KevinKeeganPro.com Blog

Here’s a quick flyer I put together for Dan over at Batlground. Trying to get the word out for a new area of business for his company.

Update: Final Print

This past May, I had the fortunate opportunity to assist in the taping of a promotional event for a self-sustaining planned community to be constructed in Panama, called Kalu Yala. I was hired my Michael Gough, a highschool friend of my boss at Millenia 3, Robert Owen.

We had a great time shooting and got to really take in some of the “green” topics that the speakers touched upon. This was also my first time visiting Serenbe, a self-sustaining community in south west Georgia. They were the gracious hosts of the event, and not only took care of their guests that weekend but also the crew.

We had three shooters, Michael, myself, and a third, Mark Refuss. We all shot in HD, I ran an HVR-Z1U, while the other guys ran PMW-EX3′s (impressive camera).

There’s some potential in the future, if the project continues on the right track, for some follow up shoots in Panama. Here’s hoping…

A little ad I put together for 4touge.com. It’s purpose could be for flyers or online placement.

My latest design for 4touge.com.  We had a little competition on our car forum to do some design work for our first hoodie.  Unfortunately, no one really entered anything, so we just went with my design.  The theme involves the fusion of certain key parts to the performance of a car; engine power, braking, and suspension.  All combine to give you the best performance while driving on twisty mountain roads.  Hope you like.

Just finished putting together Ashley and I’s wedding invitations. Thought I’d show off the design a bit.

Wrecked Vol. 2 Issue 6 is out.  This issue was dubbed the “Champions” issue, to coincide with the 2 year anniversary of Wrecked Magazine.  We finished just in the nick of time before SEMA ’09.

Can’t think of anything too notable in the issue, but there was one goal that Joey mentioned he wanted completed this time around. He wanted the cover to look like a magazine cover, like something you would see on a rack at the news stand.  So apparently I’ve been doing something wrong…and I was aware that covers were not my strongest feature in past issues.  So I went down the the local Barnes and Noble and perused the magazine isle for inspiration.  I saw exactly what I expected to see, a central and purposeful photo surrounded by bold faced, easy to read headlines that were strategically placed in the negative space of the main photo.  So…

I think I did better this time around and with virtually no revisions from my editor…done.

The last four weeks have been a real test of my creative endurance. Each of the weeks has been a different project. And each one requiring a different slice of my skillset. Here’s a quick summary:

The first project was an unfortunate one. I was asked by some very dear people in my life to put together a memorial picture tape for their father’s impending funeral. I was truly honored to do it but this was just the first project of many.

After that I had to start on our video at Millenia 3. It was our first full blown promo piece that explained to clients exactly what it is that we can do for them. My boss wanted to go all out. We rented a doorway dolly and also hired voice talent Brian Dennehy (from “Tommy Boy”). I was able to pull it off with three days of shooting and 2 editing and finishing. That includes reshooting an entire scene. The video came together perfectly and truly showcased our talents as a company in both the trafficking business but also the video production business.

Immediately after that I had to begin the next issue of Wrecked Magazine. We had a week to finish it and I ended up going over another 3 days. But all is well, it came out great.

Now the focus has shifted back to school work. Working on our logo design project.

After this, it’s time to rest…

2 more issues have been done since I last posted regarding Wrecked Magazine. Many great sections and some mediocre covers. One good thing that came out of this last issue is the K&N ad that I did. While simple, it definitely nailed what they wanted I think. All I have to go on is the fact that they approved it on the first proof. (Which brings up the point that criticism is a great thing, so at least you know where to improve.) I’m sure the design could be better but how would I know. Well the client appears happy, so you can’t ask for much more than that.

Update: It’s live!

The few times that I’ve attended Formula D events as part of the press, the officials there always stated that they want to see real deal cameras out there. This means no cell phone cameras or point-n-shoots. They have their reasons for saying that I guess. But I’m not clear on what they are and I’ve never tried to challenge them on this. I have always used prosumer/professional equipment at the events regardless. Well times are changing. Print media isn’t necessarily dying, but web media is definitely on the rise. With many of the automobile based magazines shutting down their operations, web media is the consumer’s only alternative to get the information that they crave. E-zines and blogs, like WreckedMagazine.com and Speedhunters.com are fast becoming the go-to outlet for drifting and other motorsports coverage.

So, how does this relate to Formula D’s media rules?

The future also holds a number of great things for real-time streaming media. The revolutionary Apple iPhone is set to enter its 3rd generation this summer and it promises to be quite a leap forward. Rumored specifics as to the devices capabilities include shooting video as well as an industry first, basic video editing within the device. Imagine the possibilities that this kind of tech could open up for journalists alone.

Another potential packed technology is the Eye-fi SD card. This card can auto upload photos from a digital camera via Wifi hotspot connections. Combine this with Verizon’s new Mifi 3G portable wifi router and an amazing point-n-shoot like the Canon G10 Powershot, and you can produce fantastic images and have the ability to upload those high quality photos in near real time.

On my last trip to LA for FD Irwindale, I was toting around a Canon GL2, Nikon D90, and my blackberry curve. I shot video of drift runs first, waiting for something to report on, then shot high quality stills, and then a secondary shot with my curve to post to Wrecked Magazines Twitter feed. All very important to the success of the story. A reminder though, technology is useless without the knowledge of how and when to utilize it. It is merely a tool though, you still need to be able to tell a story. That is the root of all journalism. And by no means should this new technology replace tried and true approaches and outlets. The need for a solid flow of well written articles, quality edited video and sharp photographs published or broadcast in a timely manner, will never run dry. But with the additional need to be the first on the scene with current events, it is definitely worth it to invest in another hand or person to report via these new tools.

Formula D is going to have to change the way they look at media coverage as a whole if they plan on getting the most out of it. Cell phones, as well as point-n-shoots are becoming perfectly capable for the production of the futures web-based media.