Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race

Deanna and I ventured around the city today to watch the annual Kinetic Sculpture Race. We've heard about it since going to school here, but this was our first year attending. There was some real creativity on display as well as some clever engineering. Here are a few shots from our day.

	Click photos to enlarge

After Effects

I have been slaving away relearning After Effects. I haven't really worked on a project with it since about 2003, so the program's a little different. I am amazed by the fluidity of it. I have certainly come up against walls, but its usually "where do I find this menu", or "what do they refer to this as." All and all it has been a lot of fun to jump back into. Don't worry, nothing will look like this...

Deanna and I went to the BMA this weekend to check out the Baltimore Contemporary Print Fair. We saw a few things we really liked, but were most taken by the art of South African artist Diane Victor. Diane draws using the smoke from candles; producing an extremely delicate look. Some of her series have dealt with AIDs patients and missing children. The medium mirrors her subject matter in a most beautiful way. Once the carbon from the candle smoke hits the paper it sticks, but it takes nothing more can a light paintbrush stroke or graze of a finger to wipe it off. She says she has yet to find a way to successfully fix the smoke. An attempt to use spray fix has totally destroyed the piece. Click any of the photos below to see a video of her process. Its amazing how much of her personality comes through in this short piece.

  

 

 

Cabin in the Woods

I caught a matinee of Cabin in the Woods this week and loved it to death. I am going to keep this brief because its one of those movies where the less you know going in the better it will play. I was really floored by the flick and if you have even a passing interest in horror you owe it to yourself to see it on the big screen. It's full of surprises and is more than your typical teeny slasher movie. Batman sequels, vague Alien prequels, and even other Whedon movies better gear up; you're going to need some muscle to top this one.

It makes me pine for little action figures of these two guys, Sitterson and Hadley.

Vacuforming

Lots and lots of shots

I have been shooting many frames for M'aidez the past couple of weeks. It has been slow going, but I have been learning a lot. I've listened to many podcasts while shooting, so thank you to Dan, Kevin, Scott, Marc, Walt, Bry, and Q for the company.

Just when you think you can't love Jim Henson anymore than you do...

Here is a short film that Henson made for AT&T in 1963. His pacing and rhythm is just astonishing.

We miss you Jim-

Originally seen on FilmDrunk