Designing characters, stories and more with Shilo’s Jose Gomez

If you haven’t seen the book “We Make It Good” from the filmmakers at creative production company Shilo, you are hereby enthusiastially encouraged to check it out. As you’ll see there — or by exploring Shilo’s archives at www.shilo.tv — much of the company’s extraordinary content leverages the character design talents of co-founder, creative director and director Jose Gomez. Among many illustrious achievements to date, Jose and his team helped creative agency ATTIK bring Scion’s world famous deviants to life, building upon Shilo’s many other breakthrough film projects, and some design feats earlier in Jose’s career for highly successful skate, snow and surf brands. Since regular video conferences typically involve Shilo’s entire executive team on both U.S. coasts in every company undertaking, Jose’s skills as a character designer weigh heavily into most Shilo projects. Collaborating most recently with GlobalHue Latino, Shilo’s latest film Read more

SHOWTIME Launches “Inside NASCAR” with Promotional Support from We Are Plus

The brand movement specialists at strategic creative ideas studio We Are Plus (www.weareplus.com) are very proud to detail their latest project, the complete graphics package, including main titles and launch spot, for premium television’s first weekly highlights and analysis program dedicated to America’s number one spectator sport, the new SHOWTIME® series, “Inside NASCAR.” Produced in association with NASCAR Media Group, the new series premiered on February 10 on SHOWTIME®, and will run for 38 weeks, corresponding with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Read more

The power of dreams…

At an early age, I decided I was going to be a writer. Somewhere along the way, I also took a strong interest in filmmaking, and being very ambitious, by the time I was 20 years old, I developed a clear vision of myself as novelist and filmmaker. While I have made great strides on achieving those dreams over the years, I must admit that I have a long way to go in seeing them through; nonetheless, those dreams have driven me into situations that I never would have imagined, and while I’ve not yet fully accomplished those missions, I feel very fortunate to have progressed as far as I have.

By pursuing the opportunies that have come my way over the years and applying my talents, my writing achievements and my reputation for success have opened many doors. One of them opened in the early 90s when a young Orlando filmmaker named Bill Waxler decided he wanted to produce and direct a 16mm short film based on something I’d written. Delving into my past experiences, I wrote a script for a dramatic short which I entitled “Bumper Crop,” and in that story Read more

Lucky Guy: The Musical… and My Life

In honor of all my friends.
When you look at the website for the musical comedy Lucky Guy, this quote leaps right out: “It’s not what you got in life, it’s who you got to share it with that counts.” I find that to be a wonderful observation on life, and it literally connects me to the project, which is written by my charming friend Willard Beckham, whom I met with Beth last year in New York through my larger-than-life pal, Lisa Cleff Kurtz. Read more

Southern California welcomes A Nice Set

Inhouse Creative in Venice, California, is the creative agency for S.L.A.T.E., the progressive streetwear section of the famous MAGIC fashion tradeshow held twice yearly (next one is Feb. 16-18) in Las Vegas. On behalf of my clients at creative studio We Are Plus, it’s my sincere pleasure to thank the Inhouse team for organizing the Pop-Up Shop @ AK1511 and hosting A Nice Set for its U.S. debut. Since 2008, this acclaimed DJ slipmat art exhibition has attracted tastemaking crowds in Tokyo, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Madrid, Melbourne, Singapore, and Shanghai. The exhibition will now run through Jan. 17 at AK11 in Venice, featuring unique retail pop-up stores for Orisue, Aerial7 and 9Five open every day (Mon-Sat 11AM-7PM, Sun 11AM-4PM). Read more

Lessons on professionalism, persistence and “Endurance” from artist Theresa Ortolani

Two years ago, I attended a publishing workshop hosted by Kiki Bauer, senior designer for powerHouse Books, at the powerHouse Arena in Brooklyn. Six of us attended, each eager to discuss our very specific idea for a brilliantly conceived, beautiful and riveting coffee-table book like those famously published by powerHouse. Theresa, Lori, Brad, Debra, John-Michael and I all presented our pet projects to Kiki on that day, and I’ll bet the rest of our classmates are as proud as I am to see that Theresa has persevered in seeing hers through, and getting it into print: “Endurance” published by powerHouse Books, is now available for purchase. In fact, the official launch party is happening at powerHouse Arena on Thurs., Dec. 3. More information on Theresa Ortolani, “Endurance” and this very cool upcoming event follow below. Read more

Editors from “Stand Up to Cancer” broadcast earn Creative Arts Primetime Emmy

Last September, “Stand Up to Cancer” (www.standup2cancer.org) was broadcast live and commercial-free simultaneously on ABC, CBS and NBC, and was seen in over 170 countries. During the broadcast, which was produced by Laura Ziskin Productions and Seligman Entertainment, and hosted by Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Sheryl Crow, Charles Barkley and Melissa Etheridge, the event raised more than $100 million in an unprecedented effort to end cancer’s reign as a leading cause of death. Meanwhile, last Sat., Sept. 12, 2009, Read more

A ray of hope from Levi’s and Walt Whitman, courtesy of Wieden+Kennedy

Since the world we live in is constantly changing, I guess it’s pretty easy to feel that anything from ‘yesterday’ is irrelevent. I recently read a critique of one of my clients’ latest ad campaigns, where the facets included a couple of really cool and interesting microsites. The critical comment said, “Microsites are so five minutes ago.” It made me think, my how some people love to hear themselves talk, even when their words make no sense. Earlier this month, Wieden+Kennedy Portland launched an arguably fascinating initiative for Levi’s called the GoForth campaign, which features the “America” spot I’ve embedded above. Read more

Amazing marketing campaigns win 2009 AICP Next Awards

On June 9, I had the pleasure of attending the 2009 Next Awards organized by the AICP at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Read more

The amazing Technicolor talents of director Andy Hall