Sonny H. Chhen

2009-07-08T09:57:00.001-07:00

Since I'm spending more time on my Twitter than my actual blog, I've decided to just run a feed from my tweets to my blog. I'll still post when I get the chance, but as you all know, I'm busy, busy, busy.

Moblin OS

2009-05-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

New os demo from intel for netbooks. Even if it doesn't catch on, it's still a nice demo vid.

Ohhhh transformers geekdism

2009-05-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

I want one! But only 2 gigs? Not sure if it's worth it but it goes along great with the mp3 player.

Mother's day gaming gift

2009-05-10T03:57:00.000-07:00

Warning! Sales Content!

For the cool hipster mom that plays casual PC games. You can get up to 50% off for mom on such classic games as Pac-Man and Dig Dug. Not to mention discounts on cool new games like Everything's Nice and Star Trigon.

Check the games and get coupon codes here! Because you don't want to be an ungrateful child(plus I designed the site's skin ;P)

Reflection

2009-05-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Lauren Moran

Prezi. Cool new presentation tool.

2009-04-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Just found out about this new presentation software that allows you to map out ideas and then zoom in and out of each point. No slides needed. Pretty cool concept in terms of presenting an idea in relation to the bigger picture. Plus it's just a really cool effect. Video and link below.

Prezi.com

The ugly truth of fast food advertising

2009-04-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

I'm originally an advertising major, so when I see good advertisements of interesting articles on advertising I tend to take notice. Lifehacker had a good piece via the West Virginia Surf Report about the advertising images of fast food. Basically a what you, and what you really get piece. Click on the images for the ugly, yet somewhat tasty truth.

Work it out

2009-04-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

I testify that after 3 reps, it HURTS!!! But the results are fabulous!

On Twitter

2009-04-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

Finally made the jump and am now on twitter. Check it out here.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Couldn't get to a computer yesterday to post so Happy BE-LATED Easter!

The Future, according to Microsoft

2009-03-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

I LOVE good ui design. And since the the movie "Minority Report" the idea of touchscreen everything has been slowly becoming a reality. Now Microsoft has pushed it along a little further with their vision of the future. I absolutely love many of the concepts and only wish I had the budget to pull something like this off. Oh well back to my 99¢ green screen.

UPDATE:
For those of you interested in mimicking the desktop you see in the video, you can actually download the design and customize your own desktop using the download found here.

Special thanks to painkilla05

Fun in SF

2009-03-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

One of the benefits of being unemployed is having time to do things you normally wouldn't get the chance to. So with that in mind, had a great time in San Francisco this week, enjoying the sunshine and random shopping(Bruce Lee Urban Outfitters shirt on sale, Waaachaaaa!) With little to no crowds around.

Anyways, had fun with wifey and a friend and had a great lunch at the 50's retro Lori's diner. And you know, retro is besto for me(bad joke). Nothing can be finer than eating at a diner(gotta stop with these bad rhymes) ;P

Current Inspiration

2009-03-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Currently listening to and inspired by:

Darkstalkers tribute, Concept-to-Completion

2009-03-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

So I entered a piece into the "Darkstalkers Tribute Book" but unfortunately did not get in. So here is another entry into my concept-to-completion series. For those of you who don't know, Darkstalkers is a capcom fighting video game based off the idea of monsters and other baddies(think Street Fighter meets monster mash). Below is my interpretation of the rocker zombie Lord Raptor, chasing after the werewolf John Talbin, after having his foot bitten off. A nice bit of off-piece humor. Total creation time for concept, sketching, inking, and coloring: 3 HOURS.

On to the next competition.

Wireframes

2009-03-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

Below you an see the wireframe layouts I made before beginning work on the corresponding websites. I'll upload some side-by-side comparisons when I get the chance. As you can see though, the initial designs may not always translate to the final product(especially when the client has changes). All part of the design process really.

Epicera Consulting

Daisuke Photography

Coconut Grove

Evolution of SChhen.com

2009-03-10T15:24:00.001-07:00

So I'm cleaning out a bunch of files from my old hard drive(a good habit to get into) and I came across a lot of old work files of my website. Now I feel it is always good to go back to see how far you've come in your work. A good way to measure yourself as an artist and designer. Looking back now I notice a lot of things that I could have done better, and a few things that still stick with me to this day. So below is a comparison of my SChhen.com website throughout the years. Or better yet, the "Evolution of SChhen.com."

Concept-to-completion 2

2009-02-24T20:13:00.000-08:00

Another addition to my concept-to-completion series. This one is a potential shirt design I made for Zong mobile payments. To the left you can see the initial design sketch, and to the right was the completed outcome. As you can see, the text in the number pad changed drastically. This was because I wasn't comfortable with the sizing during the production process.

Concept-to-completion 1

2009-02-19T22:50:00.000-08:00

Working on a new set of art to show my concept to completion. The Ryu and Spider-man comparison was a small taste. Below you can see the original sketch work I did for a corporate holiday card compared to the final product.

