Color Correction

Color correction is a process used in film that fixes the stage lighting, photography, and cinematography, by using color gels or filters to change the overall color. It is a type of color grading. What is color grading? The adjusting of color in a film or video due to any technicalities or creativity reasons. Color correcting changes the color of a film or video to fix mistakes or to make it appear more natural. Color correction can be performed on programs like Adobe After Effects or Adobe Premiere Pro.

The people who work on color correction and anything in that category are called colorists. They work alongside the director and cinematographer to adjust the hue, tint, and color of the final project. Cameras capture everything and it looks different to the human eyes. That is why it may look different on film or video. This is where the colorists come in to adjust the videos. They make sure it is not too over overexposed or underexposed, etc. They will also adjust minor mistakes in the scene, like an actor or actress who looks too orange, or if the lighting is weak.

Color correcting is a very time consuming process and it is the last part in a production. Most cannot afford to color correct every scene. It is edited in offline editing, in order to save time and data. In order to color correct, you must have a high definition color grading monitor, not a laptop. It must have quality software, Like After Effects or Premiere Pro and something called DaVinci Resolve, which is free to download (the basic version). The studio version is 299 dollars, so unless you have BANK, I suggest using the basic version.

If you wanna be a colorist, you must have good communication. You have to be able to talk to the director and discuss his dreams. A colorist must know major software, understanding how light interacts with digital cameras, how color affects the human mind, color theory etc, etc. Color correction makes a film 1000x times better than what it would be like if it were just recorded with a camera. In order to work with color correction and get a job in that field you must have a degree in art, or film. Actually, just kidding, apparently you don’t even need a degree at all, i guess.

 

Featured Photo by Martin Vorel on LIBRESHOT

Dream Design Job

My dream design job would to be a freelance designer in a fun city, like Los Angeles or New York City. Why? There are hundreds of great reasons a to why it is a good idea to become a freelance graphic designer. One of those reasons would be because I am able to choose which jobs I want to take. Maybe not at the beginning but eventually. Such as, if I were to join a design company or whatever, they would give me work that I probably would not want to do but I’ll do it so that I can get to the point where I am able to do what I want. However, if i am a freelance designer I can start off with the projects that I want to do.

As a freelance designer, you can choose a specialty. You don’t have to do it all. For example, if you are good at logo design but not web design, then you can just specialize in logo design. Same thing goes for advertisement design, banner design, social media design, etc.  Also more people would want to hire a specialist, so choosing a specialty would be a good choice. Me, personally, I would rather be a logo designer, just because I find it easier and more fun to make logos. I also like that when you are a freelance designer, you can make your own deadlines. So instead of stressing and crying about the due date or getting in trouble because the client wanted it yesterday but you still have not finished it, you are able to do it whenever you want.

Unlike large design companies, when it is just you and your client, the communication between the two of you is airtight and there should be as little miscommunications as possible. Plus, it should be easier and more comfortable to talk with them about what they want and their opinions. Being a freelance designer means that you are able to charge what you want, when you want it. So you can charge a fair price for the work that you are doing. In my opinion, I would rather do that because then i am able to explain to the client why the price is so much or if it sounds unreasonable. Although, just because I like logo design does not mean that i am just limited to that, I could also do other forms of design.

 

Featured Photo created by splitshire on Splitshire.com

Comparing Portfolios

Alright so, obviously my portfolio is the best one out there but in this blog I am going to compare mine with about two other professional design portfolios. The ones I found were Buzzworthy Studio and Toy Fight. There are hundreds of other cool ones but these were the ones I found first and seemed interesting. Unlike mine they have their own websites and a lot of cooler features on their websites than I do.

The first one I’ll talk about is Buzzworthy Studio. They consist of about ten working designers in Brooklyn. Plus, one of their members consisted of a small toy psycho bear,,,,,,, cute. They work together to create a portfolio that has very interesting animations, great contrasting colors, and just an overall clean website. Throughout the website they show the users their amazing web skills and their use of typography and animations is something that will want you to keep looking through their projects. It’s different from mine because my portfolio animations do not reach the level that they are on. Also my portfolio does not have as nice typography and contrast like that website.

The other one I’ll talk about is Toy Fight. It consists of designers Jonny Lander and Leigh Whipday, who have over a decade of design experience while I have like 1 and a half. Their portfolio is more interesting than both mine and the other portfolio I just mentioned, in my opinion. They show a lot of cool 3D toy men models in creative poses on each of their different tabs. On their work page they show a lot of different projects and cool animations unlike my portfolio, which have fairly uninteresting projects and no animations. Their designs are very clean and the colors are very nice. Which is not unlike mine, because I also have some great designs and very nice contrasting colors, haha. Although, most of the colors I have on there is just yellow. They also have good font choices. Plus, their logo is nice, simple, and actually good looking, unlike my garbage.

