Sequential Dreams

TV24 News Opening

2009-02-12T17:09:00.002-06:00

TV24 News Open 2009 from Richard White on Vimeo.

Here's a News Opening I did for the local tv station WJXS TV24 here in Anniston. I really rather like the final product and am very pleased with it. It is produced in full HD and you should PLEASE watch it in full HD at this link: http://www.vimeo.com/3190744. The one above is an SD version, while good, it doesn't portray the quality that the HD does. Let me know what you think!

The River

2009-01-21T12:52:00.004-06:00

Another design collaboration with Holly! This one is Holly almost entirely, with me throwing in some direction here and there. I'm really proud of this design, and there are the two versions, the "rapids" version and the "calm waters" version. For the official, we went with the "calm waters" version, as inspired by the River of Life in scripture and a prophecy spoken over Word Alive.

Little Book of Poems

2009-01-21T12:41:00.002-06:00

Cover design for a forthcoming book by Beverly Mattox, featuring some poetry she has written over the years. This is an iconic looking poetry cover, but it is beautiful, no? This was a project I worked on with Tihana from Croatia. I miss her.

2008 Christmas Cards

2009-01-21T12:40:00.004-06:00

Here's the design for Word Alive/Kent and Bev's Christmas Card design for 2008. I rather like this!

County Info Guide

2009-01-21T12:35:00.005-06:00

The Cover to the County Info Guide Media Kit. Coming soon? Perhaps. The intention behind this design, which I feel I have accomplished, was a grungy country/modern design. Strange combo, I know, but I believe it works with the statue of Mr Noble there.

Mixed Media Logo

2009-01-21T12:33:00.002-06:00

Here's a little logo I designed for an as yet realized company with my friend Josh.

Life Book

2009-01-21T12:23:00.003-06:00

This is the front and back of a saddle stitched book designed for the Life Groups at Word Alive. This little book served as a directory for our seasonal life groups. Based on the old Milton Bradley Game of LIFE, I gave it a distressed look and rounded corners. The back was intended to mirror the game board and also communicate what was, at the time, our Life Track process. I was really pleased with the outcome of this project.

Brown Bagging Thanksgiving!

2009-01-21T12:11:00.003-06:00

This was just a flyer for our Thanksgiving assistance last year in 2008. There's nothing truly spectacular about the design, I just really enjoyed the colors and the fact that it was yet another project Holly was involved in. If I had to do it over again and I had more time, I would have purposed the text on the bag with much more design in mind. However, I only had about an hour to turn it around for printing, so I stuck with the "generic" text. It was effective anyway.

The Basics

2009-01-21T12:05:00.002-06:00

This design was for a series that ran at Word Alive during the month of July last year. We went with the "basics" at these services, without the normal hoopla of planning to give a sabbatical to the media and other areas. I wasn't overly thrilled initially with this design, so I did not post it originally. I have since received many comments on it, so I decided it should be included in this run of posts!

Glory to The Lamb

2009-01-21T12:01:00.002-06:00

Here's a design done for a friend of mine, Robin Smyre. I didn't spend as much time with the design as I originally hoped I would be able to and I think the design suffered a little because of it. Sorry Robin! This was another project that Holly and I both did together - I know that it's not the best, but it served it's purpose.

24/7 Angel

2009-01-21T11:58:00.002-06:00

Here's a design done a while back, a collaboration between Holly Smith, my protege and me. This was our first major project together and it came out well. Hope you enjoy!

It HAS been a while!

2009-01-21T10:29:00.002-06:00

Well, It's been a loooong time since my last post. There've been so many projects and Holidays in between that I kind of let this blog get a little run down and out of date. I'm going to update some things today to catch up my blog with some designs. Hope you enjoy!

I Just Can't Turn and Walk Away.

2008-08-07T20:33:00.002-05:00

This is my latest design! I'm very proud of this one. Based on Acts 26, this design is a "modern-ish" artistic retelling of Saul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. in Acts 26, Paul tells King Agrippa of his vision. the message translation says it best:

"One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the high priests authorizing my action, right in the middle of the day a blaze of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! We fell flat on our faces. Then I heard a voice in Hebrew: 'Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?'
"I said, 'Who are you, Master?'
"The voice answered, 'I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down like an animal. But now, up on your feet—I have a job for you. I've handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what's happened today, and to what I am going to show you.
"'I'm sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.'
"What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change—this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life—right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.

The line "I couldn't just walk away from a vision like that!" became the theme and we got the title from the Sister Hazel song "All For You". The model in the middle (heh.) is none other than my right-hand man, John Crutchfield! Enjoy!

New Oil, or a New Anointing

2008-06-17T18:04:00.002-05:00

Here's the third and final design in this series. Note the manly arm in this design. That's my manly arm. I'll do anything to get into the shot!

New Word

2008-06-17T18:02:00.001-05:00

The second design in the "New" Series for Pastor Kent.

New Song or Praise!

2008-06-17T18:00:00.002-05:00

This was the first in a line of designs for a series Kent was preaching on the New in May. These designs proved to be a huge hit and I like them as well. Lesli Willingham helped me design these and I think we did a great job together. Bravo, us!

Word Alive Academy Ad

2008-06-17T17:55:00.002-05:00

Here's an ad I created for a local "Family Friendly Directory" for Word Alive Academy. I had a lot of fun with this one and I believe it came out well.

grow green

2008-06-17T17:52:00.002-05:00

Here's the original design for the Grow series at Word Alive. We were originally going to go for the ever-so-popular green look, but, considering that the subject was about building to grow and centered on construction, I found it a conflict of interest. I still think this is a cool design, though.

Michael Waters' Program Ad

2008-06-17T17:50:00.001-05:00

Here's a design I did for some friends of mine. Their son was inducted into the National Honor Society, so they took out an ad in the local football program to recognize his accomplishments. Here is said ad!

