Studioblog (n): a blog by Studiobanks about design, marketing, internet, business, Charlotte and more. 

(New Project) Crossroads Charlotte

Christy 0 Comments

What course will Charlotte-Mecklenburg chart over the next ten years as we deal with issues of access, inclusion, equity and trust for all residents in the social, political, economic and cultural life of our community? This is a question that I know we are all asking ourselves in one way or another during these uncertain times. This is also THE question Crossroads Charlotte is posing to our community.

What is Crossroads Charlotte? First of all, it’s one of the latest projects we’ve been working on. Studiobanks has been tasked with re-designing the Crossroads Charlotte website in an effort to provide a more dynamic and interactive means for Crossroads to get its message across and provide opportunities for organizations, institutions and individuals to take action in the future of our community. So what EXACTLY IS Crossroads Charlotte?

Started in 2001, Crossroads Charlotte is a large-scale civic engagement initiative designed to examine the possible futures of our community and to enlist residents and organizations to help steer the future of Charlotte-Mecklenburg. This project is a special initiative of Foundation for the Carolinas and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is managed by the Community Building Initiative.

Read More

(New Project) Summer is Over?

Christy 0 Comments

I cannot believe the Summer has come and gone. Whew, have we been busy! I wanted to give you a quick update on some of the things we've been up to. Sorry I've been so behind in keeping everyone in the loop! We have a lot of projects in the works right now and I'll be able to announce some of the others we're working on in the coming weeks.

First of all, we are just wrapping up the development on a huge project for one of our favorite clients, Muzak. I'll be able to share more once this puppy launches, but I can tell you, this was a real team effort; Banks, Robbie, Will and Michael rocked this one out!

We have several projects that are getting ready to go into development now. We’re pleased with the diverse mix of businesses we have on our plate, because we’ve been able to innovate and try some new, edgy things! We look forward to sharing these with you too, once they're finished.

Read More

Creatively Networked

Alexis 1 Comments

I finally had a chance to catch one of the Charlotte Chamber’s Creative Industries Council's cool events last night at Carolina Actors’ Studio Theatre, or CAST. I overheard board member and Art Institute President Brad Janis say that they like to choose unique environments for their meetings, so it was neat getting to visit this independent experiential theatre for the first time.

About 60 people or so gathered at 6 pm to network with a diverse mix of Charlotte creatives. The council doesn’t limit itself to any specific industry so I met lots of fabulous media professionals, performing artists, printers, painters, graphic designers, agency representatives, writers and many others.

In addition to networking and spreading some Studiobanks love, my $20 registration fee got me two drink tickets and delicious hors d’oeuvres. An hour into the networking we were called to the main theatre to watch an entertaining snippet from the current production, Foxfire, by CAST’s passionate volunteer actors.

If you’re a social butterfly like me who enjoys meeting people and promoting your business, definitely try to catch the next one on Tuesday, December 16th.

Read More

Inverse Kinematics in Flash CS4

Will 2 Comments

Today, Aaron Simpson at Cold Hard Flash posted a few videos demonstrating the new Bone Tool and Inverse Kinematics features of Flash CS4.

The Bone Tool basically allows you to group objects together as a flexible jointed object similar to how you’d rig a skeleton in a 3D application. Definitely a welcomed addition for anyone using Flash specifically for character animation.

Read More

Click-Copy & Paste

Mike 6 Comments

I recently ran across this website called Copy Paste Character. It is a extremely user friendly site that allows you to easily click on one of the characters to copy it, then go into your text field and paste it by either hitting ⌘+v or right clicking and clicking on 'paste'. It is a great resource for webdesigners because it has all of the pesky characters that you have to either memorize or hit random buttons on the keyboard until you finally find what you are looking for.

As far as I've tested, the characters work with webfonts, and most fonts in design software (if the font has that character in its arsenal). I've only worked with the site a little bit in Firefox 3.0 and Safari, so try it out on other browsers and let me know if you run into any problems. Enjoy!

Read More

That’s Munny

Keeley 1 Comments

First off, I guess I'll introduce myself. I'm Keeley, the new guy at Studiobanks. I started almost a month ago and it's been awesome. I've learned lots of great stuff and worked on some fun stuff.

Anyways, last week Banks and I participated in the "That's Munny" show at Niche Market in NoDa. There were tons of people there and of course free beer.

I think the "Munny customizing" bug has bitten a few of the other guys in the studio so maybe next year we'll all be in the show or at least post some pics of them here. Enjoy!

Read More

Florida Amendment 5 Removed From Ballot

Studiobanks 0 Comments

From AAF Charlotte:

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that Amendment 5 must be removed from the ballot. Amendment 5 could have opened the door to a tax on advertising services. The proposed constitutional amendment would have cut the property tax by an average of 25 percent—an estimated $9 billion in 2011. The property tax is the main source of education funding in Florida. The amendment would have required the legislature to maintain same level of education funding. While it did not mandate where the new revenues would come from, it specifies that the legislature could have raised the six cent sales tax by one cent and eliminated existing sales tax exemptions, including advertising.

Read More

Hi, I'm Alexis

Alexis 3 Comments

Everyone is so busy around here, so I'm going to take a moment to introduce myself as a new employee and share that I just kicked Wuori's butt at foosball - yea baby!

I joined the Studiobanks team about a month ago to work with Christy on the account-side and develop new business opportunities. Everyone has been super welcoming and I feel right at home. I am amazed everyday just seeing how creative these guys are, and how truly passionate they are about their work. I can honestly say that I feel lucky and blessed to be here :)

Originally from Texas, I graduated from Texas Tech University in '06 and moved to Augusta, Ga. to work with Morris Communications Company. I landed in Charlotte soon after as an account exec at skirt! Magazine for two years.

Tonight we're wishing Robbie a fond farewell as today marks his last day at Studiobanks. We are all going to miss you dearly and wish you the best! Good night, and good luck!

Read More

ARTM 3103 @ UNCC

Banks 4 Comments

I will be teaching a class called Animation and Interactivity this Fall at my alma mater, UNC Charlotte. Here is how the school's directory describes the course:

ARTM 3103. Animation and Interactivity. Emphasis on the tools, techniques, and software used in the creation of interactive multimedia and animation, especially media creation for video, the Internet, and CD-ROM.

This is the first time I have had the opportunity to teach at the collegiate level and need some help. I'm currently working on a syllabus that will focus on Flash and AS3. I'm planning on having the students do 3 or 4 projects during the course of the semester. Does anyone have any good ideas for projects? I want to have projects that are both challenging and that could be included in a professional portfolio after graduation.

Read More

Who’s that with Banks? See Below

Studiobanks 0 Comments

That's Jeff Elder, ‘The Insider.’ He is always looking for gossip about Charlotte's business community for his column in the Charlotte Observer. We recently met to discuss some of the happenings at Studiobanks, as well as some of the exciting things he will be studying during his upcoming fellowship at Standford. Here is an excerpt from his column in today's paper.

Speaking of social networking, there's an interactive experiment on the way – a look at the future of the city, especially regarding race relations. Studiobanks, the edgy SouthEnd interactive firm, is building the new Crossroads Charlotte site, and Foundation for the Carolinas and others are behind it. You'll be able to go online, connect with people, and share your experiences. The goal is to bring separate communities closer together.

Things are booming for Studiobanks CEO Banks Wilson. The UNCC grad is returning to his alma mater this fall to teach a course on animation and interactivity. And the company is taking on new projects, like Find Your Center, the events site for Center City Partners. He credits his creative people, such as new hire Alexis Acosta and masterful operations manager Christy Vannetta. Look for another big announcement from the company soon.

Read More