TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUALIFICATIONS
FEATURED WORK
----- CORPORATE
----- JOURNALISM
----- ARTISTIC
WORK EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
CONTACT
Any web writer must observe the core principles of traditional copywriting: concision; clarity; and creativity. Additionally, writers for the new-media sector benefit from a broad understanding of the technologies being employed. This helps one fully exploit interactivity to best deliver a concept. I posses a unique hybrid skill-set that combines traditional writing experience with an education in the digital arts.
While working at Twist Image, I helped develop, brand and troubleshoot Scotiabank's MyVault portal. I was responsible for all the main copy featured on the site, and co-coordinated the alpha phase of the site in conjunction with Michael Seaton, director of digital marketing at Scotiabank.
Another Twist Image initiative, the goal here was to develop a true pull-marketing product. The Money Clip was designed to enhance customer relations for Scotiabank by providing Canadians with intelligent, unbiased financial advice. I assisted in branding and development and wrote the synopsis, titles and SEO tags for the first three series. Additionally, my bandmate Martin & I composed and recorded the theme song for the series.
BROCCOLINI CONSTRUCTION: MISSION STATEMENT
The challenge here was to convey to potential customers the operating principles of Broccolini construction. The text I wrote focused on the fact that they are a family business, and their core values have been passed on from generation to generation.
>> QUALIFICATIONS || FEATURED WORK || CORPORATE || JOURNALISM || ARTISTIC || WORK EXPERIENCE || EDUCATION || CONTACT
Arts journalism demands that the writer convey complex ideas in very few words. Featured above are three visual arts articles published in the Montreal weekly The Hour, and one music article published in the competing English language weekly, The MIrror. All demonstrate an attention to detail, a sense of style and narrative, while remaining ultimately succinct. The same skill-set used in writing articles can be applied to writing press-releases.
>> QUALIFICATIONS || FEATURED WORK || CORPORATE || JOURNALISM || ARTISTIC || WORK EXPERIENCE || EDUCATION || CONTACT
THE OSHEAGA FESTIVAL PODCAST
Based on our work with Square Quotes (see below) my company was approached by the Osheaga Music festival to produce a promotional podcast for their 2008 festival. With a turnaround time of only a week, we managed to book and conduct interviews, have artists perform live in studio, and organize the bulk of the back-end for the festival. The result is a lively, professional music podcast that effectively promotes the festival. I functioned as primary liaison to the festival and executive producer of the podcast.
SQUARE QUOTES: ANOTHER MUSIC PODCAST
Although the tag line reads "another music podcast", Square Quotes is anything but. It is a smart, smarmy, sarcastic and sometimes scathing look at obscure and avant-garde music. It is simultaneously a character-drama, exploring the intersections of work and play for the cast. Embedded into the each episode is an expanding meta-narrative detailing the frustrations inherent to producing a podcast.
Square Quotes is my brainchild. I conceived of it, contacted our hosts, book the interviews, record audio, edit, executive produce and co-write for the show. It is produced and financed by my company Digital Bird Studios.
PERMORPHANCE: NEW PERFORMATIVE ARCHITECTURES IN AUTOMATED MUSIC
Post-millennial technophilia and the ubiquity of laptop computers conspired to form a new class of electronic musician. The laptop musician. Often times these individuals faces were obscured by their screens as they sat on stage and played intensely sophisticated compositions focused on timbre, pulse and collage. Are these people actually performing? Are they just pressing play? What is the difference anyway? This short documentary sought to explore these and other questions surrounding the laptop scene that was peaking in 2004.
CHASING TAIL: AN EXERCISE IN VIDEO PHASING
This video made effort to visually articulate the principal of phasing as explored by Steve Reich in his early tape experiments. Here, a single layer of video is shot, doubled, and overlayed upon itself. The second layer was then trimmed (ever so slightly), so upon repetition, it would fall out of phase with the first. The result is a weird and oddly haunting visual of a dancer chasing herself through a corridor. Time seems to circle itself, orbit itself, but our dancer never tires, nor does she find what she is looking for.
SO PHALLOCENTRIC: NO-BUDGET MUSIC VIDEO
We blew the whole budget on renting the villa and the pool, so we had to shoot this video on a webcam and a still camera with an MPEG stick. The bright saturated colors give it a certain 60s quality. Shot in Putney VT. in July 2007. This is a song by my band Flames!, composed and performed by yours truly.
>> QUALIFICATIONS || FEATURED WORK || CORPORATE || JOURNALISM || ARTISTIC || WORK EXPERIENCE || EDUCATION || CONTACT
March 2007 to Present:
Creative Director / Partner
Digital Bird Studios
Digital Bird Studios is a production house specializing in audio driven marketing. While Podcast development is our primary initiative, we still offer traditional marketing services. My duties include: (1) Copywriting (2) Podcast Development (3) Blogging & Promotion (4) Account Management (5) Sound Design (6) Video Design. Clients include: Fusion MD, Cellfish.Com, Wuntoo, Cloudraker, Moment Factory, Martin Swiss Bicyles.
