A montage of selected professional works created between 2008 and late 2012. Clients include MTV, Logo TV, Absolut Vodka, Ray Ban, Showtime, Nickelodeon, Starbucks, Country Music Awards, Time Warner Cable, Spin Magazine and Victoria's Secret.

Music by Sleigh Bells.

For this tease, we wanted a true tease - hinting at the show's content, without giving too much away. To do this, we reveal a secret message inside of the spot, which is contained in magazine headlines. I designed faux tabloid, sports and fashion magazine layouts containing original copy and images from Getty. The sound design, imagery and messaging set the mysterious and dark tone of the show, while suggesting a Hollywood setting. 

Role

Lead Design

Credits

Creative Direction: Crystal Hall

Art Direction: Christina Black and Maggie Tsao

Animation: Mark Auleta

Writer: Ian Brier

This is a tease for the season finale of Dexter depicting all of his victims from the previous 7 seasons "sinking" into the ocean.

Role
Animation and Design

Credits
Art Direction: Jonathan Raubert
Creative Direction: Angie Speranza & Crystal Hall
Writer: Rachele Honner
Music: Mississippi Twilight

The challenge of this spot was to make sure that the cast looked glamorous, while staying true to the characters in the show. My initial concept was to shoot the spot like a glossy music video, complete with a pop or rap song about money as the soundtrack (because of the money themes in the show). I wanted to have the camera start close with slick shots of the cast coming out of a car, much like club goers exiting a limo. Then the camera would pull out to reveal a stereotypical "Shameless" situation.

Role

Concept

Credits
Writer: Melody Reinger
Art Direction: Christina Black & Maggie Tsao
Director of Photography: Norry Niven for Three One O
Animation: Marcus Weaver
Music: Lady Gaga

This rebrand was inspired by LogoTV's slogan "go beyond". I wanted to literally take the viewer beyond by traveling through LogoTV's new logo at various points in the promos. I made sure to keep the previous edgy and outrageous feeling of LogoTV alive so that the viewers would know that they were still watching the same channel, but we made it feel more daytime and less "in the club". The result is more inviting and less exclusive.

Additionally, I wanted to make sure that the toolkit (which is given to editors) was easy to use without looking too simple or obvious. To accomplish this, I chose smart fonts and kept the animation style easy to use. I also created 5 different palettes so that the look would remain cohesive, but not get too redundant.
The new LogoTV is fun, vibrant and clever, reflecting the programming as well as the audience!

*The purpose of this montage is to show how the design works within various on-air elements and therefore, not all of the promo elements (ie: menu, bump) made it on air.

Role
Lead Design & Animation

Credits
Producer: Joyeux Noel
Creative Director: Garrett Wagner
Additional Animation: Co-Op
Additional Animation: JungIn Yun

Inspired by tarot cards and the work of Marco Brambilla, season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race features goddesses and art of different cultures. RuPaul, portraying a benevolent heavenly presence introduces the latest queens competing for the throne. They are resented in all their stunning glory in individual tableaus. Multi-layered environments were created using a combination of green screen footage, 3D and 2D motion graphics and photos.

Lead Design & Animation

Credits
Director/Producer/Editor: Carly Usdin
Director of Photography: David Myrick
Creative Director: Rodger Belknap
3D Animation: Olga Povarchuk
Production Designer: Kathrin Eder
1st AD: Pete Novitch
Original music composition, sound design and audio mix: Explosion Robinson
RuPaul's Costume Design: Zaldy
RuPaul's Styling: Mathu Andersen
Pit Crew Wardrobe Styling: William Graper
Pit Crew Makeup: David Dorris

This is the full-length launch spot for RuPaul's All Stars Drag Race, featuring All Star contestants from seasons 1-4 of Drag Race. This also served as the cast reveal. The campaign was inspired by shows of the 1970s, specifically Wonder Woman and Battle of the Network Stars.