Growchure - the Grow Brochure

2008-06-17T17:46:00.003-05:00

Whoa. Once again, it has been many moons since I have posted on this here blog. This is a design done for Word Alive for a brochure for our Grow campaign. This has been an instrumental tool in communicating the vision of Our Connection at Word Alive.

Haggai: Zerubbabel, God's Signet Ring

2008-03-27T13:37:00.003-05:00

This is my latest design for a message at Word Alive... when I heard that the message was on Haggai, I read the book and the last thing God says to Zerubbabel really struck a chord with me. He said that God would make him His signet ring. After a little digging, I found that was significant because God had cursed Zerubbabel's grandfather Jeconiah years earlier that denied his offspring a kingly blessing and rule. It was very interesting how, 70 years later, God forgave Zerubbabel through his obedience. So, this design was the direct influence of scripture and I'm quite fond of it!

A Resurrected Spirit

2008-03-19T20:14:00.002-05:00

Here's the design for this year's Resurrection Day services. The service centers around the 7 sayings of Christ on the cross and how they correlate to the 7 gifts of the spirit. I wasn't sure about this design in the beginning, but it has grown on me a bit. Let me know if'n ya likes.

Cultivating Community

2008-03-19T20:11:00.002-05:00

Here's a design for a future campaign here at Word Alive. This series was supposed to begin after Resurrection Day, but has been postponed to a later date. I had finished the design a few weeks ago, so I thought I would share it with all two of you who visit this blog ;). Tell me if you like it, Andrew.

Gold Fever Part 3!

2008-02-03T10:09:00.000-06:00

Here's the final episode of Gold Fever. This one's my favorite for obvious reasons. I hope you like it. All one of you.

Gold Fever Part 2!

2008-01-27T10:18:00.000-06:00

Here's part 2 of Gold Fever, Word Alive's silent film sensation! Eh, who am I kidding? I'm really the only one that likes it. But, here it is in it's monochromatic glory. Hope you enjoy it!

Gold Fever!

2008-01-17T17:59:00.000-06:00

This is a silent film style video we did as a promotional for Word Alive. There's a gold drive for Word Alive Members going on to help build the Connection Building and we produced this video as a way to keep it in front of people. Hope you like.

The Great Treasure Hunt

2008-01-05T18:01:00.000-06:00

ARRRRR! MATIES! Here thar be a treasure map, skillfully created by the greatest cartographer this side o' this here blog, Cap'm Peg-leg Dick hisself!

This design serves a dual purpose - being the front and back covers of this week's bulletin at Word Alive as well as the outline for the sermon. This was also a last minute design and I really like how it came out, all things considered.

As always, most of my designs are posted on iStock, capable of being rated. Go to istockphoto.com and sign up for a free account - then visit my profile at http://www.istockphoto.com/user_view.php?id=363320 and rate my designs. It doesn't really gain me anything but smug self-confidence, but what can I say, I'm a shallow person.

Through the Bible in a Year

2008-01-05T17:34:00.000-06:00

This is a design for a weekly insert/feature in the Bulletin of Word Alive International Outreach that will assist in reading the Bible through in a year. I like how this one turned out, as it was a last-minute thing. I searched for some time to find the right image to use, but when I finally found it, the insert almost designed itself. These are the types of projects I love...

The Underground Video

2007-12-30T09:50:00.000-06:00

This is a video produced to promote a ministry at Word Alive entitled The Underground. The group of guys that head this up are awesome, and they're really excited about ministry. The above image is my submission to iStock, in hopes that more people can see the motion in this thing. We'll see if that works! Below you can watch the entire promotion.

Freedom Vine

2007-12-30T09:42:00.000-06:00

Here's a vector animation I did for our Mission Statement at Word Alive. This video is shown at our Member's Class. The Above image is what I've submitted to iStock for their consideration, trying to capture the motion in a still frame format. Below you can view the entire video. The vine animation is at the very end.

Wedding Program

2007-12-30T09:24:00.000-06:00

Here's a wedding program designed for a "Mass" wedding of four couples at the church. I like how this came out, but it's certainly not my favorite piece I've done. It's really quite a departure from my usual style. I believe it really fit the wedding well, all-in-all. This one got a designer spotlight on iStock. For some reason. ;)

Top rated design at iStockphoto!

2007-12-28T17:05:00.000-06:00

I was perusing popular files at iStock for my next inspiration when I ran across the top rated designs section. I was shocked to see one of my designs in the 5th rank! I'm excited. Click here to go see it. (You'll have to click the Design / Steel Cage tab on this page) It's the design "Follow" featuring my shepherd design. I'm totally excited! If you're my friend, you'll sign up for an account at iStock and rate me a 5. I wanna be number 1.

UPDATE: I took a screen shot for my own fun.

All Things New Design

2007-12-28T14:29:00.000-06:00

This is the design I did for our New Year's Bulletin. We're having a guest (Don Potter) this weekend, so i didn't really have a theme to build on, and I didn't want to use a generic design for a "Holiday" weekend, so I made this dramatically simple design. I know that it features a Jesus quote from Revelation while Christ is on the cross and not the throne, but I thought it was symbolically perfect. I really like this one, even though it is quite generic in concept as well. You like???

Peace Design

2007-12-28T14:24:00.000-06:00

Here's a design I did for Christmas 2007 at Word Alive. The message was on The Perfect Gift of Peace and I thought it was just about time I created an overused Christian symbolism design. I like this design, but it's not my personal favorite, mainly because I punish myself for being too generic at times.

Luke Varvell, An Instrumental Christmas CD

2007-12-28T14:19:00.000-06:00

Here's a design I banged out for a Christmas Project by the inimitable Luke Varvell. This Cd features a great acoustic sound on favorite Christmas Classics. The cover is not perfect, I know, but it was a very last minute project that I'm still not ashamed of...

