Help ADMA shape the courses for creatives – what future skills are needed to succeed?
February 23 2016, 7:36 am | | 3 Comments
Campaign Brief is supporting an ADMA initiative to tailor future skills courses aimed at advertising creatives. If you can spare a few minutes to help, please complete this short survey.
3 Comments
This survey makes the mistake of confusing outcomes (“traditional advertising”), processes (“making”) and media (social/mobile).
Having a literacy for different media has always been important for creative roles. Being able to make stuff is no doubt useful. But the entire industry seems to be losing sight of the fact that all of those things are commodities. I can hire a teenager with a good camera to shoot some stuff. I can put that on a mobile phone. I can hire a 360 camera. I can buy some Facebook ads and build a page.
But none of that means anything without a good idea. What are you shooting? What are you going to put in your Facebook ad? Best Job in the Workd started with a print ad. At its heart, Dumb Ways to Die was a video. Did that make them “traditional”.
What future skills are needed to succeed as a creative? Just send me the word document, it’s just easier to do everything myself. By the way, you’re shit.
The best course for a budding creative:
A design course – not a course in Photoshop, but a real course in design / art direction.
A writing course – not a course in Microsoft word, but a course in writing.
Illustration course – everyone should be able to draw.
Branding course – understanding the fundamentals of brands and brand language.
Software basics – InDesign, Premier Pro, Photoshop.
You could do the above at Billy Blue or COFA over two years.
AWARD School to learn ideas then a 3-6 month apprenticeship learning at the bottom of the creative department – see it as an extension of your university degree. Accept the fact you’ll probably be doing shitty fliers most of the time.
But there you should also learn:
– Presentation skills
– Sales skills
– Delegation skills
I’d also include:
– Dealing with difficult people
– How not to get screwed over or ‘No I don’t do this for fun, fucking pay me bitch’
– How to smile politely when some 22-year-old-dipshit-with-no-fucking-qualifications-but-their-daddy-knows-the-CEO-so-now-they’re-an-Account-Manager tells you how to do your job.