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What “Face Off” taught me about Art…

I’ve been watching “Face Off” for almost 10 years.  Over that time, it has made a big impact on my approach and skills as an artist.  I remember when I came across this show on SYFY when it was broadcasting its third season.

The show was so different from other reality shows because they had talented people who were skilled in Special FX make-up and were assigned to make tons of unique creations. But like other competition shows, the judges had to decide who’s work best fulfilled the challenge and they would move on to the next week’s show.

I watched eleven of the thirteen seasons of Face Off and it was around the time I went to many art classes during my college years. The show taught me so much about how to improve your skills as an artist and that constructive feedback is important to help make your work better.

“Face Off” changed over time. At first, they focused on the drama between contestants and had them all live in a house sponsored by the show, like several other reality shows. But over time, the show focused less on the drama and more on the creative process. I learned over time that feedback from your client is not criticism of your creative abilities. It’s just focusing you on how to do better and deliver a professional product that meets your client’s needs.

I also learned that even when you’re under deadline pressure, you can still find a few minutes to help out other coworkers with their projects. That’s how it works in creative businesses. It’s all about teamwork. So I thank “Face Off” for helping artists like myself learn how to work in a professional creative environment.

I had the pleasure of meeting Glenn Hetrick from the show at Scare-A-Con. I showed him some of my artwork and he was really supportive and impressed. He was a truly sweet person. I wish Glenn and all my friends from the show all the greatest success in the future.

Long Live Face Off!

#ThankYouFaceOff

Face Off’s Official Website

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The 2018 Arc Race Commercials

Hey Guys! I recently finished the Arc Race commercials and they’re going to be shown on television starting tomorrow and running through Labor Day.

Arc of Onondaga purchased advertising time on ten different cable channels, including Hallmark, Bravo, TLC, E! Entertainment, Lifetime, TVLand and several other channels.

The Arc Race helps raise money to fund so many programs that Arc of Onondaga does for people in the community. Won’t you do your part and sign up for the race? Click at the link below!

https://www.arcon.org/events/race

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Arc Race Commercial Project

Hey everyone, I have very big news!

I’m currently working on a new commercial project for a charity fundraiser event for Arc of Onondaga. We will be shooting commercials to promote the Arc Race that is happening this fall in Syracuse.

The good news is that the four commercials I’m working will be shown on Local TV News!  I’m very excited about this.

When you see commercials for the Arc Race, you’ll know it’s JVR Productions.  So if you live in Central New York, be sure to keep a look out for the commercials for the Arc Race!

Thank you and don’t forget to subscribe to my Youtube channel for future updates.

JVR Productions Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtNgCZRbk9mS_Ih-TFP0v3Q

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Just set up my LinkedIn Profile

I am an avid user of social media, and have over 1500 followers on my YouTube personal page.  I am also active on Twitter and Facebook for my business, JVR Productions.  So I figured it was about time that I set up a page on LinkedIn, too.   Here’s the link:

Jordan Van Ryn – Linked In profile

So please by stop and check out my experience.  If I have worked with you before, I would be very grateful if you would provide me with a review of how I did working for you.

Thanks very much, and I want to let you know that I am now looking for an entry-level position doing video production and social media communications beginning in January.  Thank you in advance for any leads or referrals!

Sincerely,

Jordan

 

 

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Arc of Onondaga Dunkin Run

Hi, folks!  I just finished up my latest video for Arc of Onondaga.

We filmed the recent event sponsored by Dunkin Donuts. Over 2,000 people attended, with nearly 1,000 people running to help raise money for programs to assist disabled people in our community. The highlight of the event was the partner runs, where runners pushed disabled people in 3 wheeled strollers to make them part of the race.

Two local radio personalities, Amy Robbins of 93Q and Dave Frisina of 105 FM – The Rebel, both provided their talents in doing the voice over for the video.  My boss Joanna Jewett will be using it as a fundraising tool for this wonderful organization.  Please check out the video, linked below, and make a donation to Arc of Onondaga.  Thank you!

 

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Lemonade from Lemons!

So, I was working on a new project, and I discovered to my horror afterwards that my fancy boom microphone had failed on a recent shoot!  OMG, I was devastated, on the verge of tears.  There was no audio of four hours of footage!

Then, I talked to my client and a friend who helps me on my projects, and I realized, “Hey, I can do this with a voice over.”  My client said they’ve never had anyone shoot this event before, and listening to people talk can be pretty boring anyway.

So I’m going to work up a script and cut it shorter than I originally intended.  And now I found out that my client is approaching a couple local radio personalities who were at the event to lend a hand with the voice over!

And so suddenly, there’s lemonade!

(And, no, Beyonce, we weren’t talking about you ….)  LOL

It’s all about learning from your mistakes.  So next time, I will be sure to check the battery in my boom mic, and check the indicator light on the top to make sure that it’s working properly.  Lesson learned.  On to the next one!

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Success Takes Teamwork

Success Takes Teamwork!  One of the things I have learned so far in my career is that it takes good communication, patience and teamwork to have a successful creative project.

I learned this at internships at the Syracuse Tech Garden and the Blackstone Launchpad at Syracuse University, a university-wide business incubator for student start-ups.  I also learned this over the years watching one of my favorite shows, Faceoff, on the SyFy Channel.

For those of you who have never seen it, Face Off is a show where people from all walks of life participate in a movie special effects make-up competition.

The show teaches you how to take constructive criticism (i.e. “client feedback”).  It shows you the importance of effective time management, and listening closely to instructions. It’s the best kind of “reality show” – one that showcases people’s talents in a respectful setting, where people learn how to become professionals at their craft.

I have watched all 9 seasons of Face Off, and it has really influenced how I have grown in terms of working with my clients.  It’s all about good communications.

The other aspect of teamwork on creative projects is to understand that different people in a team may each have different areas of expertise, and different talents. I am a person with Asperger’s Syndrome – high functioning autism – and so I see things a little differently than other people.

But we each have our strengths and weaknesses, and we are stronger when we can work together respectfully and learn from one another.  That’s my definition of teamwork!

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Hello world!

Today I am launching my new WordPress site, with my dad’s help. This will be quite an adventure!  Have patience while we add new features to my site in the coming weeks.

Here we go!