Word Alive Gadsden?!

2007-12-28T14:04:00.000-06:00

Word Alive recently opened a campus in the neighboring town of Gadsden. When we called a "vision-casting" meeting to share the vision of Word Alive with Gadsden, the decision to come to Gadsden was still up in the air. The cover of the Word Alive Gadsden marketing materials and Bulletin features a Question Mark theme, while the back of the bulletin highlights the exclamation mark. While rather simple, this design was a huge hit!

Life Scriptures

2007-12-28T13:50:00.000-06:00

Kidz Alive wanted some life principals scriptures on a poster to put in each of the classrooms for teachers to read and pray over the children. This is the result of said poster!

Center of Hope Video Theme

2007-12-28T13:44:00.000-06:00

Hey! How about an update after 3 months??? AWESOME! Here's a design I did for a video Promotional for the Center of Hope here in Anniston. The Center of Hope is a Christian Substance abuse rehab center that is doing a great job helping others. In motion this looks pretty cool, and I was able to use some of the more well known Christian symbols that I don't get to use that often, i.e. the cross and the dove. Enjoy.

Awakening Conference Commercial

2007-09-30T19:57:00.000-05:00

Here's a commercial I produced this week. Let me know if you like it. This conference/campmeeting is gonna be a week long uber event. Should be fun. I really like how this turned out.

Awakening the generation that seeks God

2007-08-26T10:52:00.001-05:00

What a title! Nothing like a long winded preacher-type title to make the design process difficult! ;) I ended up enjoying this design pretty well, even though it's just a flyer for a conference. Perhaps you'll see it and maybe you'll comment. But probably not.

Anointed to Finish

2007-08-26T10:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a recent design for Word Alive. It's a series! Of Course. Thanks for looking, and thanks for commenting. See ya , bye.

Follow

2007-08-09T16:51:00.000-05:00

This may be my personal favorite of all of my images. 'Nuff Said.

The Seed Magnifies

2007-08-09T16:44:00.000-05:00

Imagery for "The Seed Magnifies Your Future" as taught by Bill Byrd at Word Alive. I know what you're thinking... Where's all the shiny happy people that Christianity is supposed to reflect upon? Well, I don't know. I design the way the Lord shows me and I pretty much love the stuff I've been doing recently, so, hey, go figure, right? This is the idea I had in my head to design for this message, so when Heather Gagnon told me she had a dream that featured a design like this, I knew I had to do it. Yeah, it's dark. Sorry. This is the way of the world.

Apostolic Prayers

2007-08-09T16:38:00.000-05:00

I know I'm not writing much in these descriptions, but let's face it, no one wants to hear my thoughts. They want to see the pretty pictures, so I'M GONNA BRING IT! This is a tentative cover for the book "Apostolic Prayers" by Bill Byrd. He thought it was great, so I consider it a success. Question is, what do YOU think?

Good Success

2007-08-09T16:35:00.000-05:00

Temporary Cover for Good Success by our pastor, Kent Mattox. This book has been in the works for quite some time and I rather like this cover... I don't know if it'll fly, as it has a somewhat feminine flair to it. We'll see, but so far, I dig. You dig?

The Connection Card

2007-08-09T16:16:00.000-05:00

Hey, hey, hey! Two in a day!

This card was a promotional card distributed through a mailing list and our congregation for investing in building the Connection Building here at Word Alive. This card was unique in that the smaller form insert card was attached to the front of of the card, which, when removed, also removed the puzzle piece revealing blueprints. it required a lot of manipulation, which, while nt perfect, I am still proud of. Whatchoo think?

Kingdom Connections Bulletins

2007-08-09T16:08:00.000-05:00

April 29th was my last post???? Have I gone crazy???? I think so! Well, I'm finally going to post some of my more recent forays into the world of digital graphical illustrations. Niceness. This bulletin series ran from May to June at Word Alive and I enjoyed it. I designed several variations on it, but they all followed the same scheme so I just featured one on here. I actually was not personally fond of the puzzle piece design at first, but it ended up the most appropriate "fit" to the series. BWAAAA-HAHAHAHA! I've been gone too long! Come back people! Come back!

Youth Leader Insert

2007-04-29T12:46:00.000-05:00

During my week long bout with Kidney stones, somewhere in my drug inhibited work life I found the motivation to design an insert for the youth. I enjoyed designing this, although I wish I had the time to redesign the WAY logo as it is now very old. I was insanely inspired to create after NAB this year, but I feel that this round with kidney stones has been a bit of a buzz killer... I have some projects lined up this week to spur my creativity some and I hope to be back with some more designs soon enough!

Look and Live Redux

2007-04-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

As Easter once again resurfaces from the belly of the Earth this year, I was reminded how much I worked on last year's Easter Design entitled Look and Live. I worked a lot of magic on that snake and I worked so long on it that I never got the text right. I reworked the text recently to more accurately fit the design. Check out the old and let me know if the new is better.

Saturday Night Alive

2007-03-28T23:26:00.000-05:00

I did a couple of designs for the return of Saturday Night Alive at Word Alive starting April 7th. These designs were quickies, but also a lot of fun. I do prefer the "Saturday Night's Back" one, but both will be used on our website and in e-mail communications. You like?

The Bridges Venue Poster

2007-03-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

Here's one of those rare non-church projects that I do, although it is kind of church related. Bill Byrd's children (3 daughters, a son, and a niece) formed a band a few years ago and they are now going by the name "The Bridges" They needed some venue advertisement posters and I whipped these up on the spot for them. It's a quickie little design, but I thought it turned out okay and it was well received. If you have a chance, check out their music at myspace. Their songs are highly emotive, and they exhibit lyrics with levels of complexity that defy their ages. Wonderful artists, I'm a big fan!

