Showing posts with label BlakeHughes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BlakeHughes. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
The Backwater Gospel
NOTICE: DISTURBING IMAGERY
I found this video while sifting through /r/animation on Reddit.I really love this kind of animation, artistically speaking. It looks similar to the game Borderlands. Using crooked and unparalleled framework along with thick black outlines, this video really takes on the grunge look well. It feels real and detailed in pallet choice and colors, yet still looks cartoony due to the thick and uneven outlines.
Now, as far as what the video has to say, can be left up to each of us individually. Personally, I believe that its a commentary on the church, and how it often uses fear to accomplish its goals. In this case, fearing those who are different or un-accepting of Christ. Like the minister in the video, we often look at them with distaste because they don't follow the rules or live like we do. So we outcast them, talk behind their back, and do everything that a Christian shouldn't do.
This video also looks at the fear of death, and how it can motivate people to commit horrible acts. When the undertaker appears in town, everyone is filled with fear. They know that he is there to take someone's life, and none of them want it to be theirs. None of them are secure in their religious beliefs. Then the Minister recites a passage from the Bible that was spoken by Jesus saying let he who is without sin throw the first stone. All of the villagers begin to throw their stones.
I think that the individuals who made this view the church and Christians in a negative light. And while we would all like to brush the topic under the table and ignore it, we can't. When others have outlooks like this, and reasonably so, we as Christians need to address these issues. Even the title of this piece, The Backwater Gospel" makes it clear of what the Authors think.
I'm not promoting the message, but am merely stating that if we look back at ourselves and at the church, we can find the flaws mentioned in the video. So rather than ignore media like this, we should watch and listen to what the opposing side has to say, or to what they think of Christians.
That's just what I got out of it.
I found this video while sifting through /r/animation on Reddit.I really love this kind of animation, artistically speaking. It looks similar to the game Borderlands. Using crooked and unparalleled framework along with thick black outlines, this video really takes on the grunge look well. It feels real and detailed in pallet choice and colors, yet still looks cartoony due to the thick and uneven outlines.
Now, as far as what the video has to say, can be left up to each of us individually. Personally, I believe that its a commentary on the church, and how it often uses fear to accomplish its goals. In this case, fearing those who are different or un-accepting of Christ. Like the minister in the video, we often look at them with distaste because they don't follow the rules or live like we do. So we outcast them, talk behind their back, and do everything that a Christian shouldn't do.
This video also looks at the fear of death, and how it can motivate people to commit horrible acts. When the undertaker appears in town, everyone is filled with fear. They know that he is there to take someone's life, and none of them want it to be theirs. None of them are secure in their religious beliefs. Then the Minister recites a passage from the Bible that was spoken by Jesus saying let he who is without sin throw the first stone. All of the villagers begin to throw their stones.
I think that the individuals who made this view the church and Christians in a negative light. And while we would all like to brush the topic under the table and ignore it, we can't. When others have outlooks like this, and reasonably so, we as Christians need to address these issues. Even the title of this piece, The Backwater Gospel" makes it clear of what the Authors think.
I'm not promoting the message, but am merely stating that if we look back at ourselves and at the church, we can find the flaws mentioned in the video. So rather than ignore media like this, we should watch and listen to what the opposing side has to say, or to what they think of Christians.
That's just what I got out of it.
Humble Indie Bundle #4 is Released!!!
The Humble indie bundle #4 just came out a few hours ago!
For those of you who don't know (probably the majority of you), the Humble Bundles are groups of indie games (games made by indie developers, or small new game companies) that are released together. You can pay whatever you want for the bundle, from one cent to several thousand dollars. Their often used motto is "Pay what you want, DRM free, Cross Platform, Helps Charity."
You can literally pay whatever you want. Though if you pay more than the average then you can often get a bonus game added to the package. DRM free means that you can download it as many times as you want without having to pay anything. Cross platform refers to the games being available through Mac, PC, and Linux. And the bundles always support charity. This particular bundle supports Red Cross and the Child's Play Charity.
The video below describes most of the other details.
