To commemorate the one-year anniversary of launching design-focused production studio Leviathan in Chicago, company principals Chad Hutson, Jason White, Matt Daly and their colleagues recently threw a very happy birthday block party.
Tips
Sharing secrets: Kinect hacking
The fascinating video featured with this story was just released in May, and it’s already aging. It ran with the Wired story “Six Months Later, Kinect Hacks Flourish” to coincide with a presentation by computer scientist Johnny Chung Lee at Wired’s Disruptive by Design business conference, and since then, the phenomenon has literally taken the tech and creative worlds by storm.
Forces for good: TONIC and YOU
TONIC is a platform for brands (consumers, celebrities and causes) to educate, interact and engage consumers around positive actions. Started as a destination for good news content, TONIC now generates its own news via the worlds of Silicon Valley, Madison Avenue, Philanthropy and Hollywood. This week they shared 10 thoughtful tips on ways to do good and be awesome this summer.
As their social media marketing manager Alethia Austin writes, “Here at Tonic, we believe the things to do during summer that are the most fun are those that have a positive effect on you, the people around you and our beautiful planet. We’ve put together a few ideas for you to consider when you find yourself wondering what to do during these long, wonderful summer days.”
I’ve summarized their suggestions below, but encourage you to check out the full article linked above for further ideas and inspiration. Thank you very much for your interest, and for doing your part to make our world better for us and generations to come.
The one-man international advertising ambassador, and his Archive
After learning of the recent passing of Walter Lürzer, I wanted to update this entry I originally dedicated to him four years ago (below), share the intriguing autobiographical video above, and encourage anyone interested to read this wonderful Tribute written by Michael Conrad, his friend of 50 years. Dear Mr. Lürzer, thank you for the inspiration! You will be missed.
When I graduated from college in 1990, my personal interests largely drew from the realms of narrative film, literature and poetry. Many of the post-college jobs I landed were in production, but to my surprise, some of the more interesting ones built more upon my nonfiction writing abilities and the things I learned pursuing a PR/journalism minor. After years of working on high-profile TV shows and video projects, I ultimately homed-in on the field of publicity and public relations as a perfect means for earning a living which allowed me to independently make big impacts for others and their companies by using all of my talents. I still dream of being a filmmaker and a novelist, and sometimes, I get especially excited about the characters and other ‘materials’ coming my way each day as I handle my clients in the worlds of film and TV production and advertising.
Indeed, reading the Letter from the Publisher in the January edition of Lürzer’s Archive makes me realize that, if I would have been exposed to Walter Lürzer earlier in my career, I might have moved to Salzburg in the hopes of landing a job with him. The January ’07 opening letter finds Walter in Patna, a city in India
Read moreThe one-man international advertising ambassador, and his Archive
Story pictures: Marko Costanzo by Gus Powell
I often tell people how pictures can make a story, and to me, the below photo by Gus Powell of Foley artist Marko Costanza for the Wired article “The Sound of Violence” is an excellent example. Of course, it’s also a great story by Joel Meares on the fascinating art of sound design for motion pictures. Check it out online at Wired.com.
Joshua Frankel’s Plan of the City
“Plan of the City” is an amazing new animated film conceived and directed by Joshua Frankel. Combining live-action footage, animated elements, illustrations and images including public domain photos taken by the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, the visually stunning 13-minute film artfully envisions New York City’s unique architectural fixtures blasting off from Earth and resettling … Read moreJoshua Frankel’s Plan of the City
Barbara Kopple: Thanks for the documentary
From producer Marc N. Weiss and two-time Academy Award-winning director Barbara Kopple, whose credits also include “Harlan County, U.S.A.,” “American Dreams” and “Shut Up and Sing,” comes “Gun Fight,” premiering tonight (Wednesday, April 13) on HBO. Blending archival and original footage, “Gun Fight” investigates the complex issues surrounding gun violence in America, and the seemingly intractable debate about what to do about it. To me personally, this is truly Must See TV. Here’s what a few others are saying about it.
Happy F5 everyone!
This Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, the F5 Festival (a Motionographer.com initiative) will take over New York City’s Roseland Ballroom, where the presenters and attendees will be among the world’s finest filmmakers, artists and creative industry executives. I regret that I won’t be able to attend, but here are just a few highlights of the affair I’d be front-and-center for if I could.
Killer Reels: Greg Williams
According to a 2006 article in the British Journal of Photography, photographer Greg Williams took an unusual route into shooting A-list stars: Photojournalism. On his Vimeo profile, Greg describes himself as a photographer who has started shooting motion after experimenting with the Red Camera. Learn more at www.gregwilliams.com.
Please help save our supplies!
The video featured above is an SOS. It was first sent by DOC2DOCK, a non-profit organization that saves usable medical supplies from being discarded in the U.S. and sends them to hospitals in the developing world. Now, you can send the SOS further, and join the cause. Spread this SOS. Save Our Supplies. www.facebook.com/DOC2DOCK The … Read morePlease help save our supplies!