Thursday, April 30, 2009

Collaboration of Street Performers

This video was created by a recording studio by finding several street artists throughout not only the country but the world, and putting the tracks together in one song. A very interesting, emotional, and inspiring video.

Playing For Change | Song Around The World "Stand By Me" from Concord Music Group on Vimeo.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

I'm not sure what to make of this yet, but I just found it and it seems like quite a mesmerizing interactive pocket of the internet.   Check it out!

Craftsmanship: Youth Movement and Ancient Art

Bike building and old style hand craftsmanship is becoming popular in current youth moments. Along with fixed gear bike riding and the like, a new appreciation for simplicity and quality craftsmanship has come around. What does this say about the political, economic and social climate of our generation?

Geekhouse bicycles is part of this movement. This is a video of Geekhouse bicycle production. To me this video can be seen in many ways. First as a well made video, second as an uncanny connection between the ancient and contemporary, third as art in the form of craftsmanship and fourth as an ironic relationship between the desire to regect mass production society while still needing to make some cash (this is basically an add). How else to you see it?


Geekhouse Movie from Geekhouse Bikes on Vimeo.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Inspired Bicycles

This is incredible. I honestly don't know what else to write by way of comment here...

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Naked Wizard Taser Guy at Coachella


Naked Wizard Tased By Reality from Tracy Anderson on Vimeo.

Tyson by James Toback

Here are a couple previews for the acclaimed new documentary on Mike Tyson by James Toback. As a boxing fan I've always been interested in Mike Tyson because I think he's such a pure person. His heart is half-baby, half-lion, and his story is THE rise and fall story for a generation. In short, through all he's accomplished and endured, he's emerged a truly compelling character. I'm also posting at the bottom here a piece about Tyson that I wrote for The Missoulian, after his last appearance in the ring, in 2005.


http://www.hulu.com/watch/69074/movie-trailers-tyson---exclusive-clip

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2005/06/23/entertainer/ent06.txt

World's Tiniest Weightlifter

Friday, April 24, 2009

$99 Music Videos

I apologize if these have already been posted, I can't remember how I stumbled across these videos. Some are better than others, such as this one:

I won't comment on the actual video itself because that's not the real reason why I posted it. I think all the videos in the series (www.99dollarmusicvideos.com) offer some pretty creative ideas we might want to use for final projects in the Art 180 class. Also, the best part is they show you how the artist made the video with only $99! (Usually they spend the money on materials easily found or scrapped together and beer, I think you could probably make this previous video for $0 but hey, its still cool) Check it out:

Anyways, I enjoy these $99 music videos for their music, visuals and their accompanying quasi-tutorials. Enjoy.

Wow. He's is talented

I think this is amazing. Video is embedded so here is a youtube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYDM3MIzEHo&feature=popw00us0b

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Auto-Tuned News

This is a video from a site called BarelyPolitical.com (which I haven't really browsed that much, I was just pointed to this video), and I was really impressed by both the content that he chose to include and the fantastic editing work to match the rythym and augment the pitch of the newcasters/original footage. The Katie Couric section is particularly well done.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

creepy old man...you'll love him!





Ok, my housemate showed me this a couple minutes ago, and it is hilarious!..ly creepy.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Shutdown Day

From www.shutdownday.org:

"Shutdown Day announces the Annual 2009 Campaign. Just like in years past, Shutdown Day 2009 calls on every net obsessed, computer–addicted individual to SHUT DOWN their computers for 24 hours on May 2, 2009 and do something else! Shutdown Day 2009 will be promoting several organizations that help young people suffering from computer addiction."

I think this is a great idea, largely because I think a lot of us might have at least a little trouble with it. I tried to think of the amount of time I spend on this computer when I am not doing homework or banking or other necessities, and it adds up to rather a lot. When Shutdown Day comes around I will probably be at work, and would then be stuck to a computer at least part of the time. If not, so help me I will go the day without it.

