LebGeeks

Xannax

Member

Hello

Hello, I've been reading for a while, but this is my first post, so I might as well quickly present myself:
I am a designer/animator/webdesigner/coder who works as a freelancer with some friends. We have a freelance network we call "yelostudio".
We do a lot of different works, from storyboarding to animation (traditional 2D character animation), displays, stands, corporate design, websites, you name it. If it's creative and interesting, we are willing to work on it. If we don't know how to do it, we will.
We have just begun to work "officially". We have been working for a long time (I landed my first professional jobs when I was around 15, and so have most of the people involved in yelostudio), but now we are officially opening yelostudio, meaning we are registering the name, the website, and so on.
We love and believe in Lebanon, and would not want to move from here even if that mafia that calls itself "government" ends up destroying everything (uuuh...I should point out this is my personal view, not everyone at yelo is convinced there is no hope in our government, but everyone loves Lebanon).
I registered and I am posting here mainly to rant and get info about the state of internet in Lebanon. Our work uses internet heavily and I am yet to find a, not perfect, coz it's impossible, but bearable solution.
Hope you people can help.
And I hope I can help you too.
My skills (I am not advertising for jobs, I do not want jobs propositions, we already have way too many...this is just to offer my help):
- design (layout, websites, objects)
- storytelling (scenarios, storyboards, etc)
- animation (character, 2D, a bit of 3D, flash animation)
- drawing & illustration
- php
- javascript
- actionscript 2  & 3
- a bit of other languages (lua, C++, java, etc)
- fairly techy and geeky (for example I use Linux and have installed ubuntu for my mother and sister and father)
- after effects, premiere, photoshop, in fact I kind of master the whole Adobe suite + some other progz

There is more but those are the most relevant to this website.
Have a nice day!

mir

Member

Re: Hello

Welcome to the forum XannaX !

Congrats on the official launch of your work and hope things go great :) ... and even u didn't mean it as marketing, but do tell when you have some free time on your hand

any works we could look at ?
this is the address no ? http://www.yelostudio.com/  i find it Very Cool hahha ! nice spirit and good drawing skills !

Last edited by mir (May 4 2009)

Xannax

Member

Re: Hello

Yeah this is the address! :)
Thanks for the comment! This drawing is very old though, we've progressed quite a bit since.
You can look at our non-commercial (old school stuff) work on http://www.youtube.com/yelostudio, if you are interested. Please keep in mind while watching them that those were students work. More impressive stuff will be posted on the site, in one year or so (we have to find the time to code it!).
You can also see http://www.orient499.com, and as soon as the websites we are currently working on are live, I'll post them here. We also have other stuff scattered here and there on the web but nothing really important. Many of them are down or unmaintained.
Anyway...Since I am here, and posting...Just thought of something.
I've been looking for talented and dedicated coders for ages in Lebanon, and I finally ended up working with people in Finland and other distant countries because I really couldn't find anyone who knew how to code cleanly.
Am I allowed to post job proposals on this website?

mir

Member

Re: Hello

checking the links u posted.

hope u get to build a solid nice portfolio.. it is important in freelancing :)

I am freelancing too.. but actually was looking to work with someone i can give work to.
I got really frustrated the last couple of time... and somehow shocked... some uni students ... finishing masters degrees in multimedia.. giving me work a 5 years old would do better and arguing about it stating that it is just a matter of "taste" !
Arrrrrrrr !

It is sad that you have to outsource.. knowing the "wad3" in lebanon ! shame !

I know some good dudes tho in web development, here and outside leb and another good graphic designers.
I generally suck

what are the sites you like.. hangout at ... feel are valuable for ressources .... do u read on trends and such ?

any deviant art stuff ? worked with what type of stuff ? wordpress, drupal , code igniter ....
you know.. general blabber

Last edited by mir (May 4 2009)

