Life After University In The Creative Industry

Blog Moved

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:30:00 +0000

After using blogger for a few years i;ve now migrated both my site and my blog over to wordpress so this will be the last post on the blog.

Go over to my new site at www.matthewcarlin.co.uk

Links, links and more links.....

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:26:00 +0000

Over the past year or so i've managed to acquire over 1000 bookmarks on delicous, so i thought it would be a good time to start sharing some of these brilliant links.

I'm going to start posting a selection of the best links on various topics, whether it be a particular programme like photoshop or illustrator, general articles on web design, technical link or just plain on inspiration. So keep a look out for links over the coming months!

New site and blog coming soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:08:00 +0000

I've been doing lots of work on my new personal portfolio site and showreel as well as installing wordpress with the aim to get this blog migrated to my personal site fairly soon. I've learnt loads already although i still can't quite get wordpress to do exactly what i want. I think i'll probably launch it missing some of the nicer features i want and will probably add them at a later date.

Watch this space though! Hopefully everything should be up by the very latest at the end of next month!

More after effects: Expressions and parenting...

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:52:00 +0000

I've been trying to get back into after effects again recently so i thought i'd start posting some of the results of tutorials and experiments i've done. The one below is based on a tutorials about parenting and using expressions to make the movement look natural with using keyframes. The only keyframes used in the video are to make the stalks grow at the very start, the actually movement from side to side is all driven by expressions.

Work in Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:15:00 +0000

Thought i'd post up some stuff i've been working on recently, i've been trying to get my teeth back into after effects so i've decided its time to update my showreel and polish up my skills whilst i'm at it, below is an idea for the beginning of my showreel.

A List Apart Survey 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:47:00 +0000

I'm a regular reader of A List Apart and i've just took part in the annual survey of the web design/development world. Everyone should too!

New video work

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 +0000

I thought it would be a good idea to show of some of the video work that i've helped out on lately, as its been published to youtube. We produced some videos for the Department of work and pensions for one of there new green papers. Videos are below.

3D in Flash

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:02:00 +0000

Since i started learning ActionScript a few months ago i've been getting into the idea of 3D and 3D interfaces in Flash. As flash hasn't got any built in 3D classes there are quite a few projects out there to extend Flash's 3D capabilites, including the excellent Papervision which uses low res 3d models built in something like 3DS Max or Maya and there also a vector 3d engine by mathieu badimon.

Now that i've learnt some actionscript i want to see if i can integrate some of these into some of the Flash/Actionscript things i do, as well as finding a way to integrate into a future version of my Portfolio Site

I'm still alive!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:24:00 +0000

I know its been just over two months since i last posted a blog entry but i'm still alive! Just been very very busy with work,learning new design/programming things (actionScript mainly), trying to find a place to live and various other life things. Needless to say that i feel i've seriously neglected this blog, so expect lots of new entries in the coming months as i need to make up for lost time!

ActionScript Hangman!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:43:00 +0000

I've been learning how to use ActionScript in Flash recently, and i've managed to build myself a game of hangman!

Try it below!

Opensource: Adobe?

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Just read today that adobe have launched a new open source website and they've released some of there software under an open source license. I certainly didn't think i'd see adobe do something like this but its a good thing that they have!

New work in the lab....

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:32:00 +0000

I've just uploaded a new video to my lab section of my website, it's a video using some after effects techniques such as masking, camera movement, depth of field. Visit it here!

New Portfolio

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:15:00 +0000

I've just uploaded a new version of my portfolio online, including some of my latest work.

This portfolio is intended to be something simple and temporary till my new portfolio is finished, in which i'm considering the use of flash. Go check current one out!

Messing with After Effects

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:21:00 +0000

Just been messing about with a tutorial from a recent issue of computer arts, this is what i;ve done so far, its not bad, but it still requires a few tweaks to get it looking slick!

Lego Google

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:19:00 +0000

It was Lego's 50th Celebration yesterday and google celebrated with the excellent image above. I know that google often do a special image for certain days so it's a bit passe nwo, but i thought that this special lego one is fantastic, including the little lego man!

Don't make me think!

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:52:00 +0000

I received "Don't make me think" by Steve Krug from Amazon last week, i've only had time to read a bit of it but from what i read it seems a pretty good book. Some of the things in it are obvious but there are some bits which you think about subconsciously but probably never really picked up on. Hopefully it should help me in designing websites.