Shoryuken! New artwork

2009-02-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

Street Fighter 4 is out today! And as anyone knows I am a HUGE Street Fighter fan. Now I've been working on an entrant into a "redesigned" Street Fighter art contest, but didn't like what I came up with(doesn't seem to meet the criteria in my book). So I've decided to share it all with you.

Below you will see the two colored versions I came up with for the contest. The idea is that Ryu is embracing the light of the martial arts(thus explains the Japanese kanji for "Light" on his back). For the first version I wanted to play with light warm colors, whereas the second was more of a "light in the darkness" idea. While I won't be using these pieces, they were a good excercise in coloring in photoshop.

Just for kicks I also included my reference for the pose in comparison to the fully inked drawing. That's right, my 12" 256 points of articulation Spider-man was my model. Hope you all enjoy and I'll post my final entrant as soon as I can.

Spiderman, spiderman does whatever a spide — Whoa is that a tattoo?!?!

2009-02-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

Ok so I was a huge comic book geek growing up; they're how I learned how to draw. I mean really, what else are you going to get a 10 year-old-kid to do working in a donut shop all day? Anyways, my favorite superhero growing up(and still to this day) is Spider-man. While I don't follow the comics so much now, I still have an appreciation for good comic art and their artist. Another fave of mine is good tattoo artwork(I love Miami Ink). With that in mind I was blown away when I saw the tattoo below. Now that is Spidey love.

New Work

2009-02-16T20:27:00.001-08:00

New work up and posted. See below.

Mail it logo

Epicera Consulting website v2.0

Daisuke Photgraphy website

Blizzard Mobile website

She kissed a girl and she liked it

2009-02-15T01:01:00.000-08:00

I was able to finally get some time out and go to the Katy Perry concert at the Fillmore last week. And it was AWESOME! While she was a little quirky, as can be expected from a woman in a leopard cat suit. Yes. A-leopard-CAT-suit! And I didn't enjoy being elbowed by screaming emo-goth chicks in, I really did have fun.

While the Fillmore isn't a large venue, being less than 20 feet away was a treat. Katy performed with a lot of energy, sang every song on her album, and had cute stories to go along with specific tracks. Another plus for me is her kick for that vintage 50's style which we all know I love so much. This was shown in her taste of wardrobe(ok so she only wore the cat suit for 2 songs and had a vintage plaid top for most of the show, but c'mon).

Overall it was a good concert and a lot of fun was had by all(plus it was my wife's cousin's first concert ever!) Hope I find enough time to do another show again. Now back to my CS4 world. Getting ready to bring the heat!

As always, be good and see you next post.

The Re-up

2009-02-15T00:57:00.000-08:00

Hard at work at my SChhen.com website. Version 5.5 has come and pass and now I'm at version 6 already(with elements of 5.5 in the work section). Going for a complete overhaul from logo, favicon, and even coding. Not ready to unleash the beast yet but I implore you all for comments and suggestions. You can compare and contrast below. Thanks for the help.

-Sonny

2009! Whoooooo!

2009-01-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

WHOOOO! Another year gone and now another year older. So far 2009 has come with a rough start and a few curve balls. The only thing I can do is just keep swinging and follow the advice of a wise man and "unleash the fury!"

Happy Holidays everybody!!!

2008-12-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a safe Happy Holiday. I promise to post with more good things to come soon. In the meantime, be good and God bless.

-Sonny

FreeCreditReport.com contest entry

2008-11-03T18:55:00.001-08:00

My Hidden Agenda business partner and I submitted a video for the FreeCreditReport.com video contest. The idea was to sing/lip sing one of their songs and come up with a catchy video. The end result is an animated video in the 8-bit old school video game style. The video portion took one day to shoot while the animation took one and half days to complete. Check out the video below and fingers crossed that we make the top ten.

One big Echovox/Zong post

2008-11-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to write up a post for all the stuff that's been going on at work so I decided to fit them all into one big post. Since my vacation Zong has already been in three trade shows. From TechCrunch 50, the VG summit, and the Spark Summit, Zong has made a strong showing at each event.

I was able to design all the promotional materials for the shows from T-shirts, banners, flyers, energy drinks, and the demo animation I posted a while back. Below you'll find pictures of all the materials and our set up at the shows. Looking forward to more shows and more contacts.

Man decorates basement with $10 worth of Sharpie

2008-10-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm, just have to convince wifey to let me do this to the man room.

Read the full article at the link below, or just click and drag your mouse to the left or right to view image.

Full story

Hola Mexico!!!

2008-10-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Went to Mexico with wifey and a friend on November 9-15(yah I know I'm late writing this) and have a great time. Got to stay in a beautiful resort during the low tourist season(meaning peace and quiet for us), zip lined through the trees on the set of the original "Predator" movie, and had some really good tequila.

Aside from the fact that our plane broke down, our boat broke down, our bus broke down, our taxi broke down, and we were human buffets for the bugs, it was a good trip. Gotta love the jungle. Pictures coming soon.

