Friday, February 27, 2009

Royksopp Happy Up Here from Reuben Sutherland

The newest creation from Joyrider Film's Director Reuben Sutherland is a perfectly designed retro urban light show - Space Invaders takes over the city.


Reuben is a master at creating slightly skewed versions of reality and is known for his meticulous craft and visual effects expertise.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Cohen Brothers Helm Spot for Clean Coal

Sponsored by ThisisReality.org, the Cohen Brothers direct a new PSA illuminating the newest in Clean Coal Technology.

For more information visit This Is Reality.

Update: Check out the behind the scenes footage here.

Coinstar by PES Resurrected

I have to admit I've been eying the change jar a little more often than normal recently. PES brilliantly illustrates the possibilities with his stop motion expertise for Coinstar.



Wednesday, February 25, 2009

White Winter Hymnal Fleet Foxes and Grandchildren

As promised, here is more form the emerging talent Grandchildren. Another video for band Fleet Foxes, this time claymation accompanies the somber hymn to illustrate the passage of time and winter of our lives as band members are animated in nature attempting to control the inevitable aging process.




Check out Mykonos from Fleet Foxes and Grandchildren.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Viral Factory makes the Ultimate Cute Animal Video for Samsung

Who knew hedgehogs were so cute?!



For more from The Viral Factory visit their website.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Hugh Jackman's Oscar Opener on a Budget

I was so impressed by Hugh Jackman, what a fun and entertaining show. I loved the homemade feeling props - and the Craigslist dancers - just too funny!

Friday, February 20, 2009

Fleet Foxes "Mykonos" from Grandchildren

I love the amazing story telling in this video - and with such simple geometric shapes - it proves that sometimes the simplest ideas are the most compelling.



The video is from director
Sean Pecknold of production company Grandchildren. There is such a unifying tone between the vintage resonating harmonies of Fleet Foxes and the harshly lit stop motion animation, it could easily have appeared on educational television from the 70s or 80s.

Want to learn more about the process? Check out the making of below!


Grandchildren have heaps of work that is making me excited - expect more sometime soon!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Psyop Illustrates the Economy for T.Rowe Price

Like most people, the words "invest" and "complex global economy" scare the crap out of me right now, but Psyop and JWT do their best to help us forget with these complex and beautiful spots for T.Rowe Price.




Arnold Worldwide for Amtrak

When I travel from Boston to New York I ALWAYS prefer to take the Amtrak. It's so convenient, it comes into Penn Station, and it has none of the fumes of the bus and none of the hassle of security at the airport. OK, and I have to admit one of my favorite parts is the rocking and the click clack of the rails, it puts me right to sleep.

I've mentioned some of the Acela Ads in the past, and loving the Art Deco feel married with the nostalgia that comes along with train travel - I had no idea that they were done by Boston Advertising Agency Arnold Worldwide. I was also happy to find a companion campaign for long distance Amtrak travel in a similar illustrated aesthetic, done via Arnold.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Modernista! for Aphids Reel Music Festival

I thought I might focus on work from some of the local Boston advertising agencies. I started with Modernista! and found this web animation project from the summer for Aphids Reel Music Festival.

Pretty cool, right? This project jumped out at me first because I love the stop motion, but also because it's so current to what I have been doing with school. In my last class we made instruments out of vegetables and then illustrated the sounds they make. I know it sounds ridiculous but it's not even an original idea, see for yourself, the Vegetable Orchestra.

Friday, February 13, 2009

2009 Exopolis V-Day Mix Tape

Keeping with tradition, Exopolis did not disappoint and delivered a new mix tape for the occasion.


Enjoy! Thanks Exopolis!

How We Met

I couldn't decide if I wanted to post a love story or a not in love story today so I settled on one of each.

First, How We Met, from one of my past clients, The Viral Factory.