This video is one I saw roundabouts two years ago, and recently thought of it again (while having laptop troubles) and went back to see what it was all about:

More Twitter Everywhere

Twitter is blowing up all over the country, thanks in part to Ashton Kutcher, P. Diddy, Jimmy Fallon, Oprah, Al Gore, and many other celebs and public figures jumping on the Twitter train. Here is a video story about how surgeons are using Twitter during surgeries. And also a cool bit on a guy who built a contraption to go around his pregnant wife's belly which automatically sends him tweets every time the baby kicks. Good stuff.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

WoW + Ave. Q

I would be very much surprised if there was anyone here who is unfamiliar with either Avenue Q or World of Warcraft (muppet musical and addictive online vg, respectively). But I bet you'd be surprised at a combination of the two. This is a video someone put an awful lot of effort into making, getting characters from WoW to act certain ways and screen capturing to get clips to edit and match wonderfully to one of--if not THE--most popular song in Avenue Q.

Also please note that despite the near complete dissimilarity between Avenue Q and WOW, the connection here between the two is not entirely apropos of nothing...

Friday, April 17, 2009

Beyond Real Dolls

Not to get too disturbing... but here is an example of how Real Dolls have been appropriated as tools/skins into other realms of perverse behavior.  Interestingly, I think this makes Real Dolls more apparent for what they are - empty surfaces.  The sexual complexity in this act multiplies the strangeness of blurring the organic and artificial.  The latex suit accentuates the artificiality of the Real Doll skin.  Also the heavy breathing reveals the artifice of this display with discomfort.  I don't know if any of that makes much sense, but after watching this video nothing seems to make much sense anyway...



Thursday, April 16, 2009

Interactive Television Without Using Technology

The legend of comedy Andy Kaufman uses some home remedies to make the television experience even more entertaining.  Sweet stuff.   How might we use audience interaction in a project? 


Xylopholks

Hey, it's like Winnie the Pooh, except these guys aren't totally sad. I think people respond well to these panhandling performers because they can connect with the characters, and maybe find it less awkward/intimidating because they are familiar.


Wednesday, April 15, 2009

White People Problems

We all remember the blog, White People Problems. Check out this song:

The Genius of Brad Neely and Baby Cakes

Here is one of my favorite cartoons by the artist Brad Neely.  I think his cartoons push the limit of how to convey information.  To me they are kind of like animated graphic novels.  The reader is more active than when watching a cartoon, but the use of voices and effects helps us.  The wisdom that Baby cakes offers in this diary entry is true wisdom to me.  How about for you?


Dancing Mob Again

Only this time it was actually a paid for tv advertisement by t-mobile. Very artistic, very interesting that it an advertisement.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Ocarina of Rhyme

Check this out, it's pretty sweet.

For everyone who grew up on the Legend of Zelda games for Nintendo, these guys remix all those old 8-bit Zelda songs with better-known rap songs. The result is rad, in my opinion, plus you have to appreciate the time it took to put this stuff together.

http://8tracks.com/teamteamwork/the-ocarina-of-rhyme

Monday, April 13, 2009

"Electric Simulus to Face"

Four guys receive jolts to the face synchronized to an experimental composition. Why didn't I think of this for my split-screen project!

Tweenbots

http://www.tweenbots.com/

watch the video on this site, it is a great statement about people taking time from their busy get-from-a-to-b-as-fast-as-possible lives.

plus, it's a great idea for a final project--or maybe a little like the last project we did, trying to get a reaction/cooperation from the public.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

On the subject of flash mobs...

The previous post is an example of a flash mob musical number, where a huge crowd of people seemingly appear from nowhere to create this piece of performance art. There are a lot of different ways flash mobs show up, though, and here are a couple examples:

This was actually for a (supposedly banned) xbox commercial; apologies for the poor quality, I can't find a decent one, but at least you get the general idea here...there are some fantastic small moments you miss out on, though:



This is a Japanese flash mob called "The troop of the 100," pulling pranks:



(In the first two, the man is screaming "Tsunami!!!")

Sound of Music - Antwerp Train Station

This is the latest public organized train station dance intervention, The Sound of Music in the Antwerp, Belium train station. It's a pretty good one....so many people and fitting for the season, too! Enjoy!

Super Chameleon!

Wild. Do you think this is real or fake? I have no idea how chameleons really do their thing. Is it this quick and precise? Either way it's an amazing video. Any of you reptilian experts out there?

Friday, April 10, 2009

The Lost Tribes of NYC

This is a brilliant, simple video. Super well designed and executed. This could all be done fairly easily in Aftereffects.

Cars go wireless

It's about time, don't you think?
I would get this as an option if I were going to buy a new car...which I'm not!

