Neat short CGI film "Elephants Dream"

Elephants Dream from Blender Foundation on Vimeo.

The story of two strange characters exploring a capricious and seemingly infinite machine. The elder, Proog, acts as a tour-guide and protector, happily showing off the sights and dangers of the machine to his initially curious but increasingly skeptical protege Emo. As their journey unfolds we discover signs that the machine is not all Proog thinks it is, and his guiding takes on a more desperate aspect.



Elephants Dream is a story about communication and fiction, made purposefully open-ended as the world's first 3D "Open movie". The film itself is released under the Creative Commons license, along with the entirety of the production files used to make it (roughly 7 Gigabytes of data). The software used to make the movie is the free/open source animation suite blender along with other open source software, thus allowing the movie to be remade, remixed and re-purposed with only a computer and the data on the DVD or download.

(via:Vimeo)

WEB SIDE STORY

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

WEB SIDE STORY!

(via:College Humor)

Uh... did I mention that we're building a pavilion in Shanghai?

From Gizmodo: "This past Saturday, an entire apartment building in Shanghai collapsed. To be fair, the building was under construction and thus unoccupied, but it's still a minor miracle that there was only one fatality."

Bloody hell - I can't get over the photo that shows an entire building laying on it's side! It fell over and pretty much hung together... that's nearly as incredible as forgetting to pour foundations in the ground, or whatever the hell they forgot to do when they built this bastard.

Check out the rest of the shots here - amazing.

UPDATE WITH BETTER SHOTS!

(via:Gizmodo)

Sign up if your like the coolest toys on the face of this (or any other) planet in the known Universe

Back from the shoot - here's a shot of some nice windmills!

I love that this looks completely bogus! The location was terrific, cold as buggery, but worth every shattered tooth to film it.

Now this is one very cool toy

How far are we from the first real "Super Toys"? Between this and the new ELMO I'm starting to think not that far.

The latest robot kits from Japan and the idea that the toys AI can run from a nearby computer via the home wireless network are all pointing to these guys just being the beginning.

So very cool.

(via:ENGAGET)

Flyin' to the DANGER ZONE, flyin' tttooooooooo the DANGER zzzooooooonnnneeeee!

You just know that there is only one song loaded on these guys iPods and that's on permanent loop!

Seriously - what a fucking AMAZING photo!

For the scoop click here.

(via:Gizmodo)

Will be reporting from the road!

That time again where I have the terrible gig of hitting the road and filming this vast great land I call home - yep... sucks to be me!

We have some long stretches of road to cover and that means several hours to fill so I'll be able to keep up a pretty regular post sked while out "there".

Stay tuned for some hijinks!

"Lumix Dawn..."

Fair to say that I haven't enjoyed a love affair with a compact camera like this since my
Nikon 35Ti (still the best camera that I ever owned) - the LX3 is a great little digi-shooter.

"Over Surprised Guy..."

This is too funny! Thanks to Geoff for sending it over!

2:35 Lomo/RED Tests

Pressed for time - so a quicky - here's the RED with a 35mm Lomo 2:35 Anamorphic lens screwed to the front. Big bugger! Those Russians really know how to (over) engineer a lens!

How does it look?

Great! Here's a graded still from one of the test shots we squeezed off on Friday morning...


Wow! Mind you it helps when God himself is wrangling the smoke machine (thanks big guy!).

I look at this shot and hark back to every shoot that I've undertaken over the years where I've cropped the monitor with black photo tape to frame up that ratio with an eye that'll be what I'll crop the master to - it feels like I've been waiting all my life to work in 2:35.

Will post more stills over the next few days and some moving bits to fill in the gaps. Stay tuned!

I photograph some trees...

Foggy Albert Park; 22 May 2009

(Canon 30D - touched up in Photoshop)

Some Great Business Cards - all real, go figure...

This is genius - I want this list in my card - "Uprisings Quelled" really isn't that far of what I seem to do on a day to day basis!

You know what that "they" say - it pays to advertise!

VP gets an upgrade

VP is going through an upgrade over the next two weeks to keep up with demand.

New gear that will meet the growing demands of post in the digital acquisition age where more storage is never enough.

I'll post an update on the facility as it all comes on line by mid June.

RED News for the interested parties out there... all two of you!

Shooting tests with RED mounted with Lomo 2:35 anamorphic lenses tomorrow and Friday.

Looking forward to posting about the results next week - should be pretty cool!

Settled on the Lomo due the look that they give - not clean, but textural and classic. Let's hope not too textural and classic...

Saw the new Star Trek movie

I don't do reviews... well, I try not too but I had to note that this one "flarey" movie!

Hell, there is so much light bouncing down the barrel of the lens that I think it might actually qualify as a character in it's own right!

Roll on the Oscars and a supporting acting nomination I say.

Damage Releasing - PREY(ing) for sales!

