Halloween Is Here

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce held its
Annual All Hallows Eve Member Bash at
Hollywood Forever Cemetery on Monday, Oct. 24th.

Halloween is here once again and we are definitely prepared for it in Hollywood. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce had its annual Halloween Haunt at The Hollywood Forever Cemetery last Monday night and it was a blast. There was a lot of delicious food from Chamber members, as well as an open bar, a great DJ and lots of interesting characters, to say the least. It was totally fun!

On Formosa, we're all decked out for Halloween! My fabulous neighbor, Miss K, loves Halloween and love to decorate. My room mate is a huge fan and loves to scare people and had a few good plans that almost worked. I enjoyed sitting back and watching the mayhem unfold.

(Top L) My buddy Jeff,
and Nicole; (Bottom) Miss K

As usual, we had Scary Movie Night on Saturday with Miss K, Leili and Penny and we watched the original 'Halloween' by John Carpenter, starring Jaime Lee Curtis. If you look real hard, you can catch a glimpse of a very young Kyle Richards – from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame – doing her thing as a young actress. Miss K bought lots of snacks, including Red Vines, Lay's potato chips, chip dip and more fun decorations for inside. My room mate, Jeff, started up the BBQ and we grilled burgers and I made a big green salad. It was great being at home and not having to drive anywhere to be with people you love, doing something you enjoy.

Formosa Ave.

Today, after work, I went to visit a new friend at his house in the valley and we greeted trick-or-treaters while we sat on his porch and got to know each other better. Luckily, I was home before 8pm and I had my dinner waiting for me when I got home.

All in all, Halloween 2011 was pretty good. Thank you to my friends and neighbors for making it fun for me and everyone!

CD Review: Stronger

Kelly's new album, 'Stronger,' does not disappoint.
It's pure Kelly and she's stronger than ever!

KELLY CLARKSON

I normally don't like to review music because a one-time friend use to think that I had terrible taste in music. Needless to say, that person is no longer my friend. But, screw it. Who's to say I can't review CDs that I like? So, here we go with my first CD review.

Kelly Clarkson does it again and with such A.I. reliability – her new album hits every mark with the 'Kellytones' we fell in love with since we first watched and heard her belt out songs on Season 1 of American Idol. Kelly rarely disappoints.

Being a true Kelly Clarkson fan, I was excited to play the CD all the way through for the first time to discover what Kelly has in store for us this time around, and it was beautiful. Pure Kelly. From the strong, upbeat songs that we've come to expect from Miss Clarkson to the gorgeous ballads that only she can sing, Stronger is definitely that...stronger. And, she's better than ever.

From the sounds and lyrics of this album, it would seem that our little Kelly is growing up and into her groove. Her rough but rich tones are so effortless. Not to mention her amazing ability and fearlessness to belt out the high notes. But my favorites are songs like 'You don't know a thing about me,' ' Standing in front of you' and 'The Sun Will Rise.' But make no mistake, they are all great.

Miss Clarkson has certainly grown into her own and solidified herself as a true artist. Personally, I can't wait to hear what she does in the future. This is my 5th Kelly album and I look forward to her next one already.

Thank you, Kelly, for another FANTASTIC album!

Restaurant Review: Thai Foon on Sunset

Thai Foon on Sunset is always clean, the service is
friendly and the food is fantastic! My favorite new
Thai place for lunch or dinner.

Lunch for two: $15
Cleanliness: Excellent
Food: Authentic Thai

One of my new favorite places for Thai food is literally walking distance from my house. It's this great little Thai restaurant managed and run by 3 generations of Thai women called Thai Foon. It's on the corner of Sunset and La Brea and the food is delicious!

I always get the same thing because I love it so much, Spicy Green Beans with chicken. Perfectly cooked, tender white meat chicken with deliciously fresh green beans tossed in a homemade chili sauce...YUM! I started with a Thai Noodle Crunch Salad, which is shredded green papaya, Thai noodles, edumame, carrots and a crush peanut sauce, but I opted for their delicious Thai ginger dressing.

There are lots of Thai favorites on the menu. For starters, they have the regular choices like Chicken Pot Stickers, Thai Dumplings and Mint Lettuce Cups. But, they also have favorites like Crab Rangoon, Chicken Sate and Spicy Coconut Shrimp to choose from.

There are plenty of soups and salads, vegetables, noodles and rice, curry and many Thai specialties – Thai Foon has Sake BBQ Pork Ribs, Glazed Macadamia Nut Shrimp, Korean BBQ  Beef and much, much more!

I can't say enough good things about Thai Foon on Sunset, but I recommend you try it for yourself. The parking is not so great, so if you can park on the street and walk, that would probably be best. Personally, the parking lot is way too small for me and I drive a small car. I was hit in a parking lot recently and there was no note. Thanks a lot. It wasn't Thai Foon's parking lot, but it was in Hollywood.

