ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: WHO'S HUE?

Hue Hughes

By Dustin Thompson

Why did you choose the W?

Hue Hughes – I wanted a college with a small town feel. Not Mayberry, but a place where I wouldn’t just be a number and a place where I could draw inspiration from my surroundings. I preferred a campus with charm and history over scale and square footage.

Tell me about your time at the W

I originally came to study Biology; my goal was to become a med-student at some over-priced Ivy League college up North where everyone wears pea-coats and it’s cold. However, things change. I was forced to admit I had artistic ability by my fraternity brothers who wanted cool t-shirts for parties and I designed them. Once I was introduced to graphic design, I met many talented professors including Tom Nawrocki. When I wasn’t drawing “Still Life with Coffee Can, Broken Tree Branch and Animal Bone,” I was involved in ma number of activities, including student government, performing arts and Delta Sigma Omega (DEO).

How was it being a male at the W back then?

Being at the W didn’t seem any different than other universities. There were many other guys enrolled and I never felt like I stood out walking to class. The females did out number us 3 to 1, which wasn’t a bad thing, so I had no complaints.

What other things were you involved with while you were there?

For some reason or another, I went to an audition for ‘The Robber Bridegroom.” Since I had never acted before, my expectations were less than low. To my surprise, I got the part of "Goat", one of the leads in the play. At the same time I was pledging DEO. With the help of my new DEO constituents, I was into school politics in no time and ran for and was elected Freshman Class President – the first male elected to that position.

How did your major influence your time as a student?

At first, my time was split evenly between extra-curricular activities and studying, but as my art classes got more in-depth and time consuming, I spent many long nights in the art building or my dorm room attempting to craft the next Picasso.

What have you been doing since graduation?

Once I graduated, I moved to Savannah, GA to further my education at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in their Master’s program. I had dreams of becoming a computer animator for Pixar. However, once in the program I decided I wasn’t going to be the next Spielberg and changed departments where I developed my skills in graphic design.

After graduating from SCAD, I moved to LA to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. I got married and worked as a motion graphic artist for a post production house on the old Warner Brothers studio lot in Hollywood. My job encompassed DVD menu design, theatrical trailer graphics and broadcast graphics for Dreamworks television commercials. One of the most exciting projects I worked on was one of the first movies to be put on Blu-Ray as well as the first movie to ship with the PlayStation 3 – “Talladega Nights.” I enjoyed my time there, but after 6 years I decided to move on. I still freelance and recently had the opportunity to work on the DVD for the new Ron Howard film, “Angels and Demons”.

Now I work as a senior editor for BFG, an advertising agency with offices nationwide. My day-to-day activities include creating and editing post production videos for clients such as Coca-Cola, Camel and Wal-Mart.

Do you think attending the W helped you professionally?

Students need to educate themselves in areas outside their major. The W was a great place to start. I learned much from my professors and my time there opened many doors for me.

What do you do for fun?

Most of my free time involves cars and video games. I love anything with 4 wheels. I autocross and I'm Editor for www.autoficial.com, an automotive news site. When I’m not doing any of that, I’m playing with my dog Buddy.

What do you think about the proposed name change?

It’s just a name. As long as the W holds on to what makes it a special and unique place, it will always attract new talent.