Author: Fray

24 Apr 2019
Safe Systems Customer Experience Video

Live Action Interviews

These are two examples of the many interview-style videos that I have made for Safe Systems.

I was a one-man production team for both. I handled the main shoots, where I set up the lighting, worked both cameras, and captured the audio. Afterwards, I processed and edited the footage, enhanced the audio, color graded, and added several custom animations.

30 Dec 2018
Banking Bits and Bytes with Brendan Thumbnail

Banking Bits & Bytes with Brendan Video Series

Banking Bits & Bytes with Brendan is an ongoing educational video series hosted by Brendan McGowan, a subject matter expert in banking technology.

I am a one-man production team for the show. I handle the main shoots, where I set up the lighting, work both cameras, and capture audio. Afterwards, I process the footage, organize the session into individual lessons, and edit each episode. I also create the marketing materials used to promote the series.

The episodes are also fairly short, and you can watch all of them on YouTube.

01 Jan 2018
Petey Checkers Illustration

Brush Illustrations

After always using Micron pens, I’ve decided to explore what brush pens can do. Below you can see a glimpse into the hiking adventures my wife and I go on as well as an uncanny portrait of my special little cat dude, Petey Checkers.

Adventure Illustration
Petey Checkers Illustration
26 Sep 2017
Portfolio Piece - Puerto Rico Aid for Dookie Platters

Puerto Rican Relief Flyer

This is a pro-bono flyer I did to aid Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. The dance night was organized by “Atlanta’s deejay and friend,” DJ Dookie Platters. Here is how he explained it on his Instagram.

I noticed a few friends have set up donation drop-off points to gather goods for hurricane relief efforts and I thought I’d set up another way to help. Drop your donations off Friday night at @elmyrbar (right into my car our front) and l’ll drive them up Saturday morning to @buenprovechoatl in Marietta. They’ll be making arrangements to ship supplies where relief is needed.

On the various social media posts, we even included an accompanying image to clarify what to do, showing off Dookie’s sweet station wagon. Really though, the guy has a big heart.

Accompanying image for social media
Accompanying image for social media
16 Jun 2017
Old Scout Anti-Ransomware Video Thumbnail

Anti-Ransomware Promotional Video

This is a promotional video that I made for Scout™ Anti-Ransomware, a piece of security alerting software from Safe Systems. It was designed to support the Scout webpage, demonstrating the importance and interface of such a software.

I was a one-man team for this video. I handled the animations, editing, and scripting.

Subtle aspects of the video, such as the text’s appearance and behavior, were designed to have a seedy hacker aesthetic.

10 Apr 2017
Still Ill Retro Logo

Still Ill Retro Logo

Lee Daniel is the keen eye behind Still Ill Retro, a vintage store inside of Kudzu Antiques. I met Lee after following an ad for an old GE speaker cabinet — a killer find, by the way. When I arrived to pick it up, he welcomed me into his stunning atomic ranch house. Every nook and cranny was filled to the brim with hip midcentury style.

So, Lee not only sells precious relics from a distant era, he lives it. That why I felt a strong obligation to show his degree of passion in the logo.

The typographic elements reflect lettering of the 1960s and 70s, his main focus. I used halftone dots as a nod to analog printing, and I slightly distressed them, as if to age the logo itself. Since his inventory naturally has a lot of orange, I was compelled to include an orange in the color palette. I based the final swatch off of a Mark Rothko print he had for sale at the time.

You may also notice a wood motif going on. Originally, there were even quirky little nails in the design. This was all to hint at another passion of Lee’s — he is highly skilled at refinishing furniture. See for yourself! Visit his space at Kudzu Antiques. It is on the righthand side, one of the first spots on the right after you go up the ramp. 
28 Feb 2017
Dookie Platters Logo

The Dookie Platters Logo

Dookie Platters is an Atlanta gem. He’s certainly one of the most hardworking DJs in the game right now. I’m sure you’ve seen him at one of your favorite bars, spinning classics and obscurities from his vast collection.

