From The Kennedys to you: Top 5 pieces of advice
If you’re thinking of applying for The Kennedys season 8, then this one’s for you…We’ve gathered the top five pieces of advice from the 2017 Kennedys crew to get you armed & ready for your application and potential experience as a Kennedy. If you’ve read this far and still have no idea ‘what the K’ the Kennedys is, check this out first. But if you think you’re already K-nowledgeable enough, simply read on. You’re welcome (from our past Kennedys* to you, hopefully future ones).
1. Your top piece of advice to make it into the Kennedys:
CAITLIN: Show the real you.
SPENCER: Make work that’s ‘fucking’ something. Whether it’s fucking funny, fucking sad, fucking cool, or just fucking weird.
ANNA: Be your best, craziest, sexiest self and show it. If you think “man I can’t do this, that’s too much.” Then you’re probably on the right path.
BRENDAN: Scare them ?
COCO: Make something that you love. Don’t worry what anyone else will think. Do it for you.
GRETA: If you really want to be here – you will, just keep applying.
AIDA: Work hard, download illegal software, and do a rain dance to every full moon.
2. Your best tip for the perfect team-working experience:
ANNA: Be nice to people. Be nice to people. Be nice to people…aaah fuck this….
BRENDAN: We’re not here to carry, or be carried.
CAITLIN: Leave the egos behind. Put your teammates before you and support them whenever you can- you’ll learn something about yourself in the process. 7 minds are better than 1
COCO: Be open to arguments. Then go and have a beer together.
AIDA: Acknowledge everyone’s opinions and then ignore them. Also, always keep booze and snacks within arm’s reach
GRETA: Everyone has something wonderful to offer. Find that. Help them be that more.
SPENCER: Let people do what they’re there to do, and you do the same. If you’re an editor, edit, a director, direct; a writer, write (and avoid all backseat designing). Also trust the others to do their job – everyone got picked for a reason.
3. One thing you wish you had created but didn’t have the chance to:
AIDA: A 3D printed lamp modelled after the inside of my uterus.
SPENCER: A giant eight-foot statue made from wire in the shape of a pigeon. Then you fill the wire-frame with bird food, so when the pigeons fly in to eat, they fill up the statue. Now you’ve created an eight-foot pigeon made from a hundred normal-sized ones.
BRENDAN: B.R.E.N.D.S, the movie.
CAITLIN: I wanted to curate a 35mm photography series and put on an exhibition as a lot of us have been producing a body of work while we’ve been here.
ANNA: “I survived the Kennedys” T shirts and other merchandise.
COCO: A commercial celebrating black hair.
GRETA: A music video & a golden window display.
4. One main lesson you’ll take with you after The Kennedys is over:
SPENCER: Never stop playing. Ever.
ANNA: Give less of a fuck of what other people think you can or you can’t do. Just do it and prove them wrong. Lesson learned: YOU CAN DO IT.
CAITLIN: Slow and steady always wins the race.
BRENDAN: Don’t be embarrassed about embarrassing yourself.
COCO: Say what you think (most of the time).
AIDA: Everyone’s full of crap.
GRETA: Trust your own creative instinct.
5. What you wish you had known when you first started this program:
GRETA: The weather will get better . . . eventually.
ANNA: Bring noise cancelling headphones.
COCO: Enjoy every moment. Even the awkward ones.
BRENDAN: You can’t retake your PR photo.
CAITLIN: That I was going to jump into the canal. At winter.
AIDA: Everyone’s full of crap.
SPENCER: Noise-cancelling headphones are a must.
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*From our ’17 Kennedys class which wrapped in April 2018, four have officially now joined the W+K Amsterdam team (Anna & Brendan are our new Art Directors, Spencer is a Copywriter and Caitlin a Content Producer). Greta, Aida and Coco have all pursued independent career journeys and are obviously killing it.
