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Archived entries: Brainstorm

January 23, 2010
In Brainstorm, Featured
3 comments

Money for Masking and the Pics for Free

The image used for the header of this article is not a CAD rendering. Neither is it a fragment of a 3D model wireframe. It is a detail from the image mask I had to produce today in order to adapt a stock image into usable element for a motion graphics project I am currently working on.

Masking, matting, rotoscoping, keying… you name it – not exactly the favorite task for most designers, yet a necessary one. But does it have to be? In this article I would like to propose a solution that could potentially free the artists from the labor of building alpha channels for their images, earn freelancers some money and help the big stock providers expand their offering.

July 26, 2009
In Brainstorm
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Advanced Typing Tutor Software

We have all at one point or another encountered some sort of typing tutor program. They teach you how to position your hands on the keyboard, which keys to press using which finger in order to achieve maximum speed 10-finger typing skill.

My problem with these programs was always the boring routine of repeating the same basic lessons over and over. Rows and rows of asde sad desa ased dads sead deeds seeds sdsa needed to be typed over and over again.

February 28, 2009
In Brainstorm
2 comments

Making airport messages easier to understand

When I travel, I often find it difficult to understand the announcements broadcast through the P.A. system. Whether I am on the road or waiting for someone, the airports, train stations and bus terminals all use similar technology, digitally assembling announcement text from the pre-recorded fragments.

Whenever the announcement starts on the speakers, I need to stop whatever I am doing and concentrate, memorizing the letters and digits of the flight number and re-assembling them by myself.

All this is due to the way in which the audio clips used in the system are recorded, and can be fixed with just a little bit of extra effort.

February 28, 2009
In Brainstorm
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Parking lot map on the parking ticket

Let’s start with something simple:

People having problems finding their cars in the multi-story parking garages.

The problem and setup:

Most of the parking lots offer semi-automated ticketing system. When you enter, you receive a card recording the time of arrival. Upon exit, you need to either pay the fee or validate your stay and then use the same card at the exit gate in order to open it.

Featured Articles

AE64

AE64 is a tribute to the demoscene and to the legacy of world’s most popular microcomputer: Commodore 64.

While this video was created using the typical contemporary arsenal of tools (mainly After Effects and Cinema 4D), it conforms to most of the basic graphical limitations of the C64 such as a limited 16-color palette, low resolution, use of the overscan area etc. To maintain the spirit of the demo, I also created most of the effects using various scripts and code snippets, procedurally automating many of the tasks typically animated using keyframes.

Tutorial: UFO Trolling

In this tutorial I will teach you how to create your own UFO troll video using After Effects and Mocha – a process that should take you no longer than 30 minutes from the moment you grab a camera, to the time you are ready for upload.

Quba Michalski: Creative Free Agent

I am the creative free agent, and I want you to work with me.

Preset+Tutorial: Floaties

In this tutorial I will demonstrate the use of a new free preset from QubaHQ.com – Floaties. Floaties is a text animator based fake particle simulator allowing you to create floating specs of dust, glitters, bokeh-style out of focus abstract backgrounds and other visual elements.

Preset+Tutorial: Stop Motion Kit

In this tutorial I will show you how to quickly simulate stop motion aesthetic using my After Effects Stop Motion Kit. This collection of presets will allow you to easily add subtle imperfections to the movement of objects in your scene, emulating animator errors that are a staple of stop motion animation. Using 6 different expression sets, you will be able to apply and control glitches in movement, rotation and timing of your objects as well as simulate changes in camera position and exposure.

Reel 2011

Here is my personal reel for June 2011, featuring pieces I have directed, edited, animated and designed in the recent years.

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Archived entries: Brainstorm

Money for Masking and the Pics for Free

Advanced Typing Tutor Software

Making airport messages easier to understand

Parking lot map on the parking ticket

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