Director Dannah Nayblat Could Use A Little Help To Heat Things Up.

Director Dannah Nayblat could use your help and support to finish her labor of love, a stop-motion animated music video. It's true, I get many submissions about projects on kickstarter, but it was her explanatory video asking for help, and the goodies with which she rewards her backers, that got my attention. Of course her personal note to me, gushing with praise about my blog and my readers, didn't hurt.



Some Like it Hot is the song title of an animation music video that she's been working on in her spare time (and sleep time :) for the last couple of years, for a band named Club Des Belugas. The technique she's using is stop motion, but rather than taking a series of still photos and editing them in a sequence, which is traditional stop motion - she takes photos of the actors and place them in virtual sets that she designs on her computer.



There are several stages to the process - first she selects the photos she'll be using and edits a sketch of the scene (they shot hundreds of photos for each little scene). Then she does the artwork. Aside from creating the backgrounds, she may need to place items in the actor's hands, change the color of their shirt, re-style their hair or change their whole head... There are also many adjustments that need to be made in terms of scale and color correction so that all the components work together. Finally, she exports the final frames and place them in the video.

The whole thing is EXTREMELY time consuming (as many creatives know)!

You can see part of her work process, in the video below, to better understand what takes so long... and hopefully you'll think that the results are worth it and help fund her on kickstarter.



"Visually striking, imaginative & funny stop-motion animation video for a great song!" is the description of her kickstarter project that launched a couple of days ago and instantly became a STAFF PICK.



The band - Club Des Belugas - is based in Germany, the singer, Brenda Boykin, with her unique (award winning) deep voice, is American, and the band members are from different countries. Danna is based in Israel, but the leading male, Starskee Suave and Gilad Koriski, the photographer who captured him, both live in Los Angeles (she directed those sessions in the middle of the night, via skype...)



The israeli team includes photographer Shiran Carmel and the lovely Ester Rada, who is the female lead. Ester is a known Israeli actress, and though she isn't the performer of this song, she's a great singer in her own right (her single Save a Little Love for Me from the new Club Des Belugas album, is one of the rewards offered for your pledges). The hair and makeup artist is Zion Ashkenazi and the wardrobe was contributed by Hila Aharon.


above: Director Dannah Nayblat

Learn more about her project here, and help her turn her dream into a reality, on kickstarter.

Bing Brings Back Rankin/ Bass Stop-Motion Rudolph For A Holiday Ad Campaign

above: Microsoft executives Aaron Lilly, left, and Sean Carver, pose with figures from the animated show 'Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.'

On November 23rd, Microsoft's Search Engine, Bing, kicked off the holidays with a new twist on some of the most beloved characters of all-time. Building on the iconic Rankin-Bass production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, the stop-motion animated classic that first premiered in 1964, they are introducing a series of new stop-motion animation shorts (all shown in this post) featuring the original characters.


above: a still from one of the four stop-motion animated Bing commercials for Christmas 2011

Produced by Bent Image Labs, the new shorts will appear in select holiday TV programs including holiday specials like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, “Frosty the Snowman”, and “South Park Christmas”, and in movie trailers for hotly anticipated winter movies, “Arthur Christmas”, “The Muppets”, and “Happy Feet Two.”

Bing Bumble-Less:


“Bumble”, the more beloved name for the Abominable Snow Monster, features the lovable Bumble, who has lost his scary roar. He uses Bing to search for “scary monster” and once inspired by a few Bing Videos, perfects his roar to be appropriately scary again.



Bing Hot Yoga:


Yukon Cornelius becomes exhausted from pulling Hermey and Rudolph on his sled and collapses in the snow. Luckily, Bing helps him find the closest hot yoga studio using Bing Local.



Bing Social Search:


Hermey, Yukon and Bumble are tired of the winter weather and are in dire need of a vacation. Bing Travel saves the day via a “fabulous island resort” search, highlighting Hermey’s friends who have “liked” specific resorts, leading to Bing Travel and the perfect destination.



