I'm currently working my stuff into a complete website and plan to move my blog over. My vacation seems to have taken the best of me and I'm really surprised to realize I haven't updated this blog in almost 4 months!
Anyways, here's some new stuff I've been working on.
Tristan Prettyman - Never Say Never
Jennifer Lopez - Live It Up
John Fogerty - Mystic Highway
Midnight Red - Take Me Home
I won't be updating as frequently as I used to. Probably just post up recent work as time flies.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Emeli Sandé - Next to Me
Here is my most recent project I have completed: Emeli Sande's "Next to Me (Kendrick Lamar Remix).
Shot this on a Canon t2i with a Canon 14-40mm f/4L lens in different areas of downtown LA. Mounted the camera onto a tripod and basically shuffled through 7 different shutter speeds and sequenced them together in After Effects to get the motion/animated gif look.
Emeli is a great artist, and it's good to see they're bringing her overseas from the UK.
Monday, March 4, 2013
To Do List / After Graduation
I didn't create this list myself, but most of these items are definitely on my own. Really felt inspired after watching this.
My most recent project should be released sometime this week. I'll you guys posted as soon as it is public. Currently progressing through the early stages of another lyric/motion graphic type video.
3 months until I graduate from college and I'm glad to think that I'll be putting my undergrad career behind me. I've committed (leisurely) 6 years of being at a university, but I still can't help but feel I have a lot more to learn.
Not too long ago I stumbled across an article about the difference of mindsets between the rich and the rest of the world. In one section, the article explained that the rich believe in the pursuit of knowledge while the average person believes in the pursuit of an education. I love that mindset and couldn't agree more.
I wanted to type out "I hope to go back to another school and learn more.." but then didn't feel that that statement expressed me properly. Instead, I want to say I hope to move forward and continue my pursuit of knowledge in my field.
At this point in my life, I just want to keep on learning new things that would assist my passion and to help me translate the ideas in my mind into something I can share with others. I'm committed to this idea and will make it happen.
My most recent project should be released sometime this week. I'll you guys posted as soon as it is public. Currently progressing through the early stages of another lyric/motion graphic type video.
3 months until I graduate from college and I'm glad to think that I'll be putting my undergrad career behind me. I've committed (leisurely) 6 years of being at a university, but I still can't help but feel I have a lot more to learn.
Not too long ago I stumbled across an article about the difference of mindsets between the rich and the rest of the world. In one section, the article explained that the rich believe in the pursuit of knowledge while the average person believes in the pursuit of an education. I love that mindset and couldn't agree more.
I wanted to type out "I hope to go back to another school and learn more.." but then didn't feel that that statement expressed me properly. Instead, I want to say I hope to move forward and continue my pursuit of knowledge in my field.
At this point in my life, I just want to keep on learning new things that would assist my passion and to help me translate the ideas in my mind into something I can share with others. I'm committed to this idea and will make it happen.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Back to Back
One project down, another to go.
Another long night for me. Better keep on going before I drop the ball. I need to move to Pluto where there's more hours in the day.
Stumbled across Joe Murray's blog, creator of 90's Nickelodeon TV show "Rocko's Modern Life", and sympathized with a doodle he made.
http://joemurraystudio.com/blog/
http://joemurraystudio.com/blog/
Another long night for me. Better keep on going before I drop the ball. I need to move to Pluto where there's more hours in the day.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Booked
It's been 2 weeks since my last update and I've been booked for the whole month of February and the beginning of March. I've been out doing ADR sessions, shooting (sort of) stop motion photography at night, and I'm dipping my feet with some hand drawn animation work for some projects I've been working on.
It's going to be a tough week with no sleep, but after each sleepless night, another chin hair grows (which is what I need because I'm asian and we're hairless wonders). My friends Erwin and Jeff have hopped on with me with a project and I feel pretty excited to actually lead a project with a small team because I'm more of a soloist when it comes to working on my freelance work but being able to work on my communication skills in projects is always a plus.
