#aaron scales visual artist

[horizontalsplash]

tell me one fun fact about all your ocs

kris what have you wrought i have at least 60. i’m going to need read more. this. oh boy oh man oh shit oh fuck it’s so many kris.

anyway. enjoy me actually using caps for once ig.

(in order from oldest to newest)

Ignacio (Cinnamon): He was a character from a very old story that I figured a backstory for way after I’d given up his story and how he just exists in another universe. Also he has a flamethrower. And invincible lungs. The invincible lungs are not plot relevant.

Amber: She is my only remaining female protagonist because I shot all the others with my enby beam. She does get a leather jacket as compensation though.

Mosaic: He has antlers and can make magic string. Just a little boy. Also he’s twelve.

Lil: They have giant round glasses that are cracked and broken. They cannot see. They’re a visual artist.

Glacia: Uh idk she’s got ice powers and pronouns.

Terra: Uh idk he’s got earth powers and pronouns. Specifically likes clay disks.

Woodwork: They have a reverse secret identity. Their public self is them in like a t-shirt and their private self has to cover their entire body by law.

Grady: He smokes whenever he wants to remember what it was like when his hometown burned down.

Silvia: Her hair is partially dyed bright aqua and pink and would also be blue, but is not because that would be considered impersonating monarchy.

Rebel: She exists solely because Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man played on the radio too many times.

Ash: She was almost married off to the royal family.

Ruben: They accidentally predicted my gender and (lack of) romantic orientation. They were also initially based off of K.O.

Chaos: I accidentally chose the same name for myself online as them without realizing and for completely different reasons. Also it’s technically the first character I made for its universe. And they like heart-shaped rocks.

Memns: They love popcorn to a concerning level. They are also twelve.

Quantum: They’re supposed to take inspiration from every horror character ever but actually look like none of them. She was also initially based off of P.K.O.

Heir: He knows everything there is to know about algebra ever. He was also initially based off of T.K.O.

Patricia: She lives in an endless green meadow.

The Lake: It is a lake. Possibly made of snakes. Don’t worry about it.

Ru: Representation of innocence. Forgets.

Rise: Loves electronic music and flashing lights.

Kaitlyn: She constantly carries a backpack with the most unnecessary shit in it, making her buff as fuck.

Aaron: He thinks e-boys are gender.

Antonio: He curls his hair because Charlotte (below) has curly hair and he’s a fanboy.

Em: She thinks blasting meme songs over school intercoms is the peak of humor.

Winter: Their head is connected to a giant database of information that they have to utilize and update. The more I think about it the worse it gets.

Elliot: He constantly wears formal clothes, regardless of the situation.

Pehr: Developing her has been hell. I gave her superpowers and then got rid of them. I gave her a name and then changed it. I don’t know what I’m doing but she exists.

Adelmar: He can shapeshift and usually grows either feathers and/or scales without thinking.

Stacey: They have a massive scarf collection.

Fen: I know she had OSDD and have no developed anything to do with that. She’s like. Two steps ahead of Pehr.

Lemongrass: His color palette is supposed to consist of highlighter colors, white, and muted pink to beige, but I haven’t ever drawn him full-body with color so I have no idea if it actually works. He is also twelve.

Thyme: For some reason I decided she would commit tax fraud despite being nine years old.

Inkberry: I’ve renamed him three times—Peppermint, Winterberry, and Inkberry.

Etta: She makes bangin’ nachos.

Piera: She likes opals.

King: He’s an unhinged nine-year-old. That’s it that’s the fun fact.

Charlotte: She can “tell the future” and didn’t know she was just reading people’s subconscious thoughts and predicting from there for 60 years. A 15-year-old had to tell her.

Telezing: Her favorite food is parsnips and honey mustard.

Dimitri: I associate him with white sweatshirts even though I’m pretty sure he doesn’t wear them anymore.

Crest: In the original concept of their story, null was originally an antagonist.

Kweli: Xe has a special interest in vampires and (theoretically) wants to become one, which becomes interesting when he finds out that they’re real (in xyr universe).

Coral: She’s part of a subculture based on fae and collects pronouns and names related to the color red.

Natalie: Her favorite drink is an orange creamsicle float.

TJ: He periodically gives people roses that remind him of them.

Jericho: He likes to stand intimidatingly by Delphin (below) and scare people. Delphin did not ask hir to do this.

Honey: She only owns brightly/elaborately decorated pants.

Delphin: He is gay and feminine but it has nothing to do with him being gay. He’s like. Barely grasped that that’s a stereotype.

Silence: She’s a giant red sea serpent eel siren. Kind of a MILF.

Styx: They’re able to sense and differentiate specific vibrations in the ground through their feet.

Jingle: He’s the only reason his story/universe went from being a concept to a full-fledged thing. Also he has severe mommy issues.

Licentia: She likes old and reused things.

Leuis: He knows basically everything there is to know about mushrooms ever.

Breiget: Ae makes handmade lace.

Thatch: They can read perfectly fine but are horrible at fitting the words together to understand what the meaning and context of sentences are.

Death: They’re 48 feet tall.

Anise: He has an interest in plants and paints them often, which is fine other than the fact that they try to strangle him a lot.

Hearth: She keeps a (usually lit) candle on her at all times.

Trick: They have a strange obsession with organs (instrument).

Zalif: She’s like five or something and more aware of her family’s issues than anyone else in their family.

Bee: She has only understood the concept of responsibility once.

Ell Alarie: I accidentally named her “Sell Salarie” without the s. She’s a capitalist.

Certamen: Deep down it really just wants to look nice.

Deflexus: He’s killed 37 people.

Competum: They only know Latin. This is normal for their species and situation. They are basic.

Shade: They’re uncannily good at making beverages.

Delanie: She used to live in Alaska.

Tobiastsi: His name is made up of all of his favorite sounds. It’s very much not pronounced how it looks but I can’t figure it out.

Beseech: She had a crush on a pair of twins, confessed to both of them, and got rejected by both of them.

Ono: She reincarnated into Teddy Roosevelt and is now living in shame about it.

[imclab]

TELESTRON from GMUNK on Vimeo.

Telestron is a recreation of one of the ancient world’s most sought-after immersive experiences, invoking a ritual that harnessed the spiritual forces of nature to create a transformative experience. This ritual was housed in a darkened chamber called the Telestron (an adaptation of the original Telesterion), deployed cutting-edge robotic and light projection technology to bring the audience into an experience of the diurnal cycle (sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight). In other words – a complete Day for Night.

The goal was to create a theatrical piece that felt immersive and all-encompassing – a total takeover of the senses. The team knew the massive scale of the robots paired with the sophistication of the Day for Night crowd and an epic Sound System could render a sensory explosion for the audience.

The core concept of Telestron, developed and written by Stephen Marshall, was that it was recreating one of the ancient world’s most sought-after immersive experiences – essentially all the attendees were taking part in a sacred ritual. This ritual was housed in a darkened chamber that was, in the ancient Greek festival at Eleusis, was called the Telesterion, which they adapted to Telestron. This ritual intended to “harness the spiritual forces of nature to create a transformative experience.”

The team then got specific about what forces of nature they wanted to portray – and chose the Diurnal Cycle as the informing palette. They loved the poetic symmetry of the cycle being a Day for Night progression, and also how it influences the seasons and the positioning of the sun, which was assigned as the primary light source. They then designed each season of the cycle, which focuses on the time of year, the position of the sun, and how that affects the symbolism and character of the light. All of which were controlled by the ‘lantern bearers’ which were the robotic conductors, and were imbued specific personalities and behaviors to accurately represent the character of the light.

Once they went through the four seasons as their own acts, they then made a chaotic and emotionally charged fifth act to render an artistic interpretation of the current state of the natural cycle – one with the warming planet has become much more turbulent and chaotic; and as a result felt an obligation to communicate that visually and sonically.

It was all quite abstract, but gave the team so much structure to work with – sometimes with these massive and complex projects there’s a major need for a conceptual framework to work within. Establishing the concept early and sticking with it really helped guide the process and kept the team focused on the high-level vision of the installation throughout the production cycle.

Telestron Credits

Production Design: VT Pro Design Creative Direction: Michael Fullman, Bradley G Munkowitz Concept Writer: Stephen Marshall Touch Designer Programming: Matt Wachter Lighting Design: Gabe Fraboni Technical Design: Harry Souders, Jack Gilmore Production Management: Hayk Khanjian, Nico Yernazian Robot Animation & Previs: Jordan Ariel, Akiko Yamashita Design Assistant: David Gao Cinematographers: Andrew Curtis, Aaron Marcellino Editor: Jordan Ariel Colorist: Billy Hobson Composer: SoundsRED

[visionofthefuture95]

D-Fuse / Heller Enterprises / Secured by Design / Video / 2013

D-Fuse is an artistic collective from London,England founded in in the mid 1990s whose work encompasses multiple visual mediums. Their 2013 film Secured by Design is a typically English interpretation on the contemporary phenomena of being under constant surveillance. The name sarcastically draws on the English police imitative that claims to "improve the security of buildings and immediate surroundings" While perma-surveillance is hardly unique to the UK and England, London has a particularly strange relationship with cameras as they are one of the most recorded cities on earth with the average Londoner appearing on camera around 300 times per day. CCTV is so pervasive that Indie-Rock band Hard-Fi immortalized this cultural mainstay with their debut album Stars of CCTV(2005) that went on to win that years Mercury Music Prize and featured a vector image of a CCTV camera.

