Having a passion for the process of design rather than one particular aspect of design is the way I approach jobs - with a broad background in Film, TV, Commercial Visual Effects, Graphic Design, Clothing Design, Logo Design, Branding & Conceptual Design, gives a great pool of experience and ideas to draw upon.
From an early age I new I wanted two things from what ever career I chose, these were to work with computers and to be creative. It was only when I was 16 when I injured my knee, which put me in bed for 2 months I really started to play with this idea - having a copy of Corel Photopaint (I think that is what it was called) I played with photos and graphics. As a lot of people do when they first get on these software they play with filters for the instant result such as lens flairs etc, it seemed so easy get an image stick a lens flair on it and hey presto my work is done, fortunately I then started have ideas rather than just being lead by the software. After my knee was better it was time to go back to school and start A levels, this did not go so well I did one term of them and decided to swap over to a GNVQ in Art & Design which a lot of my friends where doing, this was a lot better.
During the next summer holiday I managed to get some work experience in a visual effect company and post production house in different areas such and engineering, IT departments, offline editing, compositing (2D) and 3D. in the last couple of week of the holiday I did to short course at Central st Martins in Story boarding and After Effects & Premier. On these courses which were only 5 days long with every one else being professional creatives of some type (Graphics designs, Photographers) and me a fresh faced 17 year old school boy I felt I had missed something, this something was called Photoshop. It seems crazy now but I was just happy with Corel Photopaint. As soon as I got home I when through my computer arts discs and found a demo copy of Photoshop 5 installed it on my PC (yes I was a PC user) and had a look around. As with everything new and unfamiliar I did not think it was as good as Photopaint but stuck at it, very quickly I feel in love with it.
On the weekend of going back to school with the experience I gained over the summer I felt that there was nothing that I could gain by going back, as wanted to get more stuck into photoshop as a creative tool. Not getting access to these tools at school (they had 4 or 5 PC with Photoshop installed) but were under lock and key in the 2 terms doing a course in art and design had never been aloud to use them. This was probably due to the teachers not knowing anything more than we did that being nothing about the software (I hold nogrudges incase any read this). So I decided to pack it in and go to a six-form college and try and finish up the course in one term.
This was a good move at the college there were a lot more students and thus needed to be spit up allowing us to specialize in a particular discipline, I choose graphic design knowing that I would get access to the computer room.
I was relatively comfortable with Photoshop so I took to it very well, and then was introduced to illustrator (I think version 6 or 7) and I was like what the hell is this for? I can do all this in photoshop and more. I tried a little in it and got the instruction from the tutors but for what we were doing it I did not see the point and did not really pay much attention to it. At the end of the term I was on a total different level to the other students and I mean a total different level - I could see it, the other students could see it and all the tutors would gather round the screen and call in each other to see what I had produced. This was probably the first time I ever felt any good at anything in the classroom.
I used my new facinisam with the tutors to fast track and finish up the entire course that term and go and do a short 4 month course that I had got onto in “The Art and Science of Compositing” (2D Visual Effects) this was based in the LUX on Hoxton square above now what is Hoxton Bar & Grill. I am not really sure how I got on the course in retrospect I was 17 and the next student was 26.
This was to be the baptism of fire, I moved up to London in February of 2000 to start this 4 month course I was living in the city (grow up in the country) and meeting, seeing and hearing new things all the time. I was introduced to Music artists such as Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin and Plaid which were all on the label Warp Records by a fellow student Mark. from my point of view he was on it (if you know what I mean) he new what was going on who was doing it and where. Like the GNVQ I started to pull away from the majority of the class in competence in compositing and was untouchable in the motion graphics side. On the course they had a bunch of pc’s that we used day in and out for project work and getting tort on (After Effects), but they also had a Varity of Hi-End turnkey systems such as Avid DS, Quantel Henry Infinty / V8 and the p estor resistance in my eye Discreet Logic Flame.
Any chance I had I would get on this kit which was not much I mussed have logged 2 or 3 hours total in the entire 4 months which ended up being 5 months due a student uprising. During the course we visited many companies and people cam over as well to see what was going on. There was an opportunity that arouse for a junior inferno operator which a MD of a company was going to come in and interview for the job was in Copenhagen and at the time I had no interest in going there so ended up being the only student not going for this interview (the rest could see that it was a great opportunity not to be missed but I was young and ignorant). The course ended and we had the end of year show in The Mill it was hear our show reels where being projected (on loop) that the course director came up and said that some one wanted to talk to me, so being eager to talk to anyone that might give me a job I spoke to him. I was faced with a tall man who had mote probably had to much to drink and before any niceties had happened shouted at me something like “why the hell did you not come to the interview” I was taken back and took me a few moments to work out what he could be talking about or he had the wrong person. It turned out that this “gentlemen” was the MD of the company that had come in and interviewed all my fellow students. I explained that I did not go to the interview as wanted to work in London (also the job had already gone to a Korean classmate of mine). This man was obviously a bit confused that I did not want this great job opportunity he said I should still come to an interview and not to be rude I accepted and I met with him and the facilities manger for a interview.
