Creative Talk with Anthony Brosnan, Freelance Digital Producer

Anthony Brosnan, is a freelance digital producer, with a background in design and development.  
We talk to Anthony about his transition from student, to designer, to producer and beyond.

Q.  You gained your honours degree in Creative Technologies from AUT and then did a Diploma of Graphic Design with Media Design School, why the need for a follow up diploma?

A. When I finished my honours I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, I knew it would most likely be visual.

Creative Technologies (BCT) was a very new course – my class were the ‘guinea pigs’ and the first students to complete the degree. This made it more difficult to explain to people, as no one really knew what the study involved.

While explaining this in a conversation with an advertising agency studio manager, he helped me realize that graphic design is something that I am passionate about and would enjoy going to work to do. He recommended I go to MDS to build up my knowledge and technical skills to match my creativity.

Q. Do you feel your studies really did you justice, making you ready for taking on the real working world?

A. The papers that I took at University gave me a great base of software knowledge and theoretical understanding of technology and digital media, these are skills I use daily. However it’s the skills I didn’t realise I was learning at the time that I really appreciate now. Working with real clients on self-directed and ever evolving projects during my studies, I learnt to work under pressure, problem solve, take risks and think on my feet. This is something a textbook or video tutorial could never teach.

Q. What would be the stand out piece of advice that you would offer to other graduates?

A. From my experience (and how I felt when I graduated), looking for a job is very daunting and a reality check - ‘I now have to get up in the morning’.  My advice, don’t get discouraged, if you miss out on a job there will be another opportunity - but only if you apply. Be a more confident and happy version of yourself, unless you are already a very confident and happy person, then just be yourself.

Q. You started as a digital designer and front end developer, and decided to make the move to digital producing – why? 

A. When I started at Y&R I was very fresh and honestly didn’t even know it was a job, but watching an excellent digital producer at work soon made me realise that ‘this job is freakin cool’. You get to talk to lots of different people with different skills and backgrounds and do a bit of everything. When I was presented with an opportunity, I took it and have loved the job ever since.

Q. You have now worked with the likes of Muli Mobile, Y&R and JWT – some top industries names – you must be good?

A. Working with exceptionally talented and dedicated people are always going to make you look good in a collaborative and trusting environment, and I have been very fortunate to do so.

Q. What’s your highlight thus far – any stand out projects?

A. I worked on a unique project for Contact Energy at JWT, where we rebuilt the Te Mihi power station inside Minecraft to educate children about geothermal power and the history of the Te Mihi area. The physical Te Mihi site is huge, using the plans we rebuilt the structures in Minecraft to an almost 1:1 scale. Check it out - www.temihi.co.nz

Q. Most creative professionals have personal projects outside of the office.  Is this something that is important to you and why?

A. It absolutely is, for me is the equivalent of hitting a punching bag and letting off steam.  All day we are working on advertising, websites, apps and doing amazing project for clients that require a lot of creativity and thought. I find that during this process, a lot of excess ideas will surface and intrigue me enough to want to make something out of them. I like to keep a notebook for all of these stray concepts.

Q. Do you think you will stick with Digital Producing – or are you keen to explore other areas – more Digital Strategy or similar as your career progresses?

 A. I feel I still have a long way to go in my producing career. Where I am, working on projects and campaigns I get to see strategy in motion, which is fantastic. I am absorbing knowledge from very experienced people every day, in an innovative and ever changing industry where you will never stop learning. Working on the strategy side of Digital, ‘the big picture’, looks to be very personally rewarding and is something I do want to be involved with in the future.

Q. What is your prediction for digital advertising in 2015?

 A. After seeing Jeff Gomez's Masterclass on Transmedia Storytelling late last year, I definitely think there will be a rise in campaigns applying this methodology. Transmedia does not just repeat the same message or use the same content in every medium, it expands the story across media platforms, utilising what each space has to offer. A great example of this was DDB’s Game of Thrones #bringdowntheking campaign last year, which extended engagement across social media, the physical site and through the website live stream.