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.

When Nando Costa (founder of Nervo.tv) began collaborating with Bent, he brought his creative expertise in motion graphics to the team. Luckily, I got a few opportunities to sink my teeth into doing motion graphics. It was a lot of fun designing styleframes and preparing some of the animation assets for the compositing department. One day, I would love to be able to experiment and produce amazing projects in After Effects.

Thanks again for given me this greatest experience in the animation & commercial industry. Bent has taught me so many things, from every aspect of concept designing to the outcome of developments in production. Being surrounded in the core of many diverse talented people have made me realized how we each carry unique set of skills. I’m happy that I got to share part of my skills with the rest of the team at Bent.

Below are a few examples of what Bent Image Lab can do:

“Whale Song” for Modest Mouse

Coke: Hidden Formula

Lux Provocateur

BC Dairy Foundation “Russian Dolls”

Scott Naturals, “The Right Blend”

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).

Coroflot Creative Confab Panel Discussion P.1

Coroflot Creative Confab Panel Discussion P.2

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!

For more in-depth of “Wind and Water Puzzle Battles”, please read the interview and check out their product by the following websites below:

Interview with Yuan-Hsi Chiang
Wind and Water Puzzle Battles
Yuan Works Development Blog

Apparently, Bruce Lee been quite busy shooting a commercial on the side. This limited edition Nokia N96 model was released in China not too long ago in 2008. In addition to the phone, it comes with a small miniature Bruce Lee toy, a sexy package design, and a black cover protection case with his autograph printed on it. Inspired by Bruce Lee’s 30th anniversary in 2008, JQK Production & JWT both teamed up to launch a campaign to pay tributes to the legend.

The first video is demonstrating Bruce Lee playing a ping pong match with his Nunchaku. His martial art skills and accuracy skills are just inhuman.

The second video is demonstrating how Bruce Lee could also light a match with his fearsome Nunchaku. Try not to blink because this guy cannot miss anything when he hits it.

The third video is demonstrating how Bruce Lee is much more capable than using a phone. My guess, these videos were probably shot directly from the Nokia N960.  Whether this is real or fake, it is still an enjoyment to watch. Enjoy!

Ping Pong Furry

Speed of the Dragon

Dial the Dragon

Idee Inc. is a company who develops a new visual search technology called Piximilar which allows users to analyze, index and search quickly and efficiently through vast image and video collections based on visual similarity.

This is an effective way to gather for inspirations or getting references for a creative project. Unfortunately the usage of Flickr is still in further development where it’s only dedicated to Alamy Stock Photography database at the moment. Maybe they will branch out in the future, but this is still an amazing invention. Come to think of this search technology synchronizes with Flickr somewhat, I am completely overwhelmed and would highly encourage all of you to give Multicolor Image Search a try.

Multicolor Image Search:

Multicolor Image Search Lab allows you to search up to 10 different colors from a palette with 120 different shades provided. Once a color is picked, it will then extracted the colors from 10 million of the most “interesting” Creative Commons images on Flickr or Alamy Stock Photography.

Visual Search Lab:

Visual Search Lab allows you to search with the use of keywords. Let say you’ll write in the word “red” it will then look up for images according to that particular word. When you click onto an image, another set of images similar to the one you have clicked on show up.

BYO Image Search Lab:

BYO (Bring Your Own) Image Search Lab allows you to upload an image or enter the image web address. Once the search process is completed, it will find similar images according to the algorithm of colour, shape, texture, luminosity, complexity, objects and regions.

I am so honored and excited to have the privilege designing for Mike LeBlanc at Holden Outerwear on a few freelance projects. Lately I’ve been tackling some of the banner designs and rack-top displays which will be used eventually throughout all of the shops. I can’t wait to see how the production will turn out; hopefully it will worth all of the efforts I have put in. I am not a snowboarder but as my creative ideas flow within the company’s brand, I think I’m somewhat being exposed to it now. When I first met Mike, I didn’t have a clue who he was until I stumbled across ridesnowboards.com and what do you know…this guy turns out to be one of the best in North America.

Check out the interview below:

Check out In Short: Not Just Snowboarding> here

Holden definitely has its own unique style and people really don’t have to be snowboarders to wear the brand, it’s the fabrics they use is what make them stand out. Hemp and Twill Herringbone are not commonly used for snowboarding clothes, but the materials are durable and everyone can save the environment by wearing it. They’re all reproduced from recyclable materials! Take a few minutes to check out the website: www.holdenouterwear.com

For this entry, I would like to give my special thanks to Scott Zergebel and Mike LeBlanc for keeping me busy throughout this time. Thanks again!