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Help Me To Understand This World Of Brandage

So, one of the things I wanted to do wanted to do on my last album, before Interscope stopped the money, was make an animated video for every song on it. Oh that would have been grand! Now, this time around, there is a completely different landscape around me, but I still wanna make a video for every song on the new album. At least.

And how does one do that? Well, one either clones oneself, or one finds a gang of geniuses willing to do mad graft for dolo… Or, one getscompanies/brands to partner with oneself to finance the thing. They bask in the reflected glory, and the geniuses get beer money. All round win.

Problem is, a lot of brands are, putting it mildly, wild pantheons of evil swine. And a lot are wild pantheons of lovely swine. I found it very difficult, when asked to think of brands and companies I would happily align myself with, to think of more than a handful (Lego, Capcom, the people who make that yummy canned drink called Rio… um..). The fact that I pretty much stay indoors all day making songs/drawing/writing/answering emails/hoovering the floor has also limited my consciousness to the awareness of what’s actually going on in the worlds of business and selling stuff.

And anyway, if its going to a good cause (making dope cartoons), does it matter where the money comes from? Is it possible to sell out anymore anyway?

Quite. Anyway. I’d appreciate your help on this. My lovely ladygirl, who has a keen markety brain, unlike my un-keen carpetty brain, has made a An Online Poll, in order to help me with this strange and tricky question.

It has ten questions in it, and shouldn’t take you very long. Listen to a recording of Bill Hicks while you’re doing it, if it helps. Thank you!

Oh, and we will select one entrant at random who will win a signed copy of Oh (What A Glorious Thing) on 7″ vinyl, accompanied by a random doodle.

CLICK HERE TO BE HELPFUL!

— Monday, January 19th, 2009

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  • http://indelicates.com Julia

    simon’s pretty good a animation these days… if you wanted to ask i’m sure he wouldn’t mind thinking about it ;)

    • Akira The Don

      Is he? Sick!

      Do that!

      And when're youse lot next in The Smokes? Still wanna do that TV thing… amongst other stuff.

    • Victoria

      Find yourself some great animation courses / degrees and contact the institutions with the "fantastic opportunity" that you have to offer, get a load of the most talented up-and-coming young animators / illustrators to produce work that they are happy to make because you can offer them exposure. On the brand side of things, I would say (speaking from experience) don't pigeon hole yourself, you don't want to sell out, but you aren't in a position to be uber-picky either – go after everyone and anyone and then get into the lovely position of saying no, rather than the desperate position of trying to making the "right" people say yes. I have some other ideas but I won't go on…

      • Akira The Don

        Sound advice Victoria, thank you.

        • Victoria

          I'm such a geek sometimes.

  • http://www.myspace.com/djcityscape DJ CityScape

    COMPLETED!

    • http://www.myspace.com/djcityscape DJ CityScape

      Also, I don't really think it matters as long as there are no human rights violations. (coca-cola exporting soda from Darfur saying they were a "food" company for example.)

      being "green" is nice, but a lot of companies are just moving that direction so they don't get hassled by the crazy hippies I live so near to. (they mean well, they're just a little scary.)

    • Akira The Don

      Thank you!

  • http://www.wonchop.net Wonchop

    I'd help you out with animation if I could, but I'm way too swamped with Uni and Weebl work. The fact that I'm playing Apollo Justice doesn't help either. XD

  • http://zombiehamster.com zombiehamster

    Done

  • spaceman spiff

    Done………..

  • http://www.myspace.com/hunchbakk Hunchbakk

    yeah, animation for every song is a nice idea, Elbow done the same thing for 'cast of thousands', all the animation was by the soup dragons or sumfin like that, and there was no record company wankery goin on cos the special edition with the DVD was released at the same time as the standard edition, one of very few times that this seems to happen sadly

  • Speculator

    Are you the first rapper to do his own market research?

  • tam

    Survey done.

    The student idea is what i'd go for. Must be loads of clever animators needing ideas for 3rd and 4th year projects. Whap some ATD songs their way.

    I know Dundee uni has a pretty sweet animation course and theres a few animator types on my course, Computer Arts at Abertay Dundee. Get some staff emails sent out. Foot in the door + beer money = student love.