The Animatic is a three-dimentional music video. Triggered b a record player, a series of animated machine come to life in a chain reaction and creates a narrative for the sound. These all take inspiration from simple animation techniques and the viewer follows the chain of machines, one by one, to piece together a narrative. the machine is created out of everyday objects and uses clever kinetic and mechanical mechanisms.This performance features "Memphis Tennessee", a Silicon Teens cover of the classic track by Chuck Berry.
A lovely video, scintillating indeed. It is difficult to decide while watching it to favor the stunning images of orchids and wall molding lit up with explosions and dancing lights or to marvel at the technique and puzzle how it was made. The description from its creator, Xavier Chassaing, is cryptic:
This is an experimental film made up of over 35,000 photographs. It combines an innovative mix of stop motion and live projection mapping techniques.
Apparently there is a 'making-of' video in the works, I look forward to seeing it.
The pleasure in watching and [listening to] this comes from the reactivity in the same temporality between sound and picture. Abstract animation from the 1920's meets a modern electronic soundtrack. Milant's composition is a subtle shadow to Ruttmann's Opus, allowing the morphic, swooping shapes to oomph and grunt their way through their constantly-changing acrobatics. The sonic theme is continuous throughout the three short works, a pressing beat that's accented by hints and swoops of noise that remind me of a little boy playing with miniature cars and airplanes. The tiny homey touches, like the mumbled voices 'reading' the title cards of each opus, preserve and enhance the whimsical feeling of the animation.
OK, I think that's all the critical bullshit I can summon for this movie. I like watching it better than writing about it, anyway. You'll definitely enjoy watching it more than reading this, too, so... here's some more stuff cribbed from a MeFi post I made years ago about this animation:
Meanwhile, Alexis Milant is known best for his excellent art is a game and game an art, aka awesum fingerboarding video! and the subsequent "Opus" series. Note the detailed sound design.
I gently encourage all who enjoyed these videos to explore the related videos features and other links provided. It feels like I left a lot out of this post. That's ok; it's fun to explore!
EVL has a rich history in creating electronic and computer-based art - from video to animation, through web-based art virtual reality (VR) and other high-resolution visualization systems. Fostering collaborations between artists/designers and computer scientist to blend art with technology using electronic media has been at the core of EVL's creative mission from that lab's inception.
(1976) This is a example of early video art by internationally renowned technologist and EVL/UIC MFA alumni Barbara Sykes using the color capability of the Sandin Analogue Image Processor - the "Color IP".
Calculated Movements
(1985) Calculated Movements by Larry Cuba is an example of early video art using software developed at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL). The video has a minimalist/ambient original sound piece.
Calculated Movements is a sample of Cuba's later work.
Making of the Computer Graphics for Star Wars (Episode IV)
In the 1970s the computer graphics for the first Star Wars film (1977) was created by Larry Cuba at the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) (at the time known as the Circle Graphics Habitat) at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
And as a matter of fact, as I was going to post this I saw in my 'watched blogs' this post from Nico on lame Disney princes. The character of The Prince always leaves more questions than answers. Who is this guy? Where does he come from?
The answer to these questions and more, at Nico Cartoons.
All the stuff (pictures and music and videos, mostly) on this blog that ain't my godawful writing may very well expire quickly, so act fast! It's all here for educational and entertainment purposes only, good times with good people, ya know? I have NO intention of profiting or violating any copyright. If anything is not totally cool, or if you'd rather I didn't, please just let me know (email!) and I will remove it immediately!
