New Website...

I am going to start phasing out this blog. While, I will keep this blog up, I will no longer post any new content here. Head over to to new new website:
jimastin.com. 
I will post new updates regularly.

I am also dropping the "AstinMedia" brand and just switching to "Jim Astin Designs" I cooked up this little beauty over the weekend:

See you on the other side!

~Jim

Wedding Announcement

This is a design I created for my wife's cousin, Fawn.

This is a composite of about 3 images.  The archway was much closer together in the original, and the foliage behind them was more brown. 

What does the fox say?

Thanks to Robin Hood...

...the eternal question has finally been answered!

Video Production Demo Reel

UVU Service-Learning Video

UVU Service-Learning Video

Senior project video spotlighting Service-Learning at UVU.  I produced, edited, shot, and authored a DVD for this project. 

Podcast Cover Art Concept - The Pearl of Great Price

Concept I created for an Audio Podcast for The LDS book of scripture: The Pearl of Great Price.

Taylor Joelle Black Friday Ad

Online Retailer Taylor Joelle needed a Black Friday ad put together in a hurry.
So I sat down with the client and came up with this beauty in about 4 hours...

As you can see from the ad, they will be having some great deals on Black Friday. Check them out at www.taylorjoelle.com

Cover Art: Old Testament Podcasts

Cover Art I designed for two Video Podcasts:

Old Testament Visual Resources and Old Testament Stories.

They are published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 11 languages.

Counsel of the Match

Counsel of the Match

My entry in the 2010 LDS film festival 24 hour filmmaking marathon.  

Jack and Jill - Short film

Jack and Jill

Student film I wrote, directed, produced in collage at UVU.

LIFE as it COULD be Animated Intro

LIFE as it COULD be Animated Intro

Before/After Series - Iron Man Argonath

I always thought that the way Iron Man does his "Talk to the hand" stance looked hauntingly familiar 

For your consideration...

Mash-up of the Argonath from Lord of the Rings and Iron Man & War Machine.

Before (2 images)

After

(Its even big enough for wallpaper...You're welcome)

Methods:

Various blending modes

Pattern/texture overlays

Lighting/shadows

Cloning/rebuilding background

"Comic Book" Style Cityscape

I designed this stylized Cityscape for the Birthday invitation for my son.  His party was "Super Hero" themed.
The sky was accomplished used Photoshop's "Halftone" effect.
I think it turned out pretty well!

I'll post the completed invite once it is done.

My take on 'The Dark Knight Rises' movie poster

I gave my Photoshop class an assignment to recreate the Poster for The Dark Knight Rises.

Here is my take on it: 

 

Here is the original:

 

Learning English Live Animated Intro

Learning English Live Animated Intro

Motion Graphic video

Disney/Pixar's "UP" Recut Trailer

Disney/Pixar's "UP" Recut Trailer

Recut trailer featuring footage from Pixar's "UP" mixed with the music from "Inception"
The export settings messed with my timecode, however and through my transitions off by a frame or two.

The Babbling Brooks

The Babbling Brooks

Motion graphic project I designed for a neighbor. 

2013 Hidden Garden Tour flyer

The 2013 Hidden Garden Tour is upon us!!! Crazy to think this will be my 3rd year helping out with their graphic design! This year I suggested that they change up the cover a little bit to give it a more unique look and feel...

To view more "Hidden Garden Tour" artwork click HERE.

LDS Meme - President Thomas S. Monson

You can like/share this image and others on the official Facebook page of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Here.

Possum! Possum! BIG BIG Possum!

Anyone who has seen The Dark Knight Rises knows the iconic "Rise" chant in the Prison.
I don't know about you, but everytime I hear it, I can't but hear this...

LDS Meme - President Boyd K. Packer

You can like/share this image and others on the official Facebook page of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Here.

Custom Calendar - Jellyfish

Calendar design I did in a Photoshop class in College

T-Shirt Design: Double Xing (Double Crossing)

Here's another in my new lineup of Xing Tee's.
I gave one a tie to show that they were businessmen.
I think it helps.

T-Shirt Design: X-Wing Xing Street Sign

This comes from a line of T-shirts I am planning on starting soon.  They will feature variations on the "Ped Xing" street signs with an AstinMedia touch!

Nick Fury's thoughts on the end of the world

I was getting a little tired of all the insanity of the Mayan calendar predicting the end of the world on Dec. 21, 2012.  So I drew on the ultimate authority for some inspiration:

Pinata (Updated)

Homemade Pinata and and Beating stick:

Pinata is Captain Americas shield and stick is Thor's Hammer, Mjolnir. 