Dedication Service Design

2007-02-21T10:28:00.000-06:00

This is the most recent of our designs at Word Alive. We needed a design for a Baby Dedication Service Program and DVD cover, and with the help of Matthew Pruitt, I put this together. We weren't sure exactly what tone we should design in and it showed! The original design used more classic baby colors... y'know pinks, blues, yellows and all that... and while that was a great start, it began to morph into something else. That something else is the "vintage-y" (yep, made that one up) feel that we have now. Check out Matthew's site for his photography and contact him if you need some photos... he's really great!

My Presence will go with you Design

2007-01-31T12:53:00.000-06:00

Here's this week's Sermon Design! Pastor Kent will be preaching on Exodus 33, when God told Moses, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." I thought that the minimalistic, stark imagery worked well with this, signifying a seemingly unending path through the snow, which would be a tough journey just as Moses faced. The multiple footprint signifying that, although the walker is unaccompanied, God's Presence walks with him. I topped it off with the Hebrew for Shekhinah glowing underneath the walker's footpath. Shekhinah means "dwelling place, resting place, Presence of God." You like?

Seeking the Kingdom

2007-01-24T17:39:00.000-06:00

Here's the latest tentative design for the next series at Word Alive. The end product did not EXACTLY replicate my vision for this design, but I believe it came close enough. The subject matter of the Kingdom is quite vague, as there are many mysteries surrounding it, so I took two parables that Jesus told and merged them into one. the scriptures are Matthew 13:44-46. These parables speak about a hidden treasure in a field and the pearl of great price. SOOO, I hid a pearl in a field. There has already been a suggestion that I remove the crown in the word Kingdom because it might be a bit overused, and I certainly understand that. I just like it for some reason... What do you guys think? With or without crown?

Fast Food Force Interior

2007-01-16T18:52:00.000-06:00

Here's the interior artwork for the Fast Food Force Brochure that I posted last night... This project has been quite the popular design around Word Alive, and I decided to post the interior. It's been an adventure, trying to get this order out in time for this weekend, but it looks as if we've turned it around... hopefully! Let me know what you guys think... Please? Maybe the guy from Berlin will comment... Maybe the guy from Singapore. OR one of the DOZENS from around the U.S. will say something. Ehhh, who'm I kidding? It'll just be Andrew, if that. Enjoy, my babies!

Fast Food Force Brochure

2007-01-15T18:06:00.000-06:00

Here's the latest and greatest from Word Alive Design Central! Today I was instructed to design a Fast Food Brochure entitled Fast Food Force, which will be a push for Word Alive and other churches to join the Fast Food Program. This program follows the fasting guideline as presented by God in Isaiah 58. The gist of the program is this: you fast one meal a week, and donate what would be the cost of that meal to help feed the hungry around the world. This design wasn't an immediate idea, but everything progressed that way. The design has not yet been approved, but I am hoping it will be tomorrow so that I can continue with the interior. BTW, the fold in panel (the one with the hand) will most likely feature an inspirational scripture or phrase. I just haven't made it that far yet ;). What do you guys think?

EDIT: I added the text that was missing.

Heaven's War REVIEW

2007-01-14T22:53:00.000-06:00

Another Review! This one is of Heaven's War by Micah Harris and Michael Gaydos.

This book interested me because I got it for $2 in Myrtle Beach. I normally only read books that I've read a review or two about (hence the high ratings I give) so for me to walk cold into this one was very strange. I was intrigued by it's description as it lists two of my favorite novelists as characters.

Heaven's War is a fictionalized story about three of the Inklings, a group of writers from Oxford university in the 1930s - 40s. The three protagonists being Charles Williams, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien. In the story these authors were pitted against Aleister Crowley, who was famous for his use of Black Magicks during this time frame.

The central part of the story hinges on the mystery of the Rennes-Le-Chateau in France. Most people would be familiar to this mystery if they know anything about The Da Vinci code, as that book hinges a bit on the Rennes-Le-Chateau as well. The concept for the story is a very lofty one and I know that there was sufficient amount of research put into this tale. The lofty side is based on a scripture (and Charles Williams' personal belief) that time is merely a convention for us in the earthly realm (i.e. not on a spiritual plane). The Scripture in question neither confirms nor denies this claim, if taken in context. Ecclesiastes 3:15 reads, "Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before." This idea presents in itself that not only is access to heavenly realms possible from the physical world, but also that time travel is possible and one person can change the outcome of natural and spiritual things. All of the characters seem realistic and appear to act as I know they would have. C.S. Lewis was a very cool headed character, whose mind was always adequately wrapped around any issue or task at hand, while Tolkien was more of the Catholic hot-head that we all know and love. This made for a great dynamic. The art was decent, but was not Gaydos' best work by a long shot. At times it was fairly distracting.

THE FINAL SAY
Well, I moderately enjoyed this book. The art was so-so; the writing was decent; and the concept was very enjoyable. The best part about reading this story is the fact that it inspired me to do some research on the real life locations, mysteries, and people presented and I learned a lot. This book could've been great - but the high spiritual fashion and assumption of the nature of time often made the book disjointed and very strange. I liked the book, but it could've been a lot better.

The Goon - Nothin' but Miserey REVIEW

2007-01-09T00:19:00.000-06:00

WOW.

2 reviews in 2 days! It's like I'm on fire! After watching Flordia completely humiliate Ohio State for the National Championship tonight, I thought it would be good to read another trade. So The Goon got the nod.

This book by Eric Powell was another spectacular read! It was a very strong change of pace from last night's Loveless read, and I appreciated it even more because of it. The Goon is infused with an awesome amount of humor that is mostly self propagated due to the horror roots the concept was obviously birthed out of.

