A trip down the rail road

After a month at Locomotiv it is finally (?) here – Christmas.

The Stockholm interns had one goal. Meet up one day a week and have a beer or four. I attended the first one with our Marcus and Emil from DM09KNA. We forgot a minor detail: invite the rest of them. We have since then failed our goal and will surely continue to do so.

Locomotiv is an agency with 50+ employees located in the heart of Stockholm and in case of emergency we have a law firm below us. This far I’ve been a designer, art director assistant, photographer, batty boy and pouch bag. I am a bruised and broken man who cries himself to sleep every night, hoping that tomorrow never will come.

Honestly, everything is good, I’ve had a good time and everyone is kind. It’s a lot different from Hyper, way more intense production and a lot less Quake 3.

Fuck, 200 words were harder then I thought. Well I’m looking forward to some time off, Arsenal beating Liverpool and seeing my brothers. Take care out there. Happy Hanukkah.

By day he is a designer, by night he is a Football Manager expert, he is Henrik Backman.

God Bless America

I’ve come to the country of opportunities, where everything is possible. It’s the city where dreams come true and a place with no barriers other than your own imagination. There is no “jantelag” and no “I live my own life and care only about myself”. You can do whatever you please and no one will stop you.

---

First two hours in New York City I was wondering what the f*ck I was doing here. Sat in a taxi with a taxi driver that barely spoke understandable English, that couldn’t find the way to our hostel, which wasn’t so strange because it was located in the ghetto part of Brooklyn.

The ghetto part where people was fighting on the streets, big scary hiphop guys with bling bling looking at you and telling you want they wanna do with you, hearing gunshots and subway stations that is dangerous to enter after midnight.

People that choose to live there ensured us that “you get used to it”. But after spending way to much time getting in to Manhattan and work every day, never knowing when the subway is coming and constantly being afraid of whatever I quickly decided NOT to live there, ever.

So we found a duplex apartment in the middle of Manhattan in East Village and life became much easier. No subway, no ghetto and no danger. I have a 15 minute walk to work, pass at least five Starbucks on my way and I constantly take a taxi because it’s easy, cheap and totally NY. Also because we live six floors up and that is exercise enough. We have access to the rooftop from the apartment with a view covering all of Manhattan: Williamsburg Bridge, Empire State Building and downtown.

But best of all is my internship at Droga5. I’m not gonna say the same thing as everyone else because that is just obvious. Pure brilliance should cover all.

Every day when I walk back home to 13th st, I see the Live Well sign from far away, I know that’s what I’m doing and I’m finally home.

Madonna

Tomorrow morning my alarm clock (39KR at Clas Ohlson) will make its desperate attempt to wake me up in my doorm. 15 minutes after my much more “noise:ier” cell phone will wake me up. I`ll put on my clothes, brush my teeth, collect my things (such as a computer with belongings, a watch and some kind of a wallet. On my way out (if my “noise:ier” cell phone failed in directly wake me up) I’ll grab a banana. I am know sitting on the Subway with a coffee in my hand, that I bought in Pressbyrån. (It usually gets drinkable at Liljeholmen, 2 stations and 4 minutes away from where I stepped on.) I start drinking my coffee and 8 minutes after I’m reaching my destination Gamla stan, where I’m stationed as an intern at ACNE Digital (Stockholm).

In my first portfolio I wrote down some lines that should describe what I was looking for in an internship, it said (yes, it could talk) something like this:
I`m looking for a nice place, with good open-minded people that loves what they’re doing, and who allowes me to develop creatively and as a designer.

If you ask me know (1 month from when I started), I would probably say that I found that place.

Get on with it, how is it at ACNE Digital!? They are good open-minded people working here, I can tell that they really love what they are doing and that they are good at it! AND they are letting me be a part of it, from brainstorming sessions, meetings with the client, making some animation and designing on the project that began the first day I got there.