CCTV cameras also find themselves at the centre of multiple contemporary art pieces such as the ones outlined in this 2013 Joanne McNeil essay. That essay along with D-Fuse's film represent a kind of Millennial thinking from before the internet was "moderated". When there was some belief that large scale government interference could be prevented and electronic privacy could be secured and protected. With hindsight its easy to see that these were lofty and naive goals, perhaps then it is not surprising that 2013 was also the year Aaron Swartz was driven to suicide by the same bureaucratic state apparatus that constantly surveills everything today.



[danceonline11]

AARON SCALES is a visual artist and the founder of the creative architectural design company, BroCoLoco. Aaron is as seasoned as anyone in the tussle between creativity and business needs and speaks eloquently about both. He has a built successful business built around his art: “There’s something exhilarating and something exhausting about it.” He explains how “you can’t be driven by elation or deflation.” Rather, the task of the modern artist is to value communication, both with the client and in the expression of the work itself. He or she must lead the audience "from what is to what is POSSIBLE."He also eloquently makes the case for branded art around the 20-minute mark.

Perhaps his most fascinating point about the character and disposition of creatives is this: Humility is the middle ground between pride and depression. Pride is greater than you really are. Depression makes you think you’re less. “Humility is having an accurate assessment of who you really are. You know you are not as good as you could be. And you know you’re not as bad as you once were.” Why Aren't You Famous is an original series created by Human Factor Media, a branded content company?

Each episode features an honest conversation with a different artist across a range of disciplines, including writing, acting, comedy, film, music, and the visual arts. This artist is typically someone doing very well in his or field, but who has not yet "crested" the top. "Why Aren't You Famous?" is, therefore, a question as well as an exploration of what fame means in our time and whether it is truly the goal that matters.

ZACHARY SLINGSBY is a writer, short film creator, and the founder of Human Factor Media, a branded content company based in Nashville and NYC.

https://brocoloco.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thebrocoloco/

[brokehorrorfan]

The Phantasm Sphere Collection will be reissued on July 13 via Well Go USA. The Blu-ray box set was originally released for Phantasm's 40th anniversary in 2019 but quickly went out of print.

The six-disc box set contains all five films in the Phantasm franchise on Blu-ray and a bonus disc loaded with special features, along with a full-scale replica of a killer sphere. Aaron Lea designed the cover art.

Phantasm launched in 1979 from writer-director Don Coscarelli. It was followed by Phantasm II (1988), Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994), Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998), and Phantasm: Ravager (2016). Reggie Bannister, A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, and Angus Scrimm star.

The extensive list of special features can be found below.

Phantasm: Remastered special features:

Audio commentary with writer/director Don Coscarelli, co-producer Paul Pepperman and visual consultant Roberto Quezada

Audio commentary with writer/director Don Coscarelli and stars Michael Baldwin, Angus Scrimm and Bill Thornbury

Dunes Cantina Party audio commentary by writer/director Don Coscarelli and the cast and crew

Graveyard Carz

Interviews with Don Coscarelli and Angus Scrimm

Deleted Scenes

Cast interviews - Phantasm: Actors Having a Ball

Phantasm Behind-the-Scenes Home Movies with commentary by Don Coscarelli and Reggie Bannister

Additional home movie footage

A Horse Drawn Hearse – Remastered black and white flashback footage

TV Spots

Radio Spots

Angus Scrimm Introduction

Fangoria TV Spot

Theatrical Trailer

Still Gallery

At a funeral, Mike (Michael Baldwin), watches as a tall mortician clad in black (Angus Scrimm) tosses the unburied coffin into a waiting hearse as if it were nothing. Seeking the truth behind this unusual sight, Mike breaks into the mortuary, where he comes face-to-face with the sinister Tall Man. After barely managing to escape with his life, Mike enlists the help of his brother, Jody (Bill Thornbury), and their friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister). Together they set out to uncover the secrets of the Tall Man and those who dwell in his hellish world.

Phantasm II special features:

Director’s cut with X-rated gore sequence

Audio commentary with director Don Coscarelli, actors Angus Scrimm and Reggie Banister

The Ball is Back – documentary on the making of Phantasm II

The Gory Days – an interview with Special Make-up Effects Artist Greg Nicotero

Deleted Scenes

Workprint Scenes

TV Spots

Theatrical Trailers

Behind the Scenes

Still Galleries

Released after seven years in a mental hospital, Mike convinces his old pal Reggie to join forces with him to hunt down and destroy the Tall Man once and for all. Mike’s visions lead the two to a quiet little town where a horde of flying killer balls aim to slice and dice their gruesome way through everyone. Exploding with special effects, unparalleled thrills, horror and suspense, PHANTASM II climaxes with a blood-curdling conclusion that you have to see to believe.

Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead special features:

Audio commentary with director Don Coscarelli and editor Norman Buckley

Balls of Steel: Bob Ivy’s Stunt for the Ages - The Phantasm III Car Stunt – Behind-the-scenes footage of the film’s dangerous car stunt, including recently rediscovered material

It’s Never Over: The Making of Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead – Interviews with Don Coscarelli, A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury, Gloria Lynn Henry, stuntman Bob Ivy, director of photography Christopher Chomyn, composer Christopher L. Stone, sphere designer Kerry Prior, special makeup effects designer Dean Gates and production assistant Kristen Deem

Behind the Scenes Compilation

Audio commentary with actors A. Michael Baldwin and Angus Scrimm

Phantasm III: Behind-the-Scenes

Deleted Scene

Radio Spot

Still Gallery

Trailer

The mutant dwarf creatures are attacking, the silver spheres are flying, and the Tall Man is back with a vengeance! Fifteen years after the original horror classic, writer/producer/director Don Coscarelli reunites brothers Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) and Jody (Bill Thornbury) to help their friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister) destroy the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) once and for all.

Phantasm IV: Oblivion special features:

Death is No Escape: The Making of Phantasm IV: Oblivion – Interviews with Don Coscarelli, A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury, special makeup effects artist Gigi Bannister, stunt co-ordinator Bob Ivy, director of photography Christopher Chomyn, composer Christopher L. Stone, sphere designer Kerry Prior, cameraman Justin Zaharczuk and special makeup effects artist Robert Kurtzman

Behind the Scenes Compilation

Phantasm Sequels Conceptual Art Gallery by Justin Zaharczuk

Audio commentary with director Don Coscarelli and actors Reggie Bannister and Angus Scrimm

Phantasm IV: Behind-The-Scenes

Trailer

13 years after the original nightmare began, Mike must cross dark dimensions of time and space to discover his origins and those of his nemesis, the evil Tall Man. With only his loyal friend Reggie at hisside, and the spirit of his dead brother to guide him, Mike must finally confront this malevolent embodiment of death. Prepare to be scared witless as the fine line between the living and the dead snaps with a vengeance!

Phantasm: Ravager special features:

The Making of Phantasm V: Ravager featurette

Interview with actor A. Michael Baldwin

Interview with actress Kat Lester

Interview with actor Stephan Jutras

Behind the Scenes Promo with Angus Scrimm Tribute

Phantasm V Red Credit Sequence

Audio commentary with co-writer/director David Hartman and co-writer/producer Don Coscarelli

Behind the Scenes

Deleted Scenes

Phuntasm: Bloopers and Outtakes

Theatrical Trailer

After battling with the Tall Man in Phantasm: Oblivion, a battered Reggie wanders through the desert in search of his missing friend, Mike. After recovering his 1971 Hemi ‘Cuda, Reggie is targeted by two of the Tall Man’s Sentinel Spheres and destroys them. He awakens suddenly to find himself sitting in a wheelchair pushed by none other than the elusive Mike! Although overjoyed by their reunion, Reggie is in this alternate dimension an aged and weary old patient in a psychiatric ward. And only he remembers their battled and bloodied past with the Tall Man. Reggie must travel between dimensions and discern what is reality in order to confront the mysteries at the heart of a decades-long struggle against evil. He is met with new and familiar faces along the way, and an epic showdown on the Tall Man’s home world awaits!

