Pachinko by Jerry Liu
Pachinko
Bio
I am a US based director, designer/illustrator, and animator specialising in motion graphics for TV, film, games, and tech. Over the past 20+ years my work has been recognized and screened by The Art Director’s Club, won BDA Awards, and has been featured by notable entertainment, pop culture, and art & design publications such as Kotaku, Gizmodo, Hypebeast, Motionographer, and Cartoon Brew.
About the Work
I primarily work with design and animation tools such as Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, and Rive - to create digital art, motion graphics, and interactive experiences. I enjoy both minimal and maximal compositions. I also love to get lost in the details, whether if it's working with complex design grids, iterating micro animations, tweaking secondary motion, and everything in between. More often than not, my work starts with a fleshed out concept (written, thumbnail sketches) before diving into digital tools, but I also very much love just diving in and experimenting with no predetermined direction. It's really all about enjoying the process!
About This Piece
My CryptoCubes piece "Pachinko" is a semi-abstraction and exploration of a handful of things I loved as a kid (and still love) such as arcades and pinball machines. There are also subtle nods to classic games such as Marble Madness and Solstice, as well inspiration taken from the sounds of Pachinko parlours in Tokyo. Although this is a 3D piece visually, it was created entirely in a 2D animation tool (After Effects) since I do not know how to use any 3D software.
Future
NFTs and Web3 provided me with an opportunity to earn income while doing something I love - which is creating digital art and developing my own IP. Although I am not sure how sustainable it is for smaller independent artists like myself to pursue as a full-time endeavour, I consider myself quite fortunate to have been in the space rather "early" and to have learned the lessons I have learned, experienced what I have experienced, and most of all met all the wonderfully talented and supportive artist and collectors I may have otherwise not have met if it wasn't for the Web3 art community. I think the future will be bright as the focus shifts more to art and enjoyable experiences vs. novelty tech or the finance side of things - and I think this will also help with adoption and acceptance from those who might be hesitant to explore the space in its current state.
