Digital Hitchhiker

Maeve’s Sisters & Brother

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:25:00 -0600

Maeve’s Sisters & Brother

Just Do It, Don't Talk Yourself Out Of It

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 14:13:24 -0600

How many great ideas have you talked yourself out of or even failed to start because you talked yourself out of it. I’ve lost count on how many projects and ideas I’ve abandoned. I bet right now you have something you’ve been thinking about doing. Whether it’s a new personal project, a blog post, changing careers, eating healthy or just waking up earlier. When that idea first hits you, you’re ready to commit 100% to it. But then you don’t start it right away, you write it down in a notebook or decide to think about it some more. As you’re thinking about it, all the reasons why you shouldn’t do it start to creep in. You can’t let that fear or self doubt allow you to throw in the towel. Nothing worth building or doing is going to be easy, if it were easy there would be no challenge and what’s the fun in that. The next time that great idea strikes you, just jump in. Go all the way in so there is no turning back. No guts, no glory right?

Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder brave the Chicago winter and...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:18:35 -0600

Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder brave the Chicago winter and head to the roof of Rock Bottom Chicago to drink and dance at the 2nd Annual Polar Beer Festival. With over 30 beers on tap between the roof and in the downstairs warming room, it was was a great festival. It’s great to see so many craft beer fans coming out for a (mostly) outdoor winter beer festival. Brad and Ken had the chance to chat with Rock Bottom Chicago head brewer Chris Rafferty to find out why he chose to do a winter beer festival and what he has planned for the future. They also had a chance to talk with Bolingbrook Gordon Biersch brewer John Wyzkiewicz who had one of Brad and Ken’s favorite beers of the day. For this Fest only being in its second year and being outdoors in the winter, it was an amazing turn out. We definitely can’t wait for next years.

Sometimes your business is rocking it and you have a lot of work...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:38:49 -0600

Sometimes your business is rocking it and you have a lot of work coming in. And sometimes you have too much work for you to handle, you hate to turn the work down or disappoint a client. Especially since next month or even next week it could slow down. In this video Brad Chmielewski and Erik Jensen give you insight into how they handle overflow work in ways that allow them to still look like a hero to the client. It’s always great to talk with others to find out how they handle their business. That’s what these videos are here for. To give you an idea of how other freelancers handle their business but everyone works and plays by their own rules. You need to figure out what works best for you and your clients.

Photo

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:18:00 -0600

Jake & Brad Show You - How To Build A Robot

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:02:48 -0600

Jake & Brad Show You - How To Build A Robot

Your Friendly Small Business Owner

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:03:45 -0600

Your Friendly Small Business Owner

Show The Work You Want To Do

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:26:43 -0600

“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” I’m sure you’ve heard that before many times. Its good advice that can also be applied to your portfolio. You need to be showing off the work you want to do. It can take some time to figure out the type of work you love doing and want to be doing. But once you figure it out, you need to immerse yourself in it and work with the businesses and companies that do that type of work. And make sure the work is heavily represented in your portfolio. If your website is dedicated to wedding videos, you’re not likely to get a music video project. You have to show prospective employers or clients that you can handle their specific job. They may have seen the work you’ve done in the past but sometimes they just can’t visualize how your previous work applies to them and their needs. And doing a free animation for them just to win a job usually isn’t a great option. If you want to model mobile phones for commercials then you need to have a mobile phone commercial in your demo reel or on your website. I love working with startups and social apps are some of my favorite projects to work on. On these projects I’ve created primarily 2D characters with simple shapes. This is the type of work I continue to get and I rock out every one I have the chance to work on. Clients trust that I’ll be able to deliver a quality product for their brand because I’ve proven what I’ve done for similar businesses. If you’re not happy with the types of projects you’re currently working on, make sure you portfolio reflects the types of projects you want to work on and leave out the projects you don’t.

Hope You’re Having A Monster Monday

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:13:04 -0600

Hope You’re Having A Monster Monday

A sleek and inspiring personal project from Yaniv Fridman and...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:31:49 -0600

A sleek and inspiring personal project from Yaniv Fridman and Daniel Luna.

My Sister & Brothers

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:40:41 -0600

My Sister & Brothers

Crazy Robot

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:24:00 -0600

Crazy Robot

Keep Up The Good Work!

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:42:57 -0600

Keep Up The Good Work!

In this video Brad Chmielewski and Nick Hopkins share their...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0600

In this video Brad Chmielewski and Nick Hopkins share their thoughts on when you should make the jump from full-time to freelance. Everyone is different and finding that right time can be tricky. But don’t expect the freelance life to be any easier then your current full-time roll. As Brad and Nick point out, you’ll often find yourself busier then you were before you went freelance. There is always something to be learned from a different viewpoint or from another experienced freelance warrior. But every freelancer works and plays by their own rules. These videos are here to give you an idea of how we handle our business but you need to figure out what works best for you and your clients.

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Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:15:09 -0600

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"Iterate. Iterate. Iterate. Don’t just replicate your production content."

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:48:02 -0600

“Iterate. Iterate. Iterate. Don’t just replicate your production content.”

"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you..."

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:02:47 -0600

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.”

- Frank Lloyd Wright

Partner with Officite and harness the power of the Internet. And...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:52:54 -0600

Partner with Officite and harness the power of the Internet. And see why more than 20 leading medical associations representing over 250,000 healthcare professionals worldwide choose Officite to build their members’ practice websites.

Client: Officite
Producer: Kevin Duffy
Production Company: LooseKeys
Illustration: Jess Donofrio
Animation: Brad Chmielewski & Jess Donofrio
Sound Design: Maeve Price
Voice Over: Brad Ziffer

Startup Videos Interview

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:31:35 -0600

Startup Videos Interview:

In this series, Sebastien Lhomme will be interviewing top motion designers and agencies in the community to give you the inside scoop on the persons behind the explanation videos we showcase here. Today we’re bringing you an interview with Brad Chmielewski, the talented designer and entrepreneur behind LooseKeys. [ Read The Full Interview ]

Type Tuesday #129

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:48:31 -0600

Week 129 of Type Tuesday. Each week I try and share five free fonts that I’ve come across for you to use and enjoy. I hope you like what I have picked out this time. Be sure to comeback next week for another great set.