Bonus Disc:

Phantasm: Ravager: How It Was Made – Feature-length documentary

Phantasm and You – Comic recap of the first 4 films by Phantasm: Ravager director David Hartman

Flashback Weekend Chicago Convention Panel Discussion (2008)

Flashback Weekend Chicago Convention Cast Panel (2014)

Flashback Weekend Concert Performance by Kat Lester

2016 Fantastic Fest Premiere and Q&A

Phantasmagoria: a documentary containing new and archival interviews with cast and crew

Phantasmagorical Mystery Tour with your host, Reggie Bannister

Phantasm Genesis

Phandom

Fangoria TV Commercial with Angus Scrimm

Angus Scrimm 1989 Convention Appearance

Pre-order The Phantasm Sphere Collection from Amazon.

[zhaozaipalooza]

A Not-So-Weekly Insight

Bryke. Aaron Ehasz and Elizabeth Welch Ehasz. These are names that, if not immediately familiar, nonetheless become synonymous with the world of ATLA. As writers and producers, we recognize the influence that these creators have on our favourites episodes, their depictions of characters and themes.

But, of course, when it comes to the creation of something as large scale as a multi-season animated television show, there are far more people leaving their mark -- often in anonymous ways.

It is easy, of course, to take for granted the many animators and artists whose job is to render backgrounds or textures, or the individual musicians who contribute an essential (if not entirely recognizable) sequence of sounds in what becomes an iconic song in the show’s soundtrack.    

To wit, we present to you this eye-opening section from The Art of the Animated Series book:

(Text reads: Elsa Garagarza joined the crew straight out of architecture school. For her first assignment, the Fire Lord’s throne room, she was given three words: Egyptian, Chinese, scary. She passed the test.) 

While the architecture and buildings presented in the show are but a teensy tiny aspect of the visual buffet, they are something that resonates with viewers, and though Gargarza’s beautiful designs may not always have translated to their fullest extent once the show aired, her influence on the show and is nonetheless worth recognizing, just as Sifu Kisu’s incredible martial arts consultations helped bending become the sophisticated series of movements and forms we perceive it as.    

And there are many more! Though not every single member of any production will be so luck as to have their name in the credits or a small panel of their work mentioned in supplemental material like an art book, it never hurts to remind ourselves that media is the result of more than just a single vision, with unsung contributions by the boatload. 

Here at the Zhaozai Palooza, we’re thankful for these many members of the larger cast and crew, and the rich world that they collectively built which we now know and love. Perfect? Perhaps not. But a worthy team effort all the same. 

[agentnico]

Top 20 Best Movies of the Decade (2010′s)

Now that we have entered the 2020s, it’s time to look back on a decade of movie magic. To emphasise the importance of each year, I’ll balance things out by including two films from each year for my Top 20 list. I’ve tried to pick films that both defined this decade as well as appealed to me personally, so my list will of course, as always, be different from yours, but hopefully, I won’t totally irritate you with my humble choice, which I deem worthy to post online for the public eye to witness.

2010:

INCEPTION - “You’re waiting for a train...” Christopher Nolan unarguably is the most exciting and original directors working today. Each time he releases a movie, its an event. A literal must-see at the cinema. Which is why this isn’t the only film of his you will find on this list. With Inception, Nolan gives us a movie that is both enjoyable and imaginative, rewarding the audience for the attention that it demands. Filled with so much detail that if you miss certain shots, you will completely get lost in confusion of the narrative (as confusing as it already is). It’s intense and complex, with great performances from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, this movie will leave you lingering for more even after that mysterious ending.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD -  “You cocky cock! You'll pay for your crimes against humanity!” Once again, another exciting director on this list (oh there are so so many!). Ever since Edgar Wright emerged from the British isles, he’s given us some of the funniest films of the past decade and onwards. His Cornetto Trilogy is a blast, Baby Driver is a blast, Ant-Man was going to be even more of a blast if Marvel allowed Wright to do his magical shenanigans his way, and the upcoming Last Night in Soho will surely be a blast also. With Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Wright creates a meta-clever universe taking inspiration from comic books and video games and filled to the brink with wink-wink-nudge-nudge humour, this is an exciting and very sarcastic over the top endeavor. Also, Brie Larson in this movie.....phew!! And unsurprisingly, its all a blast!

2011:

DRIVE - “I just wanted you to know, just getting to be around you, that was the best thing that ever happened to me.” Drive is more of an elegant exercise in style, and its emotions may be hidden but they run deep. A shamelessly disreputable, stylish, stoic, ultra-violent thriller with amazing stunt work, one of the best opening sequences of any movie this decade and a neon-pumped soundtrack that’s a must-own for all vinyl users, if you still haven’t seen Drive, there’s only one thing you can do. Clue: it’s to go watch Drive.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL - “Your mission, should you choose to accept it...” Tom Cruise’s deal with the devil allows him to do some literally impossible stuff, and though I don’t condone his Scientology ways, the man’s stunt work and efforts in his area of expertise are worth all the praise and respect. To be honest, I’m commemorating all three of the Mission Impossible flicks that graced our screen this year (Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation and Fallout). This franchise is like a game of dodgeball, except that Tom Cruise is the dodgeBALL, being thrown and thrust left and right like nobody cares. Also, with me being Russian, the fact that a movie manages to destroy the Kremlin and then have me not hate the film in the aftermath shows that this film is way too fun to hate.

2012:

DJANGO UNCHAINED - “Gentlemen, you had my curiosity, but now you have my attention.” Quentin Tarantino is one of my favourite directors working today. And Django Unchained happens to be my favourite film of his. The writing for this film is orgasmic (I went there!). The way the actors deliver the lines and the lines of dialogue themselves sound almost poetic to my ears. I can quote so many lines from this darn thing. The cinematography is immaculate. The soundtrack choice is great. The performances, my goodness, the PERFORMANCES!! Jamie Foxx does arguably his career-best work here, but also we have Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio both chewing up the scenery, and I’m sure everyone has heard the story involving DiCaprio and the broken glass. Django Unchained is an easy choice on this list for me, and possibly in my Top 10 of all time.

LES MISERABLES - “Do you hear the people sing?” The film that is based on a musical that is based on a book that is based on certain true events. Tom Hooper did an interesting choice of having actors sing live in front of the camera during filming rather than pre-record their voices, and it works to grand effect, though Russell Crowe should have probably been given more singing lessons. The movie is one hell of a way to adapt such a popular stage musical. With an opening shot that emphasises the scale of this picture with a zoom-in towards this big ship during a storm being pulled by these poor prisoners, we are plunged into the despair and conflicts of various characters with adroit narrative thrust so that not a moment feels wasted or redundant. You’d think that a film with hardly any dialogue and an overall reliance on singing wouldn’t be so emotional. Yet, somehow, it works. Also props to Anne Hathaway for winning an Academy Award for being in a film for only 5 MINUTES!!

2013:

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET - “Sell me this pen.” Martin Scorsese’s mad look into Wall Street life is a bombastic caper and running at nearly 3 hours, Scorsese and his editing team manage to keep an astoundingly intoxicating pace that keeps you enthralled and engaged throughout. This one is definitely not for the families, as this R-rated fest is filled with drugs, money, sex and everything you can possibly imagine and paints quite the picture of the rich folks of Wall Street. And the middle of it all a bravura performance from Leonardo DiCaprio. Someone needs to give DiCaprio’s agent a raise, this is Leo’s third appearance on this list and we’re only in 2013!

THE WAY WAY BACK - “I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're having way too much fun, it's making everyone uncomfortable.” Sometimes a little indie flick is enough to lift a human spirit. Real, fun, uplifting and innocent, The Way Way Back dedicated to anyone who felt awkward or out of place at some point in their life, which, let’s be honest, counts all of us. I’m not afraid to admit that. So stop being a b*** and reveal your sensitive side too! Yes, you, the person reading this. Who else could I possibly be talking to? Myself? Maybe. The Way Way Back though is one of the best feel-good indie films of this decade, with the loveable Steve Carell acting very unloveable and Sam Rockwell Rockwelling himself to charm city! If you’ve missed this one, treat yo’self and check it out.

2014:

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - “And?? Where is it? What's it all about dammit don't keep us in suspense this has been a complete f***ing nightmare! Just tell us what the f*** is going on!!!” Easily Wes Anderson’s best in my opinion (I have a friend who would argue Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums has the better hand but I think my opinion is more valid because it's me), this movie is a glossy, colorful, whimsical deadpan affair with an energetic turn from Ralph Fiennes as the hotel concierge M. Gustave H. as he and his lobby boy run into various Wes Anderson regulars and deal with murderers, stolen paintings, love affairs, prison breaks, and all kinds of crazy shindigs, but all shown in such a casual Wes Anderson way. This movie is like a slice of cherry pie - damn fine!

INTERSTELLAR - “Murphy’s Law doesn’t mean that something bad will happen. It means that whatever can happen, will happen.” As promised, Christopher Nolan makes another appearance on this list, now with his space time-traveling epic Interstellar, where he takes inspiration from the likes of Kubrick and Tarkovsky to give us, as always, a tad bit confusing adventure with great visuals and an interesting narrative (though it does sometimes get lost in its own way), however, the key thing holding this piece together is the father-daughter relationship with Matthew McConaughey and Mackenzie Foy (and Jessica Chastain) managing to bring so much raw emotion to their respective roles that you can’t help but want to shed a tear. I mean, I haven’t cried for over 14 years, but I remember when I first watched this film, the audience around me was sobbing quite a few times during the duration of this movie. Give it to Nolan to give us the emotional moments!

