From Here To Nocturnity

Moving to a new place

2010-09-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing against Blogger, but I've decided to move my blog over to Tumblr. Check it out!

Staple City

2010-04-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

Artist Peter Root created a miniature cityscape using 100,000 standard staples. It is called Ephemicropolis and the creation took 40 hours. Crazy thing is that this is a temporary installation, and some janitor will eventually have to come by and sweep this up. Watch the 'making of' video (with cool timelapse) here.

Tattoo You

2010-04-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

The moodINQ programmable tattoo system helps take the regret out of permanent tattoos. The system require the implanting of a grid of e-ink (called a canvas) into your skin, which heals in 2-3 days and remains active in your skin for life, then you use the 'wand' and included software to decide what ink you want. When you get tired of the tat simply choose another design and use the wand again. The system is going for $150 on ThinkGeek, but does not include the implant of the canvas. I don't think this will exactly solve the problem of bad taste in tattoos but at least those people can update their Taz tats with Spongebob or something.

Some like it hot...and dimensional

2010-04-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

Heatswell is a material that, when heated, reacts by changing it's shape by way of an endothermic reaction. Heatswell is just one of many awesome creation by Scott Amron at Amron Experimental.

Creationist Theory

2010-03-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

I have been a long time fan of Colorado-based artist Evan Hecox. He has been commissioned by everyone from Chocolate Skateboards to Target. His latest collaboration is through the continuing series or products by Incase (curated by Arkitip). This video shows Evan as he creates some of his awesome work.

"Lions" Music Video

2010-03-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

This only kinda qualifies as a 'shameless self-promotion" because I'm really promoting my friend's band Pacific Theater. The video was made by James Gannon, Joseph Gannon and myself.

Full credits:
Written & Directed by James P. Gannon, Joseph K. Gannon, Matt Ferrin
Cinematographer: Peter Yoon
Editor: James P. Gannon
Cast: Erin Rudy, James D. Cochran, Anna Gannon, Joseph K. Gannon, Mike Bain, Alex Habet, Matt Ferrin

Logorama

2010-03-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

Tucked among the many Hurt Locker wins at the Oscars last night was the award for best animated short film. Logorama, the winner, constructs an entire world out of brands' logos and mascots.

In his acceptance speech, producer Nicolas Schmerkin, acknowledged his lack of permission to use the trademarks by saying, "... I have to thank the 3,000 non-official sponsors that appear in the film. And I have to assure them that no logos were harmed in the making of the project."

Watch the entire film here.

Tick Tock

2010-03-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

A while back, I wrote a post on the coolest keyboard I've ever seen. The super awesome designers at Art Lebedev Studio have done it again. The Segmentus is an analog version of a digital clock. And I want one.

Is That Freedom Rock? Well, Turn It Up Man!

2010-03-05T05:17:00.000-08:00

Warning: self-promotion. Earthstock is a virtual rally for climate change. It draws in feeds from Twitter and Facebook collecting the chatter on the issue. You can post/tweet from within the site. The site is part of a larger campaign we created for Consequence, a coalition of environmental and youth activist groups.

Puzzle House

2010-02-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

When the Sherry-Klinsky family hired architectural designer Eric Clough, they didn't know the journey they were about to embark on. Clough met with the family which triggered the idea of embedding a series of puzzles and riddles throughout the apartment. The result is a luxury Upper East Side apartment that doubles as a game. A real-life version of the popular 'escape the room' style games. Read the story here.

J.D. Salinger 1919 - 2010

2010-01-28T10:51:00.000-08:00

"I live in New York, and I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park, down near Central Park South. I was wondering if it would be frozen over when I got home, and if it was, where did the ducks go? I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away."
- The Catcher In The Rye, J.D. Salinger

Rest In Peace.

Miniature Mars

2010-01-27T15:10:00.000-08:00

I've always been obsessed with small things. From action figures to dioramas for school projects, I have alway loved looking at the world through the eyes of a small being. That coupled with the use of ordinary materials to create these miniature landscapes is why I love the work of Matthew Albanese. The Martian landscape above was created with paprika, cinnamon, thyme, chili powder, charcoal. Check out some behind-the-scenes photos on his facebook page. While there, you should become a fan.

Record Everything

2010-01-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

For the fifth year in a row (officially), designer Nicholas Feltron has released his Annual Report. Feltron painstakingly collects data on several aspects of his day-to-day life. He then consolidates the data and the result are these wonderful visualizations.

Swaying Office

2010-01-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a rain storm with heavy wind gusts moved through NYC. This video shows my office building actually swaying back and forth.

It's The Time... Of The Season For Col...or

2010-01-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

What I love the most about data visualization is that, when done right, it equally pleases both hemispheres of the brain. The above project, entitled Flickr Flow is a great example. It was created with an algoithim that uses colors found on Flickr from images of Boston Common. Summer is at the top . This visualization is the work of Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg, who do this for a living at IBM's Visual Communication Lab.