I'm hoping for an internship soon but might be side tracked until March. I'm not worried about the hundred some hours I have to do to graduate but more so the end product of connections, people, and experience. I just gotta keep working hard now so things wont be so tough later.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Lama Kinda Post
Was going through my posts on my Flipboard app for my phone and stumbled across this article on Huffington Post about the Dalai Lama's "18 Rules for Living", but the writer takes into account how these rules can be used when running a business. Here is the 18 rules with the accompanying translation for applying it to one's professional life.
Original post: Billie Kell: Dalai Lama:18 Rules of Living
1. Take into account that great love and great achievement involves great risk.
Great results and great growth involve great risks.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
Failure always teaches us more than our successes. Learn, reflect then apply.
3. Follow the 3 R's
• Respect for self
• Respect for others
• Responsibility for all your actions
Respect of self -- value your achievements and acknowledge your deficits as without both you cannot develop.
Respect others; be open minded to what they may be able to teach you. Respect of self and others, alongside responsibility, are essential leadership qualities.
Respect has to be given before it can be received and is correlated to the level of responsibility for your actions you are willing to take.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Remember that flawed deal, the PHEW you felt that it fell through and the better opportunity that followed. Sometimes life has a way to taking us in directions we should have chosen for ourselves.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
Being creative and innovative in business requires you to know the rules and break them - and the boundaries/limitations simultaneously! Watch the mavericks -- they see opportunities where others see limitations and failure.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
Business relationships are like any others and involve ups and downs -- it's how you handle them that retains the relationships and defines you as a team player and leader. You don't have to agree with someone to remain a business colleague.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Getting it wrong is part of the process, make it right immediately and own it -- it's called integrity -- a highly valued commodity in business.
8. Spend some time alone everyday.
Hit the brakes regularly -- reflecting and incubating your ideas requires alone time.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
Change is an essential and necessary part of business -- so is the ability to retain your values. They should be written through you/your business like a stick of rock; as they illustrate who you are. Remember, values are held by people, not buildings.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Leadership requires knowing when it's time to stay stum!
11. Live a good honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
Work with honor and integrity -- then you can reflect back with respect for yourself and those you worked with.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. The values of you and your company are the foundation to your success. Create the climate you want and use them to form and represent the culture of your business.
13. In disagreements with loved ones deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
In work disagreements with colleagues, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve mortality.
Share your skills and abilities. It's your way to leave your mark.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
Be gentle with and in business -- it's actually how greatness is shown.
16. Once a year, go some place you've never been before.
Regularly step outside your comfort zone -- its how your and your company will develop.
17. Remember that the best relationship is the one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Remember that the best business relationships are the ones that motivate, help people develop and enable everyone fulfill their potential by working at their best level.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Judge your success by how far you have come and how well you treat others. Success in some ways is what people say about you when you're not in the room.
I felt these were some really good rules to run by. I didn't plan to be all Tibetan monk on this post, but another afterthought:
Original post: Billie Kell: Dalai Lama:18 Rules of Living
1. Take into account that great love and great achievement involves great risk.
Great results and great growth involve great risks.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
Failure always teaches us more than our successes. Learn, reflect then apply.
3. Follow the 3 R's
• Respect for self
• Respect for others
• Responsibility for all your actions
Respect of self -- value your achievements and acknowledge your deficits as without both you cannot develop.
Respect others; be open minded to what they may be able to teach you. Respect of self and others, alongside responsibility, are essential leadership qualities.
Respect has to be given before it can be received and is correlated to the level of responsibility for your actions you are willing to take.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Remember that flawed deal, the PHEW you felt that it fell through and the better opportunity that followed. Sometimes life has a way to taking us in directions we should have chosen for ourselves.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
Being creative and innovative in business requires you to know the rules and break them - and the boundaries/limitations simultaneously! Watch the mavericks -- they see opportunities where others see limitations and failure.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
Business relationships are like any others and involve ups and downs -- it's how you handle them that retains the relationships and defines you as a team player and leader. You don't have to agree with someone to remain a business colleague.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Getting it wrong is part of the process, make it right immediately and own it -- it's called integrity -- a highly valued commodity in business.
