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Los Angeles, CA Director |
INTERVIEW 15 Created on March 2005 |
| RELATED LINKS: www.justinharder.la, www.transistorstudios.com, Pixelsurgeon interview, www.dform1.com, www.gmunk.com |
| 1) GIVE US A DESCRIPTION OF YOURSELF IN A FEW WORDS I’m a troubled mind, trying to channel my internal rage out into something creative and positive.  2) YOU SEEM TO BE REALLY DISCREET IN THE GRAPHIC DESIGN FIELD. IS IT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO? When I first started recognizing designers as being somewhat famous or having a presence on the web, I wanted nothing more to be a part of it. To be respected for what I do and love. Just that simple idea or effort of becoming known if you will, inspired me so much, and it gave me the confidence I was looking for more than anything. Whenever one is touched by any sort of spotlight you either progress or embellish it for what it is, or you take it too seriously and the pressure or heat of this spotlight starts to burn, and there is no sun block for this type of light, you either want to stand in it or you don’t. So you ask me if I’m discreet, well I think I’ll stand in the shade for awhile. 3) I ALSO READ IN YOUR PIXELSURGEON INTERVIEW THAT YOU LEFT THE ART SCHOOL BEFORE GRADUATING. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ART SCHOOLS AND THE LEARNING OF ART? If i could quit my job and go back to school forever I would do it in a second. I battle that thought around so much you have no idea. I only left school because I couldn't afford it. And knew what I had learned was good enough to get up and go, but this isn’t something I think Other people should do...... School was so hardcore for me, you think I pull all nighters now; man that’s where you learn how to really jam. To this day my favourite place in the whole wide f@#$King world is that over priced art centre, I don’t know what it is? But man it’s a good place to be. My dad teaches there so I’ll go up and visit him on Thursdays just to hang out and absorb the place you know. If you’re thinking about going to art school, I highly recommend art centres, And what ever you do please don’t get political when you are there. Meaning that I knew a lot heads that would get so involved w/ how the school was being run and how much cash they weren't getting for scholarships, when they should have been using that time worrying about their projects, for real no one is ever singled out, you have to earn it...deal with it. Anyways there are 2 teachers there that did it for me and they are Roland young and Richard Keyes, check them out. 4) ARE YOU MORE THE ONE WHO GOES FOR NEW TECHNIQUES / LEARNING PLENTY OF SOFTS OR MORE IMPROVING WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW? I guess you could say I’m more of a stick to what I got kind of guy, as far as programs go. I am always down to try new styles and methods or approaches to the project, but when it comes down to learning something like maya at this point I think I’ll let the kids who went to school for that biz sort.  5) WHAT IS YOUR POSITION AT THE MOMENT? DO YOU THINK IT WILL CHANGE OR EVOLVE IN THE FUTURE? Quarter life crisis? Turning 25 thinking you’re an old man or something. No my position is good, I’ve matured a lot over the last past couple years, I love my current situation w/ transistor, they take care of me...I take care of them. Our model here is that everyone is an individual, a director. There’s no front or umbrella disguising who is doing what. Credit is really important for me. And let me tell you how many times I have been robbed of it. I hope to evolve with the company, hopefully I will get to direct more live action and have a successful career doing it. 6) I SAW THAT YOU WERE WORKING WITH A LOT OF TALENTED GUYS AT TRANSISTOR STUDIOS, INCL. BRADLEY GROSH (GMUNK), ANDERS SCHRODER (DFORM1) ETC… HOW COULD YOU DEFINE THE SYNERGY IN YOUR PLACES WHERE YOU CAN FIND SUCH INDIVIDUAL CREATIVE TALENTS? It’s great having a talented roster, our partners Damon Meena and Jared Plummer have done an excellent job recruiting gifted individuals to join our model. It’s attractive for everyone involved, and sure there is competition, but you won’t work if the client doesn't pick your reel, so it definitely keeps you in check.
