We've moved!

That's right folks, the old Blogger account is being retired as the Animation Caffeinated blog is now featured at NickVaka.com. For loyal readers (if there are any, I almost NEVER update this poor thing), feel free to follow my exploits there. I'm currently working on new content, and making a point to post about new work that's gone public.

Thanks for being there! I can't wait to see you at our new home.

Finding Ella Scores Best Graphics & Costumes

I'm happy to report that the 48 Hour Film Project I worked on with AVA Productions and Lost Weekend Productions, just landed best graphics in the Baltimore 48 Hour Film Project. Here's the trailer for the film:

I was going for a 1940s look for the end credits in the style of the Catch Me If You Can title sequence. Initially the background was red, but since the movie takes place in both the 1940s and 70s, the director wanted it to tie in with both eras. As a result, the city lights were added to give it a somewhat gritty, urban feel.

Overall, I'm very happy with how the final product came out and I'm looking forward to rejoining the group next year and bringing what I learned this year to make an even more stellar piece! Enjoy some stills of my sequence below.

DNS Explained Animation

My latest animation for DNS Made Easy which details the process that happens every time you enter a domain name into your browser (unless the IP address is cached, but you know what I mean). The animation currently resides here, and was designed to teach not only technical people the ins and outs of a DNS lookup, but the general public as well.

Created with Creative Suite 5 for DNS Made Easy.

Recently featured on Technorati by Mr. Curtis Silver!

Demo Reel

New demo reel showcasing some of my latest work for Mhz, BET, DNS Made Easy and various other clients. If you want to see more, don't hesitate to drop me a line or throw me a comment here!

Working with DNS Made Easy

Working with DNS Made Easy over the past few years has given me a tremendous opportunity to experiment with different types of motion graphics concepts. My favorite piece so far? "The Importance of DNS above. Not only has this been the most popular video on our channel, it was also the most fun and fast paced to work on. I thought a hybrid, infographic/kinetic typography approach was just the thing needed to keep this video entertaining and educational.

As for the technical end; the majority of the art was created in Adobe Illustrator with some pieces (the TV and the Monty-Python-esque politicians), done in Photoshop. All the animation was done in After Effects and the audio was processed in Adobe Audition. Be sure to check out it's static counterpart here.

We've had an overwhelmingly positive response so far, and are looking forward to creating the next one in the series, which is currently in pre-production. Check out my latest character driven piece as well if you haven't already.

It's been a really big year, so thanks to everyone who's made it special. Try to have a safe and happy holiday!

Busy Busy...

It's been a tremendously busy few months since my last post here. Along with working on a new campaign for the good folks here at DNS Made Easy, I've also been working on this. Little Lucy was born in the middle of August and just recently became 1 month old.

So yeah, no updating as frequently as I should be, but I did want to step away and post some new work while I was thinking about it. Here's an illustration I submitted for review over at TeeFury.com, a website that sells a different user-designed shirt every day. I call it "Cherry Pickin."

A few videos I produced for DNS Made Easy also went live finally. I was pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback we've received from customers, and potential customers alike.

That's all I've got time for for now. I'll post links to more work as it's completed.

Back in the Saddle

Sorry everyone. It has been entirely too long since I've updated this poor blog. I know I've said that in the past, but I'm not certain that I ever let it sit for quite this long.

I suppose an explanation is in order (even though you've most likely deduced it on your own). Last year, around the time of my last blog post, I was working upwards of 80-90 hours a week between 4 different companies both at home and onsite. It was a fairly insane schedule and I'm only too happy to be free of it. My work with the Teaching Company came to a close soon after and I accepted a full time position as Creative Director with Tiggee LLC, branding their company DNS Made Easy. I've been with the company for over a year now and have produced a medley of animated shorts. I still do some freelance work on the side, but Tiggee is the company I work for primarily. The position has challenged me both creatively and professionally, and forced me to work outside my normal workflow a little, but it's been some of the most fun I've had in the field since I started doing this back in 2004.

Below you'll find some examples of work I produced for the company accompanied by a brief description of each piece and cast notes.

The pieces were designed in Illustrator and animated in After Effects. I was responsible for writing and reworking the scripts with edits from the company's president: Casting, directing, recording and editing the voice over: Designing and animating all characters, sets and motion graphics pieces: Also edited the spots and added music and sound effects. The voice-over artists were David Coyne, Nicole Vaka, and myself.