The Annual 2021 wrapped up early this month, with some of the most exciting winners in the history of Creativepool. The Music & Sound category was particularly impressive, featuring an unprecedented number of high-quality work across the entire board.
Sparks is not a music library; it's a catalogue of musical ideas, used to kickstart a collaborative process between creative and composer. A ‘Spark’ is the building block of a bespoke track, tailored to your brief by a dedicated artist. It is just natural that such an innovative company is equally innovative in the amount of projects they put through. Sparks was able to secure a Bronze in Music & Sound this year, with a stunning music track created solely with household items.
In this Annual 2021 Spotlight, we are learning more about what makes Sparks so special following a chat with its very founder, Simon Whitehead.
Tell us about your winning submissions! What do you think impressed the judges?
We were over the moon to take home a bronze in this year's music & sound category. Our submission was a collaboration with one of our artists called Charles Van Kirk. During the peak of lockdown, we wanted to explore how our artists could embrace the limitations. We threw Charles a challenging brief tasking him to make a full track using only sounds captured from his New York apartment. I think the most impressive aspect of the project has to be the production quality and song itself. The track alone is fantastic before even understanding the story and concept behind it.
What felt unique about taking part in The Annual?
Having been asked to Judge a category in last years Annual, I was blown away with the creativity and standard of work that I saw and this year has been no different. The standard of work combined with the community aspect of The Annual really make it a great way to engage with other creative minds.
If you could name one reason that made you choose to enter this year, what would it be?
The Annual has always been a bit of a creative bible for me – you can spot those bright and shiny print issues both in my home and the studio! It’s always been on my radar to enter and I knew straight away that the Charles Van Kirk collaboration was the right project to submit.
How do you plan to display your award?
We’re in the process of expanding our current studio so our award will be pride of place in our new offices in Peckham Levels!
Will you enter again in 2022? If so, what are your hopes?
For sure, we’ll certainly be taking part again in 2022. We’ve really enjoyed the awards and next year we’d love to have a couple of great pieces for the Music & Sound category. Hopefully we’ll be able to celebrate with an awards ceremony too!
What advice would you share with other agencies and individuals looking to grab an award?
I think if there are pieces of work that you’re deeply proud of then it’s a no brainer. It’s a great way to see how your work resonates with others and make some connections along the way.
How does winning awards such as The Annual impact your business?
Sparks is a fairly new name on the scene so for us it’s a great way to get recognition for the work we’ve done and are able to do. Awards like The Annual really help us gain awareness and unlock new conversions for collaborations going forward.
This year’s winners are a testament to the power of creativity in hardship. How did Covid restrictions influence your winning projects and how did you approach these new challenges?
Weirdly in our case the Covid restrictions are to thank for our winning entry! The music technology available nowadays means we can pull up any instrument on our computers and access an infinite amount of sounds. Having this much choice can almost cripple the creative process so having an opportunity to work within a set of limitations actually made for something far more unique.
What are your hopes for the industry in 2022 and beyond?
I think in general to keep seeing brave outstanding work being created. It’s been a weird year or so and a hard one for productions to get underway so now that things are easing up I’m excited to see what work catches my eye.
What is your most exciting project in the next year?
Our next exciting project involves us getting our teeth into the tech side of the business. We’re constantly trying to find ways to make the music to picture process smoother for our clients and in the next year we’re excited to work on the platform to introduce some really cool new features which should make life a breeze for creatives and producers. Stay tuned!