Xannax

Member

Re: Hello

Basically you are asking me to talk about myself? Hehe...Not used to it. Ok, here's a go at it:
I don't read much on trends, as I hate "trendy" websites. They are trendy today and "so yesterday" tomorrow. I work on my own or with my designer, and I love her work.
But I do read on technologies and keep up to date in order to know all possible security holes and stuff, and also to catch on with the latest/fastest web technologies.
I stumble an awful lot, in fact I must be stumbling around 50 pages a day at least. I also read a lot of different sites and I am subscribed to around 100 blogs which I follow daily, treating of a variety of subject, from code theory to programming news, but also politics, world care, poverty, economics, music, photography, design, online webcomics, etc etc etc.
I am particularly fond of sites with comments, as I am a fan of comments, specially really stupid ones, and I have a feeling that the commenting system will save the earth.
I worked with most CMSs, including wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, PHPNuke, TypeThingCan'tRememberTheName and so many others, but as a whole I hate them. Most of them just slow down my work and I almost always end up tossing them away and re-coding everything from scratch. I trust no code but my own. I have been actively developing my own CMS for a few years and it works not bad, but it is far from ready to be released. I tried a few PHP frameworks, Code Igniter and CakePHP, but I never could wrap my head around them. The only framework I use and I like is jquery, because keeping track of javascript discrepancies in different browsers is hell on earth.
I am also working on several personal neverending projects, because I lack the time to work on them. I even lack the time to advertise for them to get collaborators, and they are enormous very ambitious projects (the CMS is only the tiniest of them) so I don't have much hope of finishing them one day, but one never knows.
I must add that on top of all those coding projects, I also have ongoing projects of comics, novels (in french), video games, movies, animations, series, installations, sculptures, and objects to be mass-produced.
I am always lost when I try to decide where my energy should go...And i end up doing nothing or a little bit of everything, which adds up to nothing anyway.
I have almost no life, working day and night on professional jobs...But I am happy as this is what I have decided to do for the time being.
Ok enough about me, I don't think I've ever said that much...Guess it's easier on a forum.

So? You know good coders? I am always looking for good coders...
There is a real shortage of programmers in this country. I mean...Yeah, you can find the average Charbel who just got out fresh from AUB and knows his "if then" and his variables scope (and that's if you are lucky, most code like they've never coded anything but exercises in their entire lives), but that's not nearly enough.
I don't care about diplomas, grades and all that crap. I need someone who LOVES coding, who considers it an art, who has FUN coding, improving, and learning. I'd rather mit alf marra have someone who doesn't know PHP at all but is eager to learn, spend sleepless night perfecting code, and be proud of creating a new way of reading an XML file than someone who knows all the OReilly books by heart but codes like others do office work...And that I have yet to find.
Never knew anyone in Lebanon who genuinely considers code as an art, who has ideas of software, games, interfaces...Heck, sometimes I sketch databases design for pure fun, exactly like when I sketch drawings!
I am not saying how outside is better. I'm in love with Lebanon and nothing can move me out. But it's a fact: never met someone I'd call a coder here. Well, there was one, but he moved to France.
So if anyone fits that description I'd love to hear about him or her.

samer

Admin

Re: Hello

Hola Xannax!
Welcome aboard :)
I'm glad you took the additional step! (from lurking to getting active)

Never knew anyone in Lebanon who genuinely considers code as an art

*raises hand*

I would love to know more about yelostudio and meeting some of you guys/gals :)
you may post a job opening in the Web and Graphic Design section.

mir

Member

Re: Hello

Basically you are asking me to talk about myself?Hehe...Not used to it.

lool well that is the member intro section...commonly we ask ppl to do that here   
Do you know the line : enough talking about me... you go ahead and talk... what do u think about me ? ( shi heik ), seems you know lot of those

Very intrested projects ! Elaborate on the on going comics part  and what comics u like to read ?
sculpture should be nice ! u do with rocks ? wood ? mud ?

You don't really know lot of coders.. cuz u don't seem to really know lot of ppl  you said it yourself.. spend your day and night working (joking)
regarding the lebanese ppl.. i think in every computer class of 30 you find at least 1 or 2 real enthusiasts
that makes a really good nbre over  the years
Some ppl i know are top rated worldwide... scary good !

I agree regarding the fast learner and someone who just knows theory and sticks by it, and never explored something else than what is 60 years old teacher told him ( which was obsolete by the time he learned it )

i will shush it and no more questions ... i seem almost about to ask you what is your fav. meal and tv show
so again, welcome... nice having you here !

Kareem

Member

Re: Hello

If you want the truth, I adore coding.. I used to be at the top of the list when it comes to grades... but too bad I switched from C.S to C.C.E ... As you know when it comes to money, computer and communication engineers get better job opportunities and salaries, a myth maybe? but this is how it is working.. It is all about your degree when it comes to $$$...

rolf

Member

Re: Hello

great drawing

xterm

Moderator

Re: Hello

Good coders are found through words of mouth.

mir

Member

Re: Hello

lol yeah Xannax
someday you will have to live with the cruel truth that there is at least one other lost soul in lebanon who is actually good  *shock* <dramatic tone> you  <silence>... are not the only one  ! </dramatic tone> --joking

