Midnight Art Series: Talent Pooling

One of our main missions at Behance is to connect creative professionals with each other, in hopes their singular talents and collaborative efforts will combine to reach levels perhaps unreachable alone. We were so excited to learn that Brian Supler, creator and curator of the Midnight Art Series had invited Claudia Sandoval to join his team as visual director to take his project to the next stage; even more exciting is the connection they're making with Behance Network participants for the third installment of the Midnight Art Series. Behance caught up with Brian to discuss the roots and wings of his project, his charitable aspirations and using Behance Network as the platform for communication between himself and his team.

The Midnight Art Series is a living art experience; participants are given a project with a set theme and medium to complete within a twenty-four hour period. The performance and presentation of these works comprise the event itself. "To get MAS off the ground I discussed the idea with friends, created a 6 week timeline to launch the first and second series, invited a guest-curator with a direct connection to the talent that we invite to each series, tapped the talent pool for art direction on advertising, press and web, and pitched and won sponsorship. I have learned over the last couple of years, that I am much better in life when my gifts are matched with the gifts of another person, work or personal. Claudia Sandoval from Behance.net has teamed up with me as visual director to develop and launch the branding for the third installment of the Midnight Art Series. Each series will wear a new closet of branding. As the creator and curator for each series I have the idea in mind, in the case of the current series: paired in 12 teams of two one opera singer and one DJ will be given 24 hours to remaster a classical work of music."

MAS's successful production relies on a fine balance of deadlines and flexibility. "I prepare a 6 week timeline with end goals and each day has milestones that need to be completed.  When we run out of time on a specific day and milestones are left, we simply move them forward to the next day and work a little bit harder to get them complete." For Brian himself, initially his greatest obstacle was maintaining a positive outlook and confidence in himself and his abilities. "The greatest challenge was not seeing my ideas executed.  Simply because I was afraid of trying.  The last two years I have executed idea for multiple clients as well as for me.  So I overcame the challenge by just doing it, deciding to actualize things and realizing that I am capable of doing an excellent job. I have an end goal in mind, [and] I create daily tasks to complete -- following this path inevitable gets me to accomplish my end goal."

The next iteration of Midnight Art Series will be sourced with talent from Behance Network, and communication between the team is conducted via a private circle on the network. "When I started out with the concept, I had an idea of what I wanted to communicate visually; when I invited Claudia to be apart of this, we started the process when I created a visual mood board and story book for the series. The mood board contained artists, colors, photographs, fonts and marketing ideas that inspired me.  Then I created a story book "pitch book" which is the blueprint for the next three months for the series. We reviewed this together.  Then Claudia set off and began creating posters that would frame the branding, and we have been going back and forth collaboratively. Now we have invited 6 Behancers to be apart of the MAS 03 circle.  When Claudia and I sign off on the branding, we will write a brief and invite people in the circle to take part in the development of all elements of our brand and marketing communications."

Charity will be a major focus for Midnight Art Series 3, more specifically raising awareness about homelessness and innovations to aid those in need. "My mission is to do good and make money doing it -- there does not need to be a separation between philanthropy and earning a satisfying living. MAS, as well as creating for our patrons an evening of pure escapism, is very aware that there are many people in New York for whom the reality of daily life is a grueling affair.  Escape from the trials of living on the street is something of which many can only dream.  And being homeless over the winter is one of the worst hardships; therefore MAS #3 aims to raise money that can go towards product innovations (e.g, modular/foldable cardboard housing/heat bags) to make this reality a little easier for a future series, ideas that will be developed and produced by invited industrial designers."

The next installment of Midnight Art Series 3 is planned for February 2008.