Design and Endeavoring Great Effort and Investment

At last I was making it in my career after many years of hard work and toil. Throughout my start in the work and experience in arts; as well as generally aspiring in fabulous design; there were many instances when I felt like giving up. The ride was never smooth. I started out while in college when I had almost nothing.

I usually practiced and honed my skills by using the schools PCs, because I didn’t own one. There were times that I could never afford even some cash to buy some coloring crayons; for a project that I was given. Nevertheless, I still soldiered on because I was passionate about what I was doing.

I believed that success would follow later

Therefore, when I landed a good contract in design; from one of the major TV show production house; I knew that this was the best opportunity for me to increase my portfolio in folds. This would later help me in landing better gigs in future. I was ready to put all the necessary efforts needed to ensure that I got the best recommendation from the new contract.

This opportunity created some of the best experiences I have ever had. And, quite frankly, ever will have. It was a very good opportunity for me to be able to use some of the state-of-the-art equipment; latest visual effects software. Also, to work with some of the best and talented people in the industry.

The team that I was working with was too inspiring and motivating in a manner. They were very vigilant in their work and skillful by nature. They were also much dedicated and each person performed his role without having to be pushed around. To earn their respect I had manifest a level of professionalism that matched theirs.

Working as a film designer

Although much of my work was constrained in the office; there were many times; that I went to the field where video shooting was taking place, to give my expertise opinion.

Some scenes required a bit more graphics than others. Thus, it was my responsibility to set up the equipment essential for visual effects; including the blue screen backdrop. This was my favorite part of the job. We would stand behind the scenes watching as the script came to life enacted by seasoned actors and filmed by a professional crew; making minor adjustments to the set. The film would later find its way to an editorial team who edited the footage. Or it would be sent to our department for a few graphical manipulation techniques and then back to the editorial team.

This created a euphoric experience and a privilege to interact with renowned directors and producers with years of experience; constantly challenging me to broaden my mind; as well as think beyond the realm of imagination. They had worked with multiple graphic design some who had awards under their resumes. Every time they always had words of encouragement to me, getting rid of any self-defeating notion in my mind.

The directors, producers and I would sit down and discuss on how they preferred certain scenes to depict particular graphics or effects. I would take the task to my team and allocate the job evenly. This was quite a cumbersome task consuming a lot of man hours; while involving a back and forth exchange of ideas and opinions.

The challenges that face design

As I watched them work, I would be left in awe of their vigilant creativity: materializing just a few written words into a heartfelt reality depicting real life scenarios as well as teachable conclusions. Though dignitaries they might have been; humility was key to them and they never turned down a good idea; always giving appreciation wherever it was due. Challenged and inspired, I always had something new to take back to my team.

Some scenes had to be shot on different locations as per the script, gladly traveling with our equipment to wherever the scene was to be filmed. I enjoyed bonding with the team and got to know each of them on a much deeper level; sharing experiences and ideas made me understand them and respect them on a human level. We got to enjoy the magical scenery of the places we went;, taking time to interact with the locals who always had a secret location of magical proportions to take us to and always eager to become part of the shoot.

I have to admit working for long hours was challenging

However, the sacrifice had to be mandatory to meet the deadlines. Sometimes we would have to sleep in the office just to cut a few minutes off the commuting time as well as endeavoring the artistic work before the day ended. The fatigue would lead to nasty mood swings; or deteriorating motivation and self drive. The trips weren’t all rainbows and butterflies either. Some of the locations were completely remote, without electricity or water; so we had to bring along diesel fueled generators that always made such a racket.

The equipment; which were extremely fragile; were heavy and bulky making offloading tiresome. Sometimes we had to endure unpredictably harsh weather like torrential rainfall that prolonged filming days to weeks. Home sickness became an issue among the crew. They would nag and lag every chance they got. The frequent blackouts didn’t help the situation much.

 

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