99 Rooms

So kewl...Turn your speakers up...

99 Rooms is a unique internet art project that interweaves wall painting, photography, animation and sound in a manner entirely unknown until now. Shortly after its launch in June 2004, more than two million individuals throughout the world have already visited this interdisciplinary composite work of art.

99rooms stemmed from the mystical, often apolocalyptically charming pictures created by Berlin artist Kim Köster within the countless vacated premises of East Berlin‘s industrial sector. Photos of these paintings were initially produced in digital form and then animated through a cooperative effort between Richard Schumann & Stephan Schulz and then subsequently complemented through a personal sounddesign from Johannes Buenemann. The final product of this year long effort is a scintillating intermediary world which invites the observer into an journey through its morbidly-beautiful rooms.

ROSTLAUB Gbr Mainzer Strasse 1, 10247 Berlin, Germany Email: wir@rostlaub.com Kim Köster (The Artist) Richard Schumann (Art Direction) Johannes Bünemann (Sounddesign) Stephan Schulz (Flash / Programming)

Adventures of Jeffery

This is just plain silly to the point of ridiculous,
but it also got a giggle out of me.
If nudity offends - Don't watch.

Adventures of Jeffery

We Feel Fine and I Want You To Want Me

I found the mix of Internet, graphics, animation,
social communities and communication so interesting.

We Feel Fine

We Feel Fine is an exploration of human emotion on a global scale.

Since August 2005, We Feel Fine has been harvesting human feelings from a large number of weblogs. Every few minutes, the system searches the world's newly posted blog entries for occurrences of the phrases "I feel" and "I am feeling". When it finds such a phrase, it records the full sentence, up to the period, and identifies the "feeling" expressed in that sentence (e.g. sad, happy, depressed, etc.). Because blogs are structured in largely standard ways, the age, gender, and geographical location of the author can often be extracted and saved along with the sentence, as can the local weather conditions at the time the sentence was written. All of this information is saved.


The result is a database of several million human feelings, increasing by 15,000 - 20,000 new feelings per day. Using a series of playful interfaces, the feelings can be searched and sorted across a number of demographic slices, offering responses to specific questions like: do Europeans feel sad more often than Americans? Do women feel fat more often than men? Does rainy weather affect how we feel? What are the most representative feelings of female New Yorkers in their 20s? What do people feel right now in Baghdad? What were people feeling on Valentine's Day? Which are the happiest cities in the world? The saddest? And so on.


The interface to this data is a self-organizing particle system, where each particle represents a single feeling posted by a single individual. The particles' properties – color, size, shape, opacity – indicate the nature of the feeling inside, and any particle can be clicked to reveal the full sentence or photograph it contains. The particles careen wildly around the screen until asked to self-organize along any number of axes, expressing various pictures of human emotion. We Feel Fine paints these pictures in six formal movements titled: Madness, Murmurs, Montage, Mobs, Metrics, and Mounds.


At its core, We Feel Fine is an artwork authored by everyone. It will grow and change as we grow and change, reflecting what's on our blogs, what's in our hearts, what's in our minds. We hope it makes the world seem a little smaller, and we hope it helps people see beauty in the everyday ups and downs of life.

- Jonathan Harris & Sepandar Kamvar
May 2006




The interactive installation "I Want You To Want Me", by Jonathan Harris and Sep Kamvar, commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art, for their "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition.

I Want You To Want Me explores the search for love and self in the world of online dating. It chronicles the world's long-term relationship with romance, across all ages, genders, and sexualities, using real data collected from Internet dating sites every few hours.

The piece is presented on a 56" high-resolution touch-screen, hanging vertically on the wall, and was installed at MoMA on February 14, 2008, Valentine's Day.

Musicotherapie

Musicotherapie

So kewl!

Walk In The Woods

OMG - I have no words...

Highlander Independent Animation Studio

I am a huge advocate for anyone doing their own thing - especially in animation.

Today, I got an email from the folks at Highlander Productions in Israel and they tell me they have secured their own distribution channel. Part of their strategy for the Highlander Studio is to locate great animated pitches which haven’t been produced for various bureaucratic reasons and develop them into animated series for this channel. Highlander is officially making a call out to independent animators and writers to send them animated projects and pitches for review. Below is the formal Press Release.