This beautifully taken Featured Photo was done by Brodie Vissers from Burst

i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

Creative Commons License

A creative common license is a public copyright license that help the free distribution of copyrighted work. They are able to give companies and individual creators an easy way to grant copyright permissions. This makes it easy for designers and creators to edit, remix, build, copy, etc, so that they can do it without breaking the law. If you were to use someone else’s copyrighted garbage, then you would have to pay them for damages and then they could take you to court. Like H3H3 Productions, who went through a long lawsuit with this other you-tuber because he claimed that they used his content in their video without his consent. They won but if you were caught using copyrighted material, you could get in trouble.

A creative common licencor must think about a few things. Such as: allowing commercial use, or should I make it so that everyone is able to use it. This is called “ShareAlike”, which allows copies or adaptions of work to be released under a similar licence as the original. The licence is able to last as long as the copyright on the work and they are made to give appropriate credit. There are three layers of licences: The Legal Code, The Commons Deed, and CC Rights Expression Language (CC REL).

The Legal Code is the first layer and it just contains the traditional legal garbage that most lawyers are familiar with. So for those who are not lawyers and don’t speak the lawyer language, the Commons Deed was created. Which is the second layer and also known as the readable version, since the first one is more complicated. It is there to be an easy reference for creators and licencors since it is not part of the actual Legal Code. The last layer is called the CC Rights Expression Language (CC REL), which is basically the layer that makes the license recognizable to other software. It makes it more simple for the Web to know what is eligible under a creative commons license. Searching for this kind of content is simple and can be found under many search engines.

There are six types of licenses.

Attribution CC BY: This is the one that is the most common one and allows others to edit on top of your work as long as they credit you for it. It is the thing that does stuff with other things. Its the most recommended one.

Attribution- ShareAlike CC By- SA: this one lets people edit your work as long as they credit your for it. Its mostly for commercial use

Attributions – Noncommercial CC BY NC: This one lets people restrict all editing but they can still use it for commercial, gaming, non-commercial, etc as long as credit is given.

Attribution- NonComercial- ShareAlike CC By NC SA: this one is the same thing as the other ShareAlike license except its non commercial so figure it out yourself.

Attribution- NonCommercial- NoDerivs CC BY- NC- ND: the most restrictive one, they cannot be changed or used in anyway. But they can be downloaded and shared.

Photo by Samantha Hurley from Burst

Offline V. Real Time

Offline editing is the beginning of the film process and when the editor takes raw footage, duplicates it and runs it through a certain program. Such as Final Cut Pro or Apple ProRes or Adobe Premiere Software. How does it work? The footage is trans-coded, which is the “process of converting video (and/or) audio from one format into another, so you’re just converting one editing format into another.” SO in offline editing, this now trans-coded footage will turn into proxy footage, which means low quality or high quality performance temporary file that is going to be replaced by the newer better more advanced version of whatever it is that you are making.

Anyways, the proxy footage is at a low resolution than the OG files. This footage will be used through most of the project until the OG high resolution will replace it because then you will go on to online editing. It is important to know that offline editing could harm your computer if it does not have enough space or if it is a piece of garbage and can’t handle the files. The point of offline is to make the files into a lower resolution so everything will go by much more smoothly.

Online editing is the editing of a video and it’s the final part in that project. It is the final cut of whatever video that is being produced. Here you will combine the low-resolution files to the original, high resolution footage. This is where you will begin the effects, working with the color, audio, and the finishing touches. I’m assuming that these are time consuming editing techniques that require certain steps to make sure you don’t mess up that original footage when you are combining everything in the end.

Also, you could probably refer to online editing as the conform. Why? I have no idea and I am pretty sure most people are just gonna call it online editing. Or online process, I guess. Another way to understand online editing would be to know that it is used to create video footage at its ultimate highest quality. while offline is the lower copies of that said footage. Some people could get it confused with just regular online editing, like with their dumb blogs or web pages or ads or something. But only the people in the video business know the REAL online editing, amirite.

Ok so the difference between online and offline editing would be that they’re relatively similar but also different at the same time, you know what I mean. They both have to deal with editing, one is just dealing with low resolution (offline) while the other is dealing with the higher resolutions (online). They are both very extremely very common in the TV, movies and just the media world in general because they gotta edit those bois. Apparently most people who deal in the online offline editing business are usually freelancers,,,,interesting.  An offline person needs to create an edit decision list or (EDL) which you could compare to a log sheet or to-do list.

The offline editors are gifted with all of the creative power. They are the ones who make the final cuts in the projects by creating or destroying certain aspects, like shots, cuts, dissolves, or whatever. We have so many things that we have to do better… and certainly online editing is one of them. My text is long and beautiful, as, it has been well documented, are various other parts of my website. The best offline editing are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love online/offline editing!

Photo by Mitul Shah from Burst

MPPM VS. CD

Multimedia Production Project Managers(MPPM) are the people behind all the media we watch, listen, and play to. Anything along the lines of film, TV, video, radio, games, and others. They are a very important asset to a project because they work with the budgeting, organizing, and everyone involved. They work through the entire process, which would be the: initial planning, budgeting and working through the schedule, help out with the filming or recording of audio, and then they will fill out the last reports, which involve the final budget and production.

In order to be a good Multimedia Production Project Manager, you must have the correct qualifications. You must have a good sense of all the equipment being used and having creativity would help. It would also help to have a bachelors degree but I am assuming you can become a Multimedia Production Production Manager without one. You would just need a lot of experience with lighting, editing, filming, recording, budgeting, organization, and more.  It is crucial to have a wide range of experience. So it would be best to start with a different manager position (floor, or location), or be a production assistant or script supervisor, but also look at an accounting position because it is essential to know the standard costs of production and development so they can create realistic schedules and budgets.

A Creative Director(CD) is the one behind practically most of the creative vision and ideas of the project that is illustrated though digital, print, film, or audio segments. They are technically the creative glue of the whole project. Making sure everything flows and makes sense. They could also help out with the budgets, schedules, and client relationships. Each creative director will have different responsibilities based on the project but they’re all practically the same, they are able to inspire anyone and everyone working on the project.

Creativity is obviously a big part of the job, if you are not creative, then you probably shouldn’t go for this job. Aside from that you must have an open mind, different perspectives, humility, and more. It would also help to have a lot of knowledge on pop culture, art, technology, politics, designing, graphics, social issues, basically everything dealing with what’s popular and having a good eye. They are similar to art directors and design directors. You must also have good communication skills.

What is the difference between these two separate jobs? They are fairly similar and i am probably, most likely just going to repeat the exact same information that I wrote about before because I need an extra 200 words. So, obviously both jobs are gonna require a lot of creativity but a creative director is the one who is more in charge of that department while the multimedia production project manager works more with the technicalities, like bossing everyone around, working with numbers (budgeting, schedules), and other stuff, I guess. Also the creative director is the one who makes sure that the ideas being used are flowing correctly unlike the multimedia production project manager who (could definitely help out with that) just manages everyone, making sure they are on the right track.

To continue, they both clearly have to deal with different types of media. Like TV, video, audio, movies, radio, games, film, print, etc. They are also different because a creative director needs to have more knowledge on the current events while the other one probably does not need to as much. The creative director also does not need to budget and deal with technicalities like the MMPM.

Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst

Audio Designer Jobs

Audio designers are basically responsible for everything an audience has to listen to. Whether it is a game, a movie, a song, a show, etc. they have to create it and make it sound good. They are usually self employed and work for a multitude of different venues or companies or projects. Audio designers need to have connections, as most of the time they will be sought out by directors or producers and most sound jobs are barely advertised for. They’re freelancers. Audio designers work with the creative directors to construct sound effects, ambiances, music, music remixes,  sound systems, offer some sound advice. Apparently, Sound designers make about 50,378 dollars a year, that’s the average. It ranges from $19,500 to $91,000.

I’m not too big on what software most audio designers use, however, in my class right now in this moment in time my classmates and I are utilizing the Adobe Audition program to create sound effects for our game. Hopefully it all goes well. Because in order to make it in this business, you gotta be creative, know what you are doing and actually be good at what you are doing. Audio designers must have a good sense of understanding musical structure, and understand the tones, harmonies, rhythms, and other musical terms to really be successful. And I don’t think we have that. Anyways, some specific audio design jobs would be:

Technical Sound Designer

Well, according to this article, right up there, a technical sound designer works with mixed reality experiences and R&D (research and development) on other things. They have to work with a team to help create sounds for them to use in whatever they are working on.  They must have plenty of experience and basic audio knowledge and be able to give back some constructive criticism, professionally.

Audio Engineer

They edit, create, and record sound using a multitude of electronic equipment. They can work just about anywhere, on the radio, TV, live venues, online, and more. They must gain most of their skills through some type of formal education and they would also need some on the job type training as well. They must be knowledgeable about the different types of equipment (microphones, soundboards, equalizers, etc.) and work well under stress because a lot of people are going to be counting on them to make some good tunes. Everyone knows that the music can really make or break a project. For example, most people wouldn’t wanna have some happy music playing over a murder scene (unless they’re into that, then you could go for it).

Audio Visual Designer

AV designers deal with both the sound and visual aspects of whatever project they are working on. They work with programs such as TV productions, movies, PowerPoints, etc. They usually work online, offering advice over live streams, video conferences, or other platforms. They could also be responsible for installing anything audio related in a music studio, concert area, or a stage.

Audio Visual Consultant

An audio visual consultant is the one who oversees everything audio and visual related. They are to make sure that the project is making the best use of the sound design and they must make sure that the rest of team is doing well and they would also consult the engineers and builders in the team. You really just need experience for this job but having a degree in whatever also helps.

Professional Audio Design

These guys just set up the sound and recording equipment. They are usually independent but could be hired by other companies, basically the same as all the other jobs.

 

Photo by Matthew Henry from Burst

Best format for animated web banners

The best format to be used when creating animated web banners would be Adobe Animate CC….or not? I mean using Adobe Animate is probably what a lot of people use to create responsive web banners but as i read the blogs that my peers have wrote, i see that they have not mentioned Animate but instead the different formats that can be used to display web banners. I guess we were supposed to talk more about the display and not the creation.

So, according to Luis, the multiple formats you can use when displaying animated web banners would be GIF: which is limited with frames, Flash: has the utility but probably won’t work on mobile devices and the plug ins must be installed for it to work, CSS3: similar to GIF but is more limited w/ animations/transitions and browser support, HTML5: most popular at the moment and similar to flash but does not have as many options, JavaScript: limited types of animation and needs to be enabled, Canvas Tag: modern browser support, JPEG and PNG: same functions and they are good for minimal functions. .

Apparently when designing a web banner, you need to take into consideration certain types of uh design aspects as stated in Thomas’s blog. Such as responsive design, motion and animation, file size, design unity, cleverness, and simplicity. Responsiveness is definitely a major aspect in design because if your banner is absolute RUBBISH and non-responsive it is gonna look unprofessional and will not being any curious looks from potential customers (thanks 4 that Carlos). My classmates are writing that you should not have too much animation at once because it is annoying and confusing. File size is very beneficial to know and understand because only an IDIOT would sit and wait for your TRASH ad to load so please keep the file to a minimum frame rate of about 24 mmkay.

Design unity, you should keep all of your designs similar to each other. Like the app, landing page, web banners, etc. Just like how I had a bird on my web banner because it was on our stupid landing page but NOOoOoOOOoOoO. I was so proud of that bird too, pretty sure it was my first original idea and it came out ok-ish god damn it i really wanted to turn that into something too, i am LIVID. Instead we had to turn in whatever LUIS turned it because HE did all the work, i cant even take any credit for that GARBAGE because when i DID try to help i SCREWED it up.\ stay positive y’all.

Featured Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Top 5 performing web ad sizes

If you wanna be a successful designer and gain clientele that will actually pay you for a job well done on creating not terrible products, then it would be beneficial to know actual working web advertisement sizes. You wanna know which ones are gonna generate a curious click or a nice impression and especially a design that can bring in the sales. According to the website, “publishers choose the banner ad sizes they want to feature on their websites. If you pick the wrong banner sizes as an advertiser, you effectively limit the reach of your ad campaigns”. Here are the top 5 performing web ad banners, recommended by Google, that not only work efficiently but complement your website as well.

The first one would be the “medium rectangle”, which about is 300 width and 250 height. It usually has more ad inventory available from different advertisers, which can increase earnings when both text and image ads are enabled. This is best used at the end of an article or embedded within text content, i guess. It is also good for mobile things. Plus, it is the most served banner size on Google’s display networks.

The second one would be the “large rectangle”, which is about 336 width and 280 height. It is very similar to the medium rectangle in its properties. It is simply just a bigger version of the medium rectangle, is not as popular, and it is not the best on mobile.

The third one would be the “leader board”, sizing at about 728 width and 90 height. This ad banner is also similar to both the medium rectangle and the large rectangle with the fact that they can increase earnings when both text and image ads are enabled, etc. It performs best when placed above main content and on forum sites.

The fourth one would be referred to as the “half page”, which is about 300 width by 600 height. ((this is the size that i am currently using on my animation project, the one from my portfolio)) It provides a larger space for advertisers to get their message across. The half page is one of the sizes that is rapidly gaining popularity and part of a trend where advertisers are offering more visually impact full ad sizes.

The fifth one is called “large mobile banner”, sizing at 320 width by 100 height. It is twice the height of the standard “mobile leader board”.

Featured Photo by Ilnur Kalimullin on Unsplash

web banner animation storyboard

this is as good as its gonna get for now cause i’m too lazy to think of anything better than this, although the final animated product should be 1000x better.