Sep 24, 2012 8 Questions With: 0484Creative
We met the talented guys at 0484CREATIVE through our mutual friend Jeff Staple. The Irvine, Orange County-based digital agency produces video and websites for the likes of Ducati, Shriners Hospitals, Microsoft, and Hot Wheels. The company was founded when Gabe and Matt decided not to get “real jobs” in 2007. They were on hand to shoot Jeff while he interviewed The RZA earlier in the year. On top of an impressive and eclectic roster of clients, 0484CREATIVE also maintain an impressive travel schedule, more often that not, off in some interesting-sounding location. You can take a peek at some behind the scenes action over on their blog. Matt and Gabe were kind enough to find the time to sit down and answer our questions about what they do.
What are you guys working on today?
Editing a bunch of random client videos, trying to nail down a time for a meeting with an NBA agent to discuss doing some work for with his clients (although Gabe’s secretly hoping to get a 10-day contract himself) and filming a few product pickup shots.
How do you describe your jobs?
We usually tell people that we run a small creative agency making videos and websites and stuff like that.
What does your average work day look like?
We’re usually traveling a week or 2 every month. Those days are generally pretty long – up early, snag something that resembles breakfast, eat it in the car on the way to the location and then we film all day, grab dinner, and then setup our ‘mobile office’ in a hotel room and prep for the next day.
Back home, Matt gets up early and takes his Great Dane, Mamba, to the Dog Park and then starts work. Gabe gets up slightly less early and then starts the day by dealing with e-mails and stuff for clients. On any given day we’ll work on a lot of random stuff – print ads, web design, editing, etc. Definitely a mix between doing the actual work and then running the whole business side of things.
We’ve been busy recently, working long hours and stuff but busy is good, so no complaints.
What is one of the major highlights of the 0484CREATIVE portfolio so far?
About a year ago we went out to Colorado with The ID Agency and filmed a piece for Ducati covering a motorcycle race at a mountain called Pikes Peak. A bunch of random stuff ended up taking place on race day, crashes and record times etc, and all of that made for a good story. We ended up putting together a 15-minute short film that recapped everything and everyone at Ducati was pretty into it. It’s actually like the most popular video on their YouTube channel now and it’s led to a lot of cool things for us ever since.
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere. Traveling. We also find a lot of inspiration online – checking out what other people are up to, reading blogs and looking at behind the scenes type stuff from other artists and filmmakers.
As kids, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Matt wanted to be a pro surfer. Or pro wake boarder. He likes the water. Gabe wanted to play in the NBA. He’s having trouble letting that dream go – especially in light of Linsanity.
What are you reading at the moment?
Just read Anything You Want by Derek Sivers. It’s about entrepreneurship and doing things your own way – super short, but a great read. Also been reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers for a while now.
What’s the post-work destination of choice for the 0484 crew?
Playing pickup basketball at the gym, taking Mamba to the Dog Beach, up at Staples Center catching a Laker game, eating Mongolian Beef at PF Chang’s, stuff like that. When we’re on the road, on the rare occasion we have an off-day, we’ll try to get out of the hotel and explore a bit. We’ve been going on the New York Times‘ Travel Section and finding a lot of cool, local stuff to do – art museums or good places to eat, that type of thing.