Digital Arts

2010-01-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

This beautiful film called The Third & The Seventh was completely constructed using CG software. The film is by Alex Roman who directed, modeled, edited, and composed the score as well. If you are skeptical that this is all CG, check out his video showing the compositing process.

'sploded!

2009-12-18T11:30:00.001-08:00

These are a couple of shots from a series of 'exploded' photographs by Austin-based photographer Adam Voorhes. His other series include creations out of office supplies, extreme close-ups of eyeballs, and guitars used by famous Austin, um guitarists.

The Zombie Attack Will Be Googlized

2009-12-08T10:41:00.000-08:00

Zombie Outbreak Simulator' is not so much a game as it is a disturbing Google Maps view of what a real zombie attack in a suburban setting might look like. But it will be a game called Class 3 Outbreak, as you play as one of the brain-possessing humans, trying to survive in an ever more zombified world. Class 3 Outbreak is still in development by game makers Binary Space.

CO2 Cubed

2009-12-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Right now diplomats, world leaders, scientists and activists are all heading to the fair Danish city. This is the biggest meeting about climate change since the Kyoto Protocol. Which, under G.W. Bush, was smirked at and dismissed by the United States. But hopes are high this time around.

The image above is an installation in Copenhagen by artist Alfio Bonanno and architect Christophe Cornubert. The piece is 27ft. cubed, which visualizes the average carbon footprint of a single person in a month. It will feature video content with real-time data and streaming footage from the convention.

Bricks And Paper

2009-11-20T07:32:00.000-08:00

In an unlikely, but awesome co-branded product release, Muji (the Japanese minimalist product design company) and Lego (the Danish Toy company) have joined up to create a very cool mashup product. Using paper cutouts and a custom Lego peg holepunch you can create all kinds of fun little things. I'm not sure if this is only available in Japan (I can't read Japanese, sorry).

Smoke 'Em

2009-11-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

Slow motion video of the demolition of an iconic, albeit ugly, part of the Philadelphia skyline. Amtrak Steam Plant smokestack, often referred to as 'The Shaft' or the 'Drexel Shaft'. The video was shot by Drexel film student Kevin Martin.

See With Your Mind Not With Your Eyes

2009-11-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

The EyeWriter is a device that reads eye movement and translates the movement into an image. In the video above we see graffiti artist Tony Quan (Tempt One) using the device from his hospital bed, where he is confined due to the effects of Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS).

It's Not Virtual Reality. It's REALality

2009-11-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

British artist Marc Owens created this virtual reality suit that puts the wearer into a virtual world. A world that is full of scary terrorists and totalitarianistic governments...THE REAL WORLD. Not the MTV show, our world, the one we really live in...this shouldn't be confusing.

Home For The Hulu Days

2009-11-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Wow, that title is way too cleaver. Anyway, Hulu has launched it's desktop application called, you guessed it, Hulu Desktop. It is pretty slick and the controls are very intuitive.

Mount Up

2009-11-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

This is the OWLE Bubo, an iPhone mount that adds a 37mm wideangle lens and a vericorder microphone. The apparatus also provides hand grips for stabilizing your shots and standard mounts for camera flashes and tripods. The unit is for sale at an introductory rate of $99.95.

From Here To Wha?

2009-10-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

From Here to Neutrality www.thedailyshow.comI get it. I'm just some silly little blog with a readership in the range of 1 to 3 people. Who cares if you steal the name of my blog(well almost).

Seriously though. The fact that John McCain is getting involved in Net Neutrality thing is scary. This is a guy who, when asked if he went online said: "They go on for me(his aides). I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself."

Thanks to reader #1(tied), Jack Kodiak for the spot on this.

Chiaroscurology

2009-10-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

The artist collective known as Sweatshoppe, headed by multimedia artist Bruno Levy, developed the 'video painting' technology seen in the video above. The special light roller triggers a projector to 'paint' the surface.

Phantom Tollbooth

2009-10-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Windosill is game from Vector Park. It has some of the smoothest, prettiest web-based animation I have seen. Windosill, like Vector Park's other games are more visual riddle than a game that actually makes sense. Try not to be too logical.

Wading Pool

2009-10-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

Artist Alex Lukas creates these mixed media pieces from found photographs(mostly from old books)which he paints over top of. As I write this post I am in one of the buildings in the image. Luckily I'm on the 30th floor, so nothing to worry about.

Clean Energy Scares Corporate Fat Cats

2009-10-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

If the United States starts really working toward a clean energy economy now it could have a ripple effect that could actually make a huge difference in our world. Here's how:

1. In December the United Nations Climate Change Conference is happening in Copenhagen. This is a big deal. If you recall, under the Bush Administration, the United States did not take part in the Kyoto Protocol, a global treaty to combat climate change. Copenhagen is basically part two of Kyoto. If the US doesn't make some real movement towards progress in cutting it's CO2 emissions, other countries will potentially start backing out.