New Zong Video

2008-09-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

Made a demonstration video for TechCrunch 50 explaining step by step how easy it is to use Zong. One of my more shining moments I have to say.

TechCrunch 50 and Echovox

2008-09-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

TechCrunch is a 3-day conference where the hottest up-and-coming companies come to show their stuff. And that's where Echovox will be. Were all set to go and ready to show em what we got with t-shirts, demo videos, and a whole bunch of other swag. Check out the Echovox.com and Zong.com sites for more info.

-Posted from my iPhone

Model Evolution

2008-08-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

Ok so I know I haven't posted in awhile and the moment I get a chance I cop out with a video. I have been reeeaaally busy though and this did catch my eye. Plus this new layout wiped out my page visit counter so I'm working on getting those back. Either way, enjoy the video and I'll be back to the standards soon enough.

Kamimoto Strings - up and running

2008-08-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Finished the new version of the Kamimoto Strings website. This violin business has reached international status by providing some of the worlds best violinist with top quality instruments. Check out the link below to see the new site and some before and after pictures below.

Kamimoto Strings

Before

After

Busy, busy, busy

2008-08-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

Very, very busy right now. Trying to launch a website in 3 different countries(translations are not easy by the way), getting ready for a conference, making t-shirts, swag, and ui for a new mobile payment service. All this on top of my usual contracts and video work. Yah busy is the word.

Again, really?

2008-06-28T23:37:00.000-07:00

So I'm off doing some out of town business and I get a call from a former employer asking more details about my tenure with the company. So I go into detail and tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. कर्म | கர்ம

Do you have a first aid kit handy?

2008-06-28T23:26:00.000-07:00

June 7th

Wildjam concert! Performing artist: Jesse McCartney, The Bayliens, Danity Kane, Pitbull, Flo Rida, Sean Kingston, Colby O'Donnis, Ray-J, and Lil' Wayne. A one hour wait in line and a notice that a few performing artist wouldn't show up(boo Nelly and Donnie) and feeling very old next to these twelve year olds dressed like 18 year olds. But I like the local boys the Bayliens(see video below).

One Crazy Week

2008-06-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

May 26 - June 1
So one of my best friends just graduated from San Jose State(go Mike) and since everyone from my team has a lot of love for one another, my other buddy swung up from LA. This would be the beginning of one long and hectic week. Let’s try to break things done from after the graduation:

Monday, May 26th, 2008 - Memorial Day
A very impromptu potluck ends up with me and 12 of my closest friends finishing off 8 bottles of alcohol, 4 bottles of V8 splash, and enough food to feed a small village in Cambodia. We finally ended the night yelling at each other words we couldn't say. That’s right we were playing taboo and we learned what happens when you lose control of a motorcycle without wearing a helmet or anything you usually wear while riding(once again, go Mike).

Tuesday, May 27 - more food
With a few less people this time we had dinner at Red Robin’s restaurant. With burgers bigger than yo face. Afterwards its back to the house for more drinking and tila tequila(what a sl*t) :0

Wednesday, May 28
A day of rest

Thursday, May 29
More FOOD! Sushi from our favorite spot(Sen Dai Sushi) and some more drinking. Sake bomb anyone?

Friday, May 30
Karaoke - empty orchestra in Japanese(hauntingly beautiful huh)
Karaoke night in downtown san jose at bamboo 7. Where the drinks are hard, the music is loud, and the people are American Idol status (that night anyways)

Saturday, May 31
Hiking, really?
After a long night of drinking what's the first thing you want to do the next day? That's right, HIKING! 6 hours for a 18 mile hike up UPHILL. Although the experience was nice, the dehydration, steep climbs, heat, and funky odor leaves you wanting(a nice air conditioned room that is).

Sunday, June 1st
Beach time
So the drinking ad the hiking may have not been a good combination, but you know what always is? The beach and food. Yes we like to eat. Along with once again, adult beverages, a food fight involving green tea cake, and me learning that a career in boogie boarding is not in the cards, it was a really good time.

And thus goes my hectic week. To all my friends, thanks for coming out/up. It was nothing but love and you know you guys are all family. Will and Mike, congratulations and I got nothing but love for you guys.

Lead Visual Designer, WooHoo!

2008-06-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

May 19, 2008

Finally started my new job as Lead Visual Designer at Echovox - US division. I'll be working on multiple projects pertaining to web/mobile payments and subscriptions for their ZONG brand. The company originated from Europe where it became a monster success. Hopefully lightning will strike twice here in the states. So far I've been working on a few major league projects that I'm just waiting to get clearance on to put on my website. Hopefully everything goes live soon. Keep checking back here for updates.

