Hi, I’m Esin. I am a graphic artist specializing in motion graphics. Please see my “Services” section below for more information on the work I do, and my “Portfolio” section for samples.
I graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.A. in Communication in 2006. Three years in the real world, then I pursued my Master’s in Film and Video with a concentration in motion graphics at American University, graduating in 2011. I currently live and work out of my home in Arlington, VA. 
I like combining styles (such as photos and illustrations) to come up with a new and unique look. I also use clean geometric shapes, vignettes, complementary color combinations, gradients, and textures in my work. I keep it simple. My style is versatile and I enjoy taking on challenging and interesting projects. Please let me know if I can be of any service.
*Be sure to check out my News Archives for updates about my projects.*
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RHED Pixel Ads
A series of full-page advertisements. Art directed by Rich Harrington. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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FDA Center for Tobacco Products
For FDA's Tobacco Compliance Webinars. Consistent with their existing branding but with added gradients and texture. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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News Entrepreneuring 3.0
A double-sided flyer created for J-Lab to promote an upcoming conference. Turned around in 2 days.
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3Ex Card
This is a double-sided business card to promote Richard Harrington's podcast and website. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Editors Guide Card
A business card to promote the book and DVD. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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MommyCast Latina
This design was used as the thumbnail of their iTunes podcast. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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CSM Print Advertising
Print advertising for the Center for Social Media in Current, a public media newspaper.
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Holton-Arms School
The graphic for the school's 109th commencement. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Visiting Filmmaker: Doe Mayer
A poster to advertise a filmmaker visiting the American University campus. Created for the Center for Social Media.
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Film Screening: Sesame Street
This poster was used to advertise a film screening at American University. Created for the Center for Social Media.
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Film Screening: Defamation
This poster was used to advertise a film screening at American University. Created for the Center for Social Media.
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Film Screening: Prison
This poster was used to advertise a film screening at American University. Created for the Center for Social Media.
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Visiting Filmmaker: Josh Fox
A poster to advertise a filmmaker visiting the American University campus. Created for the Center for Social Media.
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Media That Matters Poster
The poster and branding for CSM's annual Media That Matters conference.
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Self-Portrait Movie Poster
I made this self-portrait movie poster in 2009 (I'm on that right wall). The movie is made-up but I imagine it would be a high-action thriller.
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Test: Drobo
I used the Drobo logo to test out After Effects CS6 new 3D extrusion features. Endless possibilities for logo animation and much more.
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Graphics Package: EPA
A graphics package for the US EPA Urban Waters Program. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Spot: Cube
A short spot (never aired) which utilizes a cube layout to show multiple talking heads. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Promo: Adorama
A short promo for Adorama. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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AIPAC Board of Directors 2012
For projection at a large political event. Video cannot be released due to copyright. Role: Graphics. Partial concept by Xi Lin. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Open: Cocoon
Open for an informational health video. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Spot: LDS Church
Spot for The Church of Ladder Day Saints. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Graphics Package: Facing Cleft
Graphics package for a video series called Facing Cleft. SD. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Graphics Package: CNMC Safety Permission
Graphics package for a Children's National spot. Video cannot be released due to copyright. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Open: CNMC Strategic Plan Update
Opening bumper for Children's National. Video cannot be released due to copyright. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Bumper: Anderson Publishing
A promotional bumper for Anderson Publishing. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Graphics Package: AFCS
Graphics package for a web series for the Air Force Civilian Service. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Open: Studio Techniques Podcast
Opening title to the podcast. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Graphics. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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Photo Manipulation
A still photo and fire footage to simulate a burning building for a documentary. Video cannot be released due to copyright laws. Role: Compositor. Created for RHED Pixel, Inc.
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I won the Best Editing award in May 2012 for the 30-minute documentary “The Soul of the PinUp” at the American Visions Awards. I have been editing since 2002. Editing is what sparked my initial interest in pursuing a film degree and led me into motion graphics. I use Final Cut Pro 7, Adobe Premiere Pro, and have used Avid Media Composer.
I edit short narratives, music videos, and documentaries. At my internship at Discovery Channel in the Summer of 2010, I edited hundreds of short clips.
