The WORKS GOOD! MAGAZINE fifth interview involves creative studio FIELD from London, who does not only work branding and artwork, but also installation, interactive content, and space production. Despite only having 7 employees, they are partnered with many national companies such as NIKE, Adidas and TOYOTA. What is important in forming teams of creators (including freelancers) from all over the world, in order to continue producing results on large scale projects?

Question 1：
Please tell us about your company.

FIELD are a specialized creative studio in London. We combine art + technology to create immersive audio-visual experiences, and powerful new formats of visual communication. Working with selected brands and cultural institutions world-wide, we produce artworks across moving image, interactive experiences, screen-based and kinetic installations. We are currently have around eight different projects in various stages of development, from design exploration to final production.
These projects range from technology, automotive, fashion, branding and installation, from Asia, Europe and the USA.

Question 2：How big is your company?

We are led by Managing Director, Vera-Maria Glahn, and Creative Director, Marcus Wendt. We currently have two full time project managers and a studio manager on the production side. For design, we have a full time developer, as well as a full time designer, as well as a large roster of freelance talent who we bring on depending on the projects we have on, plus 1–2 interns. Having an agile team and way of working has been really effective for us.

Question 3：
When your team start a new project, what work process does your member follow?

We usually receive a concept via email, which is investigated by the Managing Director and production team. We speak to the client to determine the scope of the project, the time frame, the budget and creative concept, and prepare an internal debrief of the project. We discuss with the Creative Director if the project inspires and interests us, and we have the capacity to do the project. If we all agree and feel excited by the concept, we will start a discussion with the client to fully understand the project, and begin the contracting process, as well as starting an internal process of managing the team and their time to meet the project deadlines.

Question 4：
How do you work with freelancers? 

Many of our freelancers are based outside of London, but when we are working on a project together, we try as much as possible to have them work with us in studio. That way, we can communicate with them more closely and avoid conflicts of understanding.

Question 5：
On average, how many projects each person handle at one time?

This varies depending on the size of the project and the artist’s speciality. Sometimes we will bring in an artist/designer who will only work on a freelance basis, and they bring the best of their knowledge and experience to one aspect of the project.

Other team members will work on 1–2 projects at a time, and also get involved in design exploration and pitches for other jobs.

Question 6：
How often do you do the pitch? And does clients pay the fee?

We accept up to 5 pitches per month. In the event of a competition, to clarify to what extent we can make a proposition, we submit proposition materials or Mood Board.
We are not typically paid for pitch and I believe it is uncommon to be paid one in England.

Question 7：
On what basis does your team decide to take the project and start working?

The most important, and ideal circumstances are that we feel inspired and excited creatively, and that we can really contribute to the development of a project. Of course, we do have to consider budget, but we like to take on a range of projects to keep a balance between artistic and commercial.

Question 8：
Please tell us about the characteristics of your clients.

We are really lucky to have a very varied group of clients — and this reflects our work as well. We love to work on artistic commissions with cultural institutions, such as the British Library, but also working with big brands on commercial projects allows us to really push the boundaries of our technological capabilities.

Toyota ‘Unique Flow’

Chivas Regal ‘The Essence’

Question 9：
You mentioned recently that you often work on projects with freelancers, but is their anything you try to keep in mind when doing so?

Firstly, when we work with freelancers, we are conscious of whether we are properly sharing the scope of the project and the concept we thought of. At the start of each week we hold a meeting to share goal for the week, and every day we hold a catch-up meeting to share our tasks. I think that making sure to reconcile our ideas properly and sharing our progress and the tasks we need to complete is something very important to working with freelancers.

Furthermore, although this is something not just confined to working with freelancers, we make sure to make the contents of the commitments formed between ourselves and the clients open to everyone involved in the project.

Question 10：
Finally, what as a company do you believe is the most important requirement for doing “good work?”

Good Work is work which is produced by people who really respond to the brief, who can challenge themselves to create something new creatively, or technologically. It’s work that meet the clients expectation, and occasionally surprises them, and can teach them something new about their own work.

It’s about creating a meaningful relationship between colleagues, collaborators and clients, and it’s about staying true to the intentions of your studio.

Works of FIELD
 
<Diesel ‘New Natures SS16’>

 <Monotype ‘Type Reinvented’>

<GF Smith ‘10,000 Digital Paintings’>

<Adidas by Stella McCartney ‘Barricade SS15’,>

<Kinetic Light Sculpture ‘Spectra-3’>

This article was published at the time of release in June 2017.

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