The stories were all fairly self contained and only hinted at a larger underlying theme throughout the book, but I was impressed with the concision of everything. No element in the book takes itself seriously, and that is such a fresh and different take than a lot of independent works are after. The Christmas tale was easily the most hilarious Christmas story ever, and I may have to read it yearly during the holidays. The off-the-wall shenanigans of The Goon and his pal Frankie are just what the Doctor ordered, and the occasional pseudo ads will have you in stitches!

The Art was spectacular. I'd like to compare it a bit to Jeff Smith's cartoon like renderings from Bone, but I'd have to say that Eric Powell takes the cake all the way home with him. He's got multifaceted skills that shine when he paints a beautifully painted, albeit humorous cover or takes a different approach to artistic storytelling.

THE FINAL SAY!
Well, I have to say that I was pleasantly pleased with this book and I look forward to more volumes of The Goon down the road. All in all, The rating for this book should've been a 7 out of 10 - however - one quote changed that. After coming across a large fortune in one of the stories, The Goon's sidekick Frankie belts this out, "First, I'm gonna buy a new hat. Then, a giant solid-gold statue of Rita Hayworth naked, rubbing fluffy buttery biscuits all over her nakedness!" No sir. It doesn't get much more golden than that!

New Audio Bio Posted

2007-01-08T00:47:00.000-06:00

I've wonderful news! Someone mysteriously posted a new song on my long dormant Audio Bio! Who could it have beeeeeeeen? Maybe it was Popeye! Go check it out. Now-ish.

Loveless: A Kin of Homecoming REVIEW

2007-01-07T23:10:00.000-06:00

OH, SNAP!

I finally have another review of a trade. Imagine that! This one is Loveless: A Kin of Homecoming by Brian Azzarello and Marcelo Frusin. It's a great read that sets up the series very nicely and really does so in a way that makes you want to read more. I suspected that Azzarello would present it this way because I collected 100 Bullets for the first 50 issues and it was the same way.

Azzarello really socks you right in the mouth with this one, making a statement that is rarely, if ever, taken in a Civil War era story. This is an adult book, so the themes and language are very much adult. Looking at that, however, one could see that this is a story that very well could have taken place in the South after the war was over, when Reconstruction was a "goal" and "peace keeping" was a term that was loosely used in a broken society. This book also comes with a hefty point of view that the main character's brother thrusts upon us about 3/4 of the way through. This perspective makes one think for quite a while, as a war should rarely be taken for face value. Very thought provoking.

The art was very complimentary to the storytelling, much like Eduardo Risso's on 100 Bullets. The use of shadows and silhouettes is very apropos in this series, as all of the characters seem to have some ulterior motives. I can't wait to get the next trade to find out what happens next in the series.

THE FINAL SAY!
Nothing can really be better than a book that makes you think about things. This book definitely has a new, original, and subtle voice about how things might've really gone down in the South after the Union won the war. Remember, folks, reconstruction was an occupation, much like what's hapening in Iraq. Surely there were those that just wouldn't let it go, eh? This is why I have rated this book:

THE SCALES OF JUDGEMENT HAVE SPOKEN!

Word Alive Live Back

2006-12-20T11:21:00.000-06:00

This is the back design for the now canceled Word Alive Live CD that I posted the designs to a couple of weeks ago. This was going to be the back featuring the song titles, UPC and everything, but the project got canned. Could've been a really nice album, but life goes on. Perhaps I'll use these designs elsewhere in THE FUTUUUUUURE!

The Muddles by Dr Spoof

2006-12-20T10:57:00.000-06:00

Another creative element for the Crown Financial series at Word Alive this Dr. Seuss spoof was written, colored, and animated by Yours Truly, illustrated by Andrew Willmore, and performed live by Bill Byrd. I didn't post the live performance on YouTube, as fantastic as it was, because to time the animations with a live storyteller required reading the story much slower than intended. So I threw all the animations together and read it myself in the style that I see it read in. Because the animations were designed for a live reading, they seem a little choppy, but the get the point across!

Head Check: Work

2006-12-20T10:45:00.000-06:00

During the Crown Financial Series, we had various creative elements to highlight each subject. For the week on "work" we decided to do a Man on the Street (MOTS) style video, as they are unpredictable and usually quite enlightening. Since MOTS is usually a bunch of talking heads, we decided to go with the highly reusable "Head Check" design. It never ceases to amaze me that God gives us the grace and favor to put these things together in a coherent manner, because with MOTS, you never know what you are going to get. As always, let me know if you like the video, and rate 'em on YouTube.

Church Without Walls Video

2006-12-20T10:35:00.000-06:00

This video was done for Word Alive's 6 year Anniversary on December 17, 2006. This is currently one of my favorite projects, even though there are things I would have changed had I the time. Perhaps I will re-edit this for another use and make the changes I would have done given more time. This features one of my new favorite songs "He Loves Us" by John Mark McMillan. Gorgeous song and the video accompanies it well. I hope you enjoy it, and please rate it on YouTube if you do! Let me know what you think!

Church Without Walls

2006-12-20T09:57:00.000-06:00

Well, Word Alive celebrated its 6th anniversary this past Sunday and we had a celebration service commemorating the occasion, which means that I needed to supply a "look" for the services. I designed this bulletin cover, which ended up being a great basis for our video. I'm uploading the video to YouTube as I am typing this, so when that gets finished, you will be able to see a low res version of that file as well. What do ya think?

Word Alive Live!

2006-12-07T18:13:00.000-06:00

Here's my latest design for the home team. Word Alive will be releasing a live worship CD this month and this was my first design for the cover. I really enjoyed the look of this design, with the symbolic guitarist and blood. Our color this year has been blue, hence the hue. This first design wasn't approved as the focus was a little on the guitar. I had intended it to infer a live concert/ worship, but that didn't work. The final approved design is the one with the crowd. Which do you prefer?

