Graffiti artists + computer geeks = open source graffiti. Much like his previous presentation at Function13, the one and only Evan Roth showcased some of the innovating work he and Graffiti Research Lab has done. Pushing the boundaries of public space and freedom of speech. Creating tools for empowerment and urban communications to overpower advertisers.

A few projects by GRL:

LED Throwies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrnLF04qmsM

Laser Tag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbtTPYZEig

Check out more of their work at: http://graffitiresearchlab.com/
And for fellow street art enthusiasts I highly recommend: http://woostercollective.com
Currently Evan has some killer artwork and shirts for sale at Function13, while supplies last! http://function13.ca

“Thinking outside the box means you’re inside another box.”
There is no box! What a great and inspiring way to start off this conference.

“Jason Theodor is a lecturer, writer, and creative director who focuses on ideas, inspiration, brainstorming, and the internet. Responsible in part for the global re-branding of Yahoo!, the viral success of Dove Evolution, and the online presence of many Fortune 500 companies, he is currently based at Critical Mass Toronto.”
Source: http://www.fitc.ca/speaker_detail.cfm?festival_id=22&speaker_id=10761

Jason went over some great ways to get the most of ones creative spark. He explained a really cool technique of coming up with 10 ideas in 10 minutes. Here are my ten of what I took from his presentation.

1. Capture thoughts
2. There is no box
3. Chill out (refresh) before taking on a new problem
4. You need a brief
5. Thinking the complete opposite
6. Routine is important
7. Have fun with it
8. Think past Zed
9. Think of 100, you’ll like at least one
10. Relate it to the source

I feel amped to take on my next project with some new tricks up my creative sleeves. Leave a comment with your FITC top 10.

G to the M to the UNK! GMUNK’s presentation was an experience and a half. My camera was acting up so my footage capturing abilities were limited. Here are some treats for you GMUNK fans.

What was really great was seeing the breakdowns on how we went on about different projects; all the storyboarding and even how certain effects were achieved. This was the first time I got to catch him live and now I know what all the hype is about.

Moderated by Dayton Pereira with speakers Andrew Bell, Dan Sormani, GMUNK, Lifelong Friendship Society.

“Pay your Dues” – Ryan Wolman
“Surround yourself with amazing talent” – GMUNK

Young Talent was a great panel with speakers that always managed to agree with one another. Dayton did a great job interacting with the audience for a truly interactive panel. The speakers shared their thoughts on different problems and common mistakes made by interns, such as a low skilled individual with high expectations and the big egos, and provided solutions for entering the field. It was fascinating learning the routes that they took to get were they are now. A lot of attendees benefited from this session and if you missed out I recorded an informative clip, enjoy!

The impression I got from the panel was that no matter how much you get out there it all comes down to the quality of your work and how you fit within their studio’s culture.

I’ve been following Scott’s work for sometime now. I first discovered him by his alter ego Tycho that he uses for his music projects. I constantly use the tunes to get me in my design groove when my inspiration is on low and it always works. Upon discovering his site, I also found a ton of amazing graphical work. Scott’s designs are heavily influenced by designers of the past and the effects of aging that time has on print. Using type as an illustrative element and offset colours he creates images that have a life of their own. During the presentation he opened up one of his projects and went through each layer explaining how it was accomplished and why he did so. You may catch yourself staring at his work for an extended period of time and don’t worry it’s perfectly normal, if you zoom in to see the amount of detail, it’s absolutely insane.

Here is the end of Scott’s presentation that consisted of a Q&A session with the audience

What I can really appreciate about Scott’s work is that in this world of digital he still understands the aesthetic values of tangible design by blending analogue with digital. It adds so much style and flair. I was lucky enough to grab a few of his prints at the booths and they’re also selling his CD, highly recommended.

“Just finished up my presentation at FITC Toronto. I really enjoyed talking and want to thank everyone who came out as well as thank FITC for having me. It’s been a pretty intense 3 days with two shows and a speech but all the work is finally done so now it’s time to relax and enjoy the conference and the city.” – Scott Hansen

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