New Book

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:45:00 +0000

I haven't blogged in a while (it is Christmas and New Year after all, lots to do and not enough time to do most of it!)

However, over the christmas period i have decided to buy a book. I have decided to buy Don't Make Me Think!: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability

It should give me some good tips and techniques when designing websites, it's got very good reviews from the people on amazon and it often pops up in lists of must have books for web designers/developers.

I'm looking forward to receiving now so i can get stuck in!

Learning after University.....

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 13:34:00 +0000

Recently i saw an article over at freelance switch, the article was titled "The Secret to Getting a lot of Web Design Work". The item that raised my attention in the article though was the first point title "Push Yourself and Get Good"

The author suggests that there is a 80/20 rule in the sense that it takes a few years of work to get that 80% good, but to get that last 20% takes alot more effort.

This got me thinking that even after 3 years at university there is still a vast amount yet to learn, and to get that 80% you need to do as many photoshop tutorials as you can and read as many design books as you can. Infact i'd suggest that university is only the start of the learning process.

Behance Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:16:00 +0000

After writing my blog the other day about the Behance creative network i received a message from one of the sites team thanking me for blogging about it!

The guys at Behance obviously care about the members of the site, so if your a creative and your not signed up to behance yet then sign up asap!

Behance Creative Network

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 13:11:00 +0000

I know nowdays that their are probably more social networks to join than ever before but i have recently joined a site called Behance.

This is a social network dedicated to creatives around the world, as with most social networks you sign up and then put some of your details in, including choosing a maximum of 5 areas that are your creative disciplines.

Once you've done this you also have effectivly build up your portfolio on the site by linking and uploading projects you have done. You can also join 'circles' on the site which are essentially like groups dedicated to specific areas of design or specific projects.

I think the site is a great way to meet other creatives and for possible collaboration on projects.

Adobe Air

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:31:00 +0000

I've been reading a little bit about Adobe Air, Adobe's new platform for having web applications on the desktop with the need for a browser.

In a Nutshell, Air allows you to use your existing html/css, flash and flex skills and use them to create applications to run directly from the desktop. From the examples of seen it seems very handy to create widget type applications rather than full blown applications, however i wouldn't say you can't make full blown applications with it.

The only downside of the Air platform is that you still have to install Adobe Air first to you operating system bfore you can run any of the applications, this however is true of most of these kind of platforms such as Microsoft's Silverlight.

Can i see it getting bigger? Yes probably but what would help with platforms like this is if they came pre installed with operating systems so you could just download and run the applications.

Yellow Jelly Graphic Design Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:48:00 +0000

I received an application pack for the Yellow Jelly Graphic Design Competition today.

Basically the premise of it is you have to redesign the logo for Icon Eye, i think it'll be pretty cool to do and if you win the competition then you get some decent exposure!

A Rhythm of Lines

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:52:00 +0000

I realise that Audi's Rhythm of Lines advert has been around a while now and when it was released i was certainly impressed by it.

However today i went on the rhythm of lines website today and i am certainly impressed by that too! Not only does it give you the ability to compose your own 'rhythm of lines' i also think it's fantastic use of flash and and 3d space in flash. I wonder what the actionscript is like for something like that.

Speaking of impressive car adverts i also recently saw the Honda 'Cog' advert again and it impresses me every time, especially because its all done in two takes, with s seamless join in the middle.

Imagine: Helvetica

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:18:00 +0000

I've just watched the Imagine documentary about Helvetica on BBC1 in the UK. It was a great documentary about what one could say is the one of the most popular typefaces ever in the history of typography (along with maybe Times New Roman?)

The documentary highlighted the history of the font and how it became to be at the Haas Type foundry some 50 years ago and charted how it became so popular especially in the 60's and 70's. It also charted the counter movement against it by some graphic designers at the time.

With the font being used on every street corner has it made the font boring and repetative? Is it a cliche? Can it be improved on? It's appeal seems to lie in the fact in that its identity is so neutral that it can be used for seemingly anything. But aren't typefaces meant to provoke an emotion or at least a connection the the message that is being conveyed. Would Helvetica be as popular if it hadn't been included in the basic font package by the likes of Apple Computers?

Will there ever be a font more popular than Helvetica?

New Mainframe Reel

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Carlin) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 19:46:00 +0000

Have just seen the new Mainframe Showreel, all i can say it is totally awesome, i would love my work to be as good as this!

New Mainframe Reel