http://www.nathanielhowe.com Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:13:13 +0000 http://www.nathanielhowe.com en http://nathanielhowe.com/American-Horror-Story http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/American-Horror-Story Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:13:13 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 2112375 FX + Buster <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2112375/amhs1_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3353" width_o="1186" height_o="3353" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2112375/amhs1_o.jpg" data-mid="10526776" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2112375/amhs2_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="2545" width_o="1186" height_o="2545" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2112375/amhs2_o.jpg" data-mid="10526777" border="0" align="left"/> http://nathanielhowe.com/FXM-Network-Launch http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/FXM-Network-Launch Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:13:11 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 2448716 FXM Network Launch <img src="http://payload7.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2448716/nh1_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3016" width_o="1186" height_o="3016" src_o="http://payload7.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2448716/nh1_o.jpg" data-mid="12338522" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload7.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2448716/nh2_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3016" width_o="1186" height_o="3016" src_o="http://payload7.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2448716/nh2_o.jpg" data-mid="12338529" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload7.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2448716/nh3_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3016" width_o="1186" height_o="3016" src_o="http://payload7.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2448716/nh3_o.jpg" data-mid="12338530" border="0" align="left"/> http://nathanielhowe.com/Louie-CK-Season-1-2 http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/Louie-CK-Season-1-2 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:08:05 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 551999 FX Networks + Buster SEASON TWO STYLE EXPLORATION & Art Directon Collaboration with www.joncontino.com & Vinny Vincola Thanks to everybody at Buster, FX & Fusion CIS! Louie - FX <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/551999/louie_season2_a1a_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3016" width_o="1186" height_o="3016" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/551999/louie_season2_a1a_o.jpg" data-mid="7371980" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/551999/louie_season2_a1B_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="2708" width_o="1186" height_o="2708" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/551999/louie_season2_a1B_o.jpg" data-mid="7371982" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/551999/louie_season2_bV_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="2025" width_o="1186" height_o="2025" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/551999/louie_season2_bV_o.jpg" data-mid="7372650" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/551999/louiea_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="1358" width_o="1186" height_o="1358" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/551999/louiea_o.jpg" data-mid="2539359" border="0" align="left"/> http://nathanielhowe.com/Rescue-Me http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/Rescue-Me Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:07:51 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 552000 FX Networks + Buster <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/552000/resuceme1_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="1696" width_o="1186" height_o="1696" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/552000/resuceme1_o.jpg" data-mid="2532124" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/552000/resuceme2_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="1696" width_o="1186" height_o="1696" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/552000/resuceme2_o.jpg" data-mid="2532125" border="0" align="left"/> http://nathanielhowe.com/Prohibition-PBS http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/Prohibition-PBS Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:10:19 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 2665636 Prohibition - PBS Ken Burns Prohibition PBS <img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2665636/pro_1_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="2374" width_o="1186" height_o="2374" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2665636/pro_1_o.jpg" data-mid="13505702" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2665636/pro_2_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="2374" width_o="1186" height_o="2374" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2665636/pro_2_o.jpg" data-mid="13505705" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2665636/pro_3_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="2030" width_o="1186" height_o="2030" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2665636/pro_3_o.jpg" data-mid="13505709" border="0" align="left"/><img src="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2665636/pro_4_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="2039" width_o="1186" height_o="2039" src_o="http://payload18.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2665636/pro_4_o.jpg" data-mid="13505710" border="0" align="left"/> http://nathanielhowe.com/About-Nathaniel-Howe-1 http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/About-Nathaniel-Howe-1 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:38:39 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 2480115 Nate Howe is a multidisciplinary creative director and designer based in Los Angeles working primarily in film, television, advertising and brand development. In 2012 Nathaniel partnered up with EP James Sweigert to form Nathaniel James Some of his professional clients include Coke Madonna MTV VH1 Oprah ABC Universal Pictures Microsoft Ford And many others. *a full portfolio can be viewed at www.nathanielhowe.com From music videos, feature films and television to product launches, re-brands and commercials Nate knows how to escalate a brand to the next level and tap into new markets though thoughtful and custom tailored design solutions. Nate was recently named as a "top 13 under 30" in the industry by Brief Magazine. <img src="http://payload9.