Michael Buble, HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA

2008-06-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

May 5, 2008(Cinco de Mayo)

So branching off the one year anniversary post from earlier, it seems that the first year anniversary is paper. Paper?! What can a guy do with freakin paper? The answer? Concert tickets. Not just any concert tickets, Michael Buble concert tickets. Now I've tried to get tickets before to surprise my wife but as it turns out we missed the Oakland tour stop and from there he went straight to Germany. GERMANY! Anyways, flash forward to a year later and here we are at my anniversary. And now I have a paper gift. Now while his type of music is geared more to an older audience, my wife and I actually like it. As for his performance, Mickey Bubble is a really good singer and an even nicer guy. Case in point, during one part of the concert Michael actually jumps from the stage and goes into the audience to take a picture with a seven year old boy. His reasoning? It's because of fans like the seven year old at his shows that keep the tradition of jazz and standard music alive(and apparently stop him from turning into Amy Winehouse - his words, not mine). A class act from a classy guy.

The Role Model Program

2008-06-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

So a good buddy of mine asked Hidden agenda if we can do a little promo video for the Role Model Program. Now to fill you in, the Role Model Program is a supplemental school program initiated by former San Jose, ca mayor Ron Gonzalez. Its purpose is to teach under privileged children that they can achieve more from life through education. A good program indeed. So to help explain what they do to volunteers, we made the following video below for people to grasp the concept. Check it out and click here or the link below to learn more.

The Role Model Program

One Year Married

2008-06-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

April 21, 2008(yah im hella late on writing this)

So its been one whole year or marital bliss already. We already outlasted 90% of Hollywood couples. Didn't even feel like it. My how time flies. Anyways, to celebrate, wifey and I took a nice little trip down south to San Louis Obispo(or SLO as it is referred to by the uber cool). While down there we discovered this nice little diamond in the rough diner about 3 miles away from Hearst castle. Awesome breakfast and super service from a guy named Phil but looks like a Bob(or is that the other way around?) Moving on, we hit the regular tourist spots with Hearst castle(the man was a pimp!) and Splash Cafe(best clam chowder ever!) and had fun on the beach. All an all a good trip. So a toast to 1 year and many more to come.

And I'm out

2008-06-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

May 9th, 2008

And so long to Southern Wine & Spirits. It’s been an interesting two years but it’s time to move on. Design wise I did learn much that I will take with me and grow from. Professionally I learned much as well. I learned that there will be times that you will run into people with power who just shouldn't have any. I learned in order to lead a team, your presence is required and that you have to earn your employees respect in order to be taken seriously. And I also learned that team morale is important and that little things can either make or break a team. Good bye Southern Wine, I put a lot in and got a lot out. How much I wanted though, I don't know.

Don't call it a comeback

2008-06-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

Whoa hello folks. I know its been awhile but a lot of changes have come into the world of SChhen.com and Hidden Agenda. Expect multiple postings in the next few days(hours?) about all the happenings of the last TWO MONTHS!?! Ok I know I suck at this blogging thing but hey I'm shooting for an honest effort. Stick with me here. Expect an update followed by the dates of occurances(hopefully in chronoligical order - yah I know I suck) in a bit. Thanks for still visiting. God bless -sonny

I'm Leaving

2008-04-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

After almost two years of service I have just put my two weeks in at my current job, Southern Wine & Spirits. It's been like a roller coaster of highs and lows but now I'm feeling good. On to bigger and better things. I'll keep posting about how the next two weeks go. Should be interesting.

New Work - Street Fighter 2

2008-04-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Just finished some new pieces for the Street Fighter 20th Anniversary tribute book. Check them out at the links below.

Ryu

Ken

Chun Li

And one more huge piece coming soon

Vista is KILLING me

2008-04-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Going through some new software training and trying to use my new computer for video editing. This usually wouldn't be a problem if this new computer wasn't running windows Vista. Even with an upgrade to service pack 1, everything keeps crashing!!! Try to import a movie into windows dvd maker or movie maker for simple editing...CRASH. Try to play a newly converted mov video file...CRASH. Try to upgrade my iTunes...CRASH. Now I'm not a Windows or Apple fanboy(I could really care less) but come on, I'm trying to work here. Must I upgrade/downgrade to XP to get anything done? Shame on you Microsoft, shame.

Schhen.com Beta

2008-04-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a new version of my sit for weeks now and finally have a beta version up. There are still a few tweaks I need to work out but I like it so far. Be sure to check it out here.

Jabbawockeez FTW

2008-03-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

Been really busy lately handling multiple contracts. So busy in fact my loney comcast dvr is just filling up with shows I don't even have time to watch. But man one show I will take a breath for has got to be America's Best Dance Crew. Yes as corny as it sounds it keeps me entertained and doesn't make me feel like I'm turning my brain into mush. Anyways, there's a crew of masked men(yes, literally masked) on the show that got my vote. How can they not win with all the innovative/creative stuff they do? Hit the video below for more.

English accents make learning easier

2008-03-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

It is the weirdest thing. I am trying to beef up my skills in css and no matter how many tutorial videos, books, or websites I check out, it's all the same thing...boring. But less then a minute with this guy and I'm hooked. It's the accent I tell yah. And he has another video on how to speak internet/geek. How awesome is that? omg, lol, rofl, ftw, w00t, 1337 Hit the links to get edumacated.

CSS

Speak Geek

Are you a geek?

