Creative City Episode #36 - Music Producer Kick Lee

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Kick Lee landed in music production by sheer accident, after studying graphic design and discovering he wasn’t made for the corporate world. He grew up listening to music and has since become a fan of a number of genres, from bluegrass and country to hip-hop and EDM. We talk about his process for creating tracks from scratch, how music licensing works, and why he decided to make music his career (spoiler: it was when he got a $10K check for one gig!).

We also discuss:

  • His experience at Full Sail University and why it was one of the best decisions he made.
  • Being a black man with diverse tastes and talents, and the content that inspires him
  • The difference between exclusive vs non-exclusive licensing, and royalty back-end payments
  • What agencies and large companies look for when sourcing music for campaigns
  • Plans for KL Studios, his new recording and production studio designed to empower communities through sound
  • His affinity for Batman (?!?!)

Visit:

soundcloud.com/producerkicklee
producerkicklee on Twitter and Instagram 
Elementz, Episode #25 
thestylesample on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat

Listen here or download on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher. Please share, subscribe and rate on iTunes, and sign up for the mailing list to keep up with Cincinnati's amazing community of creatives.

Creative City Episode #35 - Preneur Manager Stephanie Bohanon

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Stephanie Bohanon studied finance and commercial real estate before a store management position at Preneur crossed her path. The brainchild of Procter & Gamble, Preneur is a year long 3rd party popup shop created to share new Tide products with the market and showcase local businesses. We chat about working with independent businesses, what it means to be an experiential retailer, and how today’s ambitious youths make us want to play catch-up.

We also discuss:

- The benefits of trying new creative ideas to see what sticks
- How small makers benefit from working with large brands, and vice versa
- Upcoming themes like sports, independent fashion (yay!), and wellness
- Hosting a series of small events like speaker series, shopping events, and cocktail hours
- Partner brands like Arkadiance, Native Brand, Originalitees, Game Day Feels, and Loner

Visit:

Preneur, 1333 Walnut St. at the corner of Walnut & Mercer
@PreneurCincy on Facebook and Instagram
MORTAR Pitch night podcast
thestylesample on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat

Creative City Episode #34 - Film Director Brandon Faris

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Film Director Brandon Faris co-founded video production studio LEAPFrame in 2013, but his real first love is music. After studying sound production, he took on stints engineering music for commercials (he wrote a song a for Ford Truck ad!) and as a youth minister before learning to edit video by creating classic spots and mini-documentaries for Current TV. We talk about how he got his first videos on air, why he started his own podcast (Filmmakers Drinking Bourbon), and how he’s really a fashionista at heart.

We also discussed:

  • Why getting a job as a used car salesman literally made him cry
  • Realizing his sweet spot was between somewhere between editing in a dark room and new business development
  • Product-izing and packaging the video production process
  • How he always has multiple books in circulation (how?)
  • Why he converted to a 15-piece capsule wardrobe (again, how?)

Visit:

brandonfaris.com
leapframe.com
@bfaris on Instagram
@brandonfaris onTwitter
fdbpodcast.com
thelineup.nyc
thestylesample on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat


Listen here or download on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher. Please share, subscribe and rate on iTunes and be sure to sign up for the mailing list to keep up with Cincinnati's amazing community of creatives.

Creative City Episode #33 - Handzy Shop + Studio

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Friends Suzy and Brittney met in the first day of class during their 2nd year in college, and have been inseparable ever since. They started Handzy (hellohandzy.com) as a graphic design studio, creating branding for small businesses and stationery for craft fairs before embarking on a new venture: retail. We talk about working with other independent creators, how a more visually holistic approach to design has streamlined their process, and why Instagram Friends are (almost) as good as IRL ones.

We also discussed:

  • How having a shop started as an inside joke that quickly turned into a reality
  • The process of creating and curating their rad Instagram images
  • How wedding invitations are the bridge between client work and stationery design
  • Why networking is not nearly as effective (or fun!) as friend-making
  • How they approach blogging as a small business

Visit:

Handzy Design Shop + Studio, 15 W Pike Street, Covington, KY
hellohandzy.com
hellohandzy on Instagram, Pinterest & Facebook
CityFlea.com
PleasantryOTR.com
HotelCovington.com
BraxtonBrewing.com
TheHannaford.com
DurhamBrandCo.com 
thestylesample on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat

Remember to sign up for the mailing list to keep up with Cincinnati’s amazing community of creatives.

