Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Helvetica Review

Question #1: Do you think the Helvetica typeface is good or bad? I think it’s good. To be honest, the people that were acting controversial about it, in my opinion, probably couldn’t handle the stigma that went along with it-not the typeface itself; because it is true, Helvetica is balanced, simple and used in the everyday text. Because you can find Helvetica almost everywhere it leaves a sense of freedom to decided for yourself what the words mean to you- where as a decorative font for example usually forces an emotion on the viewer.


Question #2: Who was your favorite type/graphic designer interviewed, and why? Danny Van Dan Dungeon was my favorite because he saw how Helvetica could seem intimidating or boring to some people, but he preferred to see it in the positive light of nostalgia and familiarity. He isn't against experimentation with different fonts and ways of putting them together, like someone like David Carson enjoys doing, but he feels like using Helvetica saves time and is a safe choice.

Question #3: Write a one or two paragraph review of the movie
 It was interesting to see how some designers loved it and others really did not at all. The whole process almost became repetitious. I really enjoyed some of the shots in this movie, I believe the cinematographer had some skills. 
 The sans-serrif font Hevletica was developed by Max Miedinger the year of 1957, at Haas Type in Switzerland. Neue Haas Grotesk was the original name of Hevetica


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Claude Monet Color Assignment 7

 
1)    Totally a broad color usage LOVE this painting so much... a little more green and it could have qualified as a total color wheel palette! I find it to be very well balanced  you can easily focus on the building or the sunset/reflection.

2)     The emotion of this painting is just perfect, it truly portrays the end or a wonderful day by having bright joyful colors in the center but having muted edges feeling as if the day is coming to a well completed end.

 
1)     Limited in the ense that the colors aren't striking. However there are warm and cool tones used in the painting, but even the "warmer" tones have a cool tint to them. This is a harmonious balance very relaxing.
2)     This conveys perfectly the one object Monet wants the viewers to focus on- the dock; everything but that is very subtle and limited.

 
1)   Limited, subtle  the only thing that stands out much would be the building and boaters.
2)     it makes me feel cold, like perhaps the people in the boats have been fishing on a chilly winter day.

1)     This is a nice board range of color, but in a balanced way

2)     it seems quite energizing and alarming to me. Maybe a storm is a-brewing.

Color Test

http://www.xrite.com/custom_page.aspx?PageID=77

This test was slightly odd I though because I did a great job my first try, almost perfect so I didn't even pay attention to what the result was because I thought I would get a zero next time around but oh no! I got like a 35 2nd time...then a 72 third time, and couldn't believe it so I took it a few more time the results ranging in the thirties every time and I finally took a break because my eyes just felt like they were going to pop out of my head. The next day I took it again and got 20, got a little more confident and took it one more time and got 12!! After that I called it good. This was harder than I thought it was going to be haha.I think that my laptop screen could've been a little too dark for this test, but in the end i was pleased with my last result....and the first one that I never wrote down, but I'm pretty certain was even better than 12, such a mystery!


Well I wanted to post a picture of this color wheel design of a heart I made in high school that they thought was so cool it got put in the school newspaper....which ironically was only a black and white print ha! But I couldn't find it, so here's a strangers awesome version of a color wheel I found on google.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

P1_p5

Based on your research what have learned? This field of work will have competition and I will have to be constantly refreshing and expanding my knowledge on
Have you learned more about yourself and working style?
Have your interests changed based on your findings or interview?


P1_p4 interview

this is an awesome picture that Jared took while on a video shoot for one of our church's conferences.
  Thanks to my internship with the City Church I knew a few people that have the exact job that I would love to someday do so I got to interview my friend Jared who did the same internship as me, but for 3 years instead of one.

Job title?
I don’t have an official job title (but I suspect you need something more than media staff, so I’ll try and boil down what I do on a daily basis). I’d say I’m a media content producer. (I work at the City Church in Kirkland- figured you’d need that information somewhere). I do everything from motion graphic design, graphic design, animations, filming, lighting, jib operation, and editing (as well as normal administrative/grunt work every now and then). Really, everyone on staff is kind of a “jack of all trades” with certain dominant talents and a variance of experience.

How do you like your job?
I love my job. It’s established a safe environment for me to develop my professional and artistic skills in a real world work environment. It’s not safe or easy, so to speak, but I’m learning and applying things I would have learned in film school and getting paid to do it. If I ever do get to go to film school, I’ll already know what I’m doing and be able to hone my skills that much more.
And, I have to say, the work environment is great! Rarely do you get to work with people you like; let alone people you enjoy working with. Our small staff is pretty close and our team regularly will spend time with each other after the work days. It’s a great environment.

