219-922-8414www.largusprinting.com732 W. 45th Street, Munster, IN 46321

largus balloon ad 8 x 8_Layout 1 5/25/11 9:09 AM Page 1

welcomeThank you for join us for this year’s INsight Design Conference. We are glad that you made the decision to be part of our movement to build a creative community in Northwest Indiana. INsight’s mission is to inspire, educate and transform. Tonight we will touch upon each aspect of our mission and will challenge you in many ways.

We are pleased to have the Community Arts Center host tonight’s event. From its inception, INsight has promoted and collected funds for the CAC of Faith Church. It is nice to have come full-circle with our giving and commitment to bring the arts to the Cedar Lake community.

INsight is a participatory event and its value is driven by our attendees. We provide the expert speakers and outstanding portfolio reviewers and the means to pull it all together, but INsight is more than just a sit-in-your-seat type of event. We ask that you take advantage of this opportunity, ask questions, meet new people and stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone.

In closing we would like to thank the many sponsors, donors, committee, volunteers and you—for making INsight into what it is today. We will continue to grow and evolve to make INsight the best it can be.

With thanks—

Kevin Bruinsma and Joe Gonzalez INsight Design Conference Co-Chairs

meet the folks behind

INsight

Kevin Bruinsma | Faith Church @kevinbruinsma

Martin Oleksy | Hoosier Wingman Communications | agency77@gmail.com

Atom Groom | Atom Groom Design, LLC @atomgroom

Joseph Gonzalez | Miracletwentyone @miracle21

Chase Talon | Chase Talon Design @chasetalon

Judith Mayer | Keyword Design @keywordjudith

Bethany Schutt | Faith Church

5:45 pm Doors Open and Registration is Live Rock, Paper, Scissors Sign Ups Portfolio Review Sign Ups Networking Games Headshots with Geoffrey Hudson Photographer Music by DJ Jeff

6:00 pm Portfolio Reviews begin

6:35 pm Opening Intro with Kevin and Joe—“Green Eggs and Ham”

7:00–7:20 pm Intro by Chase Dunlop Bright Bright Great—Freelancing Topic

7:20–7:35 pm Rock, Paper, Scissors Competition up to Semi-finalist Round Run by Adam Groom Networking DJ Plays Photographer Taking Head Shots Portfolio Reviews continue

7:40–7:55 pm Intro by Kevin Bruinsma Quite Strong gals—Self-promotion Topic

8:05 pm Rock, Paper, Scissors Championship—Prize/Trophy Run by Adam Groom Face off against Returning Champ for bragging rights with Joshua Roeda

8:00–9:00 pm Live Show with Design Chat

8:15–9:00 pm Open Panel Discussion with Experts Run by Martin Oleksy

9:00 pm Portfolio Review ends Networking DJ Plays

9:00–9:10 pm Closing/Prize Give-a ways Kevin and Joe DJ Plays

9:10–9:30 pm Mingle/Network

9:30 pm After Party at Pier74 13125 Lake Shore Drive, Cedar Lake, IN 46303

event schedule

Faith Church and the CAC (Community Arts Center) are so proud to host this year’s INsight Design Conference! Faith Church has been a ministry deeply rooted in the arts and the community. This space has housed many events, classes, art shows, community meetings, and been a base for serving the community with food drives, clothing and more. We believe art is a powerful medium of expression, and we want to encourage the folks in Cedar Lake and surrounding areas to get involved, make connections, and use the space. If you are interested in using the space or just learning more about it please go to:

www.faithchurchonline.org

Twitter: @CedarLakeCAC

The camera is your friend

Take 30 minutes and leave your office or work space and go find as much type as you can find and photograph it. All you need is a point-and-shoot or cell phone. Signs or advertisements it doesn’t matter. The goal of this exercise is to take as many photos as possible; be it straight on or at angles, let your eyes do the talking. This is a great way to collect inspiration and assets for a project down the road. Allow yourself to get lost in the process and have fun. One rule: don’t delete any of the photos along the way. (parking lots are a lot of fun— don’t overlook the type on the cars ;-)

Package me up

The chewing gum industry has been revolutionary in their constant reworking of their packaging and a great example of reinventing the way we carry and use gum. Your task is to redesign the packaging of a gallon of milk. Let your imagination run wild. Think of the way people store milk, use it and its expiration of the white milky goodness. All materials and process are fair game. A carbon fiber capsule that lasts forever - now that would be awesome!

