Social Networking

It is 2010 and it is time to "get with it." Now more than ever businesses need to find ways to save a buck where they can. Free social networking is a way to reach millions of people... for free! It is very easy to set up a free company site on facebook, tumblr, twitter, myspace, linkedin...and many many more. At this time, those sites are not just for teens but everyone up to grandparents are using these sites to connect. People like the fact they can relate to a business or at least see that there are actual people working at these places. Social networking gives these companies the oppertunity to talk with people and keep them updated with what is going on minute by minute.

Flash CS5

Well it is upon us. Cs5 is in the air and I must say I have heard some great things. The one program I am very excited about is Flash CS5. It is loaded with many new features from text, video, and actionscript support. Here are a few of the features:

•) Text Engine: In CS5 text will be handled in better and effective way and some nice features like advance styling, columns, right to left options etc.

Also introducing user friendly font embedding option.

•) Code Snippets Panel: This will provides a very fast access for common ActionScript code. Great option for designers also now they can also deal with normal task very easily.

•) Document Property Inspector: Now it also displays the size of all SWF files generated during movie operations like Test Movie, Publish or Debug Movie.

•) Improved component: Some nice updates for Flash Components like

- FLVPlayback component equipped with new skins and an option for its live preview on Stage

- Cue Points in Video are now easy to add.

•) XFL file format Flash: By default now flash files will be saved in XFL format internally. As the format name denotes, its an XML format which will result in an improved exchange of data with the other Adobe applications.

•) Uncompressed XFL file and FXG file format: Uncompressed XFL structure will now make it possible to analyze the parts of the flash file and thus working with the source control systems like Visual source safe.

FXG file format allows CS5 to export and exchange graphics with the other Adobe applications with a complete compatibility.

• ) New Decorative Drawing tool: CS5 provides several new effects with the newly added Decorative Drawing tool which can be great

•) New Properties for IK bones: New properties like Spring properties have been added to IK bones to create realistic physics effects for bone animation.

•) Integration with Photoshop CS5: Graphics of Flash CS5 can be edited in Photoshop CS5 and so they can be exchanged between the both directly.

•) Coding and Formatting Improvements: These are some improvements for coding and formatting

- Code completion for custom and build-in Classes has been added for ActionScript 3.0.

- Custom classes are automatically added to the application using import tag.

- While you script, closing brackets { } are automatically added.

•) Better integration with Flash Builder: Improved workflow between flash CS5 and Flash Builder makes it easy for developers and designers to use both the products together.

•) Updated AIR Publish Settings: The user interface and Installer Settings Window for AIR Application have been changed to make it more user friendly.

•) New templates added for common type of project templates.

•) New JavaScript API’s are added for motion tweens.

•) Live Services are accessible from within the Flash authoring environment.

Chantry

What kind of graphic design blog would this be if I did not include a post about poster art. Let's talk about Art Chantry. The man is an artistic genius that lived the life I believe ever graphic designer wants. He has made a name for himself designing in the underground band seen of his time. He has experienced the corporate world and found that it was something he wanted no part of. Chantry went back to his underground design and does not look back.

Art Chantry has been doing photo-manipulation before the name Photoshop was even thought of. He has hand done band posters, giving them the unique beautiful look they deserve. He takes his work very serious, but makes sure that he has his attitude within. He likes dirty humor and it truly shows in his work. I went to a lecture that was given by him and I was so inspired that I immediately went home to my studio and cranked out six posters that night. He is just a man that speaks of his work so passionately, but yet makes it so much fun.

title sequence

We all love movies. They are a way to relax and enjoy the art of video. One of the most important portions of a movie is the title sequence. The title sequence is the first thing the viewer sees and sets the tone for the entire movie. There are a few things to keep in mind when creating a title sequence. The mood, what is trying to be said? Is the following film to be serious, scary, funny, etc? Next, timing. This is probably the most important. This determines when images, type, and music occur at the proper time.

The sequence is to tell a story in itself. It is not suppose to give away the movie but it should get the viewer prepared in what they are about to see. Two movie sequences that I highly recommend viewing that really tell a story and set a mood are "Zombieland" and "Se7en." These are two very good sequences that I believe were both constructed in After Effects.

learn the web

Learning how to design and code web sites can be very difficult for newbs. The best way for anyone to learn is to just buckle down and start doing. Luckily, there are many resources out there to assist in this learning process. One of those resources that I found to be quite helpful is CSS Zen Garden. This is a site that is free to anyone and it basically provides the files for an undesigned site. All you need to do is download the files and get to work. This project gave me the chance to learn, explore, and troubleshoot.

ROARR!!

Stefan G. Bucher is the lead designer at 344. He is a designer who does not only enjoy what he does but also who he does it for. While keeping the idea of strategic planning and the direct intention of his clients, Bucher is still able to add his style to the solution.

While his work is impressive, the work he does outside of 344 is what drew my attention. "The Daily Monster" he created on youtube was where I first saw his work. He records himself drawing a monster each day. He starts with a blob of ink then uses canned air to create an organic/furry image. From there, he uses his imagination to create an amazing monster drawing. Finally, when he is done, he animates his creation. Amazing..Oh yeah, did I mention he draws upside down.

WareHouse13

Fun, interactive, and brilliant! It is understandable why Syfy's "Warehouse 13" website won the 2009 WebAward for outstanding Achievement in Web development. The site is just like watching an episode in itself, that the viewer can control. Chatting with Artie is very fun and realistic from the fuzzy interference to actually watching him type on his computer. The viewer has control over the scene with old fashion knobs on the screen along with the ask Artie a question.

Even though the design seems quite complicated with all the flashing and movie images, the navigation is laid out quite well. The main nav is placed where you would easily find it on the left. The present page is illuminated giving clean contrast to clearly understand where you are.

The theme is kept well throughout the exploration of the site, I appreciate the grunginess. Very appealing.