So yesterday I’m stumbling around Vimeo to find something to post on the music blog, and caught this video by Eskmo. I was absolutely blown away by what was done with some basic city footage to create an stunning music video. So a few clicks later and I’m completely captivated by the motion animation of one Cyriak Harris, a freelance animator from Brighton, UK.
His site is chock-full of not only some great illustration work, but tons of fantastic video pieces… I think what grabs me the most right off the bat (besides my love for things bizarre), is how well motion video is manipulated and mixed with the motion graphics and illustration work to create such frenzied and visually rich material. Mutated hands, morphed animals and mind boggling landscapes made of pieces parts of what is probably basic video footage. I’d love to see some sort of breakdown of one of his pieces (like a video walkthrough of some of the tricks he’s pulling off in Photoshop and After Effects…).
The music video stuff is great and even the ‘goofing around’ short pieces are not only hilarious, but just spectacular to watch… You’d be remiss not to subscribe to his youtube channel and keep an eye out for more…
A month or so ago, David Lynch announced a video contest on Genero.tv for two new songs he’d recently released. (I so want to enter one of these someday – eventually I’ll get the needed equipment, software & time…).
Well, fast forward to January 3rd and the winners have been announced. Both the videos are ‘really’ impressive, especially given the relatively short timeframe. I’m sure anyone who’s a fan of Mr. Lynch already has some quirky visual ideas in their head, but both the winning videos (in their own way) capture both the mood of the chosen song as well as meshing nicely with the style and mood we all expect for anything related to Lynch’s creative body of work… I had some trouble getting the genero.tv video embeds to work, so you’ll have to click the images below to view the videos (and I highly recommend you do… I mean, it’s 9 minutes total that will enrich your day, that can’t be bad, right?)
GOOD DAY TODAY – David Lynch
Directed by Arnold de Parscau, this video is simply described as “A little boy is having dinner with his family.” Of course, there’s much more than that here. I love the slow paced shots and the transitions into the mind/imagination of the boy was very well done. The settings/environments are smothered in a beautiful darkness. The ending (I won’t spoil) felt a little forced but still works well.
I KNOW – David Lynch
Directed by Tamar Drachli (and shot solely on a Canon 7D!), this video is my favorite of the two. The story is a little more subtle (listed as “A man obsessed by the woman that left him tries to bring her back through the remote control”), but is still very captivating. Great use of natural lighting, nice cuts and shadows, striking close-ups and compelling pace.
All in all it looks like this was a successful venture for Genero.tv, and it looks like they’ve already got some new video contests running (for Duran Duran & OMD to name a few). A nice way to generate some stunning user content. I hope to get the chance later to browse some of the other contest submission and this will definitely be a site I’ll keep my eye on…
Guess I’ll make sure to have an extra $5 this weekend when tailgating… What if we drive in & park, go for a walk and come back? Great write up here on ‘the plum’…
A First look review of the new Lady Gaga video for “Telephone”
Open Scene: Barbed Wire along the outer rim of a prison…
In walks Lady Gaga in escorted by female wrestler-lookin guards…
Okay, so here we go on another crazy-hyped Lady Gaga video. For what its worth, I dig these videos because they remind me of MTV heyday (i.e. – the 80′s when music videos were actually on instead of 77 reality shows featuring the crazy antics of goofballs and maniacs…). Her vids are interesting because they make no sense whatsoever…Good stuff…But I digress.
She’s thrown in her cell and of course stripped of her clothes (that’s what happens in female prisons, right?) Cut to the next day(?) and she’s escorted out to the “Yard”. She’s wearing the stereotypical sunglasses made of burning cigarettes and wrapped in ‘stylish’ chains (that’s what happens in female prisons, right?) and of course her presence causes quite a stir…
One girl on girl kiss later and an announcement comes over the PA that Gaga has a phone call… (The song is called telephone, so that makes sense…). Now she’s suddenly back inside and dressed differently watching some fights among inmates. Another PA announcement. This time its Beyonce calling her (so I guess its more important so she answers…). Note the Diet Coke can hair curlers… Way to think on your feet in prison!
Unfortunately she can’t hear Beyonce because she’s kinda busy (being in Prison and all…). But she does have time to dance in studded bikinis with some of her prison pals, so that’s good.
Back in her cell, she’s now apparently run out of clothes (maybe the prison laundry system is down?) so again, she’s crafted a lovely crime scene tape outfit. Covers the important parts but allows her to continue this happy go-lucky prison dance that’s going on (only now in her cell…)
Good news! Some “idiot” has bailed her out! Time to throw on a giant hat and march on out of this crazy dance prison…
It’s Beyonce who’s bailed her out. And even better, she brought some sort of snack cake! Very thoughtful as I’m sure the prison food wasn’t very tasty. Beyonce isn’t too happy tho’, pointing out that she’s been a “very very bad girl Gaga…” They speed off and have a wonderful conversation about cows and mirrors and trust and something…
Beyonce begins singing and Lady Gaga takes some fantastic Polaroids. Its important to document this crazy road trip I suppose…
Cut to a diner where Beyonce is meeting up with an old flame(?). He must not be her favorite bestest buddy because she drops some poison in his coffee. Bummer for him…
Gaga meanwhile is on a TV show(?) called “Let’s Make a Sandwich”. She’s dressed in appropriate ‘chef’ attire complete with shear body suit, white apron and dual sided telephone hat… Lots of “helper-dudes” with heavy eyeshadow are also on this show to help by singing into breads and shoving wisks down their throats…Nothing we’ve not seen a hundred times on the Food Network… During this Beyonce is now in a hotel room while still being at the Diner…
Sandwich complete, we now get the exciting recipe for some sort of poison. She doesn’t appear to follow the directions very closely, but its a music video so we shouldn’t be expecting a ton of accuracy…
Now Gaga is at the diner serving the “poison” treats… Again she’s shown her remarkable craftiness by crafting a phone receiver out of her hair and covering her eye. Depth perception is not necessary in waitressing, everyone knows that…
Uh oh! Everyone in the diner has now eaten the poison and drops dead in their breakfasts… Oh dear, plot twist! That can only mean one thing!
Wonder Woman Dance Montage!!!
Wait… Not so fast… Time to speed off in the truck and then its night and time to dance in a leopard print outfit in front of the truck…
Er, whoops. My bad. Daytime and new outfits and more dancing near the back of the truck. It’s very confusing at this point. They should really get on the road and stop with all the costume changes because the news report flashed and showed the cops are on the lookout for these two crazy kids…
They’ve decided to do the right thing and head on out of town… Ah, happy endings. They vow “never to come back”…and they speed off into the sunset.
Unfortunately a helicopter is right on their tail… But they don’t seem too worried…
Great…”To be continued…” isn’t that always the worst.
Not sure what to say…Kinda funny but felt a bit like being weird just to be weird… Wasn’t that what Tom Green was doing many years ago (and a little better…)??
