Bent Image Lab

Bent Image Lab is a production company and an animation studio located in Portland OR specializing in commercials, 3d animation, stop-motion, music videos, and visual effects for feature films.

It has been more than a year now since I last worked at Bent Image Lab. When I was there, I had a wonderful time getting to know the studio and participated in several cool projects. Before knocking on Bent’s door, my knowledge in the field of CG animation was very limited, as a matter of fact, I don’t do CG at all. I walked in with the intention to put my design and illustration skills to good use, little did I know the result turned out quite perfectly.

Bent definitely has taught me how to advance my technical skills and speed more efficiently. Each morning I always feel like I’m in a rush to get something done, but no matter what the circumstances were, I had to deliver all the projects on time. Since Bent Image Lab is a production house, we pretty much produced all of the final touches from scratch. The amount of labor and sweat went into each project was inconceivably intensive. I worked long hours and was constantly on the edge of deadlines.

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Coroflot’s Creative Employment

At a pivotal point in our creative career, of course starting out in the professional realm wouldn’t be as easy as it sounds; in general, everyone has to go through the same procedures when accepting a job offer. Those essential ingredients are: a crafted portfolio, a resume, and an interview to accommodate our talents.

I was browsing through Core77 channel and thought this seminar would be beneficial for students or recent grads to check out. It may not apply to what you do, but I think these people do give out a lot of good insights and tips to what the creative industry is expecting from a person.

Looking from left to right: Chelsea Vandiver (Ziba Design), Nick Oakley (Intel), Beth Sasseen (Nike), and Kirk James (Cinco Design); moderated by Carl Alviani (Coroflot.com).

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Old Spice Spots

Thought these ads tickle my senses in terms of their creativity and execution. I have never seen any commercials that’d be close to the level of quirkiness like these Old Spice ad campaigns. I love the fact that they’re so random, leaving us clueless of what’s going on, but still comprehending the ideas attached behind it. I’m sold with the overall branding direction; this is how a product should be advertised on television.

The following spot is called “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like.” It has been viewed 6.9 million times on YouTube. Ad agency Wieden + Kennedy should be proud for what they have accomplished. The spot is viral and direct.  It can be a bit too much for some people, hopefully not to women.

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Wind and Water Puzzle Battles

If Tetris is the greatest puzzle game of all time, then I really don’t know how to describe “Wind and Water Puzzle Battles”. This game was originally created by two guys Yuan-Hsi Chiang and Yuan-Hao Chiang as a collaborative project, then later turned into a huge development for the GP2X console. The release of the game will be devoted entirely for the Sega Dreamcast console, however the PC version is available for free to download. The reason why it was first released on the Sega Dreamcast console partly because due to the system supports true 240p RGB, it gives the overall 2D arcade experience to the game.

From a puzzle game viewpoint, I don’t think it’s too complex that everyone wouldn’t be able to play. The entire game is color coded which makes it simple enough to jump straight into the puzzle. It is somewhat similar to the classic Super Nintendo “Tetris Attack” except with an advance system. I like the fact how the creators treated their game like it was a project they developed for fun and how they are proud to share what they have accomplished. I love puzzle games and I wouldn’t mind giving this a try anytime soon. Check it out!

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