Irishguy Design Studio worked with Minuteman Signs to create the first in their collection of product videos. Each video is a short product demo. The YouTube video is embedded in the product description page on their website. In the first five months, the videos are averaging 30 monthly views.
Irishguy Design Studio shot and edited the video samples. And created a new YouTube channel for Minuteman Signs.
My design work began in the nightclubs of Atlanta. Back then I created frame-by-frame animations. Now, I pull in the strong arms of Adobe After Effects to create my motion graphics. Using After Effects to create tempo-synchronized graphics. The background patterns were created in Adobe Illustrator for the website and incorporated into the piece installation.
Motion Graphics created for Asheville DJ iGuy. The video piece was integrated into a one-page website design. The visual were also used with projectors for special Asheville party event.
Video Editing projects are such fun when you have creative footage to work with. For Terpsicorps – Asheville Ballet promotional video there was so much beautiful footage that I could have used.
The art of video editing is knowing which shots will tell the story best. I had great fun getting to film dancers. Capturing the dancer’s motion and creativity. And then bringing all of those series of images to the video editing part – filtering and combining the storyline.
Due to the marketing masterminding of Brian Jones (Branding Creator for ALICE) the promotional video for The Mad Hatters Ball was a huge success.
The video was both showcased on local TV news and public access TV. Published by Mountain Xpress newspaper. And featured as bonus footage during the online interview with Asheville Citizen-Times – and that was just for the preview.
Video Promotion Script
Heather (the creator/visual direction of Alice and director of Terpsicorps) – “I had definite ideas in my head of what I wanted to see come to life, and I sat down and wrote out a bunch of storyboards and pictures and things that I wanted. Having absolutely no idea whether any that was possible. I guess all that comes down to see what happens and meeting these people who can make it happen”. Craig (Advanced tech, camera work, creative continuity )– “Bringing all these assets together is a gargantuan task requiring a lot of organization and production. Alice is a very complex project. We’re are going to be utilizing no less than four video projectors and six screens”. Gary (Digital Media Artist, Animator, and Special Effects) – “Some of the approaches that we’ve adopted is to use live footage shot in the Asheville area. And then apply different special effects and animation techniques. Using Adobe Flash, Adobe After Effects, and Adobe Premiere to create the content that we need for the show. Alice is a prime example of where all of our skills come together to create a beautiful project”.
More Information
THE MAP – Article on the creative process of Alice.
Asheville Manufacturing Video Shorts created by Gary Crossey for the Asheville Chamber of Commerce. After meeting with the Asheville Chamber of Commerce we created storyboards of the video spots. Interview times were established for the film crew to visit each location.
I later edited the video to be presented during the annual Asheville Manufacturing Awards.
As a graphic designer, creating a poster design is always a fun project. For me each poster is a new graphic design journey. Especially, for the The Journey of Creativity series. Some of my most memorable moments as a graphic designer involve the thrill of unwrapping large format print jobs. One incorrect fold and that high-gloss photography finish will ruin the impact.
Thankfully, most of my early design years were spent in the darkroom, processing photography. Granted, I learnt all my lessons the hard way. Which is why this graphic design theme of “Learn from Failure” holds true to me.
I am always discovering new aspects of graphic design, videography, and interactive design. Most recently I discovered the value of the creative journey. I reflect on the planning process and production. I review the graphic design and typography. And I appreciate and recognize the different skills that come together to create.
The Journey of Creativity – Learn From Failure Poster and Short Video Animation were designed for the Asheville Adobe Digital Creativity class. The graphic design from the poster was used as part of a short video promotion and a mobile ready website prototype.
If you have ever heard DJ iGuy spinning, then you mostly likely heard “No Brakes on my Rollerskates” during the set. The Futon Bann Remix has filled many a dancefloor and has become one of DJ iGuy’s most requested song.
The Dolly Parton 9 to 5 video was super fun to make. First off, this is an awesome remix, that always gets a great crowd response.
For the video footage, I pulled interview and live footage from the 9to5 Academy Award performance. With the layered dance moves of John Travolta (Urban Cowboy). And then a little Madonna to keep the groove going.
The playing card animation was commissioned by Tersicorps Theatre of Dance – Asheville. Alice in Wonderland – Chapter Eight – The Queen Croquet Ground.
