Gday!

Im in New Zealand for the next month depressurizing from the last 4 months. No new posts until I get back unfortunately but I will be thinking hard to make the blog better next month. Maybe some more flashing icons and sidebars?

The last post im legally allowed to use the words Adcenter in.

To those who don't know, the Adcenter is no more. Kaput.

Were moving to our new diggs away from the nasty, dirty, bodily fluid filled building, into the new fancy scmancy building. I snuck into the construction zone a few months back and took a peek. Looks awesome but definitely is missing the charm of the old building. What charm? The stains that look like dragonflys, personalized roof tiles over the ping pong table, Fenske photos, and the rest that makes it home.

I will miss it only so much but thats enough sometimes. Im happy to be the last to use it. Gods speed dirty Adcenter. Hello gorgeous new building and new program: Brandcenter.


The beloved computer lab. Too much time spent here.



This couch is colorfully called the "Cum Couch." Good god.



Art Directors dungenon. Where dreams come to live and die. Mostly die.


Fenske's Wall of Non-Dissaproval. Im up there somewhere.


My favorite spot in the Adcenter. One one side of the table of ping.



Aevoir. Happy Holidays.

1/4 of the way there. Now the fun starts.

The last 15 weeks were some of the most challenging I have ever had. Mentally physically emotionally and every other lly you can think of. There were all nighters editing video, shooting commercials. There were countless hours spent in front of blank documents on my laptop. I've slept 18 of the last 24 hours, and my cough will not go away, but I sleep so well.

I've never been through anything like that. The feeling though is that if you can survive the first one you can make it through the rest. God i hope so.

Now I'm not complaining that it was too much, well maybe a little, but it was worth it. I have a lot of respect for the people in this program, we are not normal people to be able to put up with this.

I have nothing that will ever make it into my book, or anything that will see the light of day. Thats not a bad thing. The work will get better. I finally feel like an art director though. And I'm beginning to really like this.

The classes the first semester were amazing and tough. They each challenged you differently. And each mind fucked you as well. The teachers know exactly what you're going to do and when. The best days are the ones when you spin it back around on them and show them something they didn't know you could do.

Don Just's business of advertising class was the beast of the first semester. I was not prepared in any way for what he wanted. The clients we presented for were terrible boring and killed you creatively. But now that its done it is probably one of the more important ones.

Visual storytelling was the most difficult class for me. I had no idea that I would struggle so much with concepting a commercial. Im not even close to good yet but Im miles better than where I started. The teachers said that after this class you wouldn't watch movies the same again. They were right. Oh and Final Cut pro is amazing software.

Fenske's class was interesting. He is a fountain of advice, and stories, and sarcasm. We sat for hours dissecting poetry and listening to NPR pieces. Our work was random and didn't feel like it was helping anything. I don't know when the benefits of this class will come into play but I'll appreciate it later.

Visual Executions was my bread and butter art direction class. It was more graphic design than art direction for me. I've gotten much better with my adobe. My concepting is still weak but better. I have solid work that will never see the light of day. The good news is that it can only get better.

Overall that was the toughest Ive ever worked in my life.

I don't ever know if I'll fully drink the cool aid here, but I at least take a sip here and there.

Visual Storytelling Verizon Wireless

My acting career is taking off

Adcenter makes me make terrible blogs.

Well not exactly. Im tired here, not an excuse but its one none the less. My thanksgiving "break" was nothing but. I got back and it felt like starting an engine in the dead of winter. You get a week of TV and cat naps and have to jump right back to full ad student mode. Not easy, but im almost done.

Today was our last Don Just class. Nice feeling. He read a commencement speach from years past. I would have liked to hear better but I was half asleep. From what I heard Don Just told us congratulations, that we did better than he thought we would, and even got a little choked up.

As much as I will not miss his work load, STILL GOING ACTUALLY, I will miss him as a teacher. If you ever get a chance to come here as a student or prospective or just see him take five minutes to talk. He is one of the only teachers to actually listen, not just listen to see how they can help, but just listen. Its a good skill to have.

Good Afternoon DJ BOA, you magnanimous silver fox.

More to come about the semester and a final review of semester one at VCU Adcenter.