But besides the charity, this is a great way to get some new indie games. Some of the big titles in this release include Super Meat boy, Bit trip Runner, and Cave Story +.
There really is no downside to the Humble Bundles. If you've never really tried gaming, then this is a perfect opportunity to engage a new medium of art. It's cheap, helps charity, and you get a variety of games. While these are no Shadow of the Colossus, or halo, they are still unique and well worth the price.
http://www.humblebundle.com
You can literally pay whatever you want. Though if you pay more than the average then you can often get a bonus game added to the package. DRM free means that you can download it as many times as you want without having to pay anything. Cross platform refers to the games being available through Mac, PC, and Linux. And the bundles always support charity. This particular bundle supports Red Cross and the Child's Play Charity.
The video below describes most of the other details.
But besides the charity, this is a great way to get some new indie games. Some of the big titles in this release include Super Meat boy, Bit trip Runner, and Cave Story +.
There really is no downside to the Humble Bundles. If you've never really tried gaming, then this is a perfect opportunity to engage a new medium of art. It's cheap, helps charity, and you get a variety of games. While these are no Shadow of the Colossus, or halo, they are still unique and well worth the price.
http://www.humblebundle.com
Dear Esther
What was originally supposed to be a full-game mod for Valve's Half-Life 2 using the Source engine, has now turned into an entire game of its own. Dear Esther was originally released in 2008 as a mod but was picked up in 2009 for a complete art overhaul. The game has been in production since. It eventually reached a point where the developers were able to get a license to create an actual game which will be released on Steam in February for $10.
Dear Esther is a ghost Story about an island. The game uses a first person perspective as the player explores the island, trying to unravel its mysteries. for more information, check out the website at http://dear-esther.com/.
Dear Esther is a ghost Story about an island. The game uses a first person perspective as the player explores the island, trying to unravel its mysteries. for more information, check out the website at http://dear-esther.com/.
Monty Python trailer
This was a project that I did for a DMA class. We had to create a
trailer for a movie. I decided to use Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
I used "Army of justice" from Two Steps from Hell for my music. This
epic battle music contrasts everything that the movie is about. It was a
very Monty Python-esque trailer, using epic music and fight scenes to
represent a movie that in actuality cannot be taken seriously.
I also added some text that represent a stereotypical movie trailer to further contradict the actual movie itself.
note: I am aware of the misspelling
I also added some text that represent a stereotypical movie trailer to further contradict the actual movie itself.
note: I am aware of the misspelling
What's in the Box?
Back in 2009, a video appeared on Youtube titled "What's in the Box?" This video detailed a short journey of an individual after they obtain a box and use it to cause some sort of disruption in a spiraling cloud around a tower.
This video was the beginning of an ARG (Alternate Reality Game). These games are played by hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people. With the internet, these players communicate each other, discussing leads, solutions, and theories to solving an ARG. At it's core, an ARG is a mystery game. Clues are hidden across the internet and at time, even real life. Some famous ARGs have been made for Halo 2 and for the Dark Knight (officially endorsed). In the Halo ARG, there was a website about beekeeping that existed (ilovebees.com) but slowly got corrupted by an AI trying to reach out to the outside world, calling for help. Within the website's code, people found audio clips, some of which had to be played in reverse or could be opened with an image viewer to display a new clue. Tons of hidden messages existed that lead players to discover more and more about this AI and what was happening. in one part of the game, players were given 210 coordinates and time codes, which referred to pay phones and the time when they would ring. Plays had to seek out the phones (across the world) and answer prerecorded questions to receive new clues. One player waited at a pay phone in Floria while hurricane Francis was minutes away in order to continue the game's progression. In the end, players were rewarded with the locations of four cinemas where they could play Halo 2 early.
What's in the box has become one of the biggest ongoing ARGs to date. The creator, TimSmit, created the game to gain publicity for his film idea and to showcase his special effects prowess. For me to explain this ARG in its entirety would require a days worth of typing. The complexity and amount of clues and theories are beyond any previous ARG's attempts. Below, I have listed some links in case you are interested in learning more, and helping to solve the mystery of What's in the Box.
