VerveCast

This was a fun project we did back in 2010 for Assurant Health. It’s a 10 second TV spot that was done using stop motion animation. We shot it using a Nikon D3x, frame by frame.

It took a few attempts to get what we wanted, and there was a good amount of Photoshop work in there as well (editing of all the individual images) before it all went to Final Cut for assembly.

Oh, we also composed and recorded the original music. The voiceover? That’s C. Thomas Howell.

As for the airplane itself, the only magic involved is a piece of aluminum foil we spray glued between two pieces of paper to get the plane to stay in position as it was folded.

There’s no crazy 3D rendering involved, no real complicated video editing, just a simple idea, a bit of trial and error, and some creative thinking. Sometimes that’s all you need. :)

Z2 is very proud to announce that NOH8 (“No Hate”) will be in Milwaukee on Friday, August 12 at InterContinental Milwaukee from 4 – 8 pm.

What is NOH8? “The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with “NOH8″ painted on one cheek in protest.”

How do I get my picture taken? The photo shoot at InterContinental Milwaukee on Friday, August 12 is scheduled to begin at 4pm and end at 8pm. The photos are taken on a first come, first serve basis, but we assure you that the wait will be worth it! When you get there, you’ll receive a model release to fill out and then you’ll get a NOH8 temporary tattoo. You’re asked to wear a plain white tee to match the signature look of the campaign, and after the photos have been retouched, they’ll be made available on website, usually in 4-8 weeks.

What does it cost? The cost for the NOH8 portraits are $40 for a solo portrait and $25 per person for couple and group portraits. You can pay with cash, credit and checks. “Funds raised by the NOH8 Campaign will be used to continue promoting and raising awareness for marriage equality and anti-discrimination through NOH8′s interactive media campaign.”

We’re so excited that InterContinental Milwaukee is going to be hosting this event. We look forward to seeing you there!

One of the key components of my success thus far as a young creative has been involvement. Getting out there. Meeting new people. Learning about new ideas. Getting to know the movers and shakers in the Milwaukee community. Plus, being involved in the creative community is a great way to reinvigorate your own creativity. Re-motivate and re-inspire yourself, so to speak. And it never hurts to be in the know.

That’s why I’m a big supporter of networking and community gatherings that support Milwaukee’s creative culture. The following three upcoming events are personal recommendations from yours truly. I suggest you check them out:

TONIGHT: Spreenkler Meetup
Group of energetic creatives who gather to discuss social, tech, startups and more. The meetup consists of a little presentation or two, Q&A and then open forum. Beer and snacks are usually provided. I’ve attended this meetup for close to a year now, if not more, and in my opinion, it’s a can’t-miss event.

SATURDAY: WriteCamp
“WriteCamp is a free, unconference designed for you to discover new ideas and connect with people who are part of the writing world in the Midwest. It’s free and open to the public — come and enjoy keynote speakers, ad-hoc presentations, networking and food.” This will be my first Write Camp visit… can’t wait!

SATURDAY: PhotoCamp
“PhotoCampMilwaukee is a BarCamp-like event fully focused on photography. It’s an ad-hoc un-conference for people who love photography to get together and teach what they know, and learn what they don’t.” Even though I’m no pro photographer, I do have a passion for it. Sadly, it falls on the same day as WriteCamp so I won’t be able to attend this year, but you’ll see our very own Pete if you attend!

Okay, now it’s your turn. What events here in the Milwaukee area do you love to attend? Why do you think it’s so important to stay involved with and connected to our creative community?

One of the great things about working at Z2 is getting to play with the equipment after-hours…

Last week I stuck around one night and projected some of my Processing animations on the cyc wall in the photo studio, and did long exposure self-portraits.

I’m never sure how we may use this sort of thing in the future. Is there a client that will want something like this? Is there an internal project that could benefit by this sort of experimentation? I never know… but working in the creative arts, I believe you have to keep trying things, and hope that they can be sparks that someday start a fire.

Here at Z2 we’ve made some mistakes. Like you, we’re only humans, and we do our best to get it right the first time, but that doesn’t always happen. One thing we actively do to prevent mistakes is check one another’s work. (In fact, I just asked Olivia if it should be anothers or another’s or anothers’ in that last sentence.)

I grew up in the world of print, where mistakes were a lot more costly, but even in the digital world, we do our best to get it right the first time. If you just spent 20 minutes rendering a video file, and then another 20 minutes exporting and compressing it, the last thing you want to see is a typo.

I’m going to assume that other agencies do the same thing, and as for freelancers, well, I hope they have a good solution to proof something before sending it off to a client. (It’s often hard to see your own mistakes, especially when you’ve been working on a project for so long you can’t look at it objectively anymore.)

That said, it looks like the folks at the post office could use a bit of help in the proofing department.

It seems when the USPS issued a Statue of Liberty stamp, they used the wrong photo.

The Statue of Liberty depicted on a USPS stamp is actually the one at Las Vegas’s New York-New York Casino, and not the original in New York Harbor.

Oops.

Remember kids, ask a friend to proof your work!