-----------------------------------------------
About Paul Fillingham
Paul grew up in the 60s and 70s in the mining village of Blidworth, near Mansfield, north Nottinghamshire. In 1980, after studying Art and Design at local colleges in Mansfield and Nottingham, he attended the Fine Art Degree Course at Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Polytechnic). Whilst at Leeds he was made an Honorary Member of the National Union of Mineworkers and received a scholarship in recognition for artwork produced for their Nottinghamshire headquarters. As a student Paul was also interested in creative writing, recording and performance art, establishing a band with guitarist and fellow designer, Chris Richards. The Smart Cookies are still active today.
In 1984, Paul worked as a photographer and video editor for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue. This involved PR activity, investigation photography and training video. After a year he moved to Clarendon College (NCN) where he worked as a video technician and part-time media studies lecturer.
Home Computing
Paul was an active member of Clarendon College's IT committee. He first became interested in computing with the arrival of home computers such as the Sinclair ZX-Spectrum, BBC Micro and Commodore Vic 20 and later the MIDI-equipped Yamaha MSX and Commodore Amiga. Interest in electronic music and early adoption of Apple Macintosh computer culminated in the publication of the UK's first computer-generated cartoon strip in Sound-on-Sound magazine.
Desktop Publishing
Paul subsequently worked as a Mac demonstrator at IPEX88 the Global Technology Trade Event for Print, Publishing & Media and in a 10 day period helped secure £1.5 million in Mac-based DTP sales for midlands-based AppleCentre Group KRCS. Paul spent several years evangelising to creative professionals in the design and publishing industry before becoming a creative practitioner himself.
Paintbox
In 1989 Paul took a break from Macs and spent a year at Martin Allen's Quantel Paintbox facility in Giltbrook, producing work for the BBC OU, and independent production companies. For an artist 'Paintbox' was a dream job; using a touch-sensitive pen-based graphic workstation to create TV graphics and animated title sequences.
Graphic production and Marketing
With the launch of Adobe Photoshop and more powerful Mac computers, Paul returned to KRCS as Creative Manager at a time when the company was expanding into the home counties through acquisition of the SAMS AppleCentre Group. He used this period to gain hands-on experience with a whole range of creative projects, from exhibition stand planning to sales literature, through to corporate branding. The advent of desktop colour applications was also critical to the successful publication of the company's direct marketing catalogue which was developed 'under-wraps', pre-empting Apple Computer's own controversial direct sales catalogue by two months. Working with Marketing Director Tim Clark, from SAMS Wimbledon office, Paul gained valuable experience with London-based design agencies.
Multimedia production
In 1994 Paul decided to broaden his creative portfolio by joining the midlands creative agency Cross Hill Conwill. Supported by multimedia design graduate Ian Lawrence, Paul established a multimedia division. CHC pioneered interactive CD-ROM, kiosk, web design and e-commerce applications for retail and blue-chip companies including; Boots, Raleigh, GEC Alsthom, Jigsaw Systems, British Midland Airlines and Experian. Most notable was a POS application for Raleigh bike dealerships which utilised Philips low-cost CDi platform and incorporated digital video clips. A PC-based in-store touch-screen 'SunShop' kiosk application with data-capture was also trialed for Boots Company Plc.
Website pioneers
Paul was quick to see the potential of the internet and produced his first commercial website for the Development Board for Rural Wales in 1995 which was quickly followed by another a site for Raleigh Bikes. Both sites were early candidates for Apple's QuickTime video technology and the DBRW site with its QuickTime panoramas subsequently went on to win several creative and marketing awards for agency Cross Hill Conwill. He launched his own website XPOhaas - a 'sand-pit' for early web techniques in 1995. The site was subsequently relaunced as Dreamtargets in 1999.
During the early days, skilled multimedia developers were rare and many ambitious projects were the result of collaborations between several companies and talented individuals. Paul worked closely with web pioneer Sean Clark who was then research fellow at the University of Derby and multimedia developers at iBIS Multimedia in Suffolk and Leamington-based MacroMedia specialists Symbiosis. Throghout the 90's he continued to present at trade exhibitions and seminars for organisations such as IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group) Philips Media and Apple Computer (UK).
eCommerce and online marketing
In 1998 after a short period developing an ecommerce website for Apple reseller, Jigsaw Systems, Paul joined Headland Multimedia. Headland had recruited Sean Clark and acquired the multimedia division from Leeds advertising agency Poulters and were starting to build up a dedicated team of marketers and skilled web programmers. Paul continues to work at Headland in Nottingham and Leeds where he is responsible for project management, ecommerce applications and online marketing.
Paul is responsible for the following Headland sites;
Machine Mart Power tools online store
KRCS Group Apple Premium Reseller online store
EM Media Regional arts funding for film
MAAN Male grooming products online store
Emma Nixe Fashion design portfolio
Learning to Drive DSA microsite for Victoria Creative
He has also been involved in other projects from the Headland portfolio including;
National Health Service
Matalan
Sunderland Football Club
Nottingham Trent University
Rufford Craft Centre
Other activities:
Paul's interests include art, photography, music and writing. In 2001 Paul Fillingham and long-term collaborator Chris Richards published their pictorial history book Nottingham in the 1980s (Images of England - Tempus Publishing). Paul and Chris met at art school in 1978 and continue to make music as the Smart Cookies and recently released a download EP on Apple's iTunes in spring 2008. . They have also been working on a novel 'Dancing Life' - a comic thriller set in the 1980s.
In recent years, Paul has launched a number of ecommerce ventures including an online gallery and jewellery store. He's also involved in the design and launch of Wurlybird; an exciting new action toy for young children. He is currently developing TV screenplays with art school friend Marcus Clarke.
Paul lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and three children. |
