About me
My name is Ilja Ruppeldt. Strange name; blame my parents.
Ilja is a Russian name. Maybe you remember the Hollywood movie The Man from U.N.C.L.E. with Ilja Kuryakin, a KGB spy, as a leading character.... I am not KGB, I am not Russian :-)
My surname is Ruppeldt. It's German. I have a bit of German blood, but I am not German.
I was born in India, but I am not Indian.
I was raised in South America, but I am not South American.
Since 2000, I am a Kiwi, New Zealander.
So where I am coming from
Actually, from a now nonexistent country. Czechoslovakia.
I graduated there from a famous media and film university as a producer and director. Thanks to this fact, I was able to cover both aspects of the communications industry: creating and generating ideas, developing stories and also transforming them from an idea into a real product - tv ads, films, prints ads, billboards You name it.
It is always about telling the story by using classical elements of storytelling such as plot, explanation, culmination and conclusion, and implementing the appropriate icons and symbols.
I started my professional life as a director and producer of documentaries for theatres and television. I travelled the world with a camera and, among others, I was lucky to film many VIPs such as the Japanese Prime Minister or Pope John Paul II. In the early 1990s I was appointed as the Head of the Documentary Production department at Czechoslovak television. This was a managerial position where I led a team of 120 professionals. I was also in charge of commissioning and dealing with the department's budget. We had approx. 20 million dollars to produce 400 hours of documentaries, current affairs and educational programmes. Many of them received international awards. At the same time, I was elected 4 times by my peers to be the President of the Slovak Film Association. This was not a paid job. However, it came with many responsibilities, as my role was not only to lobby in the government but also in the EU institution. Also, I have travelled several times to Hollywood, the BBC and other prominent media institutions to negotiate film production deals in the territory of Slovakia.
My final assignment in Europe was as Creative Director for the biggest European communications agency - EURO RSCG. They are known as Havas these days. I led a creative team of 60 people and we were in charge of developing ATL - BTL , full campaigns for lots of clients - Peugeot, Ericsson, Philips and many other.
Here in New Zealand, I started-out as a lecturer in media studies in Hamilton. I moved to Auckland when I was appointed as an Art Director / Studio Manager at an advertising agency. It was medium-sized below the line agency. Later, I decided to be independent. So, I am freelancing, contracting and I offer digital solutions and production. It is, as I said before - about storytelling. Doesn't matter if it is a 15-seconds long retail ad, or 60-minutes long content video, or podcast. It is about the use of visual grammar and the right elements for each media. And you should think outside the box. Throughout the years, I've worked for approx. 200 kiwi companies and produced for them approximately 1600 projects. I was also a member of the executive board of Export NZ: Another opportunity for lobbying and meeting NZ's top manufacturers and exporters. Even opportunities to take part in business missions overseas..
Skills
adobe cs suite, Advertising, art directing, Branding, Creative Direction, Digital Strategy, Graphic Design, Media Planning, Photography, Post Production, Social Media, Venue Management, Video-Journalism, videography
Sector Experience
atl, btl, Care Provision, Communications, Digital (SEO, PPC, SEM...), Print, Production, Television
Awards
Golden Nail, IFF Agrofilm, IFF Cadca, IFF Charleston, IFF Houston
Clients
Beca, ericsson, Holcim, MILO, Montana Wines, Nescafe, Nestlé, Peugeot, Philips, Schering Plough, Sunbeam