A year ago (or so) we launched/announced Damage Releasing our company set up for looking after film sales for our and other producers projects.

The first project that we took on was PREY - I'm happy to report that we have managed to pick up several territories for the film and we're in Cannes now looking to build on those.

The big news was the sale into the US of A. We had a deal in place that has finally been executed as of last week.

Meanwhile, here in Oz - The producers of PREY put on their own launch events in Sydney and Melbourne ahead of their self funded run (four walled) at the Palace chain in four states. The events have been a hit even if the reviews have been mixed. As an exercise in lifting the profile of a project before it gets to DVD it's been successful but the litmus test will be in June when it gets into the video stores (Blockbuster/Video Ezy with 6000 units no less).

So... what's it been like, the foray into the film sales biz? In truth we could've picked a better year to kick it off and a better genre to kick it off with. Worldwide the ass has fallen out of independent film sales and worse still for low budget horror films. But, that said, sales for PREY have gone as expected and come the final wrap from Cannes I think it would have met our expectations for total take.

So what's next? We've got two films that we're negotiating on now, and wrangling an option on a third. More on those as that comes to hand.

Also looking to start to build the Damage label with some strategic help which we'll announce soon.

Stay tuned.

(damage realeasing)

Don't be counting those chickens just yet...

I've been a bit cheesed off with the reporting over the last few weeks calling a bottom to the Global Financial Crisis - or SHITSTORM as a prefer to refer to it - and that a global rally was in the wind.

As if.

This has got a ways to go before it runs it's coarse - if you want to really loose sleep look up Harry S. Dent and some of his analysis on the cycle that he sees currently running - sure he's a right wing kind of guy but to date he's called most of the key events well in advance of them unfolding. When commentators and political leaders say stuff like, "no one saw this coming" I flash back to Harry Dent on Lateline (here on the ABC in Oz - if it was Lateline) calling the Oz stock market at 3500 to the month when it was still over 6000.

Apparently quite a few people saw it coming - but nobody really wanted to listen.

image copyright gapingvoid.com

Ash Launches Dedicated 3A Blog

Check it out toy freaks!

Just, "wow..."

I'm sitting here with my laptop sitting on my... well, on my lap, taping away at some fresh(ish) blog entries when I look up at the television in front of me.

On it is playing Aliens vs Predator: Requiem.

I swear to God - it's a Hallmark movie.

Really - interrelated group of people in a small town have to get together to beat... well Aliens and Predators. Okay that last part doesn't sound Hallmark - but it sure plays like it.

Boy, if I'd seen this at the cinema I'd be pretty dark. Mind you if I'd paid to see this at the cinema then I think I'd have much bigger issues to contend with other than the quality of the movie.

I think this made money as well... I mean really, what the fuck do I know, huh?

...hang on - the army just arrived (in the movie) and James Cameron just rolled over in his grave... or he would if he was, y'know. Dead.

So what's the deal?

Been slammed which is why the posts have dropped off - also been looking for stuff to post about that is y'know, "newsy". Not that there's a lack of material - I collect blog posts in separate folders all over my lappy and desktop but it's finding the time to draft them up that is vexing me at the moment.

There is a bag of good news in the wind on the movie front - and a bunch of posts to get you up to date on expo...

Shit, maybe if I spent more time writing posts with content rather than writing excuses about not writing pos... oh this is helping...

Movies good - Expo good. News at eleven.

I lieu of a real blog entry I write a Blu Ray review...

Picked up Star Trek II on Blu Ray over the weekend and even managed to watch the bastard before the girls got home from a day out with other girls.

This is my favorite ST film (like...duh!) and I was pretty keen to get it on Blu Ray so what's the disc like?

Fantastic! It looks so good I had to pop in my standard DVD to marvel at the difference - it's incredible. Apparently this in the only original Trek film that has been treated to the full restoration which is a bit of shame... until you remember that the other Trek films are really kinda goofy by comparison. Except for VI... mind you...

The special features are pretty much the same as the old DVD with a few new ones - including another commentary track with Nick Meyer. I love his commentaries, he is quite the intellect and his thoughts on story and film making are gold.

The film is still a ripper - taut, fun and an absolute classic. If you're a Blu Ray convert and a Trek fan then don't wait - hammer the card and grab this puppy!

Death Star Destroys Enterprise

Title says it all!

Always blows me away the quality of the effects that is appearing in these fan/viral videos.

Posting this stuff is why no one lets me play with scissors any more...

Funny Animal Video

EMBED-The Annoying Groundhog - Watch more free videos
ALAN ALAN ALAN!
STEVE! STEVE! STEVE!

Love the marco on my new camera - rock!

Played with this in Photoshop a little but I have to say the macro on the LX3 is sweet! Nearly as sweet as the 6" Bramble that turned up earlier this week which this a picture of.

Too late for Easter but still worth a post

ONN Reports in on the JJ's Trek Film

Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'
The Onion reports on the Star Trek movie!

