Here Comes My New Video Project!!!

That’s right. My latest video project was finished few days ago and now it’s available on my YouTube Channel! How wonderful is that! And here it is:

I’ve made two different versions of the same video, but the only difference is that the first one has funny outtakes, the second one doesn’t. Both of them are full version interview, each of them is about 14 minutes long.

Please enjoy the video. Thanks for watching everyone, and your support is very crucial. Also, I’m about to update my demo reels for the Spring 2012 season, so be sure to follow my blog, my Facebook or Twitter to get all the latest updates. See you later.

Working On An Interview Project – My First One Ever In Macau

Even though I have been facing a lot of difficulties and obstructions of doing media production here in Macau, I still find some other ways to pursue my dream while I’m working full time on another job. Recently my cousin invited me to help shooting an interview with the manger of a local paper factory, which is also part of the project of his management class. Obviously I’ve been doing something like that many many times, so I said no problem. So we went to the paper factory last Friday morning, after setting up the equipment, then we were about to shoot the interview. There were two interviewers, and I worked as a director and cameraman. Everything was wrapped up around 12pm. After the shooting, I started doing the post production, and there was a lot of work, not just editing, but also fixing the audio problems, doing color corrections, creating motion graphics openers, etc. And I just finished everything this morning.

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Now please take a look on some of the behind the scenes pictures and also the screen captures of the post production process for this project here, by the way the entire interview will be available on my YT channel sometime next week, so stay tuned.

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My 2011 Year In Review – 5 Best Things & 5 Worst Things

It’s almost the time to say goodbye to 2011, and it’s also the time for me to write my own year in review here. Looking back, I can say 2011 was my unforgettable year. A lot of things happened on me this year, some were really exciting, but there were several things happened this year made me feel dejected. Now, I’m sharing with you my five best things and five worst things of the year. Let’s start with good things first:

Victor’s Five Best Things Of 2011:

1. My media production skills have improved a lot throughout the year, and I’ve become more comfortable when I work in the TV production environment. Not just in the studio, this year I have got more opportunity to work in a field production environment. Although my skills in field production are not really fantastic at this point, I know everything is keep getting better.
2. Besides my skills in video production, I think my skills in video editing also had a big leap forward. Throughout the year, I have worked on a number video projects. Every time when I watch what I did, I can see my work is getting better and better, so this is very encouraging to me.
3. For the first time ever, I produced a short video series, which is called “Best Of SF”. I said it was my first time ever because I didn’t work on anything like that before. “Best Of SF” was originally a collaboration of my idea and another producer’s idea, (she has been back to Central America last June) and it consist studio presentations and field interviews or reports. We were a small team, therefore we often worked in multiple roles. Not only to research and write, but also working behind the cameras, set up the mics, lighting, CGs, switchers and post production, etc. Working on “Best Of SF” really gave me an idea on different roles in TV production, so I think this was a great benefit.
4. Also for the first time ever, I, along with an awesome team of people, worked on a 90-minute special TV program. My main role for that program was editing, although I was also involved in other aspects of the entire production. This was also my biggest project that I have done so far. There were a lot of stress when working on that project, but when everything was finished and then the program went on air, it’s a lot of rewarding.
5. I think the person who influenced me the most this year was… No, not my parents… Well, her name is Stefannie Tjong. She is currently working in a local TV station in Indonesia, she is also a singer and TV host. She has petite body shape, and always has smile on her face. She looks sweet like a candy, and she has a little pear vortex when she was smiling. That’s really fantastic, guess what? She is my apple in my eye and I have named her as a “Dwelling Male Goddess”. (literary in Chinese: “宅男女神”) She was living in San Francisco for several years until last June, and I met her last February when we were working on a TV show. Then we worked together for couple months. You might ask what she influenced me this year, I can tell you that her active and outgoing personality, as well as her optimistic attitude influenced my life. Because of her, I try to be more social active and work hard to get rid of my introverted image. I know there’s long way to go to have a personality like her, but she really gave me the encouragement, and she is the best girl who I have met so far.

