How are y’all feeling about last night’s Oscar winners? We only watched bits and pieces (I heard Anne Hathaway and James Franco were pretty boring as hosts, which is unfortunate)… but I have to say I was very pleased that The King’s Speech gathered so many honors. It’s an incredible film and if you haven’t seen it yet, you really should. Colin Firth is just kind of adorable.
His wife Livia looked lovely in a Gary Harvey gown created from–get this–eleven vintage gowns from the era of The King’s Speech (1930s). It was part of her “Green Carpet Challenge” (she also wore fair-trade, eco-minded gold jewelry). I love that she chose to go against the grain. And I guess her eco-influence has had an affect on her husband… even Colin’s Tom Ford suit was made from all organic materials.
Ishihara is an amazing short film by Yoav Brill about a young man coming of age with severe color blindness. The entire film is animated using dots inspired by the Ishihara color test. Not only is the execution and animation amazing, but the story is rock solid too. This short particularly resonates with me since I too am color blind, not nearly to the extreme described in this film, but I can’t see the numbers above. The 2 and 4 are faint ghosts while the other two numbers are pretty much invisible if there’s anything at all. Crazy I know, but the only time I’m ever effected by it is when looking at one of these tests.
Wow. This short documentary is simultaneously sobering and heartwarming. I don’t want to get into the politics and the finger pointing, but dude. Afghanistan is in a world of hurt. This beautifully shot nine minute film taps the perspective of a group of skateboarders in Kabul and serves as a glimmer of hope for a country that’s had a pretty bleak last century. Skateistan is a charity organization that is helping empower these 5-17 year old kids through skating, education, and community building.
In the heart of Orange County lurks a vicious monster prowling the southern tip of quaint Balboa Island in Newport Beach. The Wedge is a man made break created with the sole intent of breaking men’s necks. This huge wave comes in from the southern tropical Pacific, breaks against the jetty protecting the multi-million dollar homes, and doubles up on itself to create one nasty ride. It’s definitely something you should see in person. Best time to catch this beast in action is during the summer or fall or anytime there are big storms in the southern hemi.
There’s really no excuse for bad commercials, or advertising in general. Yet, everyday I’m bombarded by complete and utter garbage. I don’t care if the product is complete crap – I’m sure there’s someone out there that can make an awesome TV spot for a Snuggie. I just hate seeing garbage slung at me and knowing that someone, somewhere was in a office and went, “eh, good enough.”
And I don’t really mean to sound like a douche, but in a hyper-globalized world where I can get anything from anywhere, I expect marketers to be bending over backwards to impress me with their wares. But then again, I know they really aren’t trying to talk to me most of the time anyway. I’m not their target segment. I’m an outlier. So humphhhh!
Anyway, here are three pseudo-commercials that do more than just sling a product, they provide insight into the brand’s experience, lifestyle and aesthetic.
Social trends and creative mavens have always been a fascination of mine and I’m pretty excited for this new documentary by the Parisian branding and creative agency R+I Creative.
Press Release:
“INFLUENCERS is a short documentary that explores what it means to be an influencer and how trends & creativity become contagious today in music and fashion.
Directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson, the film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today’s pop culture.”
This short film by British animator Lauri Warsta is a fantastically whimsical concept!
Dictaphone Parcel is an animation based on a sound recorded with a dictaphone travelling secretly inside a parcel. As the hidden recorder travels through the global mail system, from London to Helsinki, it captures the unexpected. We hear a mixture of abstract sounds, various types of transport and even discussions between the mail workers. The animation visualizes this journey by creating an imaginary documentary.
This past summer was probably the crappiest one I’ve experienced. Stupid El Niño. I only got to the beach five times! My seventeen year-old self would have kicked my butt. That’s what you get when you have a desk job, combined with June gloom lasting ALL summer. With fall officially upon us, check out this great short by Keegan Gibbs and reminisce about a time when your only responsibility during the summer was to get a tan.
