Little Bites

A great video showing some nice simple type goodness combined with some 2D, 3D and pictures.

Space and Air

A nice little video here which combines live action footage, 2D typographic animation with a dash of 3D.

10:10 Climate Change

Some typographic goodness here, this time pure 2D animation.

Hello Brooklyn

This great video which uses ‘Hello Brooklyn’ by Jay Z uses still images and typography to great effect, showing what great stuff can be done just using those simple elements.

Inch by Inch

A great video using Al Pacino’s Inch By Inch speech from Any Given Sunday, done entirely in After Effects and Cinema 4D.

1 A.M.

This is a great video combining live footage with 3D and 2D work in Cinema 4D and After Effects.

NBC Rebrand

A nice video showing what can be done with typography in a more corporate setting in this NBC rebrand, also show a nice combination of stills,video and typography.

t3st urbanMotion

A great video from anibal Carnego, showcasing excellent use of still images and typography.

Ok It’s Alright With Me

This is a great music video with a great style and good combination of live action and typography.

MasterCard PayPass

A great video for Mastercard Paypass with a good combination of simple typography

Justice – D.A.N.C.E

This is a great example of a good combination of motion tracking, live action footage and some great examples of typographic animation.

Cyperaudio

A great example of very delicate and simple typography combined with what look like real footage or at least super realistic 3D.

How We Built Britain

Another nice example here of a combination of 3D, footage and typography.

New York Times: Turkish Edition

This is a great video with a whole typographic city on show, shows some great 2D animation and typography.

Flash on the Beach 08

We’re going back to the old school on this typographic goodness, this video by The Ronin features some type built entirely by hand and videoed, all build by hand.

Zombieland

Zombieland has some great typography both during the intro and through the main movie, definitely worth checking out.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this round up of some great typography in video and i hope it gives you some great inspiration to go away and make your own typographic pieces.  Let us know if you think we’ve missed any great videos that you think should have been included. Enjoy!

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Curated Motion Graphics Work

Starting off, I tried to consolidate a list of innovative & inspiring motion graphics work. It definitely wasn’t an easy task to try and pick any one piece over another, especially since everyone has a different opinion over what they would consider to be amazing. With that in mind, I’ve tried to balance my selection objectively, based on progression, forward thinking, originality, and execution. I hope you enjoy my selection, and continue to support Fuel Your Motionography well into the new year. Enjoy!

Prologue – OFFF 2009 Main Titles

OFFF 2009 Main Titles from Prologue! from OFFF on Vimeo.

Wow – Infinity

Infinity by: Wow from Colorcubic on Vimeo.

Esteban Diácono – Let Yourself Feel

let yourself feel. from Esteban Diácono on Vimeo.

Christopher Hewitt – Contraction

Contraction from Christopher Hewitt on Vimeo.

Sooz / Kultnation – All That Is Solid Melts Into The Air

All that is solid melts into the air. from Sooz on Vimeo.

Onesize – OFFF 2009 Sponsor Titles

OFFF 2009 Sponsor Titles from OFFF on Vimeo.

Rob Chiu – Else Mobile

Else Mobile (The Time Has Come) from Rob Chiu on Vimeo.

Alex Roman – T & S Teaser 2

T&S Teaser2 from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

BranitVFX – World Builder

World Builder from BranitVFX on Vimeo.

Tilt Shift Effect

If I had to say any certain technique had a major impact on the motion graphics industry this year, I would have to go with the tilt shift effect. The tilt shift effect is what ultimately gives real life footage, or more specifically, stop motion footage the illusion of smallness, or small windup toys. And what better way to convey this effect then through one of the industry’s pioneers of this technique, Mr. Keith Loutit [see below].

Keith Loutit – Bathtub IV

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Digital SLRs with HD Video

Ringing in at number three on my list of best contributions to the motion graphics industry in 2009 is Canon, and their Digital SLRs with HD Video capability. A lot of people still don’t realize, the moment Canon introduced the 5DmkII, it completely revolutionized how creative professionals in the mograph industry would produce work in the future. Not only are these dSLR cameras built very well, they’re also relatively affordable, all while shooting in HD video. Although, the real highlight of these dSLRs is the option to change out the lenses, at a fraction of the cost of a normal HD video camera. So you get all the power of Canon lenses (specifically Canon’s L series lenses), with the beauty of HD video. What more could you ask for?

Canon Rebel T1i

Canon 7D

Canon 5D mkII

Florent Porta – Tokyo Reality (Canon 5DmkII at work)

Tokyo Reality (Canon 5D MarkII) from Florent Porta on Vimeo.