2008-02-29T21:47:00.001-08:00

Are you a geek? If so, don't know how much of one you are? Take the test!

Geek Test

And some more

2008-02-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

Just trying to throw out more and more work. Here's another website concept piece. I'm in a sticky situation with copyright laws and sensitive data so the names, text, images, etc... have been changed to protect...well, me. Check out the new stuff and expect an update to my site soon. Take care and remember: "Safe is Sexy."

CA State University site concept

Update:

another website for Epicera Consulting. Woohoo!

New work coming up

2008-02-20T22:18:00.000-08:00

In between projects right now working on 3 different websites. Hopefully I'll be able to sort them out for a proper deadline. The good news is that another site I was working on just went live. Check it out here.

http://shaw-ross.com/

Expect pictures of the new sites I'm working on to be up soon.

UPDATE:

Links to new work up now. Click below to see more.

Shaw Ross Flash 1

Shaw Ross Flash 2

Ken Onion Website

New Coconut Grove site re-design

Just waiting

2008-02-13T12:01:00.000-08:00

I got bored waiting for my meal to arrive at Macaroni Grill so I picked up one of the crayons on the table and just started drawing on the paper table mats. Below is my hard work(my dog).

Drawing = Pretty Good
Food = Just OK
30 minute wait = Bad

Happy Chinese New Year

2008-02-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year, and Ash Wednesday, and Lent, and anniversary of the constitution, and....

Back Home

2008-02-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

Back from the Philippines. It was a nice vacation but really really hot(and this is the cool season). Hong Kong was too similar to the U.S. to really appreciate it(or maybe I just had a bad tour guide). Either way I'm happy to be back and ready for action. Expect some new work soon if I don't scratch myself to death from all these bug bites.

So international

2008-01-28T04:57:00.000-08:00

Currently at the Two Seasons resort in Boracay island in the Philippines. With white sand and a blue ocean it's a real life postcard. Next up, island hopping around the Philippines and then I'm off to Hong Kong. Hope to have some great pictures to post soon. Until next time, peace love and happiness.

New Work

2008-01-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

2 new flash animations and 2 new pieces I just completed. View them all at the links below.

Pinup Schoolgirl

Sin City Wifey

Shaw Ross flash 1

Shaw Ross flash 2

Planned Parenthood Competition

2008-01-08T12:24:00.000-08:00

I made the top ten of the Planned Parenthood t-shirt competition! The contest required you to come up with a design expressing the idea of protection, Planned parenthood is for everyone, or safe is sexy. I chose to do the safe is sexy slogan with the image of a condom and a padlock. I wanted to play with the idea of safe as a security idea and safe as a lock. Personal safe and literal Safe. You can see the image below and can vote/rate it at the following link:

www.PPGG.org/RateIt

My shirt is the second one so you have to rate the first shirt to get to mine. Thanks guys.

UPDATE:

Made the top five in the competition. Winner is announced Monday, January 21, 2008.

26 Years old

2008-01-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hey just turned 26 today. Uh...yay?!? O_o

Happy New Year!!!

2008-01-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everybody. I wish you a happy, healthy, and wealthy new year. Make 2008 your year. And on that note with a shameless plugin, the all new SChhen.com is now up with an all new design and content. Click the link, click around, and feel free to email me with any questions, comments, jokes, or jibes. Once again, Happy New Year and best of luck in everything.

Street Fighter 4 Gameplay Video

2007-12-30T14:12:00.000-08:00

So yes I am a Street Fighter fanatic(reading any earlier post will tell you that) So here it is, courtesy of 1Up.com, the first ever video gameplay of Street Fighter 4. While it does look impressive I'm not quite sold on the art direction. The full 20 minute video is available for download at 1Up.com(along with a fantastic breakdown of the series for their 4 weeks of Street Fighter 4) and is a pretty good watch depending on what you want to learn about the upcoming game. But seriously, we all just want to see the money shots(the in game fighting people). Enjoy ;P

Happy Holidays

2007-12-30T13:06:00.000-08:00

Hello people,

I know, I know I'm really late with this post but what can I say? The holidays are a busy time. Just wanted to drop by and hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, a safe New Year and, happy holidays. Until next time, take care, be safe, and God Bless.

Best Regards,

-Sonny

Some links to check out

2007-12-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

"I am a part of all that I have met"
-Alfred Tennyson

Here are a couple links for you guys to check out. Other designers, photographers, and some cool places online that I happen to peruse on a daily basis. Check'em out.

Designers

Nitin Anand
http://www.nanand78.com/index.htm

Yothin Chanyontpatanakul
http://yo21.com/main_001.html

Carlos Gomez
http://www.emcees.net/

Lee Payne
http://home.comcast.net/~l33/

Lee Doel
http://www.thefunkhouse.co.uk/

Jill Quindiagen
http://buki.deviantart.com/

Photographers

Juliet Nicole
http://www.julietnicole.com/

Alexis Harrington
http://www.alexisharringtonphoto.com/

Clients

Duarte Design
http://www.Duarte.com

ESV Productions
http://www.mannyvalencia.com

Entertainment

/film
http://www.slashfilm.com/

JoBlo's Movie Emporium
http://www.joblo.com/

X-Entertainment(get your mind out of the gutter)
http://www.x-entertainment.com/

Retro Junk
http://www.retrojunk.com/

SuperHeroHype
http://www.superherohype.com/

Technology

Gizmodo
http://gizmodo.com/

Engadget
http://www.engadget.com/

Street Fighter!!!

