Tune in for some insights we’ve not heard on this podcast before as Renee shares some of the experience she has gathered over her 12-year career.   Key Takeaways [:41] Heather introduces Renee Jean and asks her guest to talk about who she is, where she came from, and how she found her way into art production. [7:00] Heather and Renee share their thoughts on what freelancing offers in terms of diversity of opportunities in the rapidly evolving advertising industry. [9:50] Renee believes that the multitude of different ways of producing still media has already equipped art producers to tackle other kinds of production: traditional print experience is translatable to other media. [11:04] Is integrated production the future? Renee shares a really interesting perspective we haven’t heard before! [13:05] In Renee’s experience, photographers also doing motion and broadcast rarely pans out — she has seen a lot of still production having to piggyback on the broadcast shoots. But ultimately as a photographer, it’s important to have some sort of motion solution. [16:45] “The cool factor” is when the creatives want to hire people just because they’re popular and cool, as opposed to being right for the project. [20:17] User-friendly websites are the first very important step — have thumbnails — and Instagram has become huge, but when looking for a photographer, it’s about reading the room; it depends on what the creatives are looking for and finding that chemistry. [25:33] Renee and Heather talk about the importance of the creative call and recognizing that sometimes when the chemistry isn’t there, it’s no one’s fault — even if not getting the job hits hard. [30:06] The creative call is important enough that everyone should take the time to be well prepared. [33:29] How can a photographer or director grab Renee’s attention? Have an up to date, simple, straightforward, easy-to-read website. Reps, Behance, and Instagram are two of the tools Renee does late-night deep dives into, searching for new talent. [40:15] Sometimes you want the new hotness but you need the experience, it all depends on the project. [42:17] Being a woman in this industry has meant that Renee is more vocal now for both moral reasons and safety reasons because there are the “Weinsteins” of the advertising industry. [49:47] Heather and Renee also touch on the access of female and minority artists have to projects — the men tend to get more of the projects. [54:25] The pathways to creative careers need to be multiplied for women and minorities, but this is an aspect that Renee has seen positive evolution on, with the democratization of technology. [56:42] Renee asks if Heather has seen artists be more competitive than collaborative, and they talk about being thick-skinned optimists. [59:37] Getting the job, not getting the job: Renee knows she should always call and when she can. Heather convinces Renee of the value of sharing who a photographer was bidding against, post-fact! [1:06:22] Heather thanks Renee for coming onto the podcast and invites listeners to tune in for the next episode.   Thanks for listening.   In an industry where the rules are always changing, it’s helpful to hear from those on the front line. Heather Elder is the visionary behind NotesFromARep’sJournal.com; visit her website for industry updates, stunning photography and video, and the artists behind the work.   Mentioned in this episode Goodby Silverstein Venables Bell Apple Behance   More about your host Heather Elder’s Bio Heather Elder’s Blog Heather Elder on Instagram Heather Elder on Twitter Heather Elder on LinkedIn Heather Elder on Facebook   More about our guest Renee Jean on LinkedIn Renee Jean on Squarespace