2015:

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD - “Oh what a day! What a lovely day!!” Easily the best action movie of this decade. Sorry John Wick, neither you or Tom Cruise could defeat this beast. The sheer, limitless invention behind this movie's exhilarating, preposterous chase scenes highlights action filmmaking at its finest. With big monster trucks and a random guitarist rocking-it in the middle of all the action, it’s like a nihilistic version of a Cirque du Soleil show! And it makes Tom Hardy the calmest person on-screen; no idea how it managed that.

STEVE JOBS - “I sat in a garage and invented the future because artists lead and hacks ask for show of hands.” If there is anyone who can make formulaic, mathematical or technological sound fun and exciting, its Aaron Sorkin. The man has a talent for writing screenplays about difficult and complicated topics yet turning them approachable for the casual moviegoer. Pair him with director Danny Boyle, and the result is Steve Jobs, a look at the man behind the phone. Narratively set during three important product launches of Jobs’, we get to see the behind-the-scenes of his relationships with his colleagues and family members, and this character study is one that could have easily fallen into generic biopic tropes, but it holds it’s own right till the credits roll. Also props for showing that Seth Rogen can actually do a serious role. Who would’ve thought that pot-smoking fella had dramatic chops in him?

2016:

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS - “Susan, enjoy the absurdity of our world. It’s a lot less painful. Believe me, our world is a lot less painful than the real world.” Fashion designer Tom Ford does sew his suits well. Apparently, he can also make great films too, with 2009′s A Single Man and with said Nocturnal Animals. This movie is truly incredible and I remember it taking me and my friend by surprise when we first watched it at the cinema. It’s shocking. Horrifying. Depressing. Upsetting. Altogether exhilarating. Being of a fashion background, Tom Ford directs the hell out of this movie, with gorgeous shots and great use of colour as well as managing to masterfully create tension and suspense when necessary. Honestly, I know Tom Ford is probably busy at a department store somewhere, but the guy needs to make another movie. The man has a talent.

LA LA LAND - “Here’s to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem. Here’s to the hearts that ache; here’s to the mess we make.” Oh, La La Land. Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to the also excellent Whiplash. People who know me well know how much I love this movie. An old-school tour-de-force musical that’s a love letter to jazz and the golden age of Hollywood. The city of stars never looked so good. Featuring catchy original songs, excellent dance choreography (the sequence to the song “Lovely Night” is especially memorable) and a romance tale ten times better than the forsaken The Notebook, La La Land is one special movie. I know many are put off by the film’s not so happy ending, however for me it was the only way this narrative could have ended. 

2017:

BLADE RUNNER 2049 - “We’re all just looking out for something real.” Similarly to Nolan, Denis Villeneuve is proving to be one of the most exciting directors working today. He’s the man behind such films as *deep breath* Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. And those have all been done within the last decade. The man constantly makes quality movies of various genres, though lately, he has been leaning more towards science fiction, which is a-okay in my books, since as Blade Runner 2049 proves, he can turn science into fiction like butter on bread. A sequel made 30 years after Ridley Scott’s classic, this visually breathtaking piece is arguably even better than its predecessor with many moments giving you the “wow wow wow wow wow WOW!” factor, and when Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford are both on-screen they are dynamite. Forget the new Star Wars film (that’s right, I'm throwing shade there), Blade Runner is where it’s at!

PHANTOM THREAD - “The tea is going out. The interruption is staying right here with me.” The supposed last Daniel Day-Lewis film, as he has now apparently retired from acting, but let’s be honest, nothing stops him from simply unretiring at any point. Exhibit A - Joe Pesci. However, like Pesci, if he comes back I’ll only be happy. He’s one of acting greats of our time, and his collaborations will director Paul Thomas Anderson bring out some of his best roles. Phantom Thread is a marvel of a movie. No, I don’t mean that’s its part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I mean as in it can fill one with wonder and astonishment. Phantom Thread is PTA’s Gothic dark fairy-tale romance film, which expertly planned shots and scenes where every word of the dialogue counts. There is no wasted moment. And as the film transpires to its dark and unsettling climax, one begins to realize that this, THIS, is what filmmaking is about. Telling an engrossing story in an interesting way with crisp-clear shots and off-the-chart acting at play, with great costume design on display, although the latter is unsurprising due to a major aspect of the movie revolving around fashion.

2018:

MANDY -  “You ripped ma shirt!! You ripped maaa shiirrt!!” An acquired taste for sure, however, Mandy is indeed something truly special. From first glance, this film might seem like nothing out of the ordinary, especially from the point of view of the plot. Its the usual revenge flick. However director Panos Cosmatos’ vision and how he presents it is so much more unique. And what’s not love in this film? There’s something for everyone! It’s artsy and slow enough for the critics, hip and metal for the nonchalant, gory and violent for the hardcore genre fanatics and of course the Nic-Cage-rage factor is present for the fans of the actor. Alright, it may not be a family film, but this one is worth a watch. The whole thing is bound together by this psychedelic otherworldly environment, with the whole movie conceived in this dark, unsettlingly beautiful yet horror-filled aura that might stray people away, as it might be just too different for them, however, if you are looking for something different to watch, take mandy. I mean, watch Mandy!

A STAR IS BORN - “Music is essentially 12 notes between any octave. Twelve notes and the octave repeats. It’s the same story told over and over. All the artist can offer the world is how they see those 12 notes.” The film that began all the rumours surrounding Bradley Cooper’s and Lady Gaga’s affair. People, heads up, they are actors! They were putting on a performance! Jeez. That being said, I totally ship them. Nuff’ said. The film though? Yes, it’s good. Some country-style music, romance blooming, Gaga can apparently act, people sing about shallows for some reason...all together works for a pretty decent motion picture. Also, the fact that Bradley Cooper wrote, directed, produced and starred in this gives me so much respect for the guy. He poured his heart and soul into this. And Lady Gaga absolutely shines!

2019:

PAIN & GLORY -  “Writing is like drawing but with letters.” Director Pedro Almodovar semi-autobiographical film takes a close look at how one deals with acceptance, being forgotten, symptoms of depression and generally all fairly negative attributes, but delivered in such an honest and profound way that there is a strange lightness that emerges from it all. Antonio Banderas is uncannily vulnerable in the lead role, delivering such an earnest performance that shows a man that is filled with melancholic regret who seeks his own form of redemption. This movie is a thing of beauty.

PARASITE - “You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all. If you make a plan, life never works out that way.” Parasite is easily the most original and surprising films of 2019, and possibly the decade, managing to subvert expectations and blend together so many different genres so naturally. To spoil any narrative element of this movie would be a sin, like this one in particular works best when not knowing anything about it. This movie comes to us from Bong Joon-Ho, a South Korean director behind such films as The Host, Memories of Murder, Okja, and Snowpiercer. It’s nice to see the awards ceremonies giving him the proper recognition finally. He deserves it.

That sums up my Top 20 Best Movies of the Decade list. Of course, there are so many other great films that came out in these 10 years, such as Whiplash, When Marnie Was There, Paterson, Silence, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Nice Guys...I can go on forever. Cinema is a constant ever-growing medium, and it is fascinating to see how it changes through the years, in some ways improving and in some parts not so much. In any case, I look forward towards a new decade of, hopefully, great movies, however, let’s be honest, for all these great films there’s always a Norm of the North, a Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse or frickin’ Cats. But let’s hope those will be kept to a minimum. In any case, bring on the 2020s!

[kolajmag]

FROM KOLAJ 29

A Gigantic Crime Scene

Tucson, Arizona, USA. Aaron Coleman writes, "I do not plan the collages. The whole purpose of the collages I make now is to be spontaneous and let the imagery guide each move. Each collage begins with an image of cathedral architecture. This image lays out all the ‘rules’ for the final collage. The perspective, scale, lighting and atmosphere are all dictated by the architecture." A portfolio of his work appears in Kolaj 29. MORE

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Kolaj Magazine, a full colour, print magazine, exists to show how the world of collage is rich, layered, and thick with complexity. By remixing history and culture, collage artists forge new thinking. To understand collage is to reshape one’s thinking of art history and redefine the canon of visual culture that informs the present.

