Blogbook
Beth David and Esteban Bravo’s Ringling College graduation animation “In a Heartbeat” is a viral sensation, a fantastic Pixar-esque short film. Via Short of the Week:
While we’ve seen LGBTQ storytelling invade most every other genre imaginable, this is the first time I can recall seeing it in a kid-centric animation, and it is honestly not a surprise that there is so much pent-up demand from audiences. This kind of animated storytelling is so dominant in youth-targeted media that Disney has, in many ways, a monopoly over the imaginations of children. However depicting queerness in these stories has been a terrible taboo—when present at all, it is only barely hinted at. This is understandable on a business level, while we’ve come a long way in the acceptance of sexual preference as a society, there are still large segments of the populace whom decry the normalization of Queer sexuality, and the large budget films of Disney or Pixar are trying to appeal to as broad of audiences as possible. It is ironically unfortunate however, because childhood is obviously when the initial formation of sexual preference emerges, and the fear of ostracization is highest amongst LGBTQ persons. Positive depictions of LGBTQ characters inarguably would be MOST valuable in children’s animation, if the goal is to reassure these individuals of their acceptance by society.
Real-life zombie survival game Zedtown is coming to Adelaide, in case you missed the events in Sydney and Melbourne. Via Gizmodo:
Sydney and Melbourne, you’ve had your turn to be eaten alive by zombies. Soon Adelaide will have its chance in the post-apocalyptic sun when Zedtown — the “real-world, zombie-themed” game of tag — arrives in early October.
As part of Hybrid World Adelaide, a five-day event that will turn a former car plant “into a digital hub of mind-expanding interactive technology”, aspiring morsels will have the opportunity to survive (or hunt down survivors) in a massive game of zombie tag.
According to the press release, Zedtown is scheduled for October 7. You’ll need to be 18 or over and while you can bring your own Nerf gun, weapons of foamy destruction will be available to buy.
As for the location, the University of Adelaide will play host:
The University of Adelaide’s North Terrace campus will be transformed into a divided city where human survivors (the players) take up dart blasters and battle against infected zombies. Over the course of an afternoon, as survivors are hunted down and tagged, they too become infected and transform into zombies. Players hold out for as long as they can using ingenuity, clever tactics and clues via ZEDTOWN’s app in a desperate bid to stay human and escape ZEDTOWN.
Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but you can sign on to a waitlist.
MIFF2017 is here! The Melbourne International Film Festival is kicking off with a month of great films. Are you catching any? Here’s some synopses of the films that peeps in Starship are planning on catching:
Blade of the Immortal (Review via the Guardian):
For those who are fascinated by Wolverine’s healing factor, boy is Blade of the Immortal a treat. Adapted from Hiroaki Samura’s manga of the same name, it follows Manji (Takuya Kimura), a samurai during the Shogunate era who can not die.
Loving Vincent: the world’s first feature-length fully painted film:
Over 62,000 oil paintings and a cast including Chris O’Dowd and Saoirse Ronan bring the story of Vincent Van Gogh’s life and death to the screen in the world’s first feature-length painted animation.
It sounds mad: inspired by a letter Vincent Van Gogh penned in the week before he died, in which he noted that “we cannot speak other than by our paintings”, Oscar-winning filmmaker Hugh Welchman (Peter and the Wolf) and Polish painter Dorota Kobiela decided to make a movie doing exactly that. Hiring an army of painters from across Europe, each trained in the Dutch master’s style, they set out to tell his story the way he himself would.
The Lost City of Z (Review via NYTimes):
In “The Lost City of Z,” a lush, melancholic story of discovery and mystery, a mesmerizing Charlie Hunnam plays a British adventurer in the Amazon who is consumed by “all the glories of exploration,” as Joseph Conrad once wrote of a different journey.
ICYMI: The Tesla Model 3 is here and reviewers are in love with the latest iteration of Elon Musk’s drive to accelerate sustainable transport. Via the Verge:
I felt like I was driving in an Eames chair. That was my first impression as I climbed into the driver’s seat of the Tesla Model 3 at the Fremont Factory on Friday afternoon. It took a moment to orient myself — no gauges, no speedometer, no airplane cockpit cues. Instead, one continuous smooth line between myself and the road ahead, offset by natural, unfinished wood. The premium model of the Model 3 caught me off guard. After hearing so much hype about this car, I was surprised that my first reaction was a profound sense of delight. It wasn’t bland, nor sterile, nor cheap feeling. Here was something different. Here was an exercise in minimalism. Here was the car Elon Musk promised to make 14 years ago.
