The Wonders of Portent Interactive

Ian–
Let me write for a minute about Portent in general and Tracy in particular.

I called you on your cell phone at 7:30pm in New York while you were visiting family. Rather than telling me to take a hike, you listened to my problem, and offered not one, but two solutions. Since time was of the essence, I went with solution one, and called Tracy in your office.

At 5pm on a Friday evening, did Tracy say “No way, dude, I’m going snowboarding?” Nope! He said, “What’s the problem?” and “How can I help you?”

Moments earlier, we had learned that the digital invitation which we had designed for a global press event had not gone out to the invitees. Worse, the PR firm planning the event had no idea how to create an HTML email.
Worse still, they had just assumed that we would handle the problem. Worst of all, no one in that chain of events (designer, production company, PR firm) had any idea how to create the end product.

To Filmateria’s credit, since the ultimate client was Microsoft, we had always assumed that they would create the HTML invitation. But apparently, Microsoft was too busy to handle it. They assumed the PR firm would create it. The PR firm had assumed Filmateria would do it. You’d think all these communication companies could actually communication. You’d think wrong.

Now, it’s not a Filmateria trait to throw up our hands at an impossible problem. We knew that Microsoft really wanted the invitations out that evening (though it was already 5pm on a Friday night.) In fact, you might
say that we kind of enjoy a challenge…

…Since I knew that Monday would not be acceptable to Microsoft, I called the only company I know with the rare combination of technical expertise, a sophisticated sense of design, and a “nothing is impossible” attitude:
Portent Interactive.

The best part is that we realized at about 6pm that Tracy didn’t really know all the specifics about creating an HTML invitation. We kind of hit a wall as we tried to figure out how to insert it into an email. With any other
company, I would have said “nice try” and let up on the pressure. But Portent isn’t just any other company. You guys are smart. Really smart.

Tracy let it be known that he would stay until he got it right. And he did. In the end, Filmateria, the design firm, the PR firm, and Microsoft all waited by our computers while this magician did his work. Finally, at 7:30 pm, long after his buddies were finishing their first run (maybe even downing their first beer), Tracy pronounced the masterpiece finished, and we sent the very cool invitation to the client. Ecstasy ensued from the client
side.

And, of course, two days later, a Sunday, I get an email from you, the President of the company, asking if we were taken care of.

I’m setting aside a little fund right now to buy the stock when Portent Interactive goes public (you’ll let us in on the “friends and family offering, right?). Long after the piddling little dotcoms’ hocked CPUs turn to dust, Portent Interactive will be thriving.

Quite simply, Portent rocks!

Bill

William Jeakle
Creative Director
Filmateria Studios
www.filmateria.com
206-938-6791