March 2007 to June 2007:
Technical Copywriter
Fusion MD
The task here was to oversee the production of dosing packages and information-sheets for the drugs Avelox and Cipro. My duties included: (1) Supervising the off-site designer (2) Fact-checking the dosing information (3) Proofreading all the final printed material (4) Coordinating with Bayer.
August 2006 to February 2007:
Copywriter / Concept Developer.
Twist Image, Advertising Agency, Montreal QC.
Professional writing is a challenging discipline. My duties included: (1) Concept Development for new products. (2) Nomenclature. (3) Branding. (4) Reading and responding to demographics and metrics. (5) Developing text for web-video ads, podcasts, websites and print media. Sample clients:
http://themoneyclip.scotiabank.com/podcast-serie-archive.asp
https://myvault.scotiabank.com/4105/login/
http://www.broccolini.com/
April 2006 to October 2006:
Co-Curator.
Film Pop / Pop Montreal, Montreal QC.
Developing a music/film event for this year’s Pop Montreal (Film Pop) festival. Tasks include: (1) Developing a concept for the event. (2) Selecting/contacting/assessing appropriate artists. (3) Writing a comprehensive proposal, including budgetary details. (4) Acquiring corporate sponsorship/financing.
March 2006 to Present:
Freelance Arts Writer.
The Hour Weekly Magazine, Montreal QC.
Writing relevant and succinct articles concerning new-media arts events in Montreal. Samples of recent articles available online:
(1) http://www.hour.ca/visualarts/visualarts.aspx?iIDArticle=9121
(2) http://www.hour.ca/visualarts/visualarts.aspx?iIDArticle=8500
(3) http://hour.ca/visualarts/visualarts.aspx?iIDArticle=13260
(4) http://www.hour.ca/visualarts/visualarts.aspx?iIDArticle=13317
May 2005 to August 2005:
Website Maintenance Technician.
PricewaterhouseCoopers, Toronto ON.
Evaluating and cleaning up HTML code for PwC’s massive 5000 page Canadian website. (1) Identifying widespread HTML code errors. (2) Developing rudimentary software tools to remediate code problems on a bulk scale. (3) Manually identifying and repairing further errors. (4) Creating more stable templates for future implementation.
October 2002 to October 2005:
Freelance Music Writer.
The Mirror Weekly Magazine, Montreal QC.
Researching emerging artists, interviewing them, and writing concise, witty, engaging and ultimately reader accessible articles about fairly esoteric music. Samples of some articles available online:
(1) http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2002/030702/art4.html
(2) http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2001/121301/music1.html
(3) http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2001/051001/music3.html
(4) http://www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2000/101900/nightlife1.html
February 2001 to August 2001:
Junior Medical Copywriter Internship.
HMR Worldwide, Montreal QC.
In addition to detail-oriented proofreading work, under the supervision of the senior copywriter, I assisted in developing concepts and copy for pharmaceutical campaigns. I worked closely with the design team and clients to develop cohesive poster campaigns, internal copy, sales-aids, and branding. The position taught me to navigate the subtleties inherent in medical marketing.
February 2000 to February 2001:
Conference Recruiter.
Fusion M.D., Montreal QC.
The task here was to recruit physicians to participate in teleconferences concerning new drug treatments. The challenge was finding doctors who were legitimately interested in the topic, since there was no honorarium offered. I learned much about the medical conference industry and the value of CME accreditation. I performed a great deal of customer service for clients, both before and after conferences.
>> QUALIFICATIONS || FEATURED WORK || CORPORATE || JOURNALISM || ARTISTIC || WORK EXPERIENCE || EDUCATION || CONTACT
2003 to 2008:
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computational Arts.
2003 to 2008:
(Minor) Bachelor of Arts in History/Philosophy.
September 2002 to August 2003:
Multimedia Design Certificate.
International Academy of Design, Montreal QC. Completed August 2003.
September 1996 to August 1998:
DEC Liberal Arts.
Cegep John Abbot College, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC. Completed August 1998. Graduated with Honors.
>> QUALIFICATIONS || FEATURED WORK || CORPORATE || JOURNALISM || ARTISTIC || WORK EXPERIENCE || EDUCATION || CONTACT
Ali Rahman
4435 St. Urbain
Montreal, QC
H2W 1V7
514 585 6634
514 684 8523
>> QUALIFICATIONS || FEATURED WORK || CORPORATE || JOURNALISM || ARTISTIC || WORK EXPERIENCE || EDUCATION || CONTACT
