Finishing up at UMASS Boston

As far as I can tell, I'm basically DONE at UMASS Boston. I have an exam on the 19th. And, I will still finish up my Work Study job in the Biology lab probably for Winter & Spring semester. But, basically I'm NOT enrolled in ANY classes. This stuff is so exhausting, and very expensive in both money and physical energy. I was trying to get an RA position job. But, they never called me, nor interviewed me, and I'm more than sure I was the 1st one. I got stuck with a debt of about $6K on my credit card which included a massive tuition charge and fees. I'd only JUST paid off my AIPH student loan from 2001 in July of this year.

Taiji Chuan Class at UMASS Boston

But, I ended up with so much B-ROLL, and I'm working on an independent film in Brockton, and 2 of my own Animated films with my daughter. So, It's all good.

This instructor had a film demo day, Eric Levine, in my Experimental Film Class and he had a comment about not just studying and majoring in Art, but BEING AN ARTIST, and he said don't bother doing it unless you really NEED it, because as an artist, the whole reason for doing art, and BEING and Artist, was because you really MUST DO IT, or you will DIE.  WOW! That is SO TRUE.

Anyways, since I'd shot SO MUCH B-Roll and footage, and several ideas burning within me, I came back to an earlier project  that I'd cut, re-cut, and re-edited so many times, due to sheer pickiness. Most of the footage was stuff I shot in the winter of this year (Jan-March 2017) . The Full story/stats are HERE.

I'd managed to finish it up in Sept/October when I was sick.

Production Still from my Video

I'd also managed to do a short animation based on some Ancient Greek Art: the Dipylon Krater:

And I also ended up making a Jack-'O-Lantern based on the Ancient Greek Artist Exikias' Ajax & Achilles:

I have no idea how the heck I pulled them both off, because I could barely even fit any of it in. imagine what they'd have been like if I'd had more time, and didn't rush.

Then, I got to also come back to revisit some older works and go from there in After Effects animation Experimentation:

Part of the reason I did these was because I figured I could use it in my Experimental Film Final. So, I did. The Full details are HERE.

Here's the Documentary footage:

Here's the clip I did for the presentation:

I also managed to go back to my old footage I shot in Fall 2016 (for UMASS Boston) and I edited it with some ambient music I made this year to make a mediation video which was a dream of mine for a few years. Full Details are found HERE.

I would like to also cut some of the other leftover footage/B-Roll and audio design a new version of this song for an evening setting.


I also managed to shoot a few photographic things also:

Eclipse Bokeh (August 2017):

July in Mount Laurel New Jersey:

July in Weymouth, MA:

September:

New 6 point star/cross filter for SLR Photography

I also shot some Cosplay of WottyX ^_^ at the UMASS Boston Anime Club.

Taiji Chuan Class at UMASS Boston

I didn't do as much creative things as I would've liked. The muses were tugging on me a lot. 

Some massive drama also went down on the Film I was working on. I'd started as just a Production Assistant (PA), and had been promoted to an Editor by Summer, and also Graphics, and often had to stand-in for the DP. Well, the DP fired herself in a blaze of glory because some bad stuff happened to her. It was another dramatic moment on the film, and we'd already had a number of those with cast. It resulted in my being Promoted to the Director of Photography (DP). 

The entire drama was so traumatic for the Director, and since I was fulfilling the semester at UMASS, the entire film mostly went on hiatus. But, since being promoted I changed a few things. I can't disclose much, but I will be insisting on a Lighting Director hence forth. Production will resume in Spring of 2018, however, the Producer/Director & I will be starting to Edit footage soon. I'm also putting in a lot of creative input for audio as well now even tho I'm DP which is more visual. I'm STILL 1 of the main Editors.

"Ying Qilin" promotional Graphic

Barefoot at UMASS Boston

Doing Homeork Outside at UMASS Boston

Other than that, I still want to peruse more Life Drawing practice, and wish to also wrap up "Maple Bacon" animated short with my daughter for my Qilin Animated Film project I started in the summer to learn Adone's Animate program. 

