We assembled a list of takeaways from the mentors/managers this summer. Take a look!

1. INTERN TAKEAWAYS 2018

2. PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
• Always double-check, triple-check, and check
again. (And then get someone else to help check over - just
in case) There is always something you might have missed
due to creative fatigue or oversight. When in doubt, (and
have time for proofing) - it always help to have several pairs
of eyes and recheck work.
• Always respond in a timely manner or at least send
email confirmation of reception. Projects moves quick-
ly, and if there is a bottleneck in process, then that means
time will be taken from someone else’s time. As such, we need
to move things as quickly, and as orderly as possible. Gen-
eral rule, confirm reception so the sender knows you have
received the email. Skimp email, and prioritized it accordingly,
and then should response at least within 1 hour of reception.
• Always read through the message, and then
smooth communication. Project managers doesn’t just
manage the project health and progress. We are also the one
who works closely with third party, developers, creatives and
sometimes clients. There are times where we are to answer
or relay comments, technical/creative decisions, etc. We can
NOT just past along the message. We have to read the mes-
sage, break it down to easy-to-understand forms or edit the
comments (if needed) before passing them along. It’s import-
ant as keeping a comfortable atmosphere and communica-
tion channel between the different groups.
• Always use old emails or check for any references
available. In my experience, if you are cc’d on anything or
if there are references on server - use them. They will help
you figure out things quickly and/or cut down lots of back
and forth or obvious questions. It shows others that you take
initiative and a fast/smart learner.

3. PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
• Understanding your teammates working styles
and personalities will lead to smoother communication
and workflow
• Take a day by day approach when communicat-
ing deadlines, and then zoom out and give a look into
the week. Quick hits are best to get the team all on the
same page.
• Project Management is all about building rela-
tionships. Understanding where and why teammates
are coming from will help you manage the project more
smoothly.
• Don’t kick off a job without a brief. No matter
what account/client service says. Make sure there is
some sort of documentation for the project and that you
have funds to cover it.
CLIENT
SERVICES
• Build a relationship with the client ASAP, this
makes ALL the work easier
• Be proactive, be one step ahead of the client
• Always manage client expectations. Tell them
what they are going to see, how they are going to see it,
ensure it aligns with what they expect. No unexpected
surprises (unless they are good ones like extra ideas or
happy hour or great food for lunch)
• Over communicate. Client service has the most con-
tact w/ clients. Ensure your Sandbox teams know what
you know and when you know it (as soon as possible).
Help them feel connected to the client.

4. CLIENT
SERVICES
• Build relationships. You can NEVER know your client too
well. Dinners and lunches and drinks w/ clients are for you to
hear what is happening at work and in their personal lives -- so
you can help. If you don’t know about them, you can’t get to the
underlying opportunities. In addition, the more you know some-
one, the more they know you - trust starts here. If they trust you,
you can have more honest discussions about how to help them.
• Pick up the phone and get in the room. Do not hide
behind email or text. They have their place but face to face and
voice to voice are always preferred when having a discussion
with any client - when it’s possible make it happen.
• Bring your team to the table. Collaboration is key. If your
internal teams also know your clients well, you’re all on the same
page with who they are and what they need. Also makes collabo-
ration easier when you engage on projects.
• Always ask for more time if you need it. Better to push
a meeting...than have a bad meeting. It’s hard to rebound from a
bad meeting, but if you ask for more time and kill it...they’ll forget
about the time extension. :)
SCREEN MEDIA
• When you can, show two or three different ver-
sions of something. This helps communicate with cli-
ents and directors who suddenly have multiple visual aids
to get their point across.
• Always think about how you can elevate the
work. Maybe provide a “safe” option that checks all of the
boxes, then make another one that goes a little further.
• Always be learning. Learn new techniques and soft-
ware. Take time every day to tap into what is going on in
the video and motion graphics community. You’ll be seen as
taking initiative for offering new solutions to problems.

