I’ve been on Daily Booth for a while now and I’m still not sure what to think. It seems like an additional hassle to the many other online networks I’ve been drawn into.
HOWEVER, when browsing the DailyBooth widgets I stubbled upon a wicked piece of HTML code that can stuff my face onto my blogs frontpage! Although this may seem like a very vain thing to do, I think it adds a touch of personality to an otherwise text covered screen.
Taking this a step further I looked through my widget options for my WordPress theme and low and behold I can add a Twitter feed too. My blog is now up to the minute!
This is BMWs latest websites showcasing the new Z4. It ties in with the TV avertising campaign and gives the user a chance to create their own visual on screen by controlling the car via the print out. I have yet to test it myself as I am away for my printer but I will update this post post test!
I’ve been looking at getting a drawing tablet for a while now, ever since i tested one out at the Mac Expo show last year. I think after 12 months on I have found a reason to buy one. For the last 6 months or so I have noticed a severe trend in illustrated typography within commercial practice. This has filtered through packaging and adveritsing sectors and is now embedded in web design too.
When I look back after recently completing a portolio site for a client, the freedom a drawing tablet would have given would have spoken volumes in the final design. As I am on the way to building my own portfolio site, and with greater activity on both my blog and twitter page, it would be a great incentive to use digital illustration to personalise these. The cheapest Wacom pad comes in a shade over a days wage at around £66 and with both tilt and pressure sensitivity, it would be foolish not to invest. Watch this space!
After reading articles in both the Times and Web Designer magazines its apparent that everyone should be twittering online. Whilst recently looking a WordPress sites, nearly all of the templates have a “Twitter” box included. This made me think – I should be on this – not wanting to be alone in the dark.
So now feel free to contact me as LawrenceWilliam on Twitter.com! or Facebook or Dailybooth or Myspace or MSN
I have now in my 4th session of my Shake tutorials. We have been using “tracker” to match 3d images together and video footage. This is a screen shot of some of the work.
These are two videos testing light through the plastic logo. This was made in my room using a webcam and a range of lights, and edited together in the simple iMovie app. I am looking at the light spectrums and shadows the light produces. These tests will help towards producing the final piece.
These are two music videos by “The Battles”, they both use light really well as the focus of the videos. The second one uses lights on glass changing which side is visible through.
Alexander McQueen is one of Britians top designers. His subject matter is usually contravershal and his catwalk shows are no exception – he is known equally for his shows as he is his garments.
This is the music video for roykshopp’s “happy up here”. Although the video is nearly all 3d graphics i like how some of the objects could be. The video is a real life replication of the retro game space invaders.
This is some video footage from an experimental music event in the Light House gallery in Poole. Musicians played they’re various instruments to the visuals.
After taking around 60 photos in my shadow tests for the professional project i needed to alter them all quickly. To resize and order them so they could be uploaded to my blog i used Photoshops “batch” tool. Below is the link to the tutorial i used to work out how to do this
I’ve found a number of options for this summer holidays. I may have mentioned already but visiting Tokyo is almost certain now we are sorting flights once we get back from work placements. As we are staying with our Japanese it should be a fair bit cheaper and hopefully see more when she takes us out.
I have also been offered to go with an old school friend to Turkey at some point over the summer. Hopefully I can confirm this as I’ve loved visiting previously.
We have finally got our business cards printed. “orangepond studio’ they’re white on one side and orange on the other with a logo and everything! The websites almost finished too and we’ll soon put up some portfolio work.
Hopefully a company image will show more professionalism and get us more work than just claiming to be freelance students?!
I have found out about another design contact event coming up in London soon. It has no specialty so hopefully there will be a range of skilled people there.
I will also be looking into the Enterprise Pavilion as they host days for contact events and small companies.
I watched an amazing German film today about the divide between East and West Germany in the Cold War. It shows the lives of a group of writers and how they are restricted by the Soviet communist rule over East Germany. The story revolves around the group being spied on by the KGB and how they get there publications across the Berlin wall to West Germany.
The film has won many awards and I would definately recommend it.
I went to a fairly new bar in Bournemouth town center the other day. I found it particularly relevant to my course as it uses both the internet and linked cameras.
