Showing posts with label fantastic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantastic. Show all posts

Jul 6, 2014

"Dip N' Dance" - What You Own Ultimately Owns You



Directed by Hugo Cierzniak, Dip N' Dance is a short about affluence and excess at it's most ridiculous, telling the tale of a fellow enamored with his fully automated household. When a malfunction causes this fellow to lose control of his body and voice, he comes to realize how over reliance can backfire spectacularly.


Using a fantastic cel shading technique with CG, the short ultimately feels like a really awesome short that could have been created by the likes of Disney back in their heyday. The color scripts alone evoke an awesome feeling of nostalgia, as well as the amazingly fluid animation. The short was created at Delapost Paris, which is an atelier dedicated to animation and post production work. Check out the awesome making of for Dip N' Dance after the break!

May 16, 2014

The Art Of Robot Punch!

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Robot Punch is the alias for Vlad Guseg, an illustrator based out of Spain who's part of the primarily Russian art collective known as HonkFu (Most recently getting a spotlight for their work on Sunset Overdrive). Guseg stands out from his peers with his distinctly angular style and flat color aproach to his illustrations, which gives his pieces a really pleasant pop that I enjoy.

When he's not at work on HonkFu business, Vlad seems to enjoy working on personal comics like Cosmos Tales and pumping out plenty of top notch fanart for series Evangelion (A series he seems to love). Check out more of his awesome work after the break.

May 13, 2014

Chromeo Returns With A Brand Spanking New Album - "White Women"



Friendly reminder: Chromeo is absolutely amazing. Friendly reminder 2: Chromeo just dropped an amazing new album called 'White Women,' featuring an entirely new barrage of amazing tracks created in collaboration with the likes of LCD Soundsystem's Pat Mahoney, Toro Y Moi, Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig and more.



The electro funk duo have been hard at work bringing back the 80's with their slick dance anthems, and after a few listens I get the feeling that this latest album will define the summer of 2014. The amount of variety present in the latest album seems to pay tribute to over 30 years of pop music, with flavors ranging from psychedelic funk of Over Your Shoulder to the more high energy, melodic EDM fueled Jealous. The album dropped everywhere last evening, ranging from Spotify to iTunes with a direct purchase available on their website. Dope.

May 4, 2014

Derailed!



In Yon Hui's Derailed, a kennel of worker dogs head out to lunch only to find themselves hurtling towards a collision course with an out of control train. When a foreman realizes what's going on, a mad waltz of train rerouting begins to prevent a disaster.


Really loved the diesel-punky look of the city that these pups inhabit, as well as getting a look into their every day life. While the style was quite simple the short had a ton of personality from start to finish, and it had the distinction of looking like it was just plain fun to work on. Loved the score as well!

May 2, 2014

The Art Of Kali Ciesemier - Ceasefire

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New York based freelancer Kali Ciesemier captivated us with her broad range of work, ranging from badass scifi illustrations to editorial pieces for high end publications. As a self described lover of color and everything fantastic her attitude definitely shows in her wonderfully stylized work, which employ a fantastic usage of flat colors to add a nice, chunky pop to her pieces.

Having originally started off as a concept artist at the now defunct Big Huge Games, best known for their Kingdoms Of Amalur and a handful of real time strategy titles, Kali transitioned off into the freelancer route. And she's done quite well for herself, providing work for companies including Cartoon Network, Google, Harper Collins, LA Times, the New York Times, the New Yorker, Scholastic and many others.

More than anything I love her sense of color and visual balance in her compositions, which are always bold and visually stimulating. Check out more of her awesome work after the break!

There's A Man In The Woods



Everyone's dealt with their own dose of overactive imaginations when they were kids: Monsters under the bed, imaginary friends, and in the case of animator Jacob Streilein, that man in the woods. Placing his memories of a childhood experience regarding a playground rumor into an ever intensifying narrative rhyme, we're shown a world where a teacher ultimately pays the price for one kid's far fetched tall tales. Animated in Flash with backgrounds created in Photoshop.


When I was in elementary school, the older kids started a rumor that quickly made recess a terrifying experience. I've been wanting to make this film just so I had a place to put some of the details of that rumor.