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2480115/newcov_2048.jpg" width="1569" height="684" width_o="1569" height_o="684" src_o="http://payload9.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2480115/newcov_o.jpg" data-mid="12506244" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload9.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2480115/13_30_2_2048.jpg" width="1508" height="980" width_o="1508" height_o="980" src_o="http://payload9.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2480115/13_30_2_o.jpg" data-mid="12506256" border="0" align="left"/> ------------------------------- sixteenXnine INTERVIEWS NATHANIEL HOWE 1) What’s popping Nate? Can you tell everyone a little bit about your educational back like where you went to school if anywhere or are you self educated? When I was about 9 years old I became very interested in filmmaking and cinematography, my father was very supportive and bought me a video camera and every book on the subject. He even used to record television shows and commercials and would play them back, pointing out nuances about the edit, cinematography and FX. When I was still very young he got me into NYU to audit some classes on Hitchcock and film/image theory. I remember people telling me "during a great film you should be able to stop on any frame and that alone could stand as a still piece of art" My father taught me a lot about design, film, editing and the audience from a very young age, which have all helped my career as a Art Director & Designer to this day. After running around with a film camera for a while I realized I wasn't getting the epic shots I had imagined, then I discovered 3d. Around 10 or 11 years old I opened my first 3d package, it felt like I had an infinite movie studio without the limitations of gravity or anything else for that matter. This is what started the waterfall. I began playing with Photoshop, 3d and after effects. It was all for fun, I never thought I was going to get paid to use Photoshop or to design, I just did it because I enjoyed it. Most of the software and technique that I use is self-taught, and I am incredibly grateful to my father for sparking and nurturing my interests. I studied Maya at Full Sail University in Orlando Florida, I met some very influential artists and teachers at the school and am very grateful for my time there. I still serve on the Advisory Committee and go back to Full Sail whenever I can to help improve the program and to meet with students. 2) How did you decide that motion graphics is where you wanted to be? During college I was in the 3d program studying to be a visual effects artist, but I met Chris Kelley (http://chriskelley.tv/) and Chad Bonnano (http://www.chadbonanno.com/) who were doing motion graphics. These two guys really showed me a new world outside of film and 3d visual effects work. I remember one day after class when Chad showed me Anamorph by WDDG (http://www.viddler.com/explore/cptnemo/videos/1/) I had never seen anything like it and it inspired me, this was around the time I decided I wanted to work in motion graphics. 3) I remember a few years back you use to do design and animation but now looking at your site you've seemed to gear yourself more towards design, we all know your a kick ass boarding artist but is there any reason you can say you prefer designing now over motion? At my first job out of school nobody used styleframes. I would get on the phone with the client and talk about what they want, then start animating. We would design on the fly as we were animating. It was definitely not the right way to work but I learned a lot after doing it that way for 2 years. Once I moved to LA I quickly learned about styleframes and the design process. I was an animator in Los Angeles and the east coast for about 4-5 years before I realized I was truly passionate about the design process. To me switching from animation to design made the job fun again, the freedom and flexibility of a job in the design phase allows you to explore different styles and possibilities and to take more risks. I love going after pitches and trying a lot of different styles, then working with the client to shape the piece into its final form. To me the design phase is supposed to be fun, if you are not having fun you are doing it wrong. 4) I know while working at Buster you've seemed to found a desire to do live action directing have you pursued that path more? Buster has been a really great place for me, early in my booking I told the head of the studio that I was passionate about directing live action, a week later I was co-directing a large shoot for them with Kurt Spenser. During the last 2 years at Buster I have got some really great directing experience, they really trusted me with some big accounts and I am grateful for the opportunities they have given me. 5) Recently you've gone to Italy to freelance how has your experience been there? I am just wrapping up a 2 month booking with Angelsign Studios here in Milan Italy. It has been an amazing experience working here, I have got to bring out several artists from LA to help fill out the team. We have artists from all over the world here right now, it is a great group of people and I have really enjoyed working with everybody. I love traveling abroad for work it changes the way you look at the industry, I have worked in the past in Germany and Thailand on jobs and found it very inspiring. 