About Liz Murphy Thomas

Liz Murphy Thomas is a Professor of Digital Media at FSCJ. She holds a BFA in Photography from the University of Florida and was awarded an MFA in Photography and Digital Imaging from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. Her photographic and video artwork examines issues of identity, memories and the associations we give to places and possessions.

Featured Student: Jean Gustave

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Liz Murphy Thomas

Jean_Gustave

What’s your full name:

Jean Edouard Gustave

Where are you from originally? What’s your Origin Story?

I’m from Jacmel, a stunning small city situated in the southeast of Haiti. It is a very arty city. I was born and raised there until I was 21, then moved to the U.S. Sometimes, I also feel like I’m from Jacksonville too because I’ve been here forever and it feels like home to me. This city has seen me becoming the person I am today.

Why are you pursuing a degree in Digital Media?

Actually, I don’t know. All I can say is “creativity.” It’s really hard to define why one goes to art school.

Who inspires you the most and why?

Malika Favre. She is a minimalist artist.

I like arts that are simple for the eyes but very complicated to create.

What do you do off campus?

Well, off campus I do lot. I used to be an Art Director; I recently resigned so I can design a better future for myself. Right now, I’m just freelancing and trying to launch a company this year. I’m a published author with 3 books in my repertoire and more to come this year. I do a lot of music videos and short films. I’m, in sort, an illustrator as well. In general, I’m a digital artist so I do everything related to digital media when I’m not at school.

What work are you most proud of?

It’s hard for me to like my works. I’m very hard on myself when it comes to my crafts.

I’m very proud of what I’m about to create next.

Interesting facts about you:

I have too many skills and it’s very hard for me to be selective. It’s like a super hero with too many powers. Sometimes in a battlefield, it’s hard to select which power to use. At the end of the day, God made me like this. I have to make Him proud of me. Besides, I’m still trying to justify and label myself.

Favorite Book / Movie / Series / Video Game / Comic?

My favorite book is one I’m writing now entitled “Letters from Mars.” It’s pretty much a book of myself exchanging letters with my-other-self living on planet Mars. More like a novel.

I watch any type of movies. It doesn’t matter to me as long as the techniques are well applied. Sometimes, I can be careless about the stories.

I enjoy watching House Of Cards a lot, a Netflix series. It’s the only show I seriously enjoy watching.

I play Grand Theft Auto V and FIFA. Now, I have the FIFA 16. It’s hard for me to know if I’m a real gamer because I only play 2 games an that’s it. Maybe I’m just a fan.

I don’t read comic. I think it’s a cultural thing.

What are your future goals and aspirations?

I just want to travel to speak at summits, make movies, create art, start businesses, become a professor and write books. How fun life would be? Right!?

One thing you wish you could share with others is…

Be persistent until you make everything possible. You have to open your own door. If you let others open doors for you, they might let you through the wrong ones.

You can learn more about Jean and see some of his work at his professional website www.jeanegustave.com

Our featured students are student-selected. Once a student has been featured, they nominate the next student to be profiled. Come back next month to see who’s been picked!
Have any questions? Please contact Professor Liz Murphy Thomas at Liz.Thomas@fscj.edu

Featured Student: Brandon Harden

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Liz Murphy Thomas

Where are you from originally? What’s your Origin Story?

A one-horse town in Texas called Brownsville. Not much there growing up aside from the border, which was pretty fun. I moved to Jacksonville when I graduated high school in 2002. I had family here and Jacksonville had a lot going on compared to my town.

Why are you pursuing a degree in Digital Media?

I have a strong passion for creating.

Who inspires you the most and why?

People say friends come and go but family is forever, which don’t get me wrong I have a great family) but the answer would be my friends. Not just your general group of friends but that core group of like to or so. Surrounding my self with an array of similar or even different people/opinions/thoughts and each of us pushing each other has made me the person I am today.

What do you do off campus?

Graphic Design for a small print business that also produces CD’s local and nationally, beers with the pals, as much as I can with my DSLR, go to shows (mainly in Atlanta/Orlando) and as of recently hanging with my daughter. She’s pretty dang cute and only 3 weeks old.

What work are you most proud of?

My Graphic Design. I’ve been really into manipulating photos using my own textures as of lately. Which is kind of weird because I originally could of cared less about graphic design. I originally enrolled with strict interest in video.

Interesting facts about you:

I paid to get my family ancestry info recently and found out I am related to Marc Bolan (of T-Rex). I thought that was pretty sweet but to be honest I paid some dude $5 at a Brothel in London and he only “researched” it for like 5 minutes before he came back with the info.

