)

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Sr. Web Designer with Heavy User Experience
2. Web Production
3. Web Producer
4. Web/Email Designer
5. Flash Animator!
6. Interactive Project Manager
7. Print Production Manager
8. Designer with Licensing Experience

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

1. POSITION: Sr. Web Designer with Heavy User Experience

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Strong functional design experience on large sites
• Minimum 5 years of experience with conceptual abilities
• Ability to pitch to upper management
• Experience with user flows and search functions

PERKS!:

• Westside company voted one of the best places to work in LA!

PAY:

• Up to $100K

LOCATION:

• Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

2. POSITION: Web Production

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 3+ years of professional experience with HTML/CSS
• Able to work in a corporate environment
• Must have URL samples to submit to client

PERKS!:

• Well known company
• "Sane" hours!

PAY:

• Up to $27 an hour

LOCATION:

• West LA

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

3. POSITION: Web Producer

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2+ years of professional experience with HTML/CSS
• Must be willing to learn and work in an agency environment
• Please provide URL samples for client consideration

PERKS!:

• Great opportunity for growth
• Company is located right by the beach!

PAY:

• Up to $22 an hour

LOCATION:

• South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

4. POSITION: Web/Email Designer

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

MUST HAVES!:

• 5+ years of experience developing Flash and HTML pages
• Extensive portfolio outlining email and online marketing design (You cannot be considered if email marketing samples are not included)
• Experience managing a team

PERKS!:

• Work with a great group of people that deliver awesome work !
• The most profit-generating division of company (you'll be well loved)

PAY:

• Up to $80K

LOCATION:

• West Valley

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

5. POSITION: Flash Animator!

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Experience creating "dog ear" or "peel away" ads in Flash
• At least 3 years working with Flash Animation
• Experience creating online advertising campaigns

PERKS!:

• Great agency!
• 40 hours per work for one to two weeks

PAY:

• Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

• Chatsworth

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

6. POSITION: Interactive Project Manager

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

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 years of experience
• Interactive and/or agency experience
• This position is 60% traffic and 40% project management

PERKS!:

• A creative, innovative environment
• Great benefits

PAY:

• Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

• Westlake Village

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

7. POSITION: Print Production Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• At least 10 years of diverse experience buying and supervising a wide variety of direct mail and collateral projects
• Solid background in direct mail
• Ability to thrive in an environment with high volume, fast-paced projects

PERKS!:

• Great company
• Eligible for Quarterly Bonus after 6 months

PAY:

• Up to $75K

LOCATION:

• Woodland Hills

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

8. POSITION: Designer with Licensing Experience

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Fashion, beauty, and/or "girly" design style
• Must know how to work with style-guides and mentor other Designers
• Print project management experience

PERKS!:

• Well-loved CPG company!

PAY:

• Up to $35 an hour

LOCATION:

• El Segundo

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

I was talking to Monica on our Print team about inspiration and wondered (since she's actually a Designer and I'm not) where she gets her inspiration when she's stuck.

Like all Designers I know, she seems to see the world through design-colored glasses and every trip out shopping can give her inspiration. And when you're stuck at your desk staring at the feared blank screen? She goes to the Dieline for samples of beautiful packaging triumphs and, of course, HOW Magazine and Communication Arts.

For me, coming from the writing side, it's a bit different to find something that will spin ideas. Weirdly, watching a bad movie or play can become a creative experience, as you rewrite the whole thing while it's unfolding before your eyes (you can tell how fun I am to go out with).

For anyone working on story, story lines, or heck, just relating to everyday people, there's The Moth, which hosts live storytelling performances. Each person works without cards and tells their story in front of a live audience. These are ones from real people who tell about "the most exceptional thing that happened" to them. The Village Voice, London Times, and NY Times rave about the performances. As well they should.

Their free podcasts highlight the best stories told, which include the inventor of the "Baby Calzone" and his restaurant backed by mobsters, a NYC bar owner who ended up at the wrong end of a gang initiation, and Malcolm Gladwell (Tipping Point, The New Yorker) sharing how he worked odd expressions into the mainstream American press for fun when he worked the science desk at the Washington Post.

Well worth checking out, whether you're stuck for inspiration or not.

The Moth

(And of course, This American Life has a podcast, too.)

Anyone else have any other compelling sites to pass along?

Sorry for the delayed newsletters, folks, but we've just spent an outstanding three days in Fresno at the 46th annual Newsletter Writer Awards gala (NWAs for those in the "industry").

Besides relaxing poolside at the Fresno Four Seasons, gabbing with colleagues and sipping delightful Fresno-tinis, we had a grand time at the event itself, sweeping categories and coming home with a minivan load of awards!

We hope you'll take a moment to hear about our accomplishments and accolades for work done during 2008, as our team worked long and hard this year (a full 23% harder, number-cruncher Bob has figured) to pull out all the stops for a terrific newsletter!

Great work, team!

Here is the list of prestigious awards won by our department:

BEST STORY INVOLVING STANDARD GAUGE STAPLERS
Julie Sprucemiller; "Rent or Own? New Office Supply Procedures May Just Change your Mind" 

BEST INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING IN A NEWSLETTER
Eunice Lopang; "Who Put the Empty Half & Half Back in the Fridge?"

Anonymous; "How Toner Got Spilled on the Oriental Rug in the Big Conference Room"

BEST DESCRIPTION OF A PHOTOGRAPH IN A TEXT-ONLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
Coburn Lapidis; Photograph of Bee Pollinating Mariposa Lily in Yosemite National Forest with Couple Arguing in Background (J. Lamb, 2008) 

MOST HONEST ARTICLE ABOUT AN OFFICE EVENT
Jill Fleming; "Going Away Party for Coworker a Terrific Failure"

Wade Erbert; "You call THAT a Brown Bag Meeting?"

MOST ADJECTIVES USED IN AN ARTICLE (UNDER 200 WORDS)
Dan Freebright; "The Painful and Touching Story of the Unhappiest and Surely Most Lugubrious Vice President Our Prestigious Company has Seen in its Illustrious History" 

BEST RECIPE IN A NEWSLETTER (USING SPONSOR'S PRODUCT)
Alice Waters; "Light 'n Fluffy Kraft-Cheesy Bisquick Biscuits Smothered in Sumptuous El Monte Salsa"

BEST IMPLEMENTATION OF MAILROOM TECHNOLOGY
Briant Kerkes, Intern, for creative alphabetization

BEST BREAKING STORY IN A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
Story by Bill Alexander (exclamations points by Dan Freebright); "EVERYONE GET OUT, THERE'S A FIRE IN THE BUILDING!!!"

