Heather Crank

One of most challenging projects I worked on was for a start-up called "Go Spot Check". They needed an opener for a tech conference that launched their new app. The Creative Director and I laid out the plan of attack, deliverables and deadlines. Four weeks into the project at a crucial decision making moment, I couldn't reach the C.D. She was traveling and while in another country, she wasn't receiving my emails.....

I took all of the information I had, created the opener, a stinger, social media clips, and mixed a custom soundtrack that targeted their niche. When the C.D. was finally back in range, horrified by what had happened and very apologetic (we were one week out from the conference, the stress was intense) she phoned me was overjoyed with the progress. No changes...the conference was a big success.

Absolutely! I've come a long way technically and my thinking is different. In the beginning I was focused on learning and climbing the ladder. Now I'm more interested in making a positive impact on the world.

Researching the target audience is vital to a brand identity project. Understanding who your audience is and what problems need to be solved will make or break a studio. A beautiful identity marketed to a niche that isn't interested is a recipe for failure.

When I was first starting out, social media was just becoming a "thing". Today,social is a necessary part of my daily routine. The lines between work and personal life have integrated more. I find it's more necessary to take downtime and get outside.

I always knew I wanted a creative career...it wasn't a choice but something I had to do, was compelled to do. Because my creative calling is so connected to who I am, my ambition and drive are high. My natural curiosity and motivation to constantly grow definitely helped me to find the "path".

One of my most cherished projects was commissioned by Ivar Zeile, founder of Denver Digerati, in collaboration with Night Lights Denver, to create an animation that was projection mapped onto the clock tower in downtown Denver, Co., as part of a curated collection by Denver Digerati 5th annual Supernova Digital Animation Festival "World on Fire."

The timeline of this project correlated with the BLM demonstrations. I saw this moment as an opportunity to join in the conversation, advocating and acknowledging the rights of those whose voices needed to be heard. I divided the "Unconquerable" animation into four sections; Patterns of Behavior, Torment, Broken Hearts, and We Rise (we loosely referenced language from the poem “Invictus” by WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY).

Hundreds of people walked by "Unconquerable" the week it was on display, and many more witnessed the work from the freeway and nearby buildings...I hope that in my small way, I provided hope and support to those that, at the moment, felt invisible.

I love collaboration and have a team I've worked with for years. It's wonderful to engage with other disciplines, I'm always astounded with the talent and ideas artists/designers in different disciplines bring to the table. We are able to solve bigger problems because of the varying types of expertise. Communication, asking good questions and allowing experts to do what they do best provides strong outcomes.

Structure and scheduling. I make sure I schedule time for getting outside, family and vacations.

My personal projects are driven from my subconscious and my vivid dream life. In 2022 I began posting Gen AI experiments across my social media channels call "Morning Meditations". This ongoing series shares my reflections on creative work, the news, the creative process, ambitions, and daily life....included in the post are some of the words used in the prompt to encourage experimentation and to share knowledge.