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[maswartz]

Power Rangers Hybrid Responders

A group of scientist spent years developing a series of Artificial Intelligence, basing their visual appearance and attributes after various animals. The plan was to implant them into first responder suits to revolutionize emergency response and save countless lives. The scientists treated the AI as equals even allowing their own children to interact with them during development. However BuzZero (AI #0 based on a beetle) grew tired of being used by humanity as a tool and rebels. Now calling itself Vinsect it escapes the lab. Fortunately the scientists manage to upload an anti-virus to the net preventing Vinsect from infecting the world. However Vinsect still manages to take control over a series of manufacturing plants and builds an army of robots powered by toxic pollution. Vinsect declares that nothing will stop them or their Swarm from taking over the world. The Renegade AI grows stronger by the day and one day will be able to bypass the protection and infect the world. The scientists ask the remaining AI to help fight their fellow AI but without physical bodies they are unable to do much. With no other choice the scientists ask their now teenage children to fight alongside the AI against Vinsect. The world’s only hope are the Power Rangers Hybrid Responders Red Hybrid Ranger-Evan- 18 - FalcOne (falcon #1)- One of the first children to meet the AI he bonded almost immediately with FalcOne. A natural born leader part of him hopes that it’s possible to bring BuzZero back but as Vinsect’s actions grow more severe he begins to lose faith in that plan-Armed with the Speed Sword

Blue Hybrid Ranger- Aaron- 17- DuLion (lion #2)- While he understands the importance of their task he can’t help but ask why the fate of the world is in the hands of a group of teenagers instead of the military- Armed with the Highway Bazooka Yellow Hybrid Ranger- Rose- 17- TriBear (bear #3)- At first she continuously complains about how being a Ranger hinders her social life, even if she admits it can be fun. In time she accepts the scale of their mission and puts her all into it - Armed with the Zoom Scout Hybrid Zords- Small hand held vehicles built using experimental technology. When the AI chips are placed within them they grow to zord size. Controlled mainly by the AI due to the fact many of the Rangers don’t have licenses yet Hybrid Megazord Falcon Speeder forms the torso, arms and head Lion Bus forms the legs Bear Rover forms the lower torso Green Hybrid Ranger- Milo- 15-  Fourca (orca #4)- Little brother of Katie. As the youngest Ranger he seeks the approval of the others leading him to sometimes take unnecessary risks- Armed with the Street Axe Black Hybrid Ranger- Dan- 16-  K-5 (dog #5)- A gamer he bonded with K-5 over video games and even play FPS games together. The scientists were impressed that this actually helped improve K-5′s aim- Armed with the Nitro Blaster Orange Hybrid Ranger- Addie- 18- Sixter (alligator #6)- Wheelchair bound since an accident in her youth, she is able to walk thanks to an experimental implant. Though she worries it may make her vulnerable to Vinsect the other Rangers say they won’t allow that- Armed with the Stop Shield Engine Hybrid Megazord Orca Cycle forms the left arm Hound Chaser forms the right arm Gator Trailer forms the torso legs and head Super Hybrid Megazord forms from the Hybrid and the Engine Hybrid Megazords combining Gold Hybrid Ranger- Mike- 17- Rooseven (rooster #7)- An artist and poet he uses his experiences as a Ranger as inspiration. Dating Lian- Armed with the Turbine Blaster Blade in Fire Mode Silver Hybrid Ranger- Lian- 17-  Eiger (tiger #8)- An athlete and fitness enthusiast she enjoys pushing her body to the edge. Dating Mike- Armed with the Turbine Blaster Blade in Ice Mode Navy Hybrid Ranger- Katie- 19- Whaline (whale #9)- Older sister of Milo. A child prodigy she actually helped with some of the coding for the AI leading her to worry in hindsight that she may be to blame for Vinsect’s rebellion- Armed with the Turbine Blaster Blade in Thunder Mode Aero Hybrid Megazord Rooster Copter forms the right arm Tiger Jet forms the left arm Whale Plane forms the torso legs and head Supreme Hybrid Megazord forms from the three Megazords combining Fossil Train- A trio of prototype AI. When he left the lab Vinsect stole their coding and later created a massive train to house their programming to use against the Rangers. Fortunately an upgrade patch gives them the same sentience as the other AI allowing them to join the Rangers as Evan’s secondary Megazord. Mastendon (mastodon #10) Rexen (t-rex #11) Tricerazon (triceratops #12) Rail Hybrid Megazord Mastodon Engine forms the torso head and arms Rex Car forms the right leg Triceratops Car forms the left leg Hybrid Ultrazord forms from all four Megazords joining as one Morphers- All the morphers can be used to project holograms of the AI as well as communicate with the lab. Hybrid Morphers 1-3 Cell phone model 4-6 Wrist worn model 7-9 Hand held model Morphing Call- [Ranger] AI Install! [AI] Ranger System Online! [Morphs] [Both] (Color) Hybrid Ranger! Morphing- Ranger colored computer grid forms around ranger forming suits Power Rangers Primal Responders- One of Dragon’s surviving generals seeks refuge in a factory only to be found by Vinsect and converted into a cyborg monster. The Hybrid Rangers call for the Primal Rangers to assist in fighting this threat Primal Aura Samurai Spirits Powerverse

[blacknerdproblems]

The new Hickman run of X-men in these two mini-series is everything you didn’t know you needed from X-Men storytelling. Most impressive is the way Hickman weaves in the mythology. We become familiar with all-new, all-different classifications of mutant hybrids (Chimeras and Outliers), a mutant breeding program spearhead by Mr. Sinister, and a series of major events that happens off-panel that I hope we can see visualized.  Even more impressive about Hickman’s scripts are how his worlds and plots elevate the artists around him to levels of excitement and kinetic energy that we did not see before.  Artist R.B. Silva, for instance, seemed merely like a B-list backup while drawing the awful-awful-awful X-Men Blue series, but spurned by Hickman’s epic storytelling, this man is turning in some beautiful, nuanced work. Teamwork make the dreamwork indeed.

As someone that has been reading X-Men comics consistently since 1992, I can safely say these new joints by Hickman CRUSH everything that was not written by Claremont, Morrison, or Bendis’ Uncanny run. I may show slight favoritism for anyone with Jon in their names, but I cannot write enough positive adverbs or epithets to make you read this series.  If you like X-Men, comic books, long game mythology and storytelling, then you have absolutely zero excuses not to read House of X and Powers of X as soon as they drop on NCBD.  The first issue of this series ties in four distinct time periods in mutant history that reflect directly upon the “current timeline” as it unfolds in House of X.  You cannot read one of these books without the other to grasp the full scale of what Hickman has in store for a thousand years of X-Men history …yes, a thousands years. Without a doubt, Hickman’s reign on the X-Men already stands as the most exciting title (re)launch since Ta-Nahisi Coates took over Black Panther or James Aaron on Thor. No more talking. Start reading.

Read on here. [x]

[arch2070edhs3070]

Charlotte Paulussen (acp9zz) - Week 2

This week, I would like to discuss the importance of understanding how viewers naturally go to “read" the artwork when choosing when to utilize the power of white/empty space. Design thinking is focused on creating visuals to display data, which are able to be easily deciphered by viewers, while still presenting the information in a visually pleasing and stimulating manner. Empty space has the capacity to direct viewers’ eyes to a specific area, and when used correctly this can completely alter the way in which the artwork is viewed. This concept was most notably seen in Paula Scher’s Abstract, in which she discussed her process of creating typographical visuals, such as the Citi Bank logo. For her, it is not about attempting to fit the largest amount of information into the artwork, and having viewers gain meaning from that. However, it is about adjusting the smallest details in order to  subtly change the effect that the small amount of visual on the page has to the viewer. Through working with line weight, height, and boldness in typography, she can convey a specific message and create a personality for the words. For example, she discusses how the railway is embodied in the H with the two lines running parallel to each other. The bolding of certain lines works to draw emphasis to them, making them pop out to the viewer. In this case, the majority of the artwork Scher creates consists of white space with carefully crafted typographical elements. Based on her experience with reading, she recognizes that sometimes the simplest designs deliver the strongest message, as well as leave the space open for additional questions to be raised. 

This concept draws on elements discussed by Edward Tufte in his discussion of Micro/Macro in Envisioning Information. One of the main ideas which stood out to me was how he truly emphasized that it isn’t about the quantity of empty space of information, but how successfully it is utilized. This directly relates to Scher’s practice of using small quantities of visual graphics to convey her point. On the macro scale, various aspects of her artwork stand out to the viewer, most likely due to the use of stronger line weights and color. However, when the viewer moves closer to examine it in more detail, they are confronted with even smaller details which previously could not be seen. This minimalistic technique is also employed by Aaron Koblin in his work, Flight Patterns. Through use of brightly colored lines on a black and white background, he is able to emphasize the numerous paths taken by planes within overloading the viewer with information. When looking at the flight paths on a macro scale, they clearly outline the shape of North America, making it unnecessary to include an actual map in the visual. However, when looked at on a micro level, it is possible to see how many of the “thicker” lines are actually consisting of several smaller lines, displaying the frequency of travel on these different paths.  

It is inspiring to see various artists use white space in such a powerful and deliberate way. When I began creating my visualization for Exercise 1, I felt that white space would only weaken my design; however, over time I have begun to realize that when used effectively, it helps strengthen and direct my viewer’s to the aspects which I find to be the most important overall.