BEST SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT
"Office Supply Shopping Guide 2007"

BEST TOEING OF THE CORPORATE LINE
Benjamin Malady; "Making Lunch at Your Desk Fun Again!"

BEST USE OF THE PHRASE "HUZZAH!" IN A COLUMN
M. Byron Cortez; "Filled out in Triplicate, M' Lady..." 

OUTSTANDING USE OF GREEK MYTHOS IN A NEWSLETTER
Dwight Herbert; "Opening Pandora's In-Box" 

EXCELLENT USE OF A DATED EXPRESSION IN A NEWSLETTER
Paula Schmidt; "The New Copy Center: Whoomp! There It Is!" 

RESTAURANT REVIEW
S. Irene Luckman; "In the Cafeteria this Week"

FASHION COLUMN
Dan Freebright; "The Fashionistas Got Nothin' on Them: The Glamour Girls of Finance"

BEST PIE CHART IN A COMPANY NEWSLETTER
IT Department; "Unread E-mails In Relation to Length of Tenure at Company"

Honorable Mention: Jacob Krakaer; "Paranormal Activity by Major Market"

BEST HISTORICAL FICTION
Brett Murphy; "Chairman Mao's PowerPoint Presentation"

EDITORIAL AWARD
Phillip Renaud; "Josh Levine, Send that Paperwork back up to Finance!" 

Congratulations again to the whole Newsletter Team. Keep up the great work!

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "In Retrospect"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

We were going to write something clever and funny up here, but then we realized it might distract you from our outstanding Aquent Talent below.

Okay, and we were kind of out of clever, funny things to say.

So here's what we can do: take a look at our amazing Talent, then call us for their resumes and portfolios.

We'll make sure to have something funny to tell you over the phone.

We promise, nothing too bawdy.

Ring!

__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Kristofer S. - ACD
John K. - Creative Director
Marie D. - Online Marketing Manager
Terance T. - Project Manager
Jamile M. - AD/Senior Designer
Branson T. - Copywriter
Glenda S. - Sr. Print Designer
Ethan H. - Print Designer
Fabio L. - Motion Graphics
Laura H. - MBA Marketing Associate
__________________________________________________

Kristofer S.
ACD

Kristofer is an award-winning ACD whose experience includes some of the top advertising agencies and clients in the world!

Over the last decade, he's been the ACD at Ogilvy & Mather in their Portland and South Africa offices; DDB in Seattle and Singapore; as well as Arnold Worldwide in Boston. For the last few years, Kristofer has lent his experience to agencies such as Smash, Grey Dusseldorf, and companies like Nokia, A&E, and PBS.

He has worked on campaigns for leaders in every industry including, automotive, CPG, hospitality, tech, mobile, and entertainment.

His extensive client list (Shell, Volkswagen, Nordstrom, McDonald's, Oral B, Air New Zealand, Alcatel, HBO, WestOne Bank) is only surpassed by his extensive awards list!
__________________________________________________

John K.
Creative Director

John's portfolio of work is full of stunning, award-winning design.

He has years of amazing experience as a Creative Director in both the retail and fashion advertising industries. Handling everything from creating the concept to executing all facets of production (including model selection, hair and make-up styling, location selection, photography, and production), John intimately manages every step of the process.

Some of John's large projects include beautiful ads for Target and the creation of all visual merchandising and art direction for shopping centers such as Glendale Galleria, Montebello Towne Center, and Pacific Place. His art direction translates directly to the retail shops as well.

His knack for bringing a special attitude to what the camera sees, coupled with his design sensibility, has consistently produced successful, award-winning results.

Articulate and attuned to his client's needs, John loves managing client relationships as well as the creative team!
__________________________________________________

Marie D.
Online Marketing Manager

Marie is an Online Marketing/E-Commerce Manager with over 7 years of impressive SEO/SEM experience!

Most recently the Senior Manager for Interactive Marketing at Hilton Hotels Corporation, she was responsible for developing and implementing online marketing strategies for the Hilton family of brands. At Hilton she functioned as an internal consultant for the integration of offline marketing campaigns to an online environment and oversaw the RFP and selection of search agencies for the company. She also managed multiple site redesigns and provided in-depth Web analytics reports/presentations to Hilton's corporate offices.

As Director of eCommerce for Viking River Cruises, which offers cruises in Europe and the Far East, she selected a search agency of record and managed the SEM budget. She also handled the relationship with the search vendor in the areas of paid and organic searches.

A terrific Aquent Talent!
__________________________________________________

Terance T.
Project Manager

A fantastic Project Manager with account management experience in Web and mobile!

While at Twistbox Entertainment, a global producer and publisher of mobile content, he handled business development, content management, and licensing. He cultivated and drove partnerships with publishers and content providers to augment the product penetration of Twistbox's mobile service and build revenue.

As Internet Project Manager at Yellowpages.com he executed the relaunch of Smartpages.com by translating business and functional requirements into project plans. At Hidden Beach Recordings he executed marketing and promotional plans and functioned as the label liaison and relationship manager between the company and Sony Music. His direction and leadership was exceptional as Project Manager at Marconi Online Systems, where he forecasted budget and planned resource requirements for online projects.

Call us if you're looking for a Project Manager who thrives in fast-paced, high-stress environments who can deliver multi-million dollar projects on time and on budget!
__________________________________________________

Jamile M.
AD/Senior Designer

A great Creative who has been working with Aquent for many years is now available again!

An amazingly diverse Designer with strong conceptual and technical skills, Jamile manages to smooth out deadlines, banish bad design, and virtually make production problems disappear!

She was most recently at AEG Worldwide, the company that owns the Staples Center and Home Depot Center. She was responsible for branding and design for brochures, signage, ads, bus wraps, direct mail, and other promotional materials to promote the venue and the events.

Video packaging campaigns, logo design, Web sites, direct response, and advertising for industries like entertainment, high-tech, B2B, retail and Web, Jamile easily adapts to any design a client needs, from conservative brochures to funky CD packaging.

