The beginning of 2016 is a little more than a week away. Those fortunate enough to visit family are enjoying their time off and recharging their batteries. This is the time of the year where most of the stresses of everyday life vanish and replaced with stresses of family, gifts, and travel. Late December and early January is magical in that way. There is beauty in getting lost and being succumbed to the loved-one lifestyle.
Creative people can take advantage of this time of year as well. Creative people who tend to work at a high-intensity rate find it hard to put down their work and experience life. Their creative juices constantly become drained, but manage to somehow creative impeccable projects routinely. Overtime, hammering down on the creative nail becomes hard, and eventually, struggling to launch the same quality of work is an everyday occurrence.
Kanye is Feeling the Holiday Spirit
The holiday season is the perfect time to take advantage of the down-time. Spend time hanging out with those near by. Experience new and exhilarating places and try to get away from wherever "work" is. A person's experience drives their creativity, and will enhance all aspects of their work. It may be difficult at first to become accustomed to "relaxing", but any great swordsman needs to sharpen their sword after many battles.
The new year will bring upon great fortune to all creators and hungry hard-working people will share new and exciting content that will affect the lives of millions of people. Stay diligent and the rewards will appear. Let us all have a healthy, happy, and monumental holiday season!
Only a few more weeks left until 2016 is upon us. This is the time of year individuals embark on their mission to make more money, change a nasty habit, or even start a family. I for one plan on making my presence known as a multi-media artist who specializes in video and motion graphics, but very capable with any 2D project. I plan on voicing my abilities via social media. I have been using the power of social media for the past six months, but I have not had a concrete tactic. I am using this opportunity to share my experience and advice for utilizing social media.
As an introduction, I was a Social Media Intern for Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering for almost two years. I read articles about social media strategies, attended marketing and media meetings regarding attracting and retaining audiences, and I researched trends in social media.
The message is the focal point of a social media campaign. My message is "I create art and I want people to experience what I have created; while getting to know me not only as an artist, but as a person who has personality. There are a vast amount of social media options. To decide which social media you want to use, simply ask yourself if it will serve a purpose. And, what can that social media offer? I believe each individual social media option should have a piece of exclusivity to it. Make your audience want to find out more about what makes you who you are.
Twitter has and always will be the social media application that I display the different sides of who I am. I plan to continue to keep it that way. I share my work and I enjoy sharing artistic pieces that I find compelling. I also support any world-wide social issue that strikes my attention, and I enjoy interacting with influential people any chance I get. No other social media allows for such open window communication like Twitter.
This is uncharted territory for myself. I have never touched Instagram, but I've begun to recognize the possibly of posting updates of projects I have been working on, and asking for critiques and suggestions from people around the world. Instagram has a huge audience and I can share doodles that I have created on my phone. I find it more appropriate than Twitter for that kind of content, but I do plan on linking my Instagram posts to Twitter. Instagram can display a different side of me as a person that other social media can not capture.
I have and will continue to use YouTube as my primary video social media site. I like the accessibility and the amount of viewers that are drawn to the website. After much contemplation, I have recognized that I do not get involved enough with my YouTube account. I am going to begin commenting on other videos I find interesting and appropriate, and subscribing and supporting channels that are more directed in the same field as myself. I want to separate my personal YouTube account so I will continue to do that.
I understand that Vimeo does not have the audience that YouTube has, but Vimeo has a more artistic friendly environment. It is a place to learn and experience great content. For me personally, I am going to be using it more as an educational platform. There are so many talented videographers and graphic artists that post amazing content, and I want to learn from them. My plan of action is to finish uploading the rest of my videos on Vimeo, and to get more involved in the community via sharing and commenting on videos.
I know Google+ has been pronounced dead. I do not encourage everyone to use Google+. If you are an artist of some kind, I encourage you to ponder using Google+. There is an artistic community on Google+ that is thriving and very friendly and helpful. I use Google+ as another portal to share my videos, 2D designs, and blog posts. I enjoy commenting on people's posts and offering my advice on how to make their compositions better.
