TWC WTF? Weather who? Shock and awe spectacle has won out over substance and safety. The Weather Channel (TWC) sold its soul years ago led by a sellout I’ll fondly refer to as Putz, a former boss of my own boss thirteen years ago. I had that guy figured out the first time he walked past me as he stared at the floor with a nervous, empty gaze. A corporate goon only interested in his own career pivots.
Luckily he left soon after I started my new job. Where to? He was annointed chief of creative at my Alma Mather TWC. Boy did he not only not do his homework, he created a network based on lack of substance fueled by pompous circumstance. Even Shakespeare would roll his eyes over this dope. Too harsh? I deal it out only to those who directly attacked my love and dedication to broadcast design for thirty years.
But oh no you say! I’ll tarnish my reputation. So what. Black ball me if you must for calling out the truth. It’s really ok. I’ve never had to look for a job. Word of mouth took good care of me based on my willingness to expect only the best of myself and my team. I’ve been hired by the best and ghosted by the rest. I’ve become over the past three years full of activated intuition, imagination, and intellect, understand my purpose.
I’m playing detective sleuthing out the killers of dreams and the specters of soulless attacks on the innocent. Some call me Batman while others like OG TWC, Superman. I stand up for any wrongdoings against myself and folks I call my friends. Born an underdog myself, I now call out the poor treatments placed upon unsuspecting victims by narcissistic leaders inflicting their toxic venom, and I have a photographic memory.
I never forget a face, but boy did it take some practice to remember names. I’ve been scolded by teachers and family members alike that my voice carries. I’ve retooled that sentiment and now stand up for others by allowing my voice to carry weight. The truth is rarely pretty. While there are so many wonderful folks out there, unfortunately there’s a handful of them that have zero interest in building up others’ spirits.
Am I jumping to conclusions? Um, no. Am I just stirring things up with a complete stranger? No again. Before Putz left to go ruin TWC, he dropped a bomb on our redesign we were wrapping up with ready to launch in a few days. Last minute notation that forced us to change every single of hundreds of graphics. The following week or so, he was gone, probably run away by the town’s villagers. Years passed.
Seven years later and now at the creative helm of his TWC, Putz had the gall to hunt me down forcing me into a corner in order to both mock and ridicule my reputation built upon fourteen years of collaborations with TWC. I received a call from someone informing me that I was requested to interview for a job I wasn’t even slightly interested in. I even turned it down, but was strong-armed into going through the motions anyway.
Confusion insued. They only wanted to see work that I created solely by myself. The majority of my work was 90% all me with the last six years a 50/50 as I was the designer and compositor and worked directly with the 3D artists. It was clear they were looking to low ball someone who was a jack of all trades and master of none. I did gleam one nugget from the experience: I gave credit where credit was do across my portfolio.
While I am primarily self taught, I was fortunate to team up with some incredible mentors, and remain to this day, a force to be reckoned with. Every job I took on evolved through the creative process and always included others. Yes, there was over a decade of highly satisfying work I did alone by 100% me, 2D/3D, design, animation, and finishing, but the team-based work was so much more rewarding. We is the way, not me.
Well Putz, you might want to betterunderstand what TWC was founded on by the entire OG TWC since 1982. I’ll give you a hint: it’s not Unreal Engine spectacle. That might gain you some views, but it won’t build trust in the TWC brand. It will sink it. I hope to witness its rebirth through the lens of someone else one day who actually understands TWC’s roots. Let’s just hope you didn’t completely rot said roots.
I lived in Atlanta for twenty-two years. Fourteen of those working with the folks that taught me active listening and got me back in touch with my inner empath. I owe my entire broadcast design career to TWC. Together, we accomplished a great many things. Most importantly we evolved and challenged ourselves beyond what we could do alone. We is the way, not just me. It’s not about mine, it’s about us. — Your TWC Superman
It’s time for a visual design language audit for the weather weenies. Take a closer look at your hurricane symbol. It’s a tropical storm, and your tropical storm symbol is a hurricane. Hurricanes have eyes. Tropical storms don’t. Oops. Don’t fret though. This has been a common mistake for decades by nearly everyone in television, internet, and mobile weather forecasting and meteorology. Why? Spectacle vs substance.
I guess they never consulted with the meteorologists. However, I’d safely wager that when TWC was founded in 1982, the symbols were designed properly with care. However, somewhere along the lines someone in Marketing got involved, focus-grouped which symbol was more menacing. The filled in eye center felt the most threatening even though it was inaccurately depicting a hurricane. Fact now fiction.