We continue our series of interviews with the many multi-talented people at LEAP by introducing Aidan Taub. Aidan is our Technology and Systems Director, and in this role, he supports the framework for creative development across a wide range of projects at LEAP. You may also be familiar with Aidan’s work within the film and post team as a motion graphics editor on social media video content and digital OOH projects including the enormous wagamama screen at Heathrow airport.
Read on to find out more about how Aidan’s creativity comes into play both in and out of the workplace.
How do you express your creativity?
I am a photographer, videographer, editor and dad-joke aficionado.
What are your creative tools?
In my role as a Technology and Systems Director, creative problem-solving tools come in all shapes and sizes, but I always have Apple’s terminal open – it’s my window into the Matrix. Adobe Creative Suite provides everything else that I need for editing video, photos and motion graphics.
When I’m outside of LEAP, I always have my camera with me – it’s a Sony a6500 with a Sigma 16mm lens with variable ND filter attached. Out and about, I will use Adobe Lightroom Mobile or Snapseed on my mobile to tweak my shots and share them on the fly.
When does creative inspiration usually strike?
Anytime, anywhere! While I’m walking with my camera, I find that I view things a little differently. It forces me to be on the lookout for interesting tricks of the light or unusual angles, faces or places.
That explains how you spot those clever scenes you share on our Instagram channel.
Do you do anything special to boost your creativity?
Creativity can be found anywhere – it is just your perspective that needs to change. So, if I’m finding it hard to see interesting opportunities while walking the same streets every day, I’ll try to mix up my journeys and explore different routes. Getting a little lost is part of the fun.
Briefly describe your creative place.
Where is my creative place? I need one! My home office is a playroom at the moment which has served to really improve my Lego building.
Travel seems to improve my creative headspace. Just the process of moving my feet works to free up my mind and let it wander. Having said that, creative problem-solving is a very different process to photography. I can go to bed at night with a complex tech issue or a tricky film edit on my mind and wake up with a novel solution.
Who’s your inspiration?
My two little boys really inspire me – they inspire me to be silly, to play, to imagine, to think outside the box (or sometimes underneath it).
What’s your hidden talent?
I’m not sure whether you’d call them talents but I’m a competent practitioner of many different and eclectic pastimes including, but not exclusive to: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, rock climbing, snowboarding, surfing, sailing, Scuba diving, and I am a very out-of-practice magician. True story; I once appeared in a TV commercial as a chef making a bunch of flowers appear.
If you can’t wait for Aidan’s next contribution to the LEAP social media feed, you can follow him on his own Instagram channel.
Find out more about the people of LEAP in other interviews with members of our team.