This little piggy went to market

This one is fun. Take off your shoes, take off your socks and grab a pencil, pen or mark- making tool. Shove that sucker between your first two toes and draw a simple continuous line on a blank sheet of paper. Once you’re done take that sheet and finish the drawing the old fashioned way and see what you can come up with. It could be as simple as a person’s face or as complex as a fine painting. Either way when you are done you can show it off and tell people that you drew it with your feet. This is fun to do with some office people, where everyone exchanges their foot-funky start ups.

3 ways to break a creative block

Jana Kinsman

You may have seen Jana’s illustrations if you’ve ever picked up a CB2 magazine, or her design skills if you’ve ever entered a Crate and Barrel. Since working on band flyers in high school, she has developed her own voice through illustration and street art. Jana also specializes in letterpress printing and print production for offset printing. She has experience in wedding invitation and collateral design, as well as large signage and environmental graphics.

When she’s not drawing, she’s usually biking very long distances or watching one of her many crappy movies on VHS. Even though Jana is in her early 20s, she is quite regularly asked to speak to designers about her unique mix of illustration and design.

www.quitestrong.com @quite_strong

Jennifer Sisson

Jennifer Sisson is web developer at Firebelly Design. And she’s female—which is rare in the field. She has a passion for pixel perfection as she translates designers’ visions into clean, semantic markup. She’s the resident tech nerd and will answer all your questions that begin with, “Can my website do this…?” A Columbia College Chicago graduate with a BA in Interactive Arts & Media and a minor in Photography, Jennifer uses her creativity to solve challenges from both designers and clients.

She also loves all things unicorn, robot, rainbow, lolcat and tiny. She runs a blog devoted to nerd-oddities on her website and collects her photography on Flickr. Jennifer is the unofficial Quite Strong photographer.

www.quitestrong.com @quite_strong

Jason Schwartz

Currently: Principal at Bright Bright Great

Experience: interactive experiences, ui, ux, app development, branding, industrial design, interaction, social media, strategy, web

Education: MFA Industrial Design/Design Education University of Kansas, 2002-2004, BFA Industrial Design University of Illinois, 1997-2001

Loves: form + functionality, Garbage Pail Kids, getting involved, information architecture, horror movie marathons, insanely organized + synthesized data, scalability, t-shirts, user study, vinyl toys and web trends

www.brightbrightgreat.com @bbgchicago

meet the speakers

Adam Ispas

Adam Ispas is a Northwest Indiana based designer whose work is a clear and direct expression of his ideas. In 2004, Ispas graduated from Indiana State University majoring in graphic design supported with a minor in art history. In 2006, he joined The Grossbauer Group as a graphic designer and quickly rose through the ranks to Creative Director at this thriving marketing and design studio. Ispas has developed a close creative relationship with clients representing diverse fields of professional interest, commandeering national and local brand campaigns. His work reflects a synthesis of the modern with the simple, creating bright, bold art that captures the eye and imprints the mind.

www.grossbauergroup.com www.adamispas.com

Mathew Siecker

Mathew Siecker earned a Visual Communications degree from Ivy Tech, Indianapolis with a specialty in Graphic Design. After his education, he continued to grow by working for small design agencies and

large branding advertising environments. Currently, he enjoys a marketing focused environment with Green Light Creative, that allows him the freedom to work with a variety of different clientele. A recent highlight in his career was the opportunity to work with Drew Brees for a local credit union broadcast commercial series.

Mathew strives to make design matter. He thinks that design can capture and engage the people that interact with it. The communications puzzles he is challenged with are opportunities to touch and enhance the emotional connection design creates with the end user. He thinks design gives meaning to those things that would otherwise go unnoticed.

As a former athlete, Mathew does his best to stay in shape and makes time to be outdoors as much as possible. His wife and young daughter keep him on his toes. They love to take trips to the Aquarium or attend Cubs games. Mathew aspires to continue to grow as a designer and to surround himself with people and opportunities that allow him to be at his best.

www.greenlightcreative.com

Rob Loukotka

Rob Loukotka is a co-owner of Collision Labs, a creative design studio in Chicago. Collision has quickly captured the attention of interesting clients all over the world, and 2011 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Rob and his business partner Lisa Bun. Rob’s background includes being an artist in Ann Arbor, MI, a student at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and now a design professional in Chicago.

