Comments on: CREATIVE OPPOSITES

By: Creative

Creative — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:23:23 +0000

Some people can actually do both these jobs. They’re not that fucking hard.

By: The Copywriter vs the Art Director « Rhyme and Revolution

The Copywriter vs the Art Director « Rhyme and Revolution — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:31:36 +0000

[...] Trott once wrote: “Writer” is actually a misnomer. The job is actually more of a strategic thinker. While an [...]

By: » Blog Archive » What is - Art Direction?

» Blog Archive » What is - Art Direction? — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:56:26 +0000

[...] up is the superbly influential Dave Trott. Love him or hate him you can’t ignore what he has to say. I’m not sure I agree with [...]

By: Mat

Mat — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:32:19 +0000

I got bored, only read half way, & skim read the end line. True (and spooky) : I’m an art director.

By: sonali

sonali — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:04:18 +0000

Another fantastic post Dave. I’ve been reading your blog for a while now, esp when I get restless and need to find a reason why I’m still in advertising.

The way you’ve defined the roles of a writer and an art person in the creative process is so simple, its brilliant. I’m a writer, by the way. And I’ve found that the best art person I’ve worked with is the one who doesn’t fuss too much with what I’ve written but focuses on making what I’ve written look beautiful.

Art directors have come and gone, but this one bit of truth has stuck by. I’m considering going back to working with the same wonderful art person again. And the idea excites me as much as getting into advertising had. I guess, the chemistry is going to sizzle again.

By: G

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 23:50:55 +0000

Thanks Dave. You are a great teacher.

By: Anca

Anca — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:02:42 +0000

See, that’s why the right “chemist” (CD) is so badly needed. I can’t stress that enough.

By: robin

robin — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 10:35:59 +0000

Anca, I prefer Mr Trott’s/Orson answer, which is more positive. Chemistry - to me it’s like compare 2 chemicals and next thing, explosion. Don’t do much for career longevity.

By: Anca

Anca — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:43:07 +0000

Robin, whenever you have doubts about this kind of double-faced subjects, try to find their natural equivalent. In this case, compare it to chemical reactions. Agitation speeds reactions. Also, fast reactions are always more spectacular than slow reactions — think of the “artificial volcanoes” (I love organic chemistry). I admit erosion can be spectacular, too, but it takes a very long time for its results to be noticeable. Advertising is a fast moving industry, you can draw your conclusions.
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If you want, you can also compare things in a different way: two substances that react aggressively always result in a new structure (=CHANGE); two substances that don’t react together or two portions of the same substance translate into a simple increase in volume (=THICKEN THE LINE).

By: dave

dave — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:20:16 +0000

Robin.
Can I refer you to Orson Welles’ speech in The Third Man?
“In Italy under the Borgias you had thirty years of murder, torture, and bloodshed.
It reulted in Michelangelo, da Vinci, and The Renaissance.
In Switzerland you had 500 years of peace and harmony.
And what did that result in?
The cuckoo clock.”