Way too funny!

I think my Chinese lessons are paying off!

He Said It...

Another Thing I Learned at NAB

There is a huge market in selling broadcast gear to churches. There was a huge chunk of the center hall dedicated to just this market.

It got me thinking - why don't they separate out all markets? I would have thought that porn would qualify for at least a booth.

Does the gear have to be rated for a church, y'know, like a ISO rating only in GODLYNESS? Getting silly now - time to go home for the night.

Found it!

Told you there was one looking bored on an ATV - she's reading a magazine just to prove a point!

Maybe I should found her a chopping board and a cucumber... At least I would have been entertained.

That's a lot of concrete...

"HOOVER DAM; with apologies to David Hockney"

Sunday in April 2009

Everybody has a fun fact about the Hoover Dam.

When there I learnt that:
1. The concrete in the middle of the dam wall is still curing
2. That the dam itself is apparently over engineered by a factor of three
3. In honour of the man its named after the workers concreted in a set of ladies underwear into the last pour.

Okay - I might have made that last one up...

This is the new bypass that they are building there - cool!

I Hire a Big Red Cock to Drive Around LA In... Pete's Rental Car Review!

I like to mix up the car hire choices when I travel to get a taste of stuff that I'd never buy but have a passing interest in.

The last few trips to the states has seen me hire four cars:

1. AUDI A4 Sedan - Yes I have an A6 ALLROAD but I wanted to spend time in the latest model A4 - great, just like my other AUDI's so really that was a waste of time.

2. Current model FORD Mustang. I've always wanted to drive a Pony car and I have a soft spot of the current Mustang which is a bright light in FORD's line up in the US. What did I think? Shithouse. Seriously, it's no wonder the US car industry is in dire straights, the OZ built FORD's and Holdens are seriously better cars - by a country mile - in terms of handling, finishing and design. Very disappointing.

3. The Lexus ES which I think is a US only model? It was brilliant in every respect and has me thinking that I'd get one second hand when my current gig draws to a close. I'd hired an older style IS here in Oz a couple of years ago and hated it - really thought it was sub standard, but the current series is just super.

And that brings me to number four.

The giant red cock...


I wasn't kidding. Why did I hire a Corvette? Well I'd like to say that it was because I saw the TOP GEAR review and it had me intrigued, but the truth is a little different. I got to AVIS and asked for a car they had this or the Dodge Caliber... this thing:

I hate this car with a passion! This photo is too fucking kind - it's one of the worst pieces of design on the face of Mother Earth. I couldn't do it. Reason went out the door - I looked out the window and looked back at the lady doing the hire and said...

"I'll take the 'Vette."

I'm glad I did - It is a total hoot!

This is the current American Super Car, it's quick, loud and over the top but only a little. American car "design" is in something of a slump so it's a little surprising that when you first lay your peepers on the Vette that it looks good. Hell, it looks great! One of the best looking Vette's since the early 50's (although I know Stingray fans will be rolling their collective eyes at that comment - but this my blog so they can fuck right off!). It doesn't have a bad angle from the outside, the long bonnet promises a drive that'll be ballistic.

I'm happy to write that the car doesn't disappoint on that level.

Point it at your target, press the trigger sitting down by your right foot and BOOM! You'll be hooking your way up to 150mph/241kmh in a heartbeat. It's literally a blast.

I was having so much fun with it that I extended the hire and drove out to Las Vegas and took a day trip out to the Hoover Dam. It handles well, not pin sharp but as expected. It's forgiving enough for a total hack like me to have a good time in and not stuff it up to the point of distaster. It brakes like a bastard which comes in handy when you need it.

The sound it makes is awesome - a truly fucking tremendous roar that doesn't let up, just great.

So, what's the downside?

The fit and finish is not up to par at the price point for this monster. As you start to push it up towards 70mph/110kph the rattles start to become all to annoying. the seats are comfortable, the stereo good, but the plastics and general interior design isn't in line with other Super Cars. I hired the soft top - that was a mistake, it jammed at a set of lights and took me 45mins to figure out how to lower it manually. Then another 2 days to work out how to get it to work at all (there is a boot divider that had shaken loose due to the crappy snap-locks that they use).

It has a natty HUD (head up display) that lets you know when you've shot past a cop at 117mph/188kph so you don't have to look too far down to work out how much of a butt whooping you're in for; which is cute but I have to say pretty distracting at night.

Bottomline?

So not great in the overall finish of the car but...

...the sound!

With the top down blasting through the desert I would have to say that this was worth the cost of the rental. If you're in the mood and have the means (and are a total petrol head) then it comes highly recommended!

A very tall building in Shangers - the Lumix looks good in B&W!

Classic!

Must get this album!

(via: io9)

Japanese TVC to put on a Monday smile on your mugs!

(via:Holy Taco)