His work at Collision Labs consists of identity design, web design, and motion graphics. Personal work including illustration, photography, and even sculpture can be found on his design blog: Fringe Focus. Fringe Focus is home to helpful design articles, tutorials, and even an in-depth guide on how to build Daft Punk Helmets. No visual medium is off limits, and Rob can often be found exploring new tools and techniques to keep his design life interesting.

www.fringefocus.com www.collisionlabs.com

closing panelCarla K. Pyle Rob Loukotka Nicole M. Keith Joe Descenzo Adam J. Sedia Brian Smith

2011 portfolio reviewers

Paul Rand once said, “A trademark should embody, in the simplest form, the essential characteristics of the product or institution being advertised.” Vincent VanGogh once said, “How difficult it is to be simple.” I couldn’t agree more with both. Creating and Identity can be a very difficult task. Over the years I have created many successful brand identities, while working with many talented people. Below is the process that I have developed to finding the answers that I use to help create these marks. Research The first step to my process is research. Go to the dictionary, wikipedia, google...anything you can get information from and look up the history of the product or institution being advertised. Ask yourself questions like: Why was it created? How is it made? What purpose does it serve? and WRITE IT DOWN!!! I find that writing down your findings in a sketchpad or notebook helps you retain the information longer, which may spark a purely genius idea later on down process road. Experience It Once you have the who, what, when, where, why and how written down in your sketchbook, it’s time for you to experience it. How can you really understand the “essential characteristics” if you haven’t seen, touched, tasted, smelled or heard it yourself? Go to your client’s environment. Put on the pantyhose. Wear the sexy red lipstick. No, you will probably not wake up the next morning hearing what women are thinking, but you will know what you are designing for. Use your senses and once again, WRITE IT DOWN!!! Concept and sketching On to the drawing board. Well not quite yet. Here is where you are going to take the history and experience steps and pull all the words or phrases that you feel connect the most with the product. You know what those will be because you have just

experienced them. Once you have those words and/or phrases written down, put the colors, textures, fonts, and/or shapes that are associated with those words/phrases. Here is where I find a lot of the answers I use to create a mark. For example: If I was designing for a concrete Mixing company, and one of the words I came up with was concrete. Then I would have put down hard, grey colors, rough texture. This will give you some elements that you can use in your mark. The rest of this step is up to your creativity. Go sketch and see what you come up with. Shampoo I call this next step the shampoo because it mostly carries the same instructions as shampoo. Lather, rinse and repeat. Work backwards from your sketches to the research and then back again. You may find something you missed. When you feel comfortable with your ideas, bring your sketches to life and go to the computer. I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend Illustrator. You can always go to photoshop to add more to your marks when that application is needed. Another thing I like to do is start my initial designs in black and white. I find it easier to add color later when your mark is complete. Present Finally you present your work to the client. This is my favorite part because you really don’t have to work at explaining why you did what you did. You will already know through your research and experience why and how everything was created. Now just walk them through it. As an added bonus, It also shows the client that you have put real thought and effort into their project which will make them much more comfortable when getting that final bill.

www.chasetalon.com

creating identity By Chase Dunlop

Color these kids with love and tenderness and post your creative creations on our INsight facebook wall. We’d love to see what you come up with.

kiss me with your best shot!

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

NWI_INS_AD.pdf 1 5/11/11 11:29 AM

Icebreakers Meeting new people can be tuff. Here are some ways to turn those award moments into memo-rable moments. (Talking about the weather isn’t one of them.)

1. Is this your first time at INsight? (More than 70% of the people here tonight are here for the first time.)

2. Can I check out your work? (Works better if the person is holding a portfolio.)

3. So what do you think of this facility?

4. Where are you from?

5. What’s your specialty?

6. Are you going to the after party at Pier74?

7. Do you have a card? Where did you get these printed?

8. Where did you go to school?

9. Where do you work?

10. Have you meet my friend (________)?

Reach for these questions when the weird silence comes over your conversation and you’ll be back in the swing of things in no time.

Good luck and don’t be creepy.

