“tell us more about creating the motion graphics for NCsoft at gamescom 2009.

The motion graphics work was for the film that was broadcast on the stand’s projectors. I had to cut together a punchy film which the animation was part of. It basically involved a lot of particle emitters and lights to bring life to the assets I was given for the game. The gamescom gig is a great big run around for me. The main job is on-stage camera work (for live performances and prize giveaways), but I also have to create a film to represent NCsoft’s presence at the show.
The gamers all love the games they put out and the stand is enormous. It feels like one big party, it’s great.

If you could time travel what time would you travel to & why?

I reckon it would have to be a little glimpse of the future. Just to see when they sorted out the technology for the hover-board in ‘Back To The Future II’, “Hey McFly, you bojo! Hover-boards don’t work on water!…..Unless you have POWER!!……..HAHAHAHAHA!” Classic.

What most influences you in your work?

I always love designers and artists that have a strong sense of space about them. There’s a landscape artist called, Caspar David Friedrich who really brings so much quiet to his work. So much so that your mind (or maybe your heart) makes up the rest of the environment itself. You’re stood there with him in the end, and you get a wonderful sense of sharing and communication from it. I find that incredible…………….now who’s for a verse of ‘Kum Ba Ya’?

Nick Knight is also a massive inspiration to me. It’s so easy to be seduced by his pieces. He can produce sensuality just as well as grit and aggression. I also love the fact the he’s doing a lot more film. I always find it really interesting to see someone you’d associate with image, design and photography, producing live action. It’s great to see that his artistry, in terms of its buoyancy and spirit, is consistent in that medium too.

Does creating music give you the same buzz as designing?

Blimey, that’s a hard question……I’d love to say that I prefer the buzz I get from design, as it’s where I’m putting all of my energy at the moment. But whenever I’ve made some audio I’m happy with, I’m on cloud 9. Although, making music does tend to take it out of me. I have to work really hard to produce something convincing. I think that’s mainly because I don’t have a very good musical foresight. It’s a sense of space that I work from, and so that can take a long time to chisel out.
I think I’m doing design more now because it relaxes me. There’s a lovely rhythm to working an image and conceiving design.

Some of my audio can be heard at: www.myspace.com/jojs

What question would you ask a designer?

‘Why do you do what you do?’

There are planned changes at Ning which mean all their free online social networks are closing as they move to a premium paid service. While this may disrupt many online groups of artists, photographers & designers who operate primarily through ning services, we would like to make it clear that the blur Designs network will remain open, and free to join.

We have been growing our designer’s network over the past 18 months, and now have a strong crowd approaching 1,500 creatives worldwide. The blur Designs network is an integral part of our social outreach and works as a great place to keep in touch with our designers. It is a great credit to our crowd that we have had the opportunity to share design reviews, interesting content, arrange meetup events & post design briefs.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to any designers whose network is closing as a result of the new Ning premium upgrade. We hope to provide a great new home for many more designers who are keen to get involved in the future.

You use letterpress in a lot of your designs, how does it compare to designing using a mac?

Letterpress gives mixed results I love the idea of part of my design been handmade, it gives it a personal touch, especially if the rest of the design is completely digital. I have a limited amount of letterpress at home which I have acquired bit by bit but have access to much more at college.

Whats the functional fox all about?
A few reasons really, mainly foxes are my favourite animal and like a fox, I always like to sneak around and find things.  The functional part of the name summed up getting work done fast which suits its function and intent.  It sounds a bit lame but I thought I would stick with it.

What was the soundtrack to your life?

At the time of the project titled Soundtrack to My Life I was inspired by the music of Son Lux, especially his song Wither. Hes very experimental as well as a nice guy to talk to and I recommend listening to his music.
My current soundtrack which inspires me is probably a mix between Unkle and P.O.S.

Have you ever collected anything?

I collect a few things mainly books based around the area of graphic design, which I catalogue using Delicious Library. I also collect old matchboxes with amazing typography on and postcards. I think most people gets obsessive within the creative industry and having a collection of visuals is also a great reference tool.

from crowd member Gaetan Haeuze (power biscuit):

-Is satisfaction the end of desire?
I believe that when one is satisfied with something, we still desire more as we are never completely satisfied ourselves.

Need a designer like Matt LaMont for a design project, you can submit a brief here with blur Designs

It always good to take some time and hear from the industry’s best. This video from AIGA last year shows design legend Michael Bierut Discussing good design, working in a recession and designs rising status.

Do you agree that design’s status has risen among professionals? leave your comments.

fabergaph

Viet Huynh

Wan design

hobart shaw

Jazz

edward Franks

Joseph Le

fabergaph

Need a designer for a project, submit a brief with blur Designs

Tell us about your EnjoyLive designs.
The band started in Belo Horizonte, in August 2000 just as I arrived from Sao Paulo, in the School of Design – UEMG. That, willingly or not, was the junction of 2 designers in music. Because of that and because of the type of music we wanted to do, we were always very careful with visual concepts and the aesthetic of the band.  An amalgam of Enjoy’s symbol (kpetão) that I had developed in 2004 for the launch of our first website, attached to our faces, became an illustration of synthetic Enjoy and we were – Synthmatic. After that the band went through more changes and concepts charts always followed it. I think the most important thing about my design to Enjoy is exactly what I said about the briefing and concept. I’m already on top of everything and it’s so is much easier to create and dare. I can do pretty much whatever you want in this sense because, after spending some time on a project, participating in all steps, it is virtually impossible not to absorb the content and then let them reflected in the results.

