BRACAU 27 BLOG'S

Hyper Island's Digital Media and Motion Graphics Designer students' Experience Animation & Technology Exhibition will take place in Stockholm on Saturday, October 24th, from 11AM-5PM.

Find out more at:
http://www.eat09.se/

And check out the students' blogs:
http://www.eat09.se/blogs/

For the third year in a row Hyper Island will go on a unique World Recruitment Tour during the end of 2009 and early 2010.

Apply here:
http://tour.hyperisland.se

Together with current Hyper Island students, parts of our staff will tour the world visiting the cities cited below. In doing so we're hoping to meet up with creative people who are interested in becoming Hyper Island Diploma Program students in the fall of 2010.

November
Amsterdam: 7
Oslo: 7
Sao Paolo: 14
Barcelona: 14
New York: 21
London: 28

December
Stockholm: 5

January
Stockholm: 16
London: 23
Amsterdam: 30

February
Barcelona: 8
Oslo: 13
New York: 20
Stockholm: 27

March
Berlin: 6
Stockholm: 20

April
Stockholm: 17

To visit the Recruitment Tour in a city near you, apply now!
http://tour.hyperisland.se

Applying to the Recruitment Tour is your one and only chance to get accepted to the Diploma Programs at Hyper Island; considered to be one of the best digital media schools in the world! We have exactly 100 seats for the 2010 Diploma Programs, which means there will be competition.

A recruitment day takes approximately 10 hours and consists of:
· A personal interview.
· Meetings Hyper Island students and staff.
· An individual creative task.
· A team assignment.

You can apply to the following Hyper Island Diploma Programs:
· Interactive Art Director, Stockholm (1 year)
· Digital Media, Stockholm (2 years)
· Digital Media, Karlskrona (2 years)

In conclusion, Hyper Island is all about:
· Active participation and learning by experiencing, doing and reflecting.
· Trial and error. Mistakes are often the strongest learning experience.
· Working and progressing as an individual, and as part of a team.
· Using interactive media as a tool for implementing change and improvement.
· Guidance in self-perception and the power of group dynamics.
· Real clients, real needs - real learning.

For more detailed information, regarding Hyper Island, the Recruitment Tour and how to apply, please visit:
http://tour.hyperisland.se


"This is miles away from boring interviews, or competitive sessions where you have to beat others. The recruitment day was a small slice of what Hyper Island really is; an unexpected and pleasant surprise, every day"
--Xavier Feliu, Spain, Digital Media student at Hyper Island

Our continuous technical savior Andreas answers a few questions about his work;

What do you do at Hyper Island?
The official title is janitor and technical assistant. Basically I attend to the premises and act as first-line support towards students and co-workers, when it comes to the more practical and logistic issues at Hyper Island.

How did you find the school?
Actually the school found me, last year they were looking for someone with my qualifications, and I kind of fit the description of what they were looking for, if I recall correctly, the ad said “house-elf”.

What do you appreciate most about working at the school?
Never a dull moment. There is always something that needs to be fixed or a problem solved, so the best thing is really, that you never know exactly what your workday will look like. Great fun, and also challenging in many ways, because some of the things that involve caretaking of the premises and equipment are not always that obvious, so often you have to do research and find an unique solution to the problem.

What's the funniest thing a student has asked you?
Once a student asked me if it were okay to bring his bed to the school. That is of course not possible, due to safety reasons, but some students really like this school so much, they never want to leave.

What advice do you have for students who want to apply to Hyper Island?
The most important thing to bring to Hyper Island as a student is your mind and a good portion of curiosity. Of course it helps to have a computer, and some basic skills in using it, but that’s just a tool, as long as you have your creativity and the will to learn new things, then you are ready to attend courses at Hyper Island.

Thank you Andreas!

On Friday this week - October 24th 2008 - the current Digital Media students from both Stockholm and Karlskrona are coming together for an exhibition to present the fruit of their labor in module "Experience Technology".
Up until the show, 21 project groups will have worked with 5 different types of technologies (one each) for three weeks, with the goal of coming up with a cutting edge digital experience using the most anticipated and upcoming technologies of today.

