Next to releasing The Art Department | World Tour interviews and talks on our On Demand platform we also release some parts for free on our YouTube Channel. We feel the panel discussions we had during the World Tour are important to heard by as many creatives as possible as they open up new perspectives on visual storytelling. First up is the panel we had with 9B Collective about the rise and success of black creatives.
And just to add a pinch of fun, we’re also adding the Pictionary with Giants in the free-mix! Enjoy both videos and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel in order to not miss any fresh additions!
9B Collective is the first black-owned concept art studio made up primarily of BIPOC artists and founded by Phillip Boutté Jr., Mike Uwandi and Aldis Hodge. The studio’s goal is to provide a shift in the entertainment landscape by working towards true inclusivity both in front of, and behind the camera. During the World Tour we had the incredible opportunity of meeting co-founders Phillip Boutté Jr. and Mike Uwandi which, together with host Danar Worya, tackled as series of important subjects for 9B Collective: community, representation, inclusivity but also education of younger generations.
The panel also discussed the importance and the specificity of different cultural backgrounds. How people belonging to a specific culture should have a voice in the depiction of that culture on screen and in media because they are the ones to better grasp the little things that can contribute so much to the suspension of disbelief, to the authenticity of a story. How we should each understand our own ignorance when it comes to our knowledge regarding other cultures, let alone presuming to know for certain how they think and feel. In other words: “uncenter ourselves in order to take in new information”.
Aaaand, on a totally different note, to light up the spirits we present you Pictionary with Giants! Four artists went head to head in an epic sketching battle. John Nevarez and Patrick O’Keefe a.k.a Hurricane Bomb teamed up against Nick Hiatt and Will Coyner a.k.a Thunder Guns (plural)!
The game has it all: surprising guesses, frustrating misses, drawing with handicaps (with eyes closed, with a mouse or non-dominant hand), plus incredible revelations – such as Patrick’s not knowing who Elsa from Frozen is and how she looks like!
Which team will be crowned as the winner, though? You’ll just have to watch and see!