Category Archives: FALL 2016

Production Hub Video Production Blogs

imgres

 

Production Hub is a very useful website it has Blogs and many other resources that people can find useful. I was in the search for Video production Blogs and I found some pretty good ones linked through ProductionHub.com

Screen Shot 2016-11-28 at 2.24.47 PM.png

Each one of these Blogs all have something creative to offer whether it be the Author giving you tips and special features you can use with Video Production or maybe a Blog about a autobiography there are many great things featured in these 5 Blogs, My favorite is the 5th Blog titled Premium Beat. This Blog features Tutorials, Tips, and many other useful things for Video production. The Author is named Clay Asbury he is a certified instructor for Adobe premiere and After effects and has been working in education and production for 15 years. This is why I love his blog so much is because he really knows his stuff and I am very interested in these applications as well. I think Production Hub is put together very nicely, it is easy to understand and use as well as navigate through. Each page has tabs for easy access to other pages, I recommend this Website to other Video Production seekers, and to other students in general.

Screen Shot 2016-11-28 at 2.37.34 PM.png        screen-shot-2016-11-28-at-2-42-15-pm

 

Click this link to view the Website for the Blogs, I hope you enjoy!

https://www.productionhub.com/blog/post/5-best-blogs-for-video-production-pros

 

 

 


P6 Final Project

kirkholllins

screen-shot-2016-11-25-at-1-44-06-amhttps://youtu.be/BnJHY3w0KkQThis project I was told to do something outside the box, so I took that as doing something out of my comfort zone.  A movie that is opposite of me in every way. I love my children and consider myself a spritual man; so for me something out side the box is a film of  devilish desires with a Satinic meaning to it; so my idea was, with the fear of clowns coming out of the woods grabbing children, with a twist of the new movie that just came out suicide squad. I combined children grabbing clowns with Holy Quinn, Jokers psychotic girlfriend to create a new type of killer. One bent on a sacrifice and murder hiding out in the woods; while looking like your  ordinary teenager. I filmed this  film with my cell phone and used  premiere edit and do the effects I wanted. I downloaded the audio…

View original post 76 more words


FFB 101

 

 

nfl

I’ve been playing fantasy football for seven years. I experienced a lot of beginners luck, and have been riding the lucky train for most of my time playing.

Many ask to explain to them how fantasy football works. Well, allow me to introduce you to a life changing game.


 

nfl-fantasy-cheat-sheet-fantasy-football-draft-apps


For so many football fans, being able to control a  football team is the  dream. Fantasy football allows you to create a  team of your favorite NFL athletes to compete against both friends and strangers. As a team owner, you will need the business sav­vy of a general manager, the player knowledge of a pro scout, and the strategy of a head coach.

To keep it simple, fantasy football is a game where football fans use their knowledge of the sport to compete against each other in formats that relate to the actual performance, or players’ statistics, of professional football teams. The goal of the fantasy football player is to select which athletes or teams will have the most impressive performances during a given week, taking under consideration of injuries, player match-ups, weather conditions to name a few.  To be a winner at fantasy football, a fantasy player must follow the weekly happenings of the NFL and make better choices than his opponent makes.


70052zbr85-fantasy-football1


Here are key steps to beginning your journey with fantasy football:

  • Choose a league. Pick a league with friends or with strangers.
  • Draft your team. Follow a particular draft order and select your favorite NFL players. Commonly you’ll select a couple quarterbacks, four running backs, four wide receivers, a tight end, a kicker and a defense/special teams.
  • Set your lineup. Each week, set your lineup. Think about who has the best match ups based off of past performances and future projections. Substitute any players that are injured or on a bye week.
  • Have fun

For more information on how to play fantasy football, click this link: https://youtu.be/4Pm2pkxbYYU or press play down below.

