Astroid Boys

I got told about this group that live by me in Cardiff called the Astroid Boys, they were discribed to me as "Kind of Dubby" but I didn't take any notice, until I heard their name again off another friend, this got me interested so I did my research, and turns out... I'm a fan.
They're an original mixture of Hip Hop and Dub Step and from their videos on YouTube, they look as wild as their songs. As well as having some sick tunes, they've got some really nice cinematography backing their music videos, which makes a huge difference to how the group come across. Considering the fact that I'm told they live on the same road as me, from the quality of their beats and videos, you'd think they were living it up in the big smoke with other artists earning big pay cheques. (I think it's only a matter of time before this happens).
My favorite tune at the moment is called "Welcome to the Zoo!" It's sick, check it out.

Tron

I've become a little bit of a Tron geek recently! I seem to have a Tron desktop wallpaper as well as a Tron phone wallpaper, but I'm ashamed to say I haven't seen the films properly!... I remember seeing the original when I was very young but I can't remember it enough to claim that I know the plot, so this evening I'm going to watch the original before watching the new one later on this week. I've heard mixed reviews about Tron Legacy, but I don't want to judge it until I've seen it for myself because the trailer for it looks quality as well as having a fantastic updated re-brand that doesn't steer away too much from the original brand design!

Peacock Design (Day 5)

Day 5
Today was my last day and I went all out in an attempt to finish my set brief before I left.
As soon as I arrived there was a DVD of assets waiting for me in the studio to work with. (They had been provided by the product managers over night.) This made a huge difference to my work flow and made it possible for me to do everything that was needed to be done before I headed back to Wales.
Due to some assets that still haven't been provided yet, the project is still waiting for some audio and a couple of stills to be dropped in, but other than that it is ready to be submitted to the BACC early next week, ready for clearance before getting broadcast on television.
After work I finished my week in London by going for a meal and then a late night session on the XBOX, trying my best to beat Ali on Fight Night Champion... I tried my best with a selection of boxers from Calzaghe to Tyson (in his prime), but I still couldn't beat him... Eventually he beat me virtually and physically, as I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and had to throw in the towel for bed... I WILL beat him though, my time will come!
I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this week, I've learned loads and my understanding of working in this industry, out of the comfort zone of Wales has expanded. I hope to take back the things I've learned this week and expand on them further.
My aim for this past week was to get stuck in straight away, be helpful within the studio and leave behind a good impression when finishing, I hope I ticked all the boxes and completed my list... Thank you to everyone at Peacock for making me feel welcome and giving me the opportunity to work on some of the projects that I did, I had a boom ting week and a great laugh in and outside the studio!

Peacock Design (Day 4)

Day 4:
Today I was the first in and last out of the studio, and I began to feel the pressure a little bit, but it didn't worry me, it gave me more of a buzz! The current brief I'm working on goes live next week and I've been handed the responsibility of more or less creating the final outcome that will go on National TV! The editors upstairs were cutting the footage, the producers next door were on the phone getting last minute assets and I was animating the whole thing. I'm really chuffed that I've been trusted with this and it has boosted my confidence with work in general. Of course, I'm always asking second opinions and often being guided by others experience but that's what being a creative is about, and it was today that I felt like part of the team, being involved with the project.
After work I met up for a drink with Andy Niven my good friend (and star of my internet blockbuster - 225 Macintosh Place... "AWWWW! MY CHINOS!!!")...
He is also currently working up here. It was great to see he was enjoying his work placement and from our exchange of exciting stories it sounds like we have been doing very similar things throughout the week. Our main topic of discussion throughout the night was how much we love London and how it's the place to be. It's my last day tomorrow and I will be sad to leave, but I'm very eager to get back to the studio and do a really good job on this final brief so when I do leave, I leave behind a good impression.

Scream

Due to the release of the new Scream film I thought it would be interesting to see the growth in design that the film posters have had over the years... I'm a big fan of the most recent one, using the shape of the mask to turn into a knife is cool! The first is a little too 'Silence of the Lambs' for me, and I suppose the other two worked for the era they were designed in, still not a massive fan though. It's nice to see that they have kept the same typeface and the same distinctive 'm' throughout all 4 posters. When you take a step back and look at them all, you begin to see the links throughout each design - The Evolution of the Scream poster... I think I'm going to have a 'Scream Marathon' before heading to the cinema to watch the new one!

Peacock Design (Day 3)

Day 3:
Today was an other excellent day in the studio, the more I learn about motion graphics the more I love it... So far, my confidence in Adobe After Effects is growing daily and I'm learning how things are done for big named clients to an industry standard.
After I finished the first project that was given to me on Monday, I got briefed on a new project that goes live next week, which means I have to work very hard, and at a fast pace, in order to get everything done on time... Can't wait to get back in there tomorrow to crack on with some more boom ting motion designing, but until then I'm going to finish my day with some XBOX, and some Walking Dead!

Twenty Twelve

I've been watching a comedy on BBC iPlayer recently and I think it's superb. It's called 'Twenty Twelve' and it's a 'Mocumentary' type series, about the team behind the London 2012 Olympic Games. The audience is given a behind the scenes look of the work process that is going on during the count down to the Olympics by the different characters from different work sectors within the team, including multiple positions from the head of deliverance to the head of sustainability. It's shown on BBC4 which I was surprised with, which makes me feel that personally the show is slightly under rated, never the less it doesn't stop you having a watch... Twenty Twelve.

Face Text

Recently there have been a few film posters being produced using one image with some typography over the top... Personally I'm unsure of this new trend... The 1st and last poster work very well and are strong designs, but I feel 'The Social Network' poster and the new 'Thor' poster are quite weak, especially since 'The Social Network' is such a good film.

Peacock Design (Day 2)

Day 2:
It was an early start this morning, (the alarm was set for 6:15am). When I got into work I continued with what I was working on yesterday... Considering the duration of the composition I'm working on only amounts to 9 seconds it has taken over 9 hours to produce, and I still haven't finished. After today my confidence in motion graphics has grown a little, and I'm hoping the same thing will keep happening until I finish this placement - It's great having second opinions from people that have been regarded good enough to produce work for musicians such as Mark Ronson, Simply Red and even the late Michael Jackson. After finishing work today I was fortunate enough to be invited along to the opening of Liverpudlian artist Dave White's exhibition 'Americana'... There was some very impressive and expensive work there.
Over all I've had another great day in the big city and I'm excited to get back to it tomorrow, especially since I've been briefed on a new project after finishing the current one I'm working on.

Peacock Design (Day 1)

Day 1:
As soon as I sat down in my seat on the Megabus I knew it was going to be a long journey... The leg space was tight, the bus was stuffy, and I was sat next to a stranger but it didn't stop my excitement for having a weeks work placement in London with Peacock Design.
Once I got off the bus I made my way to the tube station and headed for Tottenham Court Road, but it was typical that on my first day in London, while lugging my suitcase, laptop and the rest around - None of the tubes were running to the Tottenham Court Road station. After getting a little lost and a couple of phone calls to my dad on 'Google Maps' I managed to get to the studio. Straight away, I was given the responsibility of working on a big job. Due to me having to travel from Wales this morning, it was all ready arranged that I would do a half day today. Over all it was a great first day, and I can't wait to get back in there tomorrow morning to carry on with my work.

Warrior

I've been waiting to see this trailer for ages, and it has finally been put up on the apple website.
I'm a huge fan of Tom Hardy and I think he is a fantastic actor... His latest film is called Warrior where he plays a war hero who becomes a cage fighter... Film looks great, check it out... (Trailer)

225 Macintosh Place

For my 'SSP' (Student Set Project) I wrote myself a brief that would challenge my creative abilities as well as the communication problem of revealing the stereotypical male student house, housing 6 different characters from different backgrounds.
After thorough research into each character it was clear to see I had to reveal the different relationships between each housemate as well as the group dynamics and how 6 different characters from different backgrounds have all come together to form a strong bond while living together throughout their time in university.
My answer to the brief was to create a fly on the wall type documentary with a twist, by including narration and animation as well as the natural footage caught on camera during the production of the project throughout, to give a sense of wit and emotion whether it be happy or sad.
I'm happy with my final outcome and had great fun making this project, even if it did get tricky at times I put it all down to experience.
Feedback and peoples thoughts would be much appreciated.

Robin Hood

I haven't blogged for a while, I've got loads of stuff to put on here just waiting for me to upload, but I need to find the time... I'm heading to London for a placement next week so I'll make sure to try and do one an evening. Any way... After work and then a training session last night I decided to settle down to the new Robin Hood film. It was a really good watch but I didn't expect any different from a second time team up of Ridley Scott and Russel Crowe.
I was interested to see at the end of the film, the closing credits were designed using a painted effect animation which was really quite pleasing on the eye, especially since the animators could have gone for the easy option of animating on old textured paper giving off an old scroll effect with Old English script typography. The film is a definite success with a plot that you don't expect when first putting the film on. Great job.