Highlander Independent Animation Studio - PRESS RELEASE

Like many among you we have lost count of the number of mind-blowing ideas that turned into promising pilots only to get buried under a pile of bureaucratic s**t. Instead of complaining (did that a lot too) we decided to find a way and fix what was broken. For the last year we have been working on a secret project that will eventually give us control over our own distribution channel. Originally, we intended it to be a channel for our content only. As our staff expanded we started to realize that for every talented fish we caught, there were thousand others that slipped our net. This is why we decided to open our doors to everyone out there that has created a mind-blowing idea, turned it into a promising pilot and wants it to realize its full potential (bureaucratic s**t aside). Like always, Highlander is only interested in the best that is out there. At the moment we are looking for series at an advanced stage of production (Pilot episode, trailer or teaser).


The general guidelines are:

· Audience: 7-114
· Average episode length: 1-10 minutes
· Full copyright owned by the sender
· The pilot and series have not previously been published, promoted or distributed
· Most importantly: Has to be creative, different, refreshing and watchable

If you have something that fits the bill, send it to: pilots@highlander-prod.com

If on the other hand, keeping in mind that rules are meant to be broken, you have something that does not fit the bill but you still think we would love it. Send it over too; just remember that you are going to be judged on extremely high standards for not obeying the rules.

Good luck,
The Highlander Team
Web: www.highlander-prod.com

Ready IM Fire

From Cartoon Network PR ~

With the chilly winter weather setting in, it’s tempting to curl up inside with some hot chocolate and fuzzy slippers. Now you can do just that while experiencing Cartoon Network’s newest multiplayer game, called “Ready IM Fire.” No actual snow necessary.

The innovative viral game allows users to first dodge snowballs tossed at them by a Cartoon Network character, then gives them a chance to retaliate and throw snowballs at a new targeted friend. These “throws” can then be instant messaged to a friend (by copying and pasting a link), who will in turn dodge their friend’s throws. It’s the fun of a hearty snowball fight without getting freezing slush on your face.

To launch their snowballs, players can choose from popular Cartoon Network characters such as Chowder, Ed (of Ed, Edd and Eddy), Lazlo (from “Camp Lazlo”) and Abby “Numbuh Five” Lincoln (from Kids Next Door).

The game officially launched on Monday,

December 17^th and you can play it here: http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/games/cc/readyimfire/

Happy throwing!

If you want to dodge Angie's snowballs, click here

Xmas Card Competition

I think I liked this one better,
because its a cute bunny
and because it's easier for me to play
Have Fun!

Play the Bunny Game!

Framestore Xmas Card

I get a lot of animated Holiday cards this time of year.
This is by far the best and a lot of fun to play too!

Framestore Xmas Card

..:: CIRCORIPOPOLO GOES AIRTISTIQUE ::..

..:: CIRCORIPOPOLO GOES AIRTISTIQUE ::..

Pascal Has Done It Again!

I posted Pascal's work before on this blog but he has done it again.

His newest animated piece Door is great fun to watch
and seems to almost never end...

WATCH DOOR

Neon Bible

This is fun! An interactive online music video for
The Arcade Fire's track "Neon Bible"

Silly Pink Bunnies

Jeremy Fish of Silly Pink Bunnies has joined forces with Aesop Rock, Ordinary Kids to bring you a new music video that is just too much fun. I love when people who think outside the box approach animation with a new look, design and vision.

Oh, I want an owl suit like the girl with glasses in the video.

Watch the Non Shall Pass Video

Neo-Mickey

Matthew Cruickshank did a re-design on Mickey Mouse
and I really dig it!

Based on a Neo-comic style, Mickey exists in a world of transluscent imagery, shape shifting creatures and detailed patterns. With the help of a power-packed Neo-Suit full of gadgets, Mickey encounters extraordinary creatures from many new worlds, with stories and adventures that extend way beyond our galaxy.

For more info got to Matthew's Blog

Dr. Steel is a Genius!!!

Anyone who has read this blog knows by now I love puppetry, animation, toys, storytelling, music, muppets and anything creative or bizzarre. Well, now I have found Dr. Steel!!! and kiddos his website will keep you busy for hours.

Dr. Steel

Dr. Steel is a musician who preaches that Only YOU can help him take over the world...with the power of rock! In his own words...

Inventor. Entertainer.Visionary.
Dr. Steel is a man of many talents with one, simple goal: To make this world a better place. Through entertainment, Dr. Steel feeds the hungry masses who starve for happiness. "It all comes down to having fun. We spend our lives working so hard, when all we want to do is play. So, let the people play! Let toys fill every moment of our lives!" -Dr. Steel

He who dies with the most toys wins and Dr. Steel sees the winner in us all.