I would love the opportunity to edit a narrative feature someday. I can work closely with a director or producer; or independently following a script. I enjoy editing a story together; as the final step of any production, I find it the most rewarding part of the storytelling process.
I started with print and graphic design in my first Photoshop class in the Fall of 2009. I really enjoyed creating visuals in Photoshop and had a knack for it. This eventually led me into motion graphics.
I make movie posters, flyers, brochures, business cards, and film graphics such as DVD menus and lower thirds in Photoshop. I design logos, icons, and other graphical elements in Illustrator. Any of these could be for print, video or web. My style adapts to meet the theme of the project, and I always like to keep the design clean and simple.
Title sequences, lower thirds, infographics, instructional videos, end tags, animations, and footage stabilization can all be done in After Effects (among other things). I have been putting graphics into motion starting in 2010 and have quickly progressed with the number and complexity of the projects I take on.
Motion graphics is also a great way to promote yourself or your business. You could even have a motion graphics wedding announcement or other invitation. It is becoming more and more prevalent in all industries; a good graphics piece is taken seriously and speaks volumes. It has the power to elevate an entire production.
In short, the possibilities and uses are endless. I am eager to take on any motion graphics and animation related project. I am always learning, but I have the essential skills and understanding of proper design to get the job done right. I take great ownership in the work that I do, so it is never done until it meets my standards.
A note about my portfolio:
*Due to copyright laws, I am unable to post certain videos online. If you would like to see a given video, please email me a request for instructions on how to privately view the video. I apologize for any inconvenience.*
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- News archive
New job at Reingold
I left RHED Pixel in July, completing 1 year and 1 month at the company. Soon after, I started contracted motion graphics work at VIVA Creative in Rockville from August to early December.
On December 10th, I started full time as a Video and Motion Graphics Producer at Reingold in Alexandria, VA. Reingold is a private sector PR firm of about 100 employees that crafts communications and marketing campaigns for a variety of clients. My job is to support the video team with highly targeted and dynamic motion graphics pieces, titles, logo builds, and graphics packages for videos. It’s been a great experience so far and I hope to be at Reingold for a very long time.
TIVA Awards Win
Last night, The Soul of the Pinup, the documentary that I edited and co-wrote with Joseph Bohannon, won FIVE 2012 TIVA Peer Awards! Gold in ‘Scriptwriting- Non-Fiction (under 30 mins)’, Gold in ‘Student Production- Non-Dramatic’, Silver in ‘Editing- Non-Fiction (under 30 mins)’, Silver in ‘Directing- Non-Fiction (under 30 mins)’, and a music composition award. I am so proud of our hard work on this film, which has now been recognized locally for a second time (the first being the 2012 Visions Awards). You can watch the film in full from the link in my editing portfolio. 
Promoted to Graduate Professor!
My student reviews were so successful that American University will have me teach Graduate level Photoshop starting in Fall 2012. My class begins at the end of August this year. It was very much fun teaching undergrads and I’m sure teaching graduate students will pose its own fun and interesting challenges. I look forward to my new position!
Visions Award Winner in Editing
Tonight was amazing! I can officially say I am an award-winning Editor! I only found out I was nominated for Best Editing in the 2012 Visions Awards a few days ago. The film I worked on with Joseph Bohannon, The Soul of the PinUp, WON in two categories tonight, including Editing! I also happily accepted the award for Best Thesis on behalf of Joe, who could not be there this evening.
This comes as quite an honor from The American University community, and hopefully will propel the film into greater success. Congratulations to all who were involved in the making!
Update on Teaching and More
I have been so busy, as usual. Halfway through the semester now, I can say that teaching has definitely grown on me. I create a long set of “class notes” each week for the undergraduate level Digital Imaging course I teach at American University. These are anywhere from 6-15 pages. It takes a lot of time and patience to compile information in a presentable, comprehensible way. We are working almost exclusively in Photoshop CS5, touching on Illustrator a little bit.
