Weekly Inspiration: Good Your Journey

I came across yet another video on Vimeo that was inspirational. I found the simplicity in this video to