Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Kijiji - Classifieds - Tip #2

Post throughout the year to build up your counter
Don't feel you need to post in a huge batch or post everything before March.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

LYTRO Picture Revolution

LYTRO is going to revolutionize the Camera Lens with it's shoot first focus later approach. There are some great examples of the concept on the LYTRO website utilizing Flash to simulate the concept of focusing later.  The simulation basically fades in and out different images.  I think the idea is great but I'm curious to see how it works in real life and how massive, in size and in price, this lens is going to be.

Visit the picture gallery at http://www.lytro.com/picture_gallery



Thanks to my colleague Mike Lau for the link.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Royal Bank Life Sciences - Banner Ads



This RBC banner build was a tricky one compression wise. When you deal with big images you have to think about how you're going to bring in all the images and keep the file size down. A reason why I believe HTML5 will never be able to do banner ads. I've seen HTML5 do banner ads that are similar to some of the banner ads created in flash. The only difference between HTML5 and Flash banners, that I've noticed, are:

1) File size - Some not all have exceeded the 40kb file size restriction placed on banner ads by as much as 3x and sometimes more to do the semi equivalent to a Flash banner.
2) Animation - Some of the animations I've noticed left out subtle masks, gradients and have simplified the animation.
3) Deployment - With FLASH you have to ad serve two files.  One swf and one static image. With HTML5 all the assets are separated and you have to send off every single image used in the animation, at least one css file and possibly one js file.

There are more reasons but I'll probably dedicate a whole post to reasons why HTML5 will not be able to do banner ads.


Thursday, June 23, 2011

HP Gibberish - Banner Ads


HP banner build produced for Proximity Toronto.  I had to take this banner build over from another freelance developer.  Most of the assets were coded which is usually unneccessary as it makes the project  much more difficult to work with.  Managed to complete what the client had originally wanted under the usual tight timelines.


Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Ontario Science Center - Banner Ads


A generic banner ad version for the Ontario Science Center banner ads built for Mighty an Ad Agency in Toronto.  In all my years in Toronto.  I've never been to the OSC.  I think I'm going to have to take a trip there this summer.



Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Ontario Science Center Reptiles - Banner Build


The Ontario Science Center Reptiles banner ads produced for Mighty Toronto.  Before I began building out the ad I researched the movement of Chameleons so I could make this as life like as possible. In my head I kept remembering a show I caught once on the Discovery channel about how the digital artists for the 3D Dinosaurs show had to work with paleontologists who argued over the minute details of the dinosaur.  I had a fear this would be the case as well but in the end we ended up moving away from the realism and more towards dramatics as any good banner ad should be exciting or full of movement.



Monday, June 20, 2011

CSI Ontario Science Center - Banner Ads



A banner build for the Ontario Science Center produced for Mighty Toronto. There is going to be a live performance at the Ontario Science Center for those of you who love watching CSI going on from June 6 - Sept 5, 2011.  Personally looking forward to seeing this exhibit.

Just started seeing the ad show up.  The ad links to http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/calendar/default.asp?showid=1070 where you can find out the times for the live performance.



Sunday, June 19, 2011

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Gillette Young Guns Nascar - Banner Ads


Gillette's change your blade banner ad campaign produced for Proximity Toronto. Features 6 famous Nascar drivers in several different banner ads formats.  The theme was in line with Nascar drivers pitting to change their tires for better performance on the track.  For a better shave you need to change your blade.  I agree with changing your blade for a better shave but, for an asian guy who doesn't grow a lot of facial hair, its going to be a while before I need to change mine.

Standards


Friday, June 17, 2011

Gillette Young Guns Generic - Banner Ads


Gillette Young Guns generic banner ads produced for Proximity Toronto.  This had an interesting build with an in game voken OTP that resolves inside of a Big Box.  If you click you can use the keyboard to control the car to do some donuts.


Donut OTP





Wednesday, June 15, 2011

President's Choice - BBQ Mini's


Difficult banner ad for President's Choice produced for Mighty Toronto.  There were so many large image assets in this ad that it required a ton of optimization.  Getting the flame just right was the tough part as well.  in the end the results are spectacular.  I have to say the mini idea is good.  I can remember many occasions when you'll be eating and you know you have enough room for maybe half of a hot dog or half of a hamburger.

English Version


French Version



Monday, June 13, 2011

Royal Bank Muffin Man - Banner Ads


Preroll Banner ad for RBC muffin man produced for Proximity Toronto.  Really cool ad where we had to implement a video into the banner ad.  The end frame had to be vectored in order to change the end frame of the video.

English

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Ministry of Health Pills - Banner Ads


Ministry of Health banner ads produced for Proximity Toronto.  Simple and clean banner ad part of a series of banner ads for MoH Ontario.


Saturday, June 11, 2011

MELTDOWN Short Film


Last night's leftovers battle for their lives.





Thursday, June 9, 2011

Scotia iTrade Jet - Banner Ads


I love the way the Scotia banner ads always turn out.  It's clean, simple and adaptive as we can cover just about any situation with a simple line drawing.  Another cool banner build produced for Capital C Toronto.

English

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

MSN Santa Claus - Banner Ads


Santa Claus is revered for giving you gifts for being good but I think you should be given gifts for being awesome!

My niece Stephanie, who is only 10 years old and probably doesn't believe in Santa anymore, is helping me produce my portfolio pieces. Most people I tell this to react as if I'm running a child labour factory of small elves! I find this type of ignorance insulting as it undermines a child's potential to that of a sweat shop worker making shoes for Nike.

Since my work doesn't allow me much time to update my blog. I've enlisted the help of my niece to assist me in capturing and updating my portfolio images. In the process she has learned valuable computer skills, life skills and is working towards earning her own Dell laptop that she can also use at school.

The only bottleneck is me trying to find time to write something about every piece of work I've done.  This was an MSN project produced for Mindblossom an ad agency in Toronto.


Monday, June 6, 2011

How Dragon Ball Z Movie Should Have Been

Funny how a lower budget short can be way more entertaining than the actual DBZ movie was.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

President's Choice Summer - Banner Ads


Another banner ad built for President's Choice summer product line.  Produced for Mighty a Toronto ad agency. This banner ad was the most involved as many of the raster images needed to be vectorized in order to be animated.  Like the dripping chocolate fudge or the grill and coal flames.

English Version


French Version