'What Is Bobo' Placement.

Well I finished my 2 week placement at 'What Is Bobo' (website being re-done at the mo) last Thursday and I got to say I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

This opportunity originally came about when Robyn Larkin, the Creative Director of Bobo contacted my course director at Camberwell asking if any students would be interested in Design for Film. My course director forwarded my name with a handful of others, and after a meeting and a few phone calls, I have my placement, running for 2 weeks, 4 days a week.

In case you weren't aware before, I'm a West-Landahn-Ealing-born-and-raised-chap, so it was great to discover that the Bobo studios were actually located in Ealing Film Studios. You know what that means? A fat lie in. Yeaaaah. Nah seriously though, it couldn't be a better location, I loved walking past the big sets (they're currently setting up for Johnny English 2 - I know right? I can't wait either) and the studios, it really was very cool, darling. We were located towards the back of the site, up some exterior rusty metallic stairs. It was a nice small studio, enough room for 4 designers, but there was another room currently used as an impromptu storage room as they've just moved into this studio a couple of weeks ago.

Most of the time it was just myself and Robyn in the studio, I liked this. I like to think I can get along with nearly anyone and be quite personable with them,  but I do find this so much easier with one person at a time. I excel at this. I am the social king of this (Quite ironic, the social king of one on ones? Oxymoron maybe?). But even when one or two more people are added to this intimate equation, then I become a bit more reserved (only if I don't know them) and I tend to hold back a bit, which I find very annoying. But from prior experience, people tend to like this as I don't say anything annoying or stick my foot in it, so it's a win - win really. Anyway, I think I got along really well with Robyn for the 2 weeks, he was a funny chap, REALLY reminded me of someone I knew or seen before. He was very sarcy which was great because I do love a bit of sarcasm.
He had another freelance Designer whom was a regular for Bobo, called Jim, he was really cool and laid back, and whenever he was in the office those two would be ripping into each other - jokingly - and have a lot of 'bants'. Yes I am hip and cool.

The type of work I did was very different to what I've been doing the past year or so. For me, the past 2 years has been the breakthrough for the 'Jamie Kyle Moving Image Show' Chapter of my life, so I haven't dibble dabbled in any 2D design work beside a few poster designs for my Film Noir.
I was coming up with concepts for Film posters and DVD sleeves, I can't go into too much detail because I did sign a little contract saying that I shouldn't mention TOO much, especially as designs haven't been finalized. But Robyn did say that any work I worked on from these 2 weeks I could include in my portfolio, so keep posted and I might have something up soon.

It was good to get back into 2D design though, I learnt a few more tricks on Photoshop which is always great and I feel like I've gone up a Level with the exp. points I accumulated (Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerdddddddd, I can't help it sometimes, I just had to say it because how I do think sometimes).

For all my hard work and effort I was awarded £100 for the 2 weeks, which I wasn't expecting so that was a nice surprise and a step closer to get out of my blasted overdraft.

One really good thing about this placement was that I was one of 4 or 5 other placements, all of us having 2 weeks each, and after that if Robyn really liked the look of one or two of us he would take us on a paid internship ranging from 3 - 6 months, maybe longer. So at the moment I'm looking at this as a great opportunity to get started in the creative industry and brancing out to make some more contacts.

I have another freelance opportunity coming up, going in for a meeting on the 1st September, will get my animation side on the go! Will tell you more this time next week.

TTFN

Jamie