I’m extremely excited right now. Excited on the order of a six year old heading to Disneyland with a backpack full of chocolate bars.I am amped up because one of my personal goals as a Digital Media Artist is about to be fulfilled. But before I can reveal what that goal is, some back story is needed.

In 2005, I was nearing a pivotal time in my career. Nearly finished my program at Seneca’s prestigious School of Communication Arts, I found myself in the same predicament that many graduates of Digital Media Arts find themselves in. I had skills, I understood a lot of software, and I could do a bit of everything from illustration, to audio engineering, video and programming. I was also flat broke.One of the reasons I was flat broke was because I had used the last of my funds buying a ticket to FITC – the technology and design festival (that set me back a cool $400 – a big bite for a student). It was a bit of a chance spending that money, but I had high hopes it would pay off for me in terms of opportunities I would encounter while there.Another of my friends who was attending was Ray DeGuzman, already alumni of the program (now senior creative at Proximity). I recall that he was very excited to be there because a shop called “Big Spaceship” was going to be presenting. He looked at me like I had just grown horns when I told him that I didn’t know who they were.”Are you insane?” he demanded, “They’re the BEST!”And so I let myself be persuaded to attend. It was one of the best moves I have made.The guys from Big Spaceship did such a great job of presenting their work. In particular, the site they made for Underworld Evolution opened my eyes in a way that I could not go back from. I sat dumbfounded, hardly able to believe that this was a website I was looking at. The attention to detail, and cinematic quality, and the clever design all came together into something that was so much more than what I knew to be website up until then. Then and there, I knew that I would have to learn how this was done, and I would have to do the same myself.The following week, I had another stroke of fortune in meeting Dave Stubbs, who was ACD at Organic Toronto (now partner at Teehan&Lax). In my interview, we spoke at length about the things I had seen at FITC, and in fact the interview stretched out to almost two hours. After several more interviews, I was hired, and thus began my actual career.

It has long been a goal of mine to go to New York and see firsthand the shop that inspired me. Through the last three years of intense study on programming, design, architecture and team-based development, I have often recalled that day. I also found that in addition to being brilliant, the guys from Big Spaceship are extremely approachable. They truly are into what they do, and make time for those who feel the same.And now, today, I am at last making good on my longtime goal. It is a thrill for me to think about what the last three years have been to me in getting me to this point. Even more, I am inspired to think about what the next three years could mean for my shop, my growth, and this industry that I work in.

Big Spaceship – here I come!

As I write this, I am sitting in the lounge at Porter Airport, awaiting a flight to Newark. It is the first time I’ve flown this airline, and I have a few thoughts.Porter differs greatly from the large airports, and I’m finding the change quite refreshing. Checkin was quick and very efficient. The staff, even security, were friendly and professional with crisp uniforms and friendly smiles. Coffee is free, and marvel of marvels comes in the form of espresso, cappucino, or Americano. And it actually tastes very good!The lounge is equipped to favor the business traveller, which would make sense given that Porter air does quick flights to New York. Seating is spacious and comfortable, and power outlets are abundant. I understand the wireless is good, but I wouldn’t know since I opted to use one of the already set up mac workstations. While my mac exposure is limited to Final Cut and Protools, I find these stations easy to use, and the screens a joy to look at with tired morning eyes. In fact, I find it hard to imagine a single thing that Porter is not doing better than the traditional big airports. It is less crowded, more personal, right down to the “porter” labelled bottles of water that were likewise complementary.All in all, I’d recommend Porter for business travelers. We’ll see what the actual flight is like, but if it resembles the stress-free atmosphere of the checkin and lounge, I can look forward to a peaceful journey. Like the ad-campaign said; ‘my money is on the little guy’.