#BehindtheSelfie with... Auryn Hiscock

Hiscock captions this: “Friends. That’s me at the centre.”

1. Where do you live, work and play?

I live in Johannesburg, work wherever work takes me, and play in-between. Sometimes during.

2. What’s your claim to fame?

I wrote an article for Bizcommunity once.

#BizTrends2019: Year of the social impact brand (again)

Auryn Hiscock and Mikhaila Hunter  15 Jan 2019

I also have screenwriting creds, and the IMDb page to prove it.

3. Describe your career so far.

Self-actualising. I started out at a Seta but naturally gravitated towards the world of advertising, from working at South Africa’s best (and snarkiest) daily deals site to finding myself at Fort, who live and breathe storytelling.

4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.

Sunny weather, South African women, tattoos, festival bangers, an after-work drink I’ve earned, or haven’t.

5. What do you love about your industry?

How the industry can make you feel on top of the world, and simultaneously humble you as a creative.

6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.

It doesn’t. On any given day, I could find myself on-set, in studio, or hacking away at briefs. It’s brilliant.

View this post on Instagram

On location with @fortnetwork today.

A post shared by Auryn Hiscock (@aurynhiscock) on May 30, 2018 at 9:27pm PDT

7. What are the tools of your trade?

A Mac, a notebook, a dictionary, an internet connection, and a point to prove.

8. Who is getting it right in your industry?

Anyone committing themselves to doing meaningful work, not necessarily filling up an awards cabinet.

9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.

Elitism, shovelling work abroad and hopping on trends.

Case in point: That well-meaning, but still a little derivative Gillette ad.

Gillette's 'We Believe' campaign - is it the best a brand can do?

Rachel Thompson  1 Feb 2019

10. What are you working on right now?

A few sci-fi inspired campaigns for an innovative web browser, so check back for that.

11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.

@Adweak sums it up pretty nicely…

BREAKING: Agencies Desperately Searching Internet For Something, Anything That Ranks Their Super Bowl Spot In The Top Ten

— ADWEAK (@adweak) February 4, 2019

12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?

In the most unusual places, usually when I’m not looking for them.

I once woke up with a fleshed out concept on my Notes app, with no idea of how it got there. True story.

Also, rotate social circles because it doesn’t take long for them to catch on.

14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?

Technophile.

15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?

Pinterest boards, notes on new ideas, idioms and expressions I find interesting, dozens of apps I never use, and whatever filth filters through from my WhatsApp groups.

16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?

To make great advertising, you have to be a fan of it first. Also: See my answer to number 4. The takeaway: Trust the process.

View this post on Instagram

Today I got the opportunity to talk to some aspiring filmmakers about storytelling. ��: @anikavos

A post shared by Auryn Hiscock (@aurynhiscock) on Jul 26, 2016 at 7:05am PDT

*Interviewed by Leigh Andrews.