Favorite Book / Movie / Series / Video Game / Comic?

None of these will be my favorites. Lets just say I’ll assume someone might read this so I’ll try and put a bug in your ear and give you something underrated and interesting. It’s been a few years since I’ve read anything. Last good book I read was probably Filth. I can watch Barton Fink a million times and never get bored. Transparent was a great show. Eh… Mario Kart? For the SNES? I don’t know, Rock Band can be fun with a ton of people though. Eh, yet another one… Let’s go with Spy vs Spy.

What are your future goals and aspirations?

Everything is completely different when you have a wee one. Money is obviously helpful but all I care about now is ensuring she grows up happy and healthy. A few hundred or thousand pieces hanging in on walls wouldn’t be too bad either.

Featured Student: Erik Slader

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Liz Murphy Thomas

Erik_Slader

Where are you from originally? What’s your Origin Story?

I was born in San Fran, grew up in Vegas, (even lived in Texas for a bit), and then somehow ended up out here in Jacksonville…

Why are you pursuing a degree in Digital Media?

I’ve always been a creative person… I’ve also been addicted to computers since as long as I can remember. For instance, I used to draw video game and comic book characters on my homework and would often make stop action movies instead of doing said homework.

Throughout high school whenever I would be forced to move away from all my friends, I’d cope by losing myself in writing – world building entire sagas from the ground up. It soon became clear though that writing wasn’t necessarily a valid career path. When I first started college back in ’06 I knew there were things I’d like to accomplish in life, and that I needed a college degree to accomplish those goals. Problem was figuring out which degree would be the best stepping stone.

As I worked towards my AA I went through several different majors. Then, the year I completed my Associate degree, I met Dr. Troy Johnson. He informed me that FCCJ was becoming FSCJ – a four year institution and that one of the degrees offered was Digital Media.

This degree seemed way more attuned to my interests than whatever else I was considering at the time (communications?), so I decided to pursue it, even if it meant taking another couple extra years of pre-reqs…

Who inspires you the most and why?

This one doesn’t have an easy answer, because I could list off a thousand people and still think of more. So I’ll try and make this quick: Ridley Scott, Chris Hardwick, John Lasseter, Jim Lee, J.K. Rowling, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

That said, I’m constantly inspired by all the professors and students in this program alike!

What do you do off campus?

Currently I’m a Barista at Starbucks to pay the bills. I’m also a history blogger on my site, “Epik Fails of History” (EpikFails.com), and I write comic book reviews and online content for the local comic book shops (Super Hero Beach and Super Hero Hive) @ SuperHeroBeach.com – I also help out at the store on occasion as well as events like Free Comic Book Day. I was recently on the Short Box podcast and have been working on a few articles for Movement Magazine, including a recent interview with James O’Barr, the creator of “The Crow”.

If that’s not enough, I also volunteer at the Buckman Bridge Unitarian Universalist Church (BBUUC) in Orange Park on occasion, where I run the sound system / projector for services and events.

I live with my wonderful and supportive wife, Danielle, our two feline roommates (Buffy and Willow), and our adorable dog Chewy.

What work are you most proud of?

I’m usually a pretty harsh critic on myself, but I’d have to say my 3D animation and modeling work: The Kraken creature model, my Bowser’s Castle design, and my Star Trek sequence especially turned out way better than I ever expected – All of which took many moons to complete and I may still end up updating them further at some point.

3D programs like Maya, Mudbox, and 3DS Max are REALLY daunting at first, but if you have patience, trust yourself, and don’t give up, the possibilities are endless. I LOVE the creative freedom that comes with 3D design.

Interesting facts about you:

• I love techno and video game music.

• I used to be very in shape, as a martial artist with a second degree black belt in Japanese Shotokan / Tae Kwon Do and even competed in tournaments. (I then broke my hand, had to have surgery, and have since put on a few pounds)

• I didn’t actually know much about history until I was inspired by college level humanities courses to dig deeper, eventually prompting my inspiration to write and research an ongoing blog / book about just how ridiculous it all is.

• I was working at both Blockbuster AND Borders when BOTH companies went bankrupt at the same time.

Favorite Book / Movie / Series / Video Game / Comic?