I have been using Blogger for the past six or so months now. I changed up my structure a few months earlier. I realized I should use Blogger as a tool to expand upon my knowledge in video and motion graphics, and to share my knowledge with those who catch wind of my content. That is my course of action still. I need to build a more consistent pattern of when I post a new blog entry.
LinkedIn has always been a difficult social media to put my finger on, even when I worked at Purdue as the Social Media Intern. Slowly but surely I have begun to realize how I can use LinkedIn appropriately. LinkedIn is a professional platform, and therefore, should be treated as one. As someone looking for full-time employment, LinkedIn is a window into who I am professionally. I will continue to post recent completed projects and new blog entries, but determined to start posting industry relevant stories. By doing this, I learn more about my industry and I display that I care about what I do. Like everything I have mentioned before, I need to become more present and take part in conversation. I want to begin having meaningful educational heartfelt dialogues.
Social Media does not have to drain the energy and time away from those who use it. The way I have formulated my plan is to have it compliment what I am doing. If you are creating new content everyday it does not take long to post and share it. The same goes for communicating with other individuals. Taking a minute to express curiosity and to ask for advice can go a long way. Let us collaborate. We can help each other, and that starts by having a conversation.
Adobe has had their hand in the mobile market for some years now. A stripped down version of Photoshop, art publication magazines, and apps to connect artists around the world. There was not a practical dedicated collection of apps to build upon the creative process for creative individuals. A number of tablets and larger screen smart phones are appearing on the desks of artists, and Adobe has made it an objective to create practical applications for those devices. Will these mobile applications become standard for designers and editors of all sorts?
The apps reviewed are Adobe Photoshop Mix, Lightroom, Capture, and Illustrator Draw. The device used for this review was a Droid Maxx. Because of limited Android access to all Adobe Mobile apps, only these four apps will be reviewed and discussed. Adobe apps that pertain to mobile development, design, and analytics are not being discussed either. This is strictly for the graphic designers, photo editors, and 2D artists.
Adobe Photoshop Mix
Adobe Photoshop Mix is the one stop destination for photo editing and compositing. The user can crop, mask, and edit images. Masking out images works well. The feathering feature works as expected and there's even an invert function. One of the coolest features is layers capability. This may be the first time in a mobile application. That may not sound impressive, but for a program like this to be used by designers practically, layers must be necessary and a priority. There are the usual adjustment features that are present in any photoshop-esque program. Adjusting the exposure is as simple as sliding your finger across the screen right or left. The results are quick and easy to edit. On top of the adjustments panel, there is a "looks" tab, and is best described as "Instagram" filters that the user can paint on the image. Adobe has made exporting these files to Creative Cloud extremely easy. It sounds tongue-and-cheek, but it's as simple as pressing a button.
Digital Collage Created in Adobe Photoshop Mix
As a standalone editing tool, Adobe Photoshop Mix gets the job done with simple edits. There was a lot of love and care involved in making this program accessible for designers for on-the-go. The clutter-free interface goes a long way too.
Adobe Lightroom Mobile
Adobe Lightroom is Photoshop's color correction on steroids. The same can be said for the mobile version of Lightroom Mobile and Photoshop Mix. The most immediate difference between the two is the user-interface. Lightroom's interface isn't as clear-cut as Photoshop Mix's. There are tabs for new collections. a lightroom tab, and another tab that organizes the collections on the main page. Personally, it's frustrating just to start editing a picture. Once editing, Lightroom begins to shine. In the adjustments tab, the editor can adjust the white balance, use adjustment curves, add a vignette, and even play with the hue and saturation settings. The hue and saturation adjustment tool is almost perfect. There are different color sliders that move left to right, and numbers appear on the right side of the screen to help with the display values. The style tab has a very in-depth "Instagram" like filter gallery as well. Unlike Photoshop Mix, the user can not select which parts of the image to be filtered, but the variety of filter presents in Lightroom puts Photoshop Mix to shame.
Adobe Lightroom Mobile Enhances Dynamic Images
Adobe Lightroom Mobile is a great color correcting tool for on-the-go, or even not on-the-go. Lightroom has an in-depth color correction palette for designers on any level.
