Just finished a couple of days work for my friends at Linney Group. Glad to have helped out on a cool explainer video, which needed some motion design animation. Nice working with you guys and hope to work with you again soon!
Adobe After Effects 2015.3
OK - so I don't know what has just happened with the latest update of Adobe After Effects - BUT - having just updated to 2015.3 (version 13.8.1) I have got some very weird behaviour. Primarily After Effects is now not correctly seeing the alpha channels of some previously imported .mov files. Just yesterday I was happily using these PNG codec .mov files - with built in alpha channel - and they were working perfectly. But now it is as if they are set to around 10% opacity, which they are not! Plus they have undergone a colour shift towards a kind of ghostly blue. All very strange. SO I have just installed the previous version of 2015 onto my system to try to get back to a version of AE that allows me to use these video clips - especially as I am mid-project! If you have a similar problem and you don't know how to install a previous version, of any Adobe product, using your Creative Cloud subscription, I will write another blog post shortly, explaining how to do that. But right now I have to test my new install to ensure I can render out what my client needs!
Why did I go freelance?
Why have I chosen to go freelance? There are a few reasons:
Firstly it is now possible to work at home, on a decent Apple Mac (or PC if that is your choice!). When I started in this business it would have been too expensive to set up at home - especially during the early days of MoGraph when I was using very expensive kit, such as Quantel's Hal Express!
Secondly, it has given me the freedom to pursue the kind of projects that excite me and to be able to work on those projects at really reasonable rates. I can be far more competitive without all the overheads of a large company.
Thirdly, it has enabled me to move to another part of the country. Having worked in Manchester for around 20 years (and loved it), this have given me the freedom to be "location independent", at a time where that freedom is very useful.
And finally, I am now my own boss. It means that the buck stops with me. Meaning my clients know exactly what is going on at any given time, as I am the sole point of contact. Clients can therefore hear exactly what I intend to do, how I plan to do it and in what time frame. No confusion, no crossed wires, just a simple client / designer relationship.
First Project Commissioned
I am pleased to write here, that my friends over at 422.TV have commissioned me for my first project. A motion graphic piece for a major pharmaceutical firm. Thanks guys!
Design Hutch launches website
Welcome to my new website. My name is Owain, I am the Director of Design Hutch Limited. Please feel free to ask me anything. And pop back regularly to keep up with my news!