Jesus Banquet Interior

2006-11-06T17:48:00.000-06:00

Here's the interior art for the Jesus Banquet Card. This design has not yet been approved, but I think it will. I don't normally post the interiors, but I'm kinda using this as a link to get it approved. Enjoy, for what it's worth!

Jesus Banquet

2006-11-02T23:31:00.000-06:00

Here's the latest! Instead of doing the normal Christmas fare this year (musicals, concerts, dramas, et al.) Word Alive will be hosting the first ever Jesus Banquet. This event will be for those around the Calhoun Community who might be in need of a friendly atmosphere, a good hot holiday meal, and gifts! It will be an awesome outreach to the community and I am getting really Jazzed about it. Our Isaiah 58 program assists feeding an average of 500+ families a week with groceries, etc. so we are expecting a great turn out. This design will become a holiday card as well as the branding for the event, so I really enjoyed giving it an elegant feel. A big thanks goes out to Kevin Gagnon and John Crutchfield for helping me put the finishing touches on it. Whatcha think??

Financial Outlook with Nigel Thomastonsonton

2006-10-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

This was a great project! This debuted at WAIO last weekend and was an enormous success. We have been in the Crown Financial Series for a couple of weeks now and Debt was the most recently covered subject. My initial approach for a video was a horror movie trailer entitled "Night of the Living Debt", but that was scrapped for a number of reasons. This was my backup plan (YES, Sometimes I have contingency plans, so sue me). Everyone loved the outcome and I was quite pleased as well. We have a gem of an actor in Jay Wilson and he'll be making more appearances soon. If you like it, Rate it!

Devil Vs. Grouper

2006-10-24T21:08:00.000-05:00

Here's another one of my favorite projects. We were promoting small groups (Life groups) at WAIO and the creative team went with the campaign "Be A Grouper" with a Fish Mascot (Hilarity should ensue, right?). One element we produced to push the Grouper Sign up was this little gem. This was a fun project, starring Daniel Starr, Jeffrey Freeman, Jonathan Tompkins and myself. Yes, it is intended to be cheesy, so I hope you like that kind of thing. The art for our Grouper Mascot and the Beginning Devil Vs. Grouper Slate is from Andrew Willmore. Check his site out by clicking the link above! If you enjoy this, please rate it at YouTube. Thanks!

Post number 100 - My generic generations tree design

2006-10-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

Here's my latest design for Word Alive. We were in need of a filler design for use during non-themed services and this is one of such designs. We've been in a "Generation" mindset for the majority of the past year, and every time I try to design a "Generation" design, it involves a tree. Inevitably. This design could've use a little more TLC, but I was running out of time. Perhaps I'll revamp it down the road... We'll see. Enjoy!

Talladega RC Club

2006-09-25T00:09:00.000-05:00

These are some pictures of the RC club that I want to join when I get good enough to fly a "real" RC plane. The guys here love what they do and are extremely nice... Check out some of their stuff!What a set up!
Check out that Tri plane! Awesome!This Edge 540 was equipped with smoke. It was cool to see it in action. Below is a shot of it on the ground next to the pilot to get an idea of the size of the plane.

More pictures from Charles

2006-09-24T23:30:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more pictures of the same day flying with Charles...Here's a good shot of the low flying Blade CX. Note that the horses really dig RC too.Here's "The Thing" going up to drop some streamer bombs. Huzzah!
There was a real Cessna (or somesuch) plane way up in the sky and we took a series of "Close Encounter" Pics. Heh.

My Aerobird and My Blade CX

2006-09-14T22:37:00.000-05:00

My buddy Charles took some pics of me with my Challenger and my blade last week and he e-mailed them to me today. Here are the ones with my ugly mug in them.

Of course, you'll notice that My Aerobird Challenger has no decals on it. That's because I've replaced every part on the thing so far, and I'm not so crazy about the design anyway. I've named it "The Thing" in honor the thing from the Fantastic Four. Hopefully I'll be able to make my own designs for this beaut (lol) soon which will mirror it's namesake. I was flying my CX with the training gear on in these pics (the little ping pong ball things), but I have since removed them. I'm getting better! My little heli also now looks more like the blue chopper in my previous post, but this is the original design. Hopefully there will be more to come!

BTW, yes, I look like a goofy idiot in the third picture, but if you know me, then you know that all too well...

Whilst I was away...

2006-09-12T23:31:00.000-05:00

While I was away from my Blog for a bit, I became re-obsessed with something that has intrigued me since childhood - Flight. I meandered into a hobby shop in Birmingham and remembered just how badly I wanted an RC airplane when I was a kid. So, after a weekend of fighting myself over it, I purchased a beginner RC airplane from HobbyZone called the Aerobird Challenger. In the three (4?) weeks I've had it, I've crashed it multiple times (due to my insecurities) and I've basically had to replace the entire plane...BUT, this is probably the most exhilarating hobby I've had! I'm realizing a childhood dream by just going outside to fly this baby... AND on top of all that, I've got an E-Flite Blade CX RC Helicopter that I've customized a bit and it has been exicting as well. Hopefully I'll post some real pictures of me with my toys soon. Here're some to chew on until then!

OK, so who DIDN'T already know I'm a liar?

2006-09-12T23:26:00.000-05:00

So... This is awkward... I know it's been a month since I wrote or even contacted you... its just... I've been busy. But I think of you all the time. I think of the way we used to frolic in the springtime flowers together and picnic by the stream, and the way your nose wrinkles up when you laugh. I know I said that it wouldn't get... weird between us, but i also know that I needed some space to do some things for me. Maybe we can get together soon, and catch up on old times... I really would like that. Just remember... I stll love you, Blog.