Victor’s Five Worst Things Of 2011:

1. The first thing that made me feel sad about this year was my 25th birthday celebration. What happened? Well, back in July, it was my cousin’s 18th birthday, he held a big party at a local restaurant in Macau with a large group of his friends, and then he uploaded the pictures of his celebration on his Facebook. I was envy, I wished I could have a similar birthday party like his on my 25th birthday, on the other hand, I wished I could invite some of my friends to the party and try to get rid of my introverted image like I mentioned before. I sent out the invitations but unfortunately almost no one responded. Later, some said they might come, some said they were not not sure, some never responded. On the day of my birthday, no one was attending my birthday party, so it was my saddest birthday so far.
2. Again, I work hard everyday and try to get rid of my introverted image by meeting people, being friendly to them. But I’m too introverted in their eyes, so whatever I do, they just ignore. Sad!
3. Working in media production, I wish I could grow a big personal network, which I could explore more opportunities. However, I failed to do it. Look at my Facebook page and you’ll understand.
4. I always keep asking myself this question throughout the year: “Why can’t I be everyone’s friend?” I know some people are able to make friends very easily, but why is it so difficult to me? Is it my problem? I still don’t have the answer.
5. Finally, my introverted image has cost me a lot: lack of opportunities, lack of people skills, and even lack of money! I can tell you that I’m facing a big financial crisis. My introverted personality makes my life miserable, don’t you think it is?

This wraps up my “2011 Year In Review”. I wish everything will become better to me in 2012. All the bad things would be swept out, all my wishes would come true in the coming year.

I wish everyone’s career would reach a new height in 2012, students would get all “A”s at schools, everyone could find their loves. Happy New Year everyone!

My Most Recent Video Projects (Within Past 3 Months)

Here is a list of my most recent video projects, (within the past three months) take a look. I’ve also posted this list on a permanent page, you can click here to see an updated and complete list of my projects anytime.

• October 2011 – Ongoing

Short Documentary – “Misha Antonich – Media . Arts . Life” (worked as a producer, director, editor and motion graphic artist)

• September 2011

“There Is Only One Wesley Lao” Motion Graphics Series (worked as a motion graphic artist)

• July 2011 – September 2011

“Best Of IDTV” @ The Festival Of The Moving Image 2011 (worked as a co-editor)

Here Comes Another Finished Project

That’s right. I have just finished another motion graphics project this afternoon. What a great relief! No, not just relief, but also joy. Every time when I finished a project, I think I have learn something, and when I see my client or partner is happy about the thing that I did for him / her, I’m happy, too. Another thing is even though I didn’t get much pay on each project, (even I’ve worked for no money for many projects, including the one I’ve just finished) but I never think that I work for free. Yes, in reality I worked for no pay, but we should look at it differently, does it really mean I earn nothing from working on the projects? I can tell you, the skills and experience I gained is the money, and they’re invaluable to me. On the other hand, I’m also happy to work on something that I really good at. This is my passion, nothing can change it.

Okay, enough of my theory! It’s time to screen my newest project. It’s a series of 6 promotional videos for a local talent in Macau. Each promotional video runs for 30 seconds. Take a look. If you have any comments and questions, you can always leave your message on this blog, I wish I can improve my quality of work next time or so. Meanwhile, enjoy the show!

 

A New Motion Graphics Project Is Underway

That’s right. I just can’t stop my creative mind, this is my third motion graphics project (not finished yet) within a month. I have made another two last month, but I just want to have a better taste of designing awesome motion graphics and video effects. On the other hand, I also want to get even more familiar with After Effects, and I think the more you work on it, the more you master it. Maybe sometime in the future, I could really call myself a motion graphics designer or artist, right?

Designing and creating motion graphics are often time consuming, just like doing video post-production, it always takes entire morning or entire afternoon to finish only 20 – 30% of the whole project, I usually take 3 days to complete one single project, (each project is under 1 minute long for motion graphics) but when it comes to a project with a lot of fancy and 3-D like graphics, I have to spend 2 more days to finish it, and I even have to dedicate one day for just do rendering. Why? Because in many cases if the composition in After Effects contains 3-D like graphics or so, it takes 7 hours to finish rendering and exporting, so if you start rendering at 9am, you’ll finish rendering around 4pm.

All right, I don’t want to talk too much here because I still have a lot of things to do. Meanwhile, the project that I’m currently working on may be finished sometime this Wednesday or early Thursday afternoon, but now you can sneak a peek on it by looking the attached screen shots. Enjoy!

See you next time! You can watch my previous two motion graphics projects that I made last month here.

Something I have been working recently

Take a look on these two promos, these are the promos that I have been working for the past few weeks, the promos are for the a local media talent in Macau. I used After Effects on both promos, it’s not really good piece for now, but I hope I could get better sense in terms of motion graphics design.

Enjoy!