• Books: Michael Crichton’s “Jurassic Park”, Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One”, and Ben Thompson’s “Badass”

• Movies: “Back to the Future”, “V For Vendetta”, J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” (2009), Edgar Wright’s “Scott Pilgrim vs the World”, and Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen”

• Series: “Cowboy Bebop”, “Vikings”, “The Flash”, “Comic Book Men”, “Battlestar Galactica” (2004-2009), “Game of Thrones”, “Cosmos”, etc…

• Video Games: Super Mario Bros 3 (NES), Donkey Kong Country (SNES), Sonic 2 (Genesis), The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64), Mrs. Pacman, Mortal Kombat, Batman: Arkham Asylum, FEZ, etc…

• Comics: Grant Morrison’s “All Star Superman”, Scott Snyder’s “Batman”, Jason Aaron’s “Thor: God of Thunder”, Robert Kirkman’s “Invincible”, and Brian Azzarello’s “Wonder Woman”

What are your future goals and aspirations?

Land a job that allows me to use my skills creatively within the Digital Media field.
Make enough money to support my family and one day be able to put my kids through college.
~~Become a published author.~~
Collaborate on a comic book series.
Write a feature-length screenplay.
Create a video game.

One thing you wish you could share with others is…

Believe in yourself, knowledge is power, the key to the future is learning the mistakes of the past, and question everything. (I know that’s technically like 4 things, but whatever)

You can learn more about Erik and see some of his work at his professional website erik-slader.squarespace.com

Featured student: Daniel Partenie

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Liz Murphy Thomas

Where are you from originally? What’s your Origin Story?

I was born and raised in Israel however, my family is originally European-American. My mom has been a traveler all her life and fortunately I have had many opportunities to visit a few countries. I’ve had the chance to learn about and experience diverse cultures and lifestyles. When I was young, I would watch my father (a professional artist) draw Disney characters for me every day. Since then on, I’ve known my passion was art. I’m a geek by nature and I love technology, so it was no question when I decided to pursue both art and technology as a career.

Why are you pursuing a degree in Digital Media?

I’m pursuing a degree in this field because it provides my two most favorite hobbies, art and technology. I love the ability to attain multiple skills under my belt and gain as much knowledge about all the incredible 2D and 3D programs we use today.

Who inspires you the most and why?

I look up the most to the great minds of the past; Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo just to name a few. I couldn’t imagine a world without these founding fathers, they created amazing and marvelous relics we still use today. Lastly, my amazing family and friends who support me every day and believe in me.

What do you do off campus?

When I’m not working my other jobs, I dedicate all my energy to side projects and improving my craft by watching professional videos, reading books, and taking notes. The way I see it is this; if I don’t learn something new every day then I’m losing time and time is very precious to me.

What work are you most proud of?

This is hard question to answer because as I’m still experimenting and growing as a digital artist. I still feel like I’m not quite there to accept a medal of honor. However, I am proud of myself for growing each day and learning new things in this program.

Interesting facts about you:

I believe in the power of positivity. I always strive to look at events in life with a positive outlook. I credit this way of thinking to my success in life thus far. Sometimes we can get in our own way in life and I think once we change our mindset we can achieve greatness.

Favorite Book / Movie / Series / Video Game / Comic?

Book – The Future of the Mind

Movie – Star Wars

Series – Xena: Princess Warrior

Video Game: Age of Empire

Comic: Assassin’s Creed

What are your future goals and aspirations?

I have many goals and aspirations for what lies ahead. My most important goals are that I would love to work in the video game industry, Pixar, or Disney – whichever comes first. I also want to be able to share my skills and knowledge with other teammates and lead my own team one day!

One thing you wish you could share with others is…

Practice, practice, practice, those words never get old. Practice truly does indeed make perfect. Don’t ever try to be better than others, instead; compete with yourself. You should define your own standards to hold yourself to. You’ll be much happier when you’ve reached your own unique definition of success.

You can learn more about Daniel and see some of his work at his professional website danielpartenie.daportfolio.com

Featured student: Corry Britton

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Liz Murphy Thomas

Where are you from originally? What’s your Origin Story?

Born and raised on the north side of Jacksonville. I was in the Army for 7 years and studied business administration for 2 years at Georgia Military College before returning to Jacksonville. I discovered my passion for video editing while making random YouTube stop motion animations, so after researching local schools and programs, I decided to switch majors and pursue the digital media field at FSCJ… well FCCJ at the time.

Why are you pursuing a degree in Digital Media?

My pursuit of the degree is for a sense of self-accomplishment. It is a goal I set for myself and have had an amazing time while achieving it. I also sought to receive formal training in the fundamentals and structure of photography, videography, and design.

Who inspires you the most and why?