 

 


fantasy-football-not-like-the-league-5


If you are interested in joining or creating your own fantasy football league, visit the following site: http://www.nfl.com/fantasyfootball

 

 


P6 Final Project

https://youtu.be/BnJHY3w0KkQThis project I was told to do something outside the box. I took that as doing something out is my comfort zone.  A movie that is opposite of me in every way. I love my children and consider myself a man; so for me something out side the box is devilish desires of Satinic meaning to it. With the fear of clowns coming out of the woods grabbing children, with a twist of the new movie that just came out suicide squad. I combined children grabbing clowns with Holy Quinn, Jokers psychotic girlfriend to create a new type of killer. One bent on a sacrifice and murder hiding in the woods, looking like your  ordinary teenager. I filmed this all from my cell phone and used  premiere edit and do the effects I wanted. I downloaded the audio from youtube and edited the audio on audacity, so it fit my short film. My niece Ne Ne Burks did the acting for me. My daughter Ayona let me use her doll unwillingly. I used corn syrup and red food o for blood. The film was shot in my back yard to give it the forest look with the half built kid club house. I really enjoyed it making it and hope you all do to.


The Advantage of Interactive Narrative

As far back as I can remember there has been a heated debate as to which is more important to a video game; story or game-play. The answer is yes. As far as storytelling goes, video games have always had an advantage over film and television in that they are interactive, meaning the story can sometimes be told through game-play and make you, the player, the protagonist. dialougue-wheel

Decisions, Decisions

 You may be thinking “of course video games make you the main character, you’re the one playing aren’t you?” While that’s true, it’s one thing to give the player an avatar to control, but to fully immerse the player and make them feel like the centerpiece of the narrative requires very precise game design choices. Probably the simplest way to achieve this is with a dialogue wheel that allows you to choose what your avatar says like in Mass Effect. Although I ADORE Mass Effect, I prefer a more subtle approach. When crafting a story for their games, developers must remember to give the character motivation to see the journey through to the end. Two games that absolutely nail this premise are Ico and Wind Waker.

ico_cover_-_eujp

On the surface, Ico has a very simple story: escape! You begin the game trapped in a sprawling castle, lost and alone. A few minutes in you meet your sole companion: Yorda. The only problem is that Ico and Yorda don’t speak the same language, making it impossible to verbally communicate with Yorda. It’s up to the players actions to convey instructions to her. The game builds itself around this by designating a button to hold her hand. This simple design choice makes the player prioritize keeping Yorda close and thus you form a bond to her through game play. By the end of the game, you’re so attached to her that when she is kidnapped, even though Ico is given a clear escape route, your priority has completely switched to getting your friend back!

ww cover.jpg

Wind Waker begins in a typical Zelda fashion by establishing the player character, Link as an ordinary island boy. It isn’t long before the game gives you your first taste of action when it gives you your sword and has you go to town on some generic enemies. This short sequence serves to make the player feel empowered and invincible. So what happens during the first real level? You lose your weapon and are forced to sneak your way through hordes of enemies, all of which now seem much more dangerous. You are now reminded that you are not invincible, you’re still that same island boy. Now the game becomes about reclaiming that sense of empowerment you felt in the beginning, a theme that is illustrated beautifully in a later sequence where you return to this same dungeon with sword in hand.

For more on video game narrative design, check out these links:

The Legend of Zelda’s take on the hero’s journey

The themes of Light and Dark in Ico’s prequel; Shadow of the Colossus

More on Wind Waker:


Interview With Stafford Video Productions

I am very interested in Video production, so for my assignment I decided to look into a local business in Eugene that does Video Production. I went to Stafford Video in South Eugene and interviewed the owner Mark Stafford. He has been doing many years of video, at least 30. (he couldn’t remember the exact year/ wouldn’t tell me) I went to the office of the company and interviewed Mark, here is what he had to say.

Question 1: What was it like to create your own media business in the community?  

He thought about it for a minute and then responded very thoughtfully. he told me Starting the business was both exciting and very challenging they started with only 3,000 dollars to invest into it which he claims is next to nothing in this industry. He also had to sell stock to make it including his Motorcycle, scuba diving equipment and his very first video camera! (ouch). When they first started there really wasn’t much for Video Production around, you might see some in bigger cities but in Eugene there wasn’t really anything back in the early 80’s. As time went on with trying to get the new business going it got really rough, Mark was ready to throw in the towel but he knew if he kept going he would be very successful.

