Adobe After Effects

This post is for all aspiring motion graphics artists. John Vondracek, a filmmaker and industry leader in motion graphics for over 10 years, has prepared a tutorial that lets you integrate yourself better with Adobe After Effects. There are 14 chapters that discuss varying topics from animation to 3D engines. This is good for AE beginners.

Click through this link: A Study in Motion Graphics  

The Chapters:

1. Introduction
2. TV “The Basics”
3. Intro to Workflow Part 1 & 2
4. Animation
5. Rendering
6. Compositing
7. Alpha Channels
8. Compositing with Alpha Channels
9. Mattes
10. Keying
11. Masking
12. Rotoscoping
13. Into the Third Dimension
14. Other Concepts and Tools parts 1 & 2

There are even more resources for After Effects in the After Effects Design Center

Have fun!

The Modern Mathematics

ROMANCE MATHEMATICS
Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

OFFICE ARITHMETIC
Smart boss + smart employee = profit
Smart boss + dumb employee = production
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

SHOPPING MATH
A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs. A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item that she doesn’t need.

GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife. A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

HAPPINESS
To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little. To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

LONGEVITY
Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

PROPENSITY TO CHANGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t. A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, and she does.

DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE
A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

Black Rose

“The color black has always been synonymous with death and mourning. It is thus the color of sadness and farewell. So, many people consider black roses to symbolize bereavement, loss and mortality. Since black represents death, many interpret the black rose to mean vengeance that may lead to the death of a foe. The negative connotations here are far reaching, and make the black rose the least sought after among roses.”

Contrary to many nuances, I, for one, am an admirer of this rare flower. The rose, as it is, is a beautiful flower and the color black only adds more aesthetic value to it. Yet its dark color is also its tragic foe since it is a symbol of death that most of us fear.

For me the meaning of black rose is not definite. It may symbolize death and mourning yet death need not be a ghastly topic at all. It can be a cause of new beginnings and a journey to unexplored territory. Death may be the death of bad habits and old order. It is standing at a brink of a new era that inspires hope.

I have longed that someone may give me a black rose. I have once created a poem about person, hhmmm, shall we put it, I once loved. My pain is not the black rose I refer but rather the inflicter of my misery. Out of pain I created about 3 lovely poems, that I have been so darn proud of. I guess, what I’m trying to say is that a black rose is a black rose and its meaning is all up to you. Don’t get so caught up about how others perceive it. Open up your mind to the many things that society may find unacceptable.

The black rose does not have too many warm or positive nuances,but it has been always admired for its beauty, one that I would strongly agree…

Adopt a Spot

Since the house located at the back of our office building has been demolished, a dog has been seen laying around the hallway towards the backside parking lot. I named him Spot since his head has a spot of grease.

Spot’s fur is white but now it seems more like gray with more spots of car grease all over. He has this very big sad eyes that would just melt your heart. Contrary to most local dogs we have, Spot is big for his kind with cute big paws.

Whenever I see him lying lazily in the hall, I couldn’t help myself buy some bread to feed the poor thing. I think his previous owner left him when they moved away and for me, a lover of furry animals especially dogs, it is just not right. I should have placed him inside my bag when he was just a puppy. T’was my chance.

Despite his current predicament, homeless and hungry, Spot is really popular among the ladies and girl-wanna-bes and that’s how he gets to eat for the day, from hand-outs of people who finds him adorable.

I have been trying to persuade Maurisyo to adopt Spot for a few weeks now but he is not budging from his “No”. I’ve also been trying to reach people who needs a dog maybe they could adopt him. Until then, I would be buying Spot ‘meat roll’ everyday.