But don't just take our word that she's great (though you should), just ask her former clients like Buena Vista Home Video, Fox Home Video, Citrix, Day Corporation, Hallmark Video, Hollywood Records, and they'll let you know that her work's as good as we say!
 __________________________________________________

Branson T.
Copywriter

Branson is a Copywriter who most recently worked at Spot Runner Advertising.

As their sole marketing Copywriter, he crafted copy for all of their marketing materials, Web site, sales support materials, email marketing, and newsletters. He was responsible for overseeing their brand voice and partnered closely with the marketing teams and sales force. He also handled content strategy and all copy for new Web applications they were promoting.

He really "gets" the multimedia world, as he's worked extensively in video media, producing, writing, and/or  editing for the likes of NBC, MSNBC, ABC's 20/20, MTV, Dreamworks, and many more.
__________________________________________________

Glenda S.
Sr. Print Designer

Glenda is an enthusiastic, professional (and let's not forget incredibly talented), team player with strong concept and typography skills.

She has 15+ years of professional experience creating stellar graphic design for corporate clients. Her diverse portfolio includes collateral, annual reports, direct mail, magazine and newspaper ads, books, corporate ID/brand development, entertainment advertising, and video.

Her impressive client list includes H&R Block, Transamerica, Lockheed Federal Credit Union, 2002 Winter Olympics, Warner Bros., and SunAmerica. She's proficient in the entire CS3 family and QuarkXPress and has an extensive knowledge of the print and production process.

Used to fast-paced environments, she's able to work well within extreme time constraints and budgets and successfully meet all her deadlines!
__________________________________________________

Ethan H.
Print Designer

Ethan is a fantastic Print Designer with great design sense who has worked with a whopping total of FOUR Aquent offices, all of whom sing his praises!

Armed with both agency and client side experience, his portfolio ranges clean and high-end to edgy. Ethan has direct mail, brochures, POP, packaging, and media kits and experience in automotive, entertainment, and more (OH MY!)

His extensive experience includes Young & Rubicam (Jaguar and Range Rover brands), Pacificare, The American Diabetes Association, US Coast Guard, Better Homes and Gardens, Gateway, and a host of others.

He's now in our office and available to you RIGHT NOW!
__________________________________________________

Fabio L.
Motion Graphics

Fabio is an awesome Motion Graphics Designer brand new to the LA Market!

Fabio worked through our Miami office for ION Media Networks, a national TV network, where he created on-air graphics, station IDs, and animations. In fact he did such an amazing job as a contractor, he was brought on full time to a permanent position!

His career includes positions at Univision Network as an On-Air Designer and as 3D Animator and AfterEffects Specialist for PanAmericana working on colossal campaigns for Charmin, Verizon, Pantene, and Banco Popular.

Fabio's hands-on technical expertise includes After Effects, 3D Studio Max, DVD Studio Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, Encore (DVD authoring) and Final Cut Pro.

And we should also mention that this top Aquent Talent is fluent in both English and Spanish!
__________________________________________________

Laura H.
MBA Marketing Associate

Laura is an MBA graduate who is ready to implement her professional experience!

As Brand Market Intern at FIJI Water, she researched and synthesized data for the development of new and updated promotional materials. She also did an extensive competitive analysis leading to increased awareness throughout the company.

While at Bliss Tea Co., she drove 50% revenue growth (!) in 6 months through the development and execution of her marketing plan.

Her experience includes work in the medical, food, and beverage industries.

Laura is a dynamic marketing and sales strategist that makes a difference on any team!

An amazing amount of stuff in the works this Q4 for us.

Busy, busy, busy...

We've got the Aquent 2009 Calendar coming out soon, which we pass out to our clients and features the work of our Talent around the globe. (It was a worldwide contest and 2 LA Talent nabbed spots! Nice work...) It's also FSC certified and a heck of a lot more "eco friendly" than in years past.

We've migrated to another email system to fully integrate our database, which is a huge victory. Keeping a clean mailing list has been a bear up until now. It'll better allow both our Talent and Clients to pick and choose what they want to hear from us (if they want to hear from us at all).

Preparations are underway for rolling out our new Web site in early 2009. We just saw another look today and I can tell you, it's going to be mind blowing. And you know me, my mind is not easily blown. It'll be under wraps for awhile, but dang, you're going to see some changes and it's going to be a heck of a lot better from the User end.

Parties, client gifts, birthdays... (yes, we still celebrate everyone's birthday), it's not slowing down here soon.

Which is a good thing, no?

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Webmaster
2. Interactive Project Coordinator
3. Junior/Mid-Level Front-End Developer
4. Copy Editor
5. Broadcast Copywriter
6. Video Editor
7. Video Producer

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

1. POSITION: Webmaster

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 1+ years of HTML/CSS hand-coding experience
• Experience in a corporate environment
• Must provide sample URLs for client consideration

PERKS!:

• Great stable company
• Popular health product!

PAY:

• Up to $55K

LOCATION:

• Torrance

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

2. POSITION: Interactive Project Coordinator

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

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 years of experience in an interactive space
• Interactive and/or agency experience
• This position is 60% traffic and 40% project management

PERKS!:

• Creative, innovative environment
• Great benefits!

PAY:

• Up to $35 an hour

LOCATION:

• Westlake Village

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

3. POSITION: Junior/Mid-Level Front-End Developer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 3 years of front-end development experience
• Hands-on skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and knowledge of PHP
• Bachelor's Degree

PERKS!:

• Huge, stable company
• Great permanent opportunity!

PAY:

• Up to $60K

LOCATION:

• Redlands

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

4. POSITION: Copy Editor

TERMS: 4-Month Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Copy editing and proofreading experience within a marketing department
• Experience copy editing marketing collateral and overseeing/managing to brand voice and guidelines
• Experience proofreading and rewriting marketing collateral

PERKS!:

• Great non-profit, great fun team!

PAY:

• Up to $30 an hour

LOCATION:

• Burbank

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

5. POSITION: Broadcast Copywriter

TERMS: 1+ Week(s) Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Must have professional video and broadcast copy experience
• Prior work on large brand names
• Toy commercial experience a plus

PERKS!:

• Hip agency with big brand names, everything from entertainment to CPG!

PAY:

• Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

• Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

6. POSITION: Video Editor

TERMS: 1+ Week(s) Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 3 years of experience (preferably Agency)
• Hands-on experience with After Effects and Final Cut Pro
• Experience editing toy commercials a plus!

