Mark Coleran Visual Designer

Breaking up is hard to do…

Saying good bye is hard. Even more so when you have invested a huge amount of time and effort into something that you care very much about. There comes a time however, when you need to do so. I am currently wrapping up design on version 2.0 of Flow at Gridiron and will be moving on shortly, too new things.

I am however happy to say that I am not moving on for bad reasons. Working in software this last three years has been a huge shift for me and extremely challenging. During that period I have learned a hell of a lot, developed an intimate understanding of the process of creating and developing software and had the opportunity to work with some incredibly smart people. It is an experience and insight I will not soon forget.

In addition to that, we created Flow. Just for what has been done so far, it was an extraordinary achievement. Simply as a piece of technology it was a radical and nothing anyone had previously achieved. As an artists tool it had some rough edges but for a version one product was remarkably robust. The feedback from those who got it was incredible. Something capped and recognized when we received a Macworld Best in Show in 2008 for a product that had yet to even ship.

Where it is going next and what it will be able to do in future versions, will leapfrog version one and I hope, will become an indispensable part of all creatives toolsets. Some great new ideas and changes to make it far easier and far more useful.

Despite being sad that I will be leaving such a great team and brilliant project, I have got the itch to get involved again in the front lines of creative work and looking forward to getting stuck in, on some great new projects.

I must say I am proud to have been a part of team who created Flow and wish Gridiron all the best in the future with it.

Mark

A Face Made for Radio

As a result of the recent and unusual interest in what I and others have done in the weird and wonderful world of FUI, I got asked to do a couple of radio interviews.

The first was with Petra Mayer on the weekend edition of NPR’s All Things Considered that went out on the 23rd January. A short but interesting look at what we do. Show site is here and you can get the audio, show notes and transcript.

The second was with Nora Young from CBC Radio One, Spark. A great little show I have long enjoyed and a real honor to have taken part in. The full length interview is available on the site, here. The show itself will go out with an abridged version on Sunday 31st January at 1pm EST.

It is wonderful to get to talk in detail about the subject and share some of the insights and background with those interested.

Mark

Credit Where Credit is Due

It has been a very strange week.

On Thursday I noticed a sudden surge in people following me on Twitter and was a little confused as to the reason. Some days, one or two people follow you. All of a sudden, there are hundreds! It turns out the reason was an article in Gizmodo that had a write-up on the work I have done in film.

It was really nice to see the article and great to get good coverage of what is usually a much scorned, misunderstood and hidden area of work in film and television. The core of the article really hit at what we try to do when we create these things and it was refreshing to see such insight.

There is however something I wanted to add to the discussion and it comes down in essence to the title of the article. Ridiculous User Interfaces In Film, and the Man Who Designs Them. I have nothing wrong with them being called Ridiculous. I agree, they sometimes are. What I would like to expound upon is the ‘man’ part.

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Broad.cat 09 in Barcelona

Presenting at the Broad.cat 09 conference in Barcelona on Friday 27th November.

Who do you think you are?
“What do you do?” has always been a harder answer for designers to give than you might think. Using his own career and work in print, broadcast & film as a backdrop, Mark looks at what we think we do, what others think we do and what we really do – and how they are sometimes very different. Those differences can have huge impacts on the way we work, our mental state, the way we see opportunities and our futures as designers.

This is a subject I am interested in exploring more and more and would love to hear feedback and stories from people. Who do you think you are?

Motion 09 Presentation

I will be down in Albuquerque next week, from the 10th until the 14th October, for the Motion 09 conference. This event has been running for a few years now, and although small in comparison to some, it has attracted some really good people, presenters and attendees alike. I am really looking forward to being a part of the event and a synopsis is below.

You can still sign up for the event here, but hurry, not much time left!

See you there!

Presentation: Screen Design, Imaginary Visual Interfaces
The camera cuts to a close-up of a computer screen, showing an incredible ‘futuristic’ application – software you’ve never seen. That’s because it doesn’t exist – except for in the mind of visual designer, Mark Coleran.

