Content Technology Survey
25 Nov. 2014
I created this little graphic for a survey we're doing at The Level. Maybe a bit overkill, but built the company's logo in 3d and rendered it in Maya.
If you have a minute, please fill out the survey!
I created this little graphic for a survey we're doing at The Level. Maybe a bit overkill, but built the company's logo in 3d and rendered it in Maya.
If you have a minute, please fill out the survey!
Here's a presentation on Flexbox, the new standard layout tool for designing websites.
Check out my sketches from the awesome CascadiaJS conference we had this year in Vancouver.
It's another season of live theatre for my clients at Touchstone Theatre. The theme this year is Fire & Ice. Check it out!
When the dot-com industry crashed and 9-11 happened, I quit my last job and started freelancing. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I was very scared.
Back in 2011, I did a few websites for some dance and theatre artists, and that grew in to a great niche for me. At the time, every Arts Group in Vancouver needed a custom website, and they had been granted money to pay for it! Somehow I was able to pay rent at the end of each month - even before I had a credit card! Somehow the phone kept ringing, and I always had rewarding work for great clients.
Working from home is awesome. It's great to wake up when you're rested, and sit down without interruption and throw yourself at the task at hand. Flexibility to work when you're at your best is an asset, whether it's at 7am or 11pm.
I really love what I do. When I get stuck I somehow always manage to push through. (Thanks Google!). But I know that sometimes problems that block me all day might take someone who'd had that experience much less time. What don't I know? How can I improve? What products could I ship if I worked with a team? And could I even work all day without a nap?
Sometimes the time is right to throw yourself in an uncomfortable, challenging situation. When you're on the beach enjoying the sun, it's not always easy to jump in the cold ocean, but you won't regret it when you're laying in bed at night.
Arlen explaining something to me. I'm baffled. Photo by Mike Martin
So... I got a job at TheLevel. Here is a website development company which specializes in large scale, multilingual websites for very, very big clients. This is a different experience from creating sites for small businesses and artists.
I thought it would be interesting to learn why "enterprise" products suck. IT for big companies has a lot of money and seems very ready to be improved (ahem, disrupted). If only I could bring to this industry some of the good things I've learned working with artists. At least I could learn why it's so difficult to create high quality work for this industry.
So here I am, working 8 to 4 everyday, learning some unsexy technologies and working with a team of programmers who are way smarter than me! TheLevel has their own CMS that is based on XML/XSLT. This has been a challenge, and I'm learning a lot. It's hard to use, but eventually we get it to work, and it's a great feeling. But hard work doesn't make it worth it, especially for the client. The next year will be interesting, as we explore new tools, and find new projects.
I'm not sure what will happen in the future. Right now I'm happy to be working with such a great team, learning new skills, and stretching myself in new territories. This summer I'm learning C++.
I miss the freedom that I had working on my own, directly with my own clients - but I definitely don't regret yanking myself out of a safe, comfortable situation and expanding my skills and career.
My client at Battery Opera wanted to sell his book online. I thought this would be a good time to finally break free from PayPal and accept credit card payments directly. You can see the result here: M/Hotel.
The main problem was that the store page needed to be served from a secure server. I had previously set up a SSL account for https://secure.adam8.com, but I wanted Battery Opera's store to be independent of me. I used the free SSL service using Google Cloud Storage, serving the store as a static page. All the files linked from within the page had to also be on SSL, so luckily they were mostly already using Cloud Storage, or were publicly available on SSL. Unfortunately I had to use a convoluted domain name (https://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.batteryopera.com/index.html), but heck, it's free. To the viewer, when they click the "Store" button in the website's nav, they won't know or care that it's on a different domain. The Green SSL lock is there, so it's secure for them to enter their credit card details.
Stripe is a joy to set up using their Python library in the backend. All I have to do is collect the Stripe token and the buyer's name and address. App Engine sends the notification emails (from @batteryopera.com, since it's a Google App email.)