Original YouTube Video (notice: human audio track was removed from this version, check wiki for additional information)
http://youtu.be/IU_reTt7Hj4
I Love Bees wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Love_Bees
ARG Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game
Dark Knight Arg
http://batman.wikibruce.com/Home
Current Status of What's in The Box ARG
http://wikibruce.com/2009/04/a-big-box-of-babel-research/
Whats in the box website:
http://www.whatsinthebox.nl/
Monday, November 14, 2011
r. crumb
I googled him before going off to watch the documentary last night. After seeing some of his images that Google spat out I immediately recognized the art style and thought of his famous "keep on truckin'" character. After browsing some of the additional google images search results, I realized that I'd actually seen some of Crumb's comics previously in a comic shop I used to go to occasionally. I remember never really looking into them beyond the covers because they looked weird. And in retrospect, its probably good that I didn't look into them back then.
Robert Crumb is, as one can tell from his illustrations, a very disturbed man. And sadly it seems that he is how he is in part as a result of his home life growing up and the culture and influences around him. The same goes for his siblings.
In high school I read a book called Angela's Ashes. It was about a boy who was born in the US to immigrant parents who moved back to their hometown in Ireland due to their economic situation. Throughout the entire book, the main character, Frank, is constantly ignored by his alcoholic father and mother. His father always spends his weekly earnings on alcohol and ends up going off to fight in the war so that money can be sent back to his family without him having the temptation to spend it on booze. The money never comes. Frank's mother is forced to have sex with another abusive drunk so that she and Frank have a place to stay. Growing up, Frank never had parents to help him in life. When it came to important topics like love, sex, and religion, frank was left without a person to talk to and without a good influence in his life. He was left to learn these complex topics for himself and as a result was hurt and warped from it all. For those of you who have read the book, you know what I'm talking about. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't.
Frank was the first person I thought of when watching the Robert Crumb documentary. How some misguidance from our surroundings and parents can have such detrimental effects on us. While I'm sure that all of the factors that contributed to Crumb's current state are far more complex and involved, I can't help but wonder what may have been the end result had he been raised differently.
Robert Crumb is, as one can tell from his illustrations, a very disturbed man. And sadly it seems that he is how he is in part as a result of his home life growing up and the culture and influences around him. The same goes for his siblings.
In high school I read a book called Angela's Ashes. It was about a boy who was born in the US to immigrant parents who moved back to their hometown in Ireland due to their economic situation. Throughout the entire book, the main character, Frank, is constantly ignored by his alcoholic father and mother. His father always spends his weekly earnings on alcohol and ends up going off to fight in the war so that money can be sent back to his family without him having the temptation to spend it on booze. The money never comes. Frank's mother is forced to have sex with another abusive drunk so that she and Frank have a place to stay. Growing up, Frank never had parents to help him in life. When it came to important topics like love, sex, and religion, frank was left without a person to talk to and without a good influence in his life. He was left to learn these complex topics for himself and as a result was hurt and warped from it all. For those of you who have read the book, you know what I'm talking about. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't.
Frank was the first person I thought of when watching the Robert Crumb documentary. How some misguidance from our surroundings and parents can have such detrimental effects on us. While I'm sure that all of the factors that contributed to Crumb's current state are far more complex and involved, I can't help but wonder what may have been the end result had he been raised differently.
Gay Boyfriend Vs. Baby Got Book
First off, I'd like to say that I didn't mind the video being shown in class and am not opposed to Leeper's choice to have us view it. But what I don't quite understand is his logic behind his comparison of the video to baby got book. He claimed that gay boyfriend was merely two girls musing about what they'd like in a man or what it would be like to have a gay boyfriend and some of the stereotypical qualities that are usually associated with homosexuals. According to Leeper, baby got book is simply a youth pastor telling us what he wants in a woman and thus just as bad as the original song.