Aside from teaching, work has been going well at RHED Pixel. We just wrapped up a huge project for AIPAC (coming soon to the portfolio). Unfortunately, right around the holidays, we lost a great graphic artist (who resigned), so I am working doubly-hard to make up for the slack. We are searching for an After Effects Graphic Artist at RHED Pixel; someone with whom we can tag-team the massive amount of projects going on simultaneously right now. Let me know if you know anyone qualified!
Keep a look out for new portfolio items! I am crunching them out like a well-oiled machine.
My Faculty Profile
My faculty profile has been added to the American University website! You can see a screenshot below or view it live here.
Here is a description of the course I will be teaching during the Spring 2012 semester:
COMM-350
Digital Imaging (3)
Course Level: Undergraduate
An introduction to the technical aspects of digital imaging and basic techniques such as selection and retouching tools that challenges students to create effective visual communication designs. The course includes how to effectively use layers, channels, and masks to edit and composite images with discussions focusing on creating and recognizing effective visual communication concepts and carrying out these concepts through design. Students should expect to spend additional time in the lab outside of the scheduled class time. Usually offered every term. Prerequisite: COMM-105, film and media arts major, and minimum 2.5 GPA.
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- Blog archive
PS CS6 New Features
Here are some notes I took during the presentation by Zorana Gee of Adobe about the new features inside Photoshop CS6. Asterisk (*) next to the ones I particularly liked:
- 62% more features
- Camera Raw 7: Highlights and shadows sliders are now split and controlled separately. You can paint in camera raw with localized brushes
- *”Rich” cursors give you the dimensions of the image when free transforming
- Preferences: Save in Background and Save Recovery options available
- *Mercury Graphics Engine = Faster response time inside dialog boxes/previews
- Liquify Filter interface decluttered. Can achieve a larger brush size (>1500 px)
- Improved algorithms for all “Auto” buttons (e.g. Auto Levels, Auto Brightness/Contrast, Auto Curves, etc.)
- Content-Aware smarts built-in to all applicable tools
- **Can add layer styles to Groups
- Some tools have a “Use Legacy” checkbox to return to the old version of the tool
- New types of Blur effects in a Blur Gallery: Tilt-Shift Blur (for miniature look), Field Blur, better Lens Blur. Hold M to see the blur mask, which can be saved to the channels panel
- Mini-Bridge has a film strip view
- *You can use Content-Aware Fill technology with the Patch Tool
- **Content-Aware Move (by far the most talked about new feature). Allows you to reposition objects in an image and fill the hole where it was, and at the same time, blending it in at its new location. Works best when you expand your selection
- Filter > Adaptive Wide Angle. Corrects curved edges in wide angle shots, which you dictate by drawing a line along the curve (similar to straighten tool but can draw curves)
- *Crop Tool: Completely revamped and similar to Lightroom’s crop tool. Can straighten at the same time, perspective crop, rotate around a grid, create crop presets, and is natively nondestructive. It draws a crop selection automatically when you start the tool. Automatically converts your background to a layer. You can use the classic mode checkbox to revert to original crop tool
- Filter > Oil Paint
- Select > Color Range > Skin Tones
- Timeline (no longer called “Animation.”) Can add transitions, fade, and trim layers. Right-click on a layer in the Timeline and choose “Add pan and zoom” from the submenu. In Render Video settings, there are Vimeo and YouTube presets. Also, the Timeline is available in all of PS, not just Extended
- Filter > Lighting Effects. Has many presets, including Spotlights in which you can choose colors for several lights (looked similar to Lux Trapcode plug-in in After Effects)
- Help Menu > Opt-in Adobe Product Improvement Program. Tracks your clicks and time spent in dialog boxes to compile data for improvement of PS in future versions
Photoshop World Conference 2012
I’m very excited to be at the Photoshop World Conference 2012 in Washington, D.C. It’s the last day, and all weekend I have attended classes where I learned interesting techniques from the best of the best in the industry, including Bert Monroy, Corey Barker, and Calvin Hollywood.
