Who are Bill Knowland and Beverly Knowland of Direct Images Interactive?

The San Jose Mercury news published an article on our company and we thought you might like to read more about who we are and what we do.

Career Profile: Bill & Beverly Knowland, Owners of Direct Images Interactive
Interview by Charlotte Cusack San Jose Mercury News
Posted: MercuryNews.com

What are your educational backgrounds?

Beverly: I majored in industrial arts at San Francisco State University.

Bill: I attended San Francisco State University and also California Institute of the Arts in Valencia and majored in film.

Tell me about the genesis and evolution of Direct Images Interactive.

Bill: I started the business as a sole proprietorship over 25 years ago. Beverly came on board in 1994, and we incorporated in 2001.

Initially, Direct Images Interactive was centered on film and video production. In the 90s, I was making independent films and that evolved into taking on a director of photography role for music videos for artists such as E-40, a rap artist. Around the same time, we began to get requests for CD-ROM creative development for publishing companies such as CMP Media. After gaining recognition for this work, we were hired by Apple to oversee over 100 of their in-store demos; I produced while Beverly oversaw art direction. Then, as the Internet evolved, we began to garner more and more interactive clients including Adobe. We created product demos for all the Adobe Creative Suite launches.

Today, Direct Images Interactive has grown into a boutique marketing agency that specializes in creating engaging media.

What projects are you working on currently?

Bill: We picked up Hewlett-Packard as a client this year. Beverly oversees the art direction and graphic design of their homepage banners. Recently, we did a 3D video shoot for Fujitsu to promote one of their laptops that offers 3D capabilities. We’re also working on a social media campaign promoting a Hip Hop dance video contest. In just one month, we’ve seen dramatic growth in the “Likes” the Facebook page has received.

What’s your secret to staying afloat?

Beverly: Hewlett-Packard, for example, sought us out due to word of mouth referrals. It’s who you know, and we’ve been in the business a while. We all continually seek each other out for projects, and that’s how we’ve been able to get the good jobs.

Also, one of the secrets to a successful partnership between spouses is keeping personal and professional lives separate. We really strive to leave our work at the office and not bring it up while at home.

What do you love about your job?

Beverly: I love getting to use both my right and left brain. There’s the creative element, which I love, but at the same time, our work requires a lot of project management and structure. Also, I really enjoy working with a team. Plus, we’re always learning something new, especially on the technical side of things.

Bill: I like to see a project develop from its inception to its completion. In the beginning, you’re brainstorming and thinking about creative ways to do things. Little by little, you may run into technical challenges, so troubleshooting or producing a ‘work around’ may be in order. It’s very rewarding when you can come up with creative solutions both technically and aesthetically, and always satisfying to complete a project.

What skills or traits does your spouse bring to the table?

Bill: Beverly is an incredibly talented art director who is also extremely organized; she’s got a clean style of design which has a lot of class.

Beverly: I think one of Bill’s strongest strengths is his vision. Plus, he has a strong eye for aesthetics.

Do you have any insight or advice for someone interested in pursuing a similar career path?

Beverly: There are so many facets to this industry, and I think the difficulty students’ face is that they feel they need to master everything. It’s great if you can achieve that, but I think it’s better to focus on what you’re passionate about.

Bill: But, on the flip side, with so many companies having to downsize, what used to be separate jobs are now being combined into one, so it’s a boon for you to have multi-talents in order to stay employed. I also think it’s really important to build a portfolio and host it online so potential employers can view your work.

Here is the link to the original article:
Career Profile: Bill & Beverly Knowland, Owners of Direct Images Interactive