Question 2: In your Opinion, is it very difficult for someone to get a career in Video production? 

He told me yes, it is very difficult when he got started he started working for a company called Westcom, and then he got to know a producer making training videos for University of Oregon’s Track and Field. When he was working with him he wasn’t even allowed to carry the camera. One of the producers told him he should shadow a very good photographer and learn everything he needed to know, it is also important to be a good writer and here’s why he told me using this metaphor “If you have 100 monkeys that know how to run a video camera, but only 2 of them know how to write who’s more likely to get hired?” The answer is of course the 2 monkeys who not only know how to use the camera but can also write a script and everything else they need for Video production. He eventually became a co-founder of Mopan which stands for Mid Oregon Production Arts Network.

Question 3: What are some suggestions, or tips/recommendations you would give to people in the community who want to pursue Video Production as a career? 

He thinks a good way to start is to get a hold of the production team at television stations and figure out what it takes to get a job there, It takes a lot of hard work and effort it is not an easy thing to get into but it is possible. He used one of his favorite quotes as an example for me. He said in the words of Charles Dowd “Practice, practice, and practice some more” This was a phrase that Charles would tell his students and it is a quote that Mark loves. He gave the suggestion to surround yourself with talented people and learn everything you need to know and more.

Question 4: What is your fav


David Verhoeven Interview

               This weekend I was laying on my bed, contemplating the concepts of art, lazily staring at a painting on my wall. I have a few by this artist, collected by my partner. They’re all muted in palette and range in subject from nude portraits to abstractions of reality. Though I have strayed from the path of studio arts, I know that this artist David Verhoeven has done graphic design for wineries and still stands as an inspiration to me. Yesterday I was thankful to catch some of his time and get a few answer to quench some of my curiosity.

imag0113

So.. How does one even start to be a self promoted artist? How do you change from hobby to a
career? David told me that in his early teens he stopped doing art for pure enjoyment, studying professionally.

[img above: photographed business card that David sent me]
“The word “hobby” infers the pursuit of amusement and perhaps as a young child this applied however, early to mid- teens my interest in art matured. Late teens I was working professionally.”

                  Though his subjects have always varied, his primary tools have been ink, gouache, and graphite for a while. With these tools, he made his first series “[···]series of frottages from found objects. A series of paintings in gouache, oil, and acrylic on canvas mounted on wood and most recently torn paper (book leaves) collages.

When I first wanted to interview him, I had recalled various stories about his beginnings as an artist; a young man creating advertisements for companies, doing commissions, selling original art, and I guess I just wanted to know how he got himself out there. He told me it was by word of mouth and development of portfolio that he became well known for this type of work. Though, he said it wasn’t worth the effort he put into it. Nowadays, he relies on promotion through his facebook and from his friends.

893117_640401206035732_6089351168642493810_o

I asked David what his favorite art piece was, but he told me he couldn’t pick one, that it
would be like picking a favorite child. I have no such issues with picking a favorite piece, and here is mine. It is titled  Why Must I. I love his colors and concepts, and I find myself trying to make sense of all of his pictures, but as my eyes soften and travel around the picture, I am able to see where the human image lies–David’s most used subject.

[Credit to Img right: David Verhoeven]

I had one final question before leaving, I wanted to know what advice he had for any beginning artist. “Be true to yourself, your inner voice, be vulnerable.” Be vulnerable is probably one of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard. Looking at his body of works, with paintings of his ex wife, paintings for his child, and just expressions of his soul; you can see that David puts himself out there to be judged. That’s always a problem I’ve had with my own art, I guard myself too heavily.

Putting a face and a voice to the art on my walls makes me appreciate it a bit more. I also feel a little demystified, remembering that even the artists who inspire me are human. The next time I head downtown, I want to stop in some of the smaller galleries, and see if any artists are like David–trying to find their voice in a world with many artists showing their gifts.