AGREEMENT

The Parties, ______________, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Indiana, including all its agents and employees (“Designer”), and _______________ (“Client”), a limited liability company organized under the laws of the State of Indiana, enter into this Agreement, the terms of which are as follows:

1. Services

Designer shall provide Client with all designing services (“Project”) outlined in the Estimate dated ______________, attached to and incorporated in this Agreement by reference, in accordance with the following terms:

a. Designer shall execute the Project, including planning the work, estimating costs, and billing, in several phases. This allows Designer to adjust or halt work if Client revises or cancels the Project before its completion.

b. Designer shall furnish a finished product, or finished products, to Client that are:

1) Free of any liens, encumbrances, or security interests;

2) Of a quality in accordance with customary standards of the industry;

3) Substantially conforming to the specifications outlined in the Estimate, including as they may be revised or amended.

c. Designer shall deliver its finished product to Client as outlined in the Estimate.

d. Designer shall begin work on the Project upon Client’s written approval of the Estimate.

2. Payment

In consideration for receiving the above-specified services from Designer, Client shall pay Designer as follows:

a. $____________, as outlined in the Estimate, to be paid as follows:

1) Client shall pay Designer the initial payment as specified in the Estimate;

2) After the initial payment, Client is only responsible for making payments on the work that Designer actually completed at the conclusion of each phase;

3) All subsequent balances are due within thirty (30) days of Client’s Approval of Designer’s proposal. All payments not received in full within thirty (30) days are subject to a penalty of ten percent (10%) that accrues on the total sum overdue every thirty (30) days;

b. In addition to the sum recited in subparagraph 2(a), above, Client is responsible for the following payments:

1) Any out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Designer, including, but not limited to, costs of printing, photography, color printouts, laminating, illustrations, separations, and charges for shipping and handling or courier service;

2) The cost of revisions and alterations, as outlined below, at the rate of $40.00 per hour;

Designer must (1) itemize all out-of-pocket expenses on each invoice it sends Client, and (2) itemize all hourly expenses incurred as work on revisions or alterations.

sign on the dotted lineThe most important part of freelancing is having a proper contract. Below is a sample contract that you can use to ensure you have proper protection for your next project. Feel free to use and modify this contract for your own personal needs.

3. Revisions and Alterations

All new work requested by Client and performed by Designer after the Estimate has been approved is a Revision or Alteration. Such Revisions and Alterations may only be made in writing, signed and dated by both Parties.

4. Ownership and Rights:

a. Once Client fully pays for the Project and Designer delivers the finished product to Client, Designer must transfer all intellectual property rights in all designs created as part of the Project, subject to the following exception:

EXCEPTION: Designer reserves the right to reproduce, distribute, and/or publish any work created for Client for its own promotional and marketing use, including, but not limited to, use as portfolio samples, advertising, brochure illustrations, and design for electronic media.

Designer’s transfer of its intellectual property rights must be in writing, signed and dated by Designer’s authorized agent.

5. Term and Termination:

This Agreement remains effective while Designer’s work on the Project is in progress, until either completed or terminated by either party upon thirty (30) days’ written notice. Upon such notice, the terminating party shall hold the non-terminating party harmless for all costs the former incurs as a result of the Termination.

Upon Termination, Designer shall transfer to Client all materials and property in Designer’s control and for which Client has paid.

6. Indemnity

Neither Party is liable for any of the other Parties’ claims, damages, expenses, costs, charges, or other losses resulting from any negligence, recklessness, or willfulness during the course of performing this Agreement.

Client remains solely liable for any failure to substantiate representations made in the copy produced as part of the Project, as well as for obtaining clearance for infringement of any intellectual property rights of third parties.

It is Client’s sole responsibility to carefully review and approve all proofs. Designer is not liable for any errors or omissions approved by Client.

7. Third Parties

None of the rights of any Party under this Agreement are assignable and none of the duties of any Party under this Agreement are delegable, to any third party, other than as specified in this document, without the written consent, signed and dated, of all other Parties.

8. Integration

These terms represent the entirety of this Agreement. No other agreements exist between the Parties concerning the subject matter of this Agreement, other than the terms set forth within this document. Any amendments or variations of the terms and conditions of this Agreement are not valid unless made in writing, signed and dated by all Parties.

