Joel Simone

I’m a multi-media artist primarily focused on my education, and the synchronization of art and business coincides directly with my learning objectives. My emphasis is Multi-Media and Business; however, I’m fascinated with General Education, i.e., especially the Humanities and Sciences. In addition, I’m paying my way through school via educational scholarships and part-time work creating websites, and I produce through my start up business, Diablo Valley Design. Letters of recommendation are available upon request: visit the reference page for a list of letters. Below is a brief autobiography – I frequently work within this site and appreciate communication, so feel free to initiate conversation with contact or comments.

Autobiography

The progressing coastal fog encouraged the evening atmosphere into a cold chill. I stood upon the tallest hill in the valley. To my side was my brother Shane. To our backs was the West Bay, and before us was the dale of our youth, the Diablo Valley. Associating the paths of lights and roadways to the thriving arteries of a living being, we concluded the cities below were a reflection of the light permeating from the stars thriving in the expansive universe above. As a ceremonious dedication of this revelation, our hands met to solidify a devotion to experiencing, analyzing, and performing in life. That moment represented an intention to learn and act, and it marked the beginning of my journey into media arts, business, the web, and humanities.

My multi media art venture started with digital cinema. After graduating high school, I obtained the latest in technology, formats, and techniques from periodicals and online networks, including one of the first email based cinema threads, WebCinema Digest. Rather than pursuing a traditional secondary education in movie production, I learned how to produce movies by making them, and my library of research and collaboration was the emerging World Wide Web. Before 22 years of age, I funded, produced, directed and edited my first feature length movie, Entries to Freedom. Shortly after, I produced a 50-minute experimental movie, New World. New World was accepted into the NY Film Festival and screened at the Laemmle Fairfax in Hollywood. My short movie, Pardoned, was awarded Editor’s Choice by Microfilmmakers Magazine, and one of my test productions, Xavier Skating, is being used by Steady Tracker to promote their camcorder stabilization device. Currently, I consider my self an independent student of art cinema, and I am working under internationally acclaimed Cinema Artist Rob Nilsson.

My preliminary cinematic education was funded by business ventures. I acquired initial finances managing a local dry cleaner, Park Avenue Cleaners, and working a multitude of odd jobs, from pizza delivery to corporate retail. At Park Avenue Cleaners, I gained a wealth of entrepreneurial knowledge assisting with customer relations, advertising, marketing, and production. At the retail jobs, I achieved a dynamic perspective by analyzing corporate philosophy and practices. I utilized and expanded upon these skills working with Lucent Technologies in Personal Communication Services (PCS) Optimization, California Cleaners in Business Start-up, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream in Sales and Merchandising, Inflatable 2000 in Sales System Development, and The Fun Company in Creative Direction. With Inflatable 2000 and The Fun Company, I discovered my niche in Creative Direction, Executive Consulting, and Internet Technologies.

In the summer of 2006, I opened my services to other businesses. Shortly after, I discovered the Visual Communications department at Las Positas College (LPC) in Livermore. At LPC, Dr. Philip Manwell and the LPC staff in both general and specialized education inspired me. I worked under the guidance of Fredda Cassidy, VCOM Department, and Dr. Candace Klaschus, Honors Department, in pursuit of a Visual Communications Associates in Arts. My primary honors project was the creation of The Doorway, a cinematic piece inspired by a presentation by my English instructor, Jim Willis. In addition to art, my education is synchronized with the development of business.

The logo for my business, Diablo Valley Design, and the symbol of my union with art, business, and education is an illustration of a man entering the aircraft beacon atop the observation deck on Mt Diablo, the tallest mountain in the Diablo Valley. Native American legend points to Mt Diablo as the origin of life, and in some cases light. Mt Diablo also served as a key point for land survey observations, and the resulting base and meridian lines are used in legal description throughout two-thirds of California’s real estate. Out of respect for the valley I grew up and in harmony with the pact I made with my brother, Shane, Mt Diablo symbolizes the acquisition of my visions.