Apr 7, 2014

Mega64 Tackles "The Stanley Parable" In Real Life



This is the story of a man named Stanley. In celebration of the critically acclaimed interactive fiction title, which offered players the chance to make their own decisions against a narrative trying to drive their own choices. It's one of the most unique gameplay experiences I've had in a while. I think it's the unique narrative aspect that attracted the folks at Mega64 to attempt the experience in real life, with some very surprising results. Using the same British narrator who lent his voice to The Stanley Parable, this is probably one of my favorite Mega64 shorts since their excellent Hotline Miami skit. Only one iPhone was smashed into oblivion during the filming of this fine short.

Mar 7, 2014

Beijing's Studio Vasoon Premieres Their Incredible "God Hunters" Animated Feature Trailer



Well damn, this was an awesome find. Looks like China is stepping up their animated feature game with God Hunters, a new animated movie coming out in 2015 based off of the legendary exploits of Sun Wukong, aka the Monkey King. Rather than going whimsical with it, the movie is taking the more epic route, focusing on his rebellion against heaven and his war against various gods.


With an animation style that resembles a mix of Ghibli films and Peter Chung's signature style seen in series like Aeon Flux, this is probably the most impressive animation I've seen come out of China other than Studio Wolfsmoke's efforts. The feature is being directed by Wang Chuan in collaboration with Studio Vasoon, and is set to premiere sometime in 2015. Keep your eyes peeled for this one, as it's looking mighty ambitious.

Feb 21, 2014

Riverr - "Lamu"



Directed by Mathieu Grimard, Lamu is a curious music video comprised of 25 very distinct portraits, each offering us a very distinct perspective and self contained story. Each person is shown behind a surface- Glass, water, plastic, metal and we're left to interpret their condition through these small, fleeting moments. Each and every face and expressions is an open book with a story to tell. Loved the concept of the music video, and the distorted electro soundscape that Riverr offers with this unique journey of a track.

Feb 5, 2014

The Art of Ivan Khomenko

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Ivan "Hamen" Khomenko is a master of romantic heroism. And before you ask, you already know what I'm talking about. The lone hero, with his back turned to the viewer, charging into the precipice of great mystery and terrible danger. The archetype of Caspar David Friedrich's Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog. Ivan also happens to be wildly talented at depicting detail-riddled environments and dynamic mid-motion fight scenes. Just check the detail on that ribbon-hook in the top image. Too badass.

Ivan is currently enrolled at the Kostroma Technological University in Russia with a focus in Jewelry designing. If you think the featured image is dope, wait until you see the rest of his work after the break!

Jan 2, 2014

The Breathtaking Artwork of Artem Cheboha

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Through his artwork, Artem Cheboha conjures up preternaturally calming dreamscapes, host to a supernatural realm of idyllic vistas, surreal landscapes and whimsically disarming oddities.

Hunchbacks and stingrays soaring across sunsets and cavernous cloud formations, dirigibles bobbing beside mountain oases floating mid-air, suspending both gravity and disbelief. Crooning jack-o-lantern's materializing out of a storm.

Every piece of Artem's work is stamped with an undeniable feeling of levity, a freedom and weightlessness that comes only through the suspension of one's disbelief. Check more of his beautiful work after the break.

Dec 26, 2013

Nicolas Bannister's Awesome Movie Car Tribute Posters - Banncars!

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Nicolas Bannister made my day with his ongoing Banncar series, dedicated to capturing iconic vehicles from movies and TV series that have left a mark on entertainment history. Using the same composition, which centers around the back of a car pointing to a visual element that ties into a key scene or character (Like that hauntingly goat-less chain from Jurassic Park) - His series perfectly encapsulates the spirit of each movie or series.

If you're in the mood to check out his takes on over 30 years of iconic vehicles presented in his awesome execution style, check out more of his Banncar series after the break! Some of our favorites included his takes on Akira and the Dr Who Tardis (Which kind of counts as a vehicle). Enjoy.

Oct 10, 2013

The Art of Jon Fox, "Soul of a Giant"

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U.K.-based oil painter Jon Fox is a mixed-media artist whose body of work resembles what a series of Ukiyo-e paintings would look like if they got hit with a blast from the digitizing grid laser from Tron. Feuding giants and beautiful Japanese architecture are reduced to their most raw and basic shapes and colors, components and emotions.

Drawing a wealth of inspiration from the separate yet equal worlds of animation, fine painting, and experimental architecture, Fox crafts a world of geometric dreamscapes overflowing with otherworldly oddities, spilling out from the point in space where Miyazaki-esque fever dreams and computer meltdowns collide.

