Filtering the digital fog with Flick films

Take an awareness of advancing film technology and add the internet as a platform. What do you get? Not an ad agency and not a film company - Flick Visual Foundry sits firmly in the middle of these.

In a nutshell, Flick is a collective team of creative designers, film makers, animators, strategists and 'tech junkies' who visualise and package information to ensure everyone understands it best - be it a business brand, product or story. With 30 years in traditional advertising and design and 10 years combined in visual communication, Jemmett, co-director John-Louis West and team offer a wealth of knowledge when it comes to visual thinking and why it is becoming a vital modern digital communication landscape. It all started with an awareness of the digital revolution in photography that took place a few years ago...

1. Let's go back to basics - tell us more about how the agency got started.

Garth Jemmett

Jemmett: It all started 15 years ago, with my business partner John-Louis and I talking about technology becoming the game changer in digital communication. More specifically, film technology and the internet. We were traditional advertising guys but saw a rapidly shifting landscape. Flick opened its doors for business ten years ago to embrace that change.

2. How does the basic work flow or creative process in the agency embrace that mindset?

Jemmett: We work on very bespoke projects, so they are not for your run-of-the-mill shop. This means we need to be flexible. That said, we do have a defined process where we first map out what the project is, as we need to understand it first. Then we simplify and, lastly, we move into the creative/production part of our process.

3. Interesting. Tell us more about visual thinking and why it is becoming a vital modern digital communication landscape.

Jemmett: We live in the Information Age. There's just too much at our fingertips 24/7. As a result, people are time poor and they make snap judgments rather than reading through tons of text. Visual thinking allows you to engage clients visually and quickly.

4. And this way of visual thinking is inherent in the agency name?

Jemmett: Yes, Flick is slang for film. The "Visual Foundry" part of our name talks to the visual thinking elements we create, as we do more than just film now.

5. OK, let's explore any exciting new developments in the team that have enhanced your overall skillset.

John-Louis West

Jemmett: We've worked very hard to shift our skills into clearly defined product offerings. We're also developing a few new offerings - all in the "Explaining and Understanding Space."

6. Intriguing. What makes you stand out from the rest?

Jemmett: "We explain stuff." That's our mantra and it's what makes us different. If it's complex and tricky to grasp, chat to us. Our strategy is simple: to be a key partner in businesses throughout Africa that need to simplify and explain their information to staff, clients and stakeholders.

7. Shifting back to a local focus, what are your thoughts on the local advertising awards industry?

Jemmett: South Africa is incredible for talent and the quality of work that comes out of here is awesome. I think more and more South Africans are shifting away from worrying about being "international" and focusing more on being themselves.

8. That's a good thing. What's next for your agency?

Jemmett: We are growing steadily but want to stay focused and niche. Our biggest efforts are going into streamlining the business to be better and, with that refining, we are landing work in Africa and abroad.

9. Excellent! Let's end off with the trends you see as the biggest to come in 2015...

Jemmett: Simplicity is a big trend currently. People are feeling overwhelmed and are starting to cut back on technology wanting to "unplug". So there is a massive drive towards improved user engagement, simpler messaging and easy-to-use technology.