Xannax

Member

Re: Hello

Hehehe thanks all for the replies.
@mir: I  am not that good; in fact, I am a bad coder; I never learned, never read a book, never took a course, I lack a lot of theory. For example, I still have no clear idea about what a bitwise operator does ( I mean I *know* since I use them, but I don't REALLY know). But the only thing is, I do not settle for something that just "works". It happened several times to spend weeks on a project, finish it up to 90%, discover that there was a better way to do it and re-code everything from scratch in the last few days.
But yeah, it's true I don't know a lot of people, but no, scratch that. :) I don't want to give the idea I am a geek with no friends who sits in front of his computer all day. Although it IS true to a certain extent, I still get out each time I can, I do sports at the gym or at home, I run every day, and I always have one or two friends visiting at any given time of the day or night. But most people I know are from the arts/design/advertising fields and consider code as something really complex and frightening.
And lastly about the comics, well, just anything. I read a lot of mangas (I prefer underground mangas, but you can't find them here or even in France so I download most of them), a lot of american comics (Preacher is great, Sandman is cool, but also regular stupid comics like Spiderman and Batman. Oops, almost forgot about Frank Miller's stuff), a lot of french comics (everything by "l'Association", Johan Sfarr, Baudouin, etc). And some other stuff too. In fact I just read everything I can, from medication papers to corn flakes boxes, and all sorts of books, novels, scientific papers, historic books etc.
@rolf: thanks
@kareem: doesn't really matter, if you love coding, you love coding...As I said before, I never opened a book in my entire life. All I know is from the net: forums, people, tutorials, and experience.
@samer: good to hear! After reading your post in fact I went to your site and saw your work. Nice & clean work! I particularly like lebgeeks.
More about yelostudio: it began as a joke (two young stupid boys having fun and playing as if they have a big company) and then it got serious. Now we really have no time to breath and we actually drown under the amount of work we have. We still have no business cards, no website, and we are always refusing jobs. Our motto is to always do the best job possible. And we try as much as we can to work as friends, a.k.a. no employees, only collaborators (although it doesn't always work that way, some people need to be told what to do, and some projects require employees). It's not only a matter of having a more human relationship with the people I work with; I don't believe in the boss/employee hierarchy, I think it doesn't lead to good work. That's why it is so hard to find people to work with; it's not enough that they are good, we need to understand each other on a personal level, and the whole core of yelo has to agree to accept them, so it takes time. We also are completely open and transparent about everything that goes on inside, specially regarding the money (where the problems come from), for the people we work with as well as for our clients. We believe in honesty and fair trade, and we also work on free projects from time to time, when the projects are really interesting. We do a lot of different jobs, from organizing festivals to TV ads, from websites to DVD interfaces, storyboards, workshops, etc.
In fact, when people ask what is yelostudio we tell them "an animation studio" because if we tell them what yelostudio really is, they get lost, but what yelostudio really is, is a "creative studio". You have an idea (theater play, comic book scenario, exposition, ad campaign, whatever) and a budget, but you do not know what to do next. Come see us. We take in charge the whole project, and fill all the gaps, from ideas to production, distribution if needed, etc. We like to diversify and never work on the same stuff. We also do photoshoots, events planning, illustration for children and grown-ups, etc etc etc.
To be frank, the only two things we never did until now:
1) video games: we need at least one coder besides me to do that
2) music: I have yet to find a good musician
3) sound design: we do it but we are not great at it
I genuinely think we have handled every other type of project since we began working. There is a core of 4-5 persons working fulltime for or at yelostudio (some of them are in Lebanon), and sometimes the team gets as big as 30 persons, depending on the scope of the projects we are handling. Me and my collaborator mainly do management lately, we do not have time to get involved on a personal/creative level. Kind of miss that so we are thinking of taking less jobs at a higher price.
The basic idea of yelostudio is to have fun, and maybe the money will come in, eventually. Lately it has began, so I think we are on the good track.
As I said, always looking for good coders, so yeah, we should definitely meet. Drop me a line at jad%yelostudio%com. All our coding needs are covered for the time being, but new projects are always pouring in.
So, where are you guys located? You know each other in person or not?

samer

Admin

Re: Hello

So, where are you guys located? You know each other in person or not?

We have organized LebGeeks meetings twice so some of us know one another in real life. I recently met Darkstar "by accident" at the Beirut Media City open discussion, which was a funny encounter :)

xterm

Moderator

Re: Hello

So, where are you guys located? You know each other in person or not?

We have organized LebGeeks meetings twice so some of us know one another in real life. I recently met Darkstar "by accident" at the Beirut Media City open discussion, which was a funny encounter :)

Darkstar is a very nice guy.