Sprite Rips
http://www.zweifuss.com/

Special Thanks to:

BlueMouse01

wangruyi

I saw a dragon fly by!

2007-11-18T12:41:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of the Miami/L.A. Ink shows(and am awaiting the new England Ink) and on L.A. Ink there is an artist who says when he's waiting for inspiration he's waiting for a "dragon to fly by." So in the same sense, I have seen a dragon fly by. The dragon in my case is vectorized pin up girls. I was always amazed by how much detail artist could achieve in Illustrator, Corel Draw, FireWorks, etc... but have found my own way. Using my handy dandy "Bamboo" wacom and some newly found inspiration of the old school pin-up girls, I have a new artistic motivation. And I love it.
Although I do have to say that Miami/L.A. Ink may have been more influential in working on these pieces, I do love the way they came out. Links coming as soon as I finished. Until next time, peace love and happiness.

Animals vs. B-Boys

2007-11-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

So ridiculous I love it!!!

Gym Class Heroes - Clothes Off

Happy Halloween!!!

2007-10-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween folks. Don't scare people too bad. You might get hurt(see below)

Tiger Power!!!

2007-10-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Hidden Agenda has just completed it's entry in the Tiger Balm "Can you beat this?" video contest! Our entry(known as Tiger Power) is a stick figure going through the motions of multiple sports when he eventually breaks down from all the pain. But that's no problem for him since he has TIGER Balm!!!(wow corny as hell)

Anyways, we have a lot of competition going up against 127 entries. The top ten will be chosen by November 1st with a voting for the winner running until the 13th. The winner will be announced on the 15th. Hopefully we make it to the top(with the help of your votes). Check out the video below and hit the link for the competitors.

Until next time as Vash the Stampede would say "Peace and LOVE!!!"

http://www.youtube.com/contest/tigerbalmcontest

I got 13 out of 25

2007-10-27T01:04:00.000-07:00

Another designer buddy passed this on to me. The sad thing is it's mostly true.

25 Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer

(In no particular order)

1. You’ve almost rear-ended the car in front of you because you were analyzing a font on a billboard.

2. You get pissed when a free Photoshop brush you download is less than 1000px in size.

3. You’d rather study the paisley pattern on your boyfriend/girlfriend’s shirt than listen to what he/she has to say.

4. You can use keyboard shortcuts at light speed, blindfolded, but you can’t type a paragraph of text without staring at the keyboard.

5. You’ve had “Software Nightmares,” when you’ve been working way too much.

6. You consider meals interruptions.

7. You’ve learned your lesson and stopped using the word “final” in any file name when saving.

8. You clean your keyboard more often than you wash your car.

9. You’ve intentionally given up trying to explain your projects to non-designers.

10. You see CMYK and RGB like Neo sees the Matrix.

11. You’d rather organize your desktop than your sock drawer.

12. When you heard that Adobe was acquiring Macromedia, you had a Design Orgasm.

13. When you look at Album art all you see are grunge Photoshop Brushes. (Then you see the album art a couple minutes later)

14. You’ve Photoshopped out a watermark for a comp or mock-up.

15. You’ve actually $paid for a font.

16. You’ve totally slaughtered a great design concept because the client thinks he/she knows best. (everyone thinks they are a designer)

17. The amount of words you’ve written with a sharpie labeling burned discs total more than the amount of words you’ve read in novels.

18. You’ve had to explain to a client that a layered file wasn’t part of the deal.

19. You’ve kept a ragged concert ticket just so you could scan it.

20. You’ve nicknamed the OSX spinning wheel. (and not affectionately)

21. You bookmark a resource more often than you have a fun night out on the town.

22. You’ve intentionally overbid a project because you can sniff out a bad client from a mile away.

23. You can’t go to a restaurant without secretly critiquing the menu design.

24. You have an amazingly huge font collection, and an amazingly short temper.

25. If you had a penny for every mouse click, you would have been a trillionaire 3 years ago.

I am a SF GEEK!!!!

2007-10-26T23:41:00.000-07:00

Ok I can admit it, I'm a computer geek. I would prefer to spend hours looking up photoshop brushes and new fonts to download than watch TV. I would rather search through a gazillion freeware applications just to find a program that will type my name out for me in 2 keystrokes. Heck I would even spend hours searching the web for the perfect emulator port of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 than eat or sleep(dreamcast emulator is a boo). Which brings me to my geekiest of all obsessions...STREET FIGHTER!