The classes and seminars I attended include: Down & Dirty Tricks for Designers (Barker), Photoshop Freak Show (Hollywood), Creating a Dream World (Monroy), Image Compositing & Photo Illustration (DiVitale), Creating Optical Effects (Barker), and Creating Time-Lapse Movies (Harrington). A seminar from Adobe introduced the new features of Photoshop CS6. They said that 62% of this new version is new or improved. There’s a lot of learning to do!
This conference was paradise for a Photoshop geek like myself. The classes were all about insider tips and tricks in tutorial format. I learned how to use tools I already know to create something I wouldn’t necessarily have thought it could. And, using features I hadn’t utilized to make my workflow easier. For instance, making a custom brush to create realistic smoke or bokeh effects. Best of all, I got to witness how masters craft their work, what tools they love/hate, and where they get inspiration. What a rare privilege.
If you have not already done so, download the Beta version of CS6 for free. Check out my next blog post about what’s new with CS6.
Free Stuff
Below is a compilation of websites with free stuff, from fonts to textures, that I frequently use in my work. Often, free commercial use is accepted, but always be sure to check the terms of use.
Fonts
Textures
Miscellaneous
Stock Vectors
Stock Music
- Incompetech – Kevin MacLeod
- Free Stock Music
- Freeplay Music
- IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
- A list of many more sources…
Stock Photos
Stock Motion
Sound FX
Photoshop: Path to Shape
The other day, I wanted to create a custom shape in Photoshop with the pen tool. Of course, Illustrator is the right software for creating custom vector shapes, but I wanted to skip a step in my workflow and do it in Photoshop.
I made the shape with Photoshop’s pen tool, but from that, could only turn it into a selection and fill it with color. But if I wanted to change that color, I had to select it again. Not only that, but I could not resize it because it was not technically vector (though created with pen).
The solution was to turn the path into a vector shape layer, identical to the built in shapes that come with Photoshop. Here is the step-by-step breakdown:
- Create an empty shape layer (I did this by creating a built-in shape, like rectangle, then unlinked and deleted its vector mask. The size and color does not matter. All that is left will be a solid color layer labeled “Shape”)
- Select your path in the path panel
- Go to Layer > Vector Mask > Current Path. If the menu item is grayed out, make sure you selected the path correctly in the previous step and that your empty shape layer is also selected in the layers panel
You will be left with a custom vector shape created entirely in Photoshop.
Inspiration
I wanted to make a comprehensive list (mostly for my own reference) of all of the graphic artists who inspire me, and who I follow as a constant source of awe and inspiration. Please let me know the ones I missed. I’m sure this list will grow and change as I do.
Artists or Organizations, in no particular order:
- Rory O’Sullivan
- F5
- Idil Ar
- David O’Reilly
- Mixtape Club
- Clemento
- Beeple *Gives away Cinema 4D creations under creative commons license*
- Flourescent Hill
- Tiny Inventions
- Onur Senturk
- Dan Stevers
- Erika Bernetich *A former classmate from AU*
- Just Creative Design
Websites, in no particular order:
- 10 Answers: This website asks designers of all types the same 10 questions. A great way to discover talent, or find out what inspires these talented individuals.
- Motionographer: A blog that highlights outstanding work in the field of graphic design.
- Stash: Online video library of vfx, motion design, and animation.
- Vimeo: I have discovered a lot of exceptional work just through browsing, especially editor’s picks.
- Communication Arts: The website for the magazine has artist profiles and the best of the best creative design work in the industry today. Great for following trends and groundbreaking designs.
- Abduzeedo: A collection of tutorials and inspirational work for illustration, logos, typography, and more.
- Web Designer Wall: A wall of design ideas, web trends, and tutorials.
- Logopond: A gallery of the most polished and beautiful identity design inspirations.
- Creattica: Showcases professional work on websites, logos, motion graphics, and more.
- Design Bread: A new blog post each Friday can include tutorials, free stuff, or inspiration.
- Giant Octopus: A high-end award design company that specializes in network branding, promotional and advertising campaigns.
Bonus!:
- Great blog post highlighting a collection of creative logos (Warning: You may be overwhelmed with visual puns)
- A really cool concept for a business card for a furniture company. It’s all about interactivity, even on paper.
esin.ozdag@gmail.com
(703) 801-9439