Inksie Brand – 7D test film (Canon 7D at work)

7D Test Film from Inksie Brand on Vimeo.

Wesley Kandel – Palladia (Canon Rebel T1i at work)

Palladia from Wesley Kandel on Vimeo.

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Noteworthy filmmakers have always had a healthy vision of what their film should look like. Utilizing a myriad of camera and editing techniques combined with the keen eye of the cinematographer, the filmmaker can make the most profound statements with visuals, budget notwithstanding.

One of my favorite tricks up the filmmakers sleeve is the use of film stock itself. Every time an advance in technology was achieved, the filmmaker had yet another possibility to play around with it to achieve their vision. Think of Douglas Sirk and his arguably surreal use of technicolor or the 16mm black & white film favored in the early work of Jim Jarmusch; the stock itself becomes a silent narrator, it’s own particular mannerisms contributing to our emotional reaction of the story lines and plot points.

Let’s take a look at a few films and filmmakers who have taken stock, filters and the D.I.Y. approach one step further to achieve their unique look.

Film Stock

Buffalo 66 (1998) written and directed by Vincent Gallo is an amazing film in its own right as anyone who’s seen it knows. It was indeed a labor of love and like all films had its budget wall — when the proposed music budget was added up, it came to $22,000 dollars and Vincent had to settle for $11,000, throwing in $6,000 of his own cash to secure the Yes and King Krimson tracks he wanted for the film.

His other mainstay was that it be shot on color reversal film which had to be manufactured as it normally doesn’t exist. It’s a good thing he stuck to his guns on this one because the result is very impressive,  giving the film a washed out look straight out of the 50s/60s tinged with a lovely gloss:

Fort Apache (1948) directed by John Ford is certainly not an art film and yet his constant attention to detail throughout his career certainly separates his westerns from the standard fare. A great director in his own right, Ford was never shy to embrace technology and apply it to his vision. Although the video clip available here doesn’t come close to a quality example of the film itself, Fort Apache has a wonderfully unique quality — the outdoor scenes were shot in infrared film, giving the landscape and clouds this stark, bright and crisp look with quite a bit more contrast than traditional film stocks could provide. Really lovely on DVD. Really crappy in this clip:

Rumble Fish (1983) is one of those films that slid right under the radar. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it’s his second film adaptation of the work of author S. E. Hinton, the first being The Outsiders. It was shot directly after production ended on the Outsiders and even used a few of the same actors. Even though it was quite a bit more arty than its predecessor, its all-star cast and coat tail credibility based on the success of The Outsiders should have been enough to secure it somewhere on someone’s required viewing list but no. Shot in black & white (completely unheard of in 1983) with small bursts of color footage and colorized elements (think brightly colored Siamese fighting fish in a b&w fishtank) combined with it’s flamboyant West Side Story style blocking and dialogue, it was just a little too ahead of its time to be a hit. Look closely for the small burst of color in the trailer:

Filters

Traffic (2000) in my opinion changed everything. Directer Steven Soderbergh had to really fight to get this film made not only because of the controversial subject of drug trafficking but for his concept of separating the three storylines within the film using three different colored filters — one for each story. Although there was nothing new about lens filters, they were mostly used for music videos, sci-fi scenes and plenty of student art films and at best used to control lighting issues in mainstream films. Producers were naturally a little concerned about a 2 & 1/2 hour film about drugs with these drastic ‘color coded’ storylines.

The effect did give the film a distinct look. A look that was so fresh it was quickly used by everyone and soon became normal. From T.V. shows like CSI to countless modern horror films, filters are everywhere — thanks to the success of Traffic and Soderbergh (who also shot the film under a false name):

Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997) like all Guy Maddin films, Twilight of the Ice Nymphs has that very distinct, altered look — dusty film, black & white film shot on ancient cameras (sometimes coming out sepia or blue). However, this film deviates from his previous efforts in that area to a more cotton candy dreamscape reality created through lighting, unorthodox camera settings and filters resulting in a color explosion with wonderful bleeds and blurs.

What we see in this clip is the classic vaseline around the corner of a lens trick (sorry about the French guy talking over it):

D.I.Y.