Remember! Support your local artists whenever you can, and reach out to them. You might just be surprised on how they respond.


Anime Convention: Kumoricon

Kumoricon is a holy haven for nerds of the North West, United States. It is an anime convention, which is the gathering of nerds typically hosted at a convention center, hotel, or even a college campus. Depending on the scale of the convention there will be a variety of activities and panels.

01

 

There’s a lot of different activities and panels to choose from! You can cosplay as your favorite character from your favorite fandom and choose to partake in a group photo shoot or you can simply walk around the convention in your cosplay, tons of fun! What you can do in cosplay could easily be its own tangent, there’s so much to Kumoricon I want to nerd out on. There are a wide variety of panels to choose from including, fan ran panels from which you can improvise in character depending on the panel, you can watch shows or movies together, also you are able to prescreen never before seen footage of TV shows, movies, or videogames that haven’t been released. There are panels for let’s plays, which is to watch someone play your favorite video game and make commentary live for the audience instead of through Youtube, panels to learn skills from sewing to fan making. There are a lot of different opportunities with all of the different type of panels. Kumoricon is large enough to of hosted on of my favorite animation studios, Trigger.

Besides all of the wonderful panels you can attend there are other functions of a convention that are important as well. Typically, there is a section dedicated to gaming, and not just video games. As there is a huge variety of TVs that are set up with different consoles there are also a wide variety of board games to choose from.  Nerds are very introverted, so this space is great for the socially awkward.

02

 

For me the most important activity at an anime convention is the Artist Alley, an outlet for illustrators and exhibitors to sell their goods. It’s funny how easily 5 hours can pass by so quickly there, I spent a majority of most of my time there. I’ve participated in selling at an Artist Alley before at New Con and now am addicted to it. I decided not to participate in the venue, yet it didn’t stop me from wanting to learn from the artists that were there. I spent a majority of my time at Kumoricon shadowing the artists. As expected the quality of the products were very inspiring at each booth. There’s a lot more to art than just to be an illustration and I felt that a lot of the artists at Kumoricon understood that. They can self market their drawings with templates such as bookmarks, stickers, keychains and many other options. All of the artists there were so kind, they were able to answer all any questions I had. Luckily a lot of the artists went to NewCon as well so it was really nice for me to see how they’re grown.

It was especially nice to see my fiend Ashley Kincannon, her artist booth was very inspirational. It’s refreshing to see her knowledge of character design. As someone with a mindset who doesn’t create I could remember when I liked a show because of simply a funny joke. Now with an artistic mindset, aspects like a character’s shape or the type of lines applied are more important to me. These are qualities that I see in Ashley’s character design, she has characters of all different sizes, body types, and even textures that show so much personality! It’s very inspirational to be able to present yourself as an artist, and I truly admire how Ashley is very professional yet her art is so much fun. You can see her art at http://www.kincannonconcept.com/

04

 


Environments That Tell Stories

When you walk into a theme park, you are walking into a media experience that has been designed to tell you a story. Don Carson has been designing theme parks for over thirty years. If you’ve been on Splash Mountain in Walt Disney World, Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland, or the California Adventure, you’ve been immersed in worlds  that Don Carson helped design.

He has a very comprehensive portfolio web site, nicely designed.
screenshot-2016-11-15-at-7-43-47-pm
As a media student the most fascinating part of it was his blog. He discusses world-building design concepts for theme parks and video games in detail. He has an extensive background in design, concept art, illustration, even retail design. The majority of his blog deals with theme park and video game design. It’s very helpful for people who want to learn design of 3-D spaces that will be having people explore them. There’s posts specific to designing a certain place, and general design concept posts.

I emailed Don and asked for an interview. He’s local to Eugene but was headed out of town, so we did an email interview. He was friendly and welcoming. I have shared our questions and answers below, and most of them are applicable to media designers in general, not just those who design for video games or theme parks. It was an honor to talk to a person who has his designs seen by millions of people from all over the world.

