TheFWA - Augusto and Rodrigo

Claiming is one thing. Be able to do deliver it is a totally different story.

Please give us a brief bio of yourself.

Augusto - Hi, my name is Augusto Correia but they call me "Jesus" here. I'm an integrated art director and I'm 29. I've worked in all kind of agencies here in Brazil and I'm currently at Artplan, a big independent agency from Rio de Janeiro.

Rodrigo - My name is Rodrigo, I'm 35 years old and a copywriter at Artplan, Rio de Janeiro.

What do you do for inspiration?

Augusto - Just clean my mind and focus on the work. Think, think and think. I need transpiration. This is work, not art.

Rodrigo - I study a lot of advertising then I forget everything about advertising.

Please list 3 of your favourite sites.

Augusto - mostawesomethingever.com is cool, heeeeeeeey.com is inspiring and lmgtfy.com is so damn useful.

Rodrigo - Google, Youtube and Twitter.

What do you regard as being your biggest achievement?

Augusto - I won a Duke Nukem 3D tournament when I was a younger. That was awesome.

How many hours do you work each week?

Augusto - About 75/80.

Rodrigo - It varies, but it's about 50 hours per week.

Augusto - Lazy copywriters...

Rodrigo - Slow art directors...

How do you relax or unwind?

Augusto - Sleeping counts? I like to rest my mind. I love stupid action movies. The Expendables is like a dream come true for me. And I love poker.

Rodrigo - Music (playing or listening), sports (doing or watching), family and friends.

If you weren't working on the internet what would you be doing?

Augusto - Composing and playing music. Mainly heavy metal but classical stuff as well.

What's your favourite part of your job? What's the hardest part of your job? What do you do when you get stuck?

Augusto - I like when the idea is getting shape and all the possibilities become clear. It's very exciting to deliver a product of hard thinking.

The worst part of my work is having good ideas killed all the time by people that are not even ready to tie their own shoes. You have to be very patient and very persistent to get things done.

Getting stuck is part of the process. Give it the importance it has. No more than that. Clear your mind and get to the point, to the objective. The answers are already in the brief (although I rarely see a good one).

Rodrigo - My favorite part is when we come to a great idea. The hardest part is making the idea happen, fight to the end so it doesn't die. When I'm stuck, I stop and relax a little, if the deadline allows.

What's the longest you've ever stayed up working on a project?

Augusto - I was in charge of 3 video case studies (one of them is "The Social Home Tour" that was SOTD here in FWA) that had to be ready by the same date and everything was decided (not by me) really late. So I had this whole week hell to make all things right in place, from storytelling to song selection, passing through edition, voiceover and film recording. I slept only 20 hours in 8 days. In the last day I woke up on Sunday (after my traditional 3 hour sleep) and worked 40 hours straight until Monday night. Yes, I achieved my goals but I'm never doing that again! Don't try this!

If there are any pivotal experiences/decisions you could point to that helped shape your career, what would they be?

Augusto - I think everything counts. You just have to stay tuned and think about every step. There's not a single day that you're not shaping your career/life. The fact I hate advertising must help as well. I don't click at banners. I don't wait sites to load. I almost don't watch TV. When I work on something, I work by these terms.

What software could you not live without?

Rodrigo - As a copywriter, if I have something to write, to listen to music and to watch videos, it's ok for me.

What area of web design lacks the most?

Augusto - I think the worst thing ever about anything related to web and digital is the lack of organization of software developers in respect of browsers, devices and programs. It's just ridiculous that something works in one browser and not in the other. A software that reads a file format but not another, a device that has not a standart connect plug... All these are made for people, for everyone. This is what matters. Technology is secondary. In other words, Apple, put a fucking USB drive on iPad and skip this iTunes syncing shit. NOBODY likes it, for Christ's sake.

Are there any websites that have shone through as being pioneering in the last 5 years or so?

Augusto - Technology and tendencies are changing so fast that it would be unfair to name just a few sites. However it's impressive that we're still using Google as we used to use 10 years ago.

Has winning FWA awards helped you in any way?

Augusto - I think the other way around is true: create great work helps to win a FWA. And being among all those great works that won is truly a honor. And that sure helps. It's like coming back from war wearing a new army badge.

Rodrigo - Our work that won FWA has gained a huge coverage around the world. Besides spreading the work, it brings a lot of recognition to those who created it. My mom is proud.

Augusto - Mine is not.

Rodrigo - Oh.. stop doing this! (his mother has passed away)

When dealing with major clients, how difficult is it to meet the needs of such wide target audiences?

Augusto - This depends of how much freedom you have to work with. Sometimes major clients allow you to work in a more spread space. When you have freedom you can do cool stuff and by doing cool stuff you end up reaching everyone you need.

What did your very first site look like? Is it still online?

Augusto - At that time it was called "homepage". Site wasn't a common word. :)
I´ve made 2 sites around that time. One of them was a fan site for X-Men stuff. The other was a fan site for Duke Nukem 3D. Both were hosted on Geocities. They had that long adress, remember? The Dduke Nukem one was www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/1874/. Unfortunately it´s not online anymore. I was like 13 years old when I did it.

Have you written any books, if not do you plan to?

Rodrigo - Not yet. I already have a daughter. Now I have to plant a tree and write a book, whatever the subject.

Augusto - I'm not sure. So much things to read before writing anything...