I also still have several experimental animation ideas I'd like to play with in Adobe Effects. I really want to get ALL of that stuff out of the way, before I can fully move onto my Qilin project.

UMASS Boston Art Department

I'm very much torn between working with cameras & video like Filmmaking, and Drawing and Animation. Animation and drawing is my GREATEST LOVE & PASSION, but I soooooooo enjoy cameras, and video editing, and all that stuff. I don't believe I will ever give them up. The other things I do creatively are just supplemental because I'm an artist.

UMASS Dean's List. June Arts, Film, n Animation

I just found out this morning that I'm on the UMASS Dean's List. Meanwhile they cannot decide of they want to give me Financial Aid.... oh, and my GPA is 3.775....

I can;t drop out yet, and I'm in limbo, so I can't even take another job because IF I get Financial Aid I will get punished for having a job... but, IF I do take a job it MUST be HIGH PAYING ENOUGH to insensitivity me to drop out. So, I cannot get a job UNLESS it's a Federal Wrokstudy, which I CANNOT even start yet, even tho' I could last year BECAUSE they took away my Financial Aid... only sort-of... hence why I'm in Limbo...

So, it CAN be fixed... but I couldn't go to the meetings, which must be scheduled because my car got totaled, and my Spouse was in Japan due to a major scholarship grant he got at UMASS, which I helped him to get. So, now that ALL of the July slot are filled up for these meetings at UMASS, I can't go and remedy this Limbo issue until I go to the meeting, and I can't even go until August. There was actually 1 other thing to remedy, but I cannot even do THAT until they tell me what to write AT THE MEETING. *loooooong reluctant sigh*

I did actually create a Portfolio for a specific studio in Burbank California and they also have a studio in Hollywood. I worked on THAT portfolio for over a week last month, and even redid it at least 6 times. usually whenever you send a out a portfolio to a studio or production house they always send you a courtesy email acknowledging that they got your portfolio. I actually never got one. I found that to be odd, and unusual, and it was half a month ago. perhaps that's a "No"? I have no idea. I also did some other work for a friend of mine in Burbank (nondisclosure) which I was SO happy & grateful to get! For privacy reasons I will not divulge any of these details.

I've done a lot of animation stuff in June, but also my daughter did as well. 

I just posted an update to my own film project HERE. <--- i="">Lots of details in this post.

My #makeup #physiciansformula #mac #maccosmetics #macstartrekcollection #macstartrek ##NAKEDsmoky #smokeyeye #smokeyes #TheNAKEDeffect #urbandecay #urbandecaycosmetics #toofaced #toofacedcosmetics #OwnYourPretty #toofacedchocolatebar #rimmel #milani #revlon

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Jul 3, 2017 at 6:35pm PDT

I'm filming all weekend on "The Holy Maple Tree" again, and heading down to Philadelphia on Monday.

My spouse has returned from Japan & China, and will be getting a new car since the old one got totaled.

Digital Media Spring 2017 UMASS Boston

I'd been so strapped for time this entire semester, so I pretty much didn't blog. I was also working on an independent film with my friend whom is a television producer IRL. But, by Finals time, I couldn't work on it. I was already operating AT MY LIMIT the entire semester. But, this causes me to crash n burn because there's ONLY SO MUCH TIME IN A DAY, commuting cuts out of my productivity, PLUS I also needed to go to my work study job.