I think Dookie put it best.

From nightclubs and dive bars to festivals, fundraisers, and weddings, I’ve  done it all.  After serving as the master of ceremonies for  retired space-funk band  Noot d’ Noot, I’ve continued to spread the message of positive partying through great tunes and good times.

He wanted a logo that reflected his catalog. I designed the lettering to give a nod to the funky 60 and 70s. I also incorporated the 1980s using the decade’s fascination with horizontal lines and repetitive geometry. He seemed to desire an island aesthetic as well, so I introduced the warm colors.

Dookie was beyond pleased with his new logo and even produced limited edition t-shirts for sale on his website.

19 Feb 2017
Tascam MKII Portastudio Confusing

How to Record with the Tascam 424 MKII Portastudio

So, you’ve scored a Tascam AM 424 MKII Portastudio — a sweet analog 4-track cassette recorder — but you cannot figure out how to use it.

There is a good chance you have already found the user manual online. If you are like me, it was too convoluted to be useful. After scouring multiple forums and YouTube videos, I finally figured out how to use it. Still, I was worried that I would forget everything and have to search for it all again.

That is why I designed this cheat sheet. Since the interface is not particularly linear, I numbered each step of the process. It works much like a flowchart. I included helpful tips and even a color legend to differentiate between your inputs, outputs, and volume controls. Once you have mastered recording with it, I also have pages for Playback, Bouncing Tracks, and Mixdown.

No, you don’t have to sign up for anything. It’s free. I just wanted to share this, after having so much trouble with it myself. If you ever need a custom infographic like this, just reach out to me. I am a designer based out of Atlanta, GA, and I also do illustrations, animations, logos, and websites.

15 Nov 2016
Thunder Thigh Tattoos

Tattoos

I have always admired tattoo artists. The traditional flash style is by far my favorite. It is straightforward and most effective with fewer lines. Each stroke inspires the next, eventually lapping back. It’s especially fascinating to see this developing in real time. I like to take this approach on the page, rarely drawing with pencil beforehand. I prefer to let the drawings create themselves.

My work has been “published” on both friends and family, and I consider it to be the highest honor as an illustrator.

Brian Kindamo (American Classic Tattoo) tracing tattoo my stencils
Brian Kindamo at American Classic Tattoo has always been kind enough to ink my stuff.
Thunder thigh tattoo
My wife's thunder thighs.
Pizza tattoos
My older brother about to get two slices of pizza!
Record lady tattoo
My wife getting her record lady.
Golden Buddha Chinese Restaurant Tattoo
Don't forget about little ol' me! Here is my ad for Golden Buddha.
16 May 2014

#SaveWRAS Movement

Many Atlantans remember “Album 88,” or WRAS Atlanta, Georgia State University’s student-run radio station. You may also remember its demise as we knew it in 2014, when Georgia Public Broadcasting (GBP) strategically stole the airwaves from the student DJs.

The public was outraged. Station supporters went to social media with the hashtag #SaveWRAS and waged war with peaceful protests, a press conference and a benefit concert named WRAS-stravaganza. I was involved in many of these efforts, as well the designs that accompanied them. Sadly, on June 2, 2014, the contract with GPB went into effect.

Infographic

Save WRAS Infographic

Concert Poster

WRAStravaganza Poster

WRAS was once widely regarded as an Atlanta staple, where many artists got their first big exposure — a list spanning four decades that includes the B-52s, REM, Deerhunter, Outkast, Collective Soul, and the Indigo Girls. Broadcasting at 100,000 watts, it was the most powerful student-run radio station in the nation.

I was the last music director before the GPB takeover. For three years, I selected the songs heard in the station’s album-based regular rotation. I also hosted Soul Kitchen, a Saturday night soul and funk show, as DJ Freight Train. I met many close friends and made some of my fondest college memories while working at Album 88.