Upstairs there are a number of computers connected to the internet. It allows people to access their emails and networking sites during the day but also in a clubbing atmosphere, strange. It also has a set program where guests can select music from a library and add songs to the playlist for the upstairs section. This playlist is then shown on a 40″ touch screen where people can view the selection of songs.
Downstairs has a camera fitted to the ceiling which records the DJ and the front of the dance floor. This is then fed to a projector upstairs which makes a informative visual amoungst the other lighting effects.
I’ve decided to start entering some of the Worth1000 online competions to improve my photo retouching skills. I have now entered two competions and the second one I came second place!! 5 online credits for me!!
Catch22 marketing have now got back to us and are happy to give us work (a marquee company’s website).
Also, we have come up with a name and style for our collaboration… orangepondstudio
So this week we will go about creating a website email logo letterheads blah blah blah LOTS TO DO, as we want it set up by the end of the week, ready to chase waiting contacts.
Well following the previous post we met with our programming mate, and over four hours in a Cafe Nero established a semi professional collaboration to work together on suitable projects. We have set ourselves a target to create a company identity by the end of the week which should be interesting?! Especially as we are starting our part time work for Catch22 soon. Anyway now we have a back end, ecommerce and forum stuff which iknow nothing about. Adam who knows everything about creative software and myself who seems to be in charge of client based/design stuff.
I went on on of the Enterprise Pavillion’s days. They had a number of guest speakers including a university student who designed a disposable chair for festivals and events.
However this event, like the branding day, was another great opportunity to get some more contacts with companies one being Strawberry Soup who are based in Chichester. I also met a guy studying programming and software development. Hopefully me and Adam will be able to meet up with him soon to discuss some joint work? Also I met a 3rd year fashion student who is looking to set up a company and she seems keen for us to create her website.
I have decided to make an online portfolio. Although I should have started it a lot earilier! The main reason for this is I have been attending a number of event in the enterprise pavilion and have managed to get a few contacts so hopefully they will offer some part time work? I have a meeting this Thursday with a pair of companies so hopefully this will go well. I’ll let you know.
Following our director lesson I have decided to get a head start on ActionScript 3.0 ready for our Flash lessons. I have grasped buttons and basic animations. Although I’m going to start on animated menus and drop down content.
We have started learning Director on the course now. Seems to offer loads of possibilities, however learning code is a nightmare! We started to make small games but hopefully we’ll move onto creating interactive spaces and navigation tools?
Current TV visited us, giving a lecture on what they do and how it can benefit us.
Current TV is a website similar to YouTube, they broadcast video. However they filter the content submitted and consult the designer about any changes etc. You also get paid for work they choose and it gets broadcast on one of Sky’s channels. It seemed a good way to show video work and to make a bit of money.
Well me and my friend Adam decided to do something a little different. We entered a fashion show organised by the AIB. We were given £30 and two hours to buy garments from the local charity shops. Then a further four to change and alter them into clothes that would be judged at a fashion show held at BarSo. Both Adam and I hadn’t done textiles since secondary school so luckily we found a first year textiles student who was game!
It ended up me and Adam creating one outfit and Francesca the other. We didn’t win but I think we did well considering every other team were fashion and textile students. Anyway I’ll post the photos up soon.
We took a day trip to London for Mac Expo the show was a smaller than i thought it would be. It was a shame Neither Apple or Adobe didn’t show up considering it was the launch day for their new operating system Leopard. However there were many other stalls displaying new products, software and plug-ins. Stalls such as Bamboo had each of their products set up to try, and looked really good value for money.Another positive to take was the persian lunch my friends and I had, along with shisha and black coffee.
I have been waiting to post this for a while now, but I’ve had troubles with retrieving the photos.
I have an appreciation for interior design. So I deciced to visit the Grand Designs show to see what various companies had to offer. The show was a lot larger than I expected and on arrival it soon became apparant that it was very commercial event. The show broke down into gardens, interiors, build and kitchens and bathrooms sections.
It was good to see the different stalls and their designs. Many of the stalls had interactive features with the products some of the best were Dyson, Bose and AEG/Electrolux. These stalls had live demo products to try the Dyson stall even had a small plumbing system set up to so you could use their AirBlade hand drier system. Bose set up touch screen competition entry screens, as well every product set up to compare quality.
I’ve been on Daily Booth for a while now and I’m still not sure what to think. It seems like an additional hassle to the many other online networks I’ve been drawn into. 