6) How does the Italian market compare to the LA market in terms of how they do business? Is the pitch process similar or is it completely different because of culture differences? The culture is very different, the north of Italy is the hub for business and fashion, the south of Italy moves slower and is more relaxed. There is a lot less competition on pitches and accounts here, sometimes it seems like people don't want to take a risk to do something too different out of fear that people won't get it. I won 3 or 4 pitches since I have been here, I like using frames as talking points and then sculpt the final piece with the client. The language barrier made it a different process for me, my only "voice" was my frames so I had to be a bit more drawn out than I usually get with a style exploration. But Italy in general is very inspiring to me, there is beautiful art and architecture everywhere and the culture, people and way of life is a nice change of pace from Los Angeles. 7) Thanks again Nate for taking time with us is there anything we missed that you would like to add? I just want to keep learning as an artist and growing into different roles, I hope to return to my love of cinematography and film on a larger scale in the future. I am truly grateful to all the studios and friends I have worked with so far in my career. Thanks for taking the time to speak with me. For more of Nates work visit his site at www.nathanielhowe.com ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- An Interview with Nathaniel Howe, Shark Tank’s Brand Design Pioneer If you’ve watched an episode of Shark Tank in the last two years, chances are you’ve seen the handiwork of Nathaniel Howe without ever realizing it. Nathaniel, a talented LA-based motion graphics designer, created the design boards that anchor many of the show’s intro/outro teasers and clip sequences. In addition to Shark Tank, if you’ve tuned in to the NBA Finals or shows like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Louis and American Pickers (to name a few) you’ve already been well-introduced. Recently we caught up with Nathaniel and asked him about his unique role, process, and interests. 1. For an average viewer (including myself) that lacks knowledge of what your process looks like, how would you describe what you do on a daily basis? Hi Andrew, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. My day job is to create artwork that conveys a clients communication goals in an unique way. As a Creative Director my role is to develop the aesthetic tone and strategic positioning of a multimedia campaign and to ensure quality from pre-production through execution. My work is primarily based in film and television, being freelance I work with a diverse set of clients ranging from Madonna music videos, Men In Black 3 special effects, all the way to title design and promo graphics for Shark Tank. 2. What’s the purpose of a “design board”? A large portion of my day to day work is to create still pictures called styleframes or storyboards. These still pictures are used to convey the visual language of a campaign and guarantee everybody likes the artistic direction before the more time consuming and expensive process of animation begins. A styleframe will define a visual language (what do the graphics and typography look like, what style photography is used and why, what’s the tone and mood, what are the main colors, how does the look of the graphics connect with marketing goals and target audience etc). When ABC approached us to brand Shark Tank we began by learning about the show, the target audience, and the brand qualities of ABC as a channel. We then took what we learned and started creating multiple sets of styleframes to give ABC creative choices as to how they wanted their show represented. Once everybody agreed on a show logo and a style was selected we began animating the motion graphics that you see on-air to this day. 3. In a typical episode of Shark Tank, images of sharks swimming above Manhattan skyscrapers are shown just before the start of the show as well as immediately before new segments. What can you tell us about the genesis of this idea? The sharks circling the skyscrapers was a visual motif I came up with during the early style development for Shark Tank and it was one of the first things ABC really responded to. I began by thinking about the raw qualities of cut-throat, tense business negotiations. I thought about the way the investors would fight for a deal and turn on each-other, doing whatever it would take once there was blood in the water. I wanted to create a striking image that would juxtapose the world of business and the metaphorical similarities of a school blood-thirsty sharks ready to strike. The animation team did a great job blending animated sharks and footage of real sharks to create the final composite used during the title sequence. 4. What can you tell us about your role in creating design boards for Shark Tank? I had an amazing team of artists and producers working on Shark Tank with me and it was an absolute pleasure to brand the show. It is always more fun when you actually enjoy the show you are working on, I remember watching the early pilot episodes of Shark Tank and getting really into it. To this day I still set my DVR to record every episode. Shark Tank has gone beyond the initial entertainment value of negotiations to a rich and eclectic show that conveys many different emotions. Shark Tank has truly developed into something that changes lives and rewards hardworking entrepreneurs and I am proud to have worked on it. 5. Television post-production like the production itself appears to be a very collaborative environment. Does that hold true with your work in general, and specifically on Shark Tank? Absolutely. I am fortunate enough to work with some of the best artists and producers in the world and through collaboration we ensure our clients receive a well-rounded diverse style exploration and creative approach. On Shark Tank we would sit and watch the pilot episode together and discuss how the show made us feel, what imagery or adjectives it brought to mind, what colors it invoked etc. All of this collaborative dialogue was extremely important to the creative process. 