Decasia (2002) is a film constructed by Bill Morrison using reels of old decayed nitrate film containing silent films circa 1900s. Nitrate film is quite unstable and if old reels are not properly stored they either catch on fire or rot. Decasia takes advantage of these barely surviving reels by weaving their various states of decay together into something that is pure art. Lacking any plot, what we see are random images from forgotten films reels, aged and decayed and slowed down for maximum enjoyment. Beautiful damage becomes the only reoccurring character throughout this amazing film:

Mothlight (1963) made by Stan Brakhage. No treatise on treated film would be complete without mentioning Stan Brakhage. His hands-on approach, literally painting and pasting onto film stock has produced some truly unique material. Mothlight consists of moth wings and moth parts glued to 8mm film and run through the projector to achieve the fabulous result we see here:

Conclusion

With the advent of digital technology, filmmakers are no longer tied to the limitations of the camera and much less dependent on the advances in film stock as a medium.  From complicated CGI to the simplest plug-in, we can create (virtually) endless canvasses to paint on, and count on a healthy amount of possibilities in post production, possibilities a few of the above mentioned film never had. These films stand out because they all share forethought in their pre production. Forethought in exactly how they would achieve the very fixed style they were seeking. I know for myself that I can easily include the very concept of possibilities when thinking of style for a particular project instead of choosing from possibilities to form a set of rules to work with.

From motion graphics to film making to graphic design, we can all take something away from the concepts demonstrated in these films, particularly that the medium itself can play a key roll in conveying a message. Further still, by altering that medium and therefore giving the medium more prominence, we give it a distinct personality in which to deliver our message.

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AntiVJ is a visual label that I’ve recently come to know of and respect. Conceptualized by European-based visual artists; AntiVJ explores the uses of stereoscopy, holographic illusions, projected light and other progressive forms of visual stimuli that really push the envelope on live Audio / Visual performances.

AntiVJ is currently working with Principles of Geometry (a French retro-futurist electronic group), in collaboration to produce & perform a live stereoscopic audio / visual show, featuring 50 minutes of some of the most beautiful animation that I’ve seen in a very long time. Although you won’t be able to fully appreciate the beauty of their stereoscopic animation without experiencing it live (or in an iMax theatre), you can most definitely sample a taste of what can be expected during one of their live performances by viewing their teaser. »

Principles of geometry + AntiVJ: a stereoscopic show from AntiVJ on Vimeo.

To learn more about AntiVJ, or the Principles of Geometry, please visit http://www.antivj.com & http://www.myspace.com/principlesofgeometry. Thanks for reading.

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Martin – 1977

U.S. Dir: George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead). Netflix, Wikipedia.

Sans fangs and bats, Martin put a unique spin on the traditional vampire film. Instead of the monster living next door, we find an average young man living a lonely and depressing life and sadly addicted to blood. His twisted and often pathetic bursts of violence shock you, but you really end up feeling the worst for poor Martin.

The Hunger – 1983

U.K. Dir: Tony Scott (True Romance, Man on Fire). Netflix, Wikipedia.

This film was not liked much by critics who seemed to have a problem with its semi erotic moments and while it’s true that it’s not the greatest film in the world (Scott’s next movie would be Top Gun), it’s well worth seeing. Sultry Catherine Deneuve plays an ageless vampire. David Bowie plays her aging vampire boyfriend and along comes Susan Sarandon unknowingly to take his place.

The Reflecting Skin – 1990

U.K. Dir: Philip Ridley (The Krays, The Passion of Darkly Noon). Wikipedia.

This wonderfully absurd film never really admits it’s a vampire film. Instead, we meet a cast of characters who may or may not be vampires; except for the lady who says she’s a vampire. Seth is sure she’s a vampire. He’s pretty sure everyone’s a vampire. Favorite line: “Why don’t you go play with your friends?” / “I can’t. They’re all dead.”

Near Dark – 1987

U.S. Dir: Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break, Strange Days). Netflix, Wikipedia.

This movie is so much better than From Dusk Till Dawn I can’t believe they even bothered making it. Fast, harsh and bloody as hell. Oh, and it’s even a love story. Sort of. Look for a particularly great scene of a new vampire drinking blood from another vampire’s wrist while a large oil pump pumps away in the background.

Blood for Dracula – 1974 (AKA Andy Warhol’s Dracula)

Germany/U.S. Dir: Paul Morrissey (Flesh, Trash, Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein). Netflix, Wikipedia.

Classic exploitation. Like most of his films it’s completely disgusting. Originally rated X for it’s gratuitous sex and violence, it’s actually less insane than Morrissey and Warhol’s 1973 Flesh for Frankenstein (AKA Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein) which permanently warped my brain.

The Lost Boys – 1987

U.S. Dir: Joel Schumacher (Falling Down, The Number 23). Netflix, Wikipedia.

