Updated Portfolio, summary, demo reel

Optimus Prime is my inspiration.  His leadership and compassion are traits I find undeniably human, even if he is a big metal robot.  Optimus Prime’s parental, responsible role is a great contrast to Bumblebee’s slightly more fun, and slightly reckless kind of caring, the kind of caring we seek from best friends instead of parents.  On top of the character attributes, their animation was awe-inspiring.  In fact there are still times I don’t expect them to move so beautifully, like in mid-air transformations.  Industrial Light and Magic created superior, believable characters in Transformers. This animation was actually the tipping point to lead me to study animation in college, specifically, Kinetic Imaging.  Kinetic Imaging is a BFA program that allows students to work in digital media, with various focuses such as sound, video, and animation.

Of course, there were several other movies, animations, performances, and even video games that were essential to the road of a career in Special Effects.  The visual effects industry is a place where I belong.  I have worked in productions in the U.K. and in America, I work on both sides of the camera, pre-production, post-production, almost everything you could imagine. I have even done one man shows, and worked for free just to get a taste of how the industry works. 

I have a playful nature.  I am slightly nerdy, and my friends all make jokes about going to museums with me; they say I am like a child and I get absorbed into interactive exhibits, they have to make sure not to leave me behind! I can’t help it; I love figuring out how things work.  This makes me great at problem solving and innovating.

Check out some recent time-based works: vimeo.com/melynda

Relevant Skills and Coursework

Software skills: Adobe Flash, Autodesk Maya, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop

Artistic endeavors: 3D modeling, Storyboard art, hand-drawn animation, cel animation, Logo design, Video editing, Sound editing, Dance, Video Production, Camera, Lights, Stage costumes

 

Work Experience

YMCA, Downtown Richmond, Media assistant                                                     Sept. 2013 – May 2014

·       Filmed commercials, internal communications videos, ‘Y-stories’

·       Edit footage into short movies, title sequences

 

Seashore Trolley Museum, Assistant Manager, Office Assistant, Store Clerk           May 2009-August 2012

·     Forged and maintained relationships with customers of all ages

·     Trained other employees on the Point of Sale System (For cashing out, opening, closing, ordering, and entering inventory)

·     Multi-tasked in cleaning and organizing store, inventory, and welcome center, while serving customers and answering phones

 

The Jefferson Hotel, TJ’s Restaurant, Hostess                                                                                 Oct. 2011-June 2012

·     Communicated and created reservations via phone, email, and face to face

·     Multi-tasked in strategically organizing customers in the dining room, coordinated with kitchen, set and cleared tables

 

Arundel Barn Playhouse, Box Office Representative                                 July 2009-August 2012

·     Greeted customers in a friendly and professional manner

·     Processed ticket and payment transactions

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant with Doctor Murray                                        Sept. 2011- May 2012

·     Bridged the communication gap between first year students and the Professor

·     Organized and facilitated classroom activities

Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Kinetic Imaging                                              GPA: 3.6

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA       

Minors in Mass Communications, General Business, Dean’s list     

University of Dundee, Scotland, UK  (non-degree seeking)

Time Based Art, Art Philosophy, and Advertising and Branding

References

Dr. Jeffery Murray                                                                                jwmurray@vcu.edu

            Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, for whom I was a teaching assistant

Phil Morse                                                                                                                                                           (207)985.9723

            Former Manager

Ryan Perlowin                                                                                                                                                           (516)330.9844

                 Youth DIgital Supervisor (current employer)

Screenshot- Fishing Tales 

Screenshot- Transitions 

Still Image from Quirks Animation

Storyboard still

One page of a storyboard 

One page of a storyboard 

Stills of charcoal concept drawings

Princess Xela - a creative platform for social CATsire

CATS.  

The internet can't get enough of them.  There are always new cats to watch and cat memes available for entertainment.

CATS EVERYWHERE

My roommate has cats.  They both have "personalities," as my roommate calls it, I call it attitude.   Cats don't have any desire other than their natural instincts.  They don't enjoy TV shows, they don't dance or make anything. 