PERKS!:

• Hip agency with big brand names, everything from entertainment to CPG

PAY:

• Up to $40 an hour

LOCATION:

• Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

7. POSITION: Video Producer

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

MUST HAVES!:

• 4+ years of experience
• Agency background
• Must have reel to provide to client
• Prior work on toy commercials a plus!

PERKS!:

• Hip agency with big brand names, everything from entertainment to CPG

PAY:

• Up to $50 an hour

LOCATION:

• Westside

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

Dear Customer Service,

I am writing to you today to file a complaint about the Super3000 Electromagnet I recently purchased from your Web site.

I had bought this magnet on a lark, since I am something of a science buff and often entertain the neighborhood children with feats of wonder involving static electricity, dry ice, and magnets with the assistance of my Yorkshire terrier, Charles Dogwin.

As excited as I was about my purchase, however, upon actually plugging the magnet in and turning it on I instantaneously lost power to my television, computer, VCR, CD player, and (for some reason) Dogwin's automatic watering bowl. In addition, my refrigerator moved three feet out of my kitchen, the metal vertical blinds in my living room stood on end, and every knife in my Henckels cutlery set flew out of its deluxe oak storage block and embedded itself into the wall behind me as if I was in some kind of animated TV show.

Though immediately shutting the magnet off did seem to return everything back to normal (with the exception of the fridge, which my wife and I moved back into the kitchen), I have been experiencing numerous problems around my home that, quite frankly, have me concerned, which I wish to address with your company.

To begin with, my extensive (and priceless) compass collection has been permanently and irreparably damaged. Each now believes the magnetic north pole lies somewhere between my andirons and the divan.

My beloved Dogwin has begun to shed profusely since that day, leaving mounds of fur wherever he lay. He has also begun vibrating.

Most frustratingly, however, is the fact that my entire VHS video collection has been wholly ruined from the brief exposure to the electromagnetic charge. The sheer power of the Super3000 Electromagnet has removed characters from select videos and placed them in others where they simply do not belong.

Imagine my alarm when I had planned a quiet evening at home watching an episode of Bonanza only to be jolted from my chesterfield by the appearance of Clint Eastwood as the "Outlaw Josey Wales". Eastwood promptly walked onto the Ponderosa and punched Little Joe in the eye then kicked him a few times while he was down.

Every VHS tape I own is now a victim of the electromagnet's wrath:

Hannibal Lecter has begun stalking the Golden Girls.

The Nazis from "The Sound of Music" have been replaced by the Nazis from "Schindler's List".

Keanu Reeves' characters from "The Matrix" and "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" have been irreversibly switched.

The lovable Beaver Cleaver has been emotionally damaged from his exposure to the Elephant Man in one episode and the cast of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in another.

Finally, Norma Desmond from "Sunset Blvd." has convinced George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life" that he's much better off dead, which changes the point of the movie considerably.

The only saving grace in this whole matter is the disappearance of Jar Jar Binks from Episode I of Star Wars (though he has turned up in a very minor role in Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now").

I will not even get into my extensive audiotape collection, as every time I mention Madonna and Waylon Jennings singing Don Giovanni I begin to weep uncontrollably.

As this is the first time you are hearing about my complaint, I have yet to contact a legal representative.

At the very least I hope you will consider returning my money for the Super 3000 Electromagnet.

Of course, my wish would be reimbursement for Dogwin's countless visits to the veterinarian and pet therapist, as well as money toward rebuilding my priceless media and compass collection.

Please do not contact me by phone, as I have been afraid to answer it since the last time I picked it up, I was mercilessly harassed by the killer from "Scream".

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

N  O  V  E  M  B  E  R   |   1  3   |   2  0  0  8
__________________________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "Fatal Attractor"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information
__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

Some early Thanksgiving Day advice: do NOT stuff the turkey the night before and place it back in the fridge.

Take it from the people who learned all about salmonella during their Aquent Pre-Thanksgiving Day feast last year. Needless to say, we were a few hands shy the following week.

If there's a chance someone in your office is ignorant of Poultry Protocol and will be fixing Thanksgiving dinner for family and coworkers (and you probably know who that is), you'll want to be prepared.

First, buy plenty of Pepto Bismol. Second, have our number handy.

We always have stellar Talent at the ready whenever you need properly cooked creative ideas and fresh marketing perspectives.

We guarantee it!
__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

Shaun G. - Sr. Flash Developer
Hunter O. - Sr. IA, UX, UI Designer
Ken O. - Design | IA Manager
Carlo I. - Print Designer
Jamie T. - Front-End Developer
Mark F. - Web | Flash Designer
Karen P. - Senior Print Designer
Michele W. - Web Content & Project Manager
Peter L. - Brand Manager
Jim S. - Pro Retoucher
__________________________________________________

Shaun G.
Sr. Flash Developer

Shaun is a Sr. Flash Developer with skills that will ASTOUND you!

He whizzed through our incredibly demanding ActionScript3 assessment with plenty of time to spare and earned highest scores!

Most recently Shaun was Flash Developer for Total Beauty where he created Flash games, wireframes, and dynamic templates integrated with CMS systems. He also integrated tracking systems such as Omniture and Google Analytics into the Flash components. (You can take a look at www.totalbeauty.com to see his stunning work, and yes, he built all Flash components on that site.)

Prior to Total Beauty, he owned his own studio where he managed a team of freelancers and specialized in Flash, database-driven Web sites, and custom CMS back-ends. Shaun's development skills include Flash, ActionScript 1.0/2.0/3.0, JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and much, much more.

We don't need to tell you he's going to go fast, do we?
__________________________________________________

Hunter O.
Sr. IA, UX, UI Designer

Hunter is a new Aquent Talent with solid skills in information architecture and interface design work. He's developed and created brand strategy with national and global markets and excels at crafting user experience for Web-based learning.

His impressive freelance roster includes Method, Inc./Bertelsmann AG, Morton Subotnick's Creating Music, and Shazam Entertainment in London, and his permanent positions include Creative Lead at Viant (LA/Munich) and Vice President of Interactive Media for Siegel & Gale.

An accomplished team and project leader, his presentations skills are second-to-none and he is fluent in English, German, and Spanish.

He is strong with his wireframing, user testing, wireless interfacing and prototyping.

You've got to meet Hunter!
__________________________________________________

Ken O.
Design | IA Manager

Ken is a phenomenal Design Manager who was most recently IA Manager for Disney's Creative Services.

