Doing Something You Love

IDEASFACTORY: What do you love most about your job?
Lee and Dan: Not having to work for a living.

OK, so they’re probably pulling our leg a bit, but wouldn’t it be great to get up in the morning, do something that you totally enjoy, and get a paycheck for it at the end of the week?

For creative duo, Lee and Dan, it’s not all pipedreams.

“One of the most talked about virals around”

The pair made a whopping great big name for themselves at the beginning of this year when their ad of a suicide bomber blowing himself up in a Volkswagen Polo to the classic tagline: “Small but tough” was mysteriously “leaked.”

They claimed it was showreel fodder and apologised (they got a ticking off from VW, who denied any involvement). But ten months on, it seems to have done their profile anything but harm.

Says Hot Cherry’s Harry Cymbler, who handled their PR: “It was one of the most talked about virals around. Over 60 million people have now seen it globally.”

“Their creativity showed everyone the incredible power and reach of virals.”

Backgrounds

The pair have been working together for about a year now, with other career highlights including the Food Standards Agency’s anti-salt/‘Slug’ campaign, the Ford Streetka ad, and Childline’s call centre viral.

Before hooking up, Central St Martin’s grad Lee worked as a fashion photographer’s assistant, before moving into Art Direction.

Meanwhile, London College of Communication grad Dan could be found assisting commercials directors, and eventually directing music vids himself (for drum n bass act 4Hero).

For them both, moving into virals was just the next logical step:

“Our background is an essential part of what we are,” they tell me. “Making a viral is essentially no different to making a conventional TV ad or a short film or taking a still photograph. It’s a creative process.”

While Lee and Dan certainly didn’t invent virals, they knew how to make the most of the simple technology available to them:

“We began by just using our website as a showcase for our TV and press ads.”

“Virals were around before we started to make them. We don’t really make much of a distinction between our TV work and our viral work - the process is very similar. The only real difference is how we approach the brief.”

Art school grounding

Obviously, having some relevant skills – honed in your bedroom, and perhaps picked up in a traditional institution - will help you along your way.

Say Lee and Dan:“ The internet may be a more accessible showcase for a young film-maker’s work, but the processes involved are really no different to conventional film.”

“So the ability to have a good idea is a good starting point, then, depending on how much of a role you want to take in the actual making of the film, technical skills such as using cameras, editing, design will be required.”

“I would always suggest art school as the best place to experiment and learn these skills.”

Career opportunities

If you’re considering a career involving virals it’s worth having a good think about where you really want to be. So what are the options?

Says Pete Brown, who set up viral archive site Bore Me in 2001: “The advertising market is the obvious thing - or marketing for content providers web, TV, etc. But you are then working mainly to someone else's brief and are constrained by that person's vision.”

“Most success will come working for oneself - or in a focussed partnership/team - providing content to TV, web, possibly concepts/scripts which can be a progression from making virals.”

“When I say 'most' I mean the magnitude of success, not number of people - only a few will make it.”

Other roles to consider include:

• Scriptwriting – “You need to be articulate, witty/funny and able to express your ideas – and captivate people with them,” says Chris Hassel, of digital agency DS.Emotion
• Camerman/editor – “You’d go out and shoot the viral, then edit it together into a clip.”
• Flash developer – building games and other interactive virals

A word of caution

Sadly, while there are great agencies out there recruiting budding creatives, it won’t always work to approach them direct.

Says viral creator, Beau Bo D’Or: "One of the ad agencies I worked at (as a media buyer - not creative) were accused of ripping off someone's idea that they claimed they had sent to the agency's client.”

“Some companies will refuse to even open unsolicited material because of these problems. It's just something you have to live with."

Talent always shines through

Probably your best bet is to get your work seen – and by as many relevant people as possible. Join online communities, post your work on virals sites…Top sites include: Bore Me, Kontraband, Punchbaby, Lycos, etc.

Advises Pete Brown: “Be selective about what you post - you may produce a lot but think about who you want to impress and that they might eventually ignore you if your great idea is buried under several of your poorer concepts.”

“If you want to try and get one certain type of work - illustration, flash animation, think about getting a unique style.”

A few final words of wisdom from Lee and Dan: “The internet is a strange parallel universe, as long as what you’ve made is good, it’ll get noticed.”

Links:

Lee and Dan: www.leeanddan.com
Bore Me: www.boreme.com
DS. Emotion: www.dsemotion.com
Beau Bo D’Or: www.bbdo.co.uk
Hot Cherry: www.hotcherry.co.uk