This Digital Media issue seems to be going well so far, so let’s take a look at some of our fellow JET alums whose daily work is all about digital multimedia and see what they’re up to.

Profile #1: ZI MEI (Saitama-ken, 2002-05)

• Current line of work: Interactive designer, illustrator, and web programmer. I design and build stuff like websites, software, Flash animations, DVDs, and tradeshow kiosks and displays. I also provide technical consultation in several RIAA file-sharing cases (for the defense). Unfortunately, word has gotten out about my computer skills, and I’m the first person everyone bugs for free tech support!

• Company: Self, www.sugarcloud.com

• Current project:

  • Queens Crossing Mall 20′x40′ outdoor LED display (Flushing, Queens)

• Recent projects:

  • AMD interactive game kiosks and plasma TV displays for CES 2008 (Jan. 7-10, Las Vegas)                                                             http://www.engadget.com/photos/amds-ces-2008-booth-tour

  • FS/TEC 2007 Tradeshow LCD animation, displays, and booth graphics http://www.sugarcloud.com/blog/images/wtm_tradeshow_arial.swf

  • Various banner ads, which can be seen at
    http://www.sugarcloud.com/blog/?cat=13

How I got started:

I owe my career in interactive design to video games. By the time I was 11 or 12, I had found my passion. It all started when my parents bought me and my brother a Nintendo for Christmas, after months and months of pestering. Once we got this little grey box home, I became obsessed with games, and spent all my free time in front of the TV. All throughout primary and secondary school, college and even until a year or two after graduation, all I wanted to do was be a game designer. Unlike other kids who simply played games, I wanted to make my own. I thought about what made a game fun, or not fun, and set out to teach myself how to make them.

Today, video games are a pervasive and highly influential part of mainstream culture, and there’s a lot of support for budding game designers. Several colleges now even offer degrees in game design. But 10-15 years ago, it wasn’t so. The industry was still small and didn’t enjoy the kind of respect and mindshare it does today. It was very hard to learn on one’s own and many of the software tools and technology (3D studio, Maya, Photoshop) simply didn’t exist yet or weren’t affordable to ordinary folks. Game studios were out in California or Japan at that time, and being a kid from New York, there weren’t any places to hit up for an internship.

Frustrated by the high degree of specialization required, absence of interest in Wesleyan’s comp-sci program, and the realization that game development was a miserable and thankless existence (long hours, lousy pay), I put my dreams on hold during freshman year. Luckily for me, another interactive technology was emerging at this time and rocketing into prominence—one that was a lot easier to learn and would soon dominate society—the World Wide Web. So, I naturally started learning HTML and Photoshop as an outlet for my creativity, and for the first time felt that I was in control. I finally had the tools to express myself to the world. All the skills I learned while trying to make graphics and animations for my own games transplanted over, and by sheer coincidence, by the time I graduated, dot.com jobs were plentiful.

Why do I like it?
The web allows me to escape a life in Corporate America and do work I love. I have the freedom to dress and work the way I want, and I get paid to think up cool ideas and bring them to life artistically and technically. The work is diverse and challenging, and there’s always something new to learn because web technology is ever-changing. I love creating things that bring usefulness or enjoyment to people, and web technologies allow me to express who I am. Who I am as a person and what I do for a living is one and the same, so there’s never a fight. I love the Internet. It’s my source of income, news, entertainment, shopping, means of communication…It’s my life. I don’t know how I’d live without it.

How does the JET experience fit in?
When the bubble burst, I decided to apply to JET. Going to Japan was a childhood fantasy, but I never seriously considered living in Japan until then. While on JET, I didn’t do much web development, so I had some catching up to do when I came back.

Weirdest job?
First job after college: eFit.com senior site builder. Duties included morphing overweight users into images of their slimmer selves. I did Al Roker and Queen Latifah.

Last fulltime job:
Aug. 2007 - Creative Director of Paltalk.com (chat software company), where I helped define the look and direction of the software, features, and website.

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Profile #2: SHUN ENDO (Ibaraki-ken, 1998-2001)

• Current line of work: Game Artist/Graphic Designer

• Company: Microsoft Casual Games (online games at msn.com)

• Recent projects:

-Flash Game called “Hop It!” at http://zone.msn.com/en/hopit/default.htm

-Flash Game called “Solitaire In Motion” at http://zone.msn.com/en/solitaireinmotion/default.htm

-Website for a jewelry saleswoman: http://www.stnhills.com

What’s your background and how did you get into this kind of work?
My majors at the University of Washington were oil painting and Japanese language. After school, I went on the JET Program, and during my stay, I solidified my Japanese speaking, reading, and writing. When I got back to Seattle, my friend helped me get a job at Microsoft as a Japanese software tester. I had to test the Japanese version of Microsoft software, checking for language mistakes as well as functional problems. I was terrible at computers, but it forced me to pick it up fast. I got very proficient at computers, and started to learn graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop, Flash, and Illustrator. On the side, I started working little freelance projects mainly for friends, building up an art portfolio. Finally, I had enough of an online portfolio to get a fulltime job at Microsoft doing online games built mainly in Adobe Flash.

