NEWS & UPDATES
NASA & JPL Visions of the Future
Recently, NASA and JPL released a series of graphic design posters that illustrate some of the possible space explorations entitled Visions of the Future. JPL has released these posters for download, they are high resolution and can be printed in full resolution up to poster size. These posters not only showcase the imagination of a new generation of innovators and explores, but also serves as a visual inspiration to anyone interested in graphic design, or the genre of space science. One of the attributes of this series I enjoyed the most was the style of the posters, they mimic the science fiction imagery we are used to seeing on fictional books, games, and movies, yet each of these posters depicts real world "moon shot" exploration projects into our own solar system, and beyond.
So if you are wanting to print off your own copy, you might ask "how do I print these big"? To help answer that I've included some tips below on printing theses off at the small poster size of 13x19" (also known as Super A3).
For printing, I used Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 and an Epson Stylus Pro 3880 Printer on Epson Premium Semigloss Photopaper. So as mentioned above the full resolution (300 dpi) these images can be printed in full poster size of 20x30" which is rather large, and for the wall space I have in mind for these prints, far too large. So I decided to print on Super A3 (13x19") so I could print a selected series of three images to be wall mounted side by side. To ensure proper printing (color, resolution, and size) I used the following settings in Photoshop to print.
NASA Image Opened in Photoshop
To ensure the proper print settings I used the following (see image below for more details):
- Paper size: ensure the paper size is correct - in this case Super A3
- Color Management: Here I chose to have Photoshop handled the color profile that was embedded in the image to match it to the preferred printer profile.
- Printer Profile: For best results I matched the printer profile to the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 and the exact paper I was printing on (Epson Premium Semigloss Paper).
- Size and Resolution: Here I opted to "Scale to fit Media" so I would still retain the full border less printing of the entire image on Super A3 paper. As a result of this the final print resolution is 463 PPI which is far more than needed (300 PPI) for a great result.
Print Selection Dialog Box - Photoshop & Epson 3880 Settings
The result is a sharp, fun, and inspirational graphic art poster. These would look great in your home/office or classroom. I plan to hang these above an editing station in the Media Studio to help inspire some creativity from my students.
Creating a Visual Narrative: Animal Kingdom
This multidimensional photographic project was focused around the core concept of creating a visual narrative using a set series of three images to tell a story.
PHOT 3195: Fall 2015
This project was created for use in my Fall Photography 3195 Digital Imaging II course to challenge the students to first think creatively about the "story" they wanted to tell with an "animal" of their choice, and then to think critically about how they would execute their vision of this story with only three images. Below you can see the various animal "characters" chosen by some of the students.
The Assignment
Students were given a lot of creative license to interpret the assignment in a way that was meaningful to them personally, and to tell a story they felt a connection to. The students were given a set of constraints, such as choosing from a finite set of paper low-poly animal masks, all work was to be printed in Super A3 format, and all students must create an image series of three works, no more, no less. All of the work was to follow the distinguishing characteristics of the visual narrative:
- contain a persuasive story with a point of view
- high quality imagery, still or moving
- subject matter with pressing social, environmental, or spiritual value
- an appeal (explicit or implicit) for transformation in attitudes and behaviors
The Masks: The low-poly masks are a component that I have worked with a few times before, and it is a rewarding object to use, as students assemble and decorate the masks however they like, and the ease of which they can be put together makes them very accessible, even to students who claim not to have any skill in the "arts". The masks come from http://wintercroft.com/ where you can choose from a growing selection of masks. They are relatively simple to put together, and only require cutting, gluing, and taping (and in some cases using some push pins) and can be assembled in a couple of hours. One of the reasons this element was incorporated into the project was to provide a prop element for the students to use when creating their work. This provided an added element for their execution of the project, by working with elements that needed to be shot correctly in-camera and balancing the work load from in-camera and post production.
Below you can see a few of the student projects (in no particular order).
Wolf Mask: Amanda Cochran
Hare Mas: Yogesh Sajnani
Bull Mask: Daniel Cuadra
Owl Mask: Kylie Luteraan
Stag Mask: Valentine Billette de Villemeur
2016 Faculty Exhibition - May Gallery
I am happy to announce that I will be showing some recent work in the annual faculty exhibition in January 2016. The work I have selected to show was from an earlier post on Low-Poly Portraits I created.
Gallery Dates & Times
January 22 - February 19th, 2016
May Gallery - 2nd Floor Sverdrup Building
8300 Big Bend Boulevard
Webster Groves MO 63119
Opening Reception on Friday January 22nd, 2016 from 5-7pm (CST).
For more information on the photography exhibition, and a complete list of other artists please visit the May Gallery Website.
For more details on the creation of the portraits, please see the original Low-Poly Portraits post detailing the idea and process of how the images were created and how the masks were made.
8-bit Cinema: Star Wars Original Trilogy
I have long been a fan of the 8-bit (well technically 16-bit) recreations of popular movies and delivered in this suede game-play format. These creative videos are the work of David Dutton and crew from CineFX.
One of the reasons I enjoy these is the creative process involved to distill a movie down to its core story (or essence) and then retell that story through a new medium. To achieve this, the crew at CineFX need to draw new pixel-art for all the characters and backgrounds etc. as well as remix the familiar soundtracks into the MIDI styled sound of old video games.
Like what you've seen so far? Checkout the behind the scenes video on how new 8-bit Cinema videos are created, from pixel drawing, to animation, and sound production.
