Back to School

I have been enjoying this semester greatly. I have just finished doing the titles for Spring Show for the Academy of Art University. Many of my students have produced professional quality work, and I am awed by the time all of them put in.

I have switched departments - from New Media to VFX/Animation, and I have to say it has been a good transition, the two departments function as compare and contrast exercises in what's going on in computer graphics - style versus technical skill. New Media is all about style, multi-discipline, and perception, but I usually struggled through instructing even basic concepts in After Effects. VFX students are gearheads and like to read computer manuals for fun, do fluid simulations in their spare time, etc- however, typography and the world of design isn't much on their radars. So it's been a challenge, an interesting and exciting one, and my students put up with me using them as guinea pigs for Curricullum changes/evil experiments/ untold amounts of homework.

I will post links to a few of the students who have produced some really exceptional work- The highlight of the class had to be the final projects of two groups who had some connections to some martial artists who they filmed with a Red One (!) in the green screen studio here in the Academy. I remember filming my final project in studio for my Senior Project- to be the instructor on hand during this shoot made me excited for my students, and made me feel young and old at the same time. (Student work c/o Artur, Roger, Yasemin, Carlos, Christian, and Louis. You know who you are.)

Other Stuff

I also have been cranking away on projects at Cobra. Two new projects since YouTube- one for Suzuki (a basic dealer type spot) and one for a prominent tech brand that is re-branding and re-positioning itself to be competitive in this desert fiscal landscape of 2009. Also a few secret projects of self promotional value, and some co-lab work for Mekanism here in SF.

Final project- Getting VeloBrew launched, sold, and drank by the masses. This homebrew was sold as a fundraiser for my Aids Life Cycle ride which is happening in... oh... 2 weeks! Months of training and focusing is coming up to the ride here. I have done a lot of prepping, had an art auction with all of my friends (which... of course, I did not document with this amazing medium known as photography) and produced these nice homemade booklets and posters. I am proud of how this project turned out - the first time in a while I have been maybe 50% satisfied with something, rather then focusing on the flaws of the piece or comparing it to what else is out there. The blessing and the curse of seeing amazing work all day, every day, is that it can paralyze you into not doing anything. Well, to hell with that. I am getting as much done as I can in 2009 with the finite amount of energy and life available to me.

Coming up

More work at Cobra, including selling our broadcast motion graphics harder, a project with Alexander Tarrant for a short web film festival thingy, and trying to start composing nicer pics with my DSLR. I also have been learning some serious c4d this year, with a lot of Mograph module, Expresso, and Thinking Particles finally making sense to me, although the world of creating nice models with clean geometry, real character rigging with IK, and bodypaint is still out of my grasp a bit. I still don't understand every switch and dial in the program, but have started to become comfortable answering questions on forums and analyzing the work I see. Justin and I have been doing visuals as an excuse to learn the technicalities of the various modules, including a bang up show for Flying Lotus.

Finally

I developed a bunch of Holga shots from last year, and mixed in with the rolls was one roll from winter of 2005, in Colorado. A lot of light had leaked in and exposed the roll, resulting in haunting, washed out, wintery surreal images, with a young dude staring back at me through the print. I can see why some folks go Holga and never look back- the shock of not having unlimited control which in turn creates happy accidents is something I have lost in going so digital. My next project might just be a group of songs played on prepared piano with typewritten pages.

John Cage - o - vison.

Notice this announcement is a bit dated already... In the style of the old site. Ah well. Where was I?

Now that I’m staff at Cobra, I realized my site didn’t exactly have to be a professional advertisement for me anymore. This is kind of nice. I can Blog, post personal links if I feel it, and generally relax with movecraft.com. I also have switched over entirely to Rapidweaver for my development. This means, I will never have to hand code anymore. All my knowledge was painfully outdated anyway, and this way I hopefully will be encouraged to frequently update with such an easy to use platform. Anyone can build a website with this here new-fangled software.

Other new stuff... You’ll notice I am still building the Boards section out slowly. I haven’t decided if it should just be motion boards or other graphic design. Also, dang, I don’t have much of either. I have been focusing for so long on learning C4D and AE that I kept getting paid to be a technical guy instead of an artist. This is rough because I don’t know if I will ever compete with the truly technical guys. I think that personally, I would love to focus once again on what brought me here in the first place – you know. Art. Pretty pictures. Maybe the Boards section will have photography too. Maybe I just renamed that section right here in this blog post.

I also have a Source Files section. I keep posting files to message boards and the like. It occurred to me that they might be useful actually posted somewhere. I also have been instructing at the Academy of Art University, and this semester have been putting together a Special Topics: Motion Graphics class for compositors. I keep referencing files, and, bandwidth permitting, could post some source file from that course. It’s turning into a monster- I have some dedicated and awesome students. I might require all of us to use Vimeo. I have set up a profile there. Working at an interactive firm is already making me realize how behind the curve I am in general web knowledge.

Finally, I am riding in AIDS Life Cycle this year. I have set up a page for everyone to donate, buy beer, and check out the cause.

Colin

Tags: Personal, Professional

Here it is. A bit of hand-lettering design for a very special home brew. Beer making is almost as time consuming as motion graphics.

Tags: Design, Personal

Tags: Personal

Whether you in Mumbai or Cali.

Twanwski and C-Bass

Tags: Personal, India

I moved into my apartment here. the address is

Building B1 Apartment #202, Serenity Towers complex, Andheri (West), Oshiwara, Mumbai, India, 400 053

My Cell in Mumbai is:

Country Code--->(011) 91 981 930 4870

but to have anything sent please send to the Studio,

Colin Sebestyen c/o Empire House, 1st floor, 10, Shah Indl. Estate, Veera Desai Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai, India 400 053

Cheers
C

Tags: Personal, India

So this blog is going to stay industry oriented and still serve as a feed for motion graphics and effects compositing, however, it may take a few swings into the personal arena as I travel to Mumbai to work on a feature. Don't be surprised if you see some personal photos and notes on here along with some posts of me fumbling my way through a full 35 mm project with Digital Intermediate! I am very excited to work on this project as VFX supervisor and as lead Compositor/Designer.

Stay tuned from India!

Tags: Personal, India

Tags: Personal

Tags: Personal