Craft
I just came across this really good piece by Gadi Amit that I found via Steve Juras. Sample quote:
It’s exactly this idea, that I think we may need to revisit in the world of Animation and Motion Graphic Design. I’ve been talking to folks recently about starting a real organization that serves our needs in this industry. Part of what we all seem to want is recognition that our ideas, talent and work are part of a larger tradition. Our advertising and commercial work may be ephemeral, but its immediate needs are part of a larger and longer-lived form of communication. We may be well versed in the latest design software, but it’s not that we just know how to punch the right buttons in the right sequence, it’s that we know why we’re doing it.
This is because we’ve gone through all the motions before. We know how the projects work. Because we build them, custom, from the ground up every time. Depending on how much time and budget we’re given for these jobs we can make every second of these films truly come alive, speaking a language that can be both engaging and informative: giving raw ideas concrete shape.
Why Gadi’s essay speaks to me is that is a simple distillation that not only expertise, but also accumulated knowledge and actual labor go into crafting design. It takes all three to accomplish something worthwhile. Our tools may have flat screens attached that emit only a quiet hum, our work-product may be able to be effortlessly transmitted around the world at the press of a single button, and our hands may not be dirty at the end of the day from grease and sweat, but we’ve still worked.
It’s the work that’s important to me: both in the making and in the thing itself.
– Bran Dougherty-Johnson, Grow Design Work
Cross-posted at Motion Graphic Designers’ Organization
F5 Titles
The gorgeous F5 titles by Dvein are posted over at Motionographer. PSST’ers Antfood did the lovely sound design.
Business Guys On Business Trips
Business Guys On Business Trips is a Get Your War On for the ad industry. Hilarious and sad, but true. Find your favorite co-workers and clients. Find yourself!
Karnival
PSST’er Jun Seo Hahm‘s personal work, Karnival is now complete with 10 episodes! Go check them out. Cute, slightly creepy and utterly mad. Karnival has screened at Indie-AniFest and Pictoplasma and was produced by Bent Image Lab.
Decoy is the work of Ryan Rothermel
PSST’er Ryan Rothermel has updated his site with a slew of new work including a new film with PSST’ers Sean Pecknold and David Kamp for F5 and a slick new Nike piece. Check it!
We Are Green
PSST! friend and Motionographer contributor, Babe Baker just launched We Are Green.tv today, Earth Day. We Are Green is:
… an online movement based out of Asheville, NC. Documenting, supporting, and providing creative services to green companies, local farms & animal life, independent music & arts, and homeopathic health practitioners with alternatives for your body, mind, and spirit.
Watch this space, folks. Looking good! I’ll be keeping an eye on it.
iso50
I got to share the merch area at F5 with Scott Hansen who designs under the moniker iso50 and makes music under the name Tycho. He’s a super talented visual designer and musician. Most of the prints and posters and shirt’s he’s making are for his concerts, record sleeves and design conferences at which he appears. I think it’s really great to see an independent artist like Scott making a successful career out of his own artwork, for and by himself. Fantastic!
He was also chosen to make a limited edition Obama poster last year, so there’s another thumbs up!
Also, I got to trade a PSST!3 DVD for a Terrabyte III print which is up on my wall right now… It was VERY hard to choose which one I wanted.
Check out his shop here: lots of amazing prints and shirts and music.
Impactist: Parallelostory
I absolutely LOVE everything that come out of duo Impactist’s hands. Their new short, Parallelostory is another heart-wrenching and moving gem of gorgeous design, animation and music. Go watch it here, then download their new EP and donate to them via Paypal. Support your scene!