Thai Foon on Sunset is located at 7075 Sunset Boulevard at La Brea (behind the Burger King on the corner).  It's not fancy, but it sure is good. Never disappoints. Try it. You'll like it. (323) 464-2989.

MIssing you

By Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I did not die.

Inspired by...Karl Strauss Brewing Company

The packaging for this beer caught my eye in the supermarket.
From a design standpoint, it's pretty cool.

The other day I was in my local Ralph's grocery store when I noticed the packaging for Karl Strauss Handcrafted Beer. The great design caught my eye immediately. I love the 'heritage' feel to the artwork, along with the modern and clean design with bold colors and an easy-to-read condensed serif. I couldn't help but notice it, so I whipped out my iPhone and took these photos to share with you. Turns out, their web site falls right in line with the design of their packaging. What a concept? A great example for those of you having trouble convincing a client that their web site, as well as all other collateral, should be cohesive.

The Karl Strauss Brewery web site is in line with their packaging.
It's fun, bright, easy-to-navigate AND well designed.

You can tell by looking at these two images that both the creative and marketing are working mano-a-mano (hand-in-hand). The design is bold, eye-catching, clean, relevant and authentic to its new origin in San Diego.

Great design will not only serve its purpose, but it will also boost any and all marketing efforts when supported by a dynamic marketing plan.

Kudos to the Karl Strauss Brewing Company for letting the creative be the creative and do its job to get their brand noticed.

For more information about the Karl Strauss Brewing Company, its history or just to view their web site, click here.

Which comes first – design or marketing?

When it comes to advertising, what is most important?
The design or the marketing? Both are equally important.

Which came first? The chicken or the egg? When it comes to commercial advertising, which comes first – the design or the marketing?

As an art director or designer, how many times have you had someone in marketing make an art director's decision about the design? How many times have you wondered to yourself, 'How am I going to fit all that copy in that little space and on top of a detailed image?'

I work with a lot of marketing people who are very smart and know their business. But when it comes to design, there are a few marketing people who think they are art directors. Or, they forget about the design altogether and focus only on their marketing efforts, forfeiting any feedback they might gain from the art directors (A.D.s). That means, the design suffers for the sake of marketing and the client only gets part of what they might have ordered and/or expected.

For example, you might design something beautiful with lots of negative space for breathing room, but once marketing gets involved, it becomes all about filling the space with copy, quotes, or something they can sell. My favorite is when someone in marketing will change something without regard for the amount of space allotted. Or configuration, for that matter. Since when did marketing dictate the design? Who died and made them the art directors? I never got that memo.

But, how is a marketing person suppose to know when they are making a (hasty) decision based on the marketing plan that will hurt the both the design and their marketing efforts, in the long run? The art director – or designer – should communicate openly with the marketing team and/or provide additional comps that are based on what the marketing team wants to achieve, but fit better with the overall design. If you're lucky, marketing will be on board with the design team and want to work with you to make the project better, not against you. More often than not, you will find that marketing is in it for themselves and design never factors into  the plan. (How do these people get and keep their jobs?)

More heads are always better than one when it comes to flushing out a successful advertising campaign.  When it comes to the design of an advertising campaign, as the art director or designer, you should always be on track with whatever the campaign message is – period. One of the best ways of staying on track is by working with the marketing team.

But beware: marketing teams are always about the marketing. And, in this economy, more 'bang for your buck' is the consensus in that group. This means longer headlines. More copy. More everything. More, more, more. They tend to forget the value of the design. As the art director, it is your responsibility to show the difference between one and the other. Then, sit back and hope for the best. Your ideas may still be overlooked, or even rejected, but getting your designs out there is the main idea. After all, you can only do what you can do. Let go of the rest.

Here a brand, there a brand.

You can't turn on your television without catching a commercial for someone's new clothing line, shoe line or new fragrance. The Kardashian Kollection at Sears. Sofia Vergara at KMart. Christian Siriano at Payless. And, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony at Kohl's. It's brand saturation like we've never seen before. Even 'Top Model's Cycle 17 All Stars' is gearing up to create a 'brand' out of this season's winner. Complete with the largest prize package in Top Model history, which includes a $100,000 contract with Cover Girl cosmetics, a spread in Italian Vogue, a campaign for Express Clothing and a chance to be a guest correspondent on Extra.

So, with all this 'branding' going on – the word 'branding' itself has even become a trend – are we branding ourselves, and each other, into branding hell? Not that it's a bad thing, but what becomes of brand saturation? Does it just become a normal part of everyday life, like Coke and Pepsi? How much of a product's popularity and/or success is due to professional branding and how much of it is due to social media? Are a million 'likes' worth a single campaign?