What were your qualifications towards getting the job?
I think it was mainly my internship and work ethic that got me the job. There’s very few people who actually work hard these days; not to say that most people are lazy, but there are few people who really own their responsibilities and put their best into it. That’s something I learned from my dad when I was a kid. You always work hard. And it’s got me a lot of opportunities so far. As far as skill qualifications, I knew the basics of editing, filming, lighting, and had a decent knowledge behind many of Adobe’s creative programs (After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator). Having photography on the side helped too. Basically, I had learned all this during my internships and they felt I had excelled at them enough that they could continue to develop my abilities on staff.

What training do you need to maintain your job?
As I said above, constant growth is a good thing. I won’t be completely satisfied until I can produce Hollywood level graphics and content; essentially the top of my profession. In the media field, a lot is learned by experience. You keep working, keep striving to match professional standards in everything you do, and maintain your creativity.

Is there job growth?
There’s a degree of job growth, but to be honest, it is something I’ve been wondering about myself. While there is a level of growth available, I think it absolutely depends on the size of our church’s congregation and the size of our vision for growth. Right now, we’re re-launching our television show, which is a huge ordeal requiring a lot of [fun] work. But, only time will tell how big our show will get and how large our church will become. As of now, we’re around 10,000 members strong; which pays for the team we have in place now. But we’re not producing content for the international (or even national) community yet, so until that happens there’s only so much room for job expansion and advancement.

What are the pros and cons?
I’ll start with the cons (because everyone generally starts with the pro’s and then makes it negative in the end- ruining the pro’s- so I’ll invert it). Apart from the con of limited job growth, I’ll reemphasize that we are working for a church (essentially a non-profit organization). Because it’s a non-profit, we don’t really control our budget and can’t really make a profit on our own work. It makes it surprisingly hard to update our equipment (and we have to do the best with what we have- often making amateur level equipment do the job, and look like it was filmed with, professional level equipment). Our bosses are also pastors. Now, this isn’t generally bad, but there have been times when they’ll make quick decisions we would have advised against. Essentially, letting unprofessional people make professional calls with no accountability or advice. Many times this can be very frustrating. But, and here’s the first pro, the cons don’t happen that much. So while these things occasionally do happen, every workplace has their limits and short comings. I get to learn from a Hollywood level producer. I get to hone my skills. I’m getting paid to do what I love to do. And our church might grow to reach the national and international community.

What some industry changes you are seeing?
There really aren’t many “industry changes” that happen in Hollywood. Mainstream television and Hollywood are always a good measuring rod in terms of our industry. I think the only real change is a renewed sense of the photography behind cinematography. HD TV’s, Blu Rays, and HDSLRS (Digital cameras that can shoot in HD) have refreshed people’s love for beautiful shots and production value. With HD, you can see the shot more like it was intended to be seen. And, because of the HDSLR movement, many television companies can make a commercial shoot look like it was filmed on a budget six times what they actually spent. 

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Five Favoite Jobs p1_p3

I'm creative, adventurous, original, devoted, artistic, enjoy physical work at a job and like to work hard; all of these jobs need some or all attributes that I just listed so I think any of these would work out well for me.

1. Television, Video, and Motion Picture Camera Operators and Editor-

Salary: The low percentage starts around $21,710, and in the highest range the average earning is more than $79,440. Also there seems to be a drastic difference in the two main categories of filming; "The median annual wages were $40,910 in the motion picture and video industries and $36,250 in radio and television broadcasting." When someone is a freelancer there are all sorts of fluctuation depending on how much work can be found.

Job prospects "Television, video, and motion picture camera operators and editors can expect keen competition for job openings because of the large number of people who wish to enter the broadcasting and motion picture industries, in which many of these workers are employed. The number of individuals interested in positions as video-graphers and movie camera operators usually is much greater than the number of openings." 

This is somewhat intimidating to me; I honestly feel as if I'm risking it all on something that might not work out. All I know is that I love filming, I've been told by people that I'm gifted in it, there's a devotion to it that I can't hold back and I feel like even my body was built for this kind of work. I've gone after safer careers, but I can't stand them, even the safety bores me. I have to take a risk at the thing I love. If I fail I will just be a manager of a coffee shop someday and do all my artistic hobbies on the side and that doesn't sound too shabby.

