Creativity Squared: Finding Beauty in Everything with Scott Uyeshima
Native Angelino Scott Uyeshima’s biggest inspiration is his love for graffiti and street culture, which is evident in the vibe and edge that he brings to his creative work. During college, Scott interned at the Japanese American National Museum, where he was able to explore his family heritage through the medium of art and animation. Career-wise, Scott got his start designing custom artwork for the Nike Vault boutique, and upon joining Brand New School he began expanding and refining his innate design and animation sensibilities. Like many folks in LA, Scott is a lifelong basketball fan, and so when the opportunity arose to work on an animated short film starring legendary players including Glen Keane, Kobe Bryant and John Williams, he leapt at the chance. Scott’s passion project became 'Dear Basketball', which went on to win Oscar, Emmy and Annie awards.
Scott is currently a director at Brand New School.
Person
I’d say I’m a very balanced person. I am always looking to have fun or make things enjoyable. My approach to everything is if something has to be done, I might as well find a way to enjoy it. I’m always able to find some beauty or joy in everything while simultaneously looking for how it can be improved or made better. I’m constantly questioning or assessing things with a 'wouldn’t it be cool if…' lens.
In terms of creativity, I believe that it’s innate. As kids, we’re wells of imagination and creativity, and we tend to lose that as we get older and try to make sense of the world. Imagination is at the heart of how we play when we’re young. That’s why I always try to take a playful approach in whatever I do. If I can try to have fun, it’ll force me to think like a child and be imaginative. Routine creates a comfort that isn’t inspiring, nor does it push us into new situations. I get bored easily, and I like waking up and not knowing what the day has in store. Mixing it up keeps things fresh and forces me to bring different perspectives to different jobs. When it feels like everything has been seen or done, the cross-pollination of ideas and techniques makes things new, from the problem being solved to the approach and even the team itself.
Product
Assessing whether something is creative or not might make you miss something interesting, exciting, or enjoyable. Does it create a reaction in you? Did you enjoy it? Does it make you think? Did it improve on something? The criteria for those qualifiers have shifted a ton through the years. I used to judge everything based on whether it was new, cool, or executed well. Even if something is inspired by something else but pushes the bounds or creates something new, it’s still an incremental step forward. If you focus on finding perfection, you’ll miss out on all the little things.
I’m most proud of directing these jobs where the agencies set the stage and allowed us to run with it as long as we honoured its messaging. The overarching idea for the White Claw ‘Refrshr’ campaign was to remix the classics. We turned what was supposed to be a quick project into this bigger idea that celebrates other creators and their craft. Another one was for DoorDash and the NBA. We jampacked a :15 spot with a lot of flavour, and I was able to work with one of my favourite artists.
Process
I like to do the opposite of whatever I just did. Our studio has a philosophy that if you feel like you 'know what this project is about,' you’re not looking at it correctly. We should never have things figured out ahead of time, so in some ways, it should always be a blank slate at the start of every project. I love collaborating; it’s the best way to learn new things and find new ideas. It’s one of the things I love most about the industry. I like to try to set the stage for everyone to feel like they have a voice. We’re all creative, and the seed or spark can often come from the most unexpected place. When I’m stumped, I like to step away and do anything but think about the project. Clarity and creativity always come when you least expect it, so I like to get away from the screen and into the real world when I come across a tricky bit.
Press
I grew up in LA and had a long commute to school from the west side to the east side every day. One thing that I always found fascinating was the artwork - the graffiti, the murals, the different makeups of the buildings and neighbourhoods - the differences were all so exciting and captivating. I also remember watching Roger Rabbit as a kid and being so captivated and blown away by the mixing of mediums. Learning about 'bumping the lamp' was pivotal and something I still carry with me.
My family is also a large formative influence. They taught me there’s beauty in everything and to take pride in whatever you create. My dad taught photography, and I would be in his photo lab every day before school. I remember he had these multi-exposure photos that I thought were magical as a kid. One grandfather painted beautiful landscapes and scenes of life in internment camps. My other grandfather was a boxer and football player - a really tough guy - but he had sketchbooks full of awesome drawings of things from his everyday life that were illustrated so beautifully.
Looking at things from a more expansive, different lens allows me to be open and not prescribe a predetermined solution to creative problems. I love to explore, riff, and try new things with our team, but time constraints occasionally force us to fall back on what we know rather than risk finding something new. Time and routine are limiting, but they can also help you fly and allow a creative project to excel.
