Do you want to see STARS? Making a lyric video for Sixx:A.M.

Lots of updates from the past couple of months of work. This one was a doozey!

Lyric videos are very popular this year and bands are requesting them more and more lately. This is partly because they can often be made completely with text animation and motion graphics. No filming required.

This request for Sixx:A.M. came in from Black Fawn Films and three 30-second design concepts were pitched to see which would be the best fit for the song. This concept was approved and we were off.

This one was a blast to make and the song continues to run through my head after finishing it.

Check out Sixx:A.M.'s new album on iTunes. It's good listenin'! Most mornings I kick the day off by blasting the speakers with it. Gets you moving for sure.

Looking to get a lyric video made for your band? CONTACT ME with your song and concept (if you have one) to get a quote for yours.

Motion Graphics Time Lapse: Cupid's Arrows

This was a piece that a filmmaker in town had asked me to put together for a short film called Cupid's Arrows. It was meant to act as a chapter marker for each stage of the story, but the director ended up cutting it so it remains as a conceptual work only. But I was pretty happy with it and recorded a time lapse screencapture showing how it was assembled. So at the very least you can see how this kind of motion graphic gets pieced together. Watch that time lapse video above.

Not that I'm one to celebrate Valentine's Day, but on this faux holiday go ahead and treat yourself. Do something that will be good for you. That could be hitting the gym and getting some endorphins flowing in your body, or reading a solid book that's been sitting on your shelf just begging to be read, or cook a killer dinner with a bit more flash and flavour than you normally allow yourself, or even do something nice for somebody else and spread the love around.

So in that sense, have a Happy Valentine's Day, folks!

Take care of yourself and each other.

- Jerry Springer

Watch the short film Cupid's Arrows here and give yourself a chuckle.

Igniting your event with a stylish bumper

Enlighten us, but make it quick. That's the slogan for Ignite Guelph, an event that last year gave a total of 37 speakers a chance to take the stage and speak to a room full of folk who had come out to be enlightened. Just think TED Talks but each talk is only 5 minutes long.

As part of the team who makes the event happen, Merc was tasked with creating a bumper to use in online marketing materials and during the speakers' presentations as well. The result is what you see above. Simple, quick and gets the point across (much like the talks at the event).

It gets placed at the beginning of each promotional video and kicks off each night of talks at the main event.

The best thing? It's good for the environment. By that I mean it's reusable. It can be used to brand each video that goes up on the Ignite Guelph YouTube channel.

The next Ignite Guelph will be held March 11, 2014. Tickets will be available to purchase closer to the date. Check Merc's Twitter and Facebook feeds for details when they are released. It's a great night to listen to a variety of passionate people talk about topics that you would never normally have thought about.

All of the talks from each event are also shot and edited by Merc and will be available to view on the YouTube channel.