Are there things you do OUTSIDE of work to ensure that you are in the right mindset to be creative and/or successful in whatever you are doing?

Augusto - I never worry about work outside work. I think of it, have ideas for it, but I never worry about it. Staying calm is always good in any scenario.

Rodrigo - Absolutely. Each activity outside of work I do for pleasure, serves to feed my day-to-day creativity.

What was the last digital effort you saw (or were a part of) that used social media in a way that really made sense. Why?

Augusto - I guess that "The Social Home Tour" is so ridiculous simple that it makes all sense. I mean, it´s not the super complex tech stuff that people are trying to do all the time. It´s direct to the point. I´m pretty happy with this project.

Rodrigo - I agree.

Have you been a part of a campaign that was rooted in digital and THEN reached over into other consumer touchpoints? Did this happen organically or was it a part of the plan from the beginning?

Augusto - "The Social Home Tour" is kind of that. It´s not a conventional digital campaign but it uses the medium as tool to enhance the impact on consumers in the POS.

The "Sex, __ & Rock´n´Roll" project I did for Rock in Rio (look for the video case study in this page) goes in the same way but it had a stronger digital part. On both projects it´s all planned.

The web is getting out of the web. Do you find that thinking in digital solutions alone hinders you? Do you feel the urge to solve the problem using all mediums necessary?

Augusto - I don´t like restraints. Creativity is not about that. I go where the idea wants to.

Rodrigo - Never think only in web or just outside of it. The environments have to be complementary to enable ideas to solve problems. And sometimes the solution is restricted to the web. Sometimes not. But in many others, it's in the mixing of the two environments.

Looking 10 years in to the future, how far can websites go?

Augusto - Internet is still the future. It´s a total anarchy. Who would want to end that (except for the governments)? Websites will keep walking their way. They will evolve but they will be there.

Rodrigo - I can't answer that question. I just believe that they will remain in everyday life for more and more people around the world.

Augusto - You just answered it.

What was the toughest thing you ever did with Flash? How long did you spend on it? Is it still online?

Augusto - I´m not a flash developer. I can handle some code but I´m not really into it. In other words, the toughest thing I did should be pathetic for almost everybody. I was very happy when I discovered how to do gradient masks without coding.

Do you think Flash is here to stay?

Augusto - Nothing is here to stay. Everything grows up and dies. It´s the same with technology. However, what Flash made possible will set the bar for the next step.

There is perhaps a shift in web use these days. We are seeing a decline in the purely experiential sites in flash with huge production efforts, to a relationship with clients based on tools and services, that many times have simples interfaces. How do you see that trend developing? Will Flash suffer?

Augusto - People will always do experiential stuff. But not using the same tools. There are a lot of different tools in the box nowadays. Trends come and go. I don´t mind if Flash suffers, I´m not Adobe. In fact, it should suffer as much as we suffer using that damn Text tool that still doesn´t work as good as in Photoshop. Shame on them.

What are your views on design/graphic school. Do you think someone can get into the field without educational experience in a school environment?

Augusto - It´s all about experience. There´s not a single way to learn something but I support people getting into formal studying.

Rodrigo - I believe learning comes from everywhere, although an alternative path can bring innovation to work. But despite this view, I think that a minimum academic experience helps in the formation and accelerates market inclusion.

If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring FWA award submitter, what advice would you give them?

Augusto - Never stop being a student.

Rodrigo - Preparation and attention to what is happening, what is being done.

How difficult do you find employing the right people in a world where everyone calls themselves a web designer?

Rodrigo - This problem really exists. But if the person is not the right one, you will quickly realize. When you find a good professional, just appreciate and encourage that it will certainly match.

Augusto - Claiming is one thing. Be able to do deliver it is a totally different story.

What would be your ultimate vehicle to travel in?

Augusto - The Batmobile from Tim Burton´s Batman.

Rodrigo - It could be a Land Rover or a teleport if there is no side effect.

When your company was just getting started, what did you find was most effective for getting new clients?

Rodrigo - I was not here when Artplan was beginning but I believe the best way to attract new customers is doing relevant work.

Augusto - I down't own a company but in general it works like this: if it's a bad client, lobby. If it's a good client, work.

How do you keep your finger on the pulse of the latest web trends?

Rodrigo - Besides keeping an eye on the internet, I'm always talking with people more aware than I am.

Augusto - And I was thinking he likes me for whom I am...

Rodrigo - Loser!

There must be a project that you have always dreamed of doing, what is it?

Augusto - I have some ideas that go beyond advertising. Some of them can change its market and we can all be rich. Is there anybody out there interested? I mean it. I have a big one for gaming industry.

Rodrigo - There's a lot in my drawer waiting to happen. I do not now elect one of them.

What does the future hold for your company, or you as a person?

Augusto - Hope.

Rodrigo - I hope a lot of good things.

What are you excited about learning next and is there a long term challenge you are considering tackling?

Augusto - I´d like to learn more about motion graphics and I MUST finish the recordings for the albums of my bands until 2029.

What is the most expensive thing you have bought in the last week?

Augusto - BBH. It would be cool answering something like this, wouldn't it? =D

Rodrigo - Finally decided to buy an iPad. Here in Brazil it's expensive.

Augusto - And it doesn't come with a USB drive.

Any parting shots or pearls of wisdom?

Augusto - Listen to Rocky Balboa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Vg4uyYwEk&feature=fvwrel