John Cage- In Love With Another Sound

I think this guy's a genius. I don't completely understand his perspective. There is one quote I like, though: "Would we ever be able to get so that we thought the ugly sounds were beautiful? If we drop beauty, what have we got? Have we got truth?"

rjd2 - 'work it out' video

mostly a single shot, with the exception of the first 10-15 seconds. impressive footwork involving crutches, a skateboard and some of those wheelie-shoe things.

Ice Cream Socialists / 40 Watt / Friday Night

Sorry to be so shameless, but we're playing with Down With The Woo and Pegasus XL so come check it out!

TheShow IsTheRainbow

This guy performs in front of animations and videos that he makes himself. Try to make it to(or fast forward) to 1:40 on the timeline. It has a good shot of one of his animation/videos. I saw him play at Go Bar in Athens months ago with Yip Yip (search in YouTube: Yip Yip Candy Dinner Music Video). Think about the PowerPointing project(Rick's 2nd class) when watching these!

Kiwi

A 3-D short with a flightless bird. Well done visually and imaginative character. Proves that anyone can fly.

Call for Video Support!

I don't want this to seem like sleazy self-promotion, but this could tie into our video class. I'm having a show this Friday at the 40 Watt with my band Down with the Woo, check out the article from this weeks Flagpole. Our set (which is being video taped) will feature 3 screens of sound reactive animations and surround sound in the audience. If you're interested in coming and proving additional video footage in to what we're filming, that would be rad! It could be cool since we're all in a video class together. If you're interested call me at 706.491.0764 or talk to me in class. Sweet!

Betty Boop in Snow White

This cartoon is really amazing if you think about the time it was produced, circa 1930's. It incorporates surrealist imagery, a song by Cab Calloway (which would be the equvilant of a pop star showing up in a cartoon and singing a hit song), and a new take on Snow White. The reason Cab Calloway shows up as a clown in "white face" is because the studio wanted to finish up his contract, but still owed him one more song; they gave it to him by putting him in a cartoon. The result is one badass Betty Boop Cartoon, I would say the best.

Fascinating animation by Gerald Scarfe

Check it...I'm sure yous have seen it before but I think its shazamm!!

~Star*

Battle of the Blackmass

Montage from Ralph Bashki's underated 1977 animated movie "Wizards". Not so much the montage is of interest in itself, but the combination of still images/landscapes, video reels of nature/war, and animation to create a more familiar visual world/emotion set in a kickass animated world.

"Song About Ping Pong" By: Operator Please

This is just a really cute and simple [looking] video. When I look at it, it makes me think "I can do that!"

build your own steady cam!

my brother in law built me a steady cam for christmas. it only cost him 14 bucks. here's how:



go here for step by step instructions (cause these guys are kinda annoying):
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/

Ryan Trecartin really utilizes the cheese factor of these lower-level editing software effects.

Ray and Charles Eames - Powers of Ten

The greatest single take video ever? (that isn't really a single take video at all)

LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

Single take music video from Mr. New York himself James Murphy, head of DFA records and lead of LCD Soundsystem. Kind of an homage to Radiohead's 'No Surprises' video?

hall and oats video contest

two of athens' own Hall and Oats fans won a nation wide video contest. they are being flown to LA to meet H&O

同志亦凡人

同志亦凡人 is one of China's first online TV shows dealing specifically with LGBT issues. This is a low budget production based in Beijing. The format of the program is set up like a talk show, every week the hosts (Steven and Xiaogang) interview a new guest. While the show itself isn't the most exciting (at times it can be as interesting as a sunday morning televangelist program), it is definitely groundbreaking. The guys behind the show have taken it upon themselves to do their bit for the promotion of understanding. In one segment a roving reporter interviews people in the streets, inquiring where they stand on the issue of homosexuality. A funny moment occurs when a man is asked if he has any gay friends and he replies, "No, but I know a guy whose Spanish." So far mixed reviews of the show have been received from Chinese viewers.

Here's what Shanghaiist has to say about the show:

"...while Chinese media have often been derided for being overly acquiescent to the state, they have to be given credit for creatively pushing back the ambiguous out-of-boundary markers of state censors, especially in recent years. And to the cynics out there, we would just like to say that these shows are really not about preaching to the converted, but for reaching out to the large swathes of ignorant masses here. In this arena, the Internet presents much hope and opens up previously unthinkable opportunities. With time, one can only hope that these issues can be given a proper airing not just on the Internet, but also on state TV, because let's not forget — over a billion Chinese people are not online just yet."

Brian Eno- Music for Airports

Its interesting to think of how sound affects spaces. It seems like people usually pay little attention to the sounds of public spaces, even though I think it may affect people more than the way a place looks. In video for instance, someone was telling me, its acceptable for the visuals to become interupted, or to be chaotic, but when you lose control of the sound it ruins whatever visuals are there. I agree.

Fantastic Planet

Beautiful & strange animated science fiction film from the 70's directed by René Laloux. Features a planet where aliens keep oms (play on the French word for man) as pets. I watched this during the summer while I was in New York, and it is captivating; it won several awards all across the globe, including at Cannes. This is the trailer, I ordered the film and we can watch it in class if there is enough interest.





p.s. hope this one works.

Infamous Madonna Interview

Purely for pop culture value, I present the 90's version of the material girl. As you watch this, just keep thinking to yourself: Madonna does not to let her children watch American T.V. (she says it is too sexualized, go figure.)




Madonna: hypocritical or re-inventor?

The Knife

European brother/sister electro duo The Knife have a number of talented visual artists working with them. Andreas Nilsson has been designing the light and visual show for their rare live performances as well as music videos. This song is from a recent live DVD The Knife just released.


Pretty incredible, these guys are definitely one of my favorite bands at the moment.

Motomichi Nakamura has also been doing some cool things with them:




Both of these fellows have their own unique style, both in almost polar opposite directions. Nilsson sticks for towards "dirty" graphics mostly hand drawn, collage, or strangely warped and hued video footage while Nakamura's creates simple duo-tone vector graphics and equally as interesting

Family Guy on The Way Things Go

Family Guy uses similar framing to "The Way Things Go," not letting you see what is next. However this Rube Goldberg machine does accomplish something.

a horse and a gun

great short by great director. diana gurley is gold! music stolen from an ennio morricone song.


(i couldn't help myself)