We collaborate with some of the very best people in the business. That’s a must. So when we do any filming we like to work with Raul Gonzo. Raul is a brilliant film maker. Most importantly he is a great friend to us. When we work on a project, we seem to fall right into sync with each other.

No titles, no ego. If he wants to direct, I hang back as director of photography. If I want to direct then he is happy on camera. Both of us realize that the final product we are producing is the reason why we are there, not our egos.

So when Raul and I worked on a youth oriented Scion automobile commercial for the Singapore market, I knew that the concept had to be wild. It was. It had to be technically tricky, It was. It had to be fun and unexpected. It was. (sorry we cannot show any stills from this shoot)

The shoot went perfectly (thanks to careful planning, preparation and the best crew in the business). We all had an absolute blast… But that’s the thing, we always have a blast. When the shoot was ending and “martini take” was called, the crew groaned with disapproval and hung out long after the set was cleaned and equipment was stowed (it helped to have some models on set)

The point is,,, When an experienced creative ensemble is in sync, work becomes a great excuse to do what you love, with people who love this form of art as much as you do. So getting paid is a nice bonus, but it is a device that allows you to keep doing what you love. And ultimately the final product is a reflection of this great passion. And isn’t that the way it should be?

They are buying better bicycles and equipment. Specialized has been following the trend closely, opening over 9 new shops in mainland China and Hong Kong. In order to reach it’s clientele, Specialized has produced a catalog specific to this growing market.

Monkey&Snake was approached by Minh Tuan Khuu to create a new document unifying three different existing catalogs.
We only kept models available to the Chinese market, creating dynamic new layouts to show the bicycles and equipment at their best.

This well designed and efficient catalog will help branding Specialized in China as a premium brand and generate increased sales. 
Monkey&Snake believes in bringing premium brands in this expanding market and will continue in this direction.

With this in mind, Monkey&Snake has been working with iitala to introduce their high quality range of products to the Chinese market.
Chinese consumers like the weight of a good wine glass, and appreciate the quality of fine china. They have the means, but often lack the correct product information.
In order to correct this situation, we created this gift box paper band telling the history of the pieces and of it’s designers. We hope to do much more in the future and help iitala take a good share of this ever growing market.

It’s not about how it used to be but about how it’s going to be.

Designing in California, printing in Germany and shipping to Japan is part of our daily life. That’s what we are.

The question is will you join us to the party?

On our first day here, I noticed that there was black smoke billowing from the windows of many houses. I asked our host what was going on. He said that those people were burning pieces of tires to warm their homes and cook their meals. My response was that the smoke is toxic and food could not taste good in those conditions. He just smiled…Indeed, Poland is different than any place I have ever been. Inside Polish factories, people perform very much like the Chinese. They are very hard workers and show great dedication to their duties. There is no time wasted on workplace entertainment and chatter. And when a bell rings the machines start buzzing. When the bell rings again they eat, in silence. When the bell rings again they go home, silently. The quiet and lack of interaction between workers is a bit unsettling to my western thinking.

Outside there is no sense of joy or romance but there is plenty of mystery…and silence. Walking the streets and hanging out with the people, I felt that I was in a sea of refugees, people who were just passing through and ended up staying for lack of a better place to be. Perhaps it’s the long history of being invaded and ransacked by Germany to the west and the Soviets to the east that has worn this country down. I have been to more dismal places but none so odd.

One night we were working quite late. We decided to go into town and find a place to eat. We walked into a “Falafel House”. The place was packed. Not an open chair to be had. But there was no food on any of the tables, just drinks. We walked up to the counter and asked for 2 falafels(they called them falafels but in fact they were gyros). The girl said that it would be ready in one hour. I looked at their gyro rotisserie to find that the meat was being scorched to blackness as it spun around the flames. I said “I believe that your meat is burning, and all of that rack is definitely cooked”. She turns to the guy in front of the rotisserie, they exchange words and she turns around to tell me again that it will be another hour. I turned and looked around the restaurant. Everybody was sitting, indifferent and vacant. Just shear silence against the sound of sizzling, charring meat. I then had a long “Where the hell are we?” moment. Like when a character from a Twilight Zone episode realizes that they have left a place of sanity, reason and logic.

After finding food at a Polish pizza shop (toast with melted cheese) we walked back past the falafel house. The same people were sitting at the tables with no food, just drinks. The girl at the counter was looking out at me as I looked in.
The same charred meat was spinning around behind her but this time it was smoking pretty good and the whole thing was on fire. My first thought was that those customers will leave when the place fills up with all of that smoke. Then I thought about it. Smoke from charred meat is probably much nicer than smoke from a burning tire…
Some places make you miss home.

With it’s cleanliness, great design and zero defects, maybe Japan will turn into a Asian Switzerland. What to think of a place where you can change your facial features in a photo booth.

Or a place where 12 is a good number to start a girls band.

We are in Japan for a reason. We always are looking at trends. We are the eyes and the ears of our clients. But often we get sensory overloads.
The Japanese are great collectors. This new store in Shibuya has one in every color you can imagine, just in case.

And Japan as always great graphics, from elephants…

To bananas.

Let’s not forget Monsters, Japanese love them!

Of course we see these great looking single gear bicycles all over. But they are more jewelry than transport. Nothing beats my 24 gears!

And then you see candy girls everywhere, but I’m afraid they are like French pastries in Japan, beautiful and delicate but not much flavor!

In Japan one still can take a bullet train to tradition.

So we are back to my initial question, will China become like Japan? Is some ways, China market is getting bigger and richer, growing in ways Japan cannot match, but Japan will remain unique. We tell our clients to come and invest time and money in China, but never forget Japan!

I just pray this little Izakaya in Kyoto remains there for a while, unspoiled from the hordes of tourists…