7) HOW DO YOU FEEL THE FUTURE OF MOTION DESIGN, AND WHAT WILL BE YOUR ROLE IN IT?Motion is going to really explode once the U.S transforms into Tokyo, i can for see some syd mead sci-fi plasma's blanketing the streets. Everyone and the mother will be rocking After Effects to keep up w/ all the real estate. In terms of where it’s headed, well motion design has gone from post Carson / IF Kyle Cooper to rainbow country let’s get bright and play w/ my little pony. I feel its time to turn off a couple lights and get a little dark. 8) HAS YOUR LOVE FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION EVOLVED SINCE YOU BEGUN? It’s actually made me blind, or that could be from too much of something else. I think my love for vis. com has definitely changed, just in terms of print vs. motion. Motion vs. live action, as an artist you want to evolve, challenge new genres or levels of vis. com. I feel the most enduring level would be directing a feature. Where your vis. com skills are able to overlap and bleed into all sorts of worlds and ideas that may have not been possible in say print. But that’s the beauty of graphic design, we love design because were only given so much, and it’s up to us to make it feel up to scale of something as major as a motion picture. I guess what I’m saying is vis. com works on the basis of less is more. Which is where I started, working with minimal resources.....traditional graphic design. And that is something I will never forget, it has given me the vision and tools I use today, but now its time to move on. In retrospect...... my own evolution, in a meta-physical/anatomical sense, has made my eyes grow 2 many sizes too big. Where as now I want too see more. Expand my options and avenues of vis. com to the next level. Therefore I will eventually push graphic design to the background and retort to it for reference and use it as a handy tool for my neo vis. com journey into the world of film. |
9) WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING IN THE BIZ? People like you, individuals, voices of this esoteric realm of colour and light. You can bake the most amazing cake, but if no one is there to taste it, what’s the point. Creativity is for the people, you make stuff because you want to share, get it out there. That’s what keeps me going, if I do something worth presenting it’s a gift. People give me presents all the time and they don’t even know it, there are so many talented individuals out there, and I thank all of them for their inspiration and hard work. It’s a team effort; we’re all in this together. 10) WHAT ABOUT THE STYLE? I would hope my style reflects the concept of the project. In most cases though, I do tend to pull a Justin, whatever that means. 11) Have you tried to get more involved in other arts? (incl. clothes, product design, maybe music etc...) Good question, when I was a young lad I wanted to be a car designer like my dad. I would draw cars all day like him hoping some day he would pick one of my designs and make it into a real car. When I was say 11 or 12 he told me what ever I did "don’t be a car designer" I knew what he meant, he wanted me to be an individual… For me to explore my own path not his, I respect him for that so much, there’s a lot father like sons out there, and I have the best one, thanks dad. Other than that, I of course dabbled in painting and drawing, body painting, performance art. you know all the sensitive arts.  12) YOU DID A PRETTY COOL JOB FOR THE ART OF SPEED (NIKE). HOW DID YOU COME TO THAT? DID NIKE CONTACT YOU? No I didn’t, don’t lie just because you want to roll in my super sport. It had some moments, chaz rocked an amazing track and it had a hot name "speed of love" but that was it, next. 13) TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LOOK! IS THAT IMPORTANT FOR YOU? Looking good and feeling good are extremely important, it’s a huge reflection on your work and your work ethic. As well as ones mental state, depression can kill a man, make ones self feel worthless, uncreative, tired, unattractive, so I try my darn-dest to stay positive. Channelling all that darkness into something healthy, you’re nothing if you aren't happy. 14) SEEING THAT MAKE EFFORTS ABOUT YOUR LOOK, COULD YOU GIVE ME THE THINGS/BRANDS YOU LIKE TO WEAR THE MOST? I’m all about buying super stupid expensive clothes that if anyone knew how much I really spent they would probably call me names and not want to hangout anymore. Over the last few years or so my metrosexualism has gotten outta control, I just got these Helmut Lang pants that make me sooooooo cool I can’t stand it, I feel so rad. what ever makes you happy right. 15) YOUR WORKING MATERIAL? Mouse pad, mouse, right hand click, left hand dr.pepper. Camera. And a lot of thought full smoke breaks. While listening to Morrissey. I’m using a G3 beige, 500mb of ram, Mac Os 8.6, smokes any G5, watch out. 16) HOW HAVE YOU EVOLVED WITH COMPUTERS AND HOW DOES THIS INTERACTION AFFECT YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE? I don’t think computers crash enough anymore, kids these days have it too good. i-pods and internet, when i was kid, we had to make our own pencils and paper. 17) HOW IMPORTANT IS HUMAN CONTACT FOR YOU AND FOR THIS JOB? Humans mess everything up, I’d rather not hangout with too many people. I enjoy my computer's company too much to be human. 18) ANY ADVICE? If you have a girlfriend, don’t live with her, its bad for the computer. If your going to dance, don’t let anyone see you doing it. Look I dance in the mirror almost everyday, it’s cool. Just shhhhhhh. cool. Oh yeah always save a lot, big lesson here, but these "new" computers probably do it for you so never-mind. And last but not least enjoy what you do, its ok to be critical, but move on, make as much stuff as you can as fast you can, you will always be the hardest client, so if you like, who cares. Smile you’re a designer!
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