[hiphipturra]

“3 ERAS of GAY SEX in 3 Minutes”– Viral Valentine Film Celebrates The History and Power of Gay Sex, Fetish & Cruising An Original Three-minute Film by Leo Herrera Visually Spans The History of Homosensual Communication from Pre-Stonewall to Present Day Leo Herrera, a NYC-based visual artist, filmmaker, writer and advocate with a focus on cataloging and presenting gay history, today announced his latest work “3 ERAS of GAY SEX in 3 Minutes” an original piece illustrating 3 generations of gay sex in three-minutes, featuring Pre-Stonewall cruising; 1970’s/80’s Leather BDS&M; and Present Day App usage, filmed in NYC and San Francisco. Instead of presenting gay history as sexless or focusing solely on AIDS, the film celebrates Gay Communication in its most sensual form, through the glances, codes and technological breakthroughs that have allowed gay sex and gay communities to flourish through generations of oppression. Taking us on a time machine into archetypes of Gay Sex and the unspoken communication methods of these communities, “3 ERAS of GAY SEX in 3 Minutes” informs us and a wider audience, of the rich sexual history of the modern gay male; the symbolism and power of our once ‘secret’ encounters; and a glimpse into the infrastructure of deviant gay communities that are the foundations for the modern gay civil rights movement. There is a love for gay culture and iconography that vibrates in the film, from the setting of historic landmark Julius, the SF army barracks and a sex dungeon, to the soundtrack, which features poetry from Walt Whitman, Truman Capote and human pup play master, Pup Boss Jyan. The film stars Gay Hip-Hop artist, Rikki Crowley and HIV Activist Zachary Barnett. It touches upon the themes of technology, PrEP, the closet and gay S&M in a way that’s tasteful and romantic. “This film is about sharing a facet of our history that is rarely represented in mainstream gay media,” said Herrera. “While I applaud the strides we’ve made in our mainstream visibility, it sometimes comes at the expense of our sexuality. Gay fetish is treated as a punchline, or punished with disease. The drag queens and gay characters I see on television do not represent what I see at Folsom Street Fair, or at a Brooklyn gay warehouse party on a Saturday night or any of the Eagles in the country. There is an inherent romance to cruising, a jolt of electricity to our secrets and codes, that’s what this clip is about.” “The idea that as a culture we DO have a past, present and future is something that is very, very powerful. We didn’t come out of nowhere, and we haven’t been standing around waiting to be “accepted”, and we aren’t this monolithic culture that will just be part of any “mainstream”, there are too many facets and subcultures. Who better to tell these stories than ourselves.” The film is a followup to Leo’s “The Fortune Teller,” the 2013 Pride Month Viral hit that presented 50 years of Gay History in 5 minutes, garnering 50,000 hits during Gay Pride Week. About “3 ERAS of GAY SEX in 3 Minutes” “3 ERAS of GAY SEX in 3 Minutes” is Leo Herrera’s most ambitious project to date. It’s comprised of all original footage filmed in iconic gay locations, such as Julius, the Army Barracks in SF, and a gay sex dungeon in Brooklyn. Costumes were provided by Mr. S Leather in SF and the Leatherman in NYC. Leo worked closely with producer Jonathan Daniel Federico, a fellow NYC filmmaker as well as filmmaker Aron Kantor and cinematographer Nathan Lee Bush to realize his vision. About Gay/Artist and Activist Leo Herrera “I grew up an illegal Mexican immigrant in Republican Arizona, as far from “gay” as possible. Yet, the challenges and hopes I’ve faced as a gay man are the same as all of my peers across the world, as if homosexuality can transcend culture, geography and race. Homophobia is the same in New York City as it is in Russia, HIV and its stigma are as devastating in the South as they are in San Francisco, our sexual freedom is as reviled in America as in Uganda…and yet we are all moving forward on a global scale: our contributions to nightlife and the arts are as pronounced in Berlin as they are in Provincetown, the legalization of our unions is spanning continents, the unmistakable softness of our gestures transcends language. I don’t know if these universal similarities make homosexuality a culture, a race or a shared experience. What I do know is that they stir a deep pride in me that is almost religious.” Tag: #FutureGaySex PR contact: aaron@pointblankcomm.com point-bl_nk communications

[1-4inch]

1/4 Inch 2014 1/4 Inch put all its energy into one event in 2014, Speak Easy. Speak Easy was a multi day event at Project Contemporary Art Space, Wollongong, featuring exhibiting artists and performances over a 10 day residency in October. Here is some documentation of the event's promotion: Come celebrate the opening of Speak Easy's 10 day residency at Project! We have amazing food, art and performances over the 10 days we are in the space. Kicking off 1/4_inch will be presenting music performances by - Clocks and Clouds - Benjamin Kinsman, Patches & -1 - Tarant Hill (DJ Set) Four artists have contributed work to the Speak Easy exhibition Greg Hughes, Aaron Hull, David Hull and Jessica Cohcrane. This work will be on display at each of our events. Thursday evening will be the official opening of this exhibition. Dr Mex will be lighting up the wood fired grill and providing authentic Mexican cuisine for all you hungry souls from 6pm! About the Musicians and Artists ::Benjamin Kinsman, Patches & -1:: https://soundcloud.com/bkinsman Ben Kinsman, patches & -1 are forward thinking synthesist/producers from Sydney. This group of artists utilise evolving technologies and unconventional electronic instruments to create organic evolving electronic music. They have performed alongside of great artists such as Alessandro Cortini https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCljKhC72e6zPp2-gAuVFeUA ::Clocks and Clouds:: http://www.anaphoria.com/clocksclouds.html Clocks and Clouds is comprised of core players and composers Kraig Grady and Terumi Narushima. Performing with retuned vibraphone and pump organ. Clocks and Clouds are renowned for utilising unique instruments that are retuned using pure harmonic tuning that explore the beauty of room resonances via ancient sacred scales and multi-dimensional geometries. It is not uncommon for an audience to experience the sensation of harmonics sweeping through space due to the way in which sound waves from the instruments interact with the environment. Exhibiting Artists ::Aaron Hull:: Aaron Hull is difficult to pigeon hole. Musician, Sound and Video Artist, DJ and founding member of the performance series 1/4_inch. Working across a multitude of collaborative projects in a variety of genres in 2014, Aaron's music practice extends from the deep fringes of the sonic landscape to german dub techno. Taking inspiration from film sound tracks, noise, the Australian landscape and malfunctioning audio equipment, Aaron’s performances and installations vary from intimate sonic landscapes to all out assault of noise and shattered glitch. Greg Hughes Greg is a practicing Wollongong-based designer, artist, musician and lecturer in the Design program at University of Western Sydney. He is also completing his PhD at University of Wollongong focusing on the hybrid qualities of analogue and digital technology in creative production and consumption. Greg's recent exhibitions and performances have revolved around mapping and data visualisation that make the invisible visible, and involved the design of audio-visual systems that allow video, sound and feedback loops to collide with physical materials in a controlled manner. Greg has explored this process in composition, performance and applied data visualisation. http://hypertrace.tumblr.com/ Looking Good, 2014 Jessica Cochrane Acrylic, Tobacco, Chilli Flakes, Cinnamon, Coffee, Green Tea, Pharmaceutical Drugs on Digital Photographic Prints My work is representative of authentic and invested phycological engagements with socio-political topics in my life that are deeply rooted in popular culture, fashion, beauty and the grotesque. This body of work reflects on the societal pressures that are put upon us to fit an edited ideal of femininity and sensuality, by using consumable substances as mediums to aggressively distort stereotypically attractive imagery. David Hull This series of work reflects issues that have underpinned my work for most of my life. Although spanning some 20 years each deals with that peculiar impression we all have that corresponds to our own sense of place. The neon piece and text panel as well as the small paintings and boxes all correspond to those private conversations with my father through which I began to understand about my place. These private understandings and trusts that can only exist between those close to us. If asked about them we would simply say we spoke of " this and that " if no consequence to others but deeply significant between us. Other pieces, the large drawing and sequential painting simply explore our capacity to wander and drift. To drift without a special goal in a kind of random free improvised journey without beginning or end. Conversations I had with my father. Oil on canvas, Perspex boxes, chicken feathers, grease and wooden tools. This and That Neon and text Here and There oil on canvas Tracing the chair Graphite wax and oil

[calderon89calderon-blog]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Gentleman: Into the Spider-Verse is an approaching American laptop-animated superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics character Miles Morales / Spider-Man, produced by Columbia Images and Sony Images Animation in association with Marvel, and dispersed by Sony Photographs Releasing. It is established in a shared multiverse known as the "Spider-Verse", which functions distinct alternate universes. The movie is directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, from a screenplay by Phil Lord and Rothman, and stars Shameik Moore as Morales, alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Jake Johnson, Liev Schreiber, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, and Lily Tomlin. In the film, Morales becomes a single of many Spider-Males. Strategies for an animated Spider-Gentleman movie to be developed by Lord and Christopher Miller had been initial uncovered in 2014, and formally declared in April 2015. Persichetti, Ramsey, and Rothman joined above the next two many years, with Moore and Schreiber solid in April 2017. Lord and Miller needed the movie to have its own distinctive style, combining the in-home laptop animation of Sony Images Imageworks with traditional hand-drawn comic guide tactics inspired by the work of Miles Morales's co-creator Sara Pichelli. Completing the animation for the film required up to one hundred forty animators, the biggest crew at any time utilized by Sony Pictures Animation for a movie. Spider-Male: Into the Spider-Verse is scheduled to be launched in the United States on December 14, 2018. The film has acquired acclaim from critics, who praised its modern animation, voice performing and people, story, and humor. A sequel and spin-off are in advancement.

