mccreery at iuaes jasca 2014
TRANSCRIPT
Classic Model
✤ Genesis 1: 3 “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
✤ One almighty individual, one big idea, effortless execution
Current Reality
✤ In today’s corporate world, creativity, a.k.a., innovation, is the work of teams
✤ Ideas are proposed and debated by multiple individuals
✤ Material conditions constrain execution
✤ Thus, for example, 70% of Japanese TV commercials last only fifteen seconds, with only eight seconds allowed for spoken words
Academic Debates (1)
✤ Arthur Danto (1964) - Art requires an “art world,” a knowledgeable audience that validates the work as art
✤ Howard Becker (1982) - Groups produce art (jazz ensembles for example. Even individual artists depend on others who supply their materials and purchase their work.
✤ Richard Cave (2000) - Art requires contracts that take into account the uncertainties of artistic production
Academic Debates (2)
✤ Pierre Bourdieu (1984) - Art resembles sport.
✤ Art is a field with defined boundaries, specific positions, and goals.
✤ Players compete for social, cultural and economic capital
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Read All About It
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In the Japanese advertising world
Maki Jun on Teams
✤ Te-amu (手編む) - Hands joined together like those
gripping a baseball bat. Specialists working together to hit a home run.
✤ Koshiki (個識) - A collection of individuals with distinct
personalities
✤ Kosei no shoutotsu (個性の衝突) - Where individuals
clash
Professional Expertise
✤ We imagine a system in which each professional contributes a piece of the finished product
✤ But coming up with ideas is more complicated
✤ Copywriters come up with ideas
✤ But so do we, say art directors
✤ Creative directors just want good ideas; anyone can have one — even an account executive
Personalities
✤ Diverse personalities increase the likelihood of creativity.
✤ But they also increase the likelihood of conflict
✤ Thus, most creative directors say that you have to be careful of who you put together on teams
✤ But Sasaki Hiroshi, Japan’s most successful creative director, prefers serendipity
Managing Conflict
✤ Creative Directors play several roles
✤ Catalyst - sparking interaction
✤ Clown - breaking tension
✤ Coach - supporting from the sidelines
✤ Commander - insisting on high standards
Providing Direction
✤ Clear goal-setting can be important
✤ But it mustn’t be too specific
✤ Creative directors who insist on “Do it my way” rarely produce great work
What kind of team is best?
✤ Depends on the project
✤ For routine work, a familiar team is best; the members know what they need to do. The job gets done more efficiently
✤ For competitive pitches, a newly formed team may be better, increasing the probability of coming up with fresh ideas.
✤ But the risk of meltdown is also higher
✤ Freelancers tend to prefer familiar teams
A Producer’s Perspective
✤ According to Nakajima Shinya, a truly great and enormously respected producer
✤ When you ask invite talented experts to work together on a project
✤ Be humble
✤ Ask nicely
✤ Say thank you
Thank you