Music by The Passion HiFi

Creative City Episode #32 - Designer Chris Glass

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Designer Chris Glass (chrisglass.com) intended to go to school to study film, but wound up in Visual Communication, transitioning from analog to computer-based work on the cusp of the digital revolution. We talk about how he progressed from creating CD-ROMS (remember those?) to designing the logo for the Obama administration’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, how taking daily photos turned into a motivator to lead an interesting life, and why the Beliebers came after him on Twitter.

We also discussed:

  • How being attracted to a “rock sensibility” led him to design everything from album covers to t-shirts
  • Finding the rhythm and the beauty of having mundane rest days
  • His Haile Foundation Fellowship focused on learning more about photography and celebrating the way it can bring people together
  • The importance of physically meeting in a space and exploring it together
  • Launching the new PhotoScouting Cincinnati book (available April 3rd!) and Pixels & Ink co-working space

Visit:
chrisglass.com 
PhotoCorps.org 
pixelsand.ink 
wireandtwine.com
@glass on Twitter
@thephotocorps on Instagram 
PeoplesLiberty.org
thestylesample on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat

Be sure to subscribe to email updates to keep up with Cincinnati's amazing community of creatives! 

Music by The Passion HiFi

Season 4 is here! Creative City Episode #31 - Artist & Art Educator Pam Kravetz

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We’re back for Season 4! In episode #31, I talk to Pam Kravetz, an Artist and Art Educator with a penchant for "tutus, big wigs, and faux furs.” She’s done everything from performative art and yarn bombing to teaching children and radical puppetry. We chat about how she found her voice as an artist, the importance of connecting with people through public art, and earning two college varsity letters as the University of Cincinnati Bearcat mascot(!)

We also discussed:

- Celebrating what you’re good at, and pushing yourself in areas you’re not
- How volunteering as a docent helped her realize she enjoyed talking about and teaching art
- Why teaching has made her a better artist and vice versa
- The need to say something different with her work in today’s political climate
- Letting go of the idea of perfection

Visit:
pamkravetzart.com
Pam Kravetz on Facebook
@pamkravetz on Instagram 
artworkscincinnati.org
brazeestreetstudios.com
www.pendletonartcenter.com
thestylesample on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat

Creative City Episode #30 - Janet Hill, Project Manager

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For the final episode of Season 3, I talk to Project Manager Extraordinaire Janet Hill (janethillevents.com), who’s a pro when it comes to finding the path to get things done. She’s worked on everything from ArtWorks’ 21 Candles anniversary celebration to location management for the Marauders movie filmed here in Cincinnati. We chat about the reward of seeing a vision come to life, why collaboration is SO important on large-scale events, and how working at Kenner Toy Co was just as fun as you think would be.

We also discussed:

  • How being a Girl Scout led to gaining experience organizing things and events 
  • How working on the opening of Sawyer Point Park and the Cincinnati bicentennial helped her quick start her career
  • The secret to keeping up with all of the moving parts of a large-scale project
  • Being more collaborative than competitive
  • How to take advantage of unpredictable scenarios and go with the flow

Visit:

Creative City Episode #29 - Katie Fraser and Jacob Trevino of Gorilla Cinema

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Katie Fraser & Jacob Trevino founded Gorilla Cinema, a creative experience company. What started as a pop-up pairing cocktails and movies led to opening immersive bar environments (The Overlook Lodge, The Video Archive) that are playful, approachable, and incorporate the element of surprise. We talk about the importance of building trust among your community of followers, their plans to create other large-scale immersive experiences, and how convenient it is to be able to store random stuff in your own bar.

We also discussed:

- Their mission of projecting wonder via guerrilla marketing
- Doing something that seems crazy with the intent of making something magical
- Bringing extra life to neighborhoods by being approachable and considering what works best for each area
- How they hope to foster a community of people who will bring their own creative ideas to life.
- Why they decided to give The Overlook Lodge's biggest fans keys to the bar

Visit:

- GorillaCinemaPresents.com
- GorillaCinema on Facebook
- gorillacinemapresents on Instagram
- @gorillacinema on Twitter
- gorillacinemapr on Pinterest
- thestylesample on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat

Remember to sign up for the mailing list to keep up with Cincinnati’s amazing community of creatives!

Music by The Passion HiFi