Validation is with jQuery on the front end, and Stripe and Python in the back end. I added a tad of javascript to adjust the price on the BUY button according to what country the book is being shipped to.
I couldn't be happier. My clients would always complain about the sluggish and obtrusive PayPal signup screen... how their customers didn't want to join. I would explain that customers didn't have to signup, that they could just pay with credit card, but at this point every extra decision and step in the way of making their purchase was a chore. No fun.
Now go buy your copy of M/Hotel by David McIntosh! It's only $15... it should be a pleasure to buy!
Over the weekend I created this little urban fantasy island in 3d using Maya.
Website designed for Armenia's first icewine, Armeau. The 2011 icewine harvest took place January 28, with the temperature at -10 Celsius.
Canada has developed an international reputation for fine icewine. But Armenia provides even more favorable conditions for the nurturing of icewine grapes - hotter summers (up to 40 degrees Celsius) and colder winters (down to -46 degrees).
Launched a new website for Joe Creek Artist's Retreat in Roberts Creek on the Sunshine Coast, BC.
A new clean and professional website for Geo-Artist and Researcher Dr. Caleb Johnston.
I'm really having fun with the Canvas tag. And it works well on the phone, too!
We just launched a beautifully moody website for Canadian writer Philip David Alexander. The strong full screen photos that set the mood were taken by his teenage daughter.
David's new book North of Here is now available at Amazon, so go buy it!
Last weekend I attended YCombinator's Startup School conference at Stanford. The speakers included Mark Zuckerberg, Joel Spolsky and Patrick Collison. Video from the talks are available.
For three nights I stayed at the Startup House in San Francisco and met hackers from all over the world. It's a bit like living and sleeping inside a filthy Apple store. Hackers, Macbook Pros, and dirty dishes. So much fun!
My clients at Fusion CIS have an unbelievable new demo reel.
To begin again is daunting. New website for Vancouver artist Denise Carson Wilde.
These are some of the questions discussed over Radix Theatre's YVR workshops. Every Thursday evening until December 1st 2012, you and anyone else are welcome to come to the Roundhouse Community Centre, Room B, and recall something about Vancouver that exists only in your memory now. Then we give you one 14 x 18 piece of paper, and you re-create that memory to the best of your ability. You don't need to be crafty or clever. In fact, we're looking for a diverse array of objects, because 'diversity' is one of the trademarks of the Number Two City in the World we call home. (Yes, we're no longer #1)
Thursdays, til Dec 1, 2012 (7 - 9pm)
Roundhouse Community Centre
Kinesis Dance somatheatro announces a special workshop series with two internationally recognized dance artists, Jens Bjerregaard (Denmark) and Takako Matsuda (Japan), this October and November 2012. Each series will culminate in an open studio performance at the end of the week. In addition, these workshops will be presented with a master technique class component in conjunction with Training Society of Vancouver’s Working Class Program, an initiative providing contemporary dance training through local and visiting artists.
Here's a 3d animation I just did for BURNCO visualizing their proposed Howe Sound gravel pit.
Today we're launching the new Joe Average website to showcase and sell his beautiful photography. A few things I'm proud of:
Here's a new website I designed and created for The Chop Theatre.
On the main page, try moving your mouse around. I wrote this scribble effect using HTML5's canvas tag and a touch of JavaScript. The colour is random, and the active link colour in the style sheet matches it.
When the "enter" button is clicked, the scribble is quietly saved as an image up to Google Cloud Storage.
Aug 1 - 4, 2012 at the Legion on Commercial Drive. Doors 7pm.
Do you like to watch live dance? Are you in Vancouver? Check out Dances for a Small Stage in Vancouver this year! They've been supporting tons of independent vancouver dance artists, many of which I've created website for over the years.
Looking to send your kids somewhere very far away this summer? How about All Theatre Co's day camp near Hong Kong.
Quality time to reconnect in nature with a holistic-living theme! Experience bilingual workshops in Visual and Performing Arts, Raw Cooking and Organic Gardening!