Much has been made of the tall order that Tesla has to deliver on to manufacture an electric car for the people, but first the young car company had to prove the most essential aspect: finishing a product that people would want to drive, and fulfill the dream that makes it the company that has shaken up the auto industry.
Can Tesla make a $35,000 car that feels like a Tesla?
Yes, and they have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdV2f4jH5YQ
Check out this powerful new campaign by P&G, My Black is Beautiful, where parents have The Talk with their kids on how to deal with racism. Via Adweek:
Black parents in America have long had to have “the talk” with their children, as successive generations found it necessary to discuss the harsh realities of being black in this country, warning their children about racial bias and the prejudices they will inevitably face.
P&G decided to showcase what those conversations might look like in a powerful new spot taking on racial bias for My Black is Beautiful, a group started in 2006 “to spark a broader dialogue about black beauty.”
“The Talk” is the opening of P&G’s relaunch of the initiative, repurposing My Black Is Beautiful into an initiative designed to celebrate cultural identity and start a conversation about racial bias. P&G worked closely with BBDO and minority-certified consulting firm Egami Consulting Group, P&G’s communications agency of record for My Black Is Beautiful for the past eight years, on the effort, which was born out of brainstorming sessions discussing real experiences with racial bias.
According to a press release, “Every aspect of the film included the essential contributions and guidance of creatives, producers, filmmakers, and clients of color.”
Some people actually create Spotify playlists for a living. It’s an actual job? We’re still surprised. Buzzfeed has the lowdown in the video above. For further reading, here’s more by WIRED:
If you use Spotify, it knows what you like and what you don’t like. It knows you like alt-rock, that you love the country songs you claim you hate, and that for all the game you talk, you never listen to that deep-cut Dylan record.
To prove it, Spotify is introducing a new feature today called Discover Weekly. It’s a completely personalized playlist (updated, you know, weekly) full of songs Spotify is pretty sure you’re going to want to hear. Some hits, some new stuff, that Foreigner song you’ve never been able to get out of your head. My first 29-song list has a little more girl-pop than I might have picked—but I’m digging it.
[…]
Spotify has this playlist called “Your Favorite Coffeehouse,” which I listen to constantly. With 1.2 million subscribers, it’s one of Spotify’s most popular playlists. The soothing mix of warm guitars and wistful, someday-life-will-be-perfect lyrics is just the right way to settle in at work, or lean into the mid-afternoon doldrums.
Doug Ford, Spotify’s director of editorial and music programming, made that playlist. He doesn’t want you to know it, though—he wants you to remember artists and songs, not his name and voice. When anyone can make and share playlists, he wonders aloud, “What makes me better than a kid in Ohio? I just don’t get it.” It should be about the music, not the DJ.
ICYMI: Official trailer for the Star Trek Discovery series, which takes place during the conflict between Starfleet and the Klingons. Via Bleeding Cool, which was at San Diego Comic Con:
There is a lot riding on the September 24th debut of Star Trek: Discovery. After multiple delays, creator Bryan Fuller leaving the show, and the fact that the show will be released only on CBS All Access, fans are worried about show quality and staying power. However, attending the Star Trek: Discovery SDCC panel and press conference, as well as seeing the new trailer, I am excited about the new show and have hope that it will deliver for both longtime and new fans.
Before the panel officially began, the audience was shown the new full-length trailer for the show. The trailer showed a lot of new footage, and it was obvious that this show would be much darker than previous iterations with scenes of destruction, injury, and possible death throughout.
[…]
The issue of diversity was front and center. Martin-Green addressed the controversy in her casting and the overall diversity of the show head on, asserting “Star Trek was always pictorial of diversity, universality, and unity. If you love Star Trek, but don’t love that, you missed it.” During the press conference, Martin-Green became emotional as she discussed how she “stands on the shoulders of Nichelle” and how it is an “honor, such a privilege, to be part of a story that I believe will bring people together.”