Loaded with star power, The Lost Boys was more of a romp than a horror film. After all, nothing with the Two Coreys could be scary. The lost boys worked well in the theater because it had the star power, but it also had a strong story which relied on intrigue rather than shock and avoided sex and gore. Probably a good idea because by 1987, horror movies were so common place, there was hardly anything shocking about them.

Fright Night – 1985

U.S. Dir: Tom Holland (Child’s Play, The Stranger Within). Netflix, Wikipedia.

Fright Night was a fun hybrid of horror and 80s comedy — just a little too dark to be funny and too silly to be serious. Full of eccentric characters, it’s fun enough that you don’t even mind the terrible special effects. The plot moves around Charley who is pretty sure his neighbor is a vampire. His parents don’t believe him. The cops don’t believe him. Will a washed up actor who hosts a local late night horror film showcase believe him?

Vampire’s Kiss – 1989

U.S. Dir: Robert Bierman. Written by Joseph Minion (After Hours). Netflix, Wikipedia.

And Finally, one of my all time favorites, Vampire’s Kiss. Nicholas Cage plays power hungry yuppie Peter Loew who is quite possibly going insane. He’s also pretty sure he’s turning into a vampire after a series of meetings with the mysterious Jennifer Beals. And like a character from a Paul Auster novel, we watch on as Loew slowly loses all grasp of reality. Esoteric dialogue, a strong supporting cast and Cages performance all meshed to make Vampire’s Kiss an instant cult classic.

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In my last post, I featured a handful of visually alluring motion reels, including that of Paris motion studio Gkaster. Pierre Magnol, the founder of Gkaster, is not easy to track down, but I’ve managed to finagle a brief interview with the man behind the stunning portfolio. Pierre mentioned that he’d be posting his latest reel any day now (which has got me on tenterhooks), but unfortunately we’ll have to wait just a little longer. Meanwhile, for those of you who haven’t seen Gkaster’s reel, feast your eyes:

PIERRE MAGNOL, IN HIS OWN WORDS:

Hi! My name is Pierre Magnol. I’m a graphic designer and animator. I founded Gkaster.com studio with Pierre Fabre (typographer and also mattepainter). I have a wide range of experience because I am self-taught. I started as an editor for Canal plus, then worked for Ultime, Limoges (where I discovered motion design) as an editor, a special effects specialist and multimedia project director. After that I became a freelancer and took my first step into motion graphics as a director with my first company name, Kurtzmedias. I did a lot of short movies and contemporary productions, even “corporate” animation.

THE INTERVIEW

First of all, thank you for this interview. Who and/or what inspired you to become a motion designer?

The movies Bladerunner, Tron, Akira, and conceptual designs of Syd Mead. There are no specific things that I could point out in those masterpieces, but it’s a global approach; about the design, the interfaces, the perception of the future, and the robotics that I really like.

How did you get started in this industry?

I’m totally self-taught. First, like many others, I learned a lot of things through forums where you can find many tutorials and very pleasant people who share their time and expertise with you. I would like to thank Creative COW and many other forums like it.

With the many disciplines you’re involved in, which has been your favorite to explore, and for what reasons?

Gkaster’s main discipline is to make motion design, and the second is the reason why I partnered with Pierre Fabre, to promote his skills in matte painting and his approach to typography. Today, what’s most important for us is to simply create images and pictures, whether they move or not.

What advice would you give to young creatives just starting out in motion design?

I have no specific advice, sorry. :) But you know, I would say, it’s a mix between a bunch of hours in front of our screens, trying to learn new techniques, a lot of emails and rendezvous trying to promote our works. It’s also nice meeting with people through the internet who give you advice about your works, and on and on… there are no specific secrets, just passion and coffee. :)

Where do you go for design inspiration?

I have no specific place I go. I take a look everywhere on the internet, and within many art fields. Like everybody I guess :). I take a peek from time to time at Computer Luv, Motionographer, Mograph Forum, and so on. In France, we have FUBIZ. But you know, you have plenty of other web sites which talk about contemporary arts and architecture.

How do you typically start a new project?

Like everybody, with an empty screen.

What are the tools you couldn’t live without?

My tools:

• A MAC
• After Effects
• CINEMA 4D  (a special thanks to Peder Norrby, creator of Trapcode plugins)

Is there an area of the creative world you wish you were more active in?

Film, I mean I recently bought a camcorder and I started to film the nature around me; it’s a great experience.

What have you found to be the most effective ways to market yourself to potential clients?

All the websites I talked about, motionographer and others, they are well known and give you the opportunity to be seen all the over the world.

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Rankin Bass Production Identity Spot (1975)

Source via: http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnnyL80

Thundercats

Silverhawks

Tigersharks

The Hobbit

The Return Of The King

The Flight Of Dragons

Thank you very much for viewing / reading. Although I would very much have liked to provide more history into the Rankin Bass production studio; their history is rather long & controversial, involving some pretty nasty, unethical decisions by Warner Bros. I’m afraid that would certainly have resulted in getting really side-tracked, and could have easily resulted in a post in and of itself. So if you’d like to learn more about the history of Rankin Bass, please visit RankinBass.com « (I know that site is super atrocious, but… well, there’s really no excuse).

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For more than a century, Polish Poster art painted a chronology of Poland’s social, political, and historic landscape. By the end of World War II, eight out of every ten buildings in Warsaw was destroyed. The Stalinist era marked an artistic shift to Socio-Realism, a movement which depicted social & racial injustice and economic hardship. From the 50s into the 80s, cultural events such as film, opera, and theatre became the impetus behind the memorable poster work. This was a period that became known as the Polish School of Posters, a time when the Communist State maintained a strict censorship policy on all printed media. In expression of their opposition, Polish artists created posters of irony, surrealism, and elements of abstraction, setting a new path for artistic innovation and international admiration. Warsaw, gray and crumbled by destruction, served as a backdrop to the miles of colorful posters plastered onto construction fences; fences of posters that would represent Poland’s struggle for unbridled freedom.

Left: Tadeuz Trepkowski Nie! (1952); Right: Jan Lenica Wozzeck (1964)

Left: Waldemar Świerzy - Midnight Cowbow (1973); Right: Mieczysław Górowski - Police (1982)

Freedom on the Fence

The documentary Freedom on the Fence, directed by Andrea Marks and Glenn Holsten, captures the paradox of how this unique art form flourished within a Communist regime. The film has been shown at several film festivals including the Santa Fe Film Festival and the Los Angeles Polish Film Festival. The documentary is being shown as part of an exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, running from May 2009 through November 2009.

Every kind of restriction brings creativity. – Rafal Olbinski

Interview with Andrea Marks

Andrea Marks is currently an Associate Professor and the coordinator of the Graphic Design program at Oregon State University. She received a BFA in graphic design from University of the Arts in Philadelphia and did her post-graduate work at the Basel School of Design in Basel, Switzerland. Her interests in design curriculum extend to exploring new ways in which students engage in learning. Her ebook Writing for Visual Thinkers was published in 2008 by AIGA/New Riders Press, and explores the many ways artists and designers can use writing in their work.

I spoke with Andrea Marks about the documentary, what inspired her, and her own challenges in making the film.

Why Polish posters?

I am often asked this question. I first became aware of Polish posters through a former Polish student of mine at Oregon State University named Anka Kolodziej. She and I worked on an exchange project together between graphic design students at OSU and students at the Warsaw Academy of Art. Students in both schools created posters on the theme of air and water and then sent them to one another’s school for an exhibition. It was during this time that Anka introduced me to some of her books on Polish posters. Not only were the posters amazing visually, but I also found the story of how and why these posters flourished in Communist Poland very interesting.

Left: Franciszek Starowieyski - Lulu (1980); Right: Wiktor Górka - Cabaret (1973)

Stasys Eidrigevicius - Film Poster, Zwierciadło (Reflection) 1989

How did you prepare and research for the film?

Since I am a graphic designer by training and had not made a film before, I contacted Glenn Holsten, a friend of mine who is an independent filmmaker in Philadelphia. I pitched the story to him and he was interested in collaborating. I read a few articles and looked over the books Anka provided, but I soon realized that I needed to go to Poland to meet the artists and see if they were interested in being part of the film. I also wanted to make sure the story was interesting enough for a documentary. In 1998, I applied for a grant from IREX, an international grant organization, for funds to travel to Poland for a pre-production trip, and with the $2,500 grant, three of us traveled to Poland for an intensive two-week trip to meet artists. The mistake we made was going there in November, one of the coldest and grayest months. I knew that when we eventually returned to shoot the final film, we absolutely needed to return in the summer! Glenn brought a very low-end video camera and shot footage that was useful in creating a short presentation. My thought all along with this project was that it could take some time and it was important to have visual presentations at each stage. I used these presentations (a combination of video and multimedia) to give lectures on the topic and also for fundraising purposes. I think it is very important when embarking on a large and complex project to make short-term goals. This can help give you a sense of accomplishment along the way and also create interest for your project.

What kind of equipment and software did you use to shoot and edit the footage?

