My first “real” job was at an ad agency. I was a “go-fer”. I loved it. Everyday I woke up excited as to what I was going to learn that day.
One day it was how to stick my arms in the photo stat machine to make art for keylines, another ended up getting spacey using an overabundance of 2-part rubber cement. Everyday was different and I was learning skills I would use my whole career…ok, not so much photostats, but I do know how to copyfit, if I had to.
One of the big reveals was seeing the behind the curtain views of how stuff is photographed to look yummy. Popsicles under the hot lights? Have a lot of them in the freezer.
Another was when the guys from the engravers would come over with their Chromalins, 4 color proofs layered together. Was the color accurate? If there were funky (not sure that was the word the art director used, my college job was a long time ago) stray black marks, dots, really, they were caused by pinholes (not really made with pins) in the film negatives. Somebody’s job, not mine, was to Opaque out the pinholes. They worked in a darkened room, on a light table, looking for strange dots of light coming in dark areas. They would paint on a fluid, probably named, “opaque-out” and let it dry.
Not catching a pinhole was a major problem. The “traffic” department would freak if the new product roll out was changed. The client would, also.
Who knew pinholes could be so scary?
Just ask a parent if a little bit of poison is ok in their children’s life or food. Never. Opaque is another word for Parents’ Prayers. I didn’t see that then, on my first big real career job (I am sure I made $3 an hour…) but I see it now. Opaque-out the holes with prayer.