2. Less than a month ago, Senator's Kerry and Boxer introduced a bill entitled the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. This bill, if paid attention to, could be the exact step in the right direction this country needs to show that clean energy, and carbon emission reduction are something we are taking very seriously in this country.

3. Right now all those typical DC lobbyists (representing big oil and pals) are pressuring 'on-the-fence' Senators to stay away from energy reform. They are saying all kinds of unfounded things from it will drive up the cost of energy to extreme things like global warming is a myth. This is not good. If these are the only voices these Senators are hearing, they may just believe them.

4. A real clean energy economy in this country will create tons of new jobs, stimulate our economy and reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

Ok, so it's been a long post. And this issue has many more components and can get very confusing very fast. But if you agree that Climate Change in real, and that we need our government to take a leadership role in protecting the environment, email your senator. It takes less than a minute.

Today is Blog Action Day for Climate Change.

2009-10-15T08:03:00.001-07:00

Fantastic Mr. Anderson (and gang)

2009-10-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

The above video shows how Wes Anderson's newest film, a stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox was made. Anderson would sketch out or act out a scene, send it to the animators, they'd shoot the scene, and then using a system developed for the production called FishCat, Anderson could log on and review the footage, any footage, from anywhere, at anytime.

The film was completely shot on Nikon D3 stills. 621,450 of them.

The Making of Fantastic Mr. Fox in book form, published by Rizzoli, designed by Pentagram will be released November 3rd (link).

Bricklayer

2009-10-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Say hello to R-O-B. He is a robotic arm that builds walls out of brick. Isn't that cute? But the walls he builds are more like sculpture than construction.

You can see R-O-B in action on Pike Street in Manhattan (bet. E. Broadway and Division). The construction runs until October 27th. R-O-B was created by Gramazio & Kohler Architecture and
Digital Fabrication from Zürich, Switzerland and is a project supported by the Storefront for Art and Architecture.

(via L Magazine)

This is not my beautiful search result.

2009-10-09T13:45:00.000-07:00

Getting the search results you want can be so boring. Sometimes you want to get other people's search results. And now you can! Mystery Google serves you the search results of the last person that used the site, and your results go to someone else. Fun. Pointless. But Fun.

Do The Wave

2009-10-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Email is so Y2K. Google Wave aims to reinvent the way people communicate digitally. This video isn't actually from Google, it is from Epipheo Studios, a company that makes a living at communicating. Digitally. Go figure.

PhotoWha?

2009-10-06T06:51:00.000-07:00

A new application is in the works called PhotoSketch. All a user needs to do is draw a remedial sketch of what sort of image they are trying to create and tag objects with keywords. The program scours the internet and finds appropriate images, pieces them together and voila! If this works like is seems to in this video, I will need to get a hobby to fill in the hours I would normally spend doing this. Yah technology!! PhotoSketch made it's premiere at Siggraph Asia and was created by a joint venture between the Department of Computer Science + Technology, Tsinghua University, + The National University of Singapore. It is not commercially available yet.

(via Gizmodo)

Zines To Go

2009-10-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

Back in my day, if you were to self-publish a 'zine' you spent hours drawing, cutting, Xeroxing and stapling. Kids have it so easy these days. MagCloud is a magazine publishing site that prints the publication when an order comes in. Anyone can self-publish a magazine through their site. They will even send you a proof for your approval. Maybe it's time for issue 2 of 1999's Fossilized Remains Of A Letter To A Girlfriend.

Consequence Video

2009-09-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

**Shameless Self-Promotion Warning**
Created by SS+K with animation by Pistachios from Blacklist and original music by Ant Food and voiceover by some nobody.

Consequence is the largest coalition of environmental groups ever formed to push for action on global warming. Tomorrow a piece of legislation will be introduced by Senator's Boxer and Kerry on climate change and clean energy jobs.

If you feel so inclined, it is very important that your senator hear your opinion on this.

Smoke Monster

2009-09-29T07:25:00.000-07:00

Argentinian motion graphics designer Esteban Diácono created this beautiful music video. The track, entitled Ljósið, is by Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds, who liked it so much that he made it the official video of the song. If the iTunes visualizer looked like this, I'd actually use it.

Is there life on Mars...

2009-09-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Actually no, we haven't secretly colonized Mars. The above photograph was taken in Sydney, Australia during a massive red dust storm that affected the city today. It is the worst to hit the city in 70 years. More eerie photos of the Marian-like conditions can be found at The Big Picture.

Caution: Wild Animals

2009-09-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of the release of Spike Jonze film adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are, a pop-up store in Los Angeles has, um, popped up. The store housed in the Space 15Twenty gallery features amazing display art similar to that featured in the film. They are also selling original art prints and shirts inspired by the film by artist Geoff McFetridge. All proceeds from the store will go to 826LA, a non-profit group that helps kids with writing skills and tutoring.

