Outside In

"Creature Creations" Mission Statement

Creature Creations is a design firm that focuses strictly on the production of creatures for use in film, television and video games. We handle every step of the design process, from conception through to final render.

However, here at Creature Creations we don't just make designs, we truly create fantastic beasts, bringing them to life before your very eyes.  Our creatures look completely organic, whether it be a simple house cat or a ferocious dragon.  In fact, we promise that our results will yield such realism that you will be convinced these creatures actually exist somewhere in nature.  And who knows?  Maybe they do.

H&R Block redesign logo

Logo Design

A Make for the Starbucks Mermaid


Starbucks has changed its Logo a few times throughout the company's history.  With the latest redesign, celebrating Starbucks 40 year anniversary, we get a logo stripped of the iconic brand name that, up until now, encircled the famous green mermaid.  It is explained that the intention of this was to express that Starbucks has branched out considerably, and is now more than just a coffee shop.  While I understand this rationality I think that by getting rid of the brand name, or more importantly the circle that once bordered the mermaid, we are left with a logo that looks somewhat incomplete.  The article uses an image of a chronological series of Starbucks logos, starting with the very first, through to the present, and a projection of what it may look like in the future.  I think that this is especially effective in showing the way logo style has changed with our culture.  What started as a rather classy and detailed design has grown into something more streamlined, but ultimately colder.

15 Wonderfully Simple Logo Designs


This article emphasizes the effectiveness of a simple logo design, an opinion that I agree with whole heartedly.  It provides the reader with 15 examples of simple yet memorable designs including the shell logo, the usa television network logo, the mitsubishi motors logo, and the apple logo among many others. What is undeniably true about all of these logos is that they are instantly recognizable, even from a passing glance.  This is the most rewarding benefit of having a design that is simple.  For comparisons sake take a look at a more complex logo design (link to image provided below) and notice how, even with something as well known and relatable as the olympics, it can suffer from over-complexity.

http://www.getbrandswag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/2012logo_londonolympicsjpg1.jpeg

Aristocrats movie poster

movie poster

practical design

How to Ruin a Great Design

In this article, published by the NY Times, the reader can begin to understand just how critical a good product or logo design can be.  It gives examples of multiple crimes against design, and how these shortcomings can have negative impacts.  In particular, it examines poorly redesigned road signs in London.  They have the potential to be dangerous because they distract the eye, thereby making it difficult to comprehend the sign as a whole in the limited amount of time one has to view it.  In comparison, the original signs designed by Kinneir and Calvert, were simple yet brilliantly conceived with clarity and legibility in mind.
In my opinion a great design is something that should catch the eye immediately and invite intrigue.  A poor design or "crime against design"however, should be just as easy to spot because it distracts the eye and is not visually pleasing.

Computer Graphic Design 1

1. Why did you want to take this class?
I want to be a 3d modeler, and aspire to eventually design creatures for films.  At this point I just want to learn the fundamental software used in the industry.

2. What type of past computer experiences do you have?
Unfortunately my computer experience is relatively minimal.  I currently own a mac and have owned pc's in the past, however my knowledge basically only extends to microsoft word and powerpoint, and the internet.

3. Who is your favorite artist?
This depends on the medium.  My favorite artist (if forced to choose one) would have to be Salvador Dali.      Another artist that I love and look to as a role model is the late Stan Winston, who created some of my favorite creature designs put on film. Also, as far as graphic designers go, my favorite is probably Stefan Sagmiester.

4. Do you have a favorite logo or brand? Why?
There are many logo designed that I enjoy and some that I hate.  I form an opinion almost instantly upon seeing a new logo.  A favorite that comes to my head immediately is the Warner Bros. Studio logo.

4. Tell me an interesting story about yourself.
I graduated with a B.A. in criminal justice from Kean University in May 2011.  Not long after, I came to the realization that what I really wanted to do in life is work in film, behind the scenes.  I have always been a drawer (self-taught), and a film lover and I am sure that I want to design and execute creature effects for film (and video games although they are not my preference).  I plan to take some classes here at CCC to become familiar with the technology, and then go for a masters or certificate program at one of the top visual effects schools in the world.

6. What kind of computer access do you have outside of class?
I own a macbook but it is old and slow and freezes often so it isn't exactly reliable.  I hope that it will suffice for the purposes of this class .