 

 

While reading through your blog and website, I noticed a few popcorn carts. Do they have any particular significance for you?

Popcorn and Churro carts are just some of the things that crop up a lot. The challenge is to take an industry standard and function and apply a theme to it while having it still perform its job. Like food trucks or ride vehicles you have to keep in mind how it will be used when you design. Always a fun challenge.

Did you start out having many interests, or did some flow into others?

 I always loved to draw. I wanted to be a cartoonist but my teachers in college crushed that dream when they said I couldn’t make a living. Foolishly I believed them. I majored in Illustration which gave me a good foundation for the work I do now. Along with the fundamentals of good design I learned storytelling in a visual medium, which has informed everything I do today. I still draw every day, often it is in the computer and in 3D software, but I still use all the principles I learned early in my career.

Of your many years of work, how often have you worked on designing with a team? What particular challenges arose from that, and how did you overcome that? Do you currently do more teamwork or design ideas on your own?

With the exception of freelance jobs I often find myself working with or directing teams. Collaboration is the spice of life and I have found that design is more often improved by allowing many creative voices to work together towards a common goal. When it falls apart it is when any one member demands control or feels their contribution is more important than any other. That is where the Design Intent was so valuable. If everyone gets behind the root idea for a project then you are much less apt to have conflict and all energies are focused on getting the best work out of us, all pointed towards a common goal.

So much of your work is designing with children being a part of your target audience. I took my daughter to see the Nutcracker at the Hult last year and the large, bright designs helped clarify the story and draw her in. What aspects do you keep in mind and influence your designs?

Disney taught me about the importance of “appeal” in your design. This isn’t making it child-like for “for children” it is making it approachable. Mickey is appealing because he has the proportions of a human baby or baby animal. I try to design the places, sets, or game environments I would like to visit and explore, and sometimes those places are specifically designed for families or children, but not always.

Is there anything you specifically avoid?

Avoid cynicism. Rolling your eyes or making fun of something (done often in tv and the movies) might be funny on the surface, but it creates a world no one wants to live it. Cynicism suggests that other people are stupid or foolish. Disney over uses the word “magic”, but at its core they are talking about reaching in and touching a childlike part of everyone, without eye rolling, finger pointing, or name calling.

 

Looking back over your extensive list of projects, which ones stand out as ones that you see as great triumphs to solve challenging design problems?

Designers are never completely content with anything they do. They can see only what got cut or didn’t make it to the final design. Still, although not a triumph I am probably most proud of Splash Mountain in Florida (ironically my first project). It holds up and riding through it today it still succeeds to get across the design principles I hoped it would. Now I work on countless projects, most of which may never get built. Today’s triumphs are more about how well I work and collaborate with others, not what gets built or gets praised.

 

When I read that you designed Mickey’s Toontown the memories of the place came back very strongly. It is distinct and creatively designed. Can you share with me a few theme park designs that strongly impacted you and you can remember how it felt to be there? How about video game experiences?

Universal’s Wizarding World “lands” come the closest I think to creating fantasy on earth. I am a huge fan of the books and I feel they did a masterful job of transporting us into that world, all within the constraints of a theme park. In video games I love the Bioshock games for their ability to create story rich and beautiful environments. For me killing all the occupants just to get a chance to look around is a necessary evil, but in the case of games like these are worth it to reach the rich narrative and design that holds those worlds together. Like a good book, places like Rapture, Portal’s Aperture Labs, and Skyrim’s landscapes are every bit as rich in detail and story as any really good book.

As a designer, what online sources do you use to keep up with the industry or be inspired?

I am all over the place. I am addicted to the potential of new tools and their ability to bring people inside the worlds in my head. Whether it is a video game, or a theme park, or VR, all are viable outlets for my creative energies, none better than the other, just a different means of telling a story. Each has their challenges and limitation and I love watching and reading about people in the midst of the creative process. “Art Of” books and films are the fuel that brings me back to my drawing table to create more.