(via Kitsune Noir)

Post Hoax

2009-09-22T09:23:00.000-07:00

50,000 fake copies of the New York Post were distributed around NYC yesterday. In the faux publication all the news, including the ads, centered around climate change. The content wasn't all jokes though, it contained stories that were very much based on current knowledge of climate change and clean energy. The group known as The Yes Men were behind the prank. You may remember a similar hoax they did with the New York Time with a front page headlines that read 'Iraq War Ends'. The stunt corresponds with the UN summit where most of the attention is on the environment and the climate.

Monopoly Goes Global

2009-09-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

Monopoly, the game that always sounds like a good idea until after 2 hours of gameplay, your stubborn friends form an alliance that create a virtual stalemate, making a the game last way too long. Good times.

Well, what would happen if those original 20something properties turned into the a worldwide grab for the most popular streets of the world? You'd get Monopoly City Streets, a game that is played out in Google Maps. This virtual game corresponds with Hasbro's release of the Monopoly City board game and was done with the direct help of the Google Maps crew.

The game launched last week but due to technical issues related to overwhelming response and reports of cheating, the game will reset and begin again today. Check the blog for updates.

Image used if from an ad campaign by JWT Frankfurt.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Efficiency

2009-09-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

When I think about governmental computing infrastructure two images come to mind. One is of Tony Scott films, where secret government organizations are outfitted with futuristic technology, tracking our every move. The other image is that of every other government group working on dusty computers that still require over-sized server rooms to run tasks any iPhone can do.

All that is about to change. Today the US gov launched Apps.gov, a portal to a host of software that will update, streamline and increase efficiency for the 100+ government agencies. It is also the introduction of 'cloud computing' to our government. Cloud computing isn't anything new, just new to the dinosaur that is many aspects of our government. The site even offers social media apps!

It's amazing the difference a new administration can make.

Breathing Fire

2009-08-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

This video was shot by Dan Blank, a filmmaker who normally works in stop-motion animation. It was taken a couple of days ago of the, still raging, wildfires north of Los Angeles. Other filmmakers (there are a few in LA) have also turned their cameras to the billowing smoke of the fire. Check out Eric Spiegelman's similarly breathtaking timelapse videos of the wildfire.

Also, interesting to note here is that the fires are now threatening to destroy several communication and cell towers as well as the Mount Wilson Observatory. The observatory's 'towercam' has since become a popular way to view the wildfire in real-time. For how long, depends on the wild direction and the efforts of the fire dept.

Worlds Collide

2009-08-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Walt Disney Corporation bought Marvel Entertainment, including it's roster of over 5,000 characters, for approx. 4 billion dollars. Since Disney also owns ABC, Touchstone Pictures, and Miramax, I'm sure the recent surge of superhero movies has only just begun.

Swift Kick In The Ass

2009-08-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I talked about Quirky, a site that invited the public at large to help decide the fate of new products by committing to buy them before they even exist. Similarly, Kickstarter helps creative types of all kind gather the funding they need from regular people. With funding for the arts down to almost nothing, where else can artists get funding? Anyone can submit an idea and a projected budget. Then they just sit back and hope people like the idea enough to though a few bucks their way. Now I know how I'll get the money for that documentary about the Cargo Cult.

(via ATW)

Like Taking Candy From A Baby

2009-08-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the board game Candyland, Lombard Street in San Francisco, famous for being the "crooked-est street in the world", has been turned in a larger than life-sized version of the game. Teams of children dressed in colored shirts served as game pieces and played a sort of live-action version of the game. Hasbro has recently released a new spin-off version of the game called Candyland: Sweet Celebration. The event was created by Coyne PR.

The Ancient War Of Art

2009-08-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

My Alma Mater, Tyler School of Art, recently changed location. It was previously located outside of the Philadelphia city limits, in Elkins Park, PA. Now they have moved into new facilities at the main campus of Temple University in Philadelphia.

Recently cryptic letters were found at the four other Philly-based art schools (Moore College of Art & Design, UArts, PAFA , and The Art Institute) declaring war. Then, a few weeks later Trojan horses (seen above) were placed in the lobby of the same four schools. Because of it's location outside of the city, Tyler had a bit of a reclusive reputation, but this project is a bold declaration of it's intention to be recognized.

Slice Of Life

2009-08-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Artist, Josh Keyes creates painting that combine animals with portions of a man-made environment. The result are these unique slices(literally) of an apocalyptic vision of the world. Keyes was born in the Pacific Northwest and also incorporates imagery, such as bear, deer and totem poles, into his work.

I Think I Can See My House From Here

2009-08-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

The universe is big. No shit. So to take a picture of it, you need a camera that can take big pictures. The ESO (European Southern Observatory) is in the business of making huge ground-based, picture-taking telescopes. Recently they took the image seen above, however that is a much much smaller version. The original image, which took over 40 hours to capture, contains more than 27 million pixels. It is officially the deepest(into space) photo ever taken from Earth. You can download the big one here. It would make nice wallpaper, like, for a real wall not your computer.

