MUYBRIDGE

Eddie Moybridge oh no sorry, spelt... Eadweard Muybridge you say...

True. Only cause he's about a million years old. No,I have the utmost respect for his work...

YOU ARE TINY IN MY HEART...

An animation by Michel Gondry about asking a girl to the dance...

CHUNK OF JUNK

BRAIN FOOD

These books are like carrots & banana's, good for the eyes & the brain!

Cold War Years:

Oh god look at the pt size.

This is more brain food than eye food...I did say good for the brain, but in small doses! It's a bit intense and includes such a sparse and diverse history that I just can't seem to grasp. A bit too...Soviet?! At least it's keeping with the theme of the information in it! Too wordy for my liking. It does have really good information and is complete with maps, keys and diagrams. But, i've got to admit, I've been having to re-read everything and I'm not getting a hell of a lot of info stay in my brain, just thinking "shit, there's a hell of a lot I still don't know!" This book would definitely laugh at me if it could...It's certainly not a beginners guide!

I'm in desperate need for some visual treats here!!! Big headings and synopses are more my cup of tea on this subject...

Red Star Over Russia:

This is more like it... I definitely prefer carrots. Lots of information that has seeped through my eye sockets and curled up for what I hope will be a long time.



Lenin & Stalin...





This is just a bit of insight into Stalin's regime...

NASA

Found some really grrrrrreat stuff whilst having a bit of a search engine party at my house, me, myself & I. These slides are brill...

NASA dawn of the Apollo program slides

Nasa Shmasa I say! I'm all about Russia right now!

Flickr #5

These are my most recent Favourites on FLICKR. I'm so happy that com tech is seeping into my mindless flickr browsing too, it's plain to see i've become a little russia obsessed!

LAIKA LOVE

CLICK ME

COLD WARRIORS: LAIKA

"Laboratory researchers in the United States were measured and even awkwardly supportive of their Soviet counterparts’ Laika mission, as reflected in this November 1957 wire release from the National Society for Medical Research, written before news of Laika’s death, and the absence of any plans for her safe return, became known."

While the debate over animal experimentation still rages, the fading of the Cold War tempered at least one prominent voice. Speaking of Laika in 1989, Gazenko declared: "Work with animals is a source of suffering to all of us. . . . The more time passes, the more I’m sorry about it. We shouldn’t have done it."
Read more...

I think that this is just a bit of verbal proof that Laika was probably more of a cold war casualty than Russia would have liked to admit. The space race was fueled by bitterness between the US and USSR during the cold war, so much so that Laika may have been sent up into space without the full knowledge that she would survive and Russia being very aware of the fact that she would be more likely die. Laika is still a hero to many though and it's hard to think that she was probably sent up into space to get one up on the US.

SPACE IN THE FACE

My tea tastes funny...hmm

Rodchenko, an artist from slightly before the era i've focussed most of my research on but still is the resounding inspiration from the Bauhaus, Nevil Brody, Kraftwerk, & even Alfred Hitchcock! Also, his works represent Constructivism holds a large place in Russian cultural history.

I've come across his work a lot in the past but never really the sculptural side of things. I've been far too wrapped up in his photomontage and poster work. I found this work of his whilst scouring the Library after countless "Russia" searches on the library catalogue. After moving away from constructing my own set for an animation this put my right back on that route! I think if I were to create any kind of a set it would be a little abstract and use inspiration from these Spatial Construct's by Rodchenko...








These especially would work really well, to maybe represent the space station in which Laika in sputnik 2 would be launched from...

COLD WAR

Episode 1 of the Cold War Series, covering the origins of the tensions between the capitalist west and the communist Sovjet Union. Starting with revolution of 1917 followed by the events of WW II, which outcome brought the Red Army into eastern Europe.

FLIPPIN GOOD!

The Black Dog's Progress from small time inc. on Vimeo.

FLIPPIN GOOD!

The Black Dog's Progress from small time inc. on Vimeo.

Sputnik

WHAT? All of a sudden loads of Laika videos have just started APPEARING on youtube. I must have been searching for the wrong thing. I've found them all through links from other ones...

Sputnik 1


Sputnik 2


This is the best of the three... Not only is it translated (hurrayyy) but it's quite emotive too. I was yet to find a really good Russian video from 1957 (Laika's Launch) but now I think I've found one. Apart from the stupid music someone has put over the top - the imagery is (if muted) quite sad. Only sad because I know what happens to Laika.

