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About Huib J. Lirb
About me.
To start on a general level: I graduated cum laude from the Free University of Amsterdam with a degree combining ancient history and archaeology. I continued to work in the academic field of economic history at Leiden University for four years in a position involving research as well as teaching. I am a Dutch native speaker and I am quite fluent in both the Italian and English languages. My German, French and Spanish language skills are, however, markedly less well developed.
People have urged me not be modest. I will do my humble best not to disappoint them. Here goes: I particularly pride on my ability to conceive and put together a good non-fictional story which is entertaining to people generally prepared to take an interest and which at the same time still does justice to the appropriate complexities of the subject matter. As the owner of Dutch Indies and co-founder (with John Twigt) of the Museion Media partnership, I conceive, research, put together, write, produce, shoot (video and audio), edit, score, finish, graphically enhance, translate even and otherwise contribute - as assistent director for instance - to the production of audiovisual “stories”, documentaries and corporate films mostly, for the publication on television, DVD, presentation screens and of course the internet. I am an accomplished motion graphics designer and non-linear video editor with a wide range of experience in the post-production of television programmes, commercials and corporate videos. I also perform as an independent HD video shooter or as an ENG sound recordist and boom operator.
To continue the obligatory me-me-me commercial: I am quite happy to work independently but I actually prefer to be part of a team. As part of a team, I will gladly allow myself to be directed, should that be desirable, but I can also be called upon to direct others in identifying and fulfilling their tasks. My leadership skills are strengthened by my willingness to clarify and explain things great and small. I have great analytical skills which I will use rigorously to identify problems, set goals, get organised, plan projects, keep track of progress and, essentially, solve problems. I am dedicated to work methodically and to maintain high quality standards. I am well trained in directing my attention toward learning, discovery and problem solving, thus mobilising my creative abilities and allowing "that original idea" to emerge. The combination of this heuristic ability and a methodical approach to problem solving is an appreciated legacy from my brief academic career. As a result of these particular skills, then, my work tends to be both original and to the point. And it is “always” on time - the parentheses of course referring to the inevitable exceptions to the rule.
To focus on some nitty gritty video post-production skills: I am an experienced Non-Linear Video Editor (Media100i, Media100HD, 844/X, Final Cut Pro & Express, and now also Premiere Pro CS4) with a proper operational understanding of most current SD and HD formats (though unfamiliar with machine-to-machine editing). I am an equally accomplished Motion Graphics Designer and Multimedia Specialist (After Effects, Cinema 4D, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, DVDSP; I am also somewhat familiar with Poser 7 and Maya 8). I know how to plan projects, how to keep them organized, how to address tough challenges, how to work in a team and even how to best work a team. I gladly allow myself to be properly directed (to refer to the previous paragraph). I certainly know what it is like to work under the pressure of tight deadlines.
Left: Huib using the DVX100 (Foto: John Twigt). Right: his poor choice in headwear is quickly becoming something of a trademark. (Unfortunately).
We are talking tons and tons of video here (and, in fact, it sometimes feels as if a number of frames are still stuck in my throat). For over the years, I have planned, digitized, edited, finished and mastered well over 200 hours of video for television broadcast. In spite of this great number of flight hours, I still value precision and finesse in editing, as much as in most other fields of professional activity. My insistence on always maintaining an interesting rhythm of the audio has allowed me to specialize in edits involving music, rapid sequences and, interestingly, dialogues in both fiction and non-fiction. The same quality has helped me to develop distinguished skills in the design of title animations. My work has been aired by most Dutch broadcasters and stations: AVRO, BNN, Fox Kids, JETIX, KRO, NCRV, NPS, RTL (RTL4, RTL5, RTL7), RTVNH, SBS6, TELEAC, TROS, VARA,Veronica (VOO, Yorin).
My involvement with television and internet commercials has varied greatly in both responsibility and scope. Commercial people seem to find poetry in a list of brands. (There is actually quite a funny correspondence to the Catalogue of Ships from Homer's Iliad but don't let's get into that.) Her is my list: Gall&Gall, Ici Paris XL, Vliegwinkel, Waanders Uitgeverij, United Biscuits, KPN/NIPO, Diabetes Fonds, Panama Nightclub, Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken, Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken, Furness Cars, Koken bij de Molen, Meubels & Freubels, Frisia Financieringen, Becam, Postkrediet, Kotex, Thisisme, F1Racing magazine, Barclay, Nuon, Dixtone, Unicef Kids United. To continue the customary name dropping sequence with a list of clients served with corporate and event videos (entire videos or just motion graphics components): Telfort, BT Ignite, O2, EPN, Tiscali, Terra Vitalis, Microsoft Educatie, Speedlinq, Mama Cash, Fortis, Pfizer, Buro88, Absolut, De Kunstfabriek, Little Wonder, Leaseplan, UUNet, Agis, Koninklijk Nederlandse Watersport Vereniging, Connection1 (Pink Roccade), Shell, Legal & General, Special Sports, Novartis, Uitgeverij Maximus, Nordisk, Nolet Distilleerderij, Unicef. This concludes my catalogue of ships, of shops, of brands.
I should also mention that I have designed and created, for Callactive and Rosegarden Studios, many component sets of Digital On-Screen Graphics, which were quite original both stilistically and functionally, for flexible use in commercial direct response television shows aired separately in many European countries including Hungary (Viasat 3), Sweden (TV3, ZTV), Denmark (TV Denmark), Finland (MTV3), Belgium (VTM, K2) and Russia (REN). The designs for two another such sets intended for additional stations the identity of which I am not permitted to disclose have also been submitted for pitching purposes in 2006.
Spotted in the wild: a still version of the animated logo I designed for the REN TV Game show as it appeared on the station's website.
I have been heavily involved in the creation of multimedia projects in the past four to five years. I have authored quite a few DVDs in DVDSP, most often using (motion) graphics files I created myself, both for B-to-B and B-to-C communication purposes. "Quite a few" means at least about 20 separate projects.
And then there are the "minor" fields of expertise. Thus, I know my bit about the encoding and wiring of QuickTime movies (QT Player, Compressor, Flip4Mac, Flash Video, LiveStagePro - to also list some outdated tools). I have some experience, furthermore, in using the Macromedia Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash applications. However, such experience involves skills and tools which are quickly becoming outdated or even obsolete. Tying shoelaces is a more durable skill.
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(Foto: Reinier Hattink)