8. Spend some time alone everyday.
Hit the brakes regularly -- reflecting and incubating your ideas requires alone time.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
Change is an essential and necessary part of business -- so is the ability to retain your values. They should be written through you/your business like a stick of rock; as they illustrate who you are. Remember, values are held by people, not buildings.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Leadership requires knowing when it's time to stay stum!
11. Live a good honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
Work with honor and integrity -- then you can reflect back with respect for yourself and those you worked with.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. The values of you and your company are the foundation to your success. Create the climate you want and use them to form and represent the culture of your business.
13. In disagreements with loved ones deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
In work disagreements with colleagues, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve mortality.
Share your skills and abilities. It's your way to leave your mark.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
Be gentle with and in business -- it's actually how greatness is shown.
16. Once a year, go some place you've never been before.
Regularly step outside your comfort zone -- its how your and your company will develop.
17. Remember that the best relationship is the one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Remember that the best business relationships are the ones that motivate, help people develop and enable everyone fulfill their potential by working at their best level.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Judge your success by how far you have come and how well you treat others. Success in some ways is what people say about you when you're not in the room.
I felt these were some really good rules to run by. I didn't plan to be all Tibetan monk on this post, but another afterthought:
Kinda reminiscent of this quote I saw where a man had a dream with God and asked him what he found so interesting about man and he replied that "When they are children, they yearn to be old, and when they are old, they yearn to be children again."
Friday, January 25, 2013
Rainy Day - Downtime
Just experiencing some downtime in between work. Currently in the talks for several other projects. Hoping to make some power moves for 2013.
Cooper (Trek 520) in the foreground, and I'm still yet to name my Roubaix (pronounced roo-bay). I thought of the name "Ruby" but it's not even red, seems kinda cheesy, and one of my friend's girlfriend's name is Ruby so that's just kinda awkward.
Here's a picture of the "Thunderdome". I just recently bought a new bike, a 2012 Fuji Roubaix 2.0 (Mostly Shimano 105 components, except for the front derailleur, cassette, and cranks) and have been itching to get onto the road but the rain has kept me inside. It's my first modern day road bike and it's quite the leap from the steel bikes I've been riding for awhile now. I just cleaned my main commuter, a 1984 Trek 520, cleaning off the dirty Cinelli cork bar tape.
Other than that, it seems all quiet for today save for dinner with some of the guys in a bit. I've been into that Tegan and Sara song "Closer" on the radio for the past month or so and just recently discovered they have a music video and lyric video.
Thought the music video was okay. Tegan and Sara don't seem to be too excited as performers. Definitely noted to make a hipster fortress indoor tent party sometime in the future.
Pretty interesting lyric video. Love the Lichtenstein since every now and then I use his stuff. I really feel they could have done more for the bridge and chorus to make it more up bea, but it's a good video nonetheless. Also love the chromatic aberration effect thats popular now a days.
Speaking of chromatic aberration, there is a tutorial I saw not too long ago about it.. let me just pull that up.
AE Tuts + Tutorial - Chromatic Aberration
Hope everyone has a safe and happy rainy day in Socal. Now time for me to dread about taking speech class tomorrow..
Here's a picture of the "Thunderdome". I just recently bought a new bike, a 2012 Fuji Roubaix 2.0 (Mostly Shimano 105 components, except for the front derailleur, cassette, and cranks) and have been itching to get onto the road but the rain has kept me inside. It's my first modern day road bike and it's quite the leap from the steel bikes I've been riding for awhile now. I just cleaned my main commuter, a 1984 Trek 520, cleaning off the dirty Cinelli cork bar tape.
Other than that, it seems all quiet for today save for dinner with some of the guys in a bit. I've been into that Tegan and Sara song "Closer" on the radio for the past month or so and just recently discovered they have a music video and lyric video.