Adobe Capture
Adobe Capture may be the most useful piece of technology on mobile that Adobe has ever created. Adobe Capture is the new monster that was created by fusing Adobe Shape, Color, and Brush. Adobe Capture is able to create usable shapes, color palettes, brush strokes, and looks via camera capture. The interface as with most Adobe programs is top-notch. Creating each different element is as simple as tapping the "+" button and pointing the camera at the scene, where the software will extract a pattern, color palette, or whatever element the user has designated. There is some editing depending on what the user wants to create. The editing required is very simple, and can have an impact on the outcome. As one can imagine, these elements can be used with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, InDesign, and other Adobe Mobile apps depending on a variety of circumstances.
All four features work well. The brush tool is fun to play with, and there is a lot of variety that can be achieved. The shape feature is the least practical element. Personally, having the shape feature make a pattern or a fill would be more helpful to a designer. The feature is still cool, but lackluster compared to the rest considering it is the same function as "image trace" in Adobe Illustrator.
The Color Palette Menu
Collaborating is easy with simply submitting an email address. If a number of designers are working on a project, sharing assets has never been easier. Collaborating goes further than that. Adobe Capture allows users to share their library over social media by supplying a "share library link".
Adobe Capture is a tool that can be used for each project. The ability for the content maker to create their own brushes, color palettes, and looks at such ease allows for creators to curate their work from every part of the process.
Adobe Illustrator Draw
As the name implies, Adobe Illustrator Draw is a drawing application. Illustrator Draw has the same beautiful and simple interface as the rest of the Adobe CC apps. The brushes work well, and there is depth with the hardness/softness of the brushes, the opacity, and the ability to change color.. The downside is the brush function created in Adobe Capture can't be imported into Illustrator Draw, but shapes created in Capture can be imported.
Layers are present in Illustrator Draw, and they work great. Adding a new layer is as simple as tapping a button, and the opacity can be altered just as easy. There's also an image layer that adds more diversity and stability to the Illustrator Draw experience.
Abstract Art is Easy With Adobe Illustrator Draw
There is a cool community functionality of Behance that adds to the Draw application. It is a nice way to view displayed work, but is ultimately disappointing because it requires the user to leave the app to Behance or a browser.
The ability to upload anything created in this app to Creative Cloud is simple. Just a tab of an icon. Illustrator Draw is a great tool to make a quick doodle, and uploading it to be touched up later in Illustrator or Photoshop.
Conclusion
Adobe is making a name for itself in the phone and tablet market. Just a few years ago, apps for drawing/sketching and photo editing were viewed as jokes and not practical for real elemental design. That notion has changed. Adobe has delivered high quality mobile apps that not only provide an excellent way to create on-the-go, but Adobe has created a pipeline for new design.
The process of creating assets and compositing a shot requires the vital puzzle piece known as match moving. Match moving is the technical ability to track a shot by computing the camera movements and translating those camera movements into a virtual camera. This virtual camera mimics the translation, rotation, and scale of the scene. One of the most popular software that has camera tracking capabilities is Adobe After Effects. The After Effects tracker does your basic tracking needs. The user chooses a series of points depending on how technical the track is. The reason the Adobe After Effects tracker is not used widely in the industry for high-end shots is because of it's limitations. After Effects CC has introduced a new 3D tracker, but even then, it lacks the capabilities of the industry standard Mocha Pro or The Foundry's Nuke. It's been stated as being more of a 2.5D tracker. Where do users go for cheap, but efficient match moving capabilities?
Autodesk MatchMover 2014 is a free alternative. I prefer MatchMover because of easy assimilation with Autodesk Maya 2016. It's as easy as exporting a .ma file from MatchMover and importing that .ma file into Maya.