2. Photographer

salary:

Median annual wages of salaried photographers were $29,440 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $20,620 and $43,530. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $16,920, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $62,430. Median annual wages in the photographic services industry, which employed the largest numbers of salaried photographers, were $26,160.
Salaried photographers—most of whom work full time—tend to earn more than those who are self-employed. Because most freelance and portrait photographers purchase their own equipment, they incur considerable expense acquiring and maintaining cameras and accessories. Unlike news and commercial photographers, few fine arts photographers are successful enough to support themselves solely through their art.

job prospects:    Job prospects. Photographers can expect keen competition for job openings because the work is attractive to many people. The number of individuals interested in positions as commercial and news photographers is usually much greater than the number of openings. Salaried jobs in particular may be difficult to find as more companies contract with freelancers rather than hire their own photographers.

This is one of those jobs where you have to constantly be working on your social networking it seems. Everyone has a few friends that are photographers, so you have to be amazing what you do and have good deals for people. I would love the work of going on photoshoots and playing around with different concepts. Editing can be a hassle for me, it usually takes me a long time to do and I don't like to sit at the computer so long editing the same kind of thing over and over again.

 

3. Graphic Designer

salary:

Median annual wages for graphic designers were $42,400 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $32,600 and $56,620. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $26,110, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $74,660. May 2008 median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of graphic designers were:

Computer systems design and related services $47,860
Specialized design services 45,870
Advertising, public relations and related services 43,540
Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers 36,910
Printing and related support activities 36,100
According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, median annual cash compensation for entry-level designers was $35,000 in 2008. Staff-level graphic designers earned a median of $45,000. Senior designers, who may supervise junior staff or have some decision-making authority that reflects their knowledge of graphic design, earned a median of $60,000. Solo designers who freelanced or worked under contract to another company reported median earnings of $57,000. Design directors, the creative heads of design firms or in-house corporate design departments, earned $95,000. Graphic designers with ownership or partnership interests in a firm or who were principals of the firm in some other capacity earned $95,000.

job prospects: Graphic designers are expected to face keen competition for available positions. Many talented individuals are attracted to careers as graphic designers. Individuals with Web site design and animation experience will have the best opportunities.

Graphic designers with a broad liberal arts education and experience in marketing and business management will be best suited for positions developing communication strategies.

 

4. Artist 

Salary: Median annual wages of salaried fine artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators, were $42,650. The middle 50 percent earned between $29,230 and $60,650. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,780, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $83,410.

Median annual wages of salaried multimedia artists and animators were $56,330. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,710 and $77,010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,570, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $100,390. Median annual wages were $65,600 in motion picture and video industries, and $52,530 in advertising and related services.
Earnings for self-employed artists vary widely. Some charge only a nominal fee while they gain experience and build a reputation for their work. Others, such as well-established freelance fine artists and illustrators, can earn more than salaried artists. Many, however, find it difficult to rely solely on income earned from selling paintings or other works of art. Like other self-employed workers, freelance artists must provide their own benefits.

job prospects: Very competitive, you must be outstanding and original.

5. Interior Designer

Salary: Median annual wages for interior designers were $44,950 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $34,620 and $61,880. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,230, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $82,750.

Job prospects: This is another very popular job with lots of competition. It's suggested you be very creative and love this job. I'm creative but I don't have a passion for it. I would love to do interior advertising though for a store like Anthropologie. I wasn't able to find out what those people are called.

ALLLLL the information is thanks to Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition 

 

 

 My eye ladies and gentlemen.....

 

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

P1_p2

 My dream job right out of school would to be a camera operator, editor, graphic designer or photographer and for freelance projects of this sort of my own. I love working with people; being on a film crew is enjoyable. I would prefer to have more direction of design than have more freedom of my own, because it seems wise to learn from other professionals that have been in the field for years. There's a nice balance of field work with setting up videos, filming and then computer based editing. I would not need very much pay, in fact I think I would prefer to start as an intern because there is less pressure to get things right the first time and more room for learning. I'm a firm believer in learning by experience and there seems to be a lot of aspects of filming that needs to be found out on set rather in a classroom.

  I've done an internship with the City Church for media and loved it very much. The church has live broadcasting and was energizing to film the services with the pressure of needing to get it right the first time. We also edited video, kept continuity, set up interviews, planned projects, helped on set and made dvds. I loved the experience and think I would love doing it for the rest of my life.I need a job where I can move around at least part of the time, I can't handle sitting down for any long amount of time so set work and operating cameras is very enjoyable to me, I don't mind lifting heavy stuff because it wears off the excess energy I get when sitting around all day. Or if I sit around too long I just fall asleep, which doesn't work too well with having a job. Clearly this job is perfect for me.


 
Me filming at the City Church for their youth conference.