Save The World, Turn It Off

Here is a motivational animation I found while surfing the interwebs, which I tweeted. Statistics don't half make you feel guilty.

So help save the world, and turn it off!

Time Lapse Photography

Today I received my much anticipated remote timer for my D-SLR. To explain - a remote timer allows the user to set a continuous time delay, thus allowing for time lapse photos to be taken. It also means that as the remote is separate from the camera, it reduces if not eliminates camera shake, and produces (what should be if executed correctly) perfect repeats of the same scene. Ultimately these can then be put together in a sequence to produce a time lapse video. Below is an example of what can be achieved:

Alas, I'm an amateur photographer at best, so you could say I'm a complete noob when it comes to this. Originally I had intended on buying Canon's TC-80N3, however during further research came across a cheaper alternative online, mimicking all of the TC-80N3's functions for a fraction of the price. I figured that I would work up to buying the more expensive Canon replacement depending on how I got on with my initial buy.

I need to work out how to use this first!

I've been interested in experimenting with time lapse videos for a while now, however like many things, never seem to find the time to do so. After my last project where we compromised by using time delay video footage instead of individual photos, I decided that now would be a good time for me to pursue this avenue further, with the intention of being able to perhaps draw on this technique during future projects.

I'm more curious than anything, as to how easy this can be done. I'm not sure exactly how I may be able to incorporate this into my work within interiors, it may in the end be nothing more than an interest and personal hobby. Not everything I suppose must relate. Perhaps I'll try doing a short sequence of our studios; documenting our process of development.

I might even try it over my desk space at some point, while mind mapping, or during model building for our forthcoming project - I'll just have to see what takes my fancy throughout the semester. It would be quite a nice way to document work for presentation, as seen in our last attempt. As I said before though, I suppose I will just have to wait and see how this develops and how it may be of use to me inside and out of class.
I'll post up anything I make as soon as I can.

The Adventures of Thundersnow: Part One

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I am going to make my own (and better) toilet roll reindeer - called Thundersnow - tomorrow, when I get some sticks. I'm too warm in my house to venture out in the dark for his legs. Too bad for Thundersnow.

He will then embark on a journey around Dundee with me, photographed everywhere he goes. Kind of like the gnomes in Amelie.

Yay! I love crappy Art Attack-esque crafts. My desk in the studios is a sea of similar stuff, including little plant pots, miniature scale desks, an off cut of card that looks like pants amongst some other things. This may be aimed at children, but I honestly don't think they could have any more fun than I will!

Thanks Jonathan!

Design Studies: Czech Dream

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I was first shown Vít Klusák and Filip Remunda - two final year film students in the Czech Republic - by Kirsty, a Jewellery student, who was introduced to it through Jonathan. Klusák and Remunda created "Ceský Sen", thats "Czech Dream" to you and me, for their final project. You can watch it here on BlinkBox.

Their main interests, aside from the obvious being film, lay with how advertising can be used to propagate against the masses. Together they decided to create their own brand, and begin their very own marketing ad campaign, promising the Czech people lower cost shopping at a new hypermarket; Ceský Sen. They produced labelling. Adverts for the sides of public transport. Billboards. Radio jingles. A brand that people could begin to relate to, and recognise.

This was all very well, but there was something unusual about this hypermarket. It didn't exist. It was a complete ploy in terms of marketing. They wanted to discredit advertising, or at the very least, make the local people think about what it is exactly that they take in every day without even consciously realising. They wanted to expose that advertising does not equal truth.

Unsurprisingly, when they themselves were ultimately exposed during the finale "opening day" of their hoax hypermarket - they found themselves at the centre of a hate rally. The local people were furious, and felt that they had been made a fool of; humiliated for nothing. And, what irritated them furthermore was that it was all at the cost of the tax payer - as Klusák and Remunda had received government funding for their project.

However, when the general mass of people partially calmed down, it became apparent that they were in fact more upset, than angry - as they suddenly understood what the point of the stunt was. It boiled down to the then recent (as it was released in 2005) public vote on joining the EU. The Czech Government had paid out an unbelievable sum in advertising, propagating the people into believing it was the right thing for them - when really it benefitted the government scores more than the people, which is what Klusák and Remunda had issues with. Ceský Sen highlights this through a marketing stunt, which luckily for the creators also served as their final project. The film itself also has some comic moments besides the more serious underlying topic, including showing how difficult it can be working in an industry such as marketing. For the BBC's review - click here.

Well worth a watch!

Harry Potter & The Repackaging of Old Tales

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I went to go and see the new Harry Potter film on Saturday; Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

Now I know they say there are only 7 tales to be told, and all stories originate from the seven basic stories. Harry Potter it seems, is no different.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not finding out what happened in the endless saga through the medium of film, I did read the books, but the way in which they depicted parts were far from what I had conjured up in my head in terms of what things looked like. But, I suppose this is to be expected.

Anyway, that was not my issue with the film what-so-ever. While I was sitting through it, it suddenly hit me how many similarities there are between several other tales, both fiction and non fiction.

For example, Lord Of The Rings. These similarities are endless! When either of the three main characters bears the weight of the locket horcrux around their necks, it has a power over them, and a negative effect. Now, what does that sound like to you? I'm going to guess you came to the same similarity as I did - Frodo, and the other hobbits bearing the ring. Griffindors sword that they uncover, which is used to destroy horcruxes - sounds a lot like the sword in Lord Of The Rings that glows blue when Orcs are near. It's supposedly one of a kind! 

Furthermore, Dementors and Death Eaters - now these are almost identical to Ringwraiths. Death Eaters search for Harry Potter (and any horcruxes he may have). Ringwraiths search for the Ring. Dementors are cloaked spirits, neither alive, nor dead. They swoop in and suck the soul from you. Sounds strangely like a Ringwraith to me. Albeit there are slight differences, Ringwraiths travel on horseback etc. - however they are very similar. Then there's the giant spider in both. And I'm assuming I don't have to mention Dumbledore V. Gandalf. 

There are other similarities but I shant go on too much - these are just a few I thought of off the top of my head.

A different aspect is the Nazis, and the way in which the ministry was taken over. The statue in the centre of the ministry during the film is what first made me think of it. It was of muggles being crushed. When the ministry is taken over by Voldemort and his minions, their main policies involved killing and removing muggles, mudbloods, and other impure beings. They used forms of torture in dungeons on people who were thought to know valuable information and the like. Sounds rather like the Nazi Regime - with Jews being replaced with muggles and mudbloods. The uniforms the guards wear in the film highlight this even more. It's like some kind of Wizard supremacy. 

So I took it upon myself to do a little digging about this online - to discover
"The Legend of Rah and the Muggles" and "Larry Potter and His Best Friend Lily" by Nancy Stouffer. These were published in the 1980's. Now, we don't even have to discuss whats similar from even just the titles.

Star Wars also seems to crop up quite often in terms of claimed plagiarism, with the general plot being scrutinised. A young boy discovers his powers under the tutelage of a bearded man and battles an evil lord, while the girl falls for his best friend. Yeah I suppose, I'll give them that one.

So all these together, even with small parts being questioned, it seems Harry Potter is not so original. 

I'm not sure if J.K. Rowling deserves to be the richest woman in the UK.