By Lookout Staff

February 14, 2025 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) kicks off a series of free talks this month that discuss managing stress, two new animated features and century-old paintings of birds that inform digital design.

The spring Media & Design Series -- which includes two virtual events and an on-campus discussion -- starts Tuesday, February 25 at 2 p.m. with an online talk by wellness advocate Joe Robinson on work-life balance and stress management.

Robinson will discuss "how to work smarter and break out of the stress and burnout cycle, covering issues ranging from the art and science of working more effectively to switching off stress, building resilience and optimism, and activating life skills," even organizers said.

Robinson -- the author of three books “Work to Live,” “Don’t Miss Your Life” and “Work Smarter, Live Better” -- has appeared on numerous popular news and lifestyle shows and written for major newspapers.

The series resumes Monday, March 3, at 1 p.m. with an in-person presentation by Rhys Newman, a designer, artist, and cyclist who will discuss the work of Robert Ridgway and his 1912 groundbreaking work "Color Standards and Nomenclature.”

An ornithologist, artist and author, Ridgway's color standards "laid the groundwork for modern ornithology and influenced art, design, and color science by making it possible to infer the modern digital color systems and specifications," organizers said.

Newman -- the Global Head of Design & User Experience at ABB E-Mobility -- has been studying Ridgway’s work "in a contemporary context, testing the RGB, CMYK, and LAB formulas for his color system."

The presentation will take place in Room 271 at the SMC Center for Media and Design, 1660 Stewart Street.

The spring lineup concludes with an online presentation Monday, April 28, at 11:15 a.m. by Tatiana Detlofson titled “International Public Relations for Feature, Animated, and Short Films.

Detlofson, an international film and festival promoter, will present two new animated features — “Sauvages” by Claude Barras (Switzerland) and “Living Large” by Kristina Dufkova (Czech Republic).

A voting member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Detlofson will discuss "how to represent these films, especially for Oscar season possibilities." An audience Q&A with the filmmakers will follow the presentation.

A Zoom link to the online talks will be available at the listing’s event date on the SMC Events calendar at smc.edu/events. Programs are subject to change without notice, and new speakers may be added to the series.