It’s been a very long time since my last post but, that’s mainly do to freelance work.  While I’m still looking for that perfect job and waiting for the market to improve freelance has been good to me.  So what’s the subject of this post?  Well it’s really about you and your Personal Media Player aka PMP.  There are so many players to choose from ipod, iphone, ipod touch, zune, zune hd, etc.  The list goes on and on and on but, have you ever used it to your advantage with a prospective new client?  That little device in your pocket which is fun and entertaining is also a useful tool in your daily networking.  Wherever I’m at I have a PMP with me with my entire portfolio.  I’ve got my demo reels, photos, Photoshop work, After Effects work, etc.  So your asking why?  Well why not it’s only bettering your chances to showcase your skills to someone.  It’s always the same thing “Here’s my card and take a look at my website.”  When you have your little digital portfolio with you all the time your chances of getting new work is 100 times better because you can showcase your work there and now.  Your prospective client gets to see your work then.  Your business card becomes a little more valuable.  Turn your PMP devices into a working tool for you.

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Heavenly Dark Studios was contacted by Marilyn L. Carpenter and Suzi McNicholas of Vjames.net to create an online trailer for viral marketing and branding to promote Marilyns new  book Open Sesame Access web design by Moore Creative.  The project was created in After Effects.  Marilyn a  Certified Business Coach had some kind words to say about Robert and the work he recently provided.

“I would like to keep Rob’s services all to myself, but that wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the world who really need his help to lift their message to a whole new level. Rob did stellar work for my event and website post. The delivered motion graphics presentation has sparked new ideas for how to enhance my own brand and spread my message for my book and my Coaching Practice. Everything about Rob’s work is exceptional. There is real value to be found here.”
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The 109 Alma Ave Renovation Project located in Buffalo New York contacted Heavenly Dark Studios to assist in the creation of a vector logo.  The logo was designed for print and web use.  Do you have a logo that needs to be turned into vector art?  Please contact me and let’s discuss the details.  Here’s a little history about the 109 Alma Ave Renovation Project.

“The 109 Alma Avenue house was built in 1920 in Buffalo New York. At that time the president was Woodrow Wilson. The ’20s in the US were characterized by a blend of two building stylistic influences: the exotic materials and voluptuous interiors found in those tall buildings that scraped the sky all over. An influence emanating from France ’s L’Art Déco elite and the functional geometry of Zigzag Moderne. These influences gave way to the austerity binge of this period, with sleek finishes, aerodynamic forms, synthetic materials and an infatuation with speed and futuristic elements. Starting in 1920, our country produced a body of design work remarkable for its collective daring and ingenuity.”

So many times I’ve seen the same effect over and over and over in youtube videos and the like. If your an After Effects artist or Photoshop user design your own presets. Your job as a designer is to be original and when you go and use presets it becomes a carbon copy of another designers work. Hey don’t get me wrong it’s such an easy thing to do. You go online and you find some amazing preset and say to yourself “My work would totally look amazing if I use this preset.” Here’s the catch with that way of thinking. Your work starts to look like another designers and that’s a bad thing. Why not deconstruct the effect you just saw and learn from it. Create your own original effects presets and use them in your design. When you create your own effects your learning more about the applications your using and you become a better designer.

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Now that doesn’t mean go to the nearest game console.  What I’m referring to is down time.  Yes we as designers often go through periods of downtime at the work place.  Instead of going for that next twitter post or Amazon purchase keep designing concepts.  By doing so your not only discovering new design concepts for yourself.  Your also building your arsenal of digital weapons for future projects.  Who’s to say an experimental design you created a few weeks ago wouldn’t be perfect for an upcoming project that’s coming your way.  This applies to all forms of design 2d, 3d, After Effects, Photoshop, etc.  It might sound like more work but, in reality this is an unrestricted way for you to design freely and without constrictions.  So keep designing!