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Interviews

Q&A With Dustin Brown, Co-Creator Of The Brief

Toronto-based advertising and communications agency Elemental recently launched a four-part web series called The Brief. Dustin Brown is a partner at the agency who co-created the series.

Why did you decide to make a web series about agency life?

We have always tried to do promotional pieces about the agency to either attract new clients or new employees, bring on new talent and [create] stuff to show our clients what we’re capable of doing. We have run some campaigns in the past and then when one of our new copywriters came on board, he was a director and had the background. I had toyed around with making a full-length series once upon a time and he had some ideas about how to do a web series, which I had never really explored. We brought these two things together and created these shorts and we just had fun with it. From there, it grew into this four-part series, which is great.

March 15, 2016 by Sarah Prince

Behind The Books: Kelsey Miller

Name: Kelsey Miller

Best Known For: Big Girl: How I Gave Up Dieting And Got A Life (2016)

Education: Film & Television, Boston University

Employment: Senior Features Writer, Refinery29

Professional role models: David Sedaris & Tina Fey

How did spending years in therapy help you write a memoir?

The work I did (and still do) in therapy enabled me to grow up and live my life, without which there would be no memoir. I also never would have been able to write about my problems and difficulties without first sorting through them and working my ass off so that they weren’t the controlling force of my life. It’s a lot more complicated than this, but the short version is that I went into therapy feeling like one big problem — I was composed of trauma and disorder and dysfunctional experiences. Therapy doesn’t erase those things but it helped me realize that I’m not simply the sum total of my [problems]. Those things are in me and a part of me, but I don’t have to sit around and wait to be fixed and perfect in order to move forward with my life. I always thought you had to be All Better with a capital B in order to write a reflective memoir. Nope. You just get on with your life and your goals, issues or not.

Do you think your theatre training has helped you become a better storyteller?

Man, I sure hope so. I’d like to think my parents’ investment in a decade’s worth of theatre training paid off somehow. I’d always enjoyed storytelling and have huge admiration for good storytellers. (My mom and dad are both incredibly funny and I used to wish I could crack up a dinner table the way they could.) I haven’t done theatre in ages, but there are certain lessons that will always be with me: finding your intention in a scene, showing and not telling, etc. Those are all good instincts for writers as well.

January 7, 2016 by Sarah Prince

Perez Hilton Will Star In Full House The Musical!

After catching up on G-rated entertainment on Netflix by watching old episodes of Full House, it’s exciting to announce that celebrity blogger Perez Hilton will star in Full House The Musical!

The show will debut in Toronto at the Randolph Theatre in August. Perez loves spending time in Toronto and he especially admires how we celebrate theatre as a city. In a phone interview, Perez noted that Toronto’s passion for theatre makes our culture distinctly different from Los Angeles, where people see more movies than stage shows.

Considering how much time he spends online, it’s unsurprising that Perez landed this opportunity through social media. When he saw a friend in the entertainment industry post about the show, he immediately commented that he wanted to get involved. “I even joked that I would be Mary-Kate and Ashley,” he recalled. “Then Tobly, one of the creators, saw my comment and asked my friend if I was serious and I said, ‘Yes, I’m very serious,’ so then we set up a meeting.” Perez sent the creators footage of him singing to convince them that the Tisch School of the Arts graduate was talented enough to play Danny Tanner.

July 1, 2015 by Sarah Prince

Behind The Brand: Best Buy

Name: Elliott Chun

Position: Communications Manager

Education: Visual Arts and Sociology, Western University; Public Relations, Humber College

Professional role model: Richard Branson. He’s a tremendous leader, showman and will one day take us up to space.

Favourite Best Buy purchase: My Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone. I never leave home without it and would certainly be lost without it.

In 140 characters or less, what is your favourite part of your job?

Working with an extremely talented group of people, publicizing everything Best Buy, including our vendors, community work and services.

What are your daily responsibilities as a Communications Manager?

I’m constantly discovering creative ways with my teams to promote and story-tell the fantastic things Best Buy is achieving in Canada. I also protect our brand and build campaigns to engage media and customers while identifying and building a community of advocates.

What are the perks of working at Best Buy?

There are too many to list! First off, the biggest perk is working with incredible people. I genuinely enjoy working regularly with a talented group of people. This includes the gifted team at our head offices in Burnaby, our stores, agency and vendor partners and our senior leadership teams. Secondly, as a guy who naturally loves tech and uses it to simplify and enhance my life, the staff discount comes in handy. Additionally, when I’m at the head office, I always appreciate having access to the subsidized, modern gym, as well as the B.C. trails, which are liberating when heading out on an after-work run. Lastly, the food services in our common areas at the head office and regional offices are a nice perk too.

April 23, 2015 by Sarah Prince

Behind The Brand: Jack Astor’s

Name: Jason Cassidy

Position: Community Manager

Education: Political Science and Journalism, St. Thomas University; Professional Communication, Ryerson University

Professional role model:

Amanda Nelson was my supervisor at Radian6. Similar to myself, she began as a journalist and turned those foundational skills of writing, editing and storytelling into an up-and-coming role based on content creation and management. I admire her because of what I learned under her guidance, but I also really aspire to work in a similar role.

In 140 characters or less, why should Canadians eat and drink at Jack Astor’s?

Jack Astor’s offers delicious food in a fun, unpretentious setting served by a team of infectiously energetic and pleasant people.

Which menu items do you recommend for first-time customers?

Without hesitation, the Holy Smoke BBQ Burger or The 10oz South American top sirloin steak. Insider tip: order the Jack’d n Stack’d garlic cheese fries on the side!

What do you love about Jack Astor’s food?

About 95% of the menu is made in-house. The Cluckin’ Fresh Chicken Fingers, for example, begin as a boneless, skinless chicken breast. They are then massaged for 2 minutes, chopped and breaded twice for extra crunch. Fresh is best and I don’t think we do a good enough job of communicating that—myself included!

April 25, 2014 by Sarah Prince

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