AND edit my spouse's English homework, PLUS almost every other day, and sometimes every day, I had to help him write, re-write, and edit his proposal for a giant scholarship that they gave him such a hard time, and the run-around over. I refused to write it FOR HIM. because that's unethical. But, towards the end, both of us were so fed-up with doing that and he openly said he no longer wanted to pursue it out of a deep seeded pessimism of trying for 4 years, he was told to keep doing it. Eventually, I was so fed up with working on that which distracted me from my own work, that I actually re-wrote whole sections of his proposal, especially the final draft. I was SO ANNOYED with him NOT listening to what I told him about grammar, punctuation, and capitalization and still doing the same WRONG things over & over, that when I was told that he was being urged to increase the funding amount significantly higher, I just went ham on it after reading the notes he was given from his feedback. Needless to say, he did get the huge scholarship, AND he's going to Japan on June 6th. And, no I'm NOT going with him 9because I'm often asked if I am)

Anyways, when finals time hit, I couldn't work on the film because I needed every moment I could get. I also helped my video classmates as well, because there was no one around to help them.


Anyways, here's my Digital Media Classwork:

This assignment was called "Identity Portrait".

Zimbleman Identity Portrait Finished by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

This was an animated GIF assignment using Photoshop. You were supposed to use "appropriation". I did, but I didn't. Honestly, I don;t care to steal other people's works, but I did technically "appropriate" an existing visual which was the symbolic representation of Liberty and Justice. 

Anyways, this was hours and hours of work. I made everything from scratch BY HAND using my WACOM and referencing thousands of images online. In the "net art" spirit of "appropriation", since that's the vibe here, I actually licensed ALL of these graphics to the CREATIVE COMMONS so IF you would LIKE to use these images, so long as it's NOT COMMERCIAL, and NOT FOR PROFIT, you can use them all, TOTALLY 100% FREE.

Liberty n Justice For Sale Animation by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

Justice Animation Still Frame Figure by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

Liberty Animation Still Figure by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

The Laser Cut Box Project I Made:

#lasercut #lasercutting #art #UMASS #UMASSBoston #BlackUniGryphon #qilin #kirin #kylin #umicorn #chineseunicorn #dujiaoqilin #chineseinspired similar #artwork of mine found here: @wudujiaoqilin #mermaid #nixie #melusine #melusina #siren #2tailedmermaid #2tailsmermaid #2tailed #2tails

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Apr 27, 2017 at 2:43pm PDT

Other projects I created in the Digital Media class were images created using text, and HTML coding from scratch, and also using DreamWeaver. 

2017 Video, Filming, Animation, Artwork

Since, literally, THE very first day of the semester I got SLAMMED with a spur of the moment project with an ABRUPT DEADLINE, and a TON of pressure to preform. The BIG thing was a competition for Art On The Marquee which is this MASSIVE, HUGE, building made of gigantic screens.

I had to come up with a proposal, demonstrate it,  and I was so scared of failing, and especially scared that my original idea wouldn't go over very well... that it might be TOO WILD & WHIMSICAL, that I came up with a  2nd idea... which I was also forced to keep, and also submit.

The whole ordeal was nerve wracking, and THE MOST intimidating thing I'd EVER had to do. If he hadn't made us do it mandatory, I'd never have tried, because it's SO massive & scary. I had to REALLY reach & dig down DEEP into my past experiences and see what I could come up with. He was very hard on me, and wouldn't accept anything less than whatever he believed was better. I even contacted the curator, and he helped me.

This project has NEVER been done at our university, and this class I was especially invited to be in by the instructor. Not only was my best & favorite project chosen, but 2 other students (all girls) from our class.

So, I am working on that now....

#sketchbook #OC #characterdesign #jackalope #antlers Here's a peek at something I've been working on for 2 weeks now, which is for my #proposal for an #animation #video #project in #Boston. My proposal, although rough went over rather well. Anyways, I want to BE CLEAR that this #character is a #Male! Yes! He's a #boy! His name is Wacky Jacky Fancyhead. He's VERY VERY SECURE in his masculinity n is very much the personality of a peacock yet he's very steady & secure in his own skin, or should I say fur? He likes to express himself and beauty. I also imagine he has a voice like Tim Curry. He also has a good sense of humor, he's a showman, and he's quirky . #drawing #sketch #art #conceptart #cartoon #glam #bedazzled