It actually took three more years to raise the money to shoot the final footage. I returned to Poland in the summer of 2002, with Glenn and Jeff Hino, another friend who is a videographer at my university. In order to keep costs down and make travel easier, we shot the Poland footage with a small Canon Digital camera and rented a set of lights and a monitor in Warsaw. Editing was done for the most part in Final Cut Pro.

What were some of the key challenges faced before, during and after the filming?

I am a graphic designer, so a key challenge for me was to learn about the various steps necessary in making a film. As producer of the film, I had to also figure out how to raise money for travel and production. Logistics were challenging in Poland. Neither Glenn or I speak Polish, so we had to hire a translator and it was a bit tricky organizing meeting meetings and interviews with artists. All of my interviews were done with a translator I hired in Poland and then I had to transcribe all interviews on paper. It was an incredibly tedious process that took dozens of hours, but it was the only way I could view the various voices and understand how to string these voices together to tell a story. Archival footage was an important element in the film and I hadn’t realized the expense before developing the story. Funds for the film were raised year by year and some years were better than others, so it was sometimes difficult to keep momentum going with the project year to year. Now that the film is done, the challenge has been finding the best avenue for independent marketing and distribution. The internet has been enormously helpful in getting the word out on the status of the film. I continue to receive emails from all over the world asking to be put on the mailing list when the film is released.

In what ways has this experience shaped your creative outlook and/or teachings?

As cliché as this may sound, I think the story of the Polish poster shows the strength of the human spirit, and it’s great to share that with my students. Polish posters gained international recognition for many reasons. On one level, these posters can be viewed for their pure, imagistic beauty. Students are typically very inspired by the visual strength of the Polish posters. I think the fact that they were drawn and painted, including the typography, speaks to the students of today. For many students, the idea of working off the computer on a poster is a bit of revelation. The next level is the content of the posters. Though these are for the most part cultural posters, announcing theater, film, opera, etc., the message on the poster is never literal. In fact, the posters are wonderful examples of how not to be literal, as they use metaphor, irony, satire and humor in very clever ways. The third level is examining the history and how the time period played a pivotal role in the development of these powerful posters. One might say that the added constraints of Communism and the fact that each poster had to go before a censor board pushed the artists to dig a little deeper. These are all inspirational pieces that I have taken away from the project and I share with my students.

What are you hoping to achieve with your film?

My intent was always to create a documentary for historic preservation, as the Fall of Communism brought radical changes to the Polish poster. Once cultural institutions became privatized, the numbers of posters commissioned really dwindled. I knew that the first generation of poster artists were also aging. Two of the older artists I interviewed, Wiktor Gorka and Henryk Tomaszewski have since passed away, and I feel very fortunate to have met them and documented their words. In fact, I may have had the last interview with Tomaszweski, one of the most influential artists in the history of the Polish posters. I think the film gives a glimpse into an important historical period that students may know little about. The film begins with black and white footage of the destruction of Warsaw during WWII. This is sobering stuff to watch, and helps set up the context for how these powerful posters sprung up on the streets. I also think the film works very well when shown in conjunction with an exhibition of Polish posters and I have realized that there is still an amazing amount of interest in Polish posters. The film is currently being shown with an exhibition of polish posters at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City through the end of November, 2009.

When will Freedom on the Fence be released?

The film will be released within the first couple of weeks of October and can be purchased from the website freedomonthefence.com. It has also been shown at several film festivals over the past year.

Any plans in the future for another film?

At this point, I am just working on keeping up with screenings, presentations and marketing of the film and haven’t given much thought to another project. Having said that, I do think there are so many great stories out there to be told about art and design and it is exciting to think about the possibilities of documenting them.

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The ’70s might have been the heyday of the maverick filmmaker, but the ’80s still remains a creative decade in my opinion. Mega hits dominated the theaters, but beneath the surface, there were several lesser known but equally praised films and filmmakers whose techniques and qualities were simply too strange, odd, dreamy, morbid or beautiful to fit in with the mainstream. Call them art cinema, independent, cult or arthouse. I call them required viewing. Here are five noteworthy arthouse films:

1. WINGS OF DESIRE

1987. Germany/U.S.A. Dir: Wim Wenders (Paris Texas, The Million Dollar Hotel). Netflix, Wikipedia.

Why you need to see it: Simply one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. Wenders employs a wide variety of fresh ideas onto the screen, getting outstanding performances from his actors. Peter Falk playing himself and being the only character to sense the angels that roam the city will always impress me. Shot in black & white and color, its euphoric feel is further emphasized by the haunting soundtrack and source music.