Cats 'doing something useful' on Google

  Cats, like most animals, live only on instinct to hunt -- independently.  Traditionally cats aren't pack animals, so when they are crammed into group setting, issues arise.  This is where I believe the most attitude shows itself.

bitch fights, basically.

Xela is a typical lazy, grey tabby house cat.  She was rescued from some beautiful yard in Northern Virginia.  She has a 'sister' who was also rescued, but from near our current house in Richmond.  

Xela's attitude is one of a spoiled, entitled princess.  

She lays around the house all day, sleeps, as most cats do.  But Xela also likes to climb on countertops in order to look you in the eye when she stares you down to give her food.  If that doesn't work, she'll jump on the table to eat yours.  Yes, she apparently doesn't care to eat raw foods, but she wants your cooked chicken as soon as you step into the kitchen. Even in the mornings, when I go to make coffee, she sits directly in front of the coffee machine, demanding my service.  

Xela has done some strange things, but for the most part she is a normal indoor cat, trapped, yearning for escape, but ultimately she is too lazy and fat to survive on her own anymore. 

In any case, people are intriqued by cats, as evident in the web. Xela made her own micro-blog so she could offer more entertainment to the millions of cat lovers on the internet. 

In all seriousness, I helped her make this twitter.  She doesn't have access to her own computer, so I help her use mine.  She tracks her daily life, needs, wants, and incompetencies.  She's funny and meme-able. Check her out here.

new business card

Internet and Fitness

 I wanted to investigate how internet had affected the fitness industry.  I chose to research three different personal trainers' practices and their thoughts on social media or the internet's effect on their profession.  I interviewed one part-time one-on-one trainer based in California, who is active on social media and uses that platform as a Reebok Brand Ambassador.  I researched another trainer focused in group fitness out of Equinox gym, in California, who is famous from youtube.  I also interviewed a personal trainer at the YMCA gym, in downtown Richmond.  While he doesn't personally use social media for his work, as a team the YMCA has a large presence in the national and local communities.

For further research, I would like to interview the trainer Shaun T, who doesn't offer his programs for free online; but the programs, like Insanity, are easy to find on pirated websites.  I think he would bring a new perspective, as a group trainer and one who charges for his work.  I would also like to speak with someone from a gym that is not the YMCA, for example a Planet Fitness.  I think this may end up showing a new angle on brick and mortar gyms. 

There are three parts to my research, in video-blog format which I thought was relevant to a project investigating digital spaces.

This is the conclusion after my research.  It seems that the fitness profession is still in a transitional period with the internet.  Like the music and movie industry, the role of the internet changed the practice and economics of the fitness industry.  But perhaps, new media can end up being used as an advantage to fitness professionals.  Physical brick and mortar gyms are essential to fitness.  They even help digital trainers reach out to their crowds, meet people, and serve as a healthy place to workout. These buildings and organizations aren’t going anywhere.  Social media has changed fitness. It has made trainers more accessible, it has helped many lives transform and get healthier.  While it has some downfalls, fitness can still developed an online presence.  Internet is complimenting the brick and mortar gym business, not destroying it.

Special Thank You to Magen, Cassey, and Josh for helping me out with this project! 

Appropriated footage:
instagram.com/magenfit23
youtube.com/user/blogilates
blogilates.com
http://newmediarockstars.com/2013/01/cassey-ho-blogilates/

background music: by Capo Productions
Uplifting Music - Real

References:

Petit, M. (2014, March 22). Interview by Melynda M. Roy. Social Media and Fitness Practice.

Case, J. (2014, March 23). Interview by Melynda M. Roy. Social media and fitness practice.

Ho, C. (2014, March 10). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.blogilates.com/blog/2014/03/10/5-best-lower-ab-flattening-exercises-ed-awareness-on-social-media-sites/

Moore, M. (2008, August 4). More people turn to the ymca than ever before. Retrieved from http://www.ymca.net/news-releases/20080804-membership-reaches-21-million.html