Led by Performing Artist Maggie Blue O’Hara and Visual Artist Hoi Chiu from All Theatre Art Association, these day camps will take your family on an adventure to discover your inner “Warrior of Light”.
Congrats to my theatre clients who won Jessie Awards last week!
Craig Hall, Snowman
Outstanding Direction, Large Theatre
Robert Perrault, Snowman
Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition, Large Theatre
Michael Kopsa, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Small Theatre
Parjad Sharifi, project x (faust)
Outstanding Lighting Design, Small Theatre
Good news! You you can now have a bilingual website.
If you visit Authentic-Teas.com today, and you are browsing on a French computer, you'll be presented with a French website! Impressionnant, non?
In their content management system, Authentic Teas have two language options for each page's text, titles, testimonials, and even the products in their online tea shop!
This feature is available to all Adam8 customers today.
Haida Gwaii is a stunningly beautiful series of islands in Canada's remote north west Pacific region. It has a very small population and there are no real estate agents, so when Ron McKee wanted to sell his house his friend advised him to get in touch with me. I created this website and a Google Adwords ad campaign for Ron's lovely Haida Gwaii Home for sale.
Rumble theatre has a new production planned for this December 2012. Co-produced with Calgary's Ghost River Theatre, they'll be presenting The Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst.
In 1969 British entrepreneur and sailor Donald Crowhurst appeared poised to win the prestigious Golden Globe Race – a solo, non-stop, round the world sailing competition. As he neared the final leg, however, organizers suddenly lost all contact with him. His boat was found adrift in the mid-Atlantic two weeks later in sound condition, but with no sign of Crowhurst. Then they read his unsettling logs and an entirely new story emerged...
Authentic Teas now has a few new organic herbal teas. If you like tea, I highly recommend trying them!
Rick was one of thousands of young men who sought refuge in Canada to escape the Vietnam draft. But, when he takes in a traumatized young American soldier who is deserting his post in Iraq, Rick begins to understand how much our country has changed in forty years. Set in Tofino, BC, Shelter from the Storm is a play about love and loss that questions our notions of courage and cowardice.
May 31 – June 9, 2012
Firehall Arts Centre
More info at Touchstone Theatre and the Vancouver Theatre Guide.
This Saturday, May 26 in Sechelt, Radix presents Xenon 135, a theatrical slideshow created by Billy Marchenski and Alison Denham. Xenon 135 is one of the recurring micro-events leading up to our major production Slowpoke, inspired by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear incident. Billy and Alison will present material generated from their research trip to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone last year.
Saturday, May 26
8pm, doors open at 7
Sunshine Coast Art Centre
5714 Medusa at Trail Ave
Sechelt, BC $15
Hear Billy and Alison talk about the show and make a donation here:
I'm very happy to have Miscellaneous Productions back as a client. Thank you Elaine!
If you're in Vancouver, take the kids out to see their latest production Kutz & Dawgs, opening later this Month.
over 35 performances!
live music!
dancing!
cash bar!
projection art by Parjad!
Saturday, May 19th, at the Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Avenue. doors at
7pm, show 8pm-late
come early, last year sold out and then some!
Maybe you knew this already, but a great place to rent a studio in Vancouver is the old Church in the West End. 2100 square feet - complete with a labyrinth painted on the soft wooden floors.
Available:
Monday through Thursday
9:45 am – 6:30 pm
Rates:
$12/hour to use as a rehearsal space;
$20/hour to use as a class space.
Produced by Progress Lab, half of which are my beloved clients! Boca del Lupo, Electric Company Theatre, Felix Culpa, Leaky Heaven Circus, Neworld Theatre, Pi Theatre, Rumble Productions, The Only Animal, Radix, Theatre Replacement, Theatre Conspiracy
Following three sold-out iterations of the Hive party series, Vancouver’s Progress Lab network of indie theatre-makers comes together to test the theory that creativity feeds on limits.
