Great Apps, Great Deals
The sale season is upon us, that special time of year that (some) folks celebrate by descending on shopping malls in ravenous hordes. Yet there is no need to sully oneself with such riotous behaviour; great deals can still be had whilst still wearing pyjamas. And least this becomes yet another post on “12 Great Apps That Let You Make Fridge Magnets Out Of Your Cat Photos”, here are some discounted apps[1] that we actually use and find incredibly useful
Possibly The Most Beautiful Fireworks In The World…
… and that’s before they have even been lit. In celebration of Guy Fawke’s Night, I present these fireworks by Tsutsui Tokimasa Fireworks.
With their wonderfully understated packaging, I don’t think I’d ever have the heart to take a lit match to them.
By way of comparison, here’s a Creative Review article on the increasingly militarised nomenclature and garish graphics of modern western fireworks, and — what is either the most damning commentary on contemporary society or the most brilliantly honest and self-effacing bit of copywriting ever — the Grounds for Divorce
– Via Iain Claridge
Dot by Bot and Dolly
Just when it looked like no-one was doing anything new or interesting with projection mapping, along comes Dot, a short film by Bot & Dolly. At a glance, Dot looks like a prime example of some tasteful post effects and motion tracking; well executed but hardly ground breaking. The film truly shines when you consider that the film is done entirely in-camera. Using a combination of projection mapping, software and motion controlled robots the performance transforms seemingly simple flat surfaces into windows revealing a three dimensional virtual space.
Bot & Dolly are a design and engineering studio that develop robotic systems specifically for filmmaking. They currently have two robots in their line up – IRIS and her smaller sibling SCOUT – and they have worked on1 feature films, TV ads and Las Vegas shows. Check out their media page for videos of IRIS and SCOUT in action. Fingers-crossed they’re busy working on some live-action stage adaptation of Tron.
– Via My Modern Metroplis
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I pondered which would be the correct usage here; the objective “they were used” or the subjective “they have worked.” I went with the latter, as I’m a sucker for anthropomorphising robots,2 especially any with cute names. ↩
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Case in point; I was relieved that Dummy the robot was rescued from the rubble of Tony Stark’s house at the end of Iron Man 3. I’m hoping he gets his own spin-off cooking show. ↩
Children Covering – And Completely Owning – 46 & 2 by Tool
The perfect treatment for a long week, just in time for the weekend; a band of children (children for goodness sake!) perform a jaw-droppingly good cover of 46 & 2 by Tool1. Read the rest of this entry »
Quilling and Calligraffiti
There’s nothing quite like the recent grey and damp weather to make one retreat indoors and contemplate taking up a new hobby to while away a dreary weekend.
Valhalla by Sweetgrass Productions
That time of year is upon us when the nights grow longer and our thoughts turn increasingly mountain-wards. It has been too long since we last heard the gentle creak of fresh powder being pressed under a snowboard, so it is timely that we came across this trailer to sate our desire for alpine adventures. Valhalla is a feature length film by Sweetgrass Productions, a collective of filmmakers and adventurers that specialise in snow-riding in its myriad forms. Read the rest of this entry »
Hyperkit
Hyperkit is a multi-disciplined design studio whose work encompasses print, websites and interiors. With a canny eye for playful yet refined typography and the occasional candy-hued colour scheme, they’ve always been firm favourites.1 They’ve recently updated their site, so do your eyeballs a favour and go look.
– Via Design Work Life
- It also helps that they are lovely people; many moons ago during my former life in print production I had worked with them on several projects and they were always a delight to work with. ↩
Silence Television
Silence Television is the nom de plume of Peruvian illustrator and designer Gianmarco Magnani. His wonderfully crisp illustrations feature clean figurative work that contrasts nicely with highly-detailed renderings of guitars and motorcycles. The juxtaposition has an air of Manga1 about it, and is reminiscent of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, as well as K≈çsuke Fujishima’s You’re Under Arrest!
You can see more over at his site, where you can also order some mighty fine giclée prints to adorn your walls.
– Via The Fox Is Black
- Scott McCloud expounds some interesting ideas on this particularly distinctive Japanese visual style in his excellent book Understanding Comics. ↩
‘Cirrus’ By Bonobo
2010’s Black Sands got some serious rotation in our studio, so we’re happy to hear that Bonobo has a new album on the way. The first single –– entitled Cirrus –– features a frankly mind-warping video by Brighton-based director Cyriak. A kaleidoscopic collage of ’60s film footage slowly evolves into a surreal suburban landscape. Go watch it. Then go lay down.
– Via The Fox Is Black
The Longest Game
Ten friends have found a novel way to stay in touch with each other 31 years after high school – a game of tag that has spanned decades.
Earlier this month, Brian Dennehy started a new job as chief marketing officer of Nordstrom Inc. In his first week, he pulled aside a colleague to ask a question: How hard it is for a nonemployee to enter the building?
Mr. Dennehy doesn’t have a particular interest in corporate security. He just doesn’t want to be “It.”
– Via kotte.org