The "automatic tracking" function allows tracking at a click of a button. For a more custom track, and for those tough shots that need special attention. The settings in the automatic track window adjust the sensitivity and density, and can increase the quality and number of tracks in the shot. Using the "clean-up assistant" after using the automatic tracker deletes the trackers the user does not find necessary. Throughout the course of tracking and editing, it is best to take note that executing the "solve for camera" function under the 3D tracking tab after every few edits. Doing so helps maintain the scene. To improve the quality of the track even more, scroll through the number of high quality track points (usually green) that have a duration of the entire sequence, and set them as a "hard track". This gives those points priority over all of the other tracks. Adding manual tracks into the video sequence builds upon the track as well. Be careful, adding poor manual tracks can worsen the track.
The "contour" function in MatchMover works as a mask. It is easy to draw out and edit through the sequence. For those not experienced with using the contour tool, it's best used for areas of the composition where the user would not want tracking data to be calculated. For example, an overexposed wall, or an actor, walking through a corridor.
There is an ability to insert a simple geometric mesh that can be used as temporary sample of how the shot is tracked, and whether or not there are sudden jerks or shits of the camera. The mesh can be transformed, rotated, and scaled. There is a render function too that renders the tracking points, and geometric mesh.
One of the biggest downfalls with MatchMover 2014 is the poor "coordinate system" set-up. It rarely performs as it should. For example, the "distance" tab doesn't explain as what it means. Is it inches, meters, centimeters? It is actually just Autodesk's default measuring system, If the Maya preferences have been changed to inches, then pretend to set the number to inches. Once inputting the tracker information, and which axis is which, it's time to create the new coordinate system. Majority of the time it simply doesn't execute the way the user would imagine. It is either upside down, or rotated in a weird mismanaged fashion. Even after multiple rounds of adjusting the information it is usually not as good what the "automatic tracking" outputs. Manually adjusting the coordinate system can help, but at times, can cause issues with re-solving the camera. The camera may not be able to solve and the tracking points can become altered and not work as well as they once did.
The inferface for MatchMover is not terrible, but it is not immaculate either. The biggest weakness is controling the viewport, especially when in 3D mode. It can be difficult to control where to look, but most of the time it gets the job done.
Autodesk MatchMover 2014 is a great alternative to the more well-known software. The ease to export from MatchMover to Maya can't get simpler.
On a side note, Autodesk also offers a free compositing software, Autodesk Composite. With the tracking abilities of Autodesk MatchMover, 3D magic in Maya, and compositing tools in Composite, cash-strapped individuals looking to create motion pictures, or 3D animations, can do so without breaking the bank.
In today's media dominated world, there is an increasing amount of video content being produced. This content is presented to the audience as documentaries, music videos, films, television spots, or even a simple YouTube video. One of the most important aspects to creating these forms of media is the ability to composite a shot and have it produced in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing to the audience.
What does compositing a shot mean? Compositing is the act of adding elements not originally in the shot to enhance the final composition. Everyone who watches any decently produced media encounters compositing. For example, the compositor could add a tree in the background that wasn't originally there, or the most common technique, shooting in-front of a green screen and inserting a background image behind the main object in focus.
The workflow of compositing the piece of media starts with planning the shot. Where and when is the shot? How will the shot be taken? Based off how the shot looks, the sky may be replaced with a more pleasant and appropriate sky, and the weird edge of a building may be masked out. 3D objects may be added to the shot to give a more dynamic feel. In order to do all of this, various artists have to create these assets for the compositor to work with. The sky may be taken from Adobe Stock and then used by the compositor after he/she created a matte of the original sky. The 3D objects would be modeled, textured, and animated by a 3D artist. Once everything is ready for the compositor, the scene can be properly arranged and composited.
Node-Based compositing allows the compositor to visual manage the edits of the composition via tree-like graph. One node is the original footage. The user would then create another node for masking the image, and have it "linked" to the original node (the footage), and then create another node connecting to the footage for color correction. After many edits the node-area looks like a huge family tree. This form of compositing is very effective and allows the compositor to "un-link" and "link" nodes very quickly with much ease. Node-Based compositing like The Foundry Nuke and Blackmagic Fusion are some of the industry standards for node-based compositing. My experience is that with node-based compositing, animating too many elements can be tedious, but the quality of the tools available for proper compositing is top-notch.
