Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your film careers?

By day, I do video work for a small startup in Kansas City. By night, I perform improv and stand-up comedy. Somewhere between the two, I also manage to make movies with my production company Beached Whale Productions. Born and raised in the area, I have been making films for the better half of my adult life. I was once featured on Time Warner Cable’s “Up and Coming Directors” after getting first place in a local 48-hour film festival. Since then, I’ve won countless awards on both a local and international level including Best Film, Best Director, Best Script and a plethora of Audience Choice awards.

Use three words to sum yourself up?

Brilliant, Hilarious… and Humble

Why do you refer to yourself as a Professional Funnyman?

As far as my work in the film goes, I have filled just about every role imaginable at one point or another. On my personal projects, I’ll often write, direct, act, edit, etc., plus I get paid to do comedy on the side, so to sum it all up it’s just easier to say “Professional Funnyman”.

What changes and development have you seen in the filmmaking industry over the years?

Technology has pushed low/no-budget filmmaking to extremes. When I started out, in order to make a movie you had to either have an actual budget or know someone who had spent their life savings on equipment. You’d have to find someone who owned an editing bay in order to cut the film, and uploading and rendering footage would take hours. Nowadays, you could hypothetically film and edit an entire film from your cell phone.

Tell us about your experience at Cannes Film Festival?

Cannes was amazing. I have never seen so many tuxedos in my life! My team made a film for the 48-Hour Film Project and won 1st place in Kansas City. We went on to compete against all the other city-winning films from around the world. We ended up in the top 14 films worldwide, so it went on to screen at a special screening at the Cannes Short Film Corner. I was terrified when I got out there, thinking I was just a small fish in a huge sea of sharks but was pleasantly surprised to find out I was more of a small fish in a big sea of just as small fish. No one seemed unapproachable, and the few “celebrities” I met were very kind (shout out to Alfonso Cuarón, who was nice enough to be a tad late to HIS OWN premiere just so I could briefly talk shop with him). While there, everyone was on an even keel. Well, everyone except for the cast of the Expendables 3… rode up on tanks!

If you were not a Filmmaker, what would be your other career choices?

Panhandler, probably. Also, I love doing Improv Comedy. Its creation is in its rawest form. No scripts, no second takes, just some funny people letting a story form out of nothing. But you could probably make more being a panhandler.

What are the video cameras, audio tools, and editing software you use for filmmaking?

If I’m just messing around, I’ll use my little Canon T3i with a nice lens. If I’m actually shooting something important, I’ll use the Canon C100, Sony Fs7, or my little Black Magic if I want to be more mobile. I learned to edit on an old Avid bay, graduated to Final Cut Pro, and now I’m working with Premiere.

One form of art or skill you wish to learn in the future?

I’ve owned a harmonica for seven years and have yet to get further than learning “When The Saints Go Marching In”.

One gadget on your wish list?

I think I can collectively answer this for every no-budget filmmaker… a RED camera.

If you were stuck in a lift with Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino for 1 hour what would you do?

I have always loved Spielberg. If I was with him in an elevator for an hour, I’d make him regale me with stories of working on Indiana Jones and E.T., then probably convince him to slap his name on my next project… and get a selfie and stuff.

For Tarantino? I don’t know… probably cocaine?

What was your best filmmaking project experience?

I love working with my team, Beached Whale Productions, on timed film competitions. I’ve been doing them for years solo, but the first time I worked with a legit team who knew what they were doing, my life changed. Now I can’t go back to doing it solo… the product you get through teamwork is so much more polished than what a one-person team could ever do. Plus, when the allotted 48 hours are up, you have a movie. It may not be perfect, it might not even be what you thought it was going to be, but damn it… you’ve got a movie.

What do you think is the future of filmmaking?

Streaming. Between Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and the million other streaming services, low/no-budget filmmakers have more ways to share/sell their work than ever before. It’s actually a really cool time to be doing this stuff.

One piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to start a career in filmmaking?

Make a movie. Anyone can these days. All it takes is a decent story, lighting, sound, and that fancy pocket computer smartphone thingy.

Check more about Joe’s work 

The post Joe Carey talks about filmmaking & his experiences from the Cannes Film Festival appeared first on Kabir.

I have been a graphic designer for 21 years. Started printing t-shirts by hand to learn how colors interacted with each other and how to set up artwork for production. That money I earned also helped me buy my first Mac computer and start learning software. Appeared on HGTV in an episode called High Flying Homes, won several advertising awards and have had work featured on magazine covers. The best reward though is seeing a client happy with your work and appreciative of your effort for them. Worked with several celebrities, CEOs and foreign diplomats. Spent the majority of my career in the general aviation industry designing jets and helicopters, but have designed for clients in several industries and agencies. I am from Kansas City, Missouri. Although I love designing my greatest love is for my daughter, Kenzie.

When did you develop your interest in graphic designing?

I started young. I remember drawing and designing logos for storefronts when I was a child. I would ride around with my parents in the car and just look at store signs and then go home and redesign them. I was always sketching, drawing characters or making posters.

What changes and development have you seen in the past 10 years in the graphic designing industry?

The biggest changes are always in the design trends and software. When I was in college we didn’t have a color scanner or the amazing software or really any of the resources we have now as designers and it just gets better year after year.

If you were not a Graphic designer, what would be your other career choices?

As a child, my first love was the game of baseball. I played from the morning until it got dark. It was my dream to play in the big leagues. That dream came crashing down when I got hurt in college playing.

What professional software & tools do you use on a daily basis?

Adobe has always been at the forefront of the software game. They are loyal to the creative mindset and are always leaders in innovating new tools for us to use. Autodesk is also a leader in the software industry. Even if you don’t use Autodesk products you would be amazed at seeing what is being produced across all industries with their products. As far as tools, it’s always good to learn how to use a pen and tablet. digital sketching, drawing on the screen is so much easier when you have a natural feeling tool in your hand.

One form of art, software, tool, a skill you wish to learn in the future?

I’ve dabbled in 3D design with my aviation work, but I would love to get more involved with video, video effects and animation.

How was your experience as a 3D model designer in Aviation Industry?

It has been amazing. I never really thought I would ever get a chance to learn 3d software (Autodesk Maya) but luckily I was given that opportunity. 3d work is a very intense and time-consuming medium, but it produces amazing results which motivate you to want to learn more.

If one of your important clients requires some urgent graphic work from you and you don’t have access to Adobe. What other tool or application would be your option or choice?

Sounds like my first designer job. I had to manage with just using Microsoft Paint and a scanner. I had to really break down the design to the basics. It’s always good to keep a pencil and paper in your toolkit. These two tools can spark creativity. Sketchbook Pro is the best app to use if you want to get ideas down on “paper”.

What do you think is the future of Graphic Designing?

Well, design has evolved as technology has. It used to just be thought of just for books, logos, catalogs, posters, etc. but now we have apps, UI UX, websites… all the digital mediums. The future looks pretty amazing really. New mediums will be invented and they will need designers

One piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to start a career in the Graphic Designing industry?

Pick up a pencil and draw. Whether you think you are good at drawing or not, pick up a pencil and draw. It’s the fastest way to get the ideas out of your head and made into a tangible element you can manipulate and refine. Always have one with you – in a purse, backpack or behind your ear. I’ve learned the hard way. I’ve had great ideas lost forever because I didn’t have anything to get it ‘down’ on paper.

The post Featured Interview with Derrick David, American Graphic Designer appeared first on Kabir.