Nothing really came of the show for me apart from the interview which seemed to have fallen into obscurity with no communication from them. As I had set my goals on becoming to be a flame artist rather than working a rotosoper / prep artist I decided that I needed to get in to a good company at the bottom and see were it takes me. I got my first job at Smoke & Mirrors as runner after a couple of weeks here I decided that the company was a little to small for me and they had rules about getting on the kit which stopped me form progressing my skill. I jumped ship and went for a 3 day trial running at The Mill - This was completely different it ran more like a very busy hotel / restaurant with about 15 runners and complex systems of duties after the 3 day trial I got the job and began working as a runner at The Mill. The very first day I was there I spoke to other runners about how we could use the machines and most had not idea what each department did let alone how to get started, but one said go and speak to an op when he is quiet, so I spoke to one of the junior ops and he sad the best thing was to speak to bookings after my shift was ended and find out which suites were free – I did this the evening of my first day of completing the 3 day trial and they gave me a suit that was free and I started getting my extra time in on Inferno. Every spare time I had I was on these machines playing with the software.
About 6-7 weeks into the running job on Sunday evening I had an email from the MD I went for the interview saying that I had got the job and when can I start at their new facility in London, this was completely out of the blue and after seeing that you have to take any opportunity that comes ones way I jumped on the opportunity and began working as a assistant / trainee flame artist.
Like most new companies there was a lot to do I arrived thinking the place would be all set up and ready to go but it was not, nothing was installed there was just a 7 story building with a load of boxes in each floor. So the first thing that needed to be done was create the facility, this was great experience installing machines, cables etc. Finally once we were up and ready our first job came in a film called Vizontelle (Turkish production) unfortunately there was not senior flame op and as I was the closest thing they had I began working on the title sequence with director and producer - looking back his was crazy as my knowledge was so small of the software and hole DI (Digital Intermediate) process but I began to learn quickly (as one does in these situations). Fortunately about a week and half later we had a senor operator who took over the main bulk of the film although I still did the title sequence and many visual effects shots.
With in about 14 months of first ever using Photoshop I was now sitting using probably the most sophisticated and most expensive (around $650,000 at the time) bit of creative computing kit on the market.
And this was just the start…
Design Director for Gun Ltd
Parent company of brand Vanguard Paintball.
Taking care of all visual design & Identity of Vanguard including - Packaging, marker (gun) concept designs, website concept design, promtional goods, sourcing UK & Far East manufactures, over seeing / management of sample production & mass production.
Freelance Designer
Creme de la Crepe
Leading Gourmet Crepery
From initial design of the logo for a mobile kiosk in St Andrews to the opening of there first restaurant in Covent Garden I have helped Creme de la Crepe owner and Managing Director Nick Willouby build the visual identity of his brand.
2004-2008
Managing Director / Everything else of Laysick Ltd - Clothing Brand
Gaining experience in all areas of running a small business including - design of garments, using Far eastern manufactures to sample and mass produce goods, trade stand management & design, shipping logistics, general design work of anything to do with the business.
2002 -2004
Freefance Visual Effect Arsts / Flame / Inferno Artist
Working of variety of jobs for variys companys inlcuding:
Monkey, Finish, Red (now part of Smoke & Mirrors), The Mill, Mill TV, Creo Colletive, Digtal Film Lab London, Smoke & Mirrors, Mill Film (Acadamy Award winning).
Clents indluded, Sony, T-Mobile, BMG, Guiness, Arriva, Corrs, Celador.
Feature Films - Underworld, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Around the World in 80 Days, Wicker Park,
Advanced Compsitirng Lecure & Hands on help with postgraduate students studying The Art & Science of Visual Effects at ECAM Madrid (Spain).
One on one teaching of bespoke course in Flame at the Natianl Film & Telivsion School (NFTS)
Outside lecturer specializing in Flame. at The FInishing School - NFTS visual effect division of the time.
2000-2002
Digital Film Lab, London Senior Inferno/Flame
Range of feature films, Short Films, Commerials and Graphics - Including Tomb Raider, Last Orders, Bloody Sunday, The Magdalene Sisters (Golden Lion @ Venice) short films About a Girl (best short Bafta) Assisted in setting up company in London.
Working with award winning directors Paul Greengrass (The bourn Supramcy & Bourn Untimatum) Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas), Peter Mullan (Magdelene Sisters)
Junior / Assiant Inferno Artist.
Working along side the experance senir Inferno artists - I learnt the process of DI (Digital Intermediant) that DFL had devloped As one of a very small team I assisted with the technical installation. After twelve months I was promoted and eventually became the company’s principal inferno artist.
Running @ Smoke & Mirrors London and The Mill & Mill Film London.
Education
References contact detail on request:
Michael Stephenson - Managing Director
Paul Gary - Head of Product Development