Monday, January 27, 2014

The 2013 Grammy WInners: By the Covers

We hope everyone enjoyed the Grammys last night with LL Cool J absolutely doing an amazing job hosting. We at J2 Productionz Graphic and Website Design are a visual company and thought a blog post that showed the promotional poster designs for the musicians and albums that won would be a cool twist to the usual list blog postings you see everywhere else. If you need a custom album cover created for your film project we at J2 Productionz would love to help you. Visit our gallery section for examples of our work. We hope you enjoy this list of the Grammy winners and their great promotional graphic designs.Let us know what your favorites are at the comment section below or on our Facebook page














Record of the year

"Get Lucky" -- Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers -- WINNER
"Radioactive" -- Imagine Dragons
"Royals" -- Lorde
"Locked out of Heaven" -- Bruno Mars
"Blurred Lines" -- Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell














Album of the year

"Random Access Memories" -- Daft Punk -- WINNER
"The Blessed Unrest" -- Sara Bareilles
"Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" -- Kendrick Lamar
"The Heist" -- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
"Red" -- Taylor Swift















Song of the year

"Royals" -- Lorde -- WINNER
"Just Give Me a Reason" -- P!nk featuring Nate Ruess
"Locked Out of Heaven" -- Bruno Mars
"Roar" -- Katy Perry
"Same Love" -- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis














Best new artist

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis -- WINNER
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran














Best pop solo performance

Lorde -- "Royals" -- WINNER
Sara Bareilles -- "Brave"
Bruno Mars -- "When I Was Your Man"
Katy Perry -- "Roar"
Justin Timberlake -- "Mirrors"














Best pop duo/group performance

Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers -- "Get Lucky" -- WINNER
P!nk featuring Nate Ruess -- "Just Give Me a Reason"
Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko -- "Stay"
Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell -- "Blurred Lines"
Justin Timberlake and Jay Z -- "Suit & Tie"













Best pop instrumental album

Herb Alpert -- "Steppin' Out" -- WINNER
Boney James -- "The Beat"
Earl Klugh -- "Handpicked"
Dave Koz, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot -- "Summer Horns"
Jeff Lorber Fusion -- "Hacienda"














Best pop vocal album

Bruno Mars -- "Unorthodox Jukebox" -- WINNERLana Del Rey -- "Paradise"
Lorde -- "Pure Heroine"
Robin Thicke -- "Blurred Lines"
Justin Timberlake -- "The 20/20 Experience -- The Complete Experience"














Best dance recording

"Clarity" -- Zedd featuring Foxes -- WINNER
"Need U (100%)" -- Duke Dumont featuring A*M*E & MNEK
"Sweet Nothing" -- Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
"Atmosphere" -- Kaskade
"The is What it Feels Like" -- Armin Van Buuren featuring Trevor Guthrie














Best dance/electronica album

"Random Access Memories" -- Daft Punk -- WINNER

"Settle" -- Disclosure
"18 Months" -- Calvin Harris
"Atmosphere" -- Kaskade
"A Color Map of the Sun" -- Pretty Lights














Best traditional pop vocal album

"To Be Loved" -- Michael Bublé -- WINNER"Viva Duets" -- Tony Bennett and various artists
"The Standards" -- Gloria Estefan
"Cee Lo's Magic Moment" -- Cee Lo Green
"Now" -- Dionne Warwick













Best rock performance

Imagine Dragons -- "Radioactive" -- WINNER
Alabama Shakes -- "Always Alright"
David Bowie -- "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)"
Led Zeppelin -- "Kashmir"
Queens of the Stone Age -- "My God is the Sun"
Jack White -- "I'm Shakin' "














Best metal performances

Black Sabbath -- "God is Dead?" -- WINNER
Anthrax -- "T.N.T."
Dream Theater -- "The Enemy Inside"
Killswitch Engage -- "In Due Time"
Volbeat featuring King Diamond -- "Room 24"









Best rock song

"Cut Me Some Slack" -- Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear -- WINNER"Ain't Messin' 'Round" -- Gary Clark Jr.
"Doom and Gloom" -- The Rolling Stones
"God Is Dead?" -- Black Sabbath
"Panic Station" -- Muse















Best rock album

Led Zeppelin -- "Celebration Day" -- WINNER
Black Sabbath -- "13"
David Bowie -- "The Next Day"
Kings of Leon -- "Mechanical Bull"
Queens of the Stone Age -- "... Like Clockwork"
Neil Young with Crazy Horse -- "Psychedelic Pill"














Best alternative music album

Vampire Weekend -- "Modern Vampires of the City" -- WINNER
Neko Case -- "The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You"
The National -- "Trouble Will Find Me"
Nine Inch Nails -- "Hesitation Marks"
Tame Impala -- "Lonerism"














Best R&B performance

Snarky Puppy with Lala Hathaway -- "Something" -- WINNER
Tamar Braxton -- "Love and War"
Anthony Hamilton -- "Best of Me"
Hiatus Kaiytoe featuring Q-Tip -- "Nakamarra"
Miguel featuring Kendrick Lamar -- "How Many Drinks?"