9. Enforcement

The laws of the State of Indiana govern this Agreement. The courts of the State of Indiana have jurisdiction over any legal actions related to this Agreement, and any action filed under this Agreement shall be venued in Lake County, Indiana. If Designer needs file any action to enforce this Agreement, Client shall be liable for court costs, Designer’s reasonable attorney’s fees, and interest on any judgment at the maximum rate permitted by law.

AGREED this _______ day of ________________, 20_____.

SIGNED:

______________________ ________________________

For Designer For Client

Experience

How much experience do you have in your field?

Beside actual computer skills, what knowledge do you have of production processes, vendor relations and project management?

All of these should factor in to your overall experience.

Time

How much time will this project take you to complete.

Make sure you take into consideration not only the time on the computer but also, emails, phone calls, meetings, research and development plus overall project management and production.

All of these should factor into your time on the job.

Client

How big is your client and what type of relationship do you anticipate building with this client.

If they tell you that this is a single project or a project with multiple phases.

Are they for-profit or non-profit?

Personal Growth

How much does this project mean to you?

Is it something that you can put into your portfolio or something you never want to tell your friends you did.

pay me

Designer with 0-1 year experience $20-$35 per hour Designer with 1-3 years experience $35-$55 per hour Designer with 3-5 years experience $55-$85 per hour Designer with 5 years plus $85 +

It’s nice to get paid for a job well done. It’s even better when you are charging the appropriate prices for your services. When deciding your freelance rate, these are some items to consider.

These are just baseline round about numbers. Remember to take into account the 4 factors to refine your base rate. If the client gives you a budget make sure it’s within your base rate and adjust your services accordingly.

When you’re just starting out as a freelancer, or even working full-time, client meetings can be very overwhelming. If you’re lucky, you start off working for a studio or agency, that will let you step into a meeting and just listen. If you’re bold, you’re a freelancer who has no fear and is willing to jump in front of a client. Regardless of where you fall into those two scenarios, how you handle yourself, present your work, and speak will make or break your client relationships.

Determine what your role is for the project, before you walk into the meeting.

In other words, be clear on what the client is asking you to do. As creatives, we often want to re-do everything, consult on other possible projects, etc. It’s very important that you first do the best you can do with what you’ve been asked. Let your advice, design, whatever it is, shine! This is what develops trust for good, long-term relationships. When you have that, this is where future projects or referrals will come knocking at your door.

Get yourself together!

Before you walk into any client meeting, you should be prepared. Prepared means so much more than what you’re wearing and what day and time the meeting is!

When I say prepared, I mean you need to have two meetings. One with yourself, researching and taking notes on the what the second meeting is about. This way, when you walk into the real meeting, you’re prepared and ready to discuss, professionally, what the client is relying on you to deliver.

Walk in the door.

By now, you should know what your role is and know your “stuff”. You’re ready to go to walk in the door.

Here are some items you should do and be prepared for:

• if you have printouts, make sure you bring enough for everyone.

• if you are presenting on a computer, test and make sure it all works.

• dress accordingly, but don’t be something you’re not; be you.

• bring your business cards.• shake hands and introduce yourself to everyone (if

it’s the first meeting).• make sure you get each person’s card or information.• be a person, with a personality and some interests;

you’re not a robot.• be alert, awake and ready...don’t go get smashed at

the bar the night before.

Focus, Focus, Focus

You should always try to determine how the meeting will flow. Many times, I start off my meetings with an agenda of what I have, followed by asking the client if they would like to lead, or let me start. Go from there.

After you have presented your awesome, confident, research driven information, you need to be prepared to listen to what the client is telling you. This is probably one of the hardest parts of a meeting—listening, but also taking good notes to walk away with.

You have to determine your own memory and how you retain information. Some of us can walk out of

By Atom Groomdos and don’ts of a client meeting

Do

a meeting with everything stored upstairs, others can’t remember a name when they walk out of the meeting (that’s me). In either case, know yourself and be prepared to listen, stop, and take accurate notes. Don’t be afraid to ask people to repeat themselves or clarify items so that you understand!

Set Goals and Follow-Up.

After you have notes and you know what you need to supply back to the client. You should also know what the client is responsible for supplying back to you. At the end of your meeting, vocally tell the client “Here’s what I am going to give back to you in X amount of days” and “Here’s what I expect back from you in X amount of days.” This displays your responsibilities to all parties and lets everyone know what is expected of them.