Role
Lead Design & Animation

Credits
Director/Producer/Editor: Carly Usdin
Director of Photography: David Myrick
1st AD: Pete Novitch
Original music composed by: Lucian Piane
Sound Design & Audio Mix: Stephen Hermann @ Explosion Robinson
Contestants' Wardrobe Styling: Paul Cupo
Contestants' Hair/Makeup: David Dorris, Ally George, Marisol Mejia
RuPaul's Costume Design: Zaldy
RuPaul's Styling: Mathu Andersen

For the upcoming season of RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars we wanted to tease the cast of the show. We created a "Tron meets Wonder Woman" world by shooting the contestants under a blacklight, wearing glow-in-the-dark outfits and make-up. In post I exaggerated the glow and "hid" the contestants further.

Can you guess who the cast is?

Role
Design & Animation

Credits
Client: Logo & World of Wonder
Creative Director: Rodger Belknap
Design Director: Doug Filiak
Director & Editor: Carly Usdin
Sound: Explosion Robinson

Ray-Ban commissioned me to make a 30 second to one minute beauty spot to showcase their tagline - "Never Hide". I wanted to use pattern as camouflage to slowly reveal the tagline and logo. The result is a fun, energetic spin on optics and pattern. 

Role
Design & Animation

Credits
Client: Ray-Ban
Additional Design: Michael Greenblatt
Music: ADULT.
Additional Sound Design: Michael Schwartz

Ray-Ban wanted a fun way to brand their new online music series, "Never Hide Noise". I wanted to keep the design simple, but fun with a nod to cassette tapes and the Ray-Ban logo.

Role
Design & Animation

Credits
Client: Ray-Ban
Sound Design: PT Walkley

For the upcoming season 3 of Drag U, Logo wanted to revamp the series and market it as a makeover show with a drag twist. The makeover queens put the frumpy woman into the "Drag-U-lator" and work their magic on her. They push it a little too far, but then pull back the look to reveal a glamorous look that the woman can wear in her everyday life. The spot is ultimately about the transformation from boring and outdated to glamorous and fresh. We wanted to make sure that the promos stood out from other makeover shows and had a more graphic sensibility using op-art and "illusion" background designs. 

Role
Design & Animation

Credits
Client: Logo
Creative Director: Rodger Belknap
Design Director: Elizabeth Shim
Director: Courtney Powell
Animation: Olga Povarchuk

Sound: Explosion Robinson

Absolut Vodka partnered with the Logo Network to celebrate 30 years of going out and coming out in their new campaign. Each 15 second spot showcased a RuPaul's Drag Race queen and decade from the 80's through the future. Each spot also shows a step of the "getting ready process" from painting your nails, picking your outfit, doing your makeup and mapping where you're going. The minute long commercial shows the girls communicating through the decades as they get ready with their respective drinks. The backgrounds reflect the decade as well as the flavor of the cocktail. We wanted the campaign to be fun, flirty and most of all, outrageous!

Design & Animation

Credits
Client: Logo & Absolut Vodka
Creative Director: Rodger Belknap
Design Director: Elizabeth Shim
Director: Courtney Powell
Sound: Explosion Robinson

I designed and animated the video packaging for all SPIN videos to be used in the iPad app SPIN Play and on SPIN's website. I also designed and animated the loader screen for the app. I wanted to keep the graphics in line with the minimal, but punchy aesthetic of the magazine, while breathing new life into the designs with clean animation that would compliment the videos. I wanted to keep the animation style simple, but effective since I had to create templates for a wide range of editors to use.

The app itself is really great! Only $8 for a whole year of issues that include great new music and exclusive videos! 

Role
Design & Animation

Credits
Client: SPIN Magazine
Creative Director for SPIN: Devin Pedzwater
Director/ Producer: Lauryn Siegel
Editors: Christy Pessagno, Matt McClain, Matt Jacoby

Promo spot for Time Warner Cable's All the Best Triple Play integrating their new brand identity. One of the challenges was to integrate a human element while keeping the focus on the product. Another was to only use the Time Warner Cable square shape and proportion throughout the spot, while keeping the design and animation fresh.

The refreshed version 3 months later shows a revised palette and font system as well as a refreshed logo. It still incorporates Time Warner's simplicity, which staying fun and friendly.