2. BLUE VELVET

1986. U.S.A. Dir: David Lynch (Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive). Netflix, Wikipedia.

Why you need to see it: Just about everyone knows about Blue Velvet, but for some reason I keep meeting people who have never actually seen Blue Velvet. It’s quintessential ’80s arthouse and everyone really should see it at least once. Lynch works some of the most twisted ideas, characters and images into a lucid and compelling mystery. Visually stunning, well acted and another prime example of Lynch’s meticulous attention to sound design.

3. A ZED AND TWO NOUGHTS

1985. Britain. Dir: Peter Greenaway (The Cook The Thief His Wife & Her Lover, Drowning by Numbers). Netflix, Wikipedia.

Why you need to see it: Greenaway has this thing for flamboyant sets, heavy themes and even heavier imagery. His films are often as disturbing as they are beautiful; as shocking as they are pretentious. Zed is no exception. Between time-lapse footage of prawns decaying and pacing (sometimes legless) animals, we watch as two zoologists go mad after the death of their wives.

4. TALES FROM THE GIMLI HOSPITAL

1988. Canada. Dir: Guy Maddin (Twilight of the Ice Nymphs, Careful).  Netflix, Wikipedia.

Why you need to see it: Maddin’s use of altered film and sound are quite impressive to say the least. He can take us to just about anywhere in time and achieve any look with his technique. In his first feature length film, Gimli Hospital, he takes us to a rather odd and low budget place. Shot in black & white, the film plays like an 1940s horror movie without the horror.

5. VIDEODROME

1983. Canadian. Dir: David Cronenberg (Naked Lunch, Existenz). Netflix, Wikipedia.

Why you need to see it: Cronengerg’s nightmare visions defy category; dark enough to be horror, futuristic enough to be sci-fi. I think of his films as being smart enough and certainly surreal enough to be considered arthouse fare. Videodrome is one his more twisted films and like his earlier work, relies heavily on themes of mind control, secret organizations and humans with guns growing out of their hands. Disturbing but worth every minute.

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AUDI “LETTERS” BY: PLEIX

PLEIX is a French based collective of motionographers, graphic artists, and all around visual communicators. Composed of seven individuals, PLEIX has a combined brilliant outlook on life, which (more often than not) tends to show in their work. I was originally introduced to PLEIX (unknowingly) through Warp Records | Warp Vision “the Videos” 1989 – 2004 DVD,  for a music video they did for Plaid, titled: Itsu. The LETTERS piece they produced for Audi is a stunning typographic treatment, comprised of architectural cityscapes, and beautiful geometry. At first glance (those of you who are familiar with their work), you might recognize this treatment to be somewhat similar to their earlier experimental piece, Sometimes, with music by: Kid 606. I, for one, am glad they decided to revisit this style once again, as I’m a huge fan of gravity defying geometric objects, and this piece is certainly no exception.

Please visit http://www.pleix.net & PLEIX’s vimeo page for more of their wonderful work. » vimeo.com/4164690

MORFISM BY: VINCENT VIRIOT

If you’re not already familiar with the works of Vincent Viriot, you should be. Again, another motionographer, typographer, and all around visual communicator; hailing from France, Vincent has produced some stunning visual works, stemming from the ranges of music videos for KAP10KURT, to promotional identity spots for MTV. Interestingly enough, I actually came to know Vincent’s work through a Basement Jaxx music video, titled: CishCash, produced under PLEIX in 2004 (It’s a small world after all). The Morfism idenity spot is certainly no exception to his brilliant work with typography & motion graphics. Commissioned by ONEDOTZERO + MTV BLOOM; this piece initially takes the viewer through what looks like is going to be a very miserable & bleak city tour with an abrasive typographic theme, but before it really settles in, a “morfism” occurs, and what was once a dark, discouraging city, has now been transformed into an inspiring cityscape of encouraging typographic bliss.

For more work by Vincent Viriot, please visit his portfolio at either » behance.net/fmk_7 or http://fmk7.free.fr/

KODAK BY: MARC JUON

I came to know of Marc Juon’s work through my never ending search for all things motion related. If you’ve never heard of Marc Juon, let me be the first to tell you, he’s definitely going to have an inspiring impact in this industry (if not already). Marc Juon hails from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. He began his education through Cal State Fullerton, where he received a Bachelors degree, majoring in Film & Television. In 2006, he received his 2nd Bachelors degree from Art Center, which is where this conceptual piece for Kodak was conceived, and later produced as a student project for his 3D animation class. This Kodak piece is nothing short of fantastic, and rightly recognized as such, especially since he was awarded the Silver Student BDA Award in 2007 for his efforts. What really grabs my attention about this piece is that it truly captures what we all know to be KODAK, while simultaneously incorporating a common idiom, making it all flow together so naturally. His post production work with the type is brilliant as well, and as the end result would suggest, is worth a thousand words.