...and for those is slightly different circumstances at this time of year, A Valentine With a Twist by Robin King, via aniBoom.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Dan Tobin Smith, Brought to You by the Letter E

Since I've started typography classes I'm noticing letters, type and font more than ever. Photographer Dan Tobin Smith combines some of my long time loves, set design and photography, with my new found obsession.


Pretty sick right? For more check out his website here.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

LeSportsac Artist in Residence Fifi Lapin

LeSportsac has recently announce their newest artist in residence series, featuring artist Fifi Lapin. Fifi takes on the persona of a self proclaimed "fashionista bunny rabbit" with art and patterns fitting for even the most style conscious bunny.
You can see more from the series here, and visit Fifi's website for more about her style and artwork. 
The previous Artist in Residence series featured dutch artist, BFree, also worth the look!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Oscar Nominated Short - This Way Up

It's Oscar time again and I just had to showcase one of the films from my favorite category, Best Animated Short, This Way Up.

This Way Up is a comedy in a particularly dark setting about having trouble laying the dead to rest, from Nexus Productions and directing duo Smith& Foulkes.

Of course the full film is still underwraps but the trailer below should be enough to get you excited.



Smith & Foulkes have an amazing protfolio of film, commercial, and music video projects including award winning Honda Hate and Coca Cola Video Game.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Ghost Robot Animates Bonnaroo 2009 Line Up



Still got your 3-d glasses from the Super Bowl? Whip 'em out and watch the line up come right at cha! Bonnaroo 3d from Ghost Robot

...and as you know I love, you can watch the creative process unfold in the making video below.


For more on the festival check out the official website.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Neoscape 2009 Showreel

Neoscape, a Boston Experiential Design and Visualization firm is in the midst of a website makeover and I was able to get a hold of their latest showreel.

What is Experiential Design and Visualization? Let me simplify, these guys use the most cutting edge, high-end technology available to turn an architects dream into a 3 dimensional reality with all of the sex appeal and bells and whistles of a Hollywood Visual Effects sequence. See for yourself.

Neoscape has made a name for themselves with clients ranging from the largest developers in the States to royalty in the MidEast with everything in between. For more info visit the Neoscape website.


Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Shepard Fairey's Visual Language From the Streets to the Gallery

The Shepard Fairey retrospective on display at the Boston ICA, open to the public on February 6th, marks the 20th anniversary of the artist's now unmistakable "Andre the Giant Has a Posse" image, but also the first definitive collection of Fairey's work, or any street artist for that matter, in a museum setting.

The artist, who's work traditionally confronted society to stop and pause for a moment as they went through their daily urban lives, has used the guerrilla techniques he has been perfecting over the last two decades in his most recent, and arguably most notable campaign, the Obama HOPE poster.


(A new mural created specifically for the exhibit tells a story of war and inequality, with reference to fighting in the Gaza Strip)

The show is divided into seven sections, not chronologically, but by themes; Propaganda; War and Peace; Stylized; Music; Portraiture; Hierarchies of Power; and finally Question Everything.

As I moved through the collection, first I was enamored with the texture, scale and complexity of Fairey's work, layers of paper and hidden icons. It became apparent early on that Fairey was a master at branding himself, choosing to recycle key images in each of his pieces, as a signature, or maybe even a way to let the viewer on the street know it was a continuation of an earlier conversation?

(Fairey uses the color red for it's stimulating and provocative nature as advertisers have forever, but admits it was a budgetary constraint that he embraced as an asset rather than a liability, when in his beginnings he found a xerox machine that gave out free copies in only red black and white)

As I continued through the rooms I became more and more impressed by this
man's conviction, and dedication to his ideals. Be mindful of excess. Question your leaders and abuse of power. Some people are inherently giving, some are inherently taking. I was equally aroused by his ability to embrace pop culture, propaganda, and historical imagery to make his work relatable to the general public while being the carrier pigeons for his message, for example utilizing Vietnam War photography as a way to speak out against the war in Iraq.