Bypassing collecting original comic book sketches, old wrestling tapes, and ebay bidding wars for dvd recordings of VH1's I ♥ the 80's(part 1, 2, and 3) and I ♥ the 90's to become top dog in my geek book is no easy feat. But I will admit that this obsession began long ago thanks to the two loving people I like to call mom and dad. You see back in the early 90's my parents owned a donut shop. And as custom with all laundromats, 7-11's, and yes, donut shops of the time, arcade machines were a must. So when my parents purchased their latest donut shop something beautiful happened. Inside the shop were 3 arcade machines. My life as I knew it, would never be the same.

Of the 3 games2 of them would rock my ten year old world to the core. That's right Street Fighter 2(duh) and Street Fighter 2: Championship Edition(yah this was early in the Street Fighter series where massively long titled installments were just beginning). Don't get me started on SUPER STREET FIGHTER 2 TURBO HYPER X send a midget to clean your house for you FIGHTING EDITION (WTF?!?!).

Anyways, upon first glance I was hooked. I mean besides the obvious fact that boys + video games = $$$ I was entranced by the fact that there were drawings on the screen that I could actually move(yes I was a sad child). My mom took notice of this and did something I will never forget. She paid a kid playing one of the arcades(with two quarters of course) to teach me how to play. And man did I SUCK. But over time I learned more. I watched regular kids playing like a hawk while in my mind scoffing at their mistakes. I was learning new techniques, combos, and how NOT to act when losing(hint: screaming at the machine while customers are just walking in - not so good for business). When no one was playing I would sit aimlessly watching the intro animation for hours learning how to better myself as an artist and an animator ;P I would draw hundreds of pictures of Blanka, Ryu, and oh yes, Chun Li. Yes Street Fighter ruled my world. I got good(real good) but never entered any tournaments or anything too drastic. My dad never really helped with this problem as he was always bribing me to do more work just for a chance to play. "You want a quarter? Then go clean the icing trays!!!" But as with all good things it had to end. The machines weren't bringing in as much money as they used to and they had to go. I was sad. I still remember the day the game guy came, packed the arcade onto his truck, and took off. I think I even hugged the machine before it went.

So now with that lovely back story in place you understand my compulsion to Street Fighter. It sparked a side of me I didn't even know I had...the gamer side. While it would be years later until my then girlfriend(now wife) would ever get me my first real game console(PS2 Baby) I was a hardcore - fighting game - arcade freak. Now that I'm older game consoles and games don't seem to interest me as much(my favorite gaming system is M.A.M.E. for god's sakes). Arcade cabinets are going the way of the dinosaur it seems and sometimes you just have to let go.

But not yet!!! Capcom has just announced that they will be releasing Street Fighter 4. It's been almost 10 years since a Street Fighter game has come out since SF3 and now THIS. Velvet ropes have parred and champagne has poured from the sky. With this new trailer posted below you can bet I'm amped. And while yes arcades are very scarce to come by now, and 2-D fighting games have lost a lot of their popularity, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be one of the first ones in line to play when this baby comes into the world(I married a labor and delivery nurse, could you tell?). So long live Street Fighter, Capcom, and the fighting game genre. You give good memories and hope to us old school/old fart gamers. And I'm only 25 for Christ's sake.

Quarter Life Crisis - Who Me?!?

2007-09-15T23:43:00.000-07:00

So one of my best friends just turned 25 recently. Out of the original four of us buddies he is the baby of the group so I've taken to calling him little bro. After speaking to him recently he seems to be headed into the same problem most people around my age(mid-twenties to early 30's) are facing...a QUARTER LIFE CRISIS!!!(Dun, Dun, Dun)

Now I was introduced to this phrase as a lyric from a John Mayer song("Why Georgia," so at least he can add coining a phrase to an unknowing audience to his resume aside from dating Hollywood blonde's). Very much akin to the mid-life crisis, the quarter life crisis affects those from their late teens to their early thirties. It is a time mostly dealt with fear, anxiety, insecurity, self-doubt, and in some cases, depression. The length of these episodes can last anywhere from a few days to a few months or longer. This problem is usually brought upon by those experiencing major changes in their lives with difficulties dealing with said changes(i.e. graduating, unemployment, the whole WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH MY LIFE?!?!?! thing) I have seen friends and co-workers become victims to this problem and various solutions taken upon by the same people(mostly large amounts of alcohol and curling into a ball on the bathroom floor weeping uncontrollably) But enough about me ;P

This issue is mostly associated with getting older and the lack of benefits that occur with a rise in age. Think about it, at 16 you get your learner's permit/pink slip - one step closer to vehicular freedom, at 18 you can finally buy all the cigarettes, lotto tickets, and porn you want(well at least you're doing it legally now), and at 21 it's party time. You can buy all the alcohol you want (again, at least your doing it legally this time). But at 25 what is there to look forward to? Lower car insurance? Freshly graduated with no secure job? Fear of being alone the rest of your life if you don't find a partner the minute that clock hits midnight signifying the exact moment you turn 25?!? (Ok, that last one was a bit much but it could happen.)