A very good question and one that is not easy to answer. I actually took quite some time to think of that one person, but I came to the realization that there was no single person that inspires me. The truth is that I’ve always been inspired by all those I come in contact with. From fellow students that I compare projects with to improve my craft, professors that provide constructive criticism to improve my designs, other artists and designers that I always use as a measuring stick to determine where my level of skill stands in comparison, and finally the random friends, family, and clients I’ve helped with all sorts of projects. I guess collectively they have all inspired me to be better and more creative with all of my designs. To continue to push myself to learn more of the programs and techniques I’m familiar with along with new ones that may improve my process.

What do you do off campus?

Write, game, freelance, animate, design, photograph, film, as well as collaborate with like-minded individuals with a common goal in sight.

What work are you most proud of?

That would definitely have to be my animations. The channel’s fan base grew quite large before I stepped away to focus more on local projects and life in general.

Interesting facts about you:

During my random life adventures, I’ve traveled to the Philippines, South Korea, Toronto, Malaysia, Dallas, San Diego, Los Angeles, Pasadena, all over Florida and Georgia, and spent an unexpected night in New York since LaGuardia decided to cancel my flight home at 9pm that one time.

I have an action figure collection that I started in ‘07 that has grown over 300 strong. It is comprised of 95% Transformers, but also includes Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Gundam, and random figures from various shows/games made by Figma and Figuarts.

Favorite Book / Movie / Series / Video Game / Comic?

Now that is a really long list, but I’ll try to keep it short and recent:

The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Age, and Smite. Any Christopher Nolan film, Marvel, and DC. I’m just a sucker for giant robots and superheroes. I’m a fan of Transformers films for what they are and what they were meant to be, although, the films pale in comparison to the character development and story lines in their numerous animated series.

I don’t watch a lot of television due to Netflix, YouTube, Twitch.tv, and DVR’s.

What are your future goals and aspirations?

Seems to be quite common, but my goal is to become a film director and writer. When I was a kid I found it hard to focus because everyday life just seemed boring compared to the worlds I saw on television. I’m an 80’s baby, so I grew up on Transformers, Thundercats, Silverhawks, MASK, G.I. Joe, Voltron, the list goes on, but going to school, doing homework all seemed so mundane when I could be off saving the universe in a giant transforming lion (oddly enough, the original Voltron cartoon narrator is Peter Cullen, legendary voice of Optimus Prime). Anyway, I would often drift off into these faraway lands and imagine I was there in the fray, battling alongside the heroes to foil the bad guys’ plans and save the day. As I got older I began to create my own worlds and one day I realized that I was pretty good at it and kept at it.

One thing you wish you could share with others is…

Definitely would be my most successful animation, “Arcee in Wonderland”. It has reached over 5 million views and averages 50k a week, according to YT analytics for whatever that’s worth.

Congrats to our students for making it into the 2015 Student Annual!

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Liz Murphy Thomas

The Last Rose by Craig Young received a Norman Will Memorial Purchase award

The 2015 Student Annual juried exhibition runs April 14th through April 28th in the Wilson Center art gallery and many of our digital media students had work selected for the show. Additionally, several Digital Media students received recognition and purchase awards which were presented during the awards ceremony and reception held on April 14th.

The following students had work selected for the exhibition:

Kenneth Bibiloni
Danielle Dressell
Angelina Grimes
Sandra Harrell
Haley Hustus – 2nd place Award of Excellence in Digital Media / 1st place Award of Excellence in Ceramics
Emily Largent
Victoria Medders
Nicole Radacz
Ryan Scarborough
Wendy Tavarez – Norman Will Purchase Award winner
Gerald Teano – 3rd place Award of Excellence in Digital Media / URC Purchase Award winner
Katherine Westbury
Matthew Winship – Purchase Award winner
Craig Young – Norman Will Purchase Award winner

Let’s congratulate our talented students!

Featured student: Danielle Dressell

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Liz Murphy Thomas

Where are you from originally? What’s your Origin Story?

I was born in Atlantic City New Jersey. My family moved to Jacksonville Beach when I was 4 years young and I have been a resident of the beaches ever since.

Why are you pursuing a degree in Digital Media?

I have always had a creative side, as well as an intellectual side, to myself. I spent most of my 20’s shooting film based photography and video as a hobby. In my mid twenties I decided to go toward my Pre-Law degree at FSCJ. I nearly made it all the way until I had a severe car accident that would take 4 years of rehabilitation. After that, I decided that I wanted to follow a career that would ignite my passion, creativity and stimulate me intellectually. It took only two classes upon my return to FSCJ in 2011 to make the switch from Pre-Law to Digital Media. I am so glad that everything happened the way that it did. I’d be an attorney right now. Ha.