Even though it's not Graphic Design per se,  I still feel like they were worth mentioning.

More pics of them in action to come soon!

Pinata and hammer in action!

Movie Poster

Movie Poster I designed for a Short film I produced in College

You can view the film here.

2012 Hidden Garden Tour Guidebook

The 2012 Hidden Garden Tour is this weekend!

Here is the finished 42 pg. guidebook for this years tour that I put together. 

go to www.hiddengarden.org for more information.

A Playground for Carly

A Playground for Carly

A slideshow/video I put together at my job at the LDS church. 

Cubes from Outer Space can be deadly

(And for all you trekkies out there, just pray he never plays a Borg)

Michael Buffering...

My ode to Michael Buffer:

Let's get ready to... *BUFFERING* *BUFFERING* ... RUMBLE!!!!!!!

Fantasy Image

While in college I had an assignment to create a fantasy world.  I started out combining elements from other pieces and, and slowly this image evolved:

Some of the part are more subtle than others.

Darth Maul: Illustrator's Pen Tool

I am trying out Illustrator for the first time... (I've played around with it before, and took some classes in college...but that was years ago)

Illustrator's pinnacle feature: The Legendary PEN TOOL!!!!!

Here is a sketch of the villainous Darth Maul that I dug up from an old box of sketches, and

using the Pen tool, I was able to clean it up:

Here is a side-by-side comparison...

Original                        Finished

         

The Avengers Wallpaper

The Avengers comes out out in 2 weeks.  I haven't been this excited for a movie in a really long time.  

And with all the advertising for it comes tons of wallpapers and poster art.  

I've seen several but none have wowed me.  So I took elements from these, and made my own...

For your downloading pleasure, I made 3 sizes:

1024x768

1280x1024

1920x1080

Before/After Series - Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty

Original

(image by Arnold Friberg)

 

After

Podcast Cover Art

Cover Art Design I created for a Podcast for Children called, "I Can Play It!" It Featured Simplified version of Church Primary Songs.

Al Gore + Avatar = Alatar (Fake Movie Poster)

Mashup of James Cameron's Avatar and Environmental activist Al Gore.  
I made this one quite a while ago. But, the joke just wasn't quite as clear.  So I made a few revisions and Viola!  I think its much better. 

I came up with the concept because Avatar got so much crap for being "green" and the Inconvenient Truth about Al Gore is he's just annoying.  Maybe he'll have better luck on Pandora.

Alien Ninja Turtles?

In case you didn't hear, Michael Bay is doing a reboot of a beloved Childhood classic of mine: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

In a recent interview he said:
"These turtles are from an alien race, and they are going to be tough, edgy, funny and completely loveable."
Check out the full article here.

As a TMNT fan, I am siding with the purists that are outraged at his changes.

As a subtle jab on the topic, I created this image after hearing all this:
It created quite a bit of chatter at work.
Enjoy!

LOLCAT or POLECAT

Know the difference...

Look Sir, Droids...

Mashup of Droids from Star Wars and Motorola Droid.

I'm actually quite surprised no one has thought of this before.  And if they have I choose to be blissfully ignorant to it.

City Creek Ad (spoof)

Anyone who has been in Downtown SLC in the past month has seen the ridiculous ads everywhere for City Creek.  They feature a model who in no way looks like they would be shopping in a mall in Utah.

Here's one the billboards:

They are so over the top that there has been a hilaroius viral campaign going around spoofing these ads using images from Zoolander, to poke fun that only, "Really, really, ridicously good looking people" can shop there.

Here is one of those: 

(This is not mine, I just find it hilarious...and the Photoshop needs a little work)

 

So with all the hype.  I decided to take it to a whole new level and create my own spoof of City Creek; it features White Goodman from Dodgeball:

The refence is a bit more obscure; but, hey, that's me.  I'm all about the obscure humor.

Mac OS X Liger

Pretty much the best OS ever! Gosh!

Pretty soon, Apple is gonna run out of big cats to name their OS after.
So with the upcoming release of Mountain Lion this summer, My Brother gave me the idea to do a mashup...

The Imfamous Liger from Napoleon Dynomite and Apple OS X Mountain Lion.

Before/After Series - Nemo

Anyone who has an iPhone would recognize this image: 

But when combined with my all-time favorite Disney/Pixar movie...You get this!

Before/After Series - A Single Leaf

I designed the cover of the upcoming novel, A Single Leaf.


               Original Image:                                                                                      Modified Image:

Final Book Cover:

I also helped set up a blog to promote awareness of the book.  You can view it Here.

Editing Elements: 

• Cutting elements out 
• Replacing background
• Color adjustment