In The Shark Tank

Check out a short preview of tonight’s Shark Tank episode below. Join us at 8/7 CT to live tweet during the show! We’re looking forward to an exciting episode.

Apparent to many of the Shark Tank viewers tweeting during last night’s season premiere, more people than ever before were tweeting #SharkTank in their comments on Twitter. This was more than just a hunch, as in the 8:00 hour (Eastern Time Zone), the #SharkTank hashtag became a trending topic nationwide for the first time. By my unofficial count, between 5,000-10,000 tweets containing the hashtag were sent over that hour. InTheSharkTank’s twitter account, SharkTankABC, jumped nearly 500 followers in a single day yesterday, which also set a record for us.

Speaking of records, last night’s episode won its time slot for the coveted 18-49 demographic, according to Zap2It’s Jean Bentley. 6.2 million total viewers tuned in to see Daymond, Mark, Kevin, Barbara and Robert get into a feeding frenzy over several pitches. It was an awesome all-around episode.

If this is your first time visiting InTheSharkTank, please have a look around, we’ve got information on what to do if you’re thinking about applying to appear on Shark Tank next season, articles about previous episodes of the show, and even a new directory of past show contestants.

We couldn’t be more excited about this new season of Shark Tank, and the outpouring of fan/viewer commentary. What did YOU think of last night’s episode? Please leave a comment below.

Welcome aboard, Shark Tank fans old and new!

Tune in tonight and join us during the show @SharkTankABC to live tweet! We have been waiting quite some time for this season premiere, and can’t wait to discuss this season’s entrepreneurs, offers, and of course the Sharks as well!

Below is a preview clip from ABC:

In a bit of a surprise move (but a great one for Shark Tank fans), the next season of the show will debut on Friday January 20th @ 8ET/7ET on ABC. Originally the new season was slated to air on February 3.

We’re very excited about this development and can’t wait for the third season of the best show on television.

Feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget, Mark Cuban is appearing in 10 of the 13 episodes for this next season. The Sharks are going to be battling it out over the best ideas from an array of entrepreneurs.

We’re happy to pass on the news that ABC recently announced that the brand new season of Shark Tank will debut on Friday February 3rd at 8PM. That exact time may vary by your time zone, but nevertheless, this is the news we’ve been waiting to hear for quite a while.

We at InTheSharkTank are very excited about this next season, in which 13 episodes are scheduled to air. Mark Cuban will appear in 10 of the episodes, so the sharks will have to be ready to fight over the ideas and entrepreneurs they’re offering deals to. It’s going to be an exciting season for what we consider the best show on television.

For all the entrepreneurs out there, as soon as we hear anything about casting for the next season, we’ll of course post it here and via twitter. In the coming weeks leading up to Season 3, we’ll also be posting some lessons learned from watching Seasons 1&2. The show is packed with awesome advice and business tips, and should be a must-watch for any self-respecting business owner.

It’s official! I had a chance to visit the Shark Tank set recently and the ABC Publicity team confirmed that today was the final day of scheduled shooting for Season 3. Big congrats to all the entrepreneurs and companies that shot segments this summer. Now begins post-production ahead of the Season 3 premiere, which will likely be in December or January.

For all the people that submitted applications, videos and jumped through the various casting hoops, this ends a long road of waiting for word. Take heart, and stay tuned for plenty of information on how to take your best shot at making it on Season 4.

Over 9,000 applications were submitted for this season. Less than 100 segments were filmed. There’s no shame in being part of the former group.

In the meantime our coverage continues, we’ll be live tweeting Friday’s episode and also will be rolling out the new web design and content very soon.

Over the last month we’ve organized weekly live tweets on Fridays during the 8ET/7CT showing of Shark Tank on ABC. Everyone is invited to join in, whether you’re a longtime viewer/fan of the show or someone that is planning to check it out for the first time.

To participate you just need to:

1) Set up a free account at Twitter (if you don’t already have one)

2) Be able to watch Friday’s episode live

3) Send tweets to @SharkTankABC and/or use the #sharktank hashtag in your tweets

That’s it!

We’re thrilled to be involved with so many Shark Tank fans/viewers, business owners, and entrepreneurs. The live tweets have been an excellent source of advice and community. If you’re looking for help in any area of your business, this is a great place to ask!

