The Art of Special Effects
Graphic design major learns the ropes at Chicago digital studio
Jonathan Carter ’18 is gaining firsthand experience in using design, animation and special effects in the production of commercials and videos.
A graphic design and art business major from St. Louis, Carter landed an internship at Protokulture, a digital studio in Chicago’s River North neighborhood that produces commercials and video segments for broadcasters and film studios such as Fidelity, Dreamworks, the Big Ten Network, Kmart and Purina.
At Protokulture, Carter has learned how to marry words with images so that they move together on the screen. He scavenged clips and images from an existing film for use in future projects. And he worked as a production assistant on a commercial shoot for DieHard. “I got to operate the fog machine to create the right aesthetic for some shots,” he said.
A center midfielder on the College’s soccer team during his first two years at Elmhurst, Carter got serious about graphic design as a junior.
I’ve been interested in art since I can remember. I enjoy drawing and creating.
Jonathan Carter ’18
He’s run his own design business since high school, designing album covers with handwritten fonts, T-shirts and logos. His clients include musician friends, local bands, clothing companies, and people who found him by word of mouth or social media.
The Protokulture internship will fill in the last remaining credits he needs to graduate. “I’m learning the business—what goes into design and animation, how it works behind the scenes,” he said. “That will determine the direction I go—the future is pretty open.”