size does matter
I’m at what you could call a small agency today. I’m at Totem down in Walsh bay. You know, I think that the smaller agencies should get more recognition. Mainly because they are in my opinion nicer places to work. The atmosphere always seems to be relaxed, you get to meet everybody as you walk in, and you don’t have to remember about 30 names in 10 seconds flat.
I’ve been to a couple of smaller agencies over the last few months and I like them. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not having a go at the bigger agencies, I’ve had some nice times with them to, but the intimacy of the smaller work place makes for a friendlier welcome, especially if you are freelancing and are in and out of these places within a few days.
communication
The way that you can communicate in a small agency is also good. You can just yell across the room if you have a question. Maybe yell is too much of a strong word, but you know what I’m saying. And people don’t mind having conversations across a few desks. You don’t have to get up walk around till you find a familiar face to ask a question just to find out that you are in fact talking to the wrong person, as has happened to me before.
hits from the 80’s
Music is another thing which smaller agencies do better, except for some radio players. There is only so many times you can here the current No.1 in 1 day!!! There is usually somebody in the studio with a varied music collection who puts on itunes and it sets the background ambiance up quite nicely. Bigger studios, mainly headphones only, such a shame. Not is it every day you can listen to hits from the 80’s next to punk, pop, new wave and even the odd newer song.
still looking for that perfect place/life’s tough
I’m not saying that all big studios are bad to work in, I’ve been in and seen some really nice ones. But, I’d rather work in a smaller more intimate one, where you get to interact with other members of the team, more than a huge production line of a studio, where its just about clearing your desk. Just because client demand is high and workloads getting bigger, the need for creative thinking and technical excellence shouldn’t take a back seat and should still take pride of place in any studio.
Well after all that I better wrap it up. I’m still looking for that perfect studio to work in or even better a studio to run. Freelance is good when the works in, but on the quiet times, with a mortgage to pay and a family to feed, its gets tough.
Sam