VFXhack

The video proves once and for all that CGI and Radiohead are two great tastes that taste great together. The basic idea is this, screw the cameras 86 the lights scan everything and make the whole piece out of realtime streaming data. The result is imagery so deep in the uncanny valley that it’s cool. This behind the scenes gives a great overview of the technical and creative issues involved. I love the image of Lidar scanner on a dolly. The only problem, “Ready, and, SCAN!” just doesn’t have the right ring to it.

LINK to the full video thanks to JC for the link

Wired magazine describes FoC as a mashup of TenaciousD and Rushmore. And even though their ground breaking HBO series has ended , you can still enjoy the musical stylings of this New Zelander folk duo on your favorite mp3 playback device. The EP is extremely funny and performances from Brett and Jemaine are top notch. Highlights include Business Time which the iTunes review describes as Barry White trying to sex up a mundane suburban relationship. That is if Barry White was White. My favorite though has to be Robots (live). This Kilroy Was Here style rock opera spins an epic yarn of a human civilization conquered by robotic beings. Funny thing is, this one track is more interesting than both matrix sequels combined. I know it’s a bold statement, but I honestly believe that FoC is the Spinal Tap of a new generation. Look for a full album to be released in 2008.

LINK to FoC on iTunes

I’ve run across a few music videos of late that have some pretty well done and creative VFX that might get over looked because of their intentionally low-tech style. Enjoy!

TV on The Radio, Me-I

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpO23hgua7g[/youtube]

A nice mixed bag of comp CG and traditional stuff here. Found this vid at Nathan Love’s website, a shop in NYC that specializes in animation and design heavy work. Very nice looking website BTW.

They Might Be Giants, With the Dark

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rUbs33eboY[/youtube]

Great stop motion-work from Mizushima Hine for TMBG’s new album. You can also see his stop-mo version of Ana Ng in a hi-rez qt HERE.

Grandaddy, Jed’s Other Poem

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxe40xXQKko[/youtube]

Calling this VFX is a stretch even for me. But hey, it was made on a computer (an Apple ][+ to be exact) and it is animated. You can even download an emulator and source code if you want to run the video yourself.

Welcome to Headphone Check, my randomly occurring series of posts about what VFX guys and gals are listening to while they work. Since this is our first time out, we should cover the ground rules. We all need to pump up the volume sometimes to get through those long tedious shifts. You also need to live with the person sitting in the Jerker next to you day after day. Here are some simple tips to help you navigate this sticky wicket.

Rule #1

For a VFX artist , Supe or Producer, the headphone rule is always in effect. Nobody wants to hear your Brazilian house beats coming out of your tinny mac book speakers. Put on your ear goggles and crank it up. My headset of choice Grado Labs SR60s, the sound is great and you won’t have to ake out a second mortgage on your condo to score a pair.

Rule #2

Over the air audio needs a 2/3rds majority. Here’s the deal, everyone thinks that they have great taste in music and a fantastic sense of humor. Well, they don’t. If you feel you have something to share with your cubical buddies, make sure they are into it first

Rule #3

Don’t put anything on your iTunes playlist that you don’t want to defend at a later date. It’s easy as pie to peek over onto someone else’s monitor, so don’t think that guilty pleasures like Tina Turner’s Private Dancer (just a random example of course) will go unnoticed.

Now that we have that out of the way…

You may know Patton Oswald as the voice of Remy from Ratatouille. If you haven’t heard his stand-up, you are in for a treat my friends. His new comedy album, Werewolves and Lollipops, is definitely NSFW and covers all kinds of VFX nerd friendly topics like the intricacies of the Starship Enterprise chain of command and a fantasy that involves traveling back in time to kill George Lucas before he can make the prequels. Don’t worry though, it’s not a total dorkfest. Oswald turns his misanthropic eye to everything from KFC to the Bush administration. This is one of the best stand-up albums to come out in a good long while. Besides I can truly relate to statements like “My Geekyness is getting in the way of my Nerdyness”.

LINK to Werewolves and Lollipops on iTunes