Best traditional R&B performance
Gary Clark Jr. -- "Please Come Home" -- WINNER
Fantasia -- "Get It Right"
Maysa -- "Quiet Fire"
Gregory Porter -- "Hey Laura"
Ryan Shaw -- "Yesterday"














Best R&B song

"
Pusher Love Girl" -- Justin Timberlake -- WINNERBest of Me" -- Anthony Hamilton
"Love and War" -- Tamar Braxton
"Only One" -- PJ Morton featuring Stevie Wonder
"Without Me" -- Fantasia featuring Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliott














Best urban contemporary album

Rihanna -- "Unapologetic" -- WINNER
Tamar Braxton -- "Love and War"
Fantasia -- "Side Effects of You"
Salaam Remi -- "One: In the Chamber"
Mack Wilds -- "New York: A Love Story"













Best R&B album

Alicia Keys -- "Girl on Fire" -- WINNER
Faith Evans -- "R&B Divas"
John Legend -- "Love in the Future"
Chrisette Michele -- "Better"
TGT -- "Three Kings"














Best rap performance

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz -- "Thrift Shop" -- WINNER
Drake -- "Started From the Bottom"
Eminem -- "Berserk"
Jay Z -- "Tom Ford"
Kendrick Lamar -- "Swimming Pools (Drank)"














Best rap/sung collaboration

Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake -- "Holy Grail" -- WINNER
J. Cole featuring Miguel -- "Power Trip"
Jay Z featuring Beyoncé -- "Part II (On the Run)"
Kendrick Lamar featuring Mary J. Blige -- "Now or Never"
Wiz Khalifa featuring the Weeknd -- "Remember You"














Best rap song

"Thrift Shop" -- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis -- WINNER"F***in' Problems" -- A$AP Rocky featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar
"Holy Grail" -- Jay Z featuring Justin Timberlake
"New Slaves" -- Kanye West
"Started From the Bottom" -- Drake















Best rap album

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis -- "The Heist" -- WINNER
Drake -- "Nothing Was the Same"
Jay Z -- "Magna Carta ... Holy Grail"
Kendrick Lamar -- "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City"
Kanye West -- "Yeezus"














Best country solo performance

Darius Rucker -- "Wagon Wheel" -- WINNER
Lee Brice -- "I Drive Your Truck"
Hunter Hayes -- "I Want Crazy"
Miranda Lambert -- "Mama's Broken Heart"
Blake Shelton -- "Mine Would Be You"














Best country duo/group performance

The Civil Wars -- "From This Valley" -- WINNER
Kelly Clarkson featuring Vince Gill -- "Don't Rush"
Little Big Town -- "Your Side of the Bed"
Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban -- "Highway Don't Care"
Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton -- "You Can't Make Old Friends"


Best country song

"Merry Go 'Round" -- Kacey Musgraves -- WINNER
"Begin Again" -- Taylor Swift
"I Drive Your Truck" -- Lee Brice
"Mama's Broken Heart" -- Miranda Lambert
"Mine Would Be You" -- Blake Shelton



Best country album

Kacey Musgraves -- "Same Trailer Different Park" -- WINNER
Jason Aldean -- "Night Train"
Tim McGraw -- "Two Lanes of Freedom"
Blake Shelton -- "Based on a True Story"
Taylor Swift -- "Red"


Best Latin pop album

Draco Rosa -- "Vida" -- WINNERFrankie J -- "Faith, Hope y Amor"
Ricardo Montaner -- "Viajero Frecuente"
Aleks Syntek -- "Syntek"
Tommy Torres -- "12 Historias"
















Best score soundtrack for visual media

"Skyfall" -- WINNER
"Argo"
"The Great Gatsby"
"Life of Pi"
"Lincoln"
"Zero Dark Thirty"















Best song written for visual media

Adele -- "Skyfall" -- "Skyfall" -- WINNER
Coldplay -- "Atlas" -- "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"
Jessie J -- "Silver Lining" -- "Silver Linings Playbook"
Colbie Caillat featuring Gavin DeGraw -- "We Both Know" -- "Safe Haven"
Lana Del Rey -- "Young and Beautiful" -- "The Great Gatsby" (deluxe edition)
Regina Spektor -- "You've Got Time" -- "Orange is the New Black"