The Foundry Nuke's Interface
Layer-Based composting is best described as layers similar to what is in Photoshop. Adobe After Effects is the dominate layer-based compositing program. The hierarchy order of the layers works as if the top layer is the top image in the display window, and the bottom layer is usually the background image. This type of compositing is great for motion graphics and animated designs. It can get the job done with your average video compositing needs, but the layer workspace can become cluttered and slow down your machine after too many effects and adjustments are made. I also find the compositing tools in node-based programs to be a higher quality, even in the discontinued Autodesk Composite, I find the matte extraction function very effective.
Adobe After Effects Showing Off It's Goodness
It all comes down to preference, but if you're looking to get a compositing gig I suggest becoming familiar with node-based compositing. It may be scary and difficult to work in a new environment, but the benefits of producing dynamic composites will pay off.
The most recent project of mine was certainly challenging on a variety of levels. I was balancing my current paying job as I was finding time to work on this project; while I was trying to have some kind of life outside of work...and work. Emotionally I had been through a lot and that certainly affected my focus and creativity. Lastly, I was using Red Giant's Trapcode Suite plug-ins that I wasn't too familiar with. Against all odds, I feel accomplished for the most part.
Rose 3D Promotional Video
Ideation, Creation, and Pre-Production
This project goes back a couple of years. My brother is the main entity of Rose 3D. For the past few summers, I would begin working on a promotional video to help advertise his business and work, but I always had to stop what I was working on because of school. This past summer was different. I had graduated from Purdue University. I struggled initially with a style for the presentation. I didn't know if I wanted relatively simple animations but stunning effects, or how color would influence the composition. I played around with geometry initially. I was influenced by how Vox or other YouTube channels do their animations. Many YouTube videos that are graphically done well do so with simplicity and interesting transitions and a lot of color. What ultimately led to me not following this direction was how I wanted to transition panel-to-panel. These "panels" displayed information and examples of my brother's work. I didn't want some kind of information to just appear on screen. I wanted dynamic expression. I wanted this to be in a 3D world and not in a contained flat environment. And of course, I wanted to use the Trapecode Suite. How would I make this all work?
Let me be the first to tell you, ALWAYS sketch out your ideas. Use storyboards and write down how you want the camera to work, and how the effects will behave. I didn't do this at the very beginning. I began this project by creating the splash sequence first. I look back and appreciate how helpful the initial sequence was. It gave me a general idea of how these new Trapcode particle systems worked in After Effects, and I experimented with text effects and blending options.
The initial Rose 3D Splash Sequence
The Assembly Process
I began the main promotional composition by focusing on each segment of the video individually. There were three different "parts" of the composition. You can visually see what I'm talking about. There's the fluffy cloud particles, the stringy multi-colored particles, and the blue tunnel particle. I knew that the main attraction besides the panels were the particles themselves. I wanted the particles to be drastically different from each other, but still relatively related via color scheme. The beginning of the video in my opinion was done relatively well. I like the initial bloom and camera movements. I didn't want to overdue the video with too many effects. I made sure to keep the text and panel animations simple.
The second and final Splash Sequence
I really enjoyed the colors I used in the first splash sequence. I made sure to reproduce that look, but keep it less cluttered without all the layers. I changed up the font as well. I wanted the new splash sequence to have an edger look compared to the rounder edges and fuller look of the first. For the second splash, I had the main 'Daniel Rose" and "3D Artist" have a turbulence effect combined with a vector blur and venetian blind. I purposely had the screen light up in bloom to add more aspect to the animation, and to allow the text to appear in a fluid manner.
Resolution and Result
If I had to give this project a score, it'd be a 5/10. I'm very critical and I know that this could've been much better. I really dug the colors, but I would've use the panel-to-panel idea again, and I think I over did it with the particles. "Keep. It. Simple. Stupid." I do appreciate the Trapcode plug-ins but their usefulness could've been produced in a more tasteful way. I could've been more innovative with how I transitioned to the different segments of the video. The ending of the promotional video could've had a better animation of the texts appearing. It looks weird, as if the blur is making the venetian blinds look too sharp.