What do you like about it? I love my job because I’m drawing and creating all the time. I finally feel like I’m doing something in line with my passion for art.

How does your JET experience tie in, if at all? Well, JET helped me get into computers. The only reason I got the first job at Microsoft as a tester was because of my Japanese language skills. From there, my new computer skills helped me learn all the design software, and that’s how I really got into the field. Also, I love to look at Japanese art and animation for ideas as an artist. JET really helped me to work well in groups, and lastly, it taught me to be humble. You have to be humble in graphic design since people are constantly giving you feedback and criticism. [Editor's note: Shun is also the treasurer and one of the two technology officers for JETAA Pacific Northwest.]

Can we see some of your work?
Here’s my online portfolio of art (www.shunendo.com) and also my band site (www.theliquidnow.com). I designed the websites for both of these.

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Profile #3: ELLIOT YAMASHIRO (Hiroshima-ken, 1994-97)

• Current line of work: Web design

• Company: Fox Interactive Media

• Projects I’ve worked on:

Fox Sports Fantasy College Bowl Pick ’em Product (All visual design)
http://msn.foxsports.com/fantasy/collegefootball/bowlpickem
Fox Sports Fantasy Football Product (All visual design)
http://msn.foxsports.com/fantasy/football/commissioner
ESPN SportsNation’s The Show application (All Flash development)
http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/index
ALT Online (my personal Japan/JET-related blog)
http://altonline.blogspot.com/

What’s your background and how did you get into this kind of work?
After leaving the JET Program, I went to business school, but wasn’t sure it was the direction I wanted to go. I wound up leaving and enrolling myself in a multimedia program. From there, I interned with a design agency and have worked at a number of companies since then (including ESPN and Fox).

What do you like about it?
It’s challenging and I love to conceptualize, design, and produce work that impacts many peoples’ lives.

How does your JET experience tie in, if at all?
One of my ex-JET colleagues planted the seed in my head to go into the creative field.

What did your ex-JET colleague say to you that planted the seed?
I enrolled in the Art Institute of Seattle’s Multimedia Program. I came across it because my ex-JET colleague was actually thinking about doing it (but wound up studying elsewhere). I guess he didn’t really have to “say” anything—so much as just show me the brochure. After leaving B-school, I contemplated what I wanted to do, recalled that particular program, and set off to Seattle.

After returning from Japan, I went to Phoenix for B-school, back to SoCal (where I’m from), off to Seattle, relocated to Connecticut for work, and then back here to L.A.

[Editor's note: Elliot is also one of the two technology officers for JETAA Pacific Northwest.]

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Profile #4: ELIZABETH SHARPE (Aomori-ken, 2000-02)

• Current line of work: writer/web content manager/writing instructor

• Organization: University of Washington/Cascadia Community College

• Recent projects (including anything JET related):

-Example 1: Center for Genomics and Public Health Newsletter: http://depts.washington.edu/cgph/newsletters/Spotlight_Family_History_Day_November.06.pdf
-Example 2: Web content manager/writer: http://depts.washington.edu/cgph
-Example 3: Former JETAA Pacific Northwest Newsletter editor: http://www.pnw.jetalumni.org/?page_id=23

What’s your background and how did you get into this kind of work?
I have a master’s degree in English literature and a good deal of experience in teaching writing. But I first got into this line of work by chance: during my senior year of college, a professor asked me to help him edit and lay out a collection of essays by his students that he was going to get published cheaply in Germany. He suggested doing it in Word. I decided that PageMaker would be better; only, I didn’t know PageMaker. So, I learned it for the project, the book got published, and then I left publishing behind and went to grad school and then to teach overseas. When I got back to the U.S., the first job I got was at the University of Washington as an editor/writer. Since I had access to publishing software in my job, I set out to learn the new version of PageMaker: Adobe InDesign. I practiced by laying out the Pacific Northwest JETAA Newsletter for three years. Then I moved into my current job where I’m the sole writer and need to lay out and design materials.

