I get a lot of the same questions, so I thought I'd post the cheat sheet here.

1. When are you moving?

I fly to LA on February the 25th. The family flies out a week later.

2. Where are you moving?

I'll be living in Westchester, near LMU. Coincidentally, it's very close to Truxton Pictures, also in Westchester.  If you aren't familiar with LA, then I'll just say, "I'm living in LA."

3. How is the packing going?

As you can see in the photo, the last items to be packed are the TV and baby.  Normally, the TV is not propped up on a cheap looking coffee table that looks like it was stolen from the set of Archie Bunker. The movers come on Monday morning, Feb 23.

4. When will you be updating the site?

I am pooling together ideas for new updates and tutorials.  There's quite a bit that I'll be adding, which I am slowly phasing in.  But, overall you should see a lot more stuff coming soon.  Don't expect a whole lot for about another month while I unpack my life from cardboard boxes.   I appreciate the ideas people have sent in, and please keep them coming.

So. Finally, I get to post a detailed news story on what is going on!

In the years I've spent as a freelancer and host of graymachine, I've been able to meet with and have discussions with so many gracious and talented people.  I've felt truly honored to be the host of a site where my peers can get ideas, inspiration and knowledge from my little noggin. No matter what changes, graymachine will still live on.

However, I am excited to take this opportunity to inform you that my status as a freelance motion designer will be changing as I will be accepting an offer as partner of the Los Angeles design firm, Truxton Pictures, formerly Royal Pictures. 

In the past, Royal Pictures, run by John Hudson, has primarily provided broadcast design and production services to a variety of clients.  John's prior credentials include serving as Creative Director for G4 Network as well as one of the founding partners of Freestyle Collective.  With with John's amazing skills as a designer, creative director and executive producer, I will add a complimentary set of design, animation and visual effects skills that give Truxton Pictures an incredibly powerful and unique edge.  Anyone remember the first project I did for Royal Pictures?

Check out our new reel at: www.truxton.tv

On the personal front, this will mean relocating to Los Angeles for my family and me.  We've found a home in Westchester and we are currently packing up our stuff to head west!  

If you are one of the gracious and loyal people that visit my site frequently, you might have noticed that I've not been doing a whole lot of updates lately.  Although I have not been abducted by aliens, I have been offered a great opportunity in a faraway place.  I'll post more details when the time is right, but  I just wanted to say that I am still alive and that I've been tremendously busy working, traveling, packing my belongings, and trying to spend time with the family.  Although I am switching gears and leaving the world of freelance, graymachine will live on as a resource to the motion graphics community.  This new endeavor will officially begin January 1, 2009.  I'll try to update the sit with more ideas, tips and content, but things might be sparse until we get a little more settled in LA, our new home.

In the mean time, I wish all of you peace, happiness and prosperity through the holiday season and into the new year.

Scanning through blogs lately, the trend is more than obvious: lists are all the rage!

Why? Are we really that rushed that writers cannot write a full article and readers cannot read a full article? I am growing weary of these lists.  I'd give up 1 million lists for 100 well written articles.  Here's why I hate blog lists:

1. The same reason I dislike a PowerPoint bullet structure. It takes meaningful content and dumbs it down into smaller, less meaningful content, sacrificing quality for a quick read.

2. It is an insult to my intelligence that I cannot simply read an article. If you think I will look at "all those paragraphs!" and panic, you have little faith in your readers.

3 It's a trend that writers have blindly started following because, well, someone else did it, too. It must be working!  It doesn't work. It's just a waste of our time.