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/106894/Cars-Gone-Wireless

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Will she be the next model for Victoria Secret?

This post might be pushing the envelope on this subject, but, I find it really fascinating and obviously slightly bizarre that someone took the time to first snap all these pictures AND THEN to create a video of still pictures of these dolls in angelic and submissive positions. "Baby you know I love you" ... even though you are made out of plastic.. hmm..ahha it's just so weird, it cracks me up. I couldn't possibly begin to tell you who these 304,969 viewers are. 

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

You Make My Day

Watch this video right when you wake up in the morning. It WILL make your day.

$170,000 on Sex Dolls

What is your opinion on this?

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what I think. As bizarre, polyganist and fetishistic as it is, I also find it super interesting.
 
"a human girl can cheat on you or betray you sometimes, but these dolls never do those things, they belong to me 100 percent."

Who's watching Who?


During vacation I appeased my grandparents by attending Balanchine's "Symphony in C by Bizet," a ballet at the Philharmonic in Naples, Florida. But a funny thing happened 2 minutes into the very last act, the Philharmonic lost complete power. Luckily a generator kicked on, but the generator only supplied light to the audience and barely illuminated the stage. 
After 5 minutes of restless audience members squirming in their seat and staring at a dim stage with confused dancers, the orchestra drummed back up and the dancers finished the dance in the dark. 
Other than finding it completely funny and comical that people were being so dramatic about the whole situation, it also made me think about gaze and audience. We had been watching them dance all night long, but now we were in the spotlight and they were watching us. They became just mere black and white blobs in the dark. To think that the 'audience' could change that drastically and in that context gave me some food for thought.


Tuesday, April 7, 2009

video games



1. I love stop-motion anything. It's just... really satisfying. Don't you think?
2. The song here is not all that interesting, but the concept of realizing an old-school video game in live-action world, while not new, has never been executed in such a visually interesting way. At least, I think so.
3. Wasting his time making UNBELIEVABLY INTRICATE YOUTUBE VIDEOS is more like it.

Paintballing

This is a cool video, super visually impressive and cute (if war and battle can ever be called "cute"!?!?)

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Like A Boss

Andy Samberg just can't make a bad one of these SNL digital shorts. He's on fire this year. This video will crack you up. It did me. The writing and execution is snappy and clever as can be.

Duct Tape Promwear

Watch to the end of this video to see the amazing suits these two created out of duct tape for their prom night.

The Future of Cigarettes?

I almost didn't believe this video, and then looked it up online. It's definitely real. I wonder if it works...

Friday, April 3, 2009

Adam

For the first time ever, a robot has made its own scientific discovery. Apparently, given information about yeast, it devised and tested its own experiment to learn something new about the genetic makeup of the fungus.

It's amazing, I think, and though its yet another disconcerting step to our being replaced by robots (especially considering the ominous symbolism in its name), I think robot scientists could make things like medical breakthroughs much more frequent and fruitful.

What do you all think?

Jenny Holzer: Protect Project

I saw this piece at the Whitney during spring break. It is both visually stimulating, as well as emotionally stimulating. This video clip is interesting because it shows a time-lapse view of the piece as it is being installed, as well as a bit of the piece while it is functioning.  

Devil sheep

I know this might appear silly initially, but its it contains deeper implications about group fears which can originate from superficial elements. Maybe humans aren't so different in this context. 


Extreme Sheep LED Art

Sorry everyone about posting the LED sheep after someone else already had. I thought it looked familiar, and now I know why. 

Cross-dressing prejudice?

If anyone here is involved with the Dragfest event on Facebook, they might have seen this story about a teen boy, Justin Reynolds (below) sent home from school, almost immediately, for dressing as a girl.  This very much concerns our culture's freedom of expression, especially in the younger generations and for those who diverge from the mainstream of society.  This also becomes a legal issue of individual rights, and there is further discussion in the article link below.

Whitman distribution requirements involve six credits in "alternative voices"; maybe we should start trying to incorporate this in earlier, pre-college institutions.


Here is the article from Ocala.com, written by Suevon Lee.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

I never want to eat fast food again

This is an interesting concept--and good way to use an unusual material. However, it makes me never want to eat fast food again.

HAND THING!!!11


OMG AWESOME HAND THING OMGZZZ!!1