Semester Review: 3

75% there. This was a good semester. Tough trying and at sometimes fruitless but in the end it was a good semester. I saw lots of progress ended on a great note and am ready for a month off of informational interviews, sleeping and some intermittent work.

This was supposed to be the semester where you're supposed to put it all together, start to gain traction and get ready for June. It didn't start that way. I was working hard but wasn't getting anything out of it. It was a lot of art direction for very little good ideas. The professors said relax and simplify and it will come, but it didn't, until a couple weeks ago.

I stopped freaking out. Starting sleeping and working less, and the work got better. The more I lived a relaxed life the better the work got. I finally found some traction. And now I'm a little worried that I found some traction, will I be able to keep it with a month off.

Theres actually too much to work on to worry about that though. I've been busy reaching out and asking for time with former Adcenter/Brandcenter students in San Francisco, working on the One Show, D&ADs and, refining the work I already have.

My last semster will be full of the big boys. I have Charles Hall for International Brand Campaigns and Mark Fenske for Portfolio. It will be an interesting last few months. I've heard and seen the recent grads work, but I'm excited. The light at the end of the tunnel is slowly filling the screen and soon enough it will be May and this will all be over.

Slow down there big boy, one day at a time.

Semster 2 Begins

After nearly a month I have returned. A month was a long time to wait and I have to admit Im ready to get started. We have a new building to live in now and a new name. I am no longer a Adcenter student but am now a Brandcenter student.

I don't think I will ever call myself a Brandcenter student so I count myself as the last class to do so, but I do understand the change behind it. We are training people to be brand stewards instead of simply ad monkeys. The name will gain more respect from the industry but internally I doubt it makes much change.

This semester will be lighter in class load but now I understand that classload is mostly outside class time while class time is reviewed for criticism and review instead of learning. After a semester here Ive realized that grades and class time are less important that time in groups and one on one meetings with teachers.

This semester will be hectic. Internships are around the corner. Im undecided whether to use VCU as my medium to that or find my own through merit alone instead of the Brandcenter name. Either way I will be working somewhere come May. The class load might be lighter but the time spent outside will be more intense, and to be honest hopefully without Don Just I'll have some time to go and explore the East Coast before I graduate. Sorry Donny.

I did well the last semester but the saying here goes:

Brandcenter doesn't start until Semester 2.

Wish me luck. Here we go.

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.

Mid Semester Review

1/8 done. A few thoughts:

I can do this. Im not half bad, but not half good yet. This place changes your standards. It would be nice to talk to someone about something not advertising related. I haven't left Richmond city limits yet. There are some people that piss me off. There are some people that amaze me with their talent. I like Richmond. I won't live in Richmond after I'm done. The more time spent at Adcenter does not equal good work. Im getting better at Ping Pong. I am learning about time management. I can see what the teachers are trying to do, but am too stubborn to act. It only feels like I've been here a week, when its been more like 12. It would be nice to know some people outside of Adcenter. I can't imagine how I'd find these people with my schedule. Writing a blog is addicting, and intimidating, especially when you know your mom is reading. I don't know if this is the life for me, and thats the way I like it. I've become a harsher reviewer of work. I take criticism better. Im still a bit of an asshole, but working on it. Im tired and sick, but not even close enough to quit. I need some of mom's home cooking for Thanksgiving.

Ahhhh.... Week 7 begins.