Condé Nast + Samsung SXSW

So Condé Nast got in touch with me whenever they were looking for three different artists to represent Austin by creating some content using Samsung's new Galaxy Tab Pro S tablet computer - Samsung's early response to the Surface. I had already been living in Brooklyn for a few years but Condé Nast didn't seem to mind. Anticipating some YouTube haters for my NYC residency, I needed to bring out some "Deep in the Heart" ATX references - no trendy Austin rookie stuff. Didn't stop the YouTube haters, though. :-)

This was a once in a lifetime project. Since the main product that Condé Nast was producing was a feature about me using the tablet, I was given carte blanche freedom to make whatever I wanted. Seriously, my prompt was, "Make something about Austin. Maybe it can be about SXSW, too. Using that as my springboard, I divided the piece into three basic sections dedicated to the three main SXSW categories: Interactive, Film and Music. The fourth section was something that I'd been eager to animate for a long time: a "Hook'em Horns" that transitions into Daniel Johnston's "Hi! How are you?" frog.

Oh, and it had to be a loop and I only had a week to make it!

What I ultimately made lacks a little polish, but I think it's really fun. I got a great day rate for this project, a free tablet, and - best of all - a free trip to Austin where I got to hang out with old friends and see my mom. It doesn't get much better than that!