Join Mark as he takes you on an in-depth look at the tools, workflow and techniques used to create screen graphics for films. How does he use Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects to create these works of art? Learn about his process for gathering reference materials, along with looking at how to make the most of resources you have – and how to re-use them for other things.

Take part in activities that focus on design and storytelling as one step in the process of creating screen graphics.

Session 3hrs, 13th October

IBC Amsterdam

I will be in Amsterdam with Gridiron for IBC over the next week. If you get the chance, swing by the JVC stand in Hall 10, where Angie Taylor will be showing off Flow at the following times…

Friday – 12.00-12.30, 14.30-15.00
Saturday – 9.30-10.00, 13.00-13.30
Sunday – 9.30-10.00, 16.30-17.00
Monday – 9.30-10.00, 16.00-16.30

If your nice to her and say sweet things, she might also give you an invite to the Gridiron party where I will be doing a short presentation on screens and UI design; Screens: From Fantasy to Reality.

At most other times we will be hanging out at the Adobe booth.

If your there, send a tweet and catch up.

Mark

FXPHD Classes

Last year I had the pleasure of contributing to a term at FXPHD and they are being re-run in the new July 09 term.

If you have never come across it before, FXPHD is a superb teaching resource for visual effects professionals, film-makers, editors etc and all those aspiring to be so. Detailed and professional courses taught by people who do the work; day-in, day-out.

I did 4 classes of (one of which was a recorded interview). These were looking at the design and animation of screen type elements using Photoshop and Illustrator, but mostly at After Effects.

Overall the course went down well. A relief as it was the first time I had attempted such a thing and fitting the production of the course into daily work was tricky. There were however a few complaints.

The main thread of all of them was that it had been billed as a 302 level course; Advanced After Effects. It did make me chuckle at the time. I do not get out of bed in the morning with the aim of doing ‘advanced After Effects’. I just want to design and animate something that works well, appropriate for the brief and production and hopefully looks good.

The irony is that a lot of the work ends up looking complicated. The reality is rather more mundane. When you have a deadline you do not look too exotic and sophisticated techniques. You use good and trusted tools, techniques and workflows to deliver. In a fast turnaround environment there is only one rule. Deliver. It is not always as important what you deliver as long as you do.

I would almost describe myself as lazy. I want to find the easiest and best way from A to B. It gives me more time to spend on other areas of the production and makes later changes far easier.

Hopefully the sessions I did give a small insight into this process and they are available in the current term which has just started. Course AFX207.

Check it out.

Flow is Complete

2 years is a long time; at least, It is for someone who was used to working on projects that range in length from 3 hours to 3 months. Taking the time to get something right is a luxury that you rarely get in most areas of production. At least time that you get paid for. It was for that reason I originally took a position with Gridiron Software. Making a move that few people understood and others called me crazy for doing so. Why would I essentially walk away from what some people have described as one of the coolest jobs in motion graphics to work for a small startup software company in a city that ranges in temperature from -40 to +40. And working in software?

The reason why is now available for all to see, try and hopefully buy.

Continue reading…

Concentric Rings Project

Recently Satya Meka created a tutorial for AETuts based on a sequence that was done for The Island. The sequence involved the creation of a concentric ring animation that was stepped off using expressions to delay the motion and create an unusual rythmic effect.

In regard of the great job Satya did in reproducing this, I have attached here for download, the original After Effects test project used as the base for this. Unfortunately it is an older project that contained project specific elements I had to remove and clean up in CS4. I am unable to supply it in any project version before that.

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Books

Creative After Effects 7: Workflow Techniques for Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics
Authored a chapter on the use of presets for Angie Taylors excellent book. Still relevant and insightful no matter what version of Adobe After Effects you are using. Angie has an open and informal writing style that makes even complex concepts, clear and understandable. It was a real pleasure to have been able to contribute to her book.

After Effects @ Work (DV Expert Series)
Authored a chapter on the creation of a bezel element similar to the objects and devices used in the creation of the screen work. A great collection of contributing artists make this a good book, giving designers a great window into how people really work.

