“The client loved it!” the director said; my hand shook as I held the phone. After working on a strict deadline for three days, I was finally relieved. He continued, “They loved the animations, the vibrant use of colors, the theme; it was perfect, brilliant work Congratulations Taha!” I took a deep breath; my hard work and dedication to the project had paid off. It had required a lot of creative thinking and designing. This project was involved in creating a presentation, which was comprised of animation and motion graphics. It highlighted world-class cricket players of Pakistan to promote sports and build enthusiasm among the Shell employees.
In early 2001, I started my high school, in the midst of the new advent of internet in my country. My curiosity drew me to browse various websites. The more I explored the internet, the more appreciation I gained for its design and function. This led me to learn to create animated websites. Browsing through those websites amazed me and it tempted me to experiment designing one. It all began here.
I started browsing through colorful, interactive websites and it was then when I first used Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Flash. With the help of few online tutorials I was able to design and create simple two-dimensional animations. Following my first experience with amateur designing, I took a course (web mastering and e-commerce) to polish my skills. My strong interest in design convinced me to create a small portfolio, with the help of which I was able to find an animator job at Ishraki LLC. At Ishraki, I availed opportunities to apply my skills to professional projects. Initially, my job included creating and animating flash based websites. While I was utilizing my skills, I acquired professional training in Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Flash. In a short period of time, I broadened my skills in these soft wares. Due to my progress, I was assigned to lead a project on a two-dimensional animation, “Lords of the Universe”, the idea was to feature the future of the earth and the humans. The project involved illustrations of buildings, spaceships, character movements and sound effects. It was successfully completed with the help of three other animators. On the success of this astonishing project, I was promoted to a senior animator.
After high school, I enrolled in a bachelors program offered in computer science – the only computer related degree offered in the country at the time. However, I didn’t stop from advancing in the design and arts aspect of the new computer era. Being a quick learner, I managed to improve my skills. I applied my work and talent in various projects ranging from print medium to web-based and even broadcast medium. In addition, I started to work as a freelancer with various advertisement agencies and companies like Interflow, UniLever, Pyramid Productions, Shell, Datch, National Foods and Gul Ahmed; to name a few. I was also privileged to work with some renowned celebrities by providing them with web services and design artwork for their album covers.
In my quest for furthering my career, I sought an opportunity that would open the doors to work with different design mediums and that’s how I landed the job at Uncut Ltd. My current place of employment has allowed me to explore in the broadcast medium. At Uncut Ltd, I am involved in building ideas and creating animations for documentaries and films which includes creating intros, chapter breakers, text on footages and outros. As a designer, exploring and working with the new medium is very essential in my growth – something that I have always considered since my undergraduate. In addition, I assist the Director on shoots while managing the production and camera crew.
I am pursuing graduate education because “electronic-design” has become a huge part of my life. It is something I practice and think about in various contexts every day. Due to its significance, it is imperative that I expand upon my skills-set. This would require fully immersing myself in the practice of design. Being at Indiana University will enable me to enhance my conceptual thinking abilities while performing tasks that are not only self-satisfying but also applicable in the ‘real’ World. The M.S in Media Arts & Science at School of Informatics at Indiana University, will give me the opportunity to achieve my goals by growing in my desired field. I will be able to explore and learn new techniques while polishing existing skills. Moreover the constantly changing media has always been evolving. The profession requires one to be proficient not only with his creative ideas but also its implementation – this program will prepare me to help build on my creative thinking abilities while I strive to excel in animation skill. This will make it possible to translate my ideas into practical implementation.
Furthermore, the location of school will expose me to the greater Mid-west region. Its close proximity to Chicago and Cincinnati will open doors for me to work with the leading industry in the World.