For more wonderful work by Marc Juon, please visit » marcjuon.com/ & Marc’s vimeo page » vimeo.com/user2011786

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GKASTER REEL | 2009

GKaster is a motion design studio located in France, and was founded by partners Pierre Magnol and Pierre Fabre. GKaster displays an impressive and prolific portfolio, including client work from Apple, LG, MediaTemple, Renault, and Nissan, to name just a few. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Pierre Magnol recently, and will be posting the interview later in the week. The reel is a stunning and elegant example of their accomplishments, and GKaster remains among my favourite motion studios.

TOCH STUDIO | 2009

Little is known about the young Toch Studio except that their work is rock star smashing. The studio was founded by designer and motionographer Tavo Ponce and is based out of Madrid, Spain. With clients like MTV, VH1, and Diesel, their futuristic-retro stylings are certainly befitting for the trends.

CHEZEDDY REEL | 2009

ChezEddy is a fun and playful motion and animation studio located in Paris, France, founded by Jean-Francois Bourrel and Jerome Calvet. GKaster and many other talented directors are represented by ChezEddy, who work with marquee clients such as Nike, McDonalds, Bic, and Kelloggs.

COLERAN REEL | 2008

Coleran’s work simply blows me away. Before I even knew about him, I knew about his work. He’s crafted detailed and technical interface designs for movies such as The Bourne Ultimatum, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Tomb Raider, The Island, and Mission Impossible 3. For some, his work may be easily taken for granted as it sporadically appears within a movie, but it’s absolutely essential and important nonetheless. Coleran, who currently resides in Ottawa, Canada is also currently working for the software company Gridiron Software designing the UX and UI for Flow, a visual workflow manager. It’s quite possible for me to write an entire essay just on Coleran and his work, but I’ll let his reel speak for itself.

ROKKABOY REEL | 2009

Rokkaboy’s introduction stood out to me among the reels; it was both unexpected (after watching too many reels to count) and a pleasure to watch. Robert Kaniszewski, the brilliant boy behind Rokkaboy, is a designer and motionographer who has been working out of Poland since 2003. Notable clients include Coca-Cola, Bacardi, Volvo, and Nokia.

STATE OF TOMORROW REEL | 2008

What I enjoy about State of Tomorrow is their textural and organic approach to motion design; a nice juxtaposition to the other more glossy and VFX-ed works featured. Interestingly enough, they are the only studio in the list that’s based in the United States; West Hollywood to be precise. Heavily involved in design for retail, such as window displays, store design, product design, packaging and collateral, they certainly have highlighted that in their reel.

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It’s still quite staggering to see the numbers all these years later. It’s not certain whether another music video will top the production costs of MJ’s Scream during this decade or the years after, but it’d be interesting to see the results, especially considering how the advancements of modern technology have allowed us to achieve comparable techniques with a thousand dollar camera and home computer.

10. Michael Jackson – Bad: $2,200,000+

Director: Martin Scorsese / Original Air Date: June 1987

9. Celine Dion – It’s All Coming Back To Me Now: $2,300,000+

Director: Nigel Dick / Original Air Date: July 29, 1996

8. Busta Rhymes – What’s It Gonna Be?!: $2,400,000+

Director: Busta Rhymes & Hype Williams / Original Air Date: March 12, 1999

7. Mariah Carey – Heartbreaker: $2,500,000

Director: Brett Ratner / Original Air Date: August 16, 1999

6. MC Hammer – Too Legit To Quit: $2,500,000+

Director/Producer: MC Hammer / Original Air Date: November, 1991

5. Puff Daddy – Victory: $2,700,000+

Director: Marcus Nispel / Original Air Date: March 31, 1998

4. Madonna – Bedtime Story: $5,000,000+

Director: Mark Romanek / Original Air Date: 1995

3. Madonna – Express Yourself: $5,000,000+

Director: David Fincher / Original Air Date: May 17, 1989

2. Madonna – Die Another Day: $6,000,000+

Director: Traktor / Original Air Date: October 22, 2002

1. Michael & Janet Jackon – Scream: $7,000,000

Director: Mark Romanek / Original Air Date: June 13, 1995

Further Reading

• See the rest of the Most Expensive Music Videos at Wikipedia

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