5. CREATIVE • Intellectual curiosity—”fortune favors the prepared
mind”...learn as much as you can about as many disciplines
as you can (art, architecture, history, literature, music, film,
dance, theatre, math, science, technology, etc.). You don’t
need to be an expert in each, just enough to trigger deeper
research if necessary (you don’t need to know much about
anything, just a little bit about everything!).
• Keep a sketchbook—It’s always good to have your thumb-
nail concepts and sketches in a central location that are readily
available. Any unused ideas for one project may workout for
another months or even years down the line.
• Time management—You rarely get one project at a time to
work on for a month, uninterrupted. Prioritize things based on
due dates and how many others it will effect down the line (i.e.
a video on a 2-week timeline will require you to complete the
storyboard before you would layout a 2-sided sell sheet due in a
week because it will affect many more people to deliver the final
product).
• Manage project timelines before diving in. Review your
projects and their timelines before starting your day. Always
prioritize work that is due sooner OR something that will take
less effort/time to complete so you can focus more on the bigger
projects. Balancing work enables you to be more efficient with
the quality of work and meeting deadlines.
• Do a little research on your project prior to jumping
into creative mode. Try to have a good understanding on
your task and objective first. Research what’s been done out
there in the market and see how others executed similar tasks.
This will enable you to understand the problem and come up
with better solutions once you’re ready to design.

6. • Optimize your LinkedIn page - Recruiters use key-
words on LinkedIn to search for qualified candidates.
Identify what your keywords are and glitter your page with
them.
• Connect with EVERYONE on LinkedIn - Every time
you become a 1st degree connection with someone, you
become a 2nd degree connection to everyone they know.
• Buffer time is your friend. If possible, put in some buf-
fer time in your schedule. Then tell creatives the due date
1-.05 day earlier than it is. When not possible, just ask for
the creative 0.5 day earlier. This way if there are any issues,
delay, or more feedback then expected - you will have some
wiggle room.
• No drama. Try to be as friendly and drama-free as pos-
sible. In all types of work, it’s worth to keep good rela-
tions with everyone. In other words, do not piss off people
you have to work with. However, that doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t have a firm hand if they are out of line. Just avoid
unnecessary drama for everyone’s stress level sake.
• Caffeine is everyone’s friend. (and it also doesn’t
hurt to show your appreciation to others) Happy
workers are ones who get caffeinated and kept caffeinat-
ed. If possible, randomly provide a good cup of joe to your
teammates will be appreciated. You don’t have to go out
of the way to buy coffee - but a simple thank you or small
gesture of appreciation will go a long way too. Yes, people
are paid to do their work. But people will do better work if
they know they are getting acknowledged and appreciated.
(preferably with good coffee - for my office)

7. • Follow the advice of idealists, shun the advice of
realists - a realist will tell you what you will be, an idealist
will tell you what you could be.
• Offer to help. But relax when you can too. If you
have free time, ask others if you can help. It will win you
brownie points, and also get you exposure to work outside
of your projects. If you have free time, and no one needs
help -- relax and enjoy the rare down time you have. Given
that our projects comes in waves, sometimes it’s nice to
just relax ourselves so we can have the mental power for
the next wave.
• Take your work seriously but also keep in mind that
it’s just work, there are far more important things in life
than work
• Learn the roles and responsibilities of everyone
that you work with...if you take the time to understand
what your co-workers do on a daily basis, it will help you
to empathize with the people on your team, which in turn,
allows you to deliver a better product (do unto others...)
• If the option is there, talk in person!
• Get to know teammates on a personal level.
• Live day to day, and don’t let the stress of tomorrow
weigh you down.
• Keep learning by continually asking why and ask
lots of questions.
• It’s ok to have a personal life and leave work at the
office.
GENERAL
WORK ADVICE

8. GENERAL
WORK ADVICE
• Those dumb classmates that you had to do
projects with will eventually be dumb co-work-
ers that you’ll have to do projects with - get used
to it and figure out how to deal with them.
• Try to explore around the office and talk to
other people outside of your department more.
Break your day-to-day routine once in a while to expand
your relationships by walking around and talk to your
colleagues. Find out what’s going on around your environ-
ment.
• Always better to over communicate to a certain
extent than keeping things to yourself. It’s com-
mon that people will get busy and overlook some small
details, so it’s always good to communicate project status,
always ask questions if you’re confused about something,
and keep your team informed about any issues or con-
cerns way before the project is due. The more the team
knows, less issues will occur in the long run.

9. • Designing Disney: Imagineering and the Art of the
Show, by Peggy Van Pelt and John Hench
• Creative Boot Camp: Generating Ideas in Greater
Quantity and Quality, by Stefan Mumaw
• Marketing Aesthetics: The Strategic Management
of Brands, Identity, and Image, by Alex Simonson and
Bernd Schmitt
• Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Princi-
ples of Screenwriting, by Robert McKee
•
• Save the cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting
You’ll Ever Need, by Blake Snyder
• Steal like an Artist by Austin Kleon
• Damn Good Advice (For People with Talent!): How
To Unleash Your Creative Potential by America’s
Master Communicator, by George Lois
• The Art of Client Service by Robert Solomon