NAME: Daniel Kim

AGE: 27

JOB TITLE: CEO and founder of Deep Fried Productions, Inc.

LOCATION: Los Angeles

TIME AT YOUR PRESENT JOB: 5 years

 

 

 

 

Describe your company and what you do.

Deep Fried Productions is a new media firm that specializes in design. Our client base is rooted in the entertainment industry, though we handle a wide variety of projects in other industries. The majority of our work is Web-based, such as developing Web sites, online media players and other online marketing elements, but our portfolio also includes offline work such as corporate identity and print design.

Who have you worked with?

Some of our recent projects include Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Pussycat Dolls, AFI and Pharrell.

How did you get into this career?

I started producing music about seven years ago and wanted to pursue a career in music so I got an internship at Interscope Records right out of college. I started networking with the people over there and became good friends with some of the people in the new media department. An opportunity came up to do some design work so I put together a team of designers and started DFP.

What’s a typical day like?

There’s a lot of talking on the phone and e-mailing. My focus is to make sure that things get done and that money is coming in. Some days I’ll be on the phone with clients all day trying to figure out a solution for them and other days I’ll be managing the workflow between my developers. It’s a constant balancing act of keeping your clients happy and creating a work environment where things are running smoothly.

What kind of hours do you work?

I set my own hours, but that doesn’t mean I have all the free time in the world. Since I’m not restricted to a set hourly schedule, I’m basically responsible for my own work. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. It’s as simple as that.

What are the perks?

In the beginning, it was nice going to free concerts and getting CDs before they were released, but now I find reward in creating new business and being involved with interesting projects. Recently, we worked on a project for Pharrell and developed a dress-up game where online users could create his or her own character. The next thing I know, I see these characters all over people’s profiles that were created from our ideas.

What’s your work environment like?

It’s pretty laid-back for the most part. I try to give my designers a lot of freedom so they can have room to be creative. I think it’s really important to play your own role and let others do what they are good at.