To sum it all up: The morning-routine in Stockholm is dull, feels like “måndag hela veckan”. And yes, it probably would be nicer (or at least nice-dull) parkour:ing some skyscrapers or breaking down some moves in flip-flops, as a daily morning-routine. But when I step in to the office there`s always new things coming up, different ways on how to solve them, and a lot to learn (thought I had at least quite good experience and knowledge in this, but daaamn!, there’s a lot left, and fun it is).

BoomShackalack
/John H.

"In-between"

Now I've been in Barcelona for a month, this is what I've been through...

Just so you know, I´m living in the ghetto, very central but still in the ghettoo, there are a lot of drug dealers and psychos, the nicest things on our street (passait escudallers) is the garbage, it only smells! Manu chao sings about the street in the song La rumba de Barcelona.

My second day in Barcelona, I was locked out on the roof of my building. After two hours and many calls to my sister I realized that I really wasn't locked out, I just had do tackle the door and then I was in! Lucky me, it was blue sky and all sunny the two hours I spent on the roof!

The second week, I started my internship, It was a quite easy start but not so fun, there were a lot of spanish interns at the agency that took care of us and showed me and annie around!

That night me and annie went to my favorite internet cafe, alsur. Thinking that we only would chill take a coffee and check facebook. But little did we known, that we soon were to be robbed (almost) I was just sitting checking my facebook, annie checked hers, when two ghettoo kidz entered the door, grabed annies computer and ran, I was screaming and annie she ran like hell after the ghetto kidz trying to kill them!
Luckily they dropped the computer on there way out, but annie didn't realized that, so she was still running after the ghettoo kidz when the computer was safe with me! I´ve never seen her react that fast!

Since then I've been to IKEA, been out on crazy clubs and been called a bitch by a psycho!

I've also been on the agencies yearly Christmas party, which was very different or very similar to the "student skiva" we have in Sweden, the only different was that this one involved drunk old guys crawling on the floor and shaking there assess to mambo nr five, or spanish schlager! There were also some "get as drunk as possible" songs, during the really nice dinner, so me and annie was a bit confused, but we took "seden dit man kommer" and just went whit the flow! And it was also free bar so it made it all easier!

I've been trough some adventure this month but im heading to the biggest one so far I´ve quitted my internship and know looking for a new one, Im as you would say "in-between" internships...


Bye Bye then...//Fannie A.KA. Bennie A.KA. intern no 2. A.KA little swedish intern no 2 who can draw...

Finnish cellphones

Hi!

My name is Lars Thomsen and its the fourth week of internship here at Daytona. We are located in Stockholm on Riddargatan 17D and i am glad that i found this place to do my internship. The people here are really nice and good at what they do.

First week was kind of slow and i got an introduction to the agency and got my workstation set up, a MacBook Pro which turned out to crash a lot. Very frustrating when trying to work. But about a week ago i got a brand new 24" iMac, which runs great!

The first day was also the first day for everyone in new offices, a fresh start for everyone!

Since then i have been working on a few Nokia campaigns doing some front-end programming and setting up all the social stuff for our "Ultimate Scandinavian Blogging Daredevils". They will get Nokia N96 phones and blog and live broadcast their adventure.

A nice thing about being here is that decisions is made quickly and not in lengthy sessions like at Hyper Island where people could argue their point of view for an indeterminate length of time. And i need to agree with Axel W. Its heaven!

200 words reached, Lars out!

Holler Sydney!

Hey, I'm John Andersson.

I've found my way to a digital agency in Sydney that goes by the name of Holler.
(Also located in London).


My first two weeks in Sydney has been quite confusing, lots of new impressions, but most of all, it's been great fun and awesome. Finding my way around in the city is getting easier, although sometimes I feel like a poor lost Swedish tourist.

The timing was perfect, the summer is just getting started over here. Going to work in flip flops everyday is great! And not having to wear three layers of clothing at this time of the year feels pretty good too!

I've been given a pretty slow introduction, which is kind of good, my work here so far has mostly consisted of various small tasks and just getting familiarized with the environment and the office. I will be working on all kinds of production and social media monitoring for campaigns further ahead.