Apparently I Lied

2006-08-08T22:54:00.000-05:00

Last week I said that I wanted to start blogging a little more, and apparently I lied. We've been very busy at the Mothership over the last two weeks, but some exciting developments have taken place, including a newly redesigned sanctuary and the media department getting off the ground a bit. Of course we have a long way to go before we "arrive", but we have taken some HUGE steps, and hopefully you'll see more changes taking place as we roll along. You can check out our new look, beginner's flubs and all at www.WordAlive.org. Just click the link that reads Word Alive Live. As an end note, I am extremely embarrassed at the first 30 or so seconds. I had a couple of technical difficulties which led to a few missed shots then. And yes, I am aware that the lighting is off, we are working on that. Among other things. Until later!

New Audio Bio Posted

2006-07-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

There's finally a new audio bio post! Crazy, I know! Check it. Here's the trix rabbit for fun.

It's been a while, again.

2006-07-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

Well, things have been busy on the White front. I haven't had the time to post a lot in the last few weeks, and the posts I have made have been designs or somesuch. I'm hoping to start posting reviews and everything again, as several people have approached me saying they've been reading my blog. How embarrassing with me not posting - and more so that the posts I've made are full of sweet sweet grammatic errors. Please accept my apologies. Maybe I'll have another video to post next week... until then...

Vision

2006-07-13T12:23:00.000-05:00

Okay! Here's the newest deisgn I've done for the mothership, Word Alive for the next series coming up in August. The series is on vision, and I must admit, I originally started designing this around an eyechart and glasses, which would have worked fairly well, until I starting thinking about the vision of Christianity as a whole be missions. This design uses a good deal of negative space, and is *mostly* approved for our theme in August. I'm still waiting to hear back about the Kingdom Life Cycle design. I fear that one will be... DENIED! I do, however think that this one will fly! What do you think?

Kingdom Life Cycle

2006-07-06T15:27:00.000-05:00

Here's a design I did for a booklet by Bill Byrd called Kingdom Life Cycle. This book explains the fundamental process behind Kingdom growth: 1. Kingdom Birth, 2. Kingdom Life, 3. Kingdom Ministry. This green thumb cover symbolizes these three areas in the growth cycle of the tree. The smaller tree obviously symbolizes the Kingdom birth phase, proceeding respectively clockwise from there. The cycle element in the center is a favorite of mine, as the Kingdom birth arrow is red, symbolizing Christ's blood. I really enjoyed doing this cover, as it is a slight departure from my normal designs. This design has not been approved yet, but I give it the Richard White stamp of approval for my blog, so let me know what you think!

Kidz Alive Manual

2006-07-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

Here's this quickie design I did for the manual for Kidz Alive Teachers. The cover as it was needed a little shot in the arm. We decided not to go too "kiddie" with it, because the manual is obviously for adults. This design was perhaps the most simple of my recent designs.

Generation Central/ Minister's Summit Design

2006-07-06T10:53:00.000-05:00

I did this design for a blog/newsletter that goes out to our Generation Leaders at Word Alive. I like the simple design mixed with a bit of symbolism in there. Sometime the less complex designs come through fairly clear. I enjoyed doing this one, it was relatively easy on the creative side...

Extravaganza 2006 Design

2006-06-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

Here's the design for the 2006 Extravaganza at Word Alive coming up this Sunday. I went a bit retro with this one, and oddly it ended up completely different than it started. I am pleased, however, with the way this one turned out. It reminds a lot of folks of the "I Love The ..." series from VH1. Well here it is. Let me know what you think....

Time to post a few more designs! City JamFest

2006-06-20T12:32:00.000-05:00

As I'm gearing down for the church's Sabbath month in July, I thought I would begin sharing a few other designs I've done for the church. I recently designed a logo for the first annual City JamFest, a brainchild of a local guy who wanted to have a battle of the bands and some big name Christian artists come in and play. I wanted to design a more rock 'n' roll look, so I went with the city and grunged out look a little. What do ya think?

Superman Returns

2006-06-19T01:21:00.000-05:00

While in Chi-town, was able to view an advance screening of Superman Returns! 9 others from our church and myself watched the film 2 weeks before it opens and it was phenomenal! Best. Super. Hero. Movie. Ever. Without a doubt. Everyone should go see it. Here's a trailer!

Click Here to put this Superman Returns clip in your profile!

Back from Chicago

2006-06-19T01:17:00.000-05:00

I've been away at a conference in Chicago, IL for a few days, but I am back now. I learned a lot of stuff and saw an almost perfect environment for my work at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington. Check them out at their website. I can't wait to begin using some of the valuable info i learned. Woo-Hooo!

Uh-Oh... Marriage!

2006-06-12T20:20:00.000-05:00

Here's the infamous Uh-Oh... Marriage video from my friend Brian's Bachelor Party. This satirical look at marriage stems from Brian's comments to me. Whenever Jess and I would disagree about something, Brian would blurt out "Uh-Oh... Marriage!" So Andrew and I thought it would be appropriate to shoot a video about marriage. This one happens to be just about everyone's favorite, although it was a bit rushed in the making. We finished this spot on the Saturday morning before Brian's party. We had edited all night long until 5 am and the party started at 6 or so. If I had it to do over again I would make it a bit different, but it is funny as is.

Who is Jesus?

2006-06-09T00:33:00.000-05:00

Here's one of the videos that kicked off our Parsnip Soup phase. I produced and edited this video for Brian Fife as a part of his comedy act, he would play this towards the end before going into a ministry time. This helped the crowds to come down off of a humor mentality into a more thoughtful time. It's about 3 years old now, and it shows its age, but the message remains clear. This video was also broadcast worldwide on the now extinct Running The Race Television Broadcast.