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 5, 2017 at 12:26pm PST

#WIP More details on Wacky Jacky Fancyhead! #sketchbook #OC #jackalope #conceptart #cartoon #drawing #sketch #fancy #bedazzled #tribalfusion #furry #whimsy #characterdesign #character He is #Male . #boy #boycharacter

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 5, 2017 at 1:14pm PST

OK! That's it for now! Wacky Jacky Fancyhead #jackalope #conceptart #sketchbook #sketch #drawing #tribalfusion #bedazzled #glam #OC #whimsy #cartoon Isn't he #gorgeous ? #male #boy #feathers #antlers

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 5, 2017 at 2:33pm PST

Here's another peek at my #jackalope #conceptart Wacky Jacky Fancyhead. #Cleanup #Photoshop #sketch #furry #cartoon I won't be publishing anything else depending on whether it gets approved or not. If it's approved then I won't be publishing anything for a long while. I really enjoyed working on this #project #proposal. I also have a 2nd one. But, this is my main pitch. There are other parts to the composition. They are mostly looking for ideas & concepts rather than a full polished pitch. With limited time frame, this is what I have. Quality takes time. #tribalfusion #glam #neotribal #sketchbook

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 5, 2017 at 3:57pm PST

#mattedartwork #matted #jackalope #drawing #sketch #art #artwork #tribalfusion #whimsy #whimsical

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 19, 2017 at 5:41pm PST

*

Whimsical Jackalope In Spring Proposal Concept Fin by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

Wacky Jacky Fancyhead Design 001 Revised by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt


Proposal Rough Concept Color Draft Cleanup Final by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt


Marquee Animation Scenery WIP 009 by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

I have been SO BUSY, that I had almost no time to do anything accept watch a few films with my daughter on the weekends.

But, despite how busy I have been (and I've only NOW gotten a bit of a break) I'm actually VERY happy with my life. I've been networking, building relationships, and I feel valued. I have not been happy in my life, at all, in years... I don't even know when the last time I was actually happy.

#bus #commuter #commuting #boston

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 24, 2017 at 3:08pm PST

I started Filming with my friend Rolland for his newest independent film.  I've been participating in the table reads since last year.

#Boston #WineRiot #YelpElite I'm early. Waiting for my friend.

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Oct 21, 2016 at 3:39pm PDT

I got free tickets to BOSTON WINE RIOT 2016 because I'm YELP ELITE but Mr. Wang refused to go. SO, I asked my friend, and he was like: YES.
Then, he was like: Hey, come work on my film.
So, I was like: OK!

The film is called "The Holy Maple Tree" and it's a lot of fun!

We JUST started filming last Sunday, and we will film every Sunday. The first scene we films if the 90's party scene(s).  I actually brought a lot of my own stuff, makeup, lighting, props, etc.

Guess who's back? #feathers #TalkingFeather

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 7:37am PST

#lightfixture

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 7:38am PST

Just SOME of my stuff! #filming #equipment #filmmaker #filmmaking This is just MY #GEAR! I also have 2 other things! And a screenplay to carry

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 7:42am PST

#OnSet #audiorecording #set #filming #filmmaker

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 11:49am PST

#filming #OnSet #filmmaker #videoproduction #90sParty #TalkingFeather

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 11:50am PST

#OnSet #videoproduction #filmmaker #audiorecording

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 11:51am PST

#actors #filmcrew #crew #filmmaker #videoproduction #OnSet #90sParty #hippie #hippiechick

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 11:52am PST

#audiorecording #videoproduction #filmmaker #OnSet

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 11:53am PST

#90sParty #OnSet #videoproduction #filmmaker #filming

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 11:54am PST

The #director #producer & #cast #crew #filming #filmmaker #videoproduction #OnSet #90sParty #grunge

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 11:55am PST

#cast #kurtcobain #90sParty #OnSet #videoproduction #filmmaker #grunge #filming #hippie #hippiechick

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 5:17pm PST

The #Director #Producer #OnSet #videoproduction #filmmaker #filming #grunge

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 5:19pm PST

#tired #exhausted #TalkingFeather

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 26, 2017 at 7:32pm PST

I wouldn't have done ANY of these things if it hadn't been for my instructor at UMASS Boston. I really did NOT have the confidence to do anything anymore, until he pushed me. And he pushes me a lot. He totally changed my life. I'm very grateful, and very lucky.



