The Colouring Box

My favourite movie show, Kermode and Mayo's Film Review, recently ran an excellent short film competition entitled "Well Done U".  As the title suggests, the challenge was to create a two minute feature which, if classified, would receive a U certificate.  This meant that a 120 second orgy, or two minutes of extreme violence, would not be considered, and as such the film makers had to use their imagination to maintain interest and a decent narrative for the allotted duration.  (On a side note, this makes it seem as if I am only satisfied by ultra-violent, sexually explicit films, and I can assure you this is not the case...).  The results were surprising and full of fantastic ideas, and in the end a short by director Philip Chidell entitled "Pong" achieved first place.  All of the shortlisted films can be viewed here, but I wanted to draw your attention to my favourite of the runners up, a highly imaginative piece by director John Powell called "The Colouring Box".

Kou Kou

There's something oddly transfixing about this beautiful animation, Kou Kou by Takashi Ohashi. The biologist in me can't help but think of the movement of cells undergoing meiosis and mitosis etc,. Though in Ohashi's words:

"Kou Kou is a visual work based on an abstract animation, synchronized with a song comprising the unique syllabic sounds of the Japanese language, without actually using any full words."

What do you see?

Parks & Recreation

For the last few weeks, we have been watching one TV show solidly without shame: Parks and Recreation.  If you are yet to see it, I have posted a few clips below to whet your appetite, but I urge you to watch all 5 seasons of what is definitely the best American sitcom of the last few years.

The Me Bird

Amanda's Boudoir

The Me Bird is an animated interpretation of a poem by Pablo Neruda which goes by the same name. 

Created by 18bis (a Brazil based multidisciplinary design animation studio) it manages to capture that transfixing yet slightly sinister quality of musical jewelry boxes. There are a lot of after effects in this animation - something I'd normally be slightly scaving of, but I have to admit, used here - it works! What do you think?

N.B note to Joe, is it just me - or are we living up to our gender stereotypes somewhat (computer games vs. ballet?)

The Overview Effect

A thought and a film for Friday:

“Only philosophers embark on this perilous expedition to the outermost reaches of language and existence. Some of them fall off, but others cling on desperately and yell at the people nestling deep in the snug softness, stuffing themselves with delicious food and drink. 'Ladies and Gentlemen,' they yell, 'we are floating in space!' But none of the people down there care”

― Jostein Gaarder, Sophie's World

OVERVIEW from Planetary Collective on Vimeo.

The overview effect coined by Frank  White in 1987 is the way in which an astronauts perspective is transformed concerning the earth and mans place on it. To many, it can no longer be viewed as an inert lump of rock, but an alive, fragile, interconnected, super organism. Perhaps it's about time we started taking care of it ...