Enter his laboratory and click on the file cabinet to explore his sketchbook is full of fun little animations where the audio is created by his very own vocal chords, sound efx and all.

Just keep clicking and soon you will find his army of toy soldiers. This guy is one of the most creative people I have seen out there in a while and a marketing genius! And his music is so much fun! Explore this mad toy makers fun universe and listen to his mission for toys and our future!! Join Dr. Steel's Army!

http://www.myspace.com/drsteel

http://worlddominationtoys.com/

have fun! ~Angie

The Oculus

Someone please solve this puzzle - I couldn't and its driving me nuts.

Really nice design and animations. ~Angie

The Oculus

Jessica Borutski Blog and Animated Short

Jessica Borutski has a really nice style, love her pug character and this little animated film is so cute!


Jessica wrote on her blog about this little film:
"I made this film early last spring. It has no story really. I just animated to the music. When the music changed the scene changed. It was just for fun.I did get selected for Nick Toons and the Ottawa International Anim Fest,Res Fest and a few other festivals."

I Like Pandas

Coke Ads that rock!

I found these two links in some old bookmarks...converted the files and saved them for posterity...the first one reminds me of my homie - you know who you are ~ Angie

Doggy

Happy Cloud

Psyop Designs Short Films for Coke "Doggy" and "Mr. Happy: Cloud" are part of a series of short viral films commissioned by Coca-Cola to run online and on broadcast. The new campaign introduces viewers to the "Coke Side of Life." Agency W+K: Amsterdam invited artists to submit their personal interpretations of the brief and then paired ideas with new music from up and coming artists.

"Mr. Happy: Cloud" is a 3D piece made to look like clay-mation. It stars two little red mounds of clay, and shows what happens when one tries to cheer the other up. Mr. Happy, aptly named, is the optimist of the duo. In this spot, Mr. Happy finds his little friend being rained upon by a cloud. Turning his clay body into a ladder, Mr. Happy’s generosity allows for his friend to climb up onto the cloud and get out of the stormy weather. In a moment of silly clumsiness, the two friends fall into one another and form the iconic Coke bottle shape.

Agency: W + K Amsterdam
Client: Coke
Spot Title
Mr. Happy: "Cloud,"
Mr. Happy: "Match,"
Mr. Happy: "Suit"
Length: all are :15's, Cloud is also a :20
Release Date: March/April 2006
Creative Directors: Marie Hyon and Zoe Wishart
Director/Designer: Zoe Wishart
Executive Producer: Justin Booth-Clibborn
Producer: Mariya Shikher
3D Animators: Kevin Estey, Miles Southan
3D Artists: Joshua Harvey, Andrew Harper
Cloud Composite in Flame:Chris Staves
Suit and Match Composite in After Effects: Bee Jin Tan
Audio: Brett Goldberg

"Doggy" stars a burping, scratching, farting mutt full of bad attitude and filthy teeth. His whole body exudes "NO!" literally—little word bubbles float up from his fur like dust and grime. This all changes when he comes upon a Coke bottle. Barking and snapping, the unhappy doggy tries to impose his will upon the found bottle. In the end, he accidentally ingests the Coke, and his negativity melts away—going from NoNoNoNoNo to Yesssssss.

Agency: W + K Amsterdam
Client: Coke
Spot title: "Doggy"
Length: :20 and :15
Release Date: March 2006
Creative Director: Marie Hyon
Director/Designer: Mato Bilic
Executive Producer: Justin Booth-Clibborn
Producer: Mariya Shikher
2D & 3D Animators
Joshua Harvey
Kevin Estey
Joe Burrascano
Bee Jin Tan
Mato Bilic
Audio: Soundguild

Tyger

Tyger
Guilherme Marcondes

Angie here...

This little film blew me away. I have always been fascinated by puppets...Especially the Japanese Art of Bunraku. I was able to see a few Bunraku plays when I was working in Osaka and they are sooooo moving and beautiful. A poem by a favorite poet/artist of mine William Blake is used loosely for the story.


The combination of 2D, puppetry, live action and other elements is really fun to watch and the landscape reminds me of my time in Japan even though it was filmed in São Paulo. I think films like this relate to what Glen Keane speaks of in Part 2 of his podcast (see previous posting) where the evolution of the animation aesthetic has a far way to go still and computers and technology are paving the way to push what people see as an animated film.