Bing You Won't Believe This:


Santa and Mrs. Claus get a little crazy in the workshop with bubble wrap, search on Bing Video for bubble wrap how-to’s, and hilarious antics ensue.



Microsoft Corp. licensed the rights to the characters from Rudolph's 47-year-old holiday special after convincing their owners that the Bing commercials would add an endearing chapter to the reindeer's story. The rights to Rudolph and the rest of the cast are owned by the children of Robert L. May, who wrote the story in 1939 while working as a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store (May's brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, later wrote the famous song).

Aaron Lilly, a Microsoft executive who helps conceive Bing's promotions, came up with the idea to build holiday ads around the Rudolph story two years ago. It didn't happen then because the Aflac insurance company had already bought licensing rights to the characters for that holiday season.

Microsoft declined to say how much it's spending on the Rudolph campaign.

Thanks to Sean Carver and Aaron Lilly of the Bing Team for information

The Largest Stop Motion Animation Set Ever Shot On A Nokia Camera Phone - Gulp.

'Gulp' a one and a half minute long short film created by Sumo Science at Aardman for Nokia, depicts a fisherman going about his daily catch. The advertisement breaks the world record for the 'largest stop-motion animation set', with the largest scene stretching over 11,000 square feet.



Shot on location at Pendine Beach in South Wales, every frame of this stop-motion animation was shot using a Nokia N8, with its 12 megapixel camera and Carl Zeiss optics.

Here’s a film taking you behind the scenes on ‘Gulp’, Aardman’s world record breaking short film. It reveals what went in to making such a complex film outside and away from the controlled environment of a studio, and how it was shot using a Nokia N8:



Animation: aardman.com
Sand artists: sandinyoureye.co.uk
Product: nokia.com/​n8

I Have PSD. Clever Short Film Shows How To Photoshop Your Life.

If you use Photoshop as frequently as I do, you find yourself wishing you could use the same set of software tools to edit, undo or re-do many aspects of your own life. Undoing a crazy night, editing blemishes on your skin, altering the color of your wardrobe, even lightening your over-toasted bread.





Julia Vakser Zeltser and the folks over at Hyperakt did just that with their fun "I have PSD" short film, which shows what it would be like to apply Photoshop tools to your real life.





Photoshop dexterity (PSD) is a skillset acquired by proficient users of Adobe Photoshop, the world's most ubiquitous digital tool for creating visual ideas. Qualities of PSD include supernatural powers of imagination and an overwhelming desire to constantly make the world more beautiful. PSD affects people from different walks of life. In fact, there is a high probability that you have PSD.

CREDITS
Hyperakt
Julia Vakser Zeltser, screen writer, director, producer
Deroy Peraza, co-director
Jason Lynch, senior designer
Catherine Catanzaro, interactive designer
Eric Fensterheim, junior designer

Friends:
Justin Weinstein, film advisor
BJ Formento, photographer, Formento + Formento, fandf.org
Richeille Formento, stylist, Formento + Formento, fandf.org
David Dimeola, animation, The Brigade, brigade.tv
Joe Beshenkovsky, editor
Shawn James Seymour and Yoshimi Tomida, music, Lullatone, lullatone.com
Joshua Formento, gaffer
Craig Keirce, gaffer
Tyrone Rhabb, grip
Jeremiah Boncha, junior designer

Actors:
Johan Matton, lead actor
Nikki le Villain, Egyptian
Ezili, boa constrictor
Lily la Vamp, pin up girl
Chris, gangsta
Kate Hasting, makeup, French maid

Special Thanks:
Whitney McCleary & Adobe Systems
Lenny Zeltser
Jenna Shapiro

Follow PSD:
twitter.com/​hyperakt
ihavepsd.com
facebook.com/​Photoshop

Stop Motion Laser Burnt Toast For OK Go's Last Leaf Video.

The latest video for OK Go's "Last Leaf" is a lovely and sweet stop motion animated video featuring the illustrations of artist Ge­off Mcfetridge on actual toast.



