Exploring the ways in which artists, artisans and technicians are intelligently expressing their creativity with a passion for culture, technology, marketing and advertising.
Pixar's Scott Clark, Lead Animator; Michael B. Johnson, Moving Pictures Group Lead and Ricky Nierva, Development Artist, talk about creating UP at last April's EG5 Conference.
Two lessons from the talk:
"Quality is the best business plan." - John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer
"Pain is temporary. 'Suck' is forever." - Jason Deamer, Character Designer
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" is like a well-written bedtime story and an immersive animated movie at once. Every page has some delightful, hidden feature embedded into it.
Part of why the book works so well is its top-shelf creative pedigree: author William Joyce is also an accomplished illustrator and animator who's published New Yorker covers, won a bunch of Emmys, created character designs for some of Pixar's first animated classics, and worked on many others for Dreamworks and Disney. With his cohorts at Moonbot Studios, he created an interactive book-app around the story and a standalone animated film -- so you can experience "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" however you like.
Truly delightful and beautiful book/app/experience.
Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. “Morris Lessmore” is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.
The following are part 1-4 of The Making of "Morris Lessmore" with the final parts coming soon.
Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle, from the British troupe Punchdrunk, discuss creating the interpretive, interactive theater piece “Sleep No More.” Over 100 rooms are on display in a renovated space in New York’s Chelsea gallery district, and accompanied by an eerie soundtrack, masked audience members walk at through the rooms, where performers re-enact scenes from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.”
I've spent most of my life marketing, producing and supporting the arts, in particular dance. I am also a technology-loving nerd, sharing a lot online, currently working with digital development teams. We talk about augmented reality and social networking and everything being media, but none of that compares to what "Sleep No More" accomplishes.
In short, this production is the most extraordinary and wonderful (in the true, honest sense of both words) that I've experienced in recent years, if not in my whole life.
It is wordless Shakespeare, living film noire, the best of contemporary dance, true augmented reality, masterful storytelling, respectful homage, detailed design, adult entertainment (by which I mean it provokes thought beyond the nudity that it does have, which is more like the nudes in paintings by masters,) and that is not even taking in consideration the technical requirements needed to produce and perform such a "play" every night.
Kirby Ferguson is right, everything is a remix, and Punchdrunk have taken the performing arts and remixed them creating something completely new, yet familiar, and absolutely spellbinding.
Plot Device, a short film directed by Seth Worley (and funded by the Magic Bullet plugin folks), does a good job balancing story and how’d-they-do-that.
A young filmmaker obtains a mysterious device that unleashes the full force of cinema on his front lawn. Created using Magic Bullet Suite 11. Learn more at RedGiant.com/PlotDevice Watch the "Behind the Scenes" documentary at: http://vimeo.com/24747132
The behind-the-scenes is longer than the short itself, but worth watching. Beyond the software, it’s impressive how much Worley and his collaborators were able to do with minimal crew and equipment. Everything they’re doing is well within reach of a high school student. The challenge, as always, is combining what’s possible with what’s interesting.
JK Rowling is a fascinating, extraordinary and, beyond her writing, a sharp businesswoman. The very definition of smarter creativity. This video, with its beautiful animation, launches the next chapter in the Harry Potter franchise
paidContent.org on the 3 ways Pottermore.com could change book publishing.
A collection of links, ideas and posts by Antonio Ortiz.
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