Thursday, January 29, 2009

Her Morning Elegance

One of my clients handled the coloring and post on this music video and i couldn't resist sharing it on my personal blog as well. Her Morning Elegance is a fantastic surreal journey in the shape of a stop motion dreamland.


The songwriter is Oren Lavie, the animators are Yuval and Merav Nathan (one wing fly), and Todd Iorio of resolution LA handled the color and post.

New Music Video from Clyde Petersen

I woke up to a surprise form animator/director Clyde Petersen in my in box. His newest video, We; Camera, is for Seattle musician and pianist Shenandoah Davis. There is something very reminiscent and innocent about this film, and I love the use of text. Thanks Clyde!



Check out more of Clyde's work here!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

TOXIC Napoli - From VBS.tv

VBS has begun posting the latest in their Toxic series which explores some of the most polluted places on the planet, this time they take us to Naples Italy.

I have to say, after having a pretty shady experience in Naples myself when I visited as a backpacking student I wasn't shocked to hear the name in conjunction with corruption and dirt, but I could have never imagined what is in this series. So sad - such a beautiful place on the planet that has been so important for hundreds and thousands of years - has been so poorly neglected and taken advantage of.

The first 3 of an 8 episode series are now playing on VBS.tv. Below is episode 2, I found it truly disturbing.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

I Shot You Down Bang Bang

I'm feeling so musical lately, could just be a slow time for commercials, or my way of fighting off the middle of winter doldrums, regardless - here is Nancy Sinatra's iconic performance of I Shot You Down (Bang Bang), and the killer Audio Bullys remake from a few years back. Enjoy!



The Audio Bullys video was done by one of my favorite artists, Jonas Odell of Filmtecknarna.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Glass and a Half Full of Dancing Eyebrows

The follow up to the winner of countless accolades and unprecedented YouTube sucess, Gorilla, Cadbury brings us another strange, musical adventure that leaves you with a smile on your face, almost like a chocolate bar. Mmmmm.

Check out Eyebrow, directed by Tom Kuntz of MJZ.


..and by the off chance that you haven't seen Gorilla - you must watch it below.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Jonas Odell Lies at Sundance


Swedish Animator and Filmmaker Jonas Odell's latest short film has won the Special Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the 2009 Sundance Film festival.

Jonas has been described best as "from another planet" - his creativity has no boundaries and his mixed media aesthetic combined with a sick sense of story telling make him one of my favorite filmmakers of the time. He is represented by production company Filmtecknarna.

You can watch a snippet of Lies on Motionographer, I will try to get a hold of the full film after it runs the festival circuit...in the mean time check out an excerpt from his previous short, Never Like The First Time. I had the privilege of seeing the film on the big screen at the Res Fest a few years back - enjoy!



see more work from Jonas here.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Amit Erez gets a Postcard

Doesn't this song just break your heart? I found it while exploring the work or directing/animating team One Wing Fly. Much more on them later!

The artist is Amit Erez.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Los Angeles Lets Be Friends

Feeling nostalgic today and on a hunt for some inspiration I found the perfect cure. The short film from directing team Three Legged Legs, 'Los Angeles Lets Be Friends.'

The young, creative and diverse directing collaborative, who is represented by Green Dot Films, created this film that is combination live action grit and animation inspired by the work of artist Jeff Soto.


Check out more from Three Legged Legs

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Starbucks and MC Yogi Rally to Support the Presedents Call for Community Service

Are you In? Starbucks rewards Volunteerism with a free coffee...

Daft Punk vs. Adam Freeland Commemorate the Inauguration of Barack Obama

In honor of today's event, DJ Adam Freeland remixes Daft Punks "Aerodynamic" - the result "Aer-Obama."

The stop motion, animated, mixed media video is the first project from directing team GOLD via Greendot Films. GOLD is composed of directors Richard Farmer and Sinuhe Xavier. Farmer was formerly of acclaimed directing team Happy. Enjoy!


"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace." Barack Obama 1.20.09

Monday, January 19, 2009

ACT Fast

Local Massachusetts marketing firm, GEOVISION in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health developed this PSA to heighten awareness of the signs of stroke. The catchy tune and adorable animation remind me of the cartoon PSA's of my childhood - it's a bit like a modern School House Rock, don't you think? When this came on the air I couldn't help but pay attention - and smile.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Sunshine on a Cold Cold Day

From Matt Costa and directing team The Malloys.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

N.A.S.A. Money

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this video on videostatic. It's like someone said - so Kristy who are some of your favorite artists and musicians, we wanna throw them all together and make something awesome. Seriously. The art of Shepard Fairey and the words of David Byrne, Seu Jorge, Dj Z-trip, Chuck D and more - insane.

The video centers around the themes of propaganda, corruption, war and of course money.

The video was directed by Syd Garon and Paul Griswold, with art by Shepard Fairey.




As a side note, I am very excited for the opening of the Shephard Fairey retrospective here in Boston at the ICA titled, Supply and Demand. The Show opens February 6th and I will bring you much more from Fairey then.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Grammy's Celelbrate the Influences

Not the liquid, powered, or smokable kind - but the musical influences. TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles and The Recording Academy have launched a new cross platform campaign to promote the 51st Grammy Awards titled "Celebrate The Music That Makes Us." The campaign uses graphic design to celebrate some of Grammy's biggest talents - including Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Lenny Kravitz, Kanye West, Stevie Wonder - and the inspiration behind each of them.


