Role
Design and Animation

Credits
Client: Mantra Design for Time Warner Cable
Creative Director: Fred Salkind
Producer: Anna Toonk

Promo spot describing the benefits of Starbuck's fair trade coffee

Role
Animator

Credits

Design: Fogelson-Lubliner

Performance screen for Blake Shelton's "Hillbilly Bones". The concept was to show an informational guide on the hillbilly lifestyle, as explained in the song.

Role
Design and Animation

Credits
Client: Mantra Design for CMA Festival
Creative Director: Fred Salkind
Producer: Anna Toonk

Performance screen for Taylor Swift's "Mean". The concept was to show a handmade child-like set reflecting scenes in Taylor's music video for "Mean".

Role
Lead Design and Animation

Credits
Client: Mantra Design for CMA Festival
Creative Director: Fred Salkind

Producer: Anna Toonk

A promotional spot highlighting a new season of the Logo documentary series called "Real Momentum". The concept was to feature a variety clips from the series to promote the serious nature of the show, while maintaining logo's bold and quirky identity through word play, color and texture.

Role
Design and Animation

Credits
Client: Logo
Design director: Elizabeth Shim
Producer: Lauryn Siegel

MTV's new direction in 2010, intended to connect with the audience and clean up the channel visually and audibly. The reductionist graphic overlays and injection of channel "voice" creates a palette cleanser and moment of thought for the viewer during promo time and sponsor time. The stingers airing before programming provide context and humor. The only shapes introduced are proportional to the golden ratio in order to create consistency. Similarly, the only fonts used are variations of helvetica. The new design reflects MTV's new line of programming and re-enforces the new brand filter.

Role
Part of small team that conceptualized the new direction for the channel including design, animation, sound design, writing style and new logo. I was also part of the even smaller team (including Ana Sanchez, Eric Eckleman, Thomas Berger, Lance Rusoff, Dan Cassaro, Isabelle Rancier and Colin Matsui) that executed the entire project. Romy Mann (vp design) and Jeffrey Keyton (svp design) oversaw. Susannah Nilosek produced.

Packaging for show alerting viewers to new music

Role
Animation

Credits
Design: Michael Greenblatt
Direction: Rodger Belknap
Sound Design: Olivier Spencer

Packaging for show highlighting benefits of technology in everyday life

Role
Animation

Credits
Design: Michael Greenblatt

Design Direction: Rodger Belknap

Packaging highlighting the "summer in the city" theme for the afternoon block of shows on MTV. The concept was to show a daytime rooftop party with editorial point of view.

Design, Casting and Animation

Credits
Photographer: Anna Wolff
Design and casting: Ana Sanchez
Producer: Susannah Nilosekv

Idents for a morning block of music programming on MTV. The spots highlight the various kinds of music played during the block. They also showcase common morning activities - waking up with bedhead and the menial tasks one goes through during their morning routine. The clips have a voyeuristic and almost dreamlike feel to appeal to those waking up and tuning in.

Role
Conceptualized and designed along with David McElwaine.
Casted and directed shoot.

Credits
Director of photography: Sean Mcging
Design director: David McElwaine

Packaging for mtv's afternoon block of programming. The afternoon block featured a viewer interactive, hosted portion where the audience was able to give live feedback via web cam. The concept of the packaging was to highlight this aspect of the show and appeal to the younger, tween viewing audience using doodle like imagery, bright colors and expressive typography.

Role
Design and Direction

Credits

Producer: Susanah Nilosek

Animation: Plus et Plus 

Design Director: Ana Sanchez

Refresh of MTV graphics including promos, idents, credits and messaging. design reflected tabloid and add culture though color and scale.

Role
Design and Animation

Credits
Direction: David McElwaine

Channel redesign for promos, packaging and messaging. Animating gifs reflect promo content and male youth culture.

Role
Design and Animation

Credits
Concept and Direction: Michael Greenblatt

Design Direction: Rodger Belknap

A series of illustrated kid monsters

Updated during down time when inspiration strikes!