Boca del Lupo
May 26, 2012 at 8pm (doors at 7pm)
PL1422 at 1422 William Street [map]
Tickets $15, buy
Boca del Lupo's obstructions are:
1. The piece must be done in an empty space (bodies allowed) without props or electricity.
2. The inspiration for the piece must be drawn from a page selected randomly from the business press on the day before their performance.
3. The piece must use a satiric style.
Felix Culpa
June 9, 2012
Radix
July 28, 2012
Spring/Summer 2012 + future dates to be announced
More info at Progress Lab and Rumble Theatre
Free One Day Workshop
May 12, 2012
Audition!
Kinesis Dance somatheatro is holding a FREE workshop audition on Saturday May 12th at the Faris Family Theatre (1st Floor) from 12 pm to 5 pm at The Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie Street, Vancouver). Interested in performing... we are looking for dancers for existing and upcoming projects! Please email admin@kinesisdance.org to register along with your bio.
Workshop Teacher - Shauna Elton
That's Lina Fitzner, Caroline Liffman and Lee Hutzulak.
Firehall Arts Centre, Friday, May 11 & Saturday, May 12, 2012
280 East Cordova St.
Admission is by donation
8:30pm-9:00pm
You'll find us in the upstairs dressing room, continuing an experiment we started last August at Dances for a Small Stage. Grab a drink. Come in and out as you like- there are lots of great performances to see, all weekend long. For the full schedule, swing by the virtual Firehall.
The Russian Hall, Saturday, May 19, 2012
600 Campbell, doors at 7, show starts at 8, $10
Nervous System System (Tanya Podlozniuk, Billy Marchenski, and me) has another video short to show you at Leaky Heaven Circus's 5th quasi-annual Blink, a festival of 1 minute performances (over 35 of them!) (you can see our previous contributions here).
I just completely rebuilt the website for Hlynksy Architects. With the same design, the site now runs on Adam8, so Hlynsky can add a new page and photos as soon as they finish a project. The Flash animation was replaced with HTML5.
At the 2012 BOH Cameronian Arts Awards , The Whole Beast won:
Lee Su-Feh : Best Choreographer in a Full Length Work
Jesse Zubot & David McIntosh : Best Music and Sound Design
Hajnalka Mandula : Best Costume Design
Ee Chee Wei : Best Lighting Design
Lee Su-Feh, James Proudfoot and David McIntosh : Best Set Design for Dance Category
TCR's Issue 3.17 celebrates their 40th anniversary with wide-ranging work—poems, narrative, plays, a novella, a sit-com—by Daphne Marlatt, Steve McCaffery, Garry Thomas Morse, Stan Persky, Sharon Thesen, Fred Wah, and many more, plus Kim Minkus’ interview with Maxine Gadd. The issue also features a visual art portfolio with work by Pierre Coupey, Christos Dikeakos, Liz Magor, Jin-me Yoon, and more.
Order an issue! Available in print or pdf format.
The new website for Vancouver artist Leon Phillips is up and running and I hope you will take a moment to check it out. Let me know if you have any feedback, thanks!
April 10 – 28, 2012
At The Cultch and at Little Mountain Studios
For full programming details, visit www.rumble.org
Tickets/passes available at The Cultch: tickets.thecultch.com or 604.251.1363
Tickets for Endgame and A Last Resort are ONLY $15 + s/c
Savour fleeting choreographies paired with fine wines and comic commentary at Mascall Dance.
Stop in for a taste; BLOOM choreographers provide kinetic ideas and wine pairings for you to experience. Stand up comedienne RIEL HAHN and semi sommelier DAVID MCINTOSH mingle wit with Terpsichore in response to each offering.
2012 BLOOM's choreographic glimpses are created by Billy Marchenski, Myola Pautler, Darcy McMurray, Sjahari Hollands, Stephanie Pintar, and Jennifer Mascall..
5pm May 1,2,8,9,15,16 2012
$10