
Green V Red
Color coding in Hitchcock’s Vertigo A key element in filmmaking (or any visual medium) that helps create the look is how color is used. Not in the grade, but color palettes in production design. Wes Anderson is probably the most obvious current practitioner. Even in seemingly naturalistic presentations, a close examination shows most films/TV shows […]

Bob Newhart in the World of Blade Runner
And other adventures in AI “art.” Like everyone else working in content and media, I’ve been messing around with AI art and text. There are some thorny questions around automating human effort the ethics around how the machine was trained. Others have weighed in so I won’t here. I was mostly staying away, and then […]

Chez Panisse
I grew up in Berkeley, California a few blocks away from the famed restaurant, Chez Panisse. Opened in 1971 by Alice Waters and Paul Aratow, it has always maintained a rigorous adherence to an ethos emphasizing high quality, locally sourced and in season ingredients prepared with a French influenced technique. There’s a formal dining room […]
testimonials
John is brilliant. He takes the time to get into your issue so that his recommendations come from an informed perspective. He’s also fearless… It’s all in the service of delivering smart creative that works strategically and also builds consensus among stakeholders.
- Sharene Azimi, Communications Director at Institute for Nonprofit NewsI was lucky to partner with John on a huge pitch, fast and furious as huge pitches are, and he was terrific. In it up to the elbows, honing the strategy, driving the work, pushing for great, and remembering to have a laugh along the way. He brings intellectual precision, strategic grounding, and a love of the craft to any creative endeavor, and is a true partner and collaborator.
- Stephanie Berman, Chief Creative Officer at Hill Holliday HealthI’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with John on several projects, and can highly recommend him as a collaborative, open-minded and creative storyteller that brings a unique perspective to any brief.
- Imke Dannhauser, Product Marketing Manager at GoogleJohn is one of the most strategic creative thinkers I know. Not only can he create beautiful work, but he always focuses on the business problem to help the client’s bottom line.
- Pauline Oudin, Managing Partner at GradientJohn is a deeply thoughtful manager and an inspiring creative. He always has fresh ideas of his own while remaining open to, and inclusive of, other people’s contributions. Working for John is a dream and I cannot recommend him enough.
- Cinnamon Janzer, Writer/JournalistJohn commits himself to his clients, to his agency, and to the quality of creative he directs on their behalf. Having him on board makes your team smarter, your agency stronger.
- James Talerico, President/ECD Heartbeat