The charming video was made by burning toast with a laser and shooting still images of each piece of toast. It took 15 still shots for every second of video and 2,430 pieces of toast were used. And if you're wondering.... all 215 loaves of bread were past their sell-by date & rescued from certain disposal for the shoot.



Di­rect­ed by OK Go, Nadeem Mazen and Ali Mo­ham­mad of Serious Business Design. Produced by Shirley Moy­ers, the piece was made in part­ner­ship with Sam­sung NX100 iFn, and Create Your World.


above: Los Angeles quartet OK Go

See more videos by OK go here
An­i­ma­tion art by Ge­off Mcfetridge, Cham­pi­on Stu­dio



Be sure to check out how you can burn your own image on a piece of toast here

What's That Weird Hand Dance Video? Meet Irish Dancers Cleary & Harding.

This wacky and mesmerizing video has been rapidly climbing the viral charts since its debut on YouTube four months ago. A strange song accompanies a man and a woman at a table in front of an oddly decorated wall engaging in a choreographed 'hand dance.'




What is it? Who are these people? If these questions have plagued you like they did me, read on.

  

It turns out that this video, We Speak No Americano, is from Up & Over It, self-described as "Irish Dance for the Post-pop generation." A collaboration between Suzanne Cleary, Peter Harding and Jonny Reed, Up & Over It aims to stretch the concept of Irish Dance to its limits.

 

The duo spent four years with Riverdance, after which they toured with Magic of the Dance where they were quickly appointed artistic directors. They now perform as Up & Over It for live audiences and has created a series of videos of their performances as well as some multimedia films produced by Puck Productions.

Here's a few more of their videos for you.

Cleary & Harding live in Cardiff 2010, Music: Frankmusik - 3 Little Words:




A multimedia production for Up & Over It Spring 2010:




Here's a reel of behind the scenes, outakes and 'bloopers' if you will. Compiled by Johnny reel they call it their "Best Bits" and it really endears you to Suzanne Cleary and Peter Harding:




Up & Over It

Meet Marcel The Shell With Shoes On.

If you haven't yet met Marcel, you're missing out. So let me introduce you.



Marcel the Shell with shoes on is a delightful little character in this stop motion animated short directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp and voiced (not enhanced) by actress, comedienne, writer and 2009-2010 SNL cast member Jenny Slate. The short film was written by both Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp.

Sweet and sad (in a Charlie Brown sort of way), Marcel has gone viral in a big way. And you can see why. Just watch the 3 minute and 20 second video below.




above left: Jenny Slate, the voice and co-creator of Marcel the shell, above right.

Marcel is so adored, he even made the New York magazine matrix - in the HighBrow/ Brilliant quadrant!


Marcel:


"Bestie by Bestie," is a web series about friendship that the former SNL star and her comedy partner (and life long bestie) Gabe Liedman screen at their weekly stand-up show. The video series is also directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp and the premiere episode can be viewed here.

Special thanks to my friend Jean Rhode who turned me onto this little guy.

UPDATE:
Now there's more Marcel to love. Check out the sequel, new book, and mobile apps here!

Mod Miniatures & Videos for Chillout Sessions XI & XII

above: An homage to Frank Lloyd Wright & Neutra in miniature graced the Chillout Sessions XII CD and a California style hotel with a lagoon graced the cover of the Chillout Sessions XI CD

Designer Andrew van der Westhuyzen of Collider has created album/CD covers and designs for Australia's Ministry of Sound for years.

For music compilations, Chillout Sessions XI and XII, he combined several of my favorite things - music, architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra, Swimming pools, and miniatures. The results are little worlds of escapism that when photographed and filmed up close have a tilt-shift look.

The models were shot close-up along with supers pointing at the figurines naming various artists on the albums for tv promos (shown later in this post).

Chillout Sessions XII:








video promo:

stills from a longer video promo:  
Chillout Sessions XI:

The video promo:

Chillout Sessions XI photography by Sarah Nguyen and cinematography by Brycen Horne You can see Andrew van der Westhuyzen's previous designs for Chillout Sessions 7 here. and his design for their Ministry of Sound Annual 2006 here.