When you leave, shake hands again. Thank the clients for the opportunity to serve them, be grateful, from your heart. Then, follow up. You can follow up with a friendly thank you, your agenda of what everyone is to supply to each other, whatever you feel is appropriate—but keep clear, professional communication flowing!

Don’t advertise, consult, or even talk about what you cannot deliver.

It’s important for you as a professional to determine what you’re experienced in and what you can deliver, before you walk into any client meeting. In other words, just because you have a camera, does not make a you a photographer. Just because you have a copy of

Dreamweaver, does not make you a web designer or developer.

Determine what your strengths are and build your freelance client relationships from that. Don’t get caught up in taking anything you can get; if you do, I can guarantee, you’ll be in serious trouble one day and in a meeting with a client that you DON’T want to be in. :)

Don’t be disrespected.

Some of the biggest problems in the design industry are pricing, terms and delivery times. If you’re talking about this with a client, you should have already supplied a proposal and service contract, so that your pricing and delivery time is already very clear.

It’s okay to negotiate, but don’t be walked on. If your price is $3,000 and 2 months completion time, and the client has $400 and 7 days, chances are, it’s not the right relationship. Be smart! Don’t set yourself up to be disrespected. Let’s face it, everyone is tired of the “whiney” designer, they are everywhere. Free yourself from this attitude and don’t be disrespected!

Don’t make yourself look bad!

It’s important that anything a client requests of you gets the proper time and attention, before commitments are made. This is especially true in web design and development. Something everyone thinks is easy, suddenly becomes an eight hour project.

When this situation happens, politely say, “Let me look into this further, and I will get back to you with details.” Again, don’t set yourself up to look bad, inexperienced, etc.

Don’t

Inspiration comes from everywhere. Here are some links to get your wheels spinning and your creative juices flowing.

fromupnorth.com

abduzeedo.com

dzineblog.com

creativeoverflow.net

formfiftyfive.com

lookslikegooddesign.com

theinspirationgrid.com

dailyinspiration.nl

cuded.com

thedesigninspiration.com

minimalexhibit.com

onepagelove.com

bm.s5-style.com

selected-webdesign.com

styleboost.com

itevenhasawatermark.com

wegraphics.net

inspiration

Take a break and have fun with this cut out of your paper designer of your choice. Have fun with friends or use this as a self-portrait. Have fun and be sure to post a pic of your cut out creation on our facebook wall.

Now-a-days aspiring filmmakers can save a few bucks, run out and get a pretty decent high quality cinematic camera. For instance, Canon’s 7D or the 5D Mark II, both tremendous image quality for the price. This was unheard of before they debuted in 2008. The 5D camera has literally started a revolution in filmmaking.

Don’t believe me? Just browse user uploaded video content on vimeo.com… This camera has given thousands of people access to an image quality that can debatably hold a candle to 35mm motion picture film. So, now that we have this tool, what do we do with it? Go out and just shoot stuff! Right? The reality is, you need so much more than a camera to make good content. That’s why I wanted to take a moment and toss in my two cents on five things that I believe would be helpful to know when shooting video, whether it’s a paid gig like a commercial shoot or simply having fun shooting short narratives with friends. There’s so much to learn about shooting video… Since I have to keep it at 5 things, I’m going to be skipping a stone across the film knowledge pond.

1. Who is going to be watching your movie?

If you are expecting to present your movie to anyone other than Grandma (who absolutely loves everything you do) you’re going to need to identify your target audience. As with most media it is a must to at least make an educated guess if you want to have some kind of structure to your video. You could say your target audience is 17-21 year olds and begin to develop your story from there.

By Josh Roeda

5 things to know when shooting video

2. Know photography basics.

The f-stop - if you think it’s only a stop along the “F” line in Queens, you shouldn’t have skipped photography class in high school! Rules of basic photography are still standard on most high-end video cameras. Anyone can pick up a digital camera, flip it to “full auto” and hit the red button… Do you end up with some kind of video? Yes. Does it look professional? No. This is why I believe it’s important to always operate any digital camera you are working with on Manual controls. Even if you are unfamiliar with your camera’s manual control settings, be a geek, read the instruction manual. Learn about aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

There’s a world of photography knowledge on various Internet forums and blogs. Force yourself to learn manual controls; you will end up with a way better quality picture if you do.