Thought the music video was okay. Tegan and Sara don't seem to be too excited as performers. Definitely noted to make a hipster fortress indoor tent party sometime in the future.
Pretty interesting lyric video. Love the Lichtenstein since every now and then I use his stuff. I really feel they could have done more for the bridge and chorus to make it more up bea, but it's a good video nonetheless. Also love the chromatic aberration effect thats popular now a days.
Speaking of chromatic aberration, there is a tutorial I saw not too long ago about it.. let me just pull that up.
"Chromatic aberration is the failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same point. To a cinematographer this can be an undesired effect, but in motion graphics it can be a very nice addition. While it would be great to capture chromatic aberration naturally with real lenses, most modern lenses aim to minimize this effect. This is why we are dedicating this tutorial to learning how to recreate this phenomenon using built-in after effects plugins."
AE Tuts + Tutorial - Chromatic Aberration
Hope everyone has a safe and happy rainy day in Socal. Now time for me to dread about taking speech class tomorrow..
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Justin Timberlake + Jay Z "Suit and Tie"
Smelling a break in the lyric video game. It's crazy because lyric videos are usually used as a form of marketing before the official music video drops to expose fans to the song and lyrics but to have the actual artist (even crazier that it's Justin Timberlake making his comeback) to be in the video means a major change in how record companies creates and markets lyric videos now.
This video is also wonderfully executed in its presentation showing that there were some really talented cinematographers and animators working on this gig. A lot of beautiful rim lighting famous from the film noir genre and simple yet beautifully timed animation of the lyrics pushes the idea that "less is more".
The best part too is that I'm sure it didn't amount to the same prices a normal music video costs considering there were simple locations and probably the most expensive cost was getting Justin Timberlake to be there.
The field is definitely changing, and I'm down for it.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Tristan Prettyman "The Rebound" Lyric Video on Nylon
They've officially released the music/lyric video hybrid I've been working on for EMI records and have a small article on Nylon's website!
Thanks so much to Jess, Javier, Jeff, Celina, Cacho family, and Erwin for helping out!
This was my first shot at directing and lighting on my own so I really hope I did an adequate job. This was also my first attempt at a full blown hybrid video like this. Hope you guys enjoy it
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The ABC of Architects + Update
Some amazing motion graphics work here. This video kept on popping up on my Flipboard and Strøssel app on my iPhone and couldn't help but share this amazing video.
It doesn't an excellent job of the whole "morphing shapes" style which seems to be so popular now and that I like to use when I can.
For the past couple of days I've been helping out another Senior thesis project at Cal State Northridge. I've been on set working on a film titled "Ella" in the sound department but also lent my hand in doing small fixes for logo removals. I was pretty excited to work on the crew especially since they managed to rent out an Arri Alexa, which is one of the pivotal cameras in the current changing state of cinema from film to digital. They used this camera on many big name features such as Drive and Marvel's The Avengers so it feels really good to see this new technology in action.
.JPG)
Still working on the whole internship game. Just finished making a resume and about to ship it out along with some cover letters to different design companies that I've found on the website Entertainment Careers. Wish me luck!
It doesn't an excellent job of the whole "morphing shapes" style which seems to be so popular now and that I like to use when I can.
For the past couple of days I've been helping out another Senior thesis project at Cal State Northridge. I've been on set working on a film titled "Ella" in the sound department but also lent my hand in doing small fixes for logo removals. I was pretty excited to work on the crew especially since they managed to rent out an Arri Alexa, which is one of the pivotal cameras in the current changing state of cinema from film to digital. They used this camera on many big name features such as Drive and Marvel's The Avengers so it feels really good to see this new technology in action.
Found googley eyes on our smart slate the day of prep. Kept them on and named him "Clappy" the slate.
.JPG)
Good friend and camera operator Alejandro Echevarria with his first AC preparing the Alexa on the dolly for the next shot.
Still working on the whole internship game. Just finished making a resume and about to ship it out along with some cover letters to different design companies that I've found on the website Entertainment Careers. Wish me luck!