Best music video

Justin Timberlake featuring Jay Z -- "Suit & Tie" -- WINNERCaptial Cities -- "Safe and Sound"
Jay Z -- "Picasso Baby: A Performance Art Film"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton -- "Can't Hold Us"
Jack White -- "I'm Shakin'"














Best music film

Paul McCartney -- "Live Kisses" -- WINNER
Coldplay -- "Live 2012"
Green Day -- "¡Cuatro!"
Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite -- "I'm in I'm Out and I'm Gone: The Making of Get Up!"
Mumford & Sons -- "The Road to Red Rocks"

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Horrible Movie Poster Designs - The Worst Wednesdays


THE WORST WEDNESDAYS

J2 Productionz Graphic, Website Design and SEO Services loves to show our blog readers incredible design creations, helpful tutorials and inspirational postings that please the eyes. However, sometimes to know what is good you have to know what is...BAD!

This is why for this week's edition of The Worst Wednesday we examine some of the most God awful movie poster designs that you have ever seen. DISCLAIMER: These designs are flat out hideous! Feel free to tell us your worst of the bunch and add more suggestions on our Facebook page here.

1. Ghoulies - I guess this designer had diarrhea before creating this one.




















2. Grave of the Vampire -
  We didn't know the Gerber baby had side gigs as a horror movie actor!





















3. Super Babies:Baby Geniuses 2
- A second movie of this was produced! Nuff Said



4. The Gingerdead Man 2 - The Passion of the Crust
- A Freshly Baked Horror of a poster! 




5. Top Dog
- Chuck Norris must not have had any input into this poster design...we all can hope.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

10 Great Photoshop Tutorial Sites You Must Bookmark - Tutorial Tuesday

When it comes to Photoshop and graphic design there are always going to be new things to learn. The software is always updating, new plug-ins are created, brush packs available and new exciting filters are created to enhance photos and create effects that were not possible before. The best way to keep up with these amazing updates is to consistently visit great Photoshop tutorial sites. There are a lot of mediocre Photoshop tutorial websites on the web but J2 Productionz is saving you the time and energy by posting a Top 10 must Photoshop Tutorial Site Bookmark list. Add these to your social bookmarking sites and you will be sure to improve your Photoshop skills immensely, be more creative with your pieces and strengthen your core skills as well. If you have any additional websites you would like to recommend please feel free to do so in the comments section below or share them on the J2 Productionz Facebook or Twitter pages. We hope you enjoy this tutorial website list and happy learning and join our mailing list above for more tutorials every Tuesday!

Here are 10 great Photoshop tutorial websites:

1.
PSD tuts - Easily the best Photoshop tutorial website on the web.
Psdtuts+ is a leading blog and community for Photoshop tutorials.
Learn photo manipulation, retouching, icon design, text effects, and
much more.

2.
PS Hero – A great Photoshop Tutorials on Graphic Design and
digital photo effects as well as offering a selection of free Photoshop
Custom Shapes, Photo Edges and other Photoshop Resources.

3.
Smashing Magazine – This is a website that has great Photoshop
tutorials along with web design tips, typography tricks, coding
resources, mobile design and much more.

4.
Photoshop Tutorials - Photoshop tutorials for beginners to
experts. Learn tips and tricks on how to use Photoshop for
photo editing, manipulations, designs, and more.

5.
Tutorial 9 - Tutorial9 provides tutorials encompassing
graphic design, website development, and photography.
All lessons offered are entirely free, and community
participation is encouraged. It is a great site for a
daily dose of Photoshop knowledge

6.
Photoshop Essentials - Where anyone can learn
Photoshop. Exclusive, easy to follow Photoshop
tutorials! Step by step instructions, perfect for beginners!
This site will improve your core Photoshop skills.

7.
Deviantart - DeviantArt is a forum for graphic
designers and photographers.It is one the largest design
communities online. It is an excellent resource for fresh
tutorials from diverse artists around the world. It will also
inspire your designs with great works posted from users
within the community.

8.
Photoshop Café - PhotoshopCAFE is one of the
largest collection of free quality original photoshop
tutorials on the web. They offer great guides for email
subscribers and tutorials that will benefit Photoshop
users at all skill levels.

9.
Photoshop Star – Photoshop Star features step
by step free Photoshop tutorials for any skill level.
Adobe Photoshop Tutorials, Tips and Articles.

10.
Pxleyes.com - This site features tons of contests
and thousands of great tutorials to learn from.