(via Slashdot)

Product Development By The People, For The People

2009-08-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

Quirky is a site/service that allows people to submit designs for new product concepts. If visitors like the idea, they can then commit to buy the product. Once a certain number of people commit, the product will go into development and production. The site also relies on its community to help out with making decision throughout the development process. Similar models such as GroupOn (a site that offers exclusive deals to people once a certain number have signed on) or Channel 101 (a video site that user created sitcom pilots are either greenlit or killed depending on user interest). This business model of true public involvement seem more and more common, especially with Americans part owners of banks, car companies, etc.

Water words

2009-08-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

As part of the Tokyo Fibre Senseware exhibit, Atelier Omoyo, a Japanese artist collective, created this piece called Water Logo. It consists of a textile that is extremely water resistant with microscopic beads of water that are pushed through the weaving to form words.

Speaking Of Tron...

2009-08-05T08:33:00.001-07:00

This concept bike, called Pulse incorporates safety features in a very futuristic way. Aside from the glowing frame, this concept also includes LED turn signals in the rear of the seat and on the handlebars. The Pulse bike is by Seattle-based design firm Teague.

(via Core77)

Really Mini Moogs

2009-08-04T16:57:00.001-07:00

Artist Dan McPharlin creates minature replicas of synthesisers from the 1970's. The papercraft keyboard sculptures measure a mere 3 inches across each. McPharlin is also an accomplished illustrator as well, with a style that harkens back to the great science fiction artists of the 1970's. His illustration can be seen on the cover of the most recent Prefuse 73 albums.

Alien World

2009-08-04T11:35:00.001-07:00

Slovakian photographer, Branislav Kropilak takes pictures of desolate man-made structures but shoots them in a way that makes the objects and landscapes feel much more alien than human.

Deadly Discs

2009-08-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

Twenty Eight years after the original film, Tron will have a sequel. Disney's Tron Legacy is to be released in 2010. It will feature Jeff Bridges and the trailer(here in HD), I must say, looks pretty awesome. However, the original LOOKED awesome too, but it lacked a little in story. Hopes are high. The above image is not the real studio poster, but rather an amazing piece of art from James White(aka Signal Noise). And here's another cool fan-made poster from Simon Page.

If Twitter Were A Village

2009-08-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

London-based designer and writer, David McCandless created the above visualization to demonstrate how the Twitter community shapes up if it were a only 100 people. Lately I would definitely fall in with the 50 "lazy" Twitterers.

Back From Vacation

2009-08-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of mind-blowing posts to this site. I was on vacation in Costa Rica (pictures on flickr).

One thing to note, NEVER, EVER, EVER, NERVER, FLY SPIRIT AIRLINES!!! Our flight was canceled. We were stuck in San Jose for nearly 2 extra days. Then our new flight was delayed (along with every other Spirit flight in the terminal). There was hardly ever any Spirit employee in sight, and when there was, they seemed confused and lost. The planes are old and noisy. You even have to buy the water. The list goes on and on. Do yourself a favor and avoid them. The Facebook group Spirit Airlines Sucks shows I am not alone.

Scare Bear

2009-07-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

I don't condone the psychological torture of bear or lion cubs, but man does it make for entertaining television.

(via Everyday I'm Tumblin')

WoW

2009-07-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

More movie news. Sam Raimi has signed on to direct a film adaptation of the World Of Warcraft mmorpg. Now the only question is whether Leroy Jenkins will make a cameo.

Image from Evan Sim's Flickr stream (cc)

Crazy Like A Fox

2009-07-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

Children's books adapted into films is all the rage nowadays. Tim Burton will continue adapting children's book with a live-action Alice In Wonderland featuring, who else, Johnny Depp, as the mad hatter.

But the elementary school library is offering up other big screen debuts. Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are comes out in October and (pictured above) Wes Anderson goes stop-motion with his adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox. According to wikipedia, the trailer for that is to be released on July 31st.

Cental Park Is A Total Waste Of Space

2009-07-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

New Yorkers pass through it's three closest airports more often than they visit Central Park. So, why not make it more convenient?

That is the idea behind the Manhattan Airport Foundation. However, it is only a joke. The first headline you see on the site is: "New York City's largest remaining underdeveloped parcel of land handed down from our great-grandparents generation boldly reimagined by our generation and bestowed as a gift upon our children and grandchildren." The joke is intricately done and the site is thorough, complete with an interview with an "ancestor of Frederick Law Olmsted", the original landscape architect of Central Park.

In the end, the 'project' pans out as a commentary on the greed in our capitalist society and our abuse of the environment, but in an almost believable, Onion-esque, satirical way.

A Farm Grows In Brooklyn

2009-07-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a neighborhood where the ground soil is toxic (due to an oil leak that, over time leaked somewhere between 17 and 30 million gallons of oil into the ground) is probably one of the last places you'd expect to find a 6000 sq ft organic vegetable farm. You just need to look up. Farmers Ben Flanner & Annie Novak found a roof that suited their needs, and created Rooftop Farms. A local film and tv sound stage location, Broadway Stages, was up for some sort of green roof, and were willing to foot the bill for the initial prep needed to get the farm going. Now Ben and Annie grow and sell their produce to local restaurants and keep any profit.

