Real stories. Real students. Get real on In the Lab.

In the Lab is a web series that takes you behind the scenes of a day in the life of Digital Media and Graphic Design Students and Alumni at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Check out these young designers and film-makers, who share their stories and their best practices on  In the Lab, video web series on the FIDMDigitalArts.com Blog.

In the video above, meet AJ Balanza, a fifth-quarter Graphic Design/Branding Student who is into snowboarding, skating and photography. Watch Balanza edit one of his photos using Photoshop using levels and the blur tool.

FIDM Graphic Design Student, AJ Balanza

Name: AJ Balanza
Age: 20
Hometown: San Diego, CA
High School: Rancho Bernardo High School
Industry Heroes:Tristan Eaton, Clive Wilkinson, Dada artists
Design Specialty: Publication, layouts and photography
Favorite Websites:Behance, The Dieline, Facebook, Twitter
Favorite Music: EDM, dub step, house, trance

Outside of learning programs like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign in FIDM’s Graphic Design program, Balanza is into skateboarding, skating, surfing, and making music. His love for graphics came from making flyers for bands, events, and other organizations in high school.

“I like going to FIDM because of all the people I meet,” he says. “You tend to meet people in the industry that you would never be able to meet anywhere else.”

More Videos from In the Lab

Name: HJ Chong
Major: Digital Media

In another video from In the Lab, FIDM Digital Media Student HJ Chong talks about editing music videos using After Effects. HJ came to FIDM with dreams of becoming a music video director, but as technology evolves, he is considering starting his own marketing company making viral videos for the web. Watch this episode of In the Lab here.

Would you like more information about FIDM’s Digital Media and Graphic Design programs?

Fill out an information request form here.