The Holler team is a great bunch of friendly and talented people which I really look forward to working with and to learn from.

Alright, enough of this, I think it's time to head down to the pub for a Schooner... or two. Swedes just call it "En stor stark" (A large glass of strong beer).

Oh, by the way, I just found a nice place to stay in a suburb called "Bondi", close to the beaches, now I got to learn how to surf!

Cheers,
John aka "Johnno" aka "Swedish"

In Blackboard We Trust

At first i was a little skeptical about doing my internship in Stockholm, mostly becouse i dislike the weather this time of the year. But now i feel like staying in my home turf was the right choice, the only downside is that i dont have any adventurous tales to share like some of those who are doing their internships overboard. The most exciting thing i experienced last week for example was when i had to choose between raisen bread or bagels for breakfast.

This is my second week here at Blackboard in Stockholm, Blackboard is a really cool agency working mostly with advertising and web. We are 10 people strong plus some freelancers, the atmosphere is very friendly and everyone is extremely talented and passionate about their work which is really inspiring for me.

I have been kept busy all the time and was assigned to work with actual projects from the very start. The first week was mostly a introduction to the company and i assisted on a project in flash, also i have been alowed to study and practice my sketching and illustration techniques. Learning how to effectively sketch my ideas will make life a lot easier for me later on when working with 3D (and everything else for that matter).
Also i have been working on a logotype for a very exciting and fun project.

And i have switched from a pc to a mac, so i am still getting familiar with the new computer. Unfortunetly my copy of the 3d software Maya doesn´t work on the mac and i have to find out a way to work around this problem. Im loving some features on the mac but i actually miss my ugly but trusty pc.

Thats all from me for now folks, now lets make some green!

/ Jamil

Two weeks at Locomotiv and one on the toilett..

This last week has been hell. We caught a stomach bug last week and mine turned really bad last Friday. So it's been a hell of a week. But now we're better.

So, enough about my intestines. 3 weeks ago me and Henrik turned up at Locomotiv for our first day and we got "dumped" the furthest way possible from those we were to work with. It's an extremely boring and uncreative space. However, they are rearranging everyone in a week or two.

Aside from were we are sitting it has been great. Every one is super friendly and helpfull. So I’m doing my internship at Locomotiv, Stockholm.

Just before I got ill I was assigned the task of making a website sketch for a pitch which was really fun. To bad I couldn't finish it. But Tobias, the Art Director liked it which is awesome! Since I'm addicted to approval :p

After these first 3(well only two really) weeks I feel that I need to take a more active part in my internship and what I’m going to learn from it. So today I’ll do some thinking and planning and book a meeting with my ”mentor”.

Hopefully I’ll have something more exiting to talk about next time. Like scary taxi drivers in New York or hookers in Barcelona.

Peace!
/Gustaf

Hollywood isn't all about big penises

On the 14th November I left Värmland in search for some higher end in Los Angeles. My new home, Neoganda, is a twelve-man army and as they're located in West Hollywood they do a lot of websites for the movie industry. It's a great bunch of people, everyone's nice and dedicated to their work and they do it very well. I was immediately thrown into sharp projects and I've done some basic Flash and Photoshop work. I'm pretty eager to show them what I can do!

If you just wanted to see if I was alive and you don't really have time for humor, you should probably stop reading here.

A quick 101 that the tourist guide book don't tell you

• Everyone is into movies
• Don't think you're the only Scandinavian here
  
• Don't forget to tip
• Don't buy pizza... really. Go for burgers instead.

Language disabilities á la Johannes Andersson

So how does someone who can't even barely speak normal Swedish communicate in L.A?
Either you go for it or you don't. You can't just mumble your words and hope you'll be fine (tried that one). You have to speak cleary and loud so they hear you. It's a good exercise for me, trust me! And if you're real fancy you try to put on a Californian accent to it. With my limited speaking capabilities I tend to talk English with a Värmlandish feel (you know, like in a swingin' tone) like I know what I'm doing and hope I don't reveal myself. But I usually get discovered like in 2-3 second into the conversation, and then I switch to Phase #1. It's seems like a good idea in those situations.