As a person starting out in my career with strong creative design leanings, I have many interests. Would you recommended learning a wide variety of skills, or honing in one particular skill and becoming very adept at it (like photography, illustration, film production)?

Allow your interests to guide you. Learn what you need to to manifest the places and stories that are important to you. This doesn’t mean it makes you a movie maker, or an environment designer, or an Illustrator, perhaps you are all of those things? Make sure you feed your brain with the principles of good design and allow yourself to focus these ever growing skills towards whatever interests you from moment to moment. Early on you may take jobs that are necessary to pay the bills, but as your passion and productivity grows so will the opportunities to make a living doing the work you love to do most.

Do you have any recommendations for people like me, looking to enter the design workforce in a couple years, to start out strong and stand out from the others?

Don’t fall into the trap I did early in my career. Don’t waste any time questioning whether your work or your vision is lesser than anyone else’s. The only gift you have for the world is your unique perspective, don’t fight it, run with it. Get better at doing what YOU do, don’t settle for good enough, and don’t look to others as the only successful path. The world rewards the individual life and perspective, be Diana Geronimo the best way you can and the rest will fall into place. You may never be rich, but your will be very happy.


After Glow Exhibit and Lecture: Professional Practices

100_1079

100_1086.JPG

During my time in Intro to Media Arts, I was required to complete what is called “Professional Practices”. To anyone who doesn’t know what that is, “Professional Practices” required the student to conduct an interview or attend an art exhibit/lecture and then write a 500 page paper on the experience. In order to fulfill the requirement, I attended the Krause Gallery Exhibit titled After Glow located at the University of Oregon (UO). The exhibit, an experiment with glowing objects and darkness, consisted mainly of everyday objects painted or dyed  in colors that would glow in the dark.  One of these displays, which is shown in picture #1, resembled a large piece of cloth with splotches of glow-in-the-dark tie dye and draped over some mound. Another display featured a sort of stone pillar with a plastic or glass square, topped with a bowl of what I assume was aquarium pebbles. Upon closer examination of the plastic or glass square, I realized that this was actually an ingenious display within a display that showed a  video of someone manipulating glowing sand in darkness. As the person’s hands moved quickly and fluidly, arranging the sand into weird shapes, I was taken aback on how mesmerizing this video was, and it proved to be the highlight of the exhibit.  For the most part, however,  the exhibit was thoroughly disappointing and didn’t seem to warrant an entire exhibit on it. The reception was very well put together with food and drinks set up outside the exhibit where people conversed with each 0ther until it was time for the next event of the night.

Later we all crowded into a separate building for a lecture by well known and celebrated curator Ruba Katrib on Sculpture as Substance. To anyone who has not heard of Miss Katrib, she is the curator for SculptureCenter in Long Island City, New York, producing group shows such as The Eccentrics (2015), Puddle, Pothole, Portal (2014) (which she co-curated with artist Camille Henrot), Better Homes (2013) and A Disagreeable Object (2012).   Before the main lecture commenced several other people took the stand in order to address the event and to introduce its main speaker. The first person talked about the founding of the  Connective Conversations which this was a part of, and how it helped artists from around the state of Oregon to participate. The second speaker listed Katrib’s exploits and introduced her to the audience, which was met with a round of applause. When Miss Katrib finally took the stand, she proceeded to talk about the fundamentals of sculpture and how the art of sculpture engages our sensory realms. An example she gave of this was the work of artist Anicka Yi, and one of here design’s with clothing and Tempuru-fried flowers engaged the viewer’s sense of smell and taste. Katrib also pointed out that art can mimic or suggest real life or the human body, such as Marcel Dechamp’s Wedge of Chastity and the Skin Pool, the latter of which represented art in an organic form. There was so many other fascinating concepts that Miss Katrib talked about, all of which were eye-opening to me as an artist. Particularly the concept of art engaging one’s sensory realms was something that I never heard before and it proved to be a very educational experience which I hope to use this knowledge in my field in order to improve upon my skills as an artist.