Friday, January 11, 2013
2013 Motion Graphics Reel
Since I've been on my journey for looking for an internship, I've decided to redo my reel. It's kinda weird because I named it "2013 Motion Graphics Reel" when the year has barely started but all the work is from 2011-2012 so should it be "2012 Motion Graphics Reel"? Oh well, enjoy!
Monday, January 7, 2013
Organizing Thoughts
Lately I've felt a little more disorganized with my thoughts and ideas. I'll have a sudden burst of creativity only to forget it a moment later. Ideation books do wonders, but sometimes my terrible scribbles can't translate my thoughts completely.
I've been reluctant to join any new forms of social media (Tumblr, Instagram, etc.) but I'm contemplating joining Pinterest. At first, I thought it was just a website used to "pin" pictures of things you liked but my friend Jeffrey pitched the idea to me in a different way. He explained how you can organize the pictures in different folders which is super helpful for things like mood boards and organizing ideas for projects. I do something similar already with a folder on my desktop but Pinterest's interface seems to work a lot better since you can get an overview of everything in an orderly fashion instead of having to preview individual files or create a mood board from scratch. On top of that, it also helps organize together articles, videos, etc. Hmm.. I have some downtime at work right now.. I'll get that set up.
Besides trying to recollect my thoughts, my mind has been focused on reworking my reel for a couple of internships I have in mind. My final semester at college requires that we do 135 hours of work so I've been on the lookout for some motion graphics internships. I'm going to be picky about where I want to go (I know, I know.. beggars can't be choosers) because I really want to be surrounded by people who are passionate about this kind of stuff and who does work I highly respect. I have an opportunity to go back to the VFX house I was interning at for awhile but through self exploration I've discovered that maybe VFX isn't my thing (well, maybe not hardcore rotoscoping and rudimentary painting). I definitely want my specialization to be a motion graphics artist and want to learn as much as I can before I graduate because lately, I feel my college has nothing left for me learn. Currently looking out to get a couple of classes learning motion graphics work on After Effects and Cinema 4D at Gnomon.
This coming weekend will also be a busy one. I've offered to help out another senior thesis project which will be shooting at the CBS backlot. It won't be as intense as the previous film I worked on since I won't have to worry about picking up gear and commanding a team, but it'll be 12 hours days as usual fighting for sunlight. This will be a good way for me to hit the ground running when the semester starts and harden me for when I leave the sheltered college life to compete against everyone in the real world.
I've also started commuting on bike again. It feels good because even though it may take a bit longer to work I get to enjoy a sort of mini adventure each time I get on the streets. It's fun to just be riding with some good music and thoughts coming and going. I also get the opportunity to explore on my way home. Here's a strip from Calvin and Hobbes about his dad and cycling.
Besides trying to recollect my thoughts, my mind has been focused on reworking my reel for a couple of internships I have in mind. My final semester at college requires that we do 135 hours of work so I've been on the lookout for some motion graphics internships. I'm going to be picky about where I want to go (I know, I know.. beggars can't be choosers) because I really want to be surrounded by people who are passionate about this kind of stuff and who does work I highly respect. I have an opportunity to go back to the VFX house I was interning at for awhile but through self exploration I've discovered that maybe VFX isn't my thing (well, maybe not hardcore rotoscoping and rudimentary painting). I definitely want my specialization to be a motion graphics artist and want to learn as much as I can before I graduate because lately, I feel my college has nothing left for me learn. Currently looking out to get a couple of classes learning motion graphics work on After Effects and Cinema 4D at Gnomon.
This coming weekend will also be a busy one. I've offered to help out another senior thesis project which will be shooting at the CBS backlot. It won't be as intense as the previous film I worked on since I won't have to worry about picking up gear and commanding a team, but it'll be 12 hours days as usual fighting for sunlight. This will be a good way for me to hit the ground running when the semester starts and harden me for when I leave the sheltered college life to compete against everyone in the real world.