Parsnip Soup Opening

2006-06-06T23:20:00.000-05:00

Here's a strange little piece of video, but it also happens to be one of my favorites. WAAAAAAAY Back in 2004, Andrew Willmore, Brian Fife, and I thought it would be a good idea to produce some videos for fun and post them out on the internet for people to enjoy. At the time, Brian was moonlighting as a Christian comedian and we had a great idea to put on show as a troup, using multimedia as our communication of choice. We had agood plan - we would open to this video, perform a live skit, show another video, and then Brian would have a 10-15 minute comedy set and then a message/ministry time deal. That was all well and good until I realized that I had a newborn daughter and the extra work of keeping up videos and a website was killing me. SOOOO, long story short, we have shelved the idea... for now. This is our cheesy sitcom style opening filmed on location in Birmingham and Oxford, AL. Let me know what you think of our madness!

Custom Blog Design

2006-06-05T01:31:00.000-05:00

I'm in the middle of customizing my blog to fit my design, so you guys'll have to be patient as this is a time consuming process that I'm learning as I go. I don't know too much about Style Sheets, so I'm working on coding some of this. Let me know what you think as I progress! Thanks!

YOUtube videos

2006-06-04T00:13:00.000-05:00

Just a thought... If any of you guys ever check out these videos of mine and like them, click the video player after it is finished to go to YOUtube's corresponding page for said video. Sign up for a YOUtube account, if you haven't already (it's free) and rate my videos. I'm working on getting a more vast library of my work on YOUtube for fun. Thanks!

Easter Spot 2005

2006-06-04T00:07:00.000-05:00

This spot is one of my favorites. Using paraphrased scripture and a little bit of an eerie "jewelry box" style tune, this text only spot was one of the easiest spots that I have ever made. It just goes to show you that big isn't always better. Enjoy.

Birmingham Civil Rights Museum

2006-06-02T01:37:00.000-05:00

This video is from a WAIO News segment for Word Alive that we filmed in February for Black History Month. The Birmingham Civil Rights Museum is a fascinating place to visit, and it is extremely well designed. We enjoyed a walkthrough before we began filming and the displays and surrounding areas around the Museum are great historical landmarks. Hope you enjoy!

Celebrate Recovery 60 second spot

2006-06-02T00:31:00.000-05:00

I finally posted my Celebrate Recovery Spot on YOUtube, which is probably going to be my preferred method of hosting my vids, since it is free. I know I mentioned this spot the other day as I posted about the Celebrate Recovery Brochures and I wanted everyone to see this one. Keep in mind that the real spot is in High Definition and looks MUCH sweeter than this highly compressed version. First I have to compress it, and then YOUtube compresses it even further. I'm not complaining, though. It is free, after all.

I did this spot as a last minute commercial for our Celebrate Recovery ministry at Word Alive. I wanted it to begin with some jarring imagery about the subjects that this ministry primarily deals with, but I also wanted a crescendo into a more Hope filled theme. I believe that this spot is one of my favorites to date, and this spot will air in the Northeast Alabama Area on Broadcast and Cable. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Do you remember?

2006-06-01T00:33:00.000-05:00

Do you remember WAAAY Back on March 3 when I wrote an article about my bathroom leak? WELLLL, It looks like I'm finally going to be able to finish that project in the next couple of days. Yep. It has taken me 3 months to redo the smallest room in my house. Told you I suck at "man stuff". However, it is not completely my fault, and I'll leave it at that. It does look wicked sweet, though, and maybe I'll post some pictures when it is through. This has taken a beating on my pocket book and donations are being accepted now, if anyone isn't a cold-hearted jerk.

Seriously.

They Might Be Giants Concert in Atlanta 5-3-06

2006-05-31T00:49:00.000-05:00

Yeah, yeah! I know that the concert was a month ago. I'm trying to catch up! Which is why I'm going to write very little about the concert itslef, except that it was the best live performance that I have ever been to. If you'd like all of the geeky details, click here for my friend Andrew's insanely detailed review and pictures. I'll post a few of my own picture highlights here and tell you that I met and got a DVD cover signed by John Flansburgh.

This is just some cool grafitti that we saw in Atlanta on our way to the Variety Playhouse. This stuff takes real talent!

Michael Leviton and Leah Hayes, the openers. They earned a new fan in me that night.

BACKLIT!

John Linnell sings!

Flansburgh rips up the guitar!

Celebrate Recovery Designs

2006-05-31T00:07:00.000-05:00

I recently (before the Vegas trip) did a design for our newly revamped Celebrate recovery ministy, which is having a kick off evening on this Friday. Celebrate Recovery is a support group focusing on getting people delivered from their hang-ups and vices. Hopefully I will be able to post a commercial I made for this ministry as well at some point. This is a brochure that tells a little about the meetings for advertisement purposes, and it came out really well. I'm proud of the final product.

Restoration Design - Banners!

2006-05-30T23:27:00.000-05:00

Well, if you think back, you might remember my last design for work being the Restoration design. This theme is carrying our church all the way to July, which is our Sabbath Month. We decided to use this design as a part of our overall "look" for the series, which involves a 9 week drama that unfolds in a Motorcycle Garage, hence the design. We had giant banners printed up for signage and they are currently hanging up on stage in the Sanctuary of Word Alive. Hopefully, I will be able to take a picture of the set soon to post up here. These 12 foot high banners have become our centerpieces - That's me and one of my employees Caleb Mattox on the top left, and below is my assistant, John Crutchfield, acting like giant roadkill. Yeah, I'm a weirdo, and I work with weirdos.

It's been a while

2006-05-27T02:10:00.000-05:00

Man! It has been a while since I could regularly post on this here Blog. Hopefully I will get back into the swing of things over the next couple of days. I spend a lot of my free time working on my bathroom, but I have many things to post about, so hopefully I won't ever get so behind again - but don't count on it.