Many thanks to live tweet sponsors over the last couple weeks as well, JobSearch and Zenful Goods. If you or your company is interested in learning more about sponsoring live tweets, send an email to inthesharktank@gmail.com.

See you on Friday!

Follow us on Twitter: @SharkTankABC

The comment threads on InTheSharkTank have been very active over the past couple weeks as applicants and semi-finalists for Shark Tank’s upcoming third season have found this community of fans and entrepreneurs.

Thanks to insight from many including Hail Guardian for a birds-eye view of the casting process. Semi-finalists were asked to fill out a large contract and send in a video submission at various times this summer, and many that did so have not heard back as of today.

In order to make it easy for those still waiting to hear from casting, we invite semi-finalists to add a comment letting us know where you are in the casting process.

Stay tuned to InTheSharkTank and @SharkTankABC for breaking news/info on Season 3 casting. Also if you’re an applicant or semi-finalist, sign up for Twitter — it’s a great way to communicate with current and future show participants.

If you’ve watched an episode of Shark Tank in the last two years, chances are you’ve seen the handiwork of Nathaniel Howe without ever realizing it. Nathaniel, a talented LA-based motion graphics designer, created the design boards that anchor many of the show’s intro/outro teasers and clip sequences. In addition to Shark Tank, if you’ve tuned in to the NBA Finals or shows like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Louis and American Pickers (to name a few) you’ve already been well-introduced. Recently we caught up with Nathaniel and asked him about his unique role, process, and interests.

1. For an average viewer (including myself) that lacks knowledge of what your process looks like, how would you describe what you do on a daily basis?

Hi Andrew, thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

My day job is to create artwork that conveys a clients communication goals in an unique way. As a Creative Director my role is to develop the aesthetic tone and strategic positioning of a multimedia campaign and to ensure quality from pre-production through execution.

My work is primarily based in film and television, being freelance I work with a diverse set of clients ranging from Madonna music videos, Men In Black 3 special effects, all the way to title design and promo graphics for Shark Tank.

2. What’s the purpose of a “design board”?

A large portion of my day to day work is to create still pictures called styleframes or storyboards. These still pictures are used to convey the visual language of a campaign and guarantee everybody likes the artistic direction before the more time consuming and expensive process of animation begins.

A styleframe will define a visual language (what do the graphics and typography look like, what style photography is used and why, what’s the tone and mood, what are the main colors, how does the look of the graphics connect with marketing goals and target audience etc).

When ABC approached us to brand Shark Tank we began by learning about the show, the target audience, and the brand qualities of ABC as a channel. We then took what we learned and started creating multiple
sets of styleframes to give ABC creative choices as to how they wanted their show represented. Once everybody agreed on a show logo and a style was selected we began animating the motion graphics that you see on-air to this day.

3. In a typical episode of Shark Tank, images of sharks swimming above Manhattan skyscrapers are shown just before the start of the show as well as immediately before new segments. What can you tell us about the genesis of this idea?

The sharks circling the skyscrapers was a visual motif I came up with during the early style development for Shark Tank and it was one of the first things ABC really responded to. I began by thinking about
the raw qualities of cut-throat, tense business negotiations. I thought about the way the investors would fight for a deal and turn on each-other, doing whatever it would take once there was blood in the water.

I wanted to create a striking image that would juxtapose the world of business and the metaphorical similarities of a school blood-thirsty sharks ready to strike. The animation team did a great job blending
animated sharks and footage of real sharks to create the final composite used during the title sequence.

4. What can you tell us about your role in creating design boards for Shark Tank?

I had an amazing team of artists and producers working on Shark Tank with me and it was an absolute pleasure to brand the show. It is always more fun when you actually enjoy the show you are working
on, I remember watching the early pilot episodes of Shark Tank and getting really into it. To this day I still set my DVR to record every episode.

Shark Tank has gone beyond the initial entertainment value of negotiations to a rich and eclectic show that conveys many different emotions. Shark Tank has truly developed into something that changes lives and rewards hardworking entrepreneurs and I am proud to have worked on it.

5. Television post-production like the production itself appears to be a very collaborative environment. Does that hold true with your work in general, and specifically on Shark Tank?

Absolutely. I am fortunate enough to work with some of the best artists and producers in the world and through collaboration we ensure our clients receive a well-rounded diverse style exploration and
creative approach.

On Shark Tank we would sit and watch the pilot episode together and discuss how the show made us feel, what imagery or adjectives it brought to mind, what colors it invoked etc. All of this collaborative
dialogue was extremely important to the creative process.

6. Based on your portfolio, you routinely work with iconic brands and television properties. Is it daunting to put a new spin on an established brand? After working with both existing and new brands, do you enjoy one challenge over the other?

The freedom of working with a new brand is liberating and exciting, however the visual power and thrill of dropping in a Coke or Nike logo into your design feels nice also! I honestly don’t prefer one over the
other, I just want a project that gets my team and I fired up and passionate, I want my clients to feel passionate and to be excited about how we can push the brand. Sometimes you need to push a brand or
style too far, then let it get dialed back into a zone where everybody from the corporate suits, to the sponsors feel comfortable. I try and push a little past the edge because we can always bring it down a
notch, it’s better to turn heads too far then to not move them at all.

7. In addition to wrangling motion graphics and brands on a daily basis, your Twitter profile mentions that you trade stocks and commodities on the side. What sparked your interest in investing? What keeps you interested when it comes to investing?

My father is a professional trader, so that is part of what sparked my interest. Growing up I was captivated by film, cinematography and art, I wanted nothing to do with math or finance but one day about 5 years ago I woke up and wondered if I could be a successful trader. To be honest, I thought trading would be easy, so I decided to give it a chance. I quickly learned that trading is an incredibly difficult
and complex art with it’s own rules and nuances.

My first big winners showed me the potential to generate wealth, my first big losers taught me to be humble and respect the market. I primarily day-trade futures contracts, and swing trade securities in
the equity market. I have enormous respect for the difficulty, focus, patience and discipline it takes to be a successful and consistently profitable trader. Trading is a lot like golf, it’s “you vs yourself”
I really enjoy the challenge of trying to master myself and the art of trading it is a nice change of pace from the design world.

8. For all your fellow entrepreneurs (and Shark Tank fans), is there an entrepreneurial tip or piece of advice that you’d like to share?

“If you want something, make yourself ready to receive it.”

Develop an burning passion to create the life and business you desire, spend time everyday to reaffirm and realign yourself with those goals. Look for win-win situations in business, that is the only way to
create sustainable success and grow a loyal client/employee base. Treat people well, protect your reputation and pursue your dreams with unrelenting effort and determination.

Make sure to laugh along the way.

Thanks again for taking the time to speak with me, and a special
thanks to our whole team involved with Shark Tank!

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Our thanks to Nathaniel for the great insight into his creative process, and also the encouragement and advice! We encourage all Shark Tank fans and entrepreneurs to follow Nathaniel on Twitter. And of course if you’re looking for an experienced Creative Director or motion graphics expert for your next project, check out his online portfolio.

Ever since I learned of the opportunity to own and operate InTheSharkTank back in June, my head has been swimming (hey, it’s Shark Week) with ideas on how to improve this website. Brenden, the previous owner, started the site from scratch and laid a solid foundation and I’m thankful for that. It’s time to build upon that foundation, and today I’d like to offer a glimpse of what’s going on behind the scenes.

One of my top priorities is to improve the site’s branding and design, in addition to offering new features that connect with fans of the show and entrepreneurs in general. Since my background is in web development, I leave branding/design to the experts. I’m happy to report that things are moving along very well, thanks to the incredible team of aforementioned experts at Up All Day Creative Solutions. They took a rough concept/sketch from my end and have created a beautiful new interface and brand for InTheSharkTank.

Here’s a preview:

Cool, huh? In the coming weeks I’ll be developing the site ahead of a relaunch on Tuesday, September 6th, exactly one month and one day from tomorrow. In addition to the new interface we’ll be rolling out several new features that will benefit fans of the show and entrepreneurs alike. I’m an entrepreneur through and through, so like many of you my day-to-day is spent wrangling the big idea. Thankfully in the case of the new design, I can consider it wrangled.

If you have thoughts on the new design, or a story (good or bad) about your web design/development experience, please comment. Also if you have graphic/web design, e-mail campaign, or development needs, please consider hiring the guys at Up All Day! They didn’t know I was going to post this or give them this plug.