3. Stabilize your shots.

Every movie shouldn’t need to have the extreme handheld, Jason Bourne, dizzying style. Sometimes your movies call for more steady shots.

Grab a proper fluid video head and tripod, monopod, over-the-shoulder handheld rig… These pieces of equipment will help maintain steadiness in shots. I own small 47” portable dolly or LTS (Linear Tracking System). This system allows me to add production value to my films.

4. Pay attention to lighting.

Essentially photography is painting with light. You’d want to know how to light something properly. You can choose to light your subjects anyway you’d like

or not light them at all. Yet, filmmakers know that lighting plays a BIG role in conveying subtle messages in their films. For example: hard light source with high contrast shadows can obscure and distort people’s facial features, which can make them appear unattractive. You can use diffusion or certain filters of light to mellow out and scatter light and make it fall more evenly on your subject; this will generally make them appear more attractive.

5. Have fun, share and critique.

I believe these points are similar enough; I’m combining the 5th thing into three things.

Have fun! Yes, Have fun. As cliché as it sounds, you have to love what you’re doing and be passionate about it, maybe not 24/7 but you must like what you’re shooting and care for it… it will be evident in your work that you love what you do.

Share with others in the same field what you have learned through your shooting experiences. This will help the knowledge base grow of the people around you. You will create good working relationships with these people, and in turn, you will eventually learn from them. We can all work together to constantly push the video medium forward.

Don’t be afraid to critique your own work… I have found it to actually be encouraging. Ask others’ to critique as well. This feedback will be tremendously helpful when you’re shooting your next project.

I hope these five small things have helped you gain a little more knowledge that could turn your next video project into something spectacular; and if so, do share!

Rock, Paper, Scissors is a hand game played by two or more people. The game is often used as a selection method in a way similar to coin flipping, drawing straws, or throwing dice. However, unlike truly random selection methods, rock-paper-scissors can be played with a degree of skill, especially if the game extends over many sessions with the same players; it is often possible to recognize and exploit the non-random behavior of an opponent.

The players count aloud to three, or speak the name of the game (e.g. “Rock! Paper! Scissors!”), each time raising one hand in a fist and swinging it down on the count. After the third count, the players change their hands into one of three gestures, which they then “throw” by extending it towards their opponent. The gestures are:

• Rock, represented by a clenched fist.

• Scissors, represented by two fingers extended and separated.

• Paper, represented by an open hand, with the fingers connected (horizontal).

The objective is to select a gesture which defeats that of the opponent.

Gestures are resolved as follows:

• Rock blunts or breaks scissors: that is, rock defeats scissors.

• Scissors cut paper: scissors defeats paper.

• Paper covers, sands or captures rock: paper defeats rock.

If both players choose the same gesture, the game is tied and the players throw again.

rock-paper-scissors

2010 Champ: Josh Roeda Photo by Fluff, modified by Sertion

By Tim Mcneal | Largus Printing

5 things to remember when taking a job to print

Not including all the components of the print job

• When using InDesign use the Package Feature

• When using Quark Xpress use the Collect for Output Feature.

• Include all fonts, links, etc.

Low-Res PDF’sThe print side of things are going the way of the PDF these days, it saves time and produces great results. BUT you have to know how to make a GREAT PDF. If you don’t call and ask someone or go online and learn.

Low-Res photos• Size is too small

• DPI is too small

• You can reduce a large photo with a low DPI but you can’t enlarge a small photo with a low DPI

• 300 DPI on photos is pretty Ideal for print

DO NOT USE PHOTOS OR CLIPART STRAIGHT FROM THE INTERNET

EXAMPLE: Google Images = BAD

Photos.com = Good......as long as you download a HI-RES image or graphic for PRINT not for WEB

Use a good design programGOOD = Adobe CS Programs InDesign Illustrator Photoshop Corel Draw Quark Xpress

BAD = ANY MICROSOFT program Word Excel Publisher or as we like to call it: Punisher

Know and trust your printerDon’t be afraid to your printer and ask questions—IT WILL SAVE YOU BOTH TIME AND MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.

And if they make you feel uncomfortable then just call me. I like saving time and money.

go on a type trip

Hamilton Wood Type Museum Bus Trip!

