Welcome to Views from the Hydra Tank, a collection of interviews from the very creatives and strategists that make up the globe-panning pool of HydraHeads within Giant Hydra. While a team of HydraHeads works as one solid, integrated unit, that unit is still made up of individuals of different skills sets, nationalities and of course personalities. This column aims to shed light on those personalities.
——————————————————
Hailing from Chappaqua, NY, and now residing in Brooklyn, Jaime Schwarz contemplated following in his father’s footsteps as a clinical psychologist,. This all changed when he witnessed the Nissan Maxima “Pigeons” spot during Super Bowl XXXI. This led Jaime to research as many ads and agencies as he could, eventually ending up at the Chicago Portfolio School. Unfortunately Murphy’s Law saw that his graduation was promptly followed by the unfriendly markets of the dot.com bust and 9/11.
Undeterred, Jaime returned to school — this time the Miami Ad School — and eventually spent time at JWT before deciding to go freelance. “Since then I’ve worked on more brands for more clients than I ever thought I’d work on in my career,” he says.
Jaime is one of the most prolific HydraHeads in all of Giant Hydra, and has participated in almost every assignment that has gone through the Hydra Tank. We felt he was the perfect guy to kick off this new column.
——————————————————
Giant Hydra: How did you first hear about Giant Hydra?
Jaime Schwarz: “I did a few Porfolio Nights when I was a junior and have been an avid reader of IHAVEANIDEA since the beginning of my career, so when Giant Hydra came along, my interest was piqued. I joined because it was another way to get my foot in doors, meet more colleagues, and keep me concepting.”
Giant Hydra: What was your first Giant Hydra project like? Was it a steep learning curve, or was it easy to get into?
Jaime: “I had no idea how that first Giant Hydra project would go. The interface was easy enough, but it was the experience itself I couldn’t predict. Thankfully, there was no learning curve. If you can concept, you can use Giant Hydra.”
Giant Hydra: One of the major aspects of Giant Hydra is its collaborative nature. How has it been to work with other HydraHeads?
Jaime: “Concepting by yourself is exponentially harder than working with others. Bouncing ideas around, giving a Seed to someone and watching them turn it into something you never would have thought of and vice versa is essential for great ideas. Imagine that two person team you’re used to and multiplying it five or six or even tenfold. I’ve never worked with such a diverse group of creative minds at any point of my career than working with my fellow HydraHeads.”
Giant Hydra: You’ve been selected to be on many Giant Hydra projects, and thus you’ve worked with a lot of different HydraHeads and creative directors. What qualities make for a great HydraHead?
Jaime: “To be a great HydraHead, you’ve got to have the confidence and pride to throw your half-baked ideas out there for all to see and tear apart. You also need the selflessness to let your thoughts be part of the giant pot that no one person takes credit for.”
“This format requires you to put your ideas out there sooner than you’d like. When it’s just you and a partner in an agency you can, in the safety of your office say anything you want and vet it before other teams or the CD sees it. Here, you’re all partners, including the CD, and there’s only one office, the site. On top of that, if these teeny Seeds have any chance of turning into great ideas, you have to let them be taken over by the collective. It’s a whole other type of thick skin I’ve had to grow. ”
” I’ve never worked with such a diverse group of creative minds at any point of my career than working with my fellow HydraHeads.”"
Giant Hydra: What should a new HydraHead expect when getting thrown in with you “veterans”?
Jaime: “It’s easier than you think and it’s harder than you think. You know when you’re really into a project when you give yourself over to it. That happens with a lot of these. Even though it’s in your home, on your own time, a great idea will make you work harder.”
Giant Hydra: What should a creative director know or do to get the most out of Giant Hydra, based on your experience?
Jaime: “As a CD, you need to be part of the discussion. Steer us. This is highly collaborative. It’s basically a single, but very complex, conversation between a handful of people that goes on for a week or so. If you’re not a part of it, you have no idea what you’ll get until it’s too late.”
Giant Hydra: What has been the biggest surprise about working on Giant Hydra?
Jaime: “I’d have to say it was the Giant Hydra point system. In the beginning I thought it seemed trite, quite frankly. I knew game theory, so I thought I was above it. But it’s funny, once the points started rolling in, it kept me up later to think of just one more idea. ”
Giant Hydra: What’s the best part about working on Giant Hydra, for you, the creative?
Jaime: “Giant Hydra is a creative icing on my career cake. It’s supplemental income and it’s supplemental thinking. It’s that line about a shark, you’ve got to keep moving in order to breathe. As a creative, you have to keep thinking, keep the gears going or you rust quickly. Giant Hydra gives me access to great minds all over the world. ”
Giant Hydra: What would you tell a creative director or agency who is interested about Giant Hydra but hasn’t made the plunge just yet?
Jaime: “You can never have too many good ideas, and Giant Hydra is the easiest way to get more of them. ”