Sep 2, 2013

Coin - A Retrolicious Videogame Rampage



Don't mess with Donovan Murdock's coins or else there will be hell to pay. That is the general jist for Coin, taking a page from the type of premise that made Double Dragon the hit franchise it was back in the day. Prepare youreself for 4 minutes of some absolutely epic, spectacular sidescrolling action with definite nods to games including Portal, Battle Toads, Street Fighter, Megaman and more. Loved it from start to finish, especially the teaser for the tag-team sequel towards the end, Coin2.

Donovan Murdock loves his Coin, when stolen from him, he will stop at nothing in this rock 'em sock 'em beat 'em up! Take a nostalgic journey with Donovan as he travels through yesterdays most memorable video games!

Aug 31, 2013

Your Man



Created by the Pearsmiths, Your Man is an absolutely fantastic mega-homage to 80's flicks, 90's videogames and...the fine Irish city of Dublin. It's a little hard to describe, but let's just say that it's a bizarre mixture of pixel art, 3D, Sim City 2000 disasters all being propagated by a mysterious, apparently omniscient man with a yellow hoodie, who seems to be behind some of the madness unfolding on this isometric recreation of the capital of Ireland.


The sheer insanity of this awesome short, scored by the pretty damn talented rockers (Also from Dublin) known as Sounds of System Breakdown (Check their awesome music here) definitely took me back to watching some of Paul Robertson's insane animations like King Of Power 4 Billion, which you can check out after the break. Their music definitely draws some parallels with the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Depeche Mode and others

Apr 11, 2013

Dark Souls x Evangelion = Pure Bliss


People make mashups all the time, but rarely do they work as well as this amazing Dark Souls and Evangelion mashup, combining two rather disturbing IP's into a seamless, smooth blend. This creation comes courtesy of NicoNico Douga (Japan's Youtube equivalent) user Tamura, who hand painted the Evangelion intro frame by frame to showcase the madness of Dark Souls through the eyes of the Crestfallen warrior: Death traps, madness, dark tendency, abominations and more. Praise the sun!

Mar 19, 2013

Insane Office Escape 2 - Bigger, Badder, Better



Russian punk indie band Biting Elbows might have just crafted one of the most spectacular, exhilarating cinematic sequences we've ever had a chance to feature on this blog..So good in fact that I believe director Ilya Naishuller will be getting the attention of Hollywood this time around for his masterful execution of this GoPro driven extravaganza, called 'Bad Motherf***er.'

Created as a sequel of sorts to the band's 2011 Stampede music video (Below), which used a similar format, 'Bad Motherf***er' takes the original and pushes it a few hundred times past it's predecessor, including the re-introduction of some scifi elements and some immaculately planned shots and choreography. I'm just in awe of how well executed this was, offering some truly visceral thrills that action movies haven't been able to deliver in years.

Feb 3, 2013

Imaginary Forces - The God Of War: Ascension "From Ashes" Trailer



The LA/New York based creative studio called Imaginary Forces just released the full version of their brilliantly crafted God Of War: Ascension trailer for Superbowl XLVII, taking a more live action approach to narrate what it took to turn Kratos into a relentlessly brutal god of wrath.

Directed by Karin Fong, the artful trailer narrates Kratos' betrayal by Ares into murdering his beloved wife and child. I really appreciated Karin's choice to look past the typically gruesome aspects of Kratos, instead choosing to show a truly human, emotional side to the antihero in just under 2 minutes. Whereas the notion had never passed through my head previously, this trailer truly sold me on the possibility of the franchise someday getting a feature film adaptation with the right director in charge.

Nov 30, 2011

Nero: Reaching Out



I absolutely love, love, love this music video. The concept might be obscure to some, but its basically a recreation of the opening of the classic eighties series, Miami Vice with bits and pieces of other TV shows from that era. Its got that distinct look that defined the eighties, with its opulence, distinct fashions, transitions, fonts and VHS like feel. Fantastic idea executed in a way that exceeds the actual source material.

May 6, 2011

Ksubi Kolors


ksubi kolors

Three women in colorful denim, three obscure eighties muscle cars, shot at 1500 FPS in Australia by director Daniel Askill. And guess what?  Its not a fun piece with slow mo cameras, its a commercial for the designer brand known as Ksubi.  Marketers, please take some notes...This is the type of commercial I don't mind seeing over, and over, and over again.