Done by the big jobs
Welcome to Idealog Weekly, the free email newsletter for New Zealand commercial creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone rich with ideas.
In this week’s issue: done by the big jobs, tactile tunes, art that never ends, luck and Lux, an intellectual invite, a phoenix on an eagle and the quote of the week.
Done by the big jobs
Silverscreen, one former employee recalls, “was the place you went to get the big jobs done”. The company effectively invented the ad production industry but closed its doors in January after 33 years amid loud controversy. What happened?
Gena Tuffery has talked to former staff, customers and founder Geoff Dixon to chart the success and eventual failure of a creative powerhouse. There’s been plenty of angst and finger-pointing following Silverscreen’s untimely demise, but Gena has gone deeper than that to find the secret’s of the company’s success and explain its failure to survive in a changing industry. ‘Silverscreen’s final scene’ is a compelling tale but, as Gena points out, in many ways the company’s success lives on in the careers of the creative Kiwis who cut their teeth at Silverscreen, like Christine Jeffs and Lee Tamahori. Read her riveting report on our website.
Tactile tunes
Always wanted to play and instrument but too laz … er, busy to learn? Take a look at ‘music textile’, a very cool fabric instrument that you can play just by moving your hand across it. Fun for young and old.
Art that never ends
Jake Pearce pointed us to Zoomquilt, a collaborative art project where works by over 30 artists neatly segue into one another. It’s mesmerising.
Luck and Lux
Here’s a weird and beautifully-made ad that put a smile on my face. Doubly so, knowing there’s no danger of my ever buying the product on offer (but good luck to those of you who will).
I do, however, make use of the product pitched by this second ad, equally weird and just as beautifully made. Bravo.
An intellectual invite
The partners and staff of Baldwins are inviting Idealog readers to a celebratory event in Auckland next week to mark World Intellectual Property Day, featuring talks from three inspirational entrepreneurs followed by drinks and canapes. Ken Stevens of Glidepath, Mark Backhaus of Ideas Inc and Craig Horrocks of Zorb are the featured guests at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Auckland. Baldwins is hosting the event to “celebrate and recognise the intellectual, creative and entreprenurial intelligence that drives our country’s profile, commercial success and reputation around the globe.” Check out our website for more details.
 Blackbox M14 noise cancelling headphones represent the finest Kiwi innovation and ingenuity. Designed for the frequent traveller, the M14 boasts the latest advanced noise cancellation technology from Phitek Systems, blocking up to 92% of background noise. Imagine being able to perfectly hear the in-flight movie! The Blackbox M14 connects to your mp3 player, PC or handheld and is great value at $379. More…
A phoenix on an eagle
Samuel Flynn Scott, frontman of the very-popular-in-the-Idealog-office Phoenix Foundation, plays Christchurch tomorrow night as part of his Haast’s Eagle tour. He’ll turn up a bit further down Highway One in Dunedin on Saturday. Tarnished Frocks and Divas takes the stage in Tauranga on Friday—think retro clothing, dancing and singing—and the ten-day Arrowtown Autumn Festival kicks off too.
Check out Idealog’s events guide, Agenda, online and in print. Anyone can add an event to Agenda—just fill out the form on our website.
Quote of the week
“We were all just mates. We’d turn up every day and figure out how much it would cost to make something and we’d all go off and do it. Simple.”
—Geoff Dixon recalls the early days of Silverscreen
More at Idealog online
Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, Idealog IP, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at idealog.co.nz.
Matt Cooney
Editor
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