6. Based on your portfolio, you routinely work with iconic brands and television properties. Is it daunting to put a new spin on an established brand? After working with both existing and new brands, do you enjoy one challenge over the other? The freedom of working with a new brand is liberating and exciting, however the visual power and thrill of dropping in a Coke or Nike logo into your design feels nice also! I honestly don’t prefer one over the other, I just want a project that gets my team and I fired up and passionate, I want my clients to feel passionate and to be excited about how we can push the brand. Sometimes you need to push a brand or style too far, then let it get dialed back into a zone where everybody from the corporate suits, to the sponsors feel comfortable. I try and push a little past the edge because we can always bring it down a notch, it’s better to turn heads too far then to not move them at all. 7. In addition to wrangling motion graphics and brands on a daily basis, your Twitter profile mentions that you trade stocks and commodities on the side. What sparked your interest in investing? What keeps you interested when it comes to investing? My father is a professional trader, so that is part of what sparked my interest. Growing up I was captivated by film, cinematography and art, I wanted nothing to do with math or finance but one day about 5 years ago I woke up and wondered if I could be a successful trader. To be honest, I thought trading would be easy, so I decided to give it a chance. I quickly learned that trading is an incredibly difficult and complex art with it’s own rules and nuances. My first big winners showed me the potential to generate wealth, my first big losers taught me to be humble and respect the market. I primarily day-trade futures contracts, and swing trade securities in the equity market. I have enormous respect for the difficulty, focus, patience and discipline it takes to be a successful and consistently profitable trader. Trading is a lot like golf, it’s “you vs yourself” I really enjoy the challenge of trying to master myself and the art of trading it is a nice change of pace from the design world. 8. For all your fellow entrepreneurs (and Shark Tank fans), is there an entrepreneurial tip or piece of advice that you’d like to share? “If you want something, make yourself ready to receive it.” Develop an burning passion to create the life and business you desire, spend time everyday to reaffirm and realign yourself with those goals. Look for win-win situations in business, that is the only way to create sustainable success and grow a loyal client/employee base. Treat people well, protect your reputation and pursue your dreams with unrelenting effort and determination. Make sure to laugh along the way. Thanks again for taking the time to speak with me, and a special thanks to our whole team involved with Shark Tank! ——————————– Our thanks to Nathaniel for the great insight into his creative process, and also the encouragement and advice! We encourage all Shark Tank fans and entrepreneurs to follow Nathaniel on Twitter. And of course if you’re looking for an experienced Creative Director or motion graphics expert for your next project, check out his online portfolio. ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------- Interview with Nate Howe by Angelsign Studio Interview with Nate Howe from Angelsign Studio on Vimeo. http://nathanielhowe.com/Burger-King http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/Burger-King Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:42:39 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 2467037 Burger King + Buster <img src="http://payload8.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2467037/bk_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="1026" width_o="1186" height_o="1026" src_o="http://payload8.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2467037/bk_o.jpg" data-mid="12434193" border="0" align="left"/> http://nathanielhowe.com/ESPN-Late-Night http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/ESPN-Late-Night Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:42:34 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 2479838 ESPN Late Night Logo collaboration with Gilbert Avila <img src="http://payload8.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2479838/espnlate1_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3016" width_o="1186" height_o="3016" src_o="http://payload8.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2479838/espnlate1_o.jpg" data-mid="12505021" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload8.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2479838/espnlate2_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3016" width_o="1186" height_o="3016" src_o="http://payload8.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2479838/espnlate2_o.jpg" data-mid="12505032" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload8.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2479838/espnlate3_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3392" width_o="1186" height_o="3392" src_o="http://payload8.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2479838/espnlate3_o.jpg" data-mid="12505048" border="0" align="left"/> http://nathanielhowe.com/SPIKE-VGA-AWARDS-2011 http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/SPIKE-VGA-AWARDS-2011 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:04:19 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 2375004 SPIKE 2011 VGA AWARDS BUSTER <img src="http://payload3.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2375004/spikeVGA_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="2370" width_o="1186" height_o="2370" src_o="http://payload3.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2375004/spikeVGA_o.jpg" data-mid="11945210" border="0" align="left"/> http://nathanielhowe.com/NBC-2012-London-Summer-Olympics http://nathanielhowe.com/following/nathanielhowe.com/NBC-2012-London-Summer-Olympics Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:03:54 +0000 Nate Howe Freelance Design + Art Direction 2394210 NBC 2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS NBC + Buster <img src="http://payload4.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2394210/sum_oly1_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="3016" width_o="1186" height_o="3016" src_o="http://payload4.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2394210/sum_oly1_o.jpg" data-mid="12046838" border="0" align="left"/> <img src="http://payload4.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2394210/sum_oly2_2048.jpg" width="1186" height="1022" width_o="1186" height_o="1022" src_o="http://payload4.cargocollective.com/1/0/9629/2394210/sum_oly2_o.jpg" data-mid="12046847" border="0" align="left"/>