Or, should there still be a vision and/or meaning behind the brand? Otherwise, what's it really worth? The Kardashians, for example, are the daughters of a daughter of a clothing store owner and that is how they originally got their start – with a clothing store. So, it makes sense that they would put out their own line. Not to mention they have fabulous style, anyway.

But, what about misplaced brand efforts like Mark Anthony for Kohl's or Sofia Vergara for KMart? Doesn't he write music and isn't she an actress? What do they know about designing a clothing line? I get that Mark Anthony might know something about branding, but should he have his own clothing line? That seems as far in left field as a graphic designer selling legal advice (or something like that).

As the consumer, are you buying it? Did you buy Kim Kardashian's fragrance or Christian Siriano's shoes? Were they worth the purchase?

As an art director, and somewhat of a branding expert myself (puff, puff), I feel over stimulated with celebrity endorsements. It's the worst case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting...well, you know. Poorer.

Branding makes sense for companies and businesses, but social media has made it possible for anyone to have a brand, a blog and/or a web site. Even your grandma can have her own brand and web site. Think of it as 'Granny's Brand.' But how authentic is it?

Authenticity is the mark of any good brand. From Levi Strauss to Disney, a good brand is authentic and true to its origin. Knowing your brand and who you are – what your company is – and the things that you or your company do, along with the public's perspective, will determine how authentic your brand is.

Actions speak louder than words. So, you think you're a brand, huh? Then just do it. Be it. And, stop talking about it.

Featured Artist: Felipe Cerdán

(Top L to R) Father and son; poster explorations for 'The Dark Knight,'
'Michael Clayton' and 'Ocean's Thirteen.'
(From bottom L to R) Key art for 'Wonder Woman':packaging for the
re-release of 'Taxi Driver'; and, original sketches.

One of the many great things about working at some of Hollywood’s best entertainment agencies, as well as the studios, are the friends you make at work. I have had the pleasure of working with some extremely talented people that I am proud to call my friend. Felipe Cerdán is one of those people.

Felipe – or as he is also known, ‘Flip’ – earned his Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and Animation from San Jose State University and has been working non-stop ever since. His true love being animation (besides his beautiful wife, Melanie and his handsome son, Q.), Flip jumped right into it, landing his first gig with Warner Bros Feature Animation.

Flip’s exposure to animation in the world of entertainment began as an EFX Inbetweener and Assistant Animator on two of animation’s greatest films, ‘The Iron Giant’ and ‘Osmosis Jones.’ Later, he work on ‘The Tigger Movie,’‘Joseph: King of Dreams,’ and ‘Sinbad.’

Flip worked in animation for five years with Warner Bros, Sony, Dreamworks and Disney Television Animation before the 2D animation world decided to take a breather. So, Flip reinvented himself and landed a job at Petrol Advertising, where he got his first taste of entertainment advertising at one of L.A.’s top entertainment ad agencies.

In 2005, Flip landed a role as art director at Be Design – which is where I met Flip when I started working there in 2007. At the time, Be Design was located in the House of Blues building on Sunset Boulevard and Argyle, It was located on the eleventh floor with incredible views of the city, which made it easier to work late. By then, Flip had become a package design pro and had worked on key art for projects for films like ‘Michael Clayton,’’Ocean’s 13’ and ‘The Dark Knight,’ to name only a few.

After several years with BeDesign, it was time for Flip to move on. And, it was at that time that an agency called 30Sixty – an entertainment agency that skews towards a specialty-packing firm – was looking for a new designer and one of Flip’s friends recommended him for the job. (See, it is who you know.)

But it wasn’t long after Flip took the job at 30Sixty that he got a call from a friend about a new animation gig over at Disney. It was too good to pass up, so Flip took the job.

One of the few perks a working artist can have in Los Angeles, if they are lucky, is a gig on one of the major studio lots and Disney’s Animation Studio is certainly one of those gigs – without question.

Flip was lucky enough to have had continuous work at Disney Animation for several years. As an EFX Animator, Flip worked on such films as ‘The Princess and the Frog,’‘Winnie the Pooh,’ and ‘The Lion King - 3D.’

Today, Felipe is working on the Warner Bros. lot for the television and creative services group where he has designed key art for Comic-con for such shows as the new ‘Wonder Women,‘ as well as ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ and more.

Please take a moment to visit Flip’s site at FelipeCerdan.com. Make sure you check out his animation EFX, as well as his design projects. Flip is truly a master of design in all of its forms. He is not only a great artist and talent, but he is also a terrific friend, father, husband, brother and son to the people who matter most in his life. I am proud to call Felipe Cerdán my friend and I thank him for letting us feature him on L.A. Link.