Who inspires you the most and why?

In a design sense it would be David Carson. The man is phenomenal. Out of the box, on his terms, incredible. In a Film sense it would have to be Woody Allen and Jim Jarmusch, to name the top two. When I did my first film, Professor Govoni introduced me to Maya Deren as a result of my work. She is pretty unique as well and I could immediately see some of her bold subtleties in my own works.

What do you do off campus?

I live near the beaches so I go for walks on the beach all of the time. It is quite meditative and very relaxing. I love spontaneous road trips with friends. I also have a dog, I call him Moo, and we go to Tide Views Preserve in Atlantic Beach a lot. My InstaGram is filled with pictures from there.

What work are you most proud of?

My films. It is amazing to have an idea/concept/story and watch it come to life through storyboarding, live filming, editing and those who portray the characters within. There is nothing else quite like it.

Interesting facts about you:

I write poetry, and lots of it. I have a few collections, which I was unaware of becoming a collector of; sunglasses, old keys, and hats. I danced for 15 years at Polly B Dance Academy and competed on the Talent America Show Team for 3 of those years. I was also a choreographer of a few pieces that were performed by my fellow teammates.

Favorite Book / Movie / Series / Video Game / Comic?

“Peaky Blinders” the series was/is an amazing cinematic experience. “The Cell” is such a very well acted/choreographed movie; it is nearly impossible to not be included as a ‘must see’. “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” will give you the utmost vivid dreams you ever believed possible. “Basquiat” was a truly great documentary; as well as “Pollock”. Just to name a few. I am a huge fan of documentaries. Anything by Woody Allen, Jim Jarmusch, Tim Burton, Quentin Tarantino.

It is difficult to choose a book out of the many that I have. I am not drawn to a specific genre when it comes to books; with the exception that I typically read that which is non-fiction and intriguing. I believe that people should read what they are drawn to and something that inspires them in some way. Patty Smith wrote a book called, “Just Kids”. I highly recommend it.

Videogames, I wish I had the time. Lol

Comics, I love the concepts, storytelling and illustrations, within comic books. Though, I’m not a follower/reader per say.

What are your future goals and aspirations?

I would like to continue my education as long as I can. I believe it is a necessity to never stop learning/seeking/searching for things in life that inspire you; whether it be school or road trips, learning or remembering, friends or experiences. I want to inspire others. I want to create art that is uniquely mine and have it mean something, anything really. My utmost goal for the future, in a career sense, is to be the Creative Director for a magazine, film, or marketing company. I try not to worry too much about what will come. It will come. When it does, I’m here. I’m ready.

One thing you wish you could share with others is…

No matter where you find yourself in this life, it is never too late to find yourself. Grow. Love. Transform. Believe and Dare to inspire!

You can see some of Danielle’s work on her website

danid-artcreative.com

Featured student: Daniel Ciccarello

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Liz Murphy Thomas

Where are you from originally? What’s your Origin Story?

I’m born and raised in Jacksonville. I wouldn’t mind a change in scenery.

Why are you pursuing a degree in Digital Media?

So I can trick people into giving me money to do something I really enjoy

Who inspires you the most and why?

It’s not a person per say, its everyone making art. Anyone who knows how to do something I don’t understand yet inspires me. We are lucky (in digital media) the odds of us learning everything about a program or technique is incredibly low. Every day is a new opportunity to try something new and figure out a new trick.

What do you do off campus?

I recently got the year pass to Universal and have been going down there on weekends with my girlfriend. I also play video games and work on class projects because that’s what we do in digital media.

What work are you most proud of?

Pride is a weird thing for me. The second I complete something or turn it in, I hate it. Not because it’s bad or unworthy of praise, I just pick apart all the mistakes I made that most people will never notice. So I really don’t have a good answer for this one.

Interesting facts about you:

I collect spores, molds, and fungus.

Favorite Book / Movie / Series / Video Game / Comic?

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy / Way too many to name / Venture Brothers / Valve Games / I kind of fell out of love with comics a few years back

What are your future goals and aspirations?

To finish my degree and get a job, probably in advertising.

One thing you wish you could share with others is…

Share what you know with people. If you see an opportunity to help someone, go for it. We didn’t get to where we are today without someone helping us.

Click here to see Daniel’s work:

danielciccarello.com