The Hamilton Factory produced wood type until 1985. That’s when Hamilton closed its doors because of the birth of the digital age. Now, the Hamilton Factory is home to a typeface museum and offers workshops. We have organized a bus trip to the museum and we want you to come!

Get from behind your computer, get your hands dirty, and learn a bit about graphic design history. I can’t think of a better way to get to know other people in the industry then a four-hour bus trip to Two Rivers Wisconsin. There are only 12 spots available so sign up now! First come, first serve.

Here are the details:

Who: Everyone is welcome!

What: Bus trip to the Hamilton Factory

Where: Two Rivers Wisconsin.

When: August 20, 2011 (meet at Faith Church in Dyer, IN at 5:00 am)

Cost: $100 Per Person (Payment due Friday July 22! Checks made out to Faith Church and mailed to: Kevin Bruinsma 100 81st Ave. Dyer, IN 46311) this cost includes a tour, instruction, and printing supplies. (This does not include food.)

The fun doesn’t end. Join us for these upcoming INsight sponsored events.

go for a spinSPIN: Wheel Spinning Interactive Workshop with Joseph Gonzalez

July 13, 2011 6 - 8 pm No matter what your profession or skill level; you’ll leave this two-hour interactive workshop with a fresh outlook that can be applied to your next project and beyond. Join us as Joseph explores fun and exciting ways to get your creative wheels spinning. This participation-based-workshop will have you up on your feet working within small groups or one-on-one with the person right next to you. Joseph will cover topics on design process, idea harvesting, and creative thinking. Joseph Gonzalez is a designer with Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana, a freelance designer as Miracletwentyone, adjunct professor at Valparaiso University and all around swell guy. To learn more about Joseph visit Miracletwentyone.org. To register contact Kevin Bruinsma at kbruinsma@faithchurchonline.org

Cost: Free

Brought to you by INsight Design Conference

DJ Geoffrey Phillip As a young teen growing up in Northern Michigan, Geoffrey Phillip Selesky dreamed of far off destinations, cultures, and sounds. Through his travels and experiences he has acquired a very well-rounded imagination and artistic outlook on music, which he has finely tuned today. Using places, objects, and feelings to construct his music, he strives to orchestrate creative environments. He represents his consciousness with an atmosphere that is full of meaning and discovery. Landing and setting up shop in Detroit, Geoffrey has composed a loving family and considers them his biggest fans. Geoffrey’s works include video soundtracks, intros, creative climates, and disc jockey.

Continue the conversation at Pier 74 Grill after INsight concludes. Join us at 9:30pm for some more fun.

Pier 74 Grill 219-374-7474 13125 Lake Shore Drive Cedar Lake, IN 46303

Pier 74 Grill We first opened our doors August 1, 2005. We have come a long, long way. A dozen different menus, each one introducing a few new items, and missing a few old one. The interior has gone through even more changes.

Our family believes in hard work. We create our own recipes, design our own menus, and do our own remodeling. Everything at Pier 74 is unique.

www.pier74grill.com

friends of INsight

Event Partners

Faith Church Community Arts Center Redbubble Largus Printing Geoffery Hudson Photography Atom Groom Allema

Event Sponsor Design Chat

Event Supporter Hoosier Wingman Communications

Prize Sponors Whosur Associates Jessica Hische 5 O’clock Shadow 37 Signals Ugmonk Accucraft Imaging Retriever—Clayton Denton

Special Thanks

If we missed you please forgive us and know you were appreciated.

Thanks to our Committee for their work and effort to make Insight 2011 the best it could be.

Atom Groom Bethany Schutt Chase Dunlop Joseph Gonzalez Judith Mayer Kevin Bruinsma Martin Oleksy

Thank you to our sponsors and donors for your support

Josh Roeda Dyer Need Productions The law offices of Rubino, Ruman, Crosmer, Smith, Sersic & Polen Brian Smith from Harvest Financial PlanningJoe DascenzoFaith Church T.A.G. TeamDJ Geoffrey PhillipPier74Shannon SpencerKevin BrackJenise PorterThe TimesValpolife.comPortagelife.comDale NormanTeresa ZorziMu Studio VolunteersOur Twitter and Facebook followers

InsightDesignConference.com