The thing that I can't quite grasp is where the argument lies here? I see both videos as fundamentally the same. While in baby got book that pastor is in fact laying out what he would like to see in his woman, aren't the two girls doing the same thing? Sure, they aren't being as direct as he is, as they are only "musing" as Leeper put it. But in the end, both videos are about individuals who want something from their partners of the opposite sex. One wants them to be into God and the Bible etc, etc. And the other wants their partner to like to shop for tight pants, not care about their partner's weight, like romantic comedies, etc.
Maybe its just me, but I find both of these shorts to be doing the same thing, only with different ideas. The only differences in method that I see is, as I said, how direct they are.
The thing that I can't quite grasp is where the argument lies here? I see both videos as fundamentally the same. While in baby got book that pastor is in fact laying out what he would like to see in his woman, aren't the two girls doing the same thing? Sure, they aren't being as direct as he is, as they are only "musing" as Leeper put it. But in the end, both videos are about individuals who want something from their partners of the opposite sex. One wants them to be into God and the Bible etc, etc. And the other wants their partner to like to shop for tight pants, not care about their partner's weight, like romantic comedies, etc.
Maybe its just me, but I find both of these shorts to be doing the same thing, only with different ideas. The only differences in method that I see is, as I said, how direct they are.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
The Black Heart Gang
I really liked The Tale of How animation that we viewed in class last week. Right after class ended I went and looked up the creators, The Black Heart Gang, and discovered their website. It turns out that The Tale of How is the second part of the dodo trilogy that the group has been making. In 2009 they began work on the first part of the trilogy, The Tale of Then. This short is supposed to be about how a hill fell in love with a girl. Makes total sense, right? Perhaps not... well... it will also have something to do with Otto's dark past (I imagine he is the hill).
Here is some more information that I dug up on their site. Eddie (that little mouse-like creature) is an engineer. He has created the universe known as "The Household" which is a compilation of all the works done by The Black Heart Gang. The Household includes Ringer, The Tale of How, The Tale of Then, and The Dinner Party. Eddie spends most of his time expanding the universe and fixing problems within it (which explains his appearance in The Tale of How.
The prequel isn't set to be released until all of the proper financing has been done. Sadly, what began in 2009 and was set to take only 9 months has been prolonged do to lack of funding. While The Tale of How was produced with no financial support, the team wants to take their art a step further. Unfortunately, this requires some financial backing. So until they get enough, it doesn't look like it will be released. :(
Below is Ringo, a short made in 2004 by The Black Heart Gang
Here is some more information that I dug up on their site. Eddie (that little mouse-like creature) is an engineer. He has created the universe known as "The Household" which is a compilation of all the works done by The Black Heart Gang. The Household includes Ringer, The Tale of How, The Tale of Then, and The Dinner Party. Eddie spends most of his time expanding the universe and fixing problems within it (which explains his appearance in The Tale of How.
The prequel isn't set to be released until all of the proper financing has been done. Sadly, what began in 2009 and was set to take only 9 months has been prolonged do to lack of funding. While The Tale of How was produced with no financial support, the team wants to take their art a step further. Unfortunately, this requires some financial backing. So until they get enough, it doesn't look like it will be released. :(
Below is Ringo, a short made in 2004 by The Black Heart Gang
Below is another video, this one is an advertisement that The Black Heart Gang made for United Airlines more recently. This shows what the group is capable of when they have a bit of money to use on their projects.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Negative space.
Once again, here is another image dump. I found this cool site which has many examples of how negative space in art can be used to create some pretty cool effects. I personally really like how several ideas can be seamlessly blended together. Check it out when you get the chance: http://www.behance.net/gallery/The-Art-of-Negative-Space/1316541
Polygons are an obstacle of the past.
God's art.
Stumble upon is a great thing isn't it? It can lead you to find so many interesting and amazing places on the internet. While stumbling the other day, I came across THIS web page. On it, there are pictures of nature and some of the awe inspiring beauty that it has to offer. Check it out when you get a chance.
http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2011/05/the-40-most-spectacular-and-mindblowing-photos-of-nature/
http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2011/05/the-40-most-spectacular-and-mindblowing-photos-of-nature/
Friday, October 14, 2011
Street Art.