For more 8-bit Cinema check out the YouTube channel and see if one of your favorite movies has been given the 8-bit treatment. 8-Bit Cinema Playlist by CineFX.
MSU Spartan Holiday Snowflakes
The 2015 holiday card from my alma matter Michigan State University is a creative way for faculty, staff, students, and alumni to personalize their snowflake and showing their Spartan holiday spirit.
You can create your own Spartan Spirit snowflake here: https://msu.edu/holiday2015/
General Relativity Explained
I recently discovered this great video from Fusion featuring biographer Walter Issacson, in which he narrates a concise explanation of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity in 3 minutes.
“One hundred years ago, Albert Einstein completed his general theory of relativity, which explains how the gravitational force works. This made Einstein an international celebrity during his time, and the theory is widely recognized as one of the greatest achievements in the history of science.”
New Promo Video for BA in Media Comm
To help increase the exposure of the BA program in Media Communications at Webster University the Netherlands, I created a short promotional video to serve as an attention-grabber, and a visual interest tool. This short video was developed and rendered through Adobe AfterEffects CS6 last spring. The visual intent was to showcase the four production tracks in the program offered at our campus. To this end the video rolls through Media Communications, Interactive Digital Media, Photography, and Video Production.
The visual assets in the video are all videos, images, and graphics that are currently in use by the department in some form. Part of the mission of this video is to showcase not only what students can study, but to show them this by example of using images, and other assets that are actually from the department.
Bob Dotson (NBC Today Show) Visit
This past October 12th & 13th I had the great fortune to host Bob Dotson the renowned broadcast journalist and eight-time Emmy Award winner from the NBC Today Show at our campus in Leiden.
This past October 12th & 13th I had the great fortune to host Bob Dotson the renowned broadcast journalist and eight-time Emmy Award winner from the NBC Today Show at our campus in Leiden. As part of a global tour, Bob came to campus to speak with students, faculty, and staff about the importance of storytelling and delivered a wonderful public lecture and workshop over his two-day visit.
One of the most memorable aspects of his visit was how personable, kind, and generous he was. Not only to me and other faculty, but to our students. Bob's ability to talk with anyone and put even some of our "star struck" students at ease was wonderful to be witness to. Bob's lecture inspired students to look beyond the obvious story, and look for those moments, and people that are not always the center focus of breaking news, for it is in those shadows we can connect with ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
Dr. Leahy | Bob Dotson | Dean Rothenbuhler10.13.2015
To see the original post and invitation to the event see the Bob Dotson Lecture & Workshop - Media Communications Event post.
I hope to be able to invite Bob back to campus next year to continue the conversation. Its not everyday that you can have an 8-time Emmy winner talk about their experiences so openly with students, and this experience is sure to be one that will last in the memory of our students, staff, and faculty that were able to attend.
Low-Poly Mask Project
This short portrait project combined aspects of traditional portriture with low-poly paper masks. The results were rather fun, with a range of portraits that evoke a variety of “personalities” portrayed by the actor under the mask. The students that were photographed with their masks were asked to "play" a character using some props from their personal items.
As a continued commitment to finding new sources of inspiration and exploring new concepts in visual media, a few students recently participated in a short portrait project to combine digital (imagery) and analog (paper-craft) mediums.
This short portrait project was designed to compliment the "Film to Photoshop" workshop in which students worked with 35mm film and converted analog film to digital files for editing and processing. In the workshop students were asked to once again mix mediums to obtain a unique aesthetic. For this project, paper masks were created that have a distinctive (lowpoly) polygonal style (emulating a 16-bit style graphic) and then photographed as part of a portrait series that mixed some of the traditional portrait workflow with the creative paper masks.
The results were rather fun, with a range of portraits that evoke a variety of “personalities” portrayed by the actor under the mask. The students that were photographed with their masks were asked to "play" a character using some props from their personal items.
The images where shot using a standard two light clam-shell portrait setup on white canvas. The images were then post-processed in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. To gain an additional aesthetic to mimic older film portraits, several film grain and tin-type effects were added.
A big thanks is due to the artist behind the polygonal paper masks Steve Wintercroft from www.wintercroft.com for his creativity and commitment to detail and design. The masks took about two hours each to assemble from start to finish.
This project also served as a great concept design for a future project that is in development at the moment with students using a mask of their choosing to be the subject for a visual narrative project.
If you are interested in more information or would like to work on your own mask please visit http://wintercroft.com/ for instructions on how you can create your own mask and unleash your creativity.
Bringing back the Flash!
“Presenting for the first time on radio, the amazing interplanetary adventures of Flash Gordon and Dale Arden.”
In a recent graduate course for Webster University (MEDC 5331: Communication Production Tools: Video) I was looking to create an experience for the students that would allow for a fun yet practical hands on in-class exercise that would allow them to practice recording high quality audio. This exercise would give the students the experience recording audio in a guided low stake environment where failure or technical issues can be addressed. What I developed was a quickfire based on recording an oldtimey radio show, from pre-television days. This in class activity served as an active learning experience in which students needed to move quickly to organize radio performance parts, and discuss and plan out how they would record this performance all within two hours.
Students rose to the challenge of this in-class assignment to recreate the 1935 radio performance of Flash Gordon “On the Planet Mongo”. This rendition of Flash Gordon Ep1 On the Planet Mongo was performed by Webster University Leiden Media Communication Students as part of a learning exercise on script reading and audio production. This recording is from the original script that aired on April 27th, 1935.