If you had to describe your style of design in 3 words?
Eclectic, Meticulous, Overbold (I had dificulty to find those 3 words. It was a good exercise.)

If you had to pick one which would it be Music or Design?
Both have a lot of particularities and similarities. The need to be creative, careful, researcher, organized, informed, talented, skillful and proactive. And in both it’s very difficult to prove that something you do makes a difference and that you can and should make money with it. I think I’ll not have one without other. But if I had to choose, I’d be a musician. I’d like to know how I would live just composing and playing music around. But of course, the poor designer who would make my covers and arts, I’d get to him with a complicated briefing and the result would have to surprised and please me, if not … In this case I think the musician would give rise to desgin and vice versa.

Do you find it more creative to design for print or web?
The project itself and the desire to develop it is that may limit or help creation. In the case of printed works, we are stuck to the types of printing, paper and formats. But I think it is perfectly possible to develop creative pieces, different and good in print. Not counting the things you can do with technology today. On the web we have almost the same limits of format, screen, speed transmission, but it’s something intangible. There are things you can do on the web, giving a greater sense of freedom and creativity. But oddly enough I love the print and be able to feel and catch the final results of projects with the hands. Seeing a logo you created printed on a t-shirt label, in front of the store, car, cardboard, packaging, in the bag, on the website, this is quite rewarding.

Will Brazil win the world cup this summer?
Well, here in Brazil it will be winter, as well as in South Africa. lol. I think the cups are related to things other than just winning the football itself. I do not like the style of Dunga’s commanding the team. Brazil does not look like the way we’re used to, beautiful and quick touch of the ball and engaging, as my team, Santos, has been playing lately. We have top players but the coach chose to surrender to an European-style of defending and strong marking, which is definitely not our style. But still, I think Brazil is rather a strong contestant to win the world cup again, because of the individual talent of players. I also think that other countries may have merit. For me, until now, England, Spain, Italy and Brazil are the strongest candidates. But it is a World Cup and, like everything in football, we may have surprises.

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Tim Boelaars

Milko Melian

Tomato Kosir

julien limouse

parse906

Viet Huynh

Tomato Kosir

This week we have an eclectic

showreel from Jammy Custard Studios

and Matthew Creed

View more great videos here

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What artists/designers have inspired the surreal style in your works?

In the beganing there was Dali ; )…
I even did my first thesis about him. Cliché? Maybe…
Than there was Rene Magritte and Hieronymus Bosch as well. In my opinion, this artist put some enormous mark on the surreal art as we know it now.
When i was at high school I’ve heard about my fellowman, Ryszard Horovitz and he inspired me to do photo manipulations.
Nowadays there are so many great artists dealing with surrealism, that it’s very hard not to see something magnificent, something that will inspire you and you wont even realize that. This goes to your subconscious mind and gives you more ideas for your work.

Would you like to live in any of your landscapes, such as the removal?

I’ve never thought about that…
This would be very hard to do, i think. There’s so much going on in there and it’s constantly changing. I would have to be prepared to expect not expected. Imagine walking across the street, which suddenly changes into a river, imagine trying to drink your favourite drink and couldn’t because it has stuck to the bottom and so on…
On the other hand, it would be something if I could see so many great landscapes and incredible creatures every day, just like in “The imaginarium of doctor Parnassus”, “The lovely bones” or new “Alice in wonderland”.
But than, the real world can be as unexpected and dangerous as the fictitious one, so if it was possible, I think I would like to live in my imaginated place ; )

you recently uploaded a step by step tutorial for creating one of your works, do you think its important for designers to help each other through online networks?

I don’t know if it’s important. Useful perhaps.
If you don’t know how to do something and there’s no one to help, you’ll find a way to do it anyway. It just takes more time.
But it’s great to see that there are sites like this,(blur-Designs.net) where you can share your skills, meet other designers, exchange thoughts and learn more and more, faster than it was before the era of blogs dedicated to designers. Thanks for that Frazer ; )

(From fellow blur Designer Stefano maglovsky)
Would you choose another profession if you could turn back time?

off course… not ; )

Has Tim Burton done justice in the new Alice in Wonderland?

Yes, he has. He always does a great job if you ask me.
There is a word among certain people, who say that if you saw one Tim Burton’s movie, you’ve seen’ em all. I don’t agree on that.
It’s like with painters. Most of them has own style (some don’t, shame on them). They paint in a certain way and you can recognize if it’s a Picasso, Dali or Modigliani just by looking at it.
The same is with Mr. Burton. He has his vision, style, a way in creating a picture. It’s always a pleasure to me, to see another of his movies.
The Burton’s Alice is very original. Not only, he has gathered caracters from “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” in one movie, but he has made another extended, perfectly illustrated story. Some people will say “I would’ve done better”. Go ahead and do it. Let others complain on you!

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edward Franks

Krishan Rodrigo

David Enker

Febrisaka Nugra

Krishan Rodrigo

James Owen

J

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