With a natural knack for anything that is online, he was the visionary for his division at Disney, directing all creative including IA, visual design, video, and Flash for sites including Walt Disney World Youth Programs, Weddings, Sports, Meetings and the online shopping for both Disneyland and Disneyworld.

He has over 10 years of experience as a Director/Producer of multimedia, Web design, IA, and video and has exceptional project management skills leading critical, senior level projects from inception to completion.

His experience includes stellar work for Microsoft, ZAAZ (on the Faconnable fashion site), MSNBC.com, RealNetworks, and the Los Angeles Times.

Ken is strategic and highly organized, self-directed, and results oriented.

He's the perfect Aquent Talent for any company aiming for that perfect blend of technical and creative!
__________________________________________________

Carlo I.
Print Designer

Carlo is a super talented Designer with a stellar portfolio!

His flexible, fun, and ego-free personality accompanies his ability to tailor design work to fit any environment or any client. He is a design chameleon! His diverse portfolio ranges from corporate to funky to hand drawn cartoons. He is simply fantastic at creating something out of nothing.

An Illustrator and a master of Photoshop, he also has beautifully executed editorial layouts, brochures, corporate identity, and media kits that would suit any client's needs.

At Sony/ATV Music Publishing his concentration was entertainment graphics, CDs, music packaging, and promotional items including advertising. With a strong grasp on marketing and advertising, he has executed his creativity and innovation at agencies such as TBWA/Chiat Day, Phoenix Creative, and Red Table Studio.

Carlo believes that two minds are better than one, commitment is key, and that the best work comes from being part of a fun, supportive team.

He'd be a great addition to yours!
__________________________________________________

Jamie T.
Front-End Developer

Looking for a Front-End Developer who has a great balance between the creative and technical side of things? Then Jamie is the Talent for you!

Jamie came in and whizzed through our incredibly demanding HTML/CSS/JavaScript assessment with a perfect score!

He just completed his Masters in Multimedia Engineering, and he knows front-end development and UI for software applications like it's nobody's business.

Jamie has a great understanding of UX/UI and has some light IA experience as well!

If you were wondered where you were going to find a top Front-End Developer, email us for his resume, then give us a call!
__________________________________________________

Mark F.
Web | Flash Designer

From movies to music, Mark is a Web and Flash Designer with HUGE amount of entertainment experience!

As the main Web Designer for MGM.com for 5 years, he art directed, designed, and programmed Flash Web sites, interactive elements, emails, newsletters, and ad units to support their theatrical, home entertainment, television, and B2B divisions of both MGM and United Artists.

Armed with 10 years of experience in visual design and multimedia, Mark's freelance work includes sites, banners, motion graphics, identity systems, and more for the likes of NBC Universal, CBS, Thrill Jockey Records, and Overpass Creative.

Aside from his stellar front-end ActionScripting, he also codes in HTML and CSS!
__________________________________________________

Karen P.
Senior Print Designer

Karen is a Senior Designer with over 10 years of experience working in corporate environments and creating outstanding branding, brochures, invitations, presentations, proposals, trade show graphics, newsletters, ads, and so much more!

Her experience includes PricewaterhouseCoopers and for Dewberry, where she was the sole Sr. Graphic Designer for this 50+ year old leader in the planning, design, and program management professions in the DC area.

Karen is just as good with long, detailed documents as she is with advertising. She is conceptual, can write headlines, and take projects from initial client meeting through amazing finish!
__________________________________________________

Michele W.
Web Content & Project Manager
 
A highly skilled Web Content Manager and Project Manager with HTML development, Michele is the one-call-does-it-all Talent for all your content needs!

Most recently she was Web Content Manager at Union Bank of California managing a team of 11 employees, making daily updates to the site, and creating and managing new and existing content and applications.  In addition, she helped manage the processes for Web site redesign projects, a new CMS launch and much more!

Michele's extensive background includes Web content roles at Disney, Overture and Weather.com.

Give your Web words more bang for your buck, call us about Michelle!
__________________________________________________

Peter L.
Brand Manager

Peter is a committed, strategic thinker who works brand wonders!

Most recently Sr. Brand Manager at Kimberly-Clark, he identified significant short-term growth opportunities, managed the team, and led the development of the global innovations strategy for Huggies brand.

Initially, Peter was brought on to the team to enlighten the company on innovations and strategy, and boy did he do an AMAZING job! He was able to identify significant short-term (1 to 3 years) growth for the Huggies brand. He was also responsible for brand equity, testing products, and developing a new Go To Market, which provided multiple ways to launch a product in the market.

He's been a consultant with big brands at Unilever, ConAgra Foods, and Masterfoods, and his core strengths include brand positioning, packaging development, pricing and merchandising, market research, DRTV, and strategic planning.

Here's a guy who loves brands and consumer goods, is known for going above and beyond, and is ready to immerse himself in your projects!!
__________________________________________________

Jim S.
Pro Retoucher

A Photoshop and Illustrator whiz who nabbed perfect scores on our assessments, Jim has a wonderfully playful portfolio that's full vibrantly retouched characters used in books, catalogs, and apparel.

Working at Disney's Consumer Products for more than 6 years, many times Jim worked with nothing more than an ink sketch which he would colorize and airbrush (Disney-style) to make the characters come bursting to life. He has a highly-trained eye for detail and never misses the slightest blemish or imperfection!

At Jerry Leigh Apparel Jim created apparel graphics, signage, POP displays, hard goods, and various souvenir-type items for Target and Walmart stores.

In addition to retouching, he's designed and produced catalogs and can digitally render 3D displays and products to look like the real deal.

An awesome Aquent Talent!

It's nice to have company, isn't it?

Which is why we're WICKED PYSCHED to announce that our Boston office (which includes our HQ) was just named one of the "Top 100 Places to Work in Boston" by The Boston Globe!

They're a danged great group of people to work with and we're glad to have them aboard.

And if a picture is worth 1,000 words, I wonder how much a movie is worth? You can check out the Boston team by clicking below.

Congrats!

I guess it's appropriate that so close to Halloween we raffled off tickets to see Madonna's Hard Candy tour at Dodger Stadium (complete with a visit from Britney and Justin).

I think everyone's still recuperating from getting home back to the office at 2am.

I'm in the process of posting photos, so if you ended up being one of the 50 attendees, please send them my way?

And a HUGE thank you to our own Diana Scott, who not only provided the tickets for both staff and Talent, but arranged the bus to and from the stadium (not to mention beer, soda, and water for the ride)!