ICYMI: First trailer for Steven Spielberg’s film based on the sci fi bestseller by Ernest Cline, Ready Player One. Looking good! Confession: I didn’t enjoy the book when I tried it, particularly with regards to how one of the female “player” characters was written, but this film looks great. Via Ars Technica:
Ever since Cline’s novel shot to the top of bestseller lists, fans have been waiting for the movie. It’s the story of a kid growing up in the near future, dreaming of escape from his life in a massive, dystopian trailer park. He’s only happy in the Oasis, a massive multiplayer VR world, where he indulges in his love for 1980s pop culture.
This trailer is a little uneven at first, but won me over when the 80s Rush song “Tom Sawyer” provided the perfect soundscape for an incredible VR-powered car chase.
The premise of the novel is that our protagonist is a gamer whose team is poised to unlock the highest level in the Oasis and find the Easter Egg its creator has hidden. But it turns out that there’s something more than just glory at stake. They’re competing with corporate-funded teams who want something that could affect the future of the real world as well as the game.
Cline, who also wrote the cult classic movie Fanboys, has always been obsessed with 1980s nerd culture. Ready Player One is packed with nostalgia for the golden age of geek, and it’s clear from this trailer that we’re going to see that in the film, too. We caught glimpses of the Iron Giant, as well as Tron references and about a zillion other things.
Jules Boulain-Adenis’ 6-minute EMCA grad film PANACÉE is a beautiful blend of sci fi & fantasy. This is student work? It’s amazing. Via Short of the week:
Inviting you to explore a ‘distant future’ populated by giant flying wales and other strange creatures, Jules Boulain-Adenis’ 6-minute EMCA grad film PANACÉE blends sci-fi and fantasy to create a truly magical on-screen universe. Guided through these strange lands by two explorers looking to discover new worlds, Boulain-Adenis’ (who operates under the name Naleb) film showcases an approach to storytelling and an animation style full of potential.
An animator we’ve had our eye on for sometime after they impressed us with a couple of 1-minute shorts that displayed an attention grabbing aesthetic and a talent for world-building, PANACÉE is Boulain-Adenis’ longest and most ambitious film so far. With previous films ECHOS, VESTIGES and SANCTUAIRE laying a lot of the foundations for this final school piece, the craft behind PANACÉE has a traditional feel, whereas the narrative strives for a much more futuristic tone (I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Miyazaki was a big influence).
PANACÉE somewhat goes against our usual ‘narrative first’ editorial approach, in that despite its bright opening, the film doesn’t quite feels like it nails the storytelling element of filmmaking. There’s a lot of great build-up here, but no satisfying conclusion. However, Naleb’s films have really caught our eye over the past year or so on Vimeo and with that in mind we’ve very much featured this film to highlight what we believe is a bright talent that you should keep an eye on in the future.
Under Armour is telling the stories of its female athletes using a powerful mix of poetry and film in their “Unlike Any” marketing campaign. Via Adweek:
Misty Copeland. Natasha Hastings. Jessie Graff. Alison Désir. Zoe Zhang. They’re all athletes. Not female athletes—just athletes. That’s a key distinction Under Armour is trying to make in its latest marketing campaign, “Unlike Any,” for its women’s division.
Last August, during the Olympics in Rio, the Under Armour team notices something unsettling. “Every time a woman won, she got compared to men,” Adrienne Lofton, svp of global brand management, said Wednesday at the launch event for the new campaign in New York’s Chelsea Market.
“We had to start thinking about how to change this conversation. Why is there always a framing that when a woman does well, she’s compared to the greatness of a man? We needed to remove gender from the conversation,” Lofton said.
For “Unlike Any,” created by Droga5, Under Armour selected five standout athletes (two of them new to the brand’s roster) who have all achieved great feats in their careers, but have also overcome massive hurdles to get to where they are today. Rather than having the athletes tell the stories themselves, the brand turned to poets (Aja Monet, Kojey Radical, Dominique Christina, Aristophanes and Saul Williams) to breathe new life into these stories.
Full campaign: