Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
My name is Isaac Vallentin.
Your current job :
I’m a partner/creative at LOG Creative Bureau. My job is running the studio and creating the content that the studio runs on.
In which city are you located?
Ottawa, ON.
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
I’d like to consider myself persistent.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
My desktop mail client is indispensable to me. I use a great program called TextMate to manage my to-dos, take notes, and write markup for web projects.
What does your office space look like?
It’s a single room, with one big bright window. We’re finishing up an installation for a theatre production called Happiness™ and starting the principal photography of a documentary film this week, so the place covered in supplies and video equipment.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
Many of our clients are musicians, and we try to listen to their music whenever we’re working on their projects. Bosveld and Owen Davies are always playing. We’re working with a new singer from the UK named RAINES, his stuff always gets stuck in my head. For non-client music: Hip hop, soul music, instrumental music. Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland.’
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
I’ve benefited from scheduling most of my week ahead of time in 2-3 hour blocks, so at any given hour I know what I need to be working on. It makes my organization and prioritization process much more efficient than trying to triage 20 different projects every time a task is completed.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
Everyone thrives in different environments, so I don’t know if there’s a universal tip. Our team relies on a shared calendar and frequent/honest communication. Actually, that extends to our clients and collaborators: the better everyone is able to communicate and listen, the better the project’s outcome creatively and operationally.
You’re better than your colleagues at :
Pushing for a goal or outcome (being impatient).
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
I think for me, the best advice is discovered internally from trying to make sense of patterns and people and surroundings–trying making sense of life in general–so I don’t know if I could hold on to a single piece of advice as the best. It’s not “advice” by definition, but when I get wound up Pascal will often say something that puts everything back into perspective for me, and I really appreciate that. Maybe the best advice is to work with others!
What is your best tip for saving time ?
Scheduling. When working, I look at time in the same way as money. Both are resources we have a finite amount of, so we always feel as if we’re running out. The best way to feel “in control” is to budget, and that’s exactly what scheduling is.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
Start: Wake up between 7-7:30, read for a bit if my eyes are functioning, eat breakfast, drink coffee, and begin working by 9am.
End: Finish working anywhere between 6-10pm, eat dinner, work on music/see friends/read/watch cartoons, then go to bed.
Weekends are the same, except I try to work no more than 6 hours unless we’re hustling to meet a deadline.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
We use cameras and lights for a lot of our work, so I’d say they are pretty essential. I don’t know if they count as gadgets, but I’m pretty attached to my guitars and electric piano.