The tutorial in this book was inspired by an element I created for the film Mr & Mrs Smith. Maltaanon did a great tutorial for Motionworks inspired by the same source, for the Making it Look Great 5 series of tutorials. The tutorial is 01 Gyro.

Click here to visit Motionworks website

Let’s Try Again…

Warm Robot Love

Location: N/A
Info: Everyone loves robots…

Download: 1920x1200 Warm Robot (1122)
Download: 2560x1600 Warm Robot (912)

Cool Robot Love

Location: N/A
Info: Everyone loves robots…

Download: 1920x1200 Cool Robot (997)
Download: 2560x1600 Cool Robot (884)

Chesham Fog

Location: Chesham, Buckinghamshire
Info: Taken during the bad fog in 2007 that shut Heathrow down for a few days. Shot at dusk on a 30 second exposure on the Nikon D80 and processed in Photoshop and Photomatix Pro.

Download: 1920x1200 Chesham 01 (1213)
Download: 2560x1600 Chesham 01 (1025)

Update 2057

Production: Update 2057
Production Company: Gruppe 5 Productions
Post Company: 422
Role: Concept & Art Direction
Date: 02.06

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FTP Drop Widget

Client: Private
Project: FTP Konfabulator Widget
Role: Concept & Visual Design
Date: 05.06

Visual design for simple FTP widget running under the old javascript Konfabulator widget application.

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iFilter

Client: Digital Film Tools
Project: iFilter: Photo Filter Application
Role: Concept & Visual Design
Date: 01.2007

Consumer application for a photo filter set that was originally marketed towards professionals. The aim was to create a simple and logical layout and flow that people could use with little or no instruction.

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Coleran.com

Client: Personal
Product: Personal Website
Role: Concept & Visual Design
Date: 06.2001

Personal website for self promotion.

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Layerlab

Client: Layerlab
Project: Layerlab Website
Role: Concept & Visual Design
Date: 09.2004

Stock resource site specializing in the production and sale of resources for motion graphics artists.

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xXx: The State of The Union

Production: xXx: The State of The Union
Director: Lee Tamahori
Production Company: Comumbia Pictures Corporation
Playback: Useful Companies
Role: Design & Animation
Date: 07.05

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Form Strip

Just some messing about with Trapcode Form in After Effects.

Download: 1920x1200 Strip 01 (1948)
Download: 2560x1600 Strip 01 (1547)

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Production: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Director: Simon West
Production Company: Paramount Pictures
Playback: Useful Companies
Role: Art Direction, Design & Animation
Date: 06.01

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No Juice

Location: Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire
Info: Taken above one of the stages at Pinewood. Despite modernisation, a lot of old electrical gear remains up in the gods. Too heavy or large to remove.

Download: 1920x1200 Dial (1703)
Download: 2560x1600 Dial (1360)

The World Is Not Enough

Production: The World Is Not Enough
Director: Michael Apted
Production Company: Danjaq, Eon
Playback: Useful Companies
Role: Design & Animation
Date: 01.99

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The Bourne Identity

Production: The Bourne Identity
Director: Doug Liman
Production Company: Universal Pictures
Playback: Useful Companies
Role: Art Direction, Design & Animation
Date: 03.02

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Lili & Lizi

Production: Lili & Lizi
Playback: Useful Companies
Role: Art Direction, Design & Animation

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Domino

Production: Domino
Director: Tony Scott
Production Company: New Line Cinema
Post: Blackbox Digital
Role: Art Direction, Design & Animation

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Spy Game

Production: Spy Game
Director: Tony Scott
Production Company: Universal Pictures
Playback: Useful Companies
Role: Art Direction, Design & Animation
Date: 04.01

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Agent Cody Banks 2

Production: Agent Cody Banks 2
Director: Kevin Allen
Production Company: Dylan Sellers Productions
Post: Double Negative
Role: Art Direction, Design & Animation

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Fred Claus

Production: Fred Claus
Director: David Dobkin
Production Company: Warner Bros.
Playback: Useful Companies
Role: Art Direction, Design & Animation

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