What AQUENT did...
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- parseInteger
This is a little story about the people at Aquent NYC. I was sent on an assignment to work for a boutique agency in Soho about two years ago. The senior designer was a print designer, she is a good designer but she knows NOTHING about flash or building dynamic applications. She asked me to build a flash site for a website for a semi-famous photographer friend of hers (a pro bono project on her side) and kept asking how long it was going to take. I told her about two weeks. Which is nothing but the site design was so incredible and the photography was so incredible I really wanted to get the project out there. I proceeded to work on the project day and night. I began to build a dynamic XML driven system as the catalog of photos was huge I'd say somewhere near 100 photos. I built a system with a nested directory structure, really fucking complicated shit. Every day I would go into the office and build the app, produce the graphics, produce the animations and transitions, and actionscript the fucker. And she watched the progress every day. Of course the whole time she is tweeking and changing shit cutting into production time. After two weeks she calls Aquent and tells them she doesn't want to pay for the site. The site is 95 percent finished at this point. And needed only about two more days of work to be finished. Aquent pays for the site. She asks me to return for the extra couple of days to finish the site. Which I do. Then she sits on the project for about 3 weeks. Doesn't pulish it online. Then she finally comes out with the site. Exactly as I had produced and coded it.
I subsequently put the site which I made, coded, and produced with my own two hands in my portfolio. She calls Aquent and demands that I take the site out of my portfolio. Aquent fully supports her because I suppose something you sign when you first go to Aquent gives the client the right for them to dictate what work you do for them may be put in your portfolio. Does that apply to your resume as well? I don't konw. If you work on a project for 6 months and then the client says you cant put the thing in your portfolio how the hell are you supposed to get work?!!!!! Aquent nyc was retarded. She played the fuck out of them!!! Furthermore, They would be making so much more money off of me than this crazy bitch who had no respect or understanding of Flash Development. She thinks Flash is just Photoshop for the web. I told the people at Aquent NYC I had no intention of working them ever again. They don't support their artists! And to make matters worse I really beleive the whole thing is centered around racism. I really beleive I was treated differently by Aquent because of my race. Beware of Aquent NYC, beware of clauses that you sign there that allow 'clients' to dictate what work you perform may or may not be showcased in your portfolio. That project is still in my portfolio. I wonder somtimes if I could sue that bitch for libel if a potential employer calls her and she lies about the work I did on that website. Beware.
- monkeyshine0
I don't get how this has anything to do with Aquent? No boutique agency (and many larger companies for that matter) is going to want contractors promoting work done on their dime, when they themselves are using that work to promote their services (in the same geographic area). What am I nto getting here?
- joyride0
technically, if aquent payed for the site, they own it right?
Most times, you can show it in your portfolio but you need to credit the project to xxx company.
I've had a few old companies try that. As long as you don't claim it as your own your ok. Work done while working at xxx company.
And yeah, Aquent is going to side with the client. That's where they make money and thats what the sales rep is after.
- parseInteger0
Of course I gave full credits to the agency for design and development. I only gave credit to my self on development, which is the truth of the matter. I don't care what kind of lie/distorion the boutique agency wants to promote. If I'm working on a project, especially when freelancing, I want fucking credit period. I'm not out there with some publicist trying to promote projects as my own which aren't or some such. I'm just an individual who needs potential employers to understand what I can do.
- tkmeister0
why u bring it up now? it's been 2yrs. you are not over it?
- vespa0
what makes you think it was a race issue? have you seen a similar case with a different outcome due to race?
- parseInteger0
I'm totally over it. I've been perm-full time at an international agency for over a year working on huge websites and rich media ads for national, international brands. But I keep seeing that Aquent advert and I keep thinking about the agents there and the way they treated me.
- UndoUndo0
Recruitment Agents + Estate Agents - they only give a shit about MONEY. remember that for as long as possible
- monkeyshine0
I still don't get how Aquent treated you poorly. What should they have done to make it right?
- ********0
"...Ive been perm-full time at an international agency for over a year working on huge websites and rich media ads for national, international brands....."
LOL
- ********0
are you related to carver?
- mg330
"I really beleive I was treated differently by Aquent because of my race. "
You're Russian, right?
- ********0
Nah, he's carver in diguise?
How much do you earn? 45k is OK!
- canuck0
Don't forget currency conversion.
- jevad0
Sorry - this has nothing to do with Aquet and everything to do with the bitch you were doing the work for.
And calling out Aquent as a rascist company is pretty ballsy - unless you have total proof...which at the moment I don't think you do.
There are easy ways around this too...for a start by password protecting your portfolio....
- Grieg0
Put the site back on your portfolio. Worst thing that'll happen is they'll have to get a cease & disist to get you to take it down. Which means they have to get one of their lawyers to draft some junk to you.
Then you can post the letter and blank screens.
- Jaline0
There are easy ways around this too...for a start by password protecting your portfolio....
jevad
(Jul 19 06, 08:09)exactly
- version30
if i make it i'm showing it. plain and simple
- Seff0
throw a rock at the lady and aquent too
- version30
2. 2 rocks.
- Seff0
or blow dart