• Phase #1: The "I'M FROM SWEDEN I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!" approach.
  You just play dumb and that you don't really know anything. You could probably curl you down on the ground and they would still figure out what you mean. Additionally, you use a lot of body-language in order to get your message across.
  
  

• Phase #2: "Yeah, dude"
  You test your wings and get your own style. Escpecially in L.A you use words like: "dude". You can get pretty far if you can say "Yeah, dude" in a neat way. When you've got some momentum you move forward and try harder words.

It was funny because I didn't have a Caffe Latté like in three weeks because I didn't know how to pronounce the word in English. It's OK now though! In case you're wondering it goes something like this: "kaffehi lattheiyj".



Yours Sincerely,

/jompa

A.W.O.L.

What's the haps! I'm Fredrik Fransson, and it's day 18.

This may come as a surprise to the powers that be, but I'm in Barcelona. Apparently I fell through the cracks of the system which came apparent when Sofia visited us this week. Allow me to paraphrase the initial interaction.

- Hi!
- Hi?
- How are you?
- Did you quit Hyper Island and started working here?
- No I'm doing my internship.
(Awkward silence)

Although my time here hasn't been counted for, it hasn't at all been wasted. I actually like it a lot. I'm at Vasava, roughly a 15-man strong design agency located in the Eixample area. When I first entered the premises, I started laughing. They run a gallery shop, Vallery, in the front and the Vasava office in the back, which sort of makes it look like an operation run by the Mafia.

In the very beginning, I was supposed to do a few tasks in order to determine my skill level, but when I met my C.D. and boss, he immediately through my right in to actual projects.

Thus far, I've primarily been working with print. But on monday we'll start some more interactive work with two notable fashion brands.

I pick up new things every day and I feel right at home.

/Fredrik

A Man With A Van

It's a beautiful day here in New York City. The sun is shining, birds a twittering, the computers are humming slowly. This is not the calm before the storm, it's the calm after the storm.

Yesterday was crazy. But I'll start with my internship. I'm at Firstborn Multimedia together with Brolin and Enstrom. The days are always filled with work, from when we get in at ten am 'til we go off at seven pm we're overwhelmed with tasks and deadlines. I like it. At the moment I'm working on this very secret project which I can't tell you anything about, more than that.... Hm, well I don't know. Anyway, I get to work a lot in 3d, which I also like.

People at the office are nice, now that I've gotten to know them better. It's inspiring to be in an environment with so many people that are better than you, at least it gives me the boost I need to feel motivated. A lot of my tasks so far have involved a lot of actual production, which has brought me the feeling of that in this short time I might even have learnt a lot. Didn't think internshipping would be this giving.

So. Last night after getting off work we (Petter, Pickan, Non-Hyper Robin and me) went to Ikea to buy stuff for our new apartment. I think that Pickan already told you about the apartment so I'm not gonna bother you with being repetitive. It's a good place. On our shopping list we had crammed together everything you can imagine needing when moving in to a new apartment - kitchen cooking starting set, plates, towels, toilet brush, cutlery, sheets, pillows etc etc... and last but not least, four queen size beds. And ladies and gentlemen, this is America, and in America you sleep on biig beds.

We thought that we had it all prepared. A friend of ours had given us this number to a "Man With A Van" (we had seen the ad earlier, 'I am a man, and I have a van'), who we had settled an appointment with outside Ikea Brooklyn at 9.30. At 9.45 we get through to him on the phone, and he says he has a broken tire and that it will take an hour for him to fix it. Ok. So that's bad news, but I guess we're fine anyway. 15 minutes later he calls up and suggests that maybe it's a good idea if we cancel it all. That's really bad news. By this time Ikea is closing and the guards are throwing inconvenient vibes at us. We start calling our friends to see if anyone knows any other men with vans. Nothing there. Pickan walks out on the street to see if there are any friendly New Yorkers who are willing to help us out. He sees a line of taxi cabs, and a guy with a large vehicle at the end of it. He walks up to him to see what he would charge. As it would show later, you apparently always walk up to the cab first in line, otherwise cabdrivers get mad. As did these ones, and a dispute turned into a argument which turned into a kicking fight through the window of a car. Daniel went inside again.

