Archive for July, 2007
Its 11.30PM now, and by now I should be in bed reading. Instead, I’m staring at my screen looking at the painfully slow progress bar in After Effects as I’m making a draft render of an animated sequence I’m submitting for an upcoming gallery exhibit in London and Berlin (no I can’t say what it is, because I don’t even know if my work will be accepted).
I started way too late on this thing… it has been a while since I’ve done any animation/After Effects work. I ended up reworking a concept that I started work on in 2003 for another animation project that never saw the light of day. I had done all the prelims, but somehow the whole project died a quiet death. So now this thing comes along and its the perfect excuse to dust off After Effects, revist the idea and do it properly this time…
Technorati Tags: after effects, animated sequence, animation project, gallery exhibit, progress bar
The previous “Anatomy of…” got a lot of feedback (i.e. people seem to find it interesting how I design), so here’s another one. I’ll try to make this a regular feature on the blog as long as I find stuff that’s interesting enough.
Anyway. Worry Doll was the first graphic novel published by Mam Tor™ Publishing. Written and Illustrated by Australian artist Matt Coyle. Matt, shopping around for a publisher got in touch with Liam (the Mam Tor Editor-In-Chief), Liam fell in love with it, and subsequently I got the task of designing the book. Since my book designing skills are practically non-existent (i.e. I haven’t opened Quark in 4 years, and up until then an InDesign virgin), I asked my fiancée Liz - art director at Tank Magazine - to help me out with the book…
Continue reading…
Magazine photo by Sam Gilbey
The 100th issue of Computer Arts Projects has hit the stands. Sam Gilby wrote a piece on designing for print, featuring 2 tips from yours truly.
Technorati Tags: computer arts, computer arts projects, print design, print design tips
This summer (if I’m correct) (edit: in stores July 25th) the second book of 24SEVEN, edited by that young strapping lad Ivan Brandon, will be released by Image Comics. Its an awesome book (I say this in blind faith and based on the talent involved, because I haven’t actually seen it yet edit: I have it in my hands now, and it is indeed awesome. Go buy a copy now!) so make sure you pick it up from your local comic shop when you have the chance.
I thought it would be fun to show you how the cover- and book design came together.
Before I got involved with the book, Ivan and I started talking, both being fans of each other’s work, and wondering when or if there’d be a chance to collaborate on something.
Cue Ashley Wood, with whom I’ve been collaborating for some years now, who turned out to be doing the cover art and design for 24SEVEN #2. Ash had no objections to me handling the design part, so at that moment I became involved with the book.
Continue reading…
So from time to time I get email requests from all over the world asking me a ton of questions.
Usually different people tend to ask the same, so in an attempt to avoid possible dissapointment from you, dear questioner, some generic answers from me.
1. I’m a student visiting London, can I visit your studio?
No. Because I don’t have a studio. I work from home. Only friends, family and cats are allowed here.
2. I’m a student, can I intern at your company?
No. I’m not a company, helloMuller is my portfolio. I work at Kleber (which is a full time job).
Whatever work you see on this site (except Kleber work of course) is done by me alone or with Liz.
Who’s Liz?
My lovely wife.
2B. Will you consider hiring me instead?
Nope. See above.
3. So can I intern at Kleber?
That’s a tricky one. Kleber is a small company, and since 2005 we converted to what they call a “virtual company”, which means you won’t find an office to intern at. So again, no.
4. Can I work for Kleber then?
If and when we need someone, it will be announced on our site and probably on a bunch of design portals, if you keep your eyes open you won’t miss it. Besides that, no, we’re not hiring.
5. I’m a student at XXXX working on my XXXX project, can you help me?
This is one of the more popular requests. Sorry, but I will not / can not help you with your project.
I don’t have the time for that, and I’m no robot that you can task for student work.
6. You’re the subject of my project at school, can I ask you some questions?
Sure, fire them over. Keep in mind that I won’t answer “How would you solve my assignment?” questions.