I can't put it better than this email: "Thank you so much for the gift of Madonna. As a long time fan, I must admit I have never seen her and YOU made it possible!!!!!! It was great meeting some new folks and actually staying up until 230am!"

In the meantime, enjoy these shots from last night!

THIS WEEK'S POSITIONS:

1. Sr. UI Designer
2. Web Project Manager
3. Flash Animator with ActionScripting
4. Jr. UI Designer
5. Jr. UI Designer w/ Flash
6. Web Project Coordinator
7. Web Project Manager
8. Web Designer
9. Front-End Developer
10. Marketing Project Manager

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

1. POSITION: Sr. UI Designer

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

MUST HAVES!:

• 3 to 5 years of professional experience
• Solid knowledge of interaction design principles and UI patterns/conventions (IA, Interaction, Visual Prototyping and Usability Testing)
• Consumer electronic products, or mobile device-related experience highly recommended 

PERKS!:

• Annual international travel
• Creative environment

PAY:

• Up to $100K

LOCATION:

•  South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

2. POSITION: Web Project Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• At least 5 years of professional experience
• 3 years of experience managing large scale Web-based projects
• Understanding of Web applications (no code or management of staff required)

PERKS!:

• Very innovative company, great work-life balance
• Great benefits
• Voted the best place to work in LA

PAY:

• Up to $70K

LOCATION:

• Downtown

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

3. POSITION: Flash Animator with ActionScripting

TERMS: 2-Week Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Experience animating vector illustrations/elements
• AS2 coding experience
• Agency experience a huge plus!!

PERKS!:

• You will be working on two large sites redesigns
• Amazing work environment/team!

PAY:

• Up to $50 an hour

LOCATION:

• Venice

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

4. POSITION: Jr. UI Designer

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

MUST HAVES!:

• 1 to 2 years of experience
• Able to create UI (IA, Interaction, Visual Prototyping, and Usability Testing) design concepts, guidelines, and specifications
• Online portfolio for client to check out!

PERKS!:

• International travel
• Creative environment

PAY:

• Up to $80K

LOCATION:

• South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

5. POSITION: Jr. UI Designer w/ Flash

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

MUST HAVES!:

• Experience creating UI design for icons on cell phones
• Ability to create screen layouts in Photoshop or Illustrator
• Must be a heavy PC user
• CS2 and CS3 knowledge
• Flash skills

PERKS!:

• International company
• Creative Web environment

PAY:

• Up to $80K

LOCATION:

• South Bay

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

6. POSITION: Web Project Coordinator

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

MUST HAVES!:

• Working knowledge of various content management systems
• Knowledge of HTML and MS Office
• 1 to 2 years of experience

PERKS!:

• Awesome e-commerce team and environment
• Great benefits!

PAY:

• Up to $27 an hour

LOCATION:

• Downtown

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

7. POSITION: Web Project Manager

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 7+ years of agency experience
• 10+ years of large interactive site experience
• Client facing experience

PERKS!:

• Well known agency
• Great clients!

PAY:

• Up to $110K

LOCATION:

• Pasadena

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

8. POSITION: Web Designer 

TERMS: Freelance (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• 2 to 3+ years of Web design experience
• Agency preferred
• Please provide entertainment samples for consideration

PERKS!:

• Hip agency
• Opportunity for long term position

PAY:

• Up to $35 an hour

LOCATION:

• Burbank

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

9. POSITION: Front-End Developer

TERMS: Permanent (On-Site)

MUST HAVES!:

• Hands-on skills in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
• Large site experience
• Understanding of SDLC

PERKS!:

• Awesome team
• Tons of growth opportunity!

PAY:

• Up to $75K

LOCATION:

• West LA

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

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

10. POSITION: Marketing Project Manager

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

MUST HAVES!:

• Experience in the financial industry
• 4+ years of marketing project experience that includes coordination of
  marketing programs
• Ability to travel and work flexible hours

PERKS!:

• Incredibly stable Fortune 500 company
• A reputable group with strong credentials

PAY:

• Up to 65K

LOCATION:

• Downtown

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT AGENT

Scientists have discovered what they believe to be the first blog created by ancient man.

Uncovered in what is now southern Iraq and what was once the holy city of Nippur, clay tablet entries written by a citizen named Dubsar, a working class Cuneiform Scribe, show daily life in the city in a way that archeologists could never before fathom.

"What is truly astounding," said Peter Trummel of Boston University's Archeology Department, "is how much information Dubsar is able to give us about the life of the Sumerians. Here we've been conjecturing and quarrelling for years about the people who created the world's first written language and now we have literally hundreds of documents pertaining to life during those times. What they thought, what they believed, how they reacted to the world around them... It is, without a doubt, one of the most important Mesopotamian finds to date."

The tablets have also been sending shockwaves through the Web industry, who was just as surprised at the discovery of a blog written over 5000 years ago.

"Though not technically a 'Web' log, what this fellow was doing is jarringly close to what we've been working on for the last 13 years," commented Justin Hall, a man previously recognized as the world's first blogger.

"He was crafting tablets of his personal thoughts then leaving them outside his front door for everyone to add their own comments. Trackbacks, Links, Permalinks, and Categories, this guy thought of it all first. It's amazing," added the second oldest online diarist.

"His work, from what I've seen of it, reminds me quite a bit of Virginia Woolf's 'The Mark on the Wall'," commented Paul Stevens, General Editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature. "On one level it's a record of Dubsar's daily thoughts. Yet on another level, the thoughts Dubsar thinks and more importantly the way he thinks them, amount to a manifesto for modern literature. Which is curious, as modern literature wouldn't be invented for another 4000 years."

Over the next few years (or decades) archeologists will be carefully translating each of these documents then releasing them to anxious archeologists, scientists, professors of literature, and bloggers around the globe.

The first four translated entries have just been made public, and we're extremely proud to publicize, for the first time in over 40 centuries, the work of Dubsar, the Nippurian Cuneiform Scribe.

Enjoy!

----------

4th Day in the month of Nanna:

I hate Anunnaki.

I hate the way he wears his hair, the way he breathes, the way he brings his lunch every day and eats it at his desk instead of going out to lunch with everyone else.

I hate the way his big, fat hands press his stylus onto the wet, clay tablets all day long.

Cuneiform Scribe, hah! My donkey, Anshe, is as much a Cuneiform Scribe as he is.

