by Franklyn Daren Lyons
In the mercurial world of graphic design,
Victor Newman maybe the next icon.
"The whole world is a melange of graphic icons," says Victor Newman, 33, two-time Emmy-award winner (for graphic design) and senior broadcast designer at Manhattan Transfer, one of Gotham's leading graphic design firms and post-production houses.
"See those two neon-orange O's," he says, motioning to a sign overhead a midtown Payless Shoe Store "I'm sitting here wondering 'what message are they conveying by having the O's in bright orange.'"
In the ebullient, emerging world of graphic design, Newman is a harbinger of creative bravado with his feet planted in the traditional tools of his trade. If you own a television, then, you have probably seen glitzy examples of Newman's artistry.
His creative flair has graced cable networks from parochial MSG, to the ubiquitous, MTV and MSNBC - where he was charged with shaping the network's weekend look. Specifically, he has worked on projects for USA Network, the NFL on CBS, redesign of the NY Yankees baseball graphics for MSG, The Olympics on CBS, HBO's Inside the NFL, Sports Illustrated's '98 Swim Suit Video, and the new look for WNBA's Liberty Basketball on MSG among others.
Quite a leap for a "country boy" from Tappahamnock, VA., who grew up riding mini bikes and drawing comic book heroes. "I still do," he laughs pristinely. Later, he majored in graphic design at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Meanwhile, he nabbed an internship with the United States Department of Agriculture - doing print design.
"That was '88, and the new Macs were being introduced," remembers Newman, who was later promoted to art director - overseeing the quality and standard of contracts parceled to minority firms. During his USDA tenure, Newman met fellow designer, Scott Perkins, who offered him a job in the newly created design department at D.C.-based B.E.T. (Black Entertainment Television).
At B.E.T, Newman showed early flashes of his brilliance by leaving his mark on network staples Rap City, Midnight Love and Video Soul. "It was a remarkable time," he says graciously, with the cadence of someone pining a lost love. "We had to do everything. Choose the look of a show; shoot on location; pick the music. ... all in the name of satisfying the viewers. Soon enough, I realized the power of the media."
In 1993, Newman married wife Deva, who at the time worked for BET but is now a producer with NBC's "Dateline." He also switched from BET to neighboring WJLA Channel 7 and won his first Emmy Award. "Working with a television station was challenging. The technology was changing. Paintbox (a photo and video manipulation tool) jumped onto the market. I kept saying to myself, 'Here I am, fresh from B.E.T., 'branding' the look of the news, sports and promotional departments.' I knew we (graphic designers) were on to something. The experience broadened my horizons."
After WJLA, Newman accepted an offer as a senior designer with D.C. based post-production giants, Interface. "Bigger toys," he says laconically. "Now, I had to mesh video production with 3-D. Everything was project-oriented. We even did ads for Clinton and Dole. It was an eye-opener."
Although Newman has seen the industry evolve into a lucrative one, he still picks his jobs based on the "ability to learn new things." When NBC offered his wife a job in 1996, Newman accepted an offer from its fledgling affiliate MSNBC as the "point man" for in house animation.
Newman's work on Brokaw heir apparent Brian Williams' weekend newscasts and the widely acclaimed documentary "Roswell" did not go unnoticed; industry peers have since garnished him with two Broadcast Designers Awards, including one for "Roswell." In fall '98, he was part of the team that won an Emmy for overall graphic design for MSNBC.
After this year's Emmys, the incredibly placid Newman skipped the post award galas and returned to his office (tux and all) to complete a pending project. His work ethos and prodigious designs have won the adulation of scores of his peers.
"Victor is extremely talented and experienced with different aspects of the industry," raves industry phenom, Kieran Walsh, who has 'branded' the look of entire channels such as A&E and HBO, hit shows "Inside The NFL" and the first wave of the new Volkswagen commercials.
"He has an amazing eye: Almost unbelievable. His range of styles is breathtaking and quite distinctive." In the mercurial and extremely competitive realm of graphic design, Newman is sort of an anomaly - humble, viewing the world through an almost childlike prism.
"It's hard to be creative everyday," admits Newman. "Technology is changing so fast. You gotta keep up. Sometimes, I tape commercials and play them back in slow motion to catch the latest techniques."
Newman is very concerned about the lack of colored folks in the industry. "We need to more black designers in the game," he gripes. "We need our enormous talents to be demonstrated throughout this industry; not just in sports and entertainment."
Victor Newman navigates the two seemingly disparate worlds, cutting-edge and traditional. "I want to push the boundaries," he insists defiantly, "Wanna' make you think and if I have to, I'll bend the rules to make the project work. I want people to wonder, how'd he do that?'"
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