What an exciting part of the Alice and Wonderland story. Alice has arrived to the Rose Garden and is now face-to-face with the mighty Queen. The stage is bathe with my playing card animation. A procession of dancers are flooding the stage – with impressions of my animation on their skin and white outfits. Everything and everyone got covered by the animated playing card wash. The visual effect was outstanding. From the opening beating of the simple single rotating hearts – half white, half red. Before launching into the animated playing card parade. The mirrored tunnel effect added to the chaos of the scene to great effect. The heart design began as the photograph of my red jacket reflecting on the metal door. The door had a diamond design that created a strong silver in one panel, while my bright red coat beamed in the adjoining panel. For me the heart was the central design element for Alice in Wonderland – the scene is rich and heavy. With hundreds of little hearts covering the scene – little hearts that were created with my reflection. While the reflection on the heart is only one half of myself – the mirrored placement of the heart creates the whole reflection.
Video Projection – Animation Wash
Parading Playing Cards
Full stage front-projection washing over entire stage and two rear projectors for added 3D effect.
Off with her head
Undoubtedly the quintessential line from Alice – “Off with her head!”.
As the chaos of the scene grows the dark playing card animation slowly fade over the stage. The music gets darker – the mood changes. On the stage their are 5 men in a web of white rope. Pulling and turning, twisting their bodies into the same knots as the rope. The more entangled the twisted bodies became the heavier the dark animation painted their skin.
Unlike, the earlier lighter animation of white and red – which created an iridescent illumination. The dark animation achieved the opposite effect. The black of the stage literally absorbed the darkness of the animation. The crimson, dark grays, and blood tones created a sinister tension between the dancer and the entangled ropes.
Rear Projector
Alice in Wonderland – Off with her head!
Animation cycle that covered the back wall of the stage. Unlike the front-projection that flooded the stage. The rear projection was onto the high-density screen. The clarity was incredible. The blood red of the animation reflected and painted the dancers skin.
Design Process – Animation Sequence
With every design the design process begins with the objective. For the The Queen’s Croquet Ground scene from Alice the animation was to serve to functions.
Visual Effect.
Lighting.
The scene relied heavily on flooding the stage with animated content. However, the general problem with washing an entire stage with visuals is that everything is covered the visual. Stage lights also serve to wash out projected content. For the scene – lights were lowered – projection increased. To create an awesome balance of visuals, dance, and audio synchronization. Finding this balance did take quite a few revisions – especially during the installation in the Diana Wortham Theater (which can only be expected).
The Playing Card Animation design process begin with simple sketches of playing card design. Before refining the designs in Adobe Illustrator. During the early design stages of the playing cards – I imported the roughs to After Effects – as I worked on refining the card design in Illustrator, the file would update to my After Effects animation. Most of the final animation effect was created prior to the card design being finished or approved.
Having a strong workflow plan completely helped to make this part of the project a huge success. The placeholder content that I had imported to After Effects was easier to animate and experiment with while the individual components were still so light. No delays from graphic card overload – fast and simple.
Once the final artwork was completed. I simply had to do to After Effects and render the animation. Revisions to the color content in relationship to the saturation of stage wash were done in Illustrator, and footage would be again rendered. PLAY CARD GRAPHIC – Each card was created for the animation.
Lust in Space an animation project for Club NV, Atlanta.
I created the female character in 3D with a cartoon rendering. Visual effects were created using ActionScript and rendered via code rather than being a timeline based animation. The same character appears in a Quality Forward public announcement.
The Caterpiller scene for Alice The Ballet – was fantastic. Smoke and Mirrors and perfect timing for every effect. The timing for a dancer is second nature.
Creating visuals for an art installation can mean many different things.
For the Gorgeous art installation, I used mostly frame-by-frame animation. Each frame created in Photoshop (27 frames a second). Combining the photography of Bart Peeters – I deconstructed the images in multilayers. Each layer reveals the newer self. The more understood. The more exposed.
From the opening beating of the simple single rotating hearts – half white, half red. Before launching into the animated playing card parade. The mirrored tunnel effect added to the chaos of the scene to great effect. The heart design began as the photograph of my red jacket reflecting on the metal door. The door had a diamond design that created a strong silver in one panel, while my bright red coat beamed in the adjoining panel. For me the heart was the central design element for Alice in Wonderland – the scene is rich and heavy. With hundreds of little hearts covering the scene – little hearts that were created with my reflection. While the reflection on the heart is only one half of myself – the mirrored placement of the heart creates the whole reflection.![Playing_Cards-[Converted]](https://irishguy.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Playing_Cards-Converted.jpg)
Lust in Space an animation project for Club NV, Atlanta.
