I had no idea what Asko was, until today. I was flipping through Archive magazine in the bookstore and just loved the characters in their ads. The ads were designed by SFMB in Oslo, and Chris Sickels of Red Nose Studio is our creative genius today. Not only are his characters amazing though, his set design and environments are intricately detailed, creating a brilliant world of "wit, intelligence, and charm"
A while back Rianna posted an entry on Sprint's stop motion commercial. Ever since they have been coming up with new and amazing advertisements, following the same methods. I'm not sure about the complexity of an ad that was shown today, it seems they have added a bit of computer animation with a flying phone; otherwise the same effects were achieved using only light captured on long exposures. The video will be posted when the commercial is found online.
In the mean time, here is another one they made for Valentine's Day.
Something about this photograph is very compelling. The colours are beautiful and it looks almost theatrically staged. Another Brody masterpiece. I haven't seen a modern photographer match him yet.
London based agency Mother created this poster campaign for Fanta's new 30% less sugar version of the original Fanta soft drink. Characterising inanimate objects related to the product has been seen before, with the likes of Peperami and in the recent Cadbury Creme Egg campaign. For me this particular advert works because of its subtle wit of the innocent looking sugar cubes and the simple strap line.
I have waited for this ad to come out for so long, and it was well worth the wait. Just look at the detail. Apparently hundreds of play-doh rabbits were shipped in from the UK and then animated in New York city by an animation team. I do not need to say much about this. Another great and original advertisement for Sony Bravia televisions.
This is one of the most interesting websites that I have come across in a while. On a sheerly interactive level, this could keep me entertained for a long time. It seems that the aim of the website is not to provide direct information, but instead it is experiential providing the user with an insight into Diesel's 'world'. It is more of an adventure than an information based site. That is not to say that it isn't functional. It is. It works very well and seems to be very intuitive.
The screen shot below is what most impressed me on the site. This section appears to be stitched into the screen by two enchanted needles. The design is beautiful. Type is just right and on brand. Is this the future of the website? A complex all singing all dancing space which leaves the user engrossed? It could just be.
I saw this documentary film about a year ago. It was shown to me by my tutor at the time, Connie Hwang of the University Of Florida, Graphic Design program. It truly left its mark and has been an inspiration to me ever since. Directed and narrated by Sydney Pollock, it takes you on a voyage into Gehry's life, his stunning architecture and the way he creates such breathtaking buildings.
What I find most intriguing about Gehry's work is the human connection that he has with a building. He personalises it so intensely, with an innate feel of what will work and what will not. The faith that he holds in his own judgement has led him to create such buildings as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain and the Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles, USA to name but a few.
The films real focus is upon the transition from his sketches: mere scribbles on the paper, to fantastic works of art, which some say can be threatening to artists wanting to exhibit their work in his buildings. I really admire Gehry's involvement in all projects and how he is not afraid to fail. Yet he often does. Critiques are never too easy on Gehry's buildings and they often cause a stir in the public eye. But this film has reinforced my already admirable view of a talented and hard working man. His wisdom and patients come through in the documentary and make him my number one modern architect.
This stop motion music video for Minilogue was created by Kristofer Strom. The video is brilliantly complex, showing wonderful characters morph in and out of being, altering their arm lengths, body shapes and expressions throughout. It was all done on a white board, enabling the artist to erase parts of the illustrations without disrupting the flow of the rest. It is a very impressive piece of art and a compelling music video. Strom's website is also fun and full of character.
David Lynch has outdone himself here with an epic, chilling film about...well I don't know. The truth is I have no idea. It is so complex and flitting that the true meaning of the story is very hard to get at. Its core plot is based around cast and crew who are making a film which is said to be cursed. All the lead roles who have played the film have died under suspicious circumstances in the past.
Lynch makes it very difficult to distinguish dream from reality and from reality to script. The whole film grips the viewer from start to finish despite it being three hours long and leaves you with a dizzy feeling. I was totally speechless. I didn't even know the questions to ask to begin to understand the film, and I think that it's because of this that the film is such a success.
The film is both written and directed by Lynch and stars a spattering of big hollywood names such as William H. Macy which disappointingly is seen as much in the film as in the trailer. Jeremy Irons plays a small but important role, whilst the rest of the film is dominated by female lead Laura Dern who also starred in Lynch's Blue Velvet and who co-produced Inland Empire.
It is the kind of film that I would never watch again but which I will always remember. If anyone has any theories on what deeper meaning of the film is intended, please enlighten me.
It's about time that I paid tribute to this man. Blake Suarez, has been a major influence in my design work in the past year. And yes, he is my boyfriend and I am of course biased, but his illustrations have such character and humour to them. These latest posters have been designed for a show at the Flyover Gallery in Madison, Wisconsin. www.flyovergallery.com
The retro movie posters have been adapted by Suarez to include some of his own characters, and creates a more unusual scene. Some of the original characters seem to be reacting to their new mates in a humourous way, and that is what I think make these pieces most successful.
For more information or to purchase some of Blake Suarez's original work, visit plaza.ufl.edu/bsuarez