What do you like about it?
Laying out materials using publishing software allows me to be creative, and to think about how to make a brochure or a newsletter attractive or striking, a design or picture that would interest a reader enough to pick up the newsletter from a rack or glance at it before it’s tossed in the trash. Writing a good story isn’t enough.

How does your JET experience tie in, if at all?
It’s largely because of being involved with JETAA and having the opportunity to be the newsletter editor that I was able to build up a collection of stories and layout/design experience to move into the job I have now. Go JETAA!

Do you see yourself more as a writer or a web design person?
I never thought of myself as a digital media expert. Folks at the college where I teach are starting to do this—incorporate podcasts and wiki into their classes. But honestly, I haven’t done this yet. Although I assigned a paper on privacy, and one of the options was to investigate privacy issues around MySpace and Facebook pages. For my class, I have a companion web site for posting items where I ask students to research electronically, and at my other job at the university, I guess working on a web site and using publishing software may count…I’m a public information specialist—that’s my title anyways. That translates to “writer” for the Web, for a newsletter, and for marketing collateral. Which is why I just say “writer.”

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Profile #5: LEE-SEAN HUANG (Oita-ken, 2003-06)

Lee-Sean Huang, webmaster for JETAA NY, is in the process of applying to New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, a two-year master’s degree program. So in the spirit of the Jetaany 2.0 theme, and in case anyone else is thinking of going this route, we thought it would be interesting to ask Lee-Sean about this unique program as well as what’s involved in the application process.

First, a little background on ITP in its own words:

Founded in 1979 as the first graduate education program in alternative media, ITP has grown into a living community of technologists, theorists, engineers, designers, and artists uniquely dedicated to pushing the boundaries of interactivity in the real and digital worlds. A hands-on approach to experimentation, production and risk-taking make this hi-tech fun house a creative home not only to its 230 students, but also to an extended network of the technology industry’s most daring and prolific practitioners.

Erai deshou!

So Lee-Sean, when is the application deadline, and how far along are you in the process? The deadline is January 8, 2008. I have done a rough draft of my personal statement and updated my CV for the application. I have also requested recommendation letters. I requested transcripts from previous schools ages ago. After I polish up my personal statement I am pretty much done. They don’t require any standardized tests, which is great, because I hate standardized tests. They also have an optional creative portfolio submission. I will probably burn a CD of some songs I produced with my band/production company Hepnova.com and send them over as well. Can’t hurt I guess.

How do you feel about the application process?
Pretty good, I guess. I’m a big procrastinator, so it took me forever to even get started writing my personal statement, which was the hardest part. I’m not sure what my chances are really. My backup plan is to stay at my current day job at Human Rights Watch, which has been really interesting and educational for me. I’m just going to go with the flow and see what happens.

What have you been doing up until now that has led to your interest in this program?
I have always been interested in technology. My parents own a computer company in Arizona, so we had computers around the house since I was really young. I worked a few summers at their company, assembling and testing new PCs. I took some classes in high school and college on computer programming, digital video production, and electronic music production.

Do you know anyone who has done the program or is in it currently? If so, what have they told you?
At my old job at Avaaz.org, our technical team, Paul and Milena Berry of Talacon.com, were alumni of the program. In fact, they actually met on the program and got married. They recommended the program highly and now they own their own technology company. Paul is also the chief tech guy at the Huffington Post now. In addition, the former chief operating officer of Avaaz, Ji Mi Choi, was a former administrator at ITP. She was the one who told me about the program and suggested that I apply given my interests. I went to an open house at ITP where I ran into Tim Szetela, a former classmate of mine from Harvard. We took an electronic music production course together. He was only a few weeks into the semester when I saw him, but he had only good things to say about the program.

What kinds of things do you think you’d like to work on if you get accepted to the program?As an activist and an entrepreneur, I am interested in technology’s capacity to help and empower people, to unlock their creative, social and political potential, and to improve the quality of their lives. I believe that those who have the privilege to harness the great the power of technology also share in the burden to use it responsibly. I am particularly interested in issues of sustainability and green technologies; open source and the free flow of information; and ways to democratize technology in an effort to bridge the digital divide of access to information and technology that separates the haves and the have-nots of the information age. As a musician, I would like learn how to develop new musical instrument interfaces and new ways of generating sound. I hope to be able to use these interfaces for cutting-edge performances and “happenings” that integrate sound and visuals that respond to the physical environment and react to audience inputs in a way that blurs the distinction between the performer and the audience.

Thanks, Lee-Sean. Good luck with the application process, and we’ll check back with you in the spring.

We know there are more JET alums out there with a digital multimedia background. So feel free to post your profiles in the comments section, or e-mail them to newsletter@jetaany.org. It’s helpful to other JET alums and good for networking.