ARCHIVE.ORG

Here's another video from 1957.

"Newsreel stories reformatted for classroom use. Includes: United Nations Condemns Russia; Carrier Landings by Mirror; Arctic Ice Cap Adventure; Hummingbird Sanctuary; Low-Level Crop Dusters; Centuries of Telling Time; Old and New in Guided Missiles, showing a jet engine exploding when metal is dropped into it; and New York State's Erie Canal." - Taken from Archive.org

I find this funny how one end of the news to the other, it gets nicer. It's serious to start with... then it's talking about doves & humming birds... then clocks. It then gets a bit serious again. It's just funny transitions and it's narrated alongside an epic soundtrack like a movie! It's incredible, worth a watch.

SPUTNIK 1

Was unable to find any videos of Sputnik 2. Or relevant Laika videos... But this is really interesting. It's also hard to find Russia's version of events! Any videos of Russia in 1957 seem to just be impossible to find

Who?

This section is dedicated to those who made significant contributions to the development of the Russian space program or influenced its direction -- the scientists and engineers, the industrial administrators and the managers.

Efterklang

This video for Efterklang song Mirador was animated by Jens Christian Høgni Larsen & Nan Na Hvass.



I especially like the impossible staircase part at about 2:30. Here's some more work by Nan Na Hvass ...OH i've just realised they've got some work in the new YCN book...

Janine Rewell

This is a piece of Janine Rewell called Dolls house. I love it - it's a really good example of how to photograph and make miniatures well!

Anyway, she's good is Janine....

Andrew Holder

When researching illustration for animation, i came across Andrew Holder...
I love his style, the colours are beautiful. Like Eyvind Earl I may create backgrounds and layer the animation on top, this will be simpler than creating a whole new page for a new frame... and obviously less time consuming!









I think I use this idea for photographing books...I like it.

Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir

Ingibjörg Birgisdóttir is an Icelandic video artist. As she is also a member of the indie/folk band Seabear she tends to make their videos with fellow band member Sindri Már Sigfússon...



Birgisdóttir also made this amazing video for Múm.



Where it's fairly self explanitary how the Múm video was made - I'm not sure whether the Seabear video was made using some kind of greenscreen method in the book. I'm not sure. Yeah, probably that.

JOJO IN THE STARS

marc craste's jojo in the stars from joão ramos on Vimeo.

This is an animation that has always been close to my heart. It's written & directed by Marc Craste. I was shown it in college a few years ago by the art technician Joe. It won a BAFTA in 2004 for best animation. I like how dark and sad everything is and still it's a love story...The reason it's cropped up in my research is that I'm trying to create the sky at night - with stars etc for my Laika animation. I may have a go at creating a similar sky to the one used in this animation as it's got that hand-made look rather than it being digital. It is just a shine effect that you could do using after effects though...



Although Jojo in the stars used to be one of my favourite things to watch - now i'm not really keen on the characters and some of the shots, it all looks a little bit computer game style. it's just the difference of interest from 5 years ago to now. There are some really stunning shots in the whole thing that stand out and make me just think "wow" but then the close ups just look quite a bit CGI looking. not keen.

Since then Craste is responsible for the Lloyds TSB animation ads (HOH HOH HOH HOH HEEHOH HOH HOH... with the big noses)



aww...

ENYVIND-A JAYA JAYA

Eyvind Earl was an american illustrator, writer & fine artist. He may be best known for the background illustration for disney in the 1950's. He worked on animations like Toot, whilstle, plunk & boom - an animation about the evolution of instruments...


(this is brilliant. watch out for the fat horses)

Earl was also responsible for the background in Sleeping beauty and worked on Lady & the Tramp & Peter Pan.

TRUE LUV

Mary Blair, ahh...

TO-TO-TO-TO-TOPPINGS!!!!!!!!

Had friends Liam & Catherine round for tea the other night. Jake made pizzas and while he was making them Liam typed in Pizza on Youtube and found this!!!



It's amazing. I don't get it though!? Why does that pizza slice say "THANKYOU FRIENDS!" then they all ignore her... strrrange. I like the voice-over. probably because it's in a different language. I have thought about things like narration in my animation but it would only work if it were in a Russian voice and not just any one, someone with a good voice! This would probably be impossible - for me to find someone and then get it all perfectly translated. Good idea though. I think music is the way forward though and hopefully i'll tell the story well enough with imagery and there wont need to be narration