The campaign also has some amazing moving imagery as well that I am trying to track down and will post as soon as I do.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Stella Artois The Race for Papa

The end of the football season and the beginning of awards season always brings some great commercials to air. This spot, I learned is not that new - but I thought it was so sweet and well done - really almost a short film rather than a spot, for Stella Artois.

In the story a tandem bike racing team of brothers push through the alps determined to win it for their father, that is until they get a flat in from of a pub with Stella on tap.

The agency for this project was Lowe, the director Dougal Wilson of Blink, and the post/vfx from The Motion Picture Company.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Microsoft Through the Eyes of QuickSilver, Coca-Cola for People Ready

Microsoft Relaunched their "People -Ready" campaign this weekend with two animated spots told in the voices of the President and CEO of Quicksilver, and the Chief Marketing Director of Coca-Cola.

When I saw the Quicksilver ad I was immediately drawn to the aesthetic and assumed it was part of the identity of the Quicksilver brand, it wasn't until the end tag that I realized this was a Microsoft campaign, and I have to say good work. They hooked me, a person that doesn't regularly identify with their brand or messaging.

Check out the spots below, I am still digging up credit info and will include as soon as I find it.
*The Agency is JWT/New York and the production and animation is from Imaginary Forces.

Friday, January 9, 2009

The Art of the Title Sequence

My wonderful boyfriend stumbled upon an amazing archive of inspiration that I just had to share -The Art of the Title Sequence. Mike happens to work for a company that does high end digital renderings for architecture, so I'm sure this will mean endless inspiration for his projects as well, but he said something kind of sweet that reminded me what a true filmmaker he was even with his present day digital immersion, "...makes you think about all the work that went into them and the arguments that went on across some Hollywood conference room table about all of the intricacies that we now take for granted." So true isn't it? I mean even when I was in film school a double exposure was a tricky, and risky thing to pull off!
Not only does the site archive some of the best title (and end) sequences, but it also has details about the creation on a number of them. The projects range from High Fidelity to Delicatessen, Vertigo to Twelve Monkeys, and include many that I have featured previously, including Juno, Thank You For Smoking, Six Feet Under and True Blood.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Read Rolling Stone While You Still Can

Rolling Stone magazine in Argentina launched this ad campaign at the end of the year warning - that you should 'Read Rolling Stone While You Are Still Interested.'

The three spots, styled and appropriately titled, Yellow, Light Blue, and my personal favorite Purple, are off beat, unreal, and very well executed.


Doesn't the sweater remind you a bit of the Nantucket Tea Party Viral?

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Explosure of Photographer Tierney Gearon


I have had the pleasure to work with photographer Tiereny Gearon in the past as a young publicist to promote her 2006 "Mother Project." Not only was i honored then to be able to speak with her and explore her creative process, but I couldn't keep my eyes off of her body of work which is so personal and raw, yet so beautiful and human all at the same time. She is bold enough to use her own children and family as subjects without censoring her creative vision, something that initially created a stir that ultimately helped to fuel her popularity.















T
hat being said, I was thrilled to discover she has a new show "Explosure" in which her signature style is infused with the context of double exposures giving even more meaning to the family oriented images. The result is stunning - the photos are almost like illustrations telling a dreamy personal narrative. Gearon's talent with a lens, to me, is the ultimate example of letting others view the world through your eyes.

Explosure is showing at Phillips de Pury's London gallery

Virgin Atlantic of the 1980's Love at First Flight


Virgin Atlantic throws back to it's first flight - big hair, huge cell phones, arcade games, plastic shades, and of course red hot attendants - to celebrate it's 25th Anniversary. The details of this period piece are so great - I found myself watching it over and over again. Wonder what Richard Branson looked like in 1984? You're in luck the Virgin Atlantic website has a photo gallery full of goodies.

The spot was directed by famed Partizan collaborative Traktor. Happy Birthday Virgin Atlantic!




Virgin Atlantic has always been one of the hipper airlines, check out how they revitalized the safety video.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Miniatures Used to Magnify Pollutants in Light Bulb Production

In a new PSA for WWF, miniatures shot against real life locations help to illustrate the unfortunatley filthy process of creating and environmentally "friendly" light bulb.
Directors Woods + Low of OPC credit the choice to use miniatures as a way to circomvent the over utilized stock footage that most audiences have become desensitized by. The “art installations filmed on location” combined with the gloomy monochromatic footage and bright pink product to illustrate the narative of the journey of the light bulb through production to our hands.


For more information visit: WWF

Monday, January 5, 2009

Sigur Ros Teams with Ryan McGinley for 'gobbledigook'

I featured Ryan McGinley's collection I Know Where the Summer Goes last spring after i fell in love with the carefree essence and warmth of the photos. Apparently Sigur Ros felt the same way, as they later collaborated with the photographer and directors Arni & Kinski for the video of the first single off their new album, með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust "gobbledigook."