Image from Matthew Kebbekus's Flickr stream (cc)

Projected Earnings

2009-07-20T09:21:00.000-07:00

Dutch company, Nuformer has developed a new method of projecting onto building using 3D video mapping. Once the location is decided on, they recreate the façade of the building using 3D software, allowing the projection to appear to be altering the building itself. Obvious applications are theme parks and advertising, but I'd love to see some guerrilla-style art using this technology.

The Big Blue

2009-07-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

This film was taken at the Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa, Japan. Specifically this tank is called the Kuroshio Sea and it is the second largest in the world, after Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium. The film was shot by John Rawlinson, a Vancouver-based cameraman/editor/producer. The music used in the video is Barcelona, a Seattle-based rock band. Check out a high-res version of the video here in John's site.

No Posts For A Few Days

2009-07-16T15:15:00.000-07:00

Going camping in central Pennsylvania and exploring the modern day ghost town of Centralia, PA, famous for it's underground mine fires that have been burning since 1962.

Image from Angela Parriott's Flickr stream (cc)

I'm Going To Ferrari World

2009-07-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

If you're planning your next vacation, perhaps you should consider the soon to be opened Ferrari World in lovely Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE. It is one of many attractions coming to Yas Island. The opulence of this place is a direct result of the massive amount of money that comes with having 10% of the world's oil reserves. If the sheiks want a Ferrari World, the sheiks get a Ferrari World.

You're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

2009-07-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

Discovery Channel's Shark Week has a tradition of good marketing. This year is no exception. The site frenziedwaters.com recreates several famous shark attacks of the past from a first-person perspective. If you check it out, and you have a facebook account, you MUST click on the last one. Just saying. Beyond the site, the campaign includes a series of mystery capsules that are surfacing(pun) around the country that contain artifacts from other shark attacks. The campaign is by the awesome guys at Campfire, whose past work includes Sega's 'Beta7' and Audi's 'Art Of The Heist'.

Cult Of Gadgetry

2009-07-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Recently launched website gdgt is a place to show off to the world all the gadgets that you've amassed over the years. The site features a growing list of thousands of gadgets from cell phones to video game consoles. After creating an account users can then comb over the list choosing the devices that they have, want, or had. There are full specs on all of the gadgets and users can edit the information (wiki style). The site is the brainchild of former Engadget editor, Ryan Block and Peter Rojas.

Lotsa Space News

2009-07-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

The private spaceflight company SpaceX successfully launched it's first commercially contracted payload yesterday. And today, released it's payload of the Maylaysian satellite RazakSAT into orbit. SpaceX was started by Elon Musk, a co-founder of eBay.

Fourth Time Is The Charm
In other space news, the NASA shuttle Endeavour will attempt it's 4th launch tomorrow(Wed., July 14th). The first two attempts were ditched because of a hydrogen leak. The third was scrapped because of a lightning storm.

Apollo 11 Turns Forty
NASA's got a lot on it's plate. Aside from the above mentioned shuttle launch, they are also gearing up for the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. NASA.gov has a section dedicated to the anniversary.

Forgot To Pack?
I recently stumbled on this list of things that the astronauts left on the surface of the Moon. I understand not wanting to carry the 'Defecation Collection Device' all the way back to Earth but there's some good stuff they left there, including cameras and their spacesuits). The stuff they did bring back plus other Apollo memorabilia is being auctioned off.

The First Iridium Flash I See Tonight

2009-07-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ever look up to the night sky and see a star that seems to move a little? Or one that dissappears? If it wasn't a meteorite or a comet, it was probably an Iridium Flash (or satellite flare). There are hundreds of active man-made satellites orbiting this rock we call home. And they all have these super shiny parts. So, when they turn to a certain angle they directly reflect the Sun's light back to Earth.
If you want to know when to look up and see one of these flashes, you can check out Heavens Above, a site that provides tracking information for satellites and other heavenly bodies.

Image from fdecomite's Flickr stream (cc)

How Viral Are You?

2009-07-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

Magma is a new site that tracks the, um, virality(?) of videos. It feeds in videos from 20 popular video hosting sites and tracks the amount of views, comments, and social media mentions related to the video. With this, they then created some sort of algorithm that give each video a rating from 1 to 11. The site also provides analytic information about each video. Magma's founders liken the site to be to online video what the TV Guide was to television.

Hasta La VISTA

2009-07-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

I know I'm late to the party with this post. Google's Chrome operating system was annouced a couple of days ago. How significant is this? Time will tell. One thing is for sure, Google doesn't screw up all that often. And I bet Microsoft AND Apple are a little nervous.

Pay Me. Pay My Hand.

2009-07-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

A new service was announced by the eBay-owned, online bank PayPal. It's name and tagline kinda say it all. Do Stuff For Money allows users to write up a contract for some task and send it to a friend. Once the task has been fulfilled, PayPal will electronically transfer the money. My favorite request on the site so far:
Bryan offered Jesus $999.00 to "To come forward and prove his existence."

