Last week we ventured out from our Petersfield studio to the seaside city of Brighton for the Reasons to be Creative Festival. The weather was glorious, on arrival we received free socks so it started off well and our feet were extra toasty. We saw a number of inspiring talks, the elevator pitch was a highlight for us, giving 20 upcoming creatives 3 minutes on the Brighton Dome stage to talk about whatever they like. After the final session the audience then get to vote for their top 3 who get invited back next year to give a full session.
Away from the elevator pitch there were some great sessions and below are 3 of the people we felt most inspired by with some amazing insights and work.
Danny Yount
An American graphic designer and director, he has collaborated with top film directors and producers designing some of the most recognised sequences of the last decade, Iron Man 1-3, Six Feet Under, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Rocknrolla, Sherlock Holmes, Tron Legacy, Oblivion and many more. Danny discussed a number of his title designs, showed some titles that never made the final cut and gave some stellar advice for fellow creatives.
We really liked the titles for Oblivion. The overhead visuals are stunning and the music by M83 fits perfectly with the style and motion.
Lizzie Mary Cullen
A multi-award winning illustrator, speaker and artist from London, Lizzie treated us to some of her quirky illustrated stories and discussed the constant battle some creatives have with social media and the pursuit of likes, recognition and followers.
A campaign for First Direct saw Lizzie draw on a telephone box for 24hours with live tweets helping her to make decisions what to draw next.
Gareth James
A Creative Director and coder based in Brighton, Gareth discussed his personal projects away from his studio in London and actioning those ideas that just pop into your head that make everyday life more straightforward and streamlined in a digital world. These projects ranged from pictures frames that connect to Skype, a taxidermy squirrel head that listens to secrets and tweets them randomly and a LEGO weather house that talks with the Met Office for live weather updates. We had a brilliant few days and feel very inspired, can’t wait for next year!
All the sessions we went to were truly inspiring and show the breadth and amazing level of creative work around the world. We can’t wait till next year and hopefully more free socks.