Category: Inspiration

Classroom :: Geography

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Geography class always took place in a hot and stuffy room in the upper region of the science building at my school.  The only thing that kept us from falling asleep was our eccentric teacher who insisted on using herself as a human protractor by laying on the desk and using her arms and legs to show the various angles.  We never forgot that particular topic.

As mentioned in my posted On the Map, I have a thing for maps.  I was never much for globes growing up, probably because we never had one at home, but I’ve found a new appreciation for them as I get older.  After seeing this video it’s kind of hard to not appreciate them when you realize how much work goes into making one- that is if you make one by hand.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/63511505 w=640&h=360]

Cabnine FIlms

Originality :: Life & Death

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“The Boundaries which divide life from death

Are at best shadowy and vague.

Who Shall say where the one ends,

And where the other begins?”

Edgar Allan Poe

Saskia Kretzschmann

The topics of death seems to be a theme this time of year. The garden annuals are dying away, the days are getting darker and we celebrate holidays surrounding death- All-Hallows-Eve, Dia de los Muertos… you get the idea.

So did Edgar Allen Poe.  Perhaps this is not the most morbid interpretation of some of Poe’s work (because as anyone that knows anything about Poe, knows he wasn’t the most uplifting poet) yet I think this conveys this time of year perfectly.

Despite the depressing quality of his work, Poe seems to have described the gray line that separates us from life and death.  Though many have tried, there is no way of really knowing what separates us from the other side and what happens after we take our last breaths.  At the very least this short animation makes the grayness seem a little less daunting and actually makes it seem beautiful.

Originality :: Masking Tape

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GNARLY BAY

Haven’t we all found ourselves playing with fruit stickers at some point in our lives?  You know how when you pull that sticker off your piece of fruit, you have no where to put it and find yourself rolling and unrolling it unconsciously?  Ok, so perhaps you haven’t but I sure have.  Having played with stickers, it has never occurred to me to make art using this same method.  If only we all had something so simple yet calming to help us unwind.

Not only do I find this concept intriguing and therefore making the film engaging, I love the cinematography and love the flow.  Some of these profile videos seem a little stagnant because it stays within the studio.  This video seems to get away from that and flows beautifully.

To see more of the artist’s work, click here.

Originality :: Editing genius

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I know that I have posted a video by this guy before, but I love his editing.  I can’t imagine how much footage he collects during his vacations to make his films.  Personally, when I’m on vacation, I try not to think about cameras or anything to do with work.  Obviously this guy has a gift in both capturing amazing footage and being very productive while vacationing.

So here you are, parts I and II of Italy.  Enjoy!

Matty Brown

Originality :: Chalk Drawings

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SnowGlobe Studios

When I think of chalkboards, I think of screeching noises and sneezing.  Just thinking about the screeching noise makes my teeth hurt, but seeing these drawings dulls the feeling.  I love the contrast of light and dark in this film and the editing beautifully done.

I like to think of this chalkboard art kind of like camera work.  We don’t realize how physical art can be, especially in the creation stage.  Here, Peter Han uses his whole body to create his artwork- cameramen do the same.  They have to use their whole body to get some of the shots that they get.

When I was in film school last year, we had an instructor who had us move around and do a combination of yoga, breathing exercises and martial arts.  On camera, every movement counts including every breath and heartbeat.  By having us practice these movements, we became more aware of our bodies and how our movements translated to the big screen.  This is exactly what Peter is trying to teach to his students.

Sometimes by using your whole body, you can make something even more impact on your audience.

Originality :: Sand Designs

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Light Color Sound

I’ve always admired those who can create something so beautiful even when they know that it will disappear soon after.  How someone can spend so much time on something so beautiful only to have it disappear?

I find this film mesmerizing and calming- something I think the artist feels when he’s creating his art, hence why this film and the music work so well to convey the reason for the time and effort that goes into something so brief.

Harvest :: Office Farming

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imageMILL

The Japanese are known for their utilization of every little bit of space that they can find.  I suppose it is extremely important considering how the population size in such a small country.  This is taking space usage to an extreme.  Growing most of the fresh food served in the office cafeteria in the same building that it is consumed in.  Ingenious idea!

Think about it. If every company used their office space as efficiently as this company we could eliminate a huge amount of food pollution etc. Probably not a very likely solution to providing fresh local food even for city dwellers, but it is an interesting concept.  Maybe we could find something in the middle… Something between growing everything onsite and trucking it in.  I wonder what that would look like?