Devilfish Creative, London.
Ok bloody hell, this has taken ages to get to! I have been so busy uploading all the photographs from Bordeaux, I haven't been able to update everyone with the fairly big news! Basically Alan and I got a job together!
What happened is that short after my degree show, just after I returned from Bordeaux, I was given an email by an advertising agency called Devilfish Creative in central London, about my work that they had seen thanks to my show, and wanted me to come in for a chat/ interview. Since I feel I have dedicated my life to working with Alan, I requested that he were to come with me as Alovera Studio, as we work best together as a team. They pleasantly agreed and we went to meet them in their studio, soon after to show all of our work. We pitched gleefully and they felt they had use for us, so we went back home and about 2 days after we were called in to do a job for them.
Alan and I worked amongst their creative team on several pitches as storyboard artists, the brief was to visualise the scripts which they had given us for a broadcasting channel called A&E in America, for the concept of the black sheep for "Be Original". We came in every day for a week, where they paid for our food and travel, we would sketch out the work, have it checked, then do it digitally before sending it for submission. After a while though I found that Alan did a much better job than I would, since my area is more in design than illustration. So I was given different jobs in mock ups, campaign posters, magazine spreads and covers, merchandise etc, which I did with much gusto. We worked late nights and on the final day of pitch worked in studio until 3AM with the team, while it was being pitched to A&E in New York.
In the end, they didn't get the pitch, despite all of the hard work. But Alan and I had proven ourselves dedicated, not just as try outs or junior designers, but as professionals amongst the team. Alan's storyboards were adored and they loved our energy in studio. They offered us a compromise, they could not hire anyone but wanted us to be there, and so Alan and I now have our own space to work at Devilfish in Covent Garden, in trade of odd jobs when need be. Best of all, from this too, was that we actually did get rewarded for the A&E job, which means that Alan is now able to treat himself for the first time for a good weeks job!
We are so happy with our position right now, even if we don't have a secure income yet, Devilfish has opened many opportunities for us. Before we were working in my living room and Alan would stay long weeks away from his home just to do this too. But now we can mix the best of both, to be able to meet each other half way at work, as a couple and creative duo, so he can see his family and come home with me on other days, we couldn't be happier!