I also have a contract with a company to do a jewelry photo shoot soon. The necklace finally arrived! But, i need to get a model soon! 

Well, I finally got this #statementnecklace in the mail from #Mirina #mirinagirls #mirinacollections I have a contract w them, n I will need to do a photo shoot on my other Instagram profile @blackunigryphonphoto I already have 1 model whom said yes. Does anyone else want to model this also? #jewelry #necklace #boho #bohochic #bohemian #tribalfusion

A post shared by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Feb 27, 2017 at 5:39pm PST

I have been SO busy with shooting all kinds of things since the first week.

Here's my recent films:

And, here's my Digital Media class project:

Zimbleman Identity Portrait Finished by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

Surrealist Butterfly Animation Test Render

I'm not EXACTLY sure what I'm doing for my Final Project in my video class (UMASS Boston) yet, but I have a lot of ideas, and they;re all coming together, n swimming in my mind.

I've been experimenting with Adobe After Effects since last month, and it's often frustrating, and I am so ignorant of so much of the program, interface, and so on... but, it's starting to go somewhere...

I have a ton of all kinds of great stuff, including lots of video footage from 2 different CANON cameras, and multiple lenses, and filters, and even a fisheye. The final is mostly widely open, and I'm still stuck on this video mapping project that I want to just punch, because I'm so frustrated with projectors. I'm STILL not done yet. And, I've been busting my butt over it.

Anyways, since I had a bunch of downtime, and wasted time waiting, waiting, waiting, and waiting for anything and everything and things to work, but never did... so, I started mixing some of my After Effects rendered animation in Premiere n messing with different audio. I had a whole bunch of audio that I dug up, but even tho' I liked the audio edit I originally did, I felt like I needed to make this clip shorter, and cut out my 303 acid audio to just keep this simple sonar audio.

But, I think I'm starting to come up with some concepts inside my mind that I am really feeling, and really want to go with. I just want a certain kind of weird, and beautiful. And, more and more, it's starting to make me want to go more surrealist/surrealism...

I already have quite a bit of audio clips I've already been compiling...

More Butterfly Experimental Animations

It says 任 "ren" ("task" or "duty") on the wings in Chinese.

Got some more experimental Butterfly effects animations made in Adobe After Effects at UMASS Boston.

This one has another Chinese character ALSO pronounced "ren" but totally different meaning.

It says 任 "ren" ("task" or "duty") on the wings in Chinese.

#Inktober #drawtober #butterfly #wings #marker #task #duty

A photo posted by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Oct 30, 2016 at 2:24pm PDT

Task Butterfly HD by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

Well, I reprogrammed the other one, and got a few different renders:

Nice and weird. My kind of weird.

This one here, I offset, and rendered from the side and squashed/stretched it. You can read the Chinese 忍 bigger on this one. I

I do also have an Egyptian blue lotus thingy I did, but I don't know whether I can do what I want with it yet...

Blue Lotus HD Inktober HD by BlackUniGryphon on DeviantArt

I want it to melt like plastic, rubber, or wax...

#Inktober #Drawtober #inktober2016 #sketchbook #drawing #illustration #artwork #BlueLotus #EgyptianLotus #mixedmedia #markets

A photo posted by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Oct 22, 2016 at 9:04pm PDT

#Inktober #Drawtober #Sketchbook #BlueLotus #EgyptianLotus #art #artwork #drawing #illustration #flower #blossom #markers #mixedmedia

A photo posted by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on Oct 22, 2016 at 8:59pm PDT

I'm hoping I can use these in my Final Project for my video class. At the moment I'm still hauling ass for my waterfall video mapping instillation art video project. Talk about cramming & pressure!