tween

Thats right folks… let the drooling commence!
+ www.motiontheory.com

Just got word about another Gatorade spot from Method. Check out “Challenger,” which is conceptually very similar to “Better Than Water,” minus all the CG.

I actually think it’s pretty interesting to compare the spots. Which do you prefer? Why?

This show open for VH1’s “Matzo and Metal: A Very Classic Passover” speaks for itself.

Great job, Hornet.

Andrew Bell sent word about two pieces he’s worked on with Cream O’ the Cropper Method Studios. Here’s the first spot, a wicked, CG-heavy spot for Gatorade.

And here’s the second spot, a warm, abstract piece for Frou Frou that was featured at RESFest.

Thanks, Andrew. Keep it up, chief!

If you like oculart, you’ll love the insanely bizarre style of Myron Campbell. Another beautifully twisted soul who also uses flash to create some of the most extraordinary art, motion, and sound work i’ve seen online. check out his new site and see for yourself!

+ www.notsosimpleton.com

Let’s not beat around the bush: I’m writing this to the readers out there who haven’t made up their minds whether or not they should buy a subscription to Stash. Some of you are utterly opposed to Stash; some of you are true believers. That’s fine. Keep on keepin’ on, my brothers and sisters. This one goes out to the Doubting Thomases.

What is Stash?
I can’t put it any better than the editors of Stash themselves: Stash features ouststanding animation, VFX and motion graphics for design and advertising.

Every month, Stash puts out a DVD/booklet combo that showcases nearly 30 projects of varying length and purpose. As the tagline says, the DVD is a well-balanced blend of animation, VFX and mograph, with a few spots that mix all three into a kind of visual orgy (I’m thinking mainly of Psyop’s work right now). Some of the DVD features include "Behind the Scenes" goodies, giving you a (sometimes hilariously entertaining) glimpse at the processes behind the works. The booklet does a great job of setting up and documenting each piece on the DVD, including interviews and other content to keep you busy while your DVD player spins up.

Honestly, I’m not sure how they do this every month. They must have caffeine on an IV drip. Poor bastards. I love ‘em for it, though.

"I’ve Seen All This Stuff Already"
Coming from someone who doesn’t watch TV (no really, I don’t), you might doubt me when I tell you that no, you haven’t seen all this stuff already. But trust me, you haven’t. There’s stuff from all over the place here, including student work and short films that don’t get played on mainstream media.

Even if you have seen this stuff, chances are you either saw some shitty, stamp-sized version on the web or you caught a fleeting glimpse of it on TV. Watching these spots with your remote in one hand and a brewskie in the other is a truly wonderful experience. You can take as much time as want inching frame-by-frame forwards and backwards through your favorite spot, just as I did about ninety times with the Skype spots on Stash 07 (the latest issue).

"It’s Too Expensive"
I have to call bullshit on this one. I’ve heard a couple people complain about this, but the argument really doesn’t hold water. Yes, if you buy each DVD singly, it’ll set you back $35. That’s still not "expensive," though, given the quality of the materials and the variety of work you get.

If you (or your company) can come up with $228 ($199 for students), you get a year subscription of 12 issues, making each DVD $19 ($16.58 for students, if my math is correct). That is ridiculously cheap. I don’t care who you are, that’s a great deal. If you can’t afford the lump sum of a year’s subscription, you can go monthly for $27.50, which is still a good deal.

Most Importantly: Context
We’re addicted to reels. We gobble them up like White Castle sliders. We just can’t seem to get enough.

The problem is, we’re often missing the bigger picture. A reel is just a bunch of tightly-cut, whizbang graphics designed to get your pulse thumping and your eyeballs salivating. It doesn’t really take you anywhere.

The pieces on Stash are complete pieces, which means they have something vital that reels can’t possibly offer: context. I’ve preached before about the importance of narrative and a strong concept, and these pieces show what happens when everything lines up just right. Some of the best ad agencies and creative minds in the world have dreamed up the spots on Stash, and their creative puissance shines through.

Continue to gobble up reels (I know I will), but balance out your diet with some truly sustaining work.

some real solid motion and identity work coming from this lil’ studio.

I just ordered IdN’s Flips 8: Moview. I hate to undercut the IdN online store, but I bought it from Amazon and saved $15.

And yes, I realize I didn’t make my Stash post as planned last night. It will be coming soon…

I seem to be settling into a pattern of sorts. Because I’m so busy during the week, I have to make these big combo posts on the weekends. I’d prefer to make smaller posts throughout the week, but I often don’t have time. Or maybe I’m just lazy. I’m not really sure.

Today, I’m actually planning on making two big posts: this one, and then, later this evening, a post reviewing Stash, the monthly broadcast design, animation and visual effects DVD magazine.

On with the news!

Sinisa Sumina: Some Kind of UFO Blah Blah Blah
Serbian designer/animator Sinisa Sumina has whipped up “Some Kind of UFO Blah Blah Blah,” a quirky visual ride through some wonderful antique imagery. Reminiscent of MK12’s “Man of Action” and “Macho Box,” this piece is worth a gander. Keep up the good work, Sinisa!

Massive Industries: Absolut Level
Massive Industries announced recently that the directorial team of Chris Staves (Massive Industries) and Marco Spier (Psyop) completed “The City,” a :15 spot for Absolut’s new super-premium vodka “Level” via TBWA/Chiat/Day. Lovely visuals. no?

Tronic: Formavision/Sharp
A while back, Tronic was commission to create a installation piece for a Sharp-sponsored, Formavision-curated show in NYC. They’ve posted the video, and it’s very, very pretty. The undulating tubes and sparse sound design gradually escalate until you reach an explosively gentle climax. Nice. I think Tronic has always been good at creating this kind of aesethic tension.

By the way, a full-res version of this piece can be found on the Stash 07 DVD.

Delicious 9: Caribou
These guys almost slipped through the cracks. (My apologies, Delicious 9.) Check out their videos for Canadian act Caribou.

Nina Paley: Ramayana
My buddy Chris Palazzo caught a good link from BoingBoing to an animated series by Nina Paley that brings the ancient Hindu epic of Ramayana to life. It appears, however, that bandwidth limitations have been exceeded and the video is a little harder to find now.

Try the original BoingBoing post or Nina Paley’s site for more info.

xplsv.tv: motion graphics portal
Add xplsv.tv to your list of portals. Good stuff on there. I think they’re going to start syndicating Tween posts, too!

check out the featured article over at CG Networks to watch and learn more about the making of this masterpiece!