Well all I can say to those who are experiencing it is it'll pass. Just try to suck it up, get a hair cut, and get a job. At least this way you'll keep yourself occupied until you know what you really want to do. And if you really don't want to grow up yet, go for your masters right after you graduate from college. Then you'll have two more years to go before you have your 2nd quarter life crisis(happy, happy, joy, joy)

Below is a video I made for my Radio, TV, and Film class while I was going through my crisis. The professor thought I was being so real with my piece she gave me an "A." Just another example of art imitating life (Warning: Graphic Scenes may cause uneasiness, seriously)

The Role Model Program

2007-08-31T11:30:00.001-07:00

While basking in the glow of victory from winning the Gizmodo.com contest (see previous post) would be ideal, Hidden Agenda is already hard at work on our next project. We will be working on a viral campaign for a non-profit organization known as "The Role Model Program." Hidden Agenda will be making a 45 sec- 1 minute PSA encouraging people to help volunteer as role models for today's youth. Thus far the program has recruited doctors, CEO's, managers, and celebrities to help promote their program in the past. We hope to help bring more awareness to such a wonderful organization. I'll keep you posted on our plans for the project and hopefully have some scripts/storyboard ideas for you guys soon enough. To learn more about the program click here.

Laptop Confidential II: The Gizmodo Informant - We WON!!!

2007-08-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

My video side project "Hidden Agenda" entered Gizmodo.com's "Laptop Confidential II" contest and WON!!! The contest required that there can only be one actor playing multiple roles, the video had to be 1 minute long, and that it's shot in the "film noir" Sin City style. After planning it out my partner and I decided to go with an interrogation scene between a detective and clueless mad scientist. We had originally planned and shot a lot of footage that was quite comedic but had to cut it down majorly for the one minute time limit. We even had the black and white silhouette effect from Sin City but that had to go too. You can notice how the time limit affected us in the final version when you hear the detective's voice over call the mad scientist an "asthmatic freak." This was because we shot a scene where the scientist was laughing so hard he broke out into an asthmatic fit and needed his inhaler. (The storyboard for that scene can be seen below)Oh well what can you do?

On behalf of Hidden Agenda and myself, we would like to say THANK YOU to all of you who voted. Thank you to our friends and family for there support, to all employees of Southern Wine & Spirits across the country who voted, and to our friends and family overseas, thank you for your votes, they helped us make it to the top. We hope to have continued success with all your support.

We posted the video on numerous video sites and had a bunch of our friends post on their myspace pages, personal web pages, and whatnot. Apparently we got a good amount of hits from all over. Checkout the video and feel free to comment or send me an email. Also check out the Hidden Agenda Account on YouTube to see more videos.

Welcome

2007-08-31T11:16:00.001-07:00

Hello and welcome to the new Sonny Chhen blog! Here you will find updates on projects I'm working on, sketches, random ideas, and whatever else is on th table. Hope you enjoy and keep coming back for more updates.

Thank You and Best Regards,

Sonny H. Chhen

Website:
Schhen.com

Videos:
Hidden Agenda

Art:
DeviantArt

Sonny H. Chhen

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Moblin OS

Ohhhh transformers geekdism

Mother's day gaming gift

Reflection

Prezi. Cool new presentation tool.

The ugly truth of fast food advertising

Work it out

On Twitter

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The Future, according to Microsoft

Fun in SF

Current Inspiration

Darkstalkers tribute, Concept-to-Completion

Wireframes

Evolution of SChhen.com

Concept-to-completion 2

Concept-to-completion 1

Shoryuken! New artwork

Spiderman, spiderman does whatever a spide — Whoa is that a tattoo?!?!

New Work

She kissed a girl and she liked it

The Re-up

2009! Whoooooo!

Happy Holidays everybody!!!

FreeCreditReport.com contest entry

One big Echovox/Zong post

Man decorates basement with $10 worth of Sharpie

Hola Mexico!!!

New Zong Video

TechCrunch 50 and Echovox

Model Evolution

Kamimoto Strings - up and running

Busy, busy, busy

Again, really?

Do you have a first aid kit handy?

One Crazy Week

Lead Visual Designer, WooHoo!

Michael Buble, HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA

The Role Model Program

One Year Married

And I'm out

Don't call it a comeback

I'm Leaving

New Work - Street Fighter 2

Vista is KILLING me

Schhen.com Beta

Jabbawockeez FTW

English accents make learning easier

Are you a geek?

And some more

New work coming up

Just waiting

Happy Chinese New Year

Back Home

So international

New Work

Planned Parenthood Competition

26 Years old

Happy New Year!!!

Street Fighter 4 Gameplay Video

Happy Holidays

Some links to check out

I saw a dragon fly by!

Animals vs. B-Boys

Happy Halloween!!!

Tiger Power!!!

I got 13 out of 25

I am a SF GEEK!!!!

Quarter Life Crisis - Who Me?!?

The Role Model Program

Laptop Confidential II: The Gizmodo Informant - We WON!!!

Welcome