In other PayPal news, they announced the other day the creation of a new global financial platform called Adaptive Payments. I must say, I don't completely understand it yet, but you can read about it here.

Website Within YouTube

2009-07-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Charlotte, NC ad agency BooneOakley created their website to live entirely within YouTube using it's new interactive features. Super fun stuff.

(via @SMazur via theFWA)

Sell Yourself

2009-07-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

This piece of art by Caleb Larsen entitled "A Tool to Deceive and Slaughter" is endlessly trying to sell itself on eBay.com. I'm curious what happens when someone does buy it, does it continue to find a new owner?

Tour de Chalk

2009-07-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Lance Armstong Foundation continues it's partnership with Nike with a new device called Chalkbot. Supporters of LiveStrong's stance against cancer can text a message to the Chalkbot and it will print the message along the path of the Tour de France. This is an upgraded/ motorized version of the idea first created by the people from Bikes Against Bush. The Chalkbot was developed by Deeplocal and Standard Robot.

Webcam Music Video

2009-07-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

This music video by the Japanese band Sour, was shot entirely through webcams. The cast is made up of the bands fans from around the world. Great example of how a good idea doesn't have to be expensive to produce.

Eternal Moonwalk

2009-07-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

As a tribute to the passing of the King of Pop, Studio Brussel, an alternative radio station in Brussels, Belgium, created the Eternal Moonwalk. Anyone can submit their short clip of their best moonwalk, thus creating an endless, or eternal moonwalk. The site was made by ad agency Mortier Brigade and web design gurus Group94. If you submit your moonwalk, let me know.

Augmented Real Estate

2009-06-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Move over 'viral video', move over 'social marketing'... the biggest buzz words in the marketing world right now are 'augmented reality'. It isn't a new concept, it's just that technology has caught up with it. The video above is an interesting example of re-appropriating existing ad space for art projects. Click here to see 35 projects (some better than others) that use augmented realty.

Hiatus

2009-06-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Clouds in Brooklyn after a brief, but violent thunderstorm.

I know no one reads this blog except for lonely ghosts, so I want to apologize to the them for not posting recently. I will get back on top of this blog thing aSap!

Glow-In-The-Dark Puppies!

2009-04-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I love science. You know those sea creatures that glow? Well now puppies can too! Scientists from the Seoul National University, South Korea have created a transgenic puppy by cloning fibroblast cells from sea anemones and inserted them into the DNA of a normal beagle. Her name is Ruppy, and she is one of five cloned pups that glow red under ultraviolet light. I don't think they'll be in PetSmart anytime soon, but I kinda want one.

(via New Scientist)

Get Your Game On

2009-04-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Japan's popular clothing store Uniqlo, has an ongoing series of shirts inspired from some of the most popular (in Japan) video games. The series, cleverly titled Japan Game includes shirts ranging from 80's 8-bit classics like Pac-Man and Ghosts 'n Goblins, to 90's favs like Street Fighter 2 and Tekken.

Analog Photoshop

2009-04-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

Print ad for a software store(and site) in Jakarta, Indonesia called Software-Asli. The 'Sweded' (to use the term from Be Kind Rewind) Photoshop was physically made, complete with mixing acrylic paints for the swatches library.

Color Blind No More

2009-04-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Google Image search has been a priceless resource for me as an art director. I really cannot imagine doing my job without it. And they have just made it a little better by adding the ability to search by keyword and COLOR! As of now there are only 12 colors to choose from but I imagine in the future that number will increase.

Tilt Shift Rescue

2009-04-07T13:50:00.000-07:00

As part of the year long 'Little Sydney' project, filmmaker Keith Loutit has been releasing short films from the project on Vimeo. This film features a fisherman who missteps and becomes stranded in the ocean, prompting the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service to come to the rescue. As Keith says on his page, "This film is 100% 'real'". It is also 100% beautiful.

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These

2009-04-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Although we had film badges at SXSW, there was too much going on to see everything we wanted to. One of the big disappointments was missing the Animated Shorts showings. This film is the reason why. Deservedly, Sweet Dreams won the Special Jury Prize for Animated Short at SXSW. It was written, directed and animated by Kirsten Lepore. I love this cupcake and his adventures.

Special thanks to Henry Hawkes for first sharing the trailer with me.

Luggage Limbo

2009-04-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

via Infosthetics

If the airline cannot find the owner of a lost piece of luggage it will eventually auction off the bag and its contents, donating the proceeds to charity.

Is This Your Luggage? wants to try a little harder to connect the luggage with its owner. The site photographs and displays the contents of each bag that it acquires. If you recognize the contents, you can contact them. The result is part-art project, part-good samaritan.

Letters To The Designer

2009-04-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

Designer Gretchen Nash has carried around a suitcase filled with letters since she was a child. She decided to put her personal ephemera to good use. 'Good use' being an art project in the form of a 530 page tome called Dear Gretchen. All the content from the letters was analyzed and then visualized into wonderful 3D graphs that range from showing the slang words used to the most used verbs. The book also contains every letter with "personal reflections about each of the senders" from the author.