I've also started commuting on bike again. It feels good because even though it may take a bit longer to work I get to enjoy a sort of mini adventure each time I get on the streets. It's fun to just be riding with some good music and thoughts coming and going. I also get the opportunity to explore on my way home. Here's a strip from Calvin and Hobbes about his dad and cycling.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Happy Birthday to me, We finished principle photography, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Years.
Long story short: Life got busy and I lost my urge to do some creative writing over the past couple of months.
Mixer's point of view with two of my sound team members awaiting the next shot.
The crew about to film a scene. The house we used was the same mansion in the Tim and Eric "Cinco Brother's" episode.
COME AT ME BRAAHHH (aka 2013)
This was probably one of my busiest semesters ever.
Mixer's point of view with two of my sound team members awaiting the next shot.
The crew about to film a scene. The house we used was the same mansion in the Tim and Eric "Cinco Brother's" episode.
I finished shooting principal photography for the senior thesis project I'm working on. It was really fun working production. I'm normally more drawn to the post side of things but working on set with a good crew is really exhilarating. It's this weird feeling of waking up 5 in the morning to meet your 7am call time and working 12 hours straight with what seems like dwindling energy barely fueled by caffeine then getting on a good streak of shots and set ups that makes it such a feel good type of job. I couldn't be anymore happier working as a cog turning to help make a good idea happen.
We worked in Malibu Hills for the first part of our film. We arrived early one day and our director of photography decided to drive us around and show us a scenic view point near the location.
I worked production sound so it was really fun getting to familiarize myself with all the gear and workflow. The fun part is approaching master shots in which I felt were much more of a challenge because of how usually wide they were meaning we had to come up with clever ideas of how to set up plant mics and such. It felt good to teach others how to work the gear and work as a team to tackle problems since Murphy's Law basically is always in effect on a film set
A POV shot from the sound car during some downtime. My laptop on standby to backup files in-between breaks. We used a Sound Devices 788T with a CL-9 controller.
At the end of the day, one of the best parts is getting that feeling of camaraderie you achieve with your crew. You really get to know people and it's amazing to see a collective of people working to accomplish that same goal of making a film. It's especially amazing when the people you work with are passionate and knowledgeable about their field. Something about that vibe really makes you feel good.
China balls are definitely a must have for any indie filmmaker.
Our DIT guy standing in to do a blood test. Everyone was in line to basically toss feathers and corn syrup at him.
Our DIT guy standing in to do a blood test. Everyone was in line to basically toss feathers and corn syrup at him.
My main dislike for working with production is the demanding hours. 12 hours straight of work and when I get home all I want to do is sleep. I can keep up doing this every once and awhile but to do this as a career wouldn't be something I'd want to pursue simply because I feel so disconnected from the rest of the world when I do. I like to have a lot of liesure time with family and friends and the production life simply doesn't cut it. It's definitely a tough job choice especially if you're aiming to have a family. All in all, production is amazing but not something I want to put my all into simply because I want to have more time for other things.
An appropriate cheesy sunset shot from the roof of our mansion location to end this portion of the post.
An appropriate cheesy sunset shot from the roof of our mansion location to end this portion of the post.
I just directed a hybrid lyric video in which we used live footage with the lyrics animated and composited in. It felt good to get really familiar with working with actors, lights, setting up schedules and doing location scouting. I never knew how much work assistant directors, grip and electric, script supervisors, and gaffers all do. You can expect an update sometime soon when I get the official release out.
I've been vegging out lately just laying around and catching up on some video games and movies. Definitely a (I hate this word) lazy end to 2012 for me which was an interesting contrast to the constant hustle before that. I wanted to do a holiday greeting card for my clients and family in a motion graphic style but became lazy as the holidays set in. I also wanted to do a personal project but feel my season has hit a creative drought. I'll definitely continue to be writing again since whenever I post I get the urge to do something just to report back to this blog.
Just gotta get back into that creative groove again. Here's some group_inou which always gets me in that kinda mood.
Their stuff is absurd and without explanation but I think that's one of the best parts about their music videos.
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