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Interviews

Wednesday’s “Watch This”: PressPausePlay – A FILM ABOUT HOPE, FEAR AND DIGITAL CULTURE.

November 9, 2011
Change, Interviews, New Ideas, Videos
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My friend Aaron Cooper suggested I check this out. And I owe him big thanks for doing so.
I just finally got around to watching this late last night and I thought it was great; entertaining, informative – an easy introduction to people not fully familar with the changes being brought about by digital culture.

The creative landscape is changing. Some talk about a revolution. Others talk about a natural evolution. These changes affect everything. From creation to distribution, from artist to consumer.

And in the spirit of the film’s topic, you can download the film for FREE from their website. (As Seth Godin says ideas that are free spread faster.)
Also have a look at the interactive version – that’s now on my to do list.

Description
The digital revolution of the last decade has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities. But does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out? This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a documentary film containing interviews with some of the world’s most influential creators of the digital era.

AQR in the Herald – Sept. 29th

September 29, 2011
AQR Ventures, Interviews, Social Media, Startups
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http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1265642.html

Agency helps companies capitalize on social media 

By BRUCE ERSKINE Business Reporter
Thu, Sep 29 - 4:55 AM

You say you want a revolution? Rob MacArthur is your man.

The co-founder of Halifax co-work space, The Hub, recently launched a new technology consulting company, A Quiet Revolution, which he’s dubbed a social disruption agency.

The agency is designed to help businesses capitalize on the sometimes wasted potential of the brave new world of social media, MacArthur said in an interview.

“It’s causing disruption, but there are great new opportunities,” said the Sydney native and Dalhousie University science graduate.

MacArthur said social media like Twitter and Facebook and online sharing have turned the way people connect upside down, causing confusion and uncertainty for many businesses and organizations.

But those new media technologies can be tailored and focused to work effectively to “find the others,” he said, citing one of ’60s guru Timothy Leary’s favourite maxims.

Rather than simply helping clients set up social media accounts, MacArthur said A Quiet Revolution will work with them to maximize the benefits of social media and give them a competitive advantage.

He characterized the agency’s approach to clients by posing a question he would ask in trying to help them.

“What are you trying to do and who are the people who want to do the same thing?” he said, suggesting it is more effective to connect with 300 like-minded people online than it is to have a million Twitter followers.

A Quiet Revolution offers social media site and strategy development, web and mobile application development, new business model development and related advisory services.

It also plans to stage new technology events and draw on MacArthur’s experience as a musician, a rehearsal space operator and co-founder of the crowd funding website, IOUMusic.

The site gives fans the opportunity to make donations to bands they listen to online.

“It goes back to our focus,” said MacArthur, who noted that the music industry in particular has been transformed by the advent of new technology.

IOUMusic will be part of the new agency, as will a quarterly magazine, SPIDER, which will address new technology issues and focus on local entrepreneurs.

( berskine@herald.ca)

 

 

 

SPIDER – our quarterly – spinning a new web of influence

September 21, 2011
AQR Ventures, Interviews, New Ideas
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THAT’S JUST A MOCK-UP
The above is a quick mock-up I did for a team meeting. The logo is a font created by Isaac. While the monkey is a painting from his extremely talented brother (Isaac is the Danny Devito from Twins in this sibling rivalry – I kid I kid….he knows he is loved). And wait til you see the actual magazine – eventually Isaac will have developed a font specifically for it, and is responsible for designing the sharp layout (that is not evident in MY mock-up and you need to see the inside).

The first issue will ideally be out in time for Halloween. Via http://issuu.com it will be embeddable and available for all to read, but there will also be perfect bound print copies available directly from us or online.

Each issue will feature a cover story interview subject who gets the – well monkey treatment from Jeremy (as thanks we will also be sending the actually painting to them).

THE USUALSPIDER CONTENT 
Each issue will address topics based on the acroymn that makes up teh name with an overarching theme for each issue:
Social: issues exploring the ways and opportunities people come together
People: profiles and interviews with doers
Information: covering the internet, bringing you the info you need.  In each issue you will find a infographic center-fold from our own infographic wizard Spencer.
Design: from print and the web to the real world, we explore great design and provide tips on incorporating it into your own projects
Entrepreneurship: we believe it improves communities, beats a day job and we hope to show you why and sell you on trying it for yourself while celebrating those who have
Rock n Roll: we mainly come from music backgrounds. There is ample experience and antidotes from the failing music industry to apply to any business or industry. Plus, we think you could use some better music in your life and have no shortage of suggestions.

ISSUE ZERO PREVIEW
Our first issue, actually Issue Zero – will have the overall theme of addressing failure and if failing is really such a bad thing to begin with.

Besides music, the RnR section will address the opportunities presented by constraints and how limited resources are no excuse for failing (or not even trying) via a look at rock icons such as the Ramones and the White Stripes.

Spencer is working on a infographic spread addressing the failures of the music industry.

The design section will address user vs. company innovations and who is likely to be more successful. We may highlight some amazing failures from the design field as well.

The entrepreneur section will be focused exclusively on our home town of Halifax, NS – and highlighting the kinds of companies and people we hope don’t fail and can inspire others. This will be our inaugural HFX50+ list. Click the link for more details on HFX50+.

The social and people sections are still in dvelopment but should hopefully entertain and enlighten you at the same time on the opportunities present in failure while showing you other views on failure.
 

Q&A with Rob MacArthur

June 7, 2011
Interviews
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I had friends submit questions that would help potential clients or partners of AQR get to know me. After eliminating some totally inappropriate questions (you know who you are), and combining those that were similar here are 20 that made the cut. – Rob

What are some design influences?
I love Polish movie posters. So much more interesting than their North American counterparts. Big fan of a number of jazz labels design from the 60s. And book covers, or anything that represents a series. Interested in creative ways of representing an ongoing item in a shared manner while allowing each item to have its’ own individual look or feel.

What are some of your favorite things in Halifax?
The people and people watching. The green spaces, Common, Public Garden, Citadel Hill. Drinking beer on the patios downtown in the summer. Its’ small size. Lots of different special events. October is amazing here: Halifax Pop Explosion, a truly scary haunted house (seriously, walk through by yourself next year) and an amazing night of city-wide art called Nocturne. So much goodness pretty much has October as my fav month outside the summer to be here.

Where would you recommend folks eat in Halifax?
Any sushi place whose name starts with a D.  Morris East. janes on the common. Coastal Cafe. Ardmore, where I had my first meal with my future wife.

Name a book that has had an impact on you?
The first Irving Layton poetry book I ever read – I have to track down which one it was exactly though. I’ll end up purchasing it eventually. Eye opening to the power of words and how there were no hard and fast rules for poetry or any style of writing. Then extrapolate that to life and business. Read More