By this time Petter had lost it and was walking around in circles, swearing and cursing (I've never seen him do that before). 30 minutes later we got kicked out of the warm facilities of Ikea and out on the street. We piled our stuff together on the sidewalk. Now the cabdrivers were circling us like hungry hyenas, asking us where we come from, what are we doing here, where are we going, who are we waiting for... Various proposals started showing up. "90 dollars". "80 dollars". "75". "three cars for all your stuff, 65 dollars". Petter didn't like this. We still didn't know what to do.

Just as the flock of predators were going down on us, Pickans phone rang and The Man With A Van with a fainting breath shouted "I'm on Brooklyn Bridge now! I'm coming!!". For 15 minutes we dodged the rapid fire of suspicious questions coming from the hungry cabdrivers. A white big van suddenly bursted into the scene. Out of it stepped The Man With A Van and his companion. "Hey guys, so sorry we're late. Let's get this started". They wore their pants hanging from their knees. Under the harch staring of our previous duelers we started loading the van to the bursting limit. Suddenly a guard appeared, looking suspecting. The Man With A Van quietly nudged us, saying "come on, hurry up guys". Quickly we finnished the loading and threw ourselves into the back of the car, on top of all of the beds. The car gave away a screeing sound as it swooshed out of the parking lot.

So there we where, lying on a queen size bed in a van which belongs to a man. The street lights continuously passing by. The Manhattan skyline vigorously decorating our sideview.

I like New York. And I know it's a cliche, but ever heard someone say, being here feels like being in a movie?

Felix

Reporting från Deasign - Stockholm

Stockholm has never been so attractive as now!! I don't regret I decided to stay in Stockholm instead to do my internship in my home country, Brazil. I like the snow and Sweden is one of the best countries to work if you like digital media.  

After the PC incident, I'm much more calmer :-) I was spending my first week at Deasign trying to understand how a PC works. No comments, please!!! One of my assignment is to uppdate a client webbpage and I need to do this från a PC. This assignment is taking to much of my time (I want to be present at the meetings) and it is not giving me what I need to develope as a project manager. So I was irritated today when I realized I had spent two days with something I could have done in one hour. I'm really training my patience. The best is that I have a Mac too :-) to make me calm when the PC is driving me crazy.

Deasign is a nice agency to practice. We are just about 22 people at the office in Stockholm that is located in the Old Town. I have had a great time here so far. Inspiring creative meetings, nice and helpful people make me to feel really comfortable here. 

Roger used to say that "outside" the school it was not so different from Hyper Island and I must agree with him. It is almost exactly the same, the only difference is that here there is real money and more responsibility. 

My mentor inspires me all the time. She is taking good care of me and keeping me busy. I'm already feeling home here. 

// Erika

@ Palladium, Stockholm

Okay I’ll take it from the beginning, the first day was pretty tough and not what I expected.
I was spending the day running up and down in the house looking for someone who had a Windows CD so I could clean the harddrive of my computer. This day I got annoyed, irritated and it was the first day in 1, 5 years I watched the time and wanted to go home.
But now afterwards I can look at it in a positive way, if my workstation would have been ready then I probably wouldn’t get to know the other people at Palladium that fast.

My first real assignment was to make a motion for a client including matte painting, 3D and 2D composition. From this point everything went to the better, I got to show them I knew After effects and some 3D comp.

Today I started making a detailed and realistic albumcase in Maya. A great thing to start with when learning modeling. Everyone in my department is really helpful and has patience with me when I ask stupid questions.

This will turn out great. I love being geeky talking about effects and listening to chiptunes all day long.





It’s a cozy building with nice harmony.

And by the way, This is a none mac-friendly area ;D


kthxbye /Daniel Stenberg at Palladium