Lay Down a Beat, Mr. La Forge!

2009-03-31T12:28:00.000-07:00

Taking design cues from consoles on fictional spaceships, JazzMutant's multitouch music devices are the future of music in a retro sort of way. JazzMutant offers two products. Lemur which is a sequencer, synthesizer, virtual instrument device and much more, while Dexter handles overall controlling capabilities. Each device runs for less then $2000usd.

Creative Democracy

2009-03-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

When short web clips get seen by millions of people, for free, advertisers may start to question the millions of dollars they are spending on their advertising agency. Really it's just a result of the democratization of creativity. People with ideas can now easily share them with the world. And if the ideas are good, then people will share them even more. Behold the power of the web.

Zooppa is a site that advertisers(including Jones Soda Co., Brooks Running Shoes, Hasbro and Mini) come and offer money for ad ideas. They can take the form of print ads, viral videos, web banners or even just a concept. And anyone can come up with the solution. This is a little scary as it could spell the end of my career.

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-03-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

The trailer for the forthcoming, Spike Jonze directed Where The Wild Things Are is up, exclusively on Apple.com. Watch it, preferably in HD.

Mmmm...BBQ Worm Crisps

2009-03-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

After watching several hours of a Survivorman marathon, you might start to actually crave a roasted mealy worm. But your local grocer is too close-minded to carry worms, of any kind!
The London-based company, Edible will help feed your cravings, however obscure. Their offerings include such delicacies as Oven-Baked Tarantulas, BBQ Worm Crisps, Scorpion Vodka, and the above pictured Toasted Giant Leafcutter Ants. Their wares go beyond just insect-based munchies. They also offer varieties of coffee beans(picked from the feces of the Common Palm Civet Cat or regurgitated from Vietnamese Weasels, your choice). They also offer Apothecary items such as the relaxing Ambergris Wash(made from secretion of a Sperm Whale after it has consumed a Giant Squid, so it's kinda rare stuff).

DHARMA Initiative Ads

2009-03-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

[via NotCot]
The Hamilton, Ontario-based design studio, Hot Meteor created this series of faux ads for the fictional DHARMA Initiative. If you don't watch Lost, then you probably don't get why these are cool. If you don't watch Lost, then you probably are not cool to begin with.

The Sound of Science

2009-03-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

One of the coolest things I saw at SXSW last week was Arc Attack, a musical act that employs 2 'singing' Tesla Coils attached to a keyboard. The dancing electricity isn't just for show, what you are hearing is actual electricity, pure and raw. Unfortunately, when we saw their set, the guy in the Faraday suit experienced some shocks, so he didn't perform his Emperor Palpatine act.

Everyone's An Expert (at something)

2009-03-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

A chatterbot, if you don't know, is an automated piece of software that responds to inqueries in a simulated conversational way. Think Joshua from Wargames. Many of these 'bots' provide answers to questions, while some are more on the novelty-side (like the now-defunct PalinSpeak).

Robots are cool, really cool. But they don't have all the answers. That's where Aardvark comes in. Aardvark works either via email or an instant messaging program (Google Talk, AIM, Windows Messenger). When a member signs up, they are asked to submit a few areas in which they have knowledge. When someone asks a question, it is automatically sent to those people who have knowledge in that area. The result is basically a big throbbing human brain.

Mapping the Known Universe

2009-03-01T14:43:00.001-08:00

When you create a fictional universe, sometimes it gets a little overwhelming to keep track of.

For example, of course everybody knows that Cable is the son of Scott Summers(Cyclops) and Madelyne Pryor (a clone of Jean Grey created my Mr. Sinister). But it may slip your memory that Cable was originally created to destroy Mr. Sinister's once master turned enemy, Apocalypse. But Apocalypse figured out the plan and infected Cable with a "techno-organic virus", but was saved by the Clan Askani by taking him 2000 years into the future.

My point is that, thanks to the recently launched Marvel Universe Connections, you can explore all the links of the 5000+ characters in the fictional comic universe.

Mail Order Hero

2009-02-17T08:59:00.000-08:00

Are you still sitting around waiting for some freak accident to imbue your body with a super power? Wait no more. With the purchase of the above pictured Certificate of Superheroism ($100 usd), you will be officially be recognized as a superhero. The certificate is letterpress printed on artisinal paper. It is a product of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company and was designed by the talented Sam Potts of Sam Potts Inc. He also designed the signage and labels for all the the products at the Superhero Supply Co. store in Brooklyn. If you live in or are visiting New York City, be sure to check out the store and pick up some all purpose Antidote, Helium Gum or all the needs for your new secret identity.

Movie Posters Redux

2009-02-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Continuing with the theme of my previous post, here is different re-envisioning of films. Here, artist/illustrator Tyler Stout, created new movie posters for the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, TX. Unfortunately, most of the posters are sold out already.