"To have a point of view is equally as important as having skill, and a nice piece of art. A lot of people can paint better than I can but I think my art combined with it's commentary tells a stronger narrative than a pretty landscape."

When asked if he missed being able to fly below the radar with his current success and exposure Fairey explained, "Anonaminity gives you a lot of freedom, but I realized maybe ten years ago, that if you are trying to have a dialogue, that embracing and being upfront about what I do is more affective than hiding. It's like if you don't stick up for it you are almost admitting you are doing something wrong, so I decided that I was going to stand behind my work, and take the credit or the blame, whatever comes with it. That way it is more about communication than rebellion."

And of the HOPE campaign? Fairey was first impressed with then Senator Barack
Obama after watching his speech at the Democratic National Convention. In him he saw someone who understood how to unite people and to look past petty differences. "There was a linear evolution in my political position based on the issues I already had been exploring, and this one person embodied all those things." To be sure he was helping the cause, rather than hindering his image, Fairey asked permission from the campaign to make a poster. Two days after getting the green light 10,000 prints had been made, and a free download of the HOPE image available on his website. By the date of Oprah and Obama's rally in Des Moines, 300,000 posters and over a million stickers had made their way to the Iowa streets. "I heard from President Obama's people less than a month after I made the image. That's how dialed in this guy is, I knew then that he truly was paying attention." Later when meeting at a fundraiser Fairey was asked by the truly curious Obama how he was able to get the poster around so fast. "Aw shucks" laughs Fairey as he retells the story reiterating how much that says about the grass roots movement and the nations passion for Barack Obama.

The exhibit is on display from February 6-August 16, 2009. Levis has joined the museum to sponsor the show, and the events that surround it. In addition to over 250 pieces of art in the museum space, the ICA has commissioned numerous murals throughout Boston and Cambridge, acknowledging that Shepard Fairey's work has special meaning when living in the urban landscape.

Bob Dylan and Will I Am Refresh for Pepsi

May you stay forever young - this is one of my favorite commercials currently on air, (and Mike's) bridging the gap between the Vietnam generation and the War in Iraq generation. The spot is via TBWA|Chat|Day, directed by Dante Ariola of MJZ.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Shepard Fairey Outside-In

One of the greatest things the ICA did with this exhibit, I feel, was to embrace the outdoor, street roots of Shepard Fairey. In addition to the over 250 works in the gallery, the exhibit includes a number of installations around the city, existing as an integral part of the urban landscape as initially intended.
(Central Square, near Pearl Art)

The ICA even provides a map if you'd like to go on a treasure hunt for street art - and I hope you do. I'd love to see any murals you find - please send them my way and I will create an ongoing collection in addition to any I post myself.

Shepard Fairey at the Boston ICA


Today is an exciting day. I had the privilege to attend the pre-show of the Supply and Demand Exhibit at the ICA this morning and was blown away by the collection of work, the themes which Shepard Fairey has continued through his 20 year career, the insight and clarity of messages that the artist has successfully delivered though his art and medium of the streets, and the way he has embraced advertising methods as a tool to brand his own art and reach an audience while questioning the same techniques when used as propaganda. With his cumulative success and new found audience through the Obama Hope project, Fairey truly lies at the intersection of art and commerce. 

The video below shows Fairey elaborating on the origins of the Andre The Giant, OBEY image.



I will have much more on the exhibit throughout the week so check back often! For previous posts on Fairey look here.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Scott C Illustrates Show Off Films Campaign

This campaign comes from Fuel for Portuguese company Show Off Films. I was immediately drawn in by the aesthetic, but the concept is equally as strong.

The illustrator of this campaign is Scott C. who has heaps of great work, which you can view here.

I found this little gem at Ads of the World

My Favorite Super Bowl Spots 2009

Coca Cola "Picnic" I love the Peter and the Wolf music


Careerbuilder "Hate Work"


GE "Wizard of Oz" Could Just be my childhood obsession with the movie...

Doritos "Snow Globe"


What was your favorite?