While the King Of Pop passing is quite the story, crippling the internet and captivating the 24 hour news channels, there’s another shocking loss to the world: the venerable king of the sales pitch, Billy Mays. His sudden death sent shockwaves through the infomercial circles and his enthusiasm and outside voice will be greatly missed. He’d just got into promoting his new Discovery channel show, Pitchmen.
While any of his many pitches would make a fitting tribute video, the following clip shows him in both an innocent and mischevious character that was rarely seen in his polished pitches.
It’s been quite a week/weekend in the world of celebrities, and unless you’ve been living under a rock far away from a wireless signal, you’re probably well-aware of the news of Michael Jackson’s death (and quite possibly exhausted of the enthusiastic round-the-clock news coverage). I can’t say I was ever a huge fan, but the impact The Gloved One had on the world is undeniable. So I present you with the video clip that most succinctly sums up the impact of the King of Pop. With nearly 27 million views, it’s not exactly new, but at times like these, it pays to revisit some of the YouTube viral classics.
I really don’t know what this means. or what’s going on. or why I keep watching it. The combination of music, cinematography, and a bizarre cat combines to make something strangely captivating yet equally confusing. And the cat is named Horatio Pyewackett Caractacus Fearns. You can’t really beat that. And in case you were wondering, the track, as per the youtube page, is The Last Stand Of Pucho Vasquez by Merchandise (which I’m really digging).
There are too many fail-proof elements coming together here for it to not be amazing. Combining classic album covers and the classic improv comedy game where one speaks only in song titles, Nokia has a surefire hit…
although whether or not it really does anything for Nokia remains to be seen. A small URL at the end doesn’t really entice me to follow to the “playlist” competition promoting the Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic Phone. But the video rocks. Done by London-based viral marketing firm the 7th Chamber.
I’m not sure why I find these so amusing. Maybe I’ve just seen too many crash test commercials and anything out of the ordinary is refreshing. Or maybe I find humor in the idea of pandas and penguins being stuffed inside a Fiat. either way, these are refreshing and actually have a bit of a message to them. Done by Marcel Paris. Follow the jump for the other two ads.
Every now and again, a video blows my mind. This short film does just that, on many levels. As some of you may know, I’ve always been perssonally fascinated with Synesthesia: a neurological-based phenomenon that is essentially the blending of sensory experiences (i.e. hearing green or tasting a drum beat). The spectrum synesthesia is vast, yet somehow this video by acclaimed music video directors Terri Timely manages to encapsulate a neurological experience into a tangible and beautifully filmed short.
To see the video in higher resolution, go to the short film’s homepage, and for a bit more info on Directing duo Terri Timely, check out this Q & A at Director File. For a bit more on Synesthesia, check out Mixed Signals.
Here’s the blurb on the creation from Smoke & Mirrors, pulled from the unusually informative description on the YouTube page:
Via our recently ramped up 3D department we were able to create, rig, animate and render the entire project in under a month. Smoke & Mirrors filmed the live-action backgrounds in Central Park, then the Manhattan skyline was replaced with the Denver Museum area in post.
Every detail from the ice cracking under the reptile’s tremendous weight, to ice chips flying from its slipping feet were rendered to create a believable, cohesive scene.
I can’t pass this one up. Cartoon Network is launching a subsegment entitled “Cartoon Network Real,” however oxymoronic it may be, and one of their flagship shows, Brain Rush, which combines a trivia show with a rollercoaster. Incidentally, it debuts tonight. Check out this preview video:
Nike Sportswear Stories showcases Nikesportswear (NSW) Italy’s new line-up an in incredibly complex and equally creative fashion. Clothing lookbooks have gotten more and more complex, often at the expenese of actually highlighting the clothes. These stop-motion exposees tell stories while still showcasing the clothes themselves. Impressive and definitely worth a look.
I just stumbled across this piece from The Guardian showing what they call “The Changing Face of Everyday Design.” Pretty simple, but pretty effective and interesting. If you click through, you can view all of the images at a larger scale. Somewhat ironically, they printed a few corrections noting that several of the police cars pictured were from the incorrect era. It shouldn’t be that difficult… and The Guardian is usually on top of stuff. I guess it just goes to show that some design is ahead (or behind, as the case may be) of its time.