7. You arrogant bastard, why don’t you reply to me?!
Because a) I get a lot of emails, and sometimes something slips through the net. b) I’m busy and I forget. c) I didn’t like your email (when you ask for something a short introduction and a please would be appreciated) d) because I like to reply properly instead of the generic “No I’m sorry, best of luck!” and therefore have no time to write a proper reply. See b.
8. Hey, I just graduated, give me a job!
See answers 1, 2, 4 and 7C.
9. Hey, I just graduated, do you know where I can get a job?
To be honest, I know as much as you probably. Yes, I know a lot of people who know people but that doesn’t equal to me knowing whats happening at their companies at any given time. If I know someone is hiring I’ll be the first to post it around. Besides that, don’t ask me because I don’t know.
10. I like your work! Let’s collaborate!
Thank you very much! But no thank you. I’m usually busy with work and my own stuff, I like to have a little life away from my desk, and I’m really, really picky when it comes to people I’ll collaborate with (yea I’m anal that way). Sorry.
So there you go.
I’m cross-posting this from Liam’s MySpace blog:
Dear all,
As you may or may not know, Mam Tor™ are putting together their first feature.
We just had a great weekend shoot for a fictitious EPK, which Brian Luff (who works at the BBC developing comedy and internet cross-over stuff, as well as producing one of itunes top 3 comedy podcasts - comedy365) directed, and which features Ian Shaw. It debuted at the Bristol Comic Expo, where it went down a storm. This whole thing is gathering a fair bit of attention and interest - but we still need your help! One of the most important aspects of this is demonstrating that the project has a potential audience, and I believe it has. It’s 30 years since Elvis died, and there’s never been anybody quite like him. It’s time he returned…The project is being produced by Mam Tor™ under a loose alliance with Renga Media, Little Circle and Comedy 365. Our feature is a “schlock mock rock doc”, called “VZE” (Viking Zombie Elvis) - just think “Sean of the Dead” meets “Spinal Tap”, and you’ll be getting close…
The attached director is Doug Smith, who’s a veteran promo director - he did the first ever Roxy Music promo amongst others, pioneering the concept, and shot many classic covers for “Melody Maker”, before moving into documentaries and corporate film making.
Talent attached are web-based comedy duo Sowerby and Luff and Ian Shaw.
On the production design side we have Richard Dolan, who worked on Peter Jackson’s “The Frighteners” - an AMAZING artist; and Simon Bisley & Glenn Fabry - neither of which I need say more about…
Here are some links to various related sites, galleries, etc.
Zombie Elvis & The Vikings
Liam SharpThere’s obviously a lot more to everything than I’ll go into here, but it should give you an idea.
PLEASE help spread the word by posting this VZE promo teaser and help us raise awareness.
Also check out the Ian Shaw “Zombie Hunter” podcast, which is also now available on iTunes.If you like deadpan UK humour you’ll love his turn here!
Many thanks, and keep an eye out for more related stuff in the future!
Very best,
Liam and Mam Tor™!
The 2005 version of Sony BMG Music UK
In 2005 we redesigned the site for Sony BMG Music UK. When we started on the project, I did a series of designs, all quite neutral, seeing that a label as big and diverse as Sony BMG can’t really be pigeon-holed in one visual style related to a specific music genre. However, during the design process it became clear the label wanted (or needed) a very “Pop” approach - so after a few weeks the result was a compromise between my original idea and a candy coloured alternative. It did the job, but in my personal opinion I always felt it lacked something - being neither this or that.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and Sony BMG decided to focus more on the label itself than being a 100% customer-facing site. Enter our original design concept, some cleanup, and voila.
The 2007 version, based on the original design concept
Technorati Tags: sony bmg, sony bmg music uk
Today I managed to squeeze out 3 different design proposals for one of our clients. Not bad for a day’s work.
They said they were happy with rough ideas and sketches to get a feel for it, but me being me I need to have *everything* in there - the little RSS icon, the nice dropdown, nice dummy text… . I can’t help it. Oh well.
I think I’m going to lie down now and let my brains pour out of my ears.