Will he never shut up about his big night last night in Nippur?! How many times must I hear about that beautiful girl he danced with? If he tells that story to another person who comes by, I swear I'll throw a ball of clay at his head.

Comments:

Don't worry, Dubsar, good things come to those who wait! (MDR)

Categories: Work, Personal, Bad Coworkers

----------

6th Day in the month of Enlil:

What a commute!

The route through the center of Parabus was blocked because they were rehearsing a play, and every man, woman, and child had to be rerouted through the city.

Of course, the detour meant all of us were traveling at a snail's pace on a small, broken road through the poorest part of the city. I almost got off Anshe and made a run for it, I was so late. As luck would have it, traffic eased up around the Inanna Temple (perhaps people were sneaking in to take a nap, because the month has been so hot).

I came in tardy only to find a full Inbox and all the barley cakes already gone.

Comments:

0

Categories: Commuting, Food and Drink, Work, Personal, Hoofed Beasts

----------

6th Day in the month of Utu

Has anyone checked out the fig cakes over at Belit-Sheri's Cakes 4 Less? They are nothing less than AWESOME!
 
Comments:

Are you on barley paste? Surely you must be being paid for this. I wouldn't buy my sister-in-law one of Belit-Sheri's fig cakes! (ML)

Categories: Food and Drink

----------

12th Day in the month of Enlil:

Mother Ninhursag, I've got to get another job.

One more day working beside with Anunnaki, and I am going to commit murder!

I should have listened to my mother and become a used donkey salesman. There's always money in that!

Why did I want to become a writer? Why was I so obsessed with the arts?

I ask myself that now whenever my hands are cramped proofreading someone else's sloppy inscriptions. Not to mention when I go to Xisuthros' big vacation house on the Euphrates. (Then again, he did just build a house for Urgil only to have it collapse on Urgil's whole family just a month later. So maybe there is justice after all.)

And I definitely will think about it every time Anunnaki tells me how sweaty his feet are then reaches down and takes off his terrible smelling sandals.

Murder, I tell you!

Comments:

Remember the Golden Rule! (PR)

It's okay, Dubsar, he'll get his in the end! "Wink!" (tp)

Don't give up! (bd)

Categories: Work, Personal, Body Odor, Bad Coworkers

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

N  O  V  E  M  B  E  R   |   0  7   |   2  0  0  8
__________________________________________________

IN THIS ISSUE:

Hot Talent

Featured Talent This Week

That Bit at the End - "The Iceman Blogeth"

Subscribe | Unsubscribe Information

__________________________________________________

HOT TALENT

When life gives you lemons, we all know you're supposed to make lemonade.

But what happens when life gives you a pluot, the odd combination of a plum and an apricot?

Or broccoflower?

Though we have no control over what life shells out, when you use Aquent you know you'll never get a pluot or broccoflower. And most ESPECIALLY never a lemon.

We have a 110% no lemon guarantee.

We're like your Creative and Marketing Farmer's Market.

We'd like to add that all our Aquent Talent are in no way genetically modified.

That we know of.

Enjoy!

__________________________________________________

FEATURED TALENT THIS WEEK

William L. - Flash Animator w/ ActionScript
Chase C. - Creative Director, Copy
Christopher A. - Senior Web Designer
Michael H. - Front-End Developer | PHP
Marie B. - Sr. Web Designer
Sean W. - Brand Manager
Ashley C. - Web and Print Designer
Jeffrey L. - Data Analyst
Cheryl P. - Senior Traffic Manager
Nancy W. - Proofreader and Sr. Executive Assistant
__________________________________________________

William L.
Flash Animator w/ ActionScript

William is an Animator with strong ActionScript skills to boot, not to mention both client side and agency side experience.

His Flash skills are tops!

His agency experience comes from DNA studios (now WhittmanHart) where he was a Flash Animator/Developer on several sites, microsites and online games for clients like Disney and Sony.

He was most recently at a boutique agency, Simian Group, where he was in charge of animating and developing their corporate site in addition to sites for their clients. He also was Department manager of the DVD menu design & authoring department, overseeing 7 employees and responsible for delivering 60 DVD projects each month.

He has experience working in Flash (with AS2 and is currently learning AS3), After Effects and (obviously) knows his way around DVD authoring and menu design!

If you need a terrific Flash Talent, please call us about William before someone else does!
__________________________________________________

Chase C.
Creative Director, Copy

Look out for MAD skills!!!

At True Agency, Chase was the Executive Creative Director on a number of incredibly high-profile accounts, including Infiniti and Nissan, managed a team of creatives and had the final word on campaigns. 

Chase has worked on everything you can imagine, from short tag lines and long documents to new client pitches for the likes of Burger King, Ford, Pepsi, Honda, Nike, HBO, and so many more.

His staff experience includes work for both Muse and Uniworld, and he's been heavily involved in new business and evaluating which clients to pursue.

Just contact us to see his awesome portfolio.

When you need the best, you need Chase!
__________________________________________________

Christopher A.
Senior Web Designer

An amazing Aquent Talent with remarkable experience in mobile UI, Flash and rich media design, direct response, and large sites!

Most recently Christopher was at J2 Global Communications, where he was their Senior Web Designer. He created full sites, landing pages, rich media and Flash banners, email campaigns and much more!

At WDIG (Disney Mobile) he designed sites, WAP applications, skins, and sites for their mobile properties. He was also chosen to create comps and concepts, as well as full presentations, to pitch to internal teams and executives on new ideas for Disney Mobile! At Amp'd Mobile he help craft the next generation rebranding for their online presence.

His freelance client roster includes Los Angeles Times, ThisNext, Panasonic, and many more!

He's an amazing Aquent Talent!
__________________________________________________

Michael H.
Front-End Developer | PHP

A multi-disciplined Developer, Michael has a broad skillset and a great track record of creating top-notch projects using both client-side and server-side technologies.

Michael worked on Kaiser Permanente's member health pages producing and documenting standards for AJAX/JavaScript and producing HTML for microsites and main site releases.

His extensive experience includes Manager of Web Development at Warner Bros. Records, Web Production Manager at GSCM Ventures, and Web Developer at NextClient.

He loves the creative process as much as the techie stuff, and his skills are awesome, nabbing a near perfect score on our HTML assessment. His large bag of tricks includes XML, Flash/AS2, MySQL, Photoshop, and Illustrator, and (avid learner that he is) he's always adding more.