The free exhibition is open to the public!
Address: Telefonvägen 30 on Telefonplan in Stockholm.
Opening hours: 16.00-19.00

More information can be found on the exhibition site: www.et08.com

Welcome!


Photo: Viveca Forsblom Ljungdahl, DM10STO

After twelve years, Hyper Island is starting courses abroad. The two leading industry magazines, Dagens Media and Resumé, both report on Hyper Island's latest move.
- We already offer intensive courses and evening courses for professionals in Karlskrona and Stockholm. We have been getting requests for courses in the USA and England. Since we only have 14 employees we are starting on a small scale in England, Hyper Island CEO Mattias Hansson told Resumé.
When asked by Dagens Media, Hansson explained the goal of the venture:
– To establish us there in a couple of years.

Dagens Media also report on the coming seminar by the prestigious Gunn Report in Stockholm and Karlskrona. The seminar will be the first in a series of Hyper Island Sessions, where the industry can get insights into the future of digital media. The Gunn Report showcase the best advertising campaigns in the world.
- I just sent an e-mail to Donald Gunn and asked if he wanted to come and he thought it would be fun. I don't think this has been done in Sweden before, Mattias Hansson told Dagens Media.

Go to the official Hyper Island homepage for more information on how to attend the seminars on the 12th and 13th of March.

Digital Media student Madonna Arsan reports on her latest module, where the students have been placed at actual work places to get a first hand insight into the business:

When Management Specialization started and we had to find an agency, Åkestam Holst was in our top three list. We thought that it would be a great opportunity to work shadow at the best ad agency in Sweden and when we contacted them they were excited about having us there.

To learn as much as possible, and gather material to the report we are delivering at the end of this module, we are observing, interviewing people and attending internal and client meetings. I can say that we are feeling appreciated, people ask us questions and are interested in who we are and about Hyper Island.

The idea of the final report is to write about the agency from a fresh point of view, our experience, our thoughts and a proposal for improvements. Since we are studying digital media and Åkestam Holst is more of a traditional ad agency our focus will be on their interactive part.

Just after week I feel filled with new knowledge. First I thought I would feel lost being so near the industry and experience the work at an ad agency but after attending meetings it felt like I was at school. Not only the atmosphere in the office reminds me of Hyper Island but also the structure of work and much more.


Madonna Arsan

The boys and girls at Digital Media Stockholm 2009 have been busy building up the hype over their forthcoming class page at dm09stockholm.com. New short webisodes have been released during the past weeks, which let readers follow their work and also engage directly with them. Tomorrow tuesday the students will paint a mural and visitors can still vote on the theme of the mural (right now "Animals" seem to be winning).

Hyper Island presents the Stockholm premises!
Students and staff of Hyper Island will be the lucky new habitants on floor 4 of the Generatorn building in design focused area Telefonplan in Hägersten, Stockholm.

We're currently renovating the space - note that the photos below are pre make-over!

The Telefonplan area and views from our floor:


Lobby, staff office and Digital Media student + lecture space:


Interative Art Director student + lecture space, kitchen area, Interative Art Director space + meeting room:



Neighbors:
Designens Hus
Restaurang Landet
Konstfack
Diagonalakademin
and more...

You might have heard about the "Colour by numbers" project that attracted a lot of attention while active October 2006 - April 2007. You see the tower used in the project in one of our first photos above.


We can't wait to move in!

Johanna Vogelius of HIM1 has made one hell of a journey. We wanted to know more:

What is your view on yourself Before and After Hyper Island?
2 years ago that I applied to Hyper Island. I was an ordinary small-town girl with to many party nights on my conscience. I had told myself to never go back to school again. I wanted do to something but had no idea what it could be. So I went back to school. When I look back at the person I was before Hyper Island it might sound strange but I don't know that person. My view on myself has totally changed. I used to be scared of the big bad world. Now I love the big bad world.

