Video

Music Video(s) of the Day. BEP & Common by Thomas Nguyen

Continuing the theme of great music videos with Vector Graphics.. Here are 2 more that I really enjoy.  

Black Eyed Peas - Hey Mama

This song just makes you want to jam! Especially watching all the footage of BEP and dancers bustin a move! The graphics are totally fun in here.  Whoever did this video and their Like That video are top notch!

Common - Go

Just one of those great chillaxed lounge style songs that I enjoy.  The video displays cool, clean, vector style graphics and also some really cool Typography.  Check it!

Music Video Of The Day. BEP by Thomas Nguyen

I recently stumbled upon a new website, www.vevo.com.  It's the YouTube of music videos, but without all the other nonsense! I guess a better comparison would the Hulu of music videos.  Anyways, they have videos from back in the day to anything recent.  This has prompted me to start sharing videos that I enjoy! First Up..

Black Eyed Peas featuring John Legend, Talib Kweli, Cee-Lo, QTip - Like That

This video/song has been out for a couple of years but I still love it! First off, that line up is amazing. The music background is this really cool, chill, elevator style loop.  Then of course with that line up, the rhyming and singing is off the hook.  But what really amazes me most is the video!  It's as if I was dreaming through the eyes of Adobe Illustrator.  Vector graphics galore! Watch and enjoy

"Salagna" As my dad calls it! by Thomas Nguyen

For 2010, I don't have any resolutions, but just goals that I'm continuing to work on.  One of them that I have started in 2009 was to have Monday as my creative/learning day.  As a designer, you have to keep on learning and staying on the creative edge to further develop your skills.  For the longest time I felt stagnant.  I was only doing some creative things at work, however I wasn't expanding my skills or creativity at all.

So I try to take every Monday as my learning or creative day.  I have to either learn something new on Lynda.com, try out a new tutorial, or work on something creative.  This goal ties into another goal seamlessly, which is to create a family documentary.

I find my family amazing.  I just believe they are incredibly strong for being where they are today.  Coming from a war-torn country, escaping Vietnam, knowing no english, facing cultural barriers, and somehow making it all work here in the United States.  When I face tough times, it gives me strength just thinking about what my family had to go through.  

I always found the stories of their childhood and their escape from Vietnam so fascinating that I wanted to document it.  So I finally decided to work on a family documentary.  I'm not sure where the project is going to go, if it will become big, or if I even want it to become big.  I just want it for our personal records so that future generations will understand how our family got here in the US.

Over Christmas break, I was able to do some interviews with my parents and grandma, but still need to work on it more.  When I first tried to interview my grandma, she actually freaked out a bit.  She thought I was about to interrogate her haha.  I actually had to hide the camera so she wouldn't see it. I feel confident that she'll be better about it next time though.

Anyways, here's a short clip that I found humorous from my dad.  I wish that everyone could understand Vietnamese, because the emotions and thoughts can often be lost in translation.  And if you guys know my dad, he tends to be hilarious! This is about his first American meal, Salanga!

"Salagna" My dad's first american meal from Thomas Nguyen on Vimeo.

 

My brother asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year (I guess I should say last year?) and all I asked for was a bible.  It's another one of my goals to say that I actually have read it fully.  I read parts of it of course during Sunday school growing up.  However, I don't think as a kid, I could completely comprehend everything. I have no clue when I'll finish, but it's on my goal list for this year along with trying to attend church more regularly. Wish me luck!

 

One video you should watch before the new year by Thomas Nguyen

As a new year approaches, it is often that time that we start to reflect upon how we can improve ourselves.  To help renew your spirits, I wanted to share one of my favorite speeches.  If there is one video that you should watch before the end of the year... this is it.

The speech is done by Benjamin Zander, a well known conductor in classical music.  His speech is about classical music and passion.  He shows great humor, inspiration and passion all in one video.  Don't be mistaken that this is some boring lecture on classical music. You'll learn how you can become a better person and help inspire others.  Please watch, and let me know if you too had shiny eyes at the end. *You'll see what I mean*