Michael's an awesome Aquent Talent and ready for his next challenge!
__________________________________________________

Marie B.
Sr. Web Designer

If you need a stellar design Goliath in both print and Web, then this is kismet!

Marie is an Aquent Talent who has worked with us for years! Her most recent position was as hands-on Art Director at Gifts.com, where she was responsible for the design of their main site (which nabbed a US News & World Reports "Best of the Web" award), plus stunning banners, ads, and email campaigns. She's also freelanced for the design-heavy Evite site and created terrific work for Trilegiant.

In addition to her strong Web background, she's done a ton of print design and identity work for TECHEAD, Tulip software, wasabi systems, and more.

She has beautiful illustration work, has experience with branding, and has a design style with serious range.

And, lucky for you, she's available now!
__________________________________________________

Sean W.
Brand Manager

Sean is an innovative, Brand Manager armed with his MBA from USC and delivering positive results for over 13 years!

Sean blends his vast knowledge of traditional marketing and deep understanding of emerging Web 2.0 marketing strategies and viral marketing to ignite awareness and sales. He has outstanding people skills and leadership abilities and a strong understanding of SEO and Web site content management.

While at RED Distribution, a division of Sony BMG Music Entertainment that handles sales and marketing for 47 independent record labels, he served as a Marketing Director and increased annual sales from 4M to 5M units, adding $42M in revenues! At Sony he dreamed up the strategy of selling music CDs and DVDs together in a combo pack. The executives were so excited about his brilliant and profitable idea, they implemented it throughout all categories of music genres!

When you go with Sean, you'll get performance well beyond your expectations!
__________________________________________________

Ashley C.
Web and Print Designer

Ashley is a Designer who has 10+ years of great design style: clean and innovative with great use of color and typography.

Her fine art background really shows in the beautiful work she's done for BMW Motorcycles of California, The Santa Barbara Film Festival, The California Naturopathic Doctors Association, and many more.

Ashley's hands-on skills include HTML, Flash animation, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign After Effects, and Cinema 4D.

She has integrated experience, both print and Web, creates beautiful conceptual work, and is available now!
__________________________________________________

Jeffrey L.
Data Analyst

Looking for that SAS, MS Access, and Excel expert?

Jeffrey is a fantastic Data Analyst candidate that can hit the ground running! 

Last at GE Consumer Finance as a Risk Analyst, he was responsible for producing/manipulating data for ad hoc performance reports. He also actively monitored and analyzed performance metrics for 7 divisions nationwide and reported upward key business metrics to senior management.

At Ajilon Staffing he managed the employment benefits database and benefits questions for over 2,700 employees. 

He has extremely strong Access, Excel, SAS skills, and is well skilled in overseeing diverse reporting projects. 

To boot, he has a great personality, positive attitude, and is (as we said already) ready to hit the ground running!
__________________________________________________

Cheryl P.
Senior Traffic Manager

Cheryl is a Senior Traffic Manager who has both Web and print and agency and in-house experience.

With over 10 years background trafficking in different environments, she's able to be the "linchpin" responsible for every type of project imaginable!

Cheryl was most recently at Hamon & Associates, a full service ad agency where she was responsible for trafficking all deliverables through the internal processes. The CEO was so impressed with her skills, he said "she was the best Traffic Manager I've ever worked with."

Cheryl was also Sr. Traffic Manager at Herbalife for over 7 years. While onboard she was responsible for both domestic and international collateral, site launches, Flash banners, promotional giveaways, event and tradeshow tools, brochures, flyers, and postcards. These all added up to over 1500 projects, all with their own deadlines!

Cheryl is a master at creating schedules in any program, working smoothly with all internal teams whether they be creatives, executives, or accounts. She knows how to push projects through and is savvy at working with each team differently and effectively.

If you need a Traffic Manager that gets results and hits deadlines with expertise and professionalism, you just found her!
__________________________________________________

Nancy W.
Proofreader and Sr. Executive Assistant

Nancy is a detailed Proofreader who is so much more!

At agency Russ Reid, which has many non-profit clients, Nancy started off as a contract Proofreader, but was quickly offered the role of Executive Assistant/Creative Department Coordinator when they saw her amazing skills. For their client World Vision, she'd arrange all schedules and contracts with celebrity clientele appearing in TV ads, advertisements, and collateral. She'd also hire and manage freelance TV crews and coordinate with all the necessary unions.

On top of that, she managed the schedules and calendars of 5 VPs AND proofread/edited all deliverables for the creative team, which included TV scripts, brochures, ads, and so much more!

An eagle eyed Proofreader, she earned top scores on our incredibly exacting proofreading assessment. It's no wonder, she has 10+ years experience as a freelance Proofreader!

Extremely detail oriented and a delight to work with, you don't see Talent like this every day!

Where's a Designer to turn when they have trouble choosing a project management system? Or calculating freelance rates? Or finding out all about intellectual property? (Oooh, I love that term.)

Why friend, AIGA's Center for Practice Management!

This free service "provides resources to help designers with the daily management of their studios" and will "address a broad range of internal business and operational issues, giving creative professionals important tools for success."

This was just touted in the recent AIGA newsletter, so I haven't had a chance for a full look. But dang, it looks like it's getting robust.

Visit the site by clicking here!


(Photo by StuSeeger)

So, you'll be voting on Tuesday (if you didn't vote early).

And you'll be standing in line.

What better way to bide your time and express your creativity than by taking a few pictures of your polling place?

AIGA and the New York Times are running their Polling Place Photo Project again.

From the AIGA email I got today:

AIGA and The New York Times have partnered to produce this nationwide visual chronicle of the election process--the largest online archive of photographs taken by citizens at polling places across the country, ranging from churches to schools and even garages. By capturing the diversity of the American voting experience, you play a crucial role in bearing witness to the democratic process.

And by sharing pictures of your local voting experience, you can also show how engaged and influential the design community can be. Although anyone can participate, we hope that you'll add "AIGA member" after your name when uploading your pictures to the site.

Intriguing, huh?

You also provide, with your photo, interesting facts like these:

This may just keep you from getting into a fight with the person in front of you about Prop. 8.

I'm just saying...

Full details here.


You may also want to heed this warning from the site:

Photography of polling places is governed by state and local law -- there is no one answer for what is permissible

(Photo by Brian D. Smith)