Premise

In the "vintage Spider-Gentleman mildew", Miles Morales need to juggle his large university daily life with his standing as a superhero, as he is launched to the "Spider-Verse" the place there can be far more than just one Spider-Guy.

Advancement

Following the November 2014 hacking of Sony's pcs, e-mail among Sony Images Leisure co-chairman Amy Pascal and president Doug Belgrad were unveiled, stating that Sony was preparing to "rejuvenate" the Spider-Gentleman franchise by establishing an animated comedy film with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Sony executives had been established to examine the venture further in a discussion relating to a number of Spider-Male spin-off movies at a summit in January 2015. At the 2015 CinemaCon in April, Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman introduced that the animated Spider-Guy movie had a July 20, 2018 release day, and would be developed by Lord and Miller, Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and Pascal, with Lord and Miller also producing a therapy for the film. Rothman stated that it would "co-exist" with the dwell-motion Spider-Gentleman films, however Sony soon stated that the movie would "exist independently of the assignments in the dwell-motion Spider-Guy universe", as it is set in an alternate universe from individuals movies without Tom Holland's version of Spider-Guy. That December, Sony moved the film's launch date to December 21, 2018. By June 2016, Lord experienced composed a script for the movie, and Bob Persichetti was established to direct. Miller said the movie would feel diverse from prior Spider-Male films, and "will stand on its own as a special filmgoing expertise." It experienced also been rumored to concentrate on the Miles Morales version of Spider-Gentleman, which Sony verified at a presentation for its upcoming animated movies in January 2017. Peter Ramsey was co-directing the film by that level. The next month, Alex Hirsch was exposed to have contributed to the film's story alongside with Lord and Miller, and Christina Steinberg was mentioned to have replaced Tolmach as a producer on the movie. In April 2017, the film's release day was pushed up one particular 7 days from December 21, 2018, to December fourteen, 2018. Lord and Miller announced in December that the film was titled Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and exposed that multiple Spider-Guys would seem in the movie. By then, Rodney Rothman was also co-directing the film.

Creating

The film's script is credited to Lord and Rothman from a story by Lord. Persichetti observed that there experienced been a number of Spider-Guy movies made already, so the initial stage was to choose why this movie necessary to be created, and the answer for the imaginative group was to tell the new and special story of Miles Morales, who had but to be showcased in any film. Brian Michael Bendis, the co-creator of Miles Morales, consulted on the movie adaptation. Mother and father want to know that Spider-Guy: Into the Spider-Verse is a humorous, unique, motion-packed animated Marvel journey that facilities on Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), who turns into a new Spider-Man and finishes up conference other Spider-men and women from parallel universes. It truly is positive to appeal to Spidey supporters of all ages, and it truly is far more tween friendly than the stay-action wall-crawler movies, but it is still rather intense. And whilst the violence is mainly cartoonish, there are plenty of fights that include weapons (including guns), injuries, and even loss of life. (Spoiler alert: One variation of Spider-Man dies, as does an crucial supporting character.) There is certainly also huge-scale destruction, as nicely as repeated peril, suspense, and mortal danger. Figures flirt a little and at times use phrases like "hell," "dang," "fat," "silly," and "dumb" a undesirable dude has a cigar. But kids will not likely fail to notice the movie's varied people and obvious messages about friendship, courage, mentoring, perseverance, teamwork, and (of program!) the character of electrical power and obligation. If you want to view new Spider Guy movie on the internet and totally free, use that website link - Into the Spider-Verse 123movies.The 1st total minimize of animatics and storyboards for the movie was in excess of two-hrs prolonged, which is unusual for animated films, and the administrators attributed this mainly to Lord and Miller and their technique of including as many factors to the film as they could at the outset with the intention of looking at what it could "manage" and then shaping the film from there. They mentioned that the last runtime will be between that and 90 minutes, the common length of an animated film, with a equilibrium possessing to be located amongst the anticipations of an animated film that will have a big youngster-based audience and the specifications of the story which the directors felt was related to the dwell-motion Spider-Male movies especially due to the huge amount of characters in the movie. By August 2018, the administrators experienced considered what a likely publish-credits scene for the movie could be offered that audiences have occur to expect them from Marvel movies.

Casting

Shameik Moore was forged as Morales in April 2017, together with Liev Schreiber as the film's unspecified main villain. A month later on, Mahershala Ali and Brian Tyree Henry joined the forged as Morales's uncle Aaron Davis and father Jefferson Davis, respectively. That December, Lord and Miller exposed that an grownup Peter Parker / Spider-Guy would look in the film, as a mentor to Morales, and Jake Johnson was introduced as solid in the part in April 2018. At that time, it was unveiled that the figures Inexperienced Goblin, Kingpin, and Prowler would also be showing in the film, with their designs dependent on the Final Marvel comics. In June, Sony confirmed the entire solid for the film, with Schreiber revealed to be voicing Kingpin. Announced as becoming a member of the forged then had been Hailee Steinfeld as Spider-Gwen, Luna Lauren Velez as Morales's mother Rio, and Lily Tomlin as Parker's Aunt May. A thirty day period afterwards, Nicolas Cage was revealed to be voicing the character Spider-Gentleman Noir, and John Mulaney and Kimiko Glenn have been declared as voicing Spider-Ham and Peni Parker, respectively.

Animation

Lord and Miller desired the film to really feel like "you walked inside of a comic e-book", and have been enthusiastic to "inform the tale making use of digicam moves and pushing the design in methods a live-action film can not". Persichetti concurred, emotion that animation was the best medium with which to honor the style of the comics, allowing the production staff to adapt 70-yr-previous techniques made for comedian book artwork into the film's visual language. It took about a yr for the generation team to create 10 seconds of footage that they had been pleased with the look of, and then animation work on the movie designed from there. During the preliminary advancement phase, the directors labored with a solitary animator to create the appear of the film. This variety eventually grew to sixty animators in the course of production, but it grew to become clear that this would not be adequate to full the movie on time and so the crew was expanded even more. The number had attained 142 animators by August 2018, the greatest animation crew that Sony Photos Imageworks experienced ever employed for a movie. The film was scheduled to be concluded in Oct 2018. The CGI animation for the film was blended with "line perform and painting and dots and all sorts of comedian e-book tactics" to make it seem like it was produced by hand, which was explained as "a residing portray". Lord stated the film utilizes "a entirely revolutionary style of animation", which brings together the in-home type of Sony Images Animation with the "taste" of comedian artist Sara Pichelli (who co-designed Miles Morales), and is presented in the anamorphic structure. The film's directors all felt that the film would be a single of the few that audiences in fact "want" to view in 3D thanks to the immersive character of the animated globe developed, and the way that the hand-drawn animation elements produced especially for the movie develop a special experience Persichetti described this knowledge as a mix of the outcomes of an outdated-fashioned hand-drawn multiplane camera and a modern digital actuality surroundings.

[spiderdreamer-blog]

The Dragon Prince: Season 1 Review (SPOILERS AHOY)

Well, it’s finally arrived. Born of an extensive collaboration between startup Wonderstorm Entertainment and Canadian animation studio Bardel Entertainment (the extent of this was not quite clear until the premiere; the show evidently benefited from government grants and tax credits from Canada), The Dragon Prince is a new animated fantasy action-adventure series from the likes of animated storytellers Aaron Ehasz and Giancarlo Volpe (Avatar: The Last Airbender) and game writers/artists like Justin Richmond (League of Legends, Uncharted 3). Time will tell if it proves to be a worthy successor to Avatar’s crown or strike out in a new direction, but for now, I’d say it’s quite good and has a lot of room to grow to be great. Let’s dig in, shall we?

The first, most unique thing one notices about the show is its animation style, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a gambit/liable to be a barrier for many viewers. Created in cel-shaded CGI that purposefully skips frames, the show can look, at worst, jerky and stiff to those used to smoother CGI used on programs like Trollhunters or more traditional 2D animation. I admit that it’s not usually my favorite personal style, but in this case, it did ultimately win me over through both strong design and direction/cinematography; one place where it near unequivocally works are the action scenes, which have a great dynamic energy and sense of scale. The character models also get pushed in terms of expressiveness to mostly great effect, especially Rayla. The backgrounds are quite lovely and epic, particularly a grueling mountain seen in the final episodes of the season and the kingdom of Katolis. Animal behavior is also a highlight, mainly in the form of a “glow toad” named Bait, who provides welcome bursts of deadpan visual comedy. Frederik Wiedmann, a frequent animation composer (he did Green Lantern: The Animated Series for Volpe), lends the series an epic, classical style musically.

