The Soft Opening

Thanks for joining Direkt. I've been happy to see how many signups we've had over the last week or so. I was softening the beaches for an idea, and now I'm easing into it.

In the Theme Park world, they call it a "soft opening."

I think they also call it that in the Shoe Store world.

A Journey Across Creative Landscapes

I’ve spent years navigating the creative waters across various industries—from Hollywood’s film and TV sets to the techy, weird world of SaaS marketing. And now, I’m excited to announce that I’m easing into a new venture that I believe could be the future of creative direction: Direkt.

Okay, that sounded a little bold. But let's go with it.

From Hollywood to the Philippines

I spent over 17 years deep in Hollywood, deep the trenches of entertainment marketing, where I had the chance to work with top-tier studios like HBO, Warner Bros., and Disney Channel, working with legends like Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, and Oliver Stone. These experiences helped hone a few skills in crafting narratives and creating TV and web content as a writer-editor and then a director. Eventually, I found myself leading creative teams as Creative Director and, later, Executive Creative Director at Creative Asylum (now Mod Op).

Then ... I split town.

Technically, I split the hemisphere.

My family and I relocated to Cebu, Philippines, so my wife could chase down her medical degree. But what started as a supportive move quickly turned into an insane, thrilling new chapter. I founded DMC, a production company that became a sort of tropical hub for Hollywood-caliber marketing content in the Philippines. From creating award-winning projects for Disney Channel Asia to working with major brands and studios across the globe, DMC allowed me to merge my love for stories with my belief in the power of creativity to drive business.

Needing to pay for med school was also on the list.

Probably near the top.

Creativity in Tech

Parallel to my work at DMC, I wandered off into the tech world as a semi-remote Creative Director for GuideSpark, a leader in employee engagement, and later as VP of Marketing for Tivian after GuideSpark and Tivian merged. There, I led global teams in crafting data-driven campaigns that were as strategic as they were creative. It wasn't exactly like hanging out with Oliver Stone on the set of?Any Given Sunday,?but it was its own kind of awesome.

It was a new challenge, but one that pushed me to learn about the intersection of creativity and technology. Along the way, I embraced data-driven marketing and AI tools, all while staying true to my core identity as a storyteller.

A New Creative Frontier: Direkt

So why am I telling you all this? These experiences—each a unique problem-solving journey—led me to the idea of Direkt.

Direkt is an idea for subscription-based Creative Direction. The concept is simple: offer creative leadership on a month-to-month basis as a service, solving a variety of creative problems across different industries. It’s the perfect balance of structure and spontaneity and the idea of working with multiple clients from different worlds at once.

That’s what gets me excited.

Boredom? Not an option.

Productizing the Creative Director Role

Yeah, I know—it sounds a bit cold at first read. We're not machines.

But let’s get past appearances and talk facts. The reality is that many companies don’t need a full-time Creative Director, and honestly, many Creative Directors don’t want a full-time gig. Creative Directors get bored easily and companies go broke easily. Full-time in this world is not always the best match. But to make this model work, it needs to "act" like a service—something tangible that delivers clear, consistent value without the overhead of a full-time hire.

It needs rules.

It needs a structure.

Direkt?aims to offer the flexibility and expertise of a seasoned Creative Director without the full-time commitment. I believe this model could be a game-changer for?companies and creatives alike. It has set prices and set parameters, all of which evolve as the platform evolves.

Your Thoughts?

The truth is, we don’t want to just launch this idea into the ether. We want to socialize it, gather feedback, and see how it resonates. The "soft open" is simply a page for Direkt under "Consultation" on the DMC site, my company in Cebu.

It's here: https://www.dmcmotion.com/consulting

Check out the page, and let me know your thoughts. If you’re a Creative Director, you might even want to join us on the ride. If you're a company, agency, non-profit, or brand, you may want to try it.

Obviously, I think it’s a Big Idea, but I’m most interested in what you think.

Thanks!

- Your Man in the South Pacific