I know it seems like a winded email, but it is a good story if you got 3 minutes
Everybody knows my deal at work and how I've always complained that my boss and higher powers have left me sitting on the sidelines for almost two years of employment there. It has been very frustrating to see a gazillion ideas for marketing gimmicks and campaigns get completely ignored for so long. It had/has made my employment with Legacy Furniture quite stale. Well, about 3 months ago, Todd hired a MARKETING MANAGER. An older semi retired marketing guru named Tom Freeman who is a brilliant guy and is a dictionary of knowledge when it comes to how to sell a product. Todd basically made Tom the man I answer to unlike before where everything had to go by Todd which of course was always a dead end for me. Well, it just so happens that Tom also had a past in TV so him and I despite the 25 year age difference hit it off.
As the big trade show, (market for commercial furniture,) NEO CON approached, Todd had designed a new frame that was interchangeable meaning you could change the arms and leg's finishes of wood, or metal or whatever and with a lifetime warranty added, this was basically going to be the coolest thing in commercial furniture since the invention of the "corporation". It was basically a chair that could chameleon to any room's color, theme whatever without ever having to be removed from the facility. They called it (against my wishes,) The Transformer Collection. Tom started talking to Steve, (the other Marketing guy,) about making a quick flash or power point presentation doing like a dissolve between the different styles the chair could change into to project on the wall of our booth at NEO CON. Steve being the loyal coworker who was probably the only one in the office that knew Todd was making a mistake with me like the Atlanta Falcons did with Brett Favre, (Not to that caliber though,) passed the project to me "claiming he was just too slammed to do something SO expendable." Tom came to me and told me what he wanted to do. I said that the dissolves and fades were "Sissy TV" and said with this product, the name, the options, we needed something much bigger. I kind of storyboarded it out and Tom was reluctant, but again, thanks to Steve briefing him on my past history sometime during his 3 months here, he took a chance with me. I told him it would take 2 days and if it took more, I'd work from home. Todd hit the roof about it, but Tom stuck to his guns and made Todd put me in the game. Todd bit his tongue and steered clear of my office for two days because I don't think he could take seeing me doing this animation on his dime for 16 hours.
Well, the animation got finished. I rushed it of course like I have to do all my work and there were some things I really wanted to do and couldn't but that's the story of my life. And in perfect Todd fashion, he waited 3 days after I had finished to finally give me a minute of his time. That meant if he had changes, AND TRUST ME, Todd always had changes it would leave me 24 hours to have it finished for them to go to Chicago.
Note: Nothing from the marketing department went out without at least five passes. Heck, the product we were doing a piece on sometimes would be discontinued by the time Todd signed off on the brochure for it.
Anyway, so Tom puts me in the fire and invites the whole office in to give their input on this 1 minute animation. I always lived under the theory that it is much easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. (Dad, I'm sure you know this,) so I had put up my entire 2 years of the proverbial employment benchings on a presentation that was not even close to anything Legacy Furniture had done before. Unlike the past, nobody had seen a frame of this. I had not run any of my ideas by Todd or Tom. I had just said, "it needed to be bigger." My presentation was in your face with surround sound, lighting effects, and modern day grunge animation that was pushing the envelope something fierce. I cranked the speakers in the conference room and cut the lights to hear Todd say, "Is all this really necessary?" I ignored him and started the video. I was in the back and saw only the backs of my boss and coworkers' heads. A minute later the presentation faded off and it was silent. I was doomed I thought. I walked to the front to turn the lights on to see Todd with this crap eating grin on his face. He snapped out of it and without taking his eyes off the screen said, "Run it again." I ran it again but this time I stayed in the back. When it went off everybody just turned around to me. By the looks on their faces I knew I had scored. After a beat I said with confidence, "And that my friends is what I DO."
Todd had one wording change that took seconds to fix and not to me of course, was caught stating, "Garrick may just be on the verge of greatness in this company." Todd and Tom immediately ordered 4 more animations like this for other lines AND EVEN bought me the After Effects software so that I wouldn't have to bring my computer to work to do them. What's amazing to me is, as carelessly as I had thrown it together with no plan, no prep and no time, I couldn't help but think how good it could have been with a week to work on it. Makes me wonder how good my work, whether it be weddings, animations, films would be if I was allotted the time to do it right.
Anyway, at the Chicago show one of the reps came up to Tom and said that the presentation was amazing and inquired that we must have spent in upwards of ten grand for that 1 minute spot. Tom turned to her and said, "No Garrick did it…. And we didn't pay enough."
I'm not trying to be arrogant or cocky with this. I just had to share a little piece of happiness as you will all know the struggle I've had trying to do this thing that I do. From the Charter Debacle to having to give up side jobs because of the 40 hour, it's been a frustrating ride but little moments like that one breathe hope to a future that I've spent the last 5 months doubting.
Here's the video. (Looks much better in HD format but this will give you the jest anyway.) ***Turn your speakers up. It's not cool without the sound.
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