There's still a lot for me to learn, and I'm determined to make it known that I can make great content for myself and the viewer. Stay tuned for more in-depth analysis of my work and the exploration of techniques and technologies that can increase my work, and yours.
It feels like it's been forever since I've posted a blog entry. Fall is right around the corner. School has started, my current job ends at the end of the month, and I still don't have a big boy job.
Before I dive into the quests of my life, I need to let it be known that this blog will drastically change. For the past few months I've been using this platform as an arena to share my personal and professional life. After much thought, I've decided that this blog will strictly be related to my career. I will cover topics regarding color theory, cameras, video codecs, plug-ins, anything and everything regarding 3D, compositing, motion graphics, and visual effects. I think this will be an extremely beneficial way for me to continue sharpening my skills, and a way to help educate those interested in what I do. I'll probably create another blog just for my personal life. Once I have that all sorted out, I'll share the information with all of you. This change will go into affect my next blog entry. Thank you all for the current support and keep up the hard work!
I just wrapped up the project I've been working on for the entire summer. I'll disperse more information in my first reformated blog. I'll share my approach to the project and the techniques used to achieve the look and feel of the project. I'll share a little information right now. Recently I've been getting into Red Giant's plug-ins for After Effects, and I wanted to use them to create a stylized promotional video. Overall, I'd have to say it was a success. I learned a TON about these plug-ins and how they operate. They were extremely fun to use and there's a numerous possibilities waiting to be unlocked.
Relax and Enjoy.
As I've stated in some earlier blog posts, my next project will be compositing heavy with matte paintings. I'll probably include slight visual effects as well. I want to achieve a tasteful meaningful video about "Home". It's going to be my second major attempt focusing on compositing and camera work. Sadly, I don't have a camera, but I have my phone! It has a decent camera and it should get the job done. I'm really excited and looking forward to this! I don't really have much planned out except for a few shots in my head. Stay tuned for more!
Here we go. The moment we've been waiting for. I've been working out hard as nails these past ten weeks, and nine of those weeks I was on serious supplements. I was taking LGD, creatine, whey protein, amino fuel, glutamine, vitamin D3, milk thistle, and fish oils. I'm off the LGD and creatine, but I'm still taking the rest of the supplements. My workout program consisted of three days of hard weight lifting. 3x4-6 for core lifts. That's bench press, power cleans, deadlifts, and squats. The rest of the lifts I stuck to the 3x6-8 with box jumps and jump rope here and there between sets. I had two days of cardio. The first day of cardio I focused on sprints and short high intensity bursts. I used a lot of old football drills. The second day was more of the same, but less intense. I also focused on stretching and form. Long distance running was out of the question because I workout in shoes that are two sizes too small. The bottom of my feet feel like they're on fire if I run long distance, and I even experienced it with my cardio routine, but I was able to shake it off.
The results were quite impressive in my opinion. Before using all these supplements I was around 185lbs. After my cycle I weighed 209lbs. My max weights are as followed:
Bench Press: 245lbs
Power Cleans: 220lbs
Deadlift: 390lbs
Squat: 295lbs
These are personal one rep maxes. I'm pleased overall. I thought my bench would be more, but I'm especially happy with my power clean and squat. Below are pictures. I had a friend take pictures before my cycle, but sadly, he's too busy to send them to me. I do have a picture I took last December when I was 175lbs!
Please excuse the mirror shot...
Here are the recent 209lbs pictures!
I gained a lot of mass in my shoulders and traps.
I know...I have a bit of a gut.
Back is wide. Could use more definition
My plan now is to work on cutting and getting more defined. I've begun using lighter weight because of shoulder and elbow discomfort, and I'll incorporate that with higher reps and more cardio and dieting to achieve that goal. Two weeks from now I plan on taking a much needed break from the gym. I'm excited to see how my cutting cycle turns out.
I encourage everyone to find an aspect in their life to improve upon. Nothing is more satisfying than achieving something you once thought impossible.
"We all have big changes in our lives that are more or a less a second chance." - Harrison Ford