The voice acting, primarily made up of the Vancouver talent pool, is strong all across the board, and it’s pleasant in particular to see the city get represented in a big show like this. In the main cast, we first have the lone L.A.-based actor of the group, Jack DeSena, most famous for playing Sokka on Avatar, returning to collaborate with Ehasz and Volpe as Callum, the step-son/prince of Katolis. It’s a wonderful treat to hear Jack’s distinct and youthful voice in animation again, and a nice surprise is that while Callum is similar to/plays to Jack’s strengths from his performance as Sokka, he’s quite different in some significant ways, with a tenuous family situation weighing on his mind as much as the war and not quite as much a propensity to explode into dramatics regarding inconveniences the way Sokka so delightfully did. Naturally, he nails all of this as well as the more dramatic moments such as pleading for his brother to say something after a perilous underwater journey. Speaking of which, Sasha Rojen, a young relative newcomer (she played a younger version of Iris West on a couple episodes of The Flash, for instance), plays Ezran, King Harrow’s biological son. She brings a great sense of fun to the cheerful, troublemaking prince but also a lovely grounding; Ezran is more perceptive than one might assume and pushes back against things unexpectedly, which leads to both good conflict and chemistry with Sasha’s co-stars. Rounding out our leads is Paula Burrows as Rayla, affecting a Scottish accent of perhaps dubious quality that nonetheless fits the character well. Paula is tough but nuanced as the troubled young elf “assassin” (as she points out late in the game, she hasn’t actually KILLED anyone yet); her uncertainty kicks off the plot and leads to a number of great soul-searching moments as she bonds with those she was taught to hate, as well as plenty of good humorous moments like an altercation over lightning, seasickness, and a painfully funny attempt at sounding human.

The supporting cast is equally excellent, with my favorite performance of the lot belonging to Jason Simpson as Viren, the kingdom’s high mage. Simpson has a low, smoothly menacing voice that is perfectly suited to what appears to be our Jafar analogue.....but Viren has some surprises as a character. He’s quite close to the king, or at least seems to believe he is, and there are painful scenes where he tries desperately to make Harrow go along with plans to save himself, only to be rebuffed. The fun thing here is that Simpson’s performance seems as completely sincere in regards to his anguish about his king as when he’s threatening people or trying to manipulate them, even his own children; he may not be being honest at all times, but you can’t precisely say he’s DIShonest either. It’s marvelously layered work. Luc Roderique gets a short chance to shine as King Harrow (though I’m INCREDIBLY skeptical about certain events), a conflicted, weary ruler who nonetheless loves both his sons dearly and is fearsome in his authority; the aforementioned painful, crackling scenes where he and Viren argue bring out the best in him and Simpson. Jesse Inocalla and Racquel Belmont are quite good as Soren and Claudia, Viren’s children who hold positions of authority in the castle while being big goobers; their characterizations were actually an issue for me that I’ll get to later, but Inocalla and Belmont have fun sibling chemistry regardless. Jonathan Holmes lends authority and pathos to Runaan, the ruthless but valiant elf assassin leader, and Adrian Petriw gives a charming boyish quality to Gren, the interpreter and second-in-command to General Amaya, the princes’ deaf aunt (who, it must be said, is a terrific leap forward in terms of disability representation, using ASL onscreen and coming across as a full, badass character with great room to grow).

In terms of writing mechanics, the season is mostly good, setting up a backstory with an Avatar-esque opening narration that is somewhat boilerplate but nonetheless intriguing and easing into our characters and their dilemmas. By episode three, things kick off into battles and chases, with our three leads teaming up on a tangible goal (return the Dragon Prince’s supposedly lost egg to the elves and dragons to try and make peace) that sets up our main conflict. And while those characters start out as arguable archetypes, there’s a rich vein of humor and likability in particular to our three leads, and the slow process of getting along and trusting each other through various perils and unlearning prejudices is where the real meat of the story is. A notable moment is when Rayla criticizes Callum for playing up her “bloodthirsty monster” image in order to get away from Amaya’s pursuit; he doesn’t have any idea what it feels like to be thought of in that way despite not necessarily believing it himself. That feels real in a way series like this often don’t confront in the interest of keeping a clean slate for heroic, likable characters raised in a prejudiced setting. Speaking of, the universe is pleasantly gray in terms of morals. There’s Viren and his whole deal of course, but others get to show this off as well. Runaan has very reasonable grievances and is heroic in the face of torture, but he’s almost too eager to pressure a conflicted teenager into murder and then turn on her once she disagrees with him. Harrow is wise and kind, yet willing to go on the attack to protect his kingdom and maybe a little suicidal; he is clearly haunted by past demons, talking openly of committing and enabling atrocities. And it can go the other way around as well; an animal doctor proves surprisingly trustworthy with the secret of the egg. There is much ruminating on the themes of loss, wrongs on both sides of the conflict, and “what is done cannot be undone”, and I’m curious to learn the full extent of many of these sins going forward.

The show does have its flaws, I must note, though some are due to first-season growing pains, which can often rear its ugly head even for experienced, talented showrunners. The character animation, as noted, takes some getting used to, and I expect it to further improve in future seasons as the animators get a handle on the technology. The road-trip plots are a little low-key and not quite as fantastical as they could be for the moment, though they are still good stories in and of themselves. There are some noticeable, jarring bits of simplistic, cliched dialogue on occasion, though these generally get smoothed out as the season goes on, and sometimes for characters like Ezran or Ellis, that can fit fine given their younger perspectives. I’m less certain about some other characterization choices at the moment, Soren and Claudia being my main stumbling block. They are not precisely bad characters, but some of their “adorkable” qualities feel a tad.....forced. Sometimes it fits the situation (Claudia considering a spell to free herself from shackles before noticing a key, Soren helping Callum out during training), but there are other times that seem to just make them a butt of a joke and appear less competent/make me wonder why I should take them seriously as threats to our heroes. And not to say you CAN’T have threats that are occasionally sources of comedy, but some of their humor just either isn’t funny to me personally or kind of kills time. My hope is that the threat, humor, and nuance gets better balanced as we move forward, and the ending of the season appears to hint at that.

Overall, though, I found season 1 of The Dragon Prince very enjoyable, about on par with an early season of something like, yes, Avatar or Voltron. The creators have made a very fun world to play around in here, and it’s very clear they want to do a lot more as an epic should they get the go-ahead for more seasons, considering this doesn’t appear to be a big series-order situation like you do for say DreamWorks’ Netflix series. I sincerely hope they do.

[johanssonprojects]

Introducing our 2022 SECA Award Recipients: Binta Ayofemi, Maria Guzmán Capron, Marcel Pardo Ariza, Cathy Lu, and Gregory Rick. "From wildly different practices and perspectives, these artists all create work that is bold and intimate and opens us up to experiences of our shared existence beyond art,” says exhibition curator Andrea Nitsche-Krupp. “After living through a period where our city was closed off for so long...we are thrilled to reemerge with this dynamic group of artists and find ways to support their ideas + the new projects they would like to develop,” added exhibition curator Jovanna Venegas. Learn more about this year's winners: ⭐️ Binta Ayofemi (@bintaayofemi) is a multidisciplinary artist whose primary medium is the cities of Oakland and San Francisco, expressing Black and Indigenous presence, land and spatial practices, and modes of Black abstraction. ⭐️ Maria Guzmán Capron (@mariaguzmancapron) creates commanding icons in positions of tenderness, power, vulnerability, and movement with a dynamic patchwork of hand-sewn textiles and applied paint. ⭐️ Marcel Pardo Ariza (@marcelpardoa) is a visual artist who explores the relationship between kinship and queerness through constructed photographs, color sets, and site-specific installations. ⭐️ Cathy Lu (@_cathyclu_) is a ceramics-based artist who manipulates traditional Chinese art imagery and cultural references to deconstruct assumptions about Asian American identity and claims of authenticity. ⭐️ Gregory Rick (@gregoryrick2017) creates vibrant, large-scale paintings that depict scenes of conflict and struggle in high contrast, cartoon-like imagery. 🔜 The 2022 SECA Art Award Exhibition will open in December 2022. Learn more about SECA at the link in bio + stay tuned for more information to come. _ [Binta Ayofemi photo by Yalonda M. James; Maria Guzmán Capron photo by Seth Capron; Marcel Pardo Ariza photo by Salimatu Amabebe; Cathy Lu, Artist Working in Studio photo by Photography by Aaron Rosenstreich; Gregory Rick photo by Bret Amory] #SECA #BayAreaArtists #bayareaart #johanssonprojects #cathylu #sfmoma (at SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdLup-dFXrS/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=