I came across this website a while ago (http://www.streetartutopia.com/) and was blown away by some of the pieces. I particularly came to like the "best of" section for 2010. take a look when you have some time to kill: http://www.streetartutopia.com/?p=2014
Art in the mouse?
I ran across this site which offers an interesting program which can record your mouse movements across your screen as well as where it sits (the large black circles). I tried it for several hours as I mixed music for Luke's act at Davis Hall. when I looked at the picture it created from my movements, I could visualize all that I had just done and accomplished by looking over the movements and patterns created. I could tell where I frequently moved objects on screen and manipulated portions of the songs I was mixing. The image told a tale, even if it was one that only I could understand. Here's the link to the site, check it out sometime: http://flowingdata.com/2010/02/09/track-mouse-activity-on-your-computer/
Machinima
Some of you may have heard of machinima before. For those of you who haven't, here's a basic description:
Machinima is the film or animation byproduct from the use of pre-made graphics and animations through a pre-existing manipulation program. i.e. video games.
Back long ago, in the days of the original Xbox, a few individuals decided that they could use the popular game, Halo, to make short animations. They called their series Red vs. Blue. While other series had come before this, RvB made use of the internet and formed a community of devoted followers, collecting donations from them to help pay for the time being invested in their project. The company Rooster Teeth was formed and since then RvB has become a hit among halo and video game fans all over.
Since its conception, machinima has really taken off and has seen both good and bad productions. But is machinima an art? It's using someone else's work and simply adding a story or plot. And sometimes not even that. It's something to think about and consider. Below is a short machinima trailer called "The Brothers Mario." It uses a modified version Grand Theft Auto IV on the PC to take a look at the classic Nintendo character, Mario, from his Italian roots. This trailer cleverly incorporates the classic characters into a mobster story, even making sure that each character's role matches their original purpose in the mario games. Goombas = cannon fodder, Bowser = leader, etc.
If you don't know classic mario, then you may not get whats going on, but regardless, I believe that everyone can come to appreciate the work put into making this machinima. Creativity and craftsmanship are definitely present.
EDIT: I added this youtube playlist. It has 9 shorts in it. Valve made these shorts to not only advertise their game, Team Fortress 2, but to also experiment with the idea of making short films or movies using video game characters. While not true machinima, it uses a similar idea.
Machinima is the film or animation byproduct from the use of pre-made graphics and animations through a pre-existing manipulation program. i.e. video games.
Back long ago, in the days of the original Xbox, a few individuals decided that they could use the popular game, Halo, to make short animations. They called their series Red vs. Blue. While other series had come before this, RvB made use of the internet and formed a community of devoted followers, collecting donations from them to help pay for the time being invested in their project. The company Rooster Teeth was formed and since then RvB has become a hit among halo and video game fans all over.
Since its conception, machinima has really taken off and has seen both good and bad productions. But is machinima an art? It's using someone else's work and simply adding a story or plot. And sometimes not even that. It's something to think about and consider. Below is a short machinima trailer called "The Brothers Mario." It uses a modified version Grand Theft Auto IV on the PC to take a look at the classic Nintendo character, Mario, from his Italian roots. This trailer cleverly incorporates the classic characters into a mobster story, even making sure that each character's role matches their original purpose in the mario games. Goombas = cannon fodder, Bowser = leader, etc.
If you don't know classic mario, then you may not get whats going on, but regardless, I believe that everyone can come to appreciate the work put into making this machinima. Creativity and craftsmanship are definitely present.
EDIT: I added this youtube playlist. It has 9 shorts in it. Valve made these shorts to not only advertise their game, Team Fortress 2, but to also experiment with the idea of making short films or movies using video game characters. While not true machinima, it uses a similar idea.
Some pretty cool stop motion
Another video dump for you all. Again, i found some gems buried in my favorites list on youtube. Both of these stop motion pieces are pretty amazing, Particularly the one that uses coins (insert coin). I've seen a lot done with stop motion and have come to admire the art. My favorite show as a child was Gumby :)
Insert Coin
8-bit trip
EDIT: I added some more
Insert Coin
8-bit trip
EDIT: I added some more
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