When I applied to Hyper Island I had no idea that it would change my life. Not only work wise but also personally. Hyper Island changed me in a way I couldn’t even imagine. Honestly, I had no hopes of getting a job because I had no idea what I wanted to work with. But during my time at Hyper Island I found my passion and then started working towards getting to work with what my heart told me was right.
Hyper Island thought me about hard work and knowing that nothing is impossible. And that's the reason why I am where I am today. I think that if you combine hard work whit a lot of passion nothing can go wrong, and if I does - fix it.

How did you get the position at Makeupstudion that you hold today?
My passion for makeup, hair styling and beauty made me decide to go to Stockholm for my internship. I made a long list of companies I wanted to work for and sent all off the CEOs letters about myself. One afternoon I picked up the phone and called Birgitta Lagerholm, CEO of Makeupstudion. She invited me to Stockholm for a meeting. I went to Stockholm and after 1 hour at Makeupstudion I had my dream internship. I packed up all off my things, flew to Stockholm and worked my a** off for 13 weeks. Today I am Birgitta’s right hand and help her to run the three schools around Sweden.

Why would you recommend Hyper Island to potential students?
I would recommend the school to anybody who wants to learn by doing. Not learning by reading about how you do it. People learn from their mistakes and Hyper Island thought me to love making mistakes. I would recommend the education to anybody that has a genuine interest in group dynamics, thinking outside the box and challenges. Hyper Island is a challenge in itself and it changes people like me and turn them into great people.

What are you looking forward to in your future professional life?
I have a lot of hopes and dreams for when "I grow up". Hopefully I can continue to grow with the company I work for right now. I have a wonderful life because I have a job I like. I have an inspiring boss who teaches me new things and I have great co-workers who have shown me a new world. I will hopefully have the opportunity to se the company grow and as myself get stronger, better and bigger.

Follow your dreams. It might sound silly but that is the best advice I think. Follow your dreams and work hard. Nothing is impossible. Believe in yourself and remember to have fun, have a cold beer and be with friends.



Thank you Johanna!

Hyper Island CEO Mattias Hansson was interviewd by Dagens Industri regarding the Hyper Island Stockholm branch - seen on page 17 in today's paper or online here! (in Swedish)

Hyper Island has been around for almost 11 years now. Mattias Nyström from Crew 1, co-founder of Great Works is an example of an old school Hyper Island student still going strong:

As yours was the first ever Hyper Island Crew, how did you find out about school?
I was studying at the University at the time when a friend of mine saw an article in 'Ölands bladet'. Since I didn't really like studying at a University I jumped at the opportunity of trying out a new experimental education. 

What have you been doing since your graduation?
After Hyperisland I moved to London. I was there for 6 years working with a couple of agencies but unfortunately only one still exist - the OTHER media. The others either crashed during the .com years or have merged into larger networks.
Once back in Stockholm I met the guys I founded Great Works with. At the time I joined their production company - Speedway Digital Army. 

How many people co-founded Great Works?
We were 5 people that started Great Works in its current form. A sixth person joined as a partner and recently we joined a japanese network called TYO Group.

How many people currently work at Great Works - including your offices in Stockholm, Barcelona and NYC?
Around 50 people are employed. We are also always having a bunch of freelancers involved in every office. 

What knowledge from Hyper Island have you brought with you in your work life?
There is always a solution to a problem - Hyper Island fueled my curiosity to find that solution. 

In the "Why Hyper Island" film, your Barcelona based co-worker Kristian Lundquist says the following about Hyper Island students:
"I think they have a very interesting background in the network they come from. ... It seems all the crews still are in contact somehow" - what value is that to the students and you as an employer?
Hyper Island students seem to help each other when they have a problem to solve - be it finding a production team, solving a technical problem or recruiting someone for a job. It's a huge value.

Why does Great Works hire graduated Hyper Island students?
We try to hire the best talents wherever they are from and believe in a mix of backgrounds. However, some really good people are coming out of Hyper Island so having studied there is an excellent first filter in a hiring process. 

Any final words of advice to up and coming digital media industry talents?
Keep experimenting. Do what you can to push the world forward!


Thank you Mattias!

Hyper Island met with top agencies in London, Barcelona and Stockholm and asked why they appreciate their Hyper Island interns and why they think Hyper Island is an extraordinary school: