Pixel 8 Ltd

www.pixel8limited.com

Pixel8 Limited are a multimedia design studio based in the northern quarter in Manchester. They produce a wide variety of work including graphic design, web design, branding, photography, t-shirt design and many more.

I really admire the clean aesthetic style they have for each project they get involved in. They tend to use lots of white space to emphasize the importance of each client including the logo they created for livewire with the only focus being on the brands name.

As the company are only in Manchester, I thought I would contact them to see if they would give me feedback on my work so far.

This is the email I sent them,

Hi Pixel8 Limited.

I'm Aaron Nicholas and I am currently studying a Multimedia degree at Stockport College. At the moment I am working on my final major project in which I am creating a new logo and channel ident.

I was wondering if it was possible for you to look at my work in progress to give me some feedback and advice.

Thanks for your time,

Aaron Nicholas

3sixtymedia

www.the-manchester-studios.tv

"3sixtymedia, owned by ITV Production/BBC Resources and based at The Manchester Studios, provides studios, location, post production and creative facilities to the Broadcast Industry. We deliver production solutions across all genres to ITV, BBC and Independent clients throughout the UK".

After coming across 3sixtymedia, I found they have lots of job opportunities in Post Production, New Media and Visual Effects. I feel the experience of studying a Multimedia degree has helped me build a portfolio to be able to apply for each department of the studio.

After further browsing of the website I came across the creative department, where they create motion graphics in title sequences, channel idents, sponsorship campaigns and new media. I am really interested in trying to get in contact with this company so I sent this email,

Hi 3sixtymedia,

I'm Aaron Nicholas and I am currently studying a Multimedia degree at Stockport College. I am currently working on my final major project, which I am creating a motion graphics channel ident.

Throughout my degree I have worked with motion graphics, live action, advertisements, web design, animations and many more. I would love the chance to show you my portfolio so far to gain some feedback and advice.

Thank you for your time,

Aaron Nicholas (07894 445 860)

Desinian Multimedia Studios

www.desinian.co.uk

Desinian are a Multimedia design studio based in Hazel Grove, Stockport. The company were formed in 2005 and provide services in graphic design, website design, flash video and animation and many more.

I am interested in their wide range of services because it is similar to the course that I am currently studying. Although I am really looking to be getting work in the motion graphics side of multimedia, I deiced to email the company to see if they could give me some feedback on my portfolio.

Hi Desinian,

I'm Aaron Nicholas and I am currently studying a mutlimedia degree in Multimedia at Stockport College. I came across your website and was wondering if there is any chance you could give me some feedback on my current project and previous briefs I have completed.

Thanks for your time,

Aaron Nicholas

Purple Penguin Design

www.purplepenguins.co.uk

Purple Penguin design are a Multimedia design studio from Altrincham, Cheshire. The company are quite local to myself so I thought I would email them to see if they would like to see my work.

The company produce quite a broad range of work similar to my Multimedia degree course including video & motion, branding, illustration, web design and photography.

This is the email that I sent Penguin Design,

Hello Penguins!

I'm Aaron Nicholas and I'm currently studying a Multimedia degree at Stockport College. I came across your company the today as I only live in Sale. I am currently working on my final major project and was wondering if there is any chance I could come and show you my work so far to gain some feedback and advice.

I could also show you previous briefs I have worked on if you were interested.

Thanks for your time.

Aaron Nicholas

I am Just waiting for a reply back from this company.

422 Creative

www.422creative.tv

"422 creative is the showcase for motion graphics, animation, VFX and sound design created by our team of designers. All the work presented here has been produced from storyboard to delivery within 422"

I came across Manchester based 422 while looking at motion graphics examples for ideas and inspiration for my final major project. I really like the work they created for Glastonbury and is similar to the idea I want to create for my final piece.

I emailed the company saying,

Hi 422,

I'm Aaron Nicholas and I am currently studying a Multimedia degree at Stockport College. I am creating a Motion Graphics piece for my final major project. I have decided to rebrand the television channel, E! Entertainment Television as I felt it was in need of a major rebrand.

I was wondering if there is any chance of me showing you my ideas and tests I have created so far to gain some feedback and maybe a few other pieces of work I have created. This would be a huge help towards my project.

Thanks for your time,

Aaron Nicholas

I hope to hear back from 422 as soon as possible to gain feedback and advice for my final major project.

Grant Gilbert

www.doublegstudios.com

Grant Gilbert is a motion graphics designer who works under the name of double g studios in London. Grant was a guest lecturer at Stockport College last November and I found his talk very interesting and educational. Grant has built up a very impressive client base over the years including the re-brand of BBC One, More 4, Five and Big Brother.

Grant explained that he started of at Stockport College around 20 years ago studying a national diploma in graphic design before studying a degree course in Graphic design at UCE in Birmingham. Grant described the course as being 'too print based' and had always preferred motion graphics. From university he went on to work for Planet 24, a television production company who produced the Big Breakfast. Grant started of at the company making cups of tea's and holding up boards on the show, but after a while found himself working on title sequences, promo's and idents.

He explained that the success of working on Channel 4, led him to working at a design studio in New York called Attick. However, the time spent in New York was cut short in 2000 and headed back to the UK and set up his own freelance business and called in double g studios. Grant explained that by having a company name has its advantages as not many companies go to freelancers for their work to be produced.

One of the first projects he shown us was for the Channel 4 music channel called 4 Music, he described he had a very low budget, so the storyboards had to be spot on and were mocked up in photoshop. Having been inspired by music festivals and dancers he decided to use lots of neon lights that he had imported from Germany and use lots of tents and dancers wrapped in neon. I really liked the piece and especially because he edited his own music in sync with the visuals. The promo represented the channel as a brand new contemporary channel.

From this Grant explained he got given the chance to create the ident for another channel 4 spin off channel called More4. Grant had previously designed the logo but now they wanted him to animate this for the ident. He described how he wanted to create an abstract ident that involved shapes and colour. After deciding on the colour palette of different shades of green he use lots of rounded shapes to create the logo. He said he had created the ident in After Effects and Maya. As I am creating my channel ident in After Effects it has shown me that you have lots of different options when creating your ident.

Grant then described his collaboration with Red Bee to pitch on the rebrand of BBC One. Grant explained that getting the font correct was crucial and took months to choose the correct font for the channel. He described how slightly kerning the letters took so much time up but was worth it in the end. This is something I need to take time about when I come to my rebrand of E! Entertainment Television so that the font I choose represents the targe audience. Grant and Red Bee worked together and came up with lots of ideas and storyboards and took the idea of holding up boards to create the logo through to mock up level. They shown the BBC this and they rejected the idea straight away and were told to come up with something completely different as this different represent the channel.

From this set back, they decided to get back to basics and started to look at art deco from the 1950's, Grant noticed a theme throughout of lots of circles being used, which is sign of coming together and being united. He took this idea and created lots of different idents all forming a circle that morph into the logo. The include motorbikes going round in a circle that form the logo, children playing in the field in a circle and kites in the sky forming the logo. The project took 10 months to create and cost over 1.2 Million pound.

I thoroughly enjoyed Grant Gilberts lecture and he has inspired me to create my own channel ident for my final major project. I am constantly looking back at his work for inspiration. I hope to send my work to Grant, when I finish my degree to gain some feedback on my project.

Tal Rosner

www.talrosner.com

Tal Rosner is a freelance abstract filmmaker who was a guest lecturer at Stockport College last year. After hearing about Tal's arrival and that he created the opening credits for Skins, I could not wait for the lecture because I am huge fan of skins including the opening credits.

I was quite surprised at how young Tal was as he didn't look much older than me and my classmates which I found intriguing that you don't need years of experience and knowledge to create industry level work.

Tal started the lecture by showing his final major project for his Graphic Design Degree, which was a 4 minute abstract film called Doppelganger. He explained that he has always been influenced by rhythm and movement and that his final major project finally allowed him to use this. Doppelganger was created by Tal attaching a video camera to the front of a mini train and filmed the whole journey. Tal explained he took this video into after effects and added lots of different mirrored effects and 4 way screens repeated to create an abstract video. Each frame could be paused and used as a print because it the layout and composition was arranged beautifully. His final video was very unusual and I loved the the final outcome, it reminded me of my rhythm of the city project in my second year in which I had to create a 2 minute video to create the rhythm of the city.

From this Tal got a job in a design studio in Soho, but didn't enjoy the experience at all. He explained that he loved working by himself and having full control over a project. From this Tal was asked individually to create a similar piece to Doppelganger for two french pianist. This was quite different for Tal because his previous visuals were always sync up with techno music, so to create visuals for a piano was quite strange for him. However, Tal managed to sync each element of the visuals up with the piano's and the outcome was again amazing.

From this, Tal was approached by E4 to create the opening credits for Skins. Tal incorporated his unique style along with footage from the each episode to create the credits. At the end of each credit the footage creates the word skins which is create in a very abstract way which is complete sync with the soundtrack. Tal won a Bafta Award for his opening credits for Skins, which is a huge achievement especially for a guy so young on a brand new drama series.

I thoroughly enjoyed the lecture by Tal Rosner and have found myself constantly looking at his work since his lecture. Throughout his work you can see a clear influence in composition, layout, shapes and colour and each of his work is recognizable because of his unique style. I hope I can create my own unique style so it is recognizable in different pieces of my work.

Truth Design

www.truth-design.co.uk

Truth Design are a Manchester based design studio that work with Brand Identity, Advertising, Graphic Design, Website Design and Motion Graphics to name a few. Their impressive clients include Coca-Cola, Reebok and Versus Cancer 2008.

Like Love Creative, the company specializes in a broad range of Multimedia which is something important that I need to consider when I start looking for a job. I think when applying for a job like it will be important to show a range of projects I have created to show my broad range of skills.

Their graphic style approach to every project is something I really admire because of the selective colour palette, layout and composition of each piece of work. I am in the process of creating a graphic style ident thinking about all of these aspects.

I will contact Truth Design and ask if they would like to see my portfolio so far.

Love Creative

www.lovecreative.com

Love Creative are a Manchester based design studio that work with a broad range of multimedia such Motion Graphics, Still Graphics, Web Design, Advertisements, Film and Interaction. Over the years they have built up an impressive client base that include BBC, Nike, Playstation, V Festival and Umbro.

As a Multimedia student the work of Love Creative is very inspiring to me because they work with a range of different mediums like myself on my course. I think trying to get a job in a design company that are open to all aspects of design would be the best option for myself because I have had a go at many different areas of design.

I will email Love Creative and ask if they would like to see my portfolio so far to gain some experience and feedback.

BMW Z4 Advertisement

www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/z4/z4/2009/experience/phase_1/experience.html

Today I came across the new BMW Z4 Roadster advertisement on the television and was amazed with both the car and the advert. The catchphrase for the advert is 'Explore an expression of joy with the new BMW Z4 Roadster' and I think the advert does this with the vibrant colours and elegant movements of the car and the camera angles.

The camera angles used are spectacle with each frame looking as if it could be a static piece of artwork. This artwork is quite different to older BMW adverts but I think it definitely engages excisting BMW drivers and captures a whole new audience. The advert looks to me as if it is aimed at middles aged people who have a fun and exciting lifestyle because of the luxury and sporty feel to the car and the advert.

The only fault I have with the advert is I personally thought that the way the car was driving around and leaving paint trails behind it, I thought that the paint was making up maybe the logo or something else related to BMW. However on the whole I love this advert and this has inspired me to continue experimenting with paint and watercolours with my final major project.

Skype Advertisement

www.dailymotion.com/video/x8rvn1_skype-4d-conversations-tv-advert_tech

For my final major project I will be using lots of growing elements in after effects to create my channel ident for E! Entertainment Television. So when I came across the Skype television advertisement I automatically started to think about how I could use some of the techniques in my ident.

The advertisement is about a proud father who describes his new baby girl to her grandparents. The beginning of the advert is animated to the fathers narration as it fades into the father and the mother with the baby showing her off to her grandparents on a webcam through skype.

What I love about the advert is the clean aesthetic style at the beginning as the camera follows the growing elements. The soft colour scheme used blends in beautifully with the animation, music and the narration. I want to try and incorporate these growing elements and selective colour scheme in my ident and rebrand of E! Entertainement Television.

The advert was created by the company Albion London with the help of Psyop and Stink. On their website they go onto explain the ideas behind the advert.

"We wanted to create an ad that demystifies the technology behind the brand by showing the simplicity and fun of free video calling, as a young couple show off their new born baby to its proud grandparents. We know that the arrival of a new baby is one of the key events in life that starts people thinking about how much they'd like to be able to videocall. We hope the story of new baby Laura captures the power of Skype to bring family and friends to share the best moments in life wherever they are in the world" (www.albionlondon.com/blog)

I feel that this advert will inspire people to start using Skype and interact with friends and family around the world. I feel the medium of animation and live footage suits the advert very well and will capture a wide range of audience throughout the world.

BL:ND

www.blind.com

Blind describe themselves as a conceptually driven multimedia design studio and full service production company who are able to take a project from inception to completion, without limitations. Chris Do is the founder and creative director of Blind who a situated in Santa Monica and New York City. The studio have fun hundreds of awards and their clients include Budweiser, Ford, Honda, Lexus and Playstation.

I came across Blind after looking at watercolour effects for my final major project and I came across the Gnarls Barkley, Crazy music video that creates the bands faces through watercolours, inks and paints. Here is quote of the process behind the making of the music video.

"'The goal was to create a world of your interpretation' explains Creative Director Vanessa Marzaroli. 'In the ink forms, every viewer can and will see something different".

"To create control of the remarkable organic effect of ink, Blind used a combination of technical wizardry and good ol' fashioned getting their hands dirty. In a studio environment, they created and shot hundreds of inks spats, splashes, and everything in-between. Nine animators worked 14 days straight to meet the deadline, combining, animating, and refining to the perfect balance of emotive ink forms, narrative flow, and face recognition of the stars."

This technique is something that I have been experimenting for my final major project, and after finding it extremely difficult to represent the celebrities in my project, I understand how hard it is because a professional studio took 9 animators 2 weeks to create this process. I will continue to experiment with this technique and try and make realistic targets for myself.