A bit about the past
MAREXdesign REEL 2008
Back when I was still in university, I used MAREXdesign as my brand name while creating art, design, and motion graphics, alongside some freelance work. At our university, we had to organize a couple of exhibitions every year, with one scheduled just before job hunting began. I decided to use this opportunity to create my own demo reel. Perhaps a lame excuse, but it got me motivated and the timing seemed right!
At that time, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my future, so I made this DVD player float in mid-air to represent instability, while exposing raw materials to represent the complexity of my thinking, my art itself, and the uncertain future ahead. The concept could have been completely different, but that's how I remember it now. I loved the final result of that floating raw DVD player— and it actually played my demo reel on DVD!
Workflow
Workflow was my graduation project. I've always been more interested in how things are made rather than the finished product itself, and that became my theme for this project. Up until then, I had created extensive motion graphics with VFX and heavy video editing, but I was growing tired of it all. The idea was to create something that appears to use VFX, but by the end, viewers realize there's almost no VFX involved. That's the story behind Workflow.
This photo was taken during rehearsal. When watching the final version on three different screens, it appears that these three people are in different places, doing their own things in different environments at different times. In reality, they're sitting at one big table next to each other, working simultaneously—and that's the biggest secret behind avoiding VFX or video editing. It was a long night, and we did about 8 or 9 takes of the same sequence to get it right.
Here are some photos from that day:
At our university, we were fortunate to have an excellent studio available almost anytime we needed it, even overnight sometimes. As a student without a budget, having access to that studio and friends willing to help with acting, filming, and mundane tasks like carrying tables and setting up equipment was invaluable. We always had each other's backs and enjoyed creating art together.
We had an excellent workspace at the university with top-notch Macs. Yes, that's a PowerBook G4— time really does fly!
Modeling
As a foreigner living in Tokyo, there were many modeling opportunities, and I was lucky enough to gain experience in TV commercials like this and this, fashion magazines, fashion-related videos, and online store clothing modeling. Here are some of my modeling photos. It was an amazing experience that later helped when filming my own motion graphics—understanding how it feels to be on the other side of the camera made it easier to give acting directions to actors and friends helping me out. The extra cash was nice too, I won't lie!
Cycling
Cycling has been my biggest passion since 2008. While I don't race currently, the photos above show some races I participated in while in Japan 🇯🇵. I love hill climbing 🚵🏼♂️—that suffering feeling when trying to beat your best time on a hill makes me feel alive ✨. My first road bike was a Felt F75 2008 🚲, the white bike in the photos above. Unfortunately, that frame cracked while I was riding it. Now I ride a BMC SLR01 2011. I've completed some epic rides, this 209km 📏 ride, this ride with 4,426m ⛰ climbing, this 7.5h ⏱ ride in the rain and this Mt.Fuji 🗻 ride with some friends. 🚴🏼♂️🚴🏼♂️🚴🏼♂️
That covers some key chapters of my past. These experiences—from motion graphics and modeling to cycling—all shaped who I am today. I might share more details about my transition from motion graphics to front-end development in future posts.