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James . Mac Operator

Senior

Specialties - Print Production, Retail, Direct Mail, Packaging, Collateral.

Despite having been in the ad game a while - I can remember Letraset and having to draw in the 'S' you needed using a dried-up Rotring pen (the 0.18mm one because someone bent the nib on the 0.1) - I haven't lost my love of typography, design, or print. Having embraced the mac revolution in the UK I came to NZ (via OZ) in 1996, for a year. I still love typography, design and print, but fully understand how they are complemented by and work with the digital environment - a few years with WRC instilled a media-neutral open-minded approach to what medium where and when and why.

I've designed wine labels and corporate IDs, logos and typefaces. I've illustrated a few campaigns and come up with the concept for a few too. Flash and Fireworks are no longer things that happen in parks after the sun's gone down.

My main skill base is in production though; retail advertising has honed my ability to deliver accurate work on budget to tight, sometimes ridiculous, deadlines. I like a challenge and love to find the best way to make a studio work, whether that's automated page set-ups or GREP strings (don't ask, it's only exciting when you see it). Mailers, packaging and DM don't repulse me and I'll happily retouch a shot until it's perfect, not just good enough. I can run a studio (including print production) and produce all the elements needed for a campaign whilst working hands-on and keep a smile on my face. I can also juggle.

Key skills

- Thorough knowledge of print and production processes
- Brand and Retail studio management - best practice production, archiving and proofing
- Automation of print production, good knowledge of asset management systems and proofing process
- Retouching
- I can talk to clients without prompt cards  

Software I know well

- Illustrator +++++ 
- Photoshop +++++ 
- InDesign +++++ 
- Flash ++
- Fireworks ++
- Acrobat +++++ 
- Quickcut +++++ 

 3 recent places I’ve worked

- Consortium
- Y&R
- Saatchi & Saatchi

Aerial Magazine for Auckland Airport 

Software: Illustrator & Photoshop, InDesign 
Industry: Aviation

Aerial Magazine is produced by Auckland Airport to show there's more to their offering than queuing up for a man in uniform to fondle you. Aerial's main aim is to get passengers through the fondling area to the bit where they can buy souvenirs, but it also aims to provide a FREE good read to help pass the time, so there are features on travel destinations, people's stories and what's available 'Airside'. I was bought in to oversee production of the first issue, and went on to put the next one together from scratch (I even made up the kids' pages).Profiled and tweaked for best reproduction, nice stock, good printing. Job done. It worked.

Digital Christmas Card for Auckland Airport

 Software: Illustrator & Photoshop
Industry: Aviation 
Medium: Web

The brief was for an animated Christmas Card, set to the "12 Days of Christmas" song to be sent out to all clients and hosted online. I did the concept and illustration on the fly (sorry), Scott did the animation, Peter the voice. Took less than 12 days.

Retail Advertising

 Software: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat, Flash, Fireworks 
Industry: Retail 
Medium: Print & Web

I was responsible for Warehouse Stationery's mailer/ad/TV/web graphic production at Ideaworks and then M&C Saatchi for over 3 years. I set up the studio at Ideaworks from scratch to produce all their retail clients' (Warehouse Stationery, Stevensons, Bendon, Beds R Us and more) advertising in-house (prior to this it was all produced in Sydney but the time difference and language barrier weren't helping). A busy time to say the least, but fun and we produced some good work. At M&C I suggested we turn the Get Organised mailer on its side (to look like a folder) - apparently this mailer was responsible for a 9% increase in year-on-year sales, I think it probably rained a lot over the time the campaign was live, but do prefer the official version of events. I automated production as far as possible, introduced asset management to ensure best reproduction across all mediums, did some Flash animations for web banners. Enjoyed it all.

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Member since Last updated May '12 Page viewed 427 times