Hi,
my name is Nicholas and welcome to my blog!
I should have started this one a long time ago. Well, better now than never.
A bit about myself...
My daytime job is:
I'm currently a SR Director of Product Design and Concept Development for PDP. Performance Designed Products. I manage an uber talented group of artist and designers that create accessories for the video game, mobile and consumer electronics industry. Cool and fun stuff!
My nighttime job is:
I'm a virtual reality enthusiast, product designer and tinkerer/maker that specializes in using digital tools for use in product design and collectible industries. I also moonlight as an independent film maker. It is safe for me to say my passion is more for film and the related world around it.
Before PDP I worked at Walt Disney Imagineering as a designer, Show Producer and Blue-Sky prototype developer.
Other employers...
Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, DreamWorks, Universal Studios.
The list goes on...
I have been working behind closed doors and on secretive projects for big companies for so many years. I have been exploited by the best of the best and have toiled away for the little mom and pop establishments, all this time just being a good down to earth team player. I have loved every bit of it. I have been fortunate enough to make money doing what I want to do and to be creative and have fun doing it! Work isn't really work when you can have passion for what you do and have fun doing it too.
Now I am at that point in my life where I am ready to share my insights and experiences for what it may be worth..
This blog is for the curious people seeking a different point of view, a different perspective on the creative process. A non orthodox view of doing things. I'm going to share my thoughts about creativity, inspiration and how to problem solve past the roadblocks. I will talk about making movies and art directing video games and designing theme parks and whole lot of other seemingly non related projects. Non related they may seem, but non the less connected to the overall created process called imagination. We will peer out of the box and observe the non conventional approach to creative thinking. We will talk about techniques long lost and forgotten that were once used before the digital age took hold. Techniques that are rarely used and can be applied to today's film making process.
You know the cliche...there is more than one way to skin a cat and so goes it... there is more than one way to approach a creative problem, especially when it comes to making a movie. In today's technology and internet driven society there are more opportunities to realize a project than there ever have been in the history of film making and even story telling for the printed page. And just as there are more opportunities, there are more roadblocks to overcome.
In my career I have probably worked on over 200 film projects from both behind and in front of camera. The thing is, I was hired to work on these projects. I took advantage of this in one big way...I observed and learned the process of making a movie.
Today I have two indie films under my belt that I am partly responsible for. I didn't write or direct them, but I played a major role on each one of them and I am part owner of them.
One is an animated feature film called "AeroTroopers".
The other is a horror film called "Dead and Gone" Both have been direct to DVD releases.
They are not the greatest achievement in film making by no means, but they are technically proficient and are just part of the learning experience for me to go on to the next indie film I want to make.
Working on these two film projects were the most educational times of my life. After working on them I was hooked as an indie film maker.
In the next chapters of this blogg I will start with making movies on the cheap with low end cameras and inexpensive software.The conversation will progress into what ever direction it seams fit to go into. But it will be about the being creative and not being blocked by the expense of hi tech gadgetry. Though I will discuss all valid means of making movies and short stories. I will not hold back on my opinions if I know it is valid enough to talk about.
