As you might have gather by now, my name is Brian Fling and this is my personal blog.

I’ve been using the name Fling Media as my primary digital persona since 1998. It has served as both a personal blog and a business site in the past. I am experimenting with collecting and publishing all of my digital personas into one spot, this site.

About Me

I am 33 years old. I live in Seattle, Washington. I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. I briefly lived in Chicago, but after moving there I realized that I didn’t want to live outside the Pacific Northwest.

My wife Cyndi and I have been married for over eleven years. I used to make her coffee, she asked me out, we were married three months later. We have one child, our daughter PJ, who is the center of our lives.

My Profession

My professional background is in web and mobile design and development. I am largely self-taught. I have worked for a few large companies, but mostly for start-ups, which is where I prefer to be. In 2005 I co-founded an interactive agency called Blue Flavor. In the spring of 2008, Cyndi and I left Blue Flavor to reboot Fling Media, focusing on mobile, products and other fun stuff.

Filmmaking

My dream has always been to be an independent filmmaker. I have written a few scripts, but never produced any of them, usually due to lack of funds (these were the days before DV was taken seriously). In the late nineties, I worked for several years to independently produce an animated science fiction series to be distributed online. Along with a writing partner, we created a massive backstory with multiple story arcs to be carried out over many seasons. We worked with a team of volunteer animators to create the pilot when the project was abandoned. The universe was heavily influenced by the Dune series, but primarily dealt with multiple realities and its consequences on society, politics and religion.

These days I’m looking for ways to merge how I make my living with my first love, film.

The Barista Era

I love making coffee. Being unable to make films, I tried making coffee instead. It is one of the best jobs I ever had. I was trained as a Barista in the Italian method. I later worked for Starbucks for several years. While at Starbucks I drafted a “Proposal for Beverage Excellence” in which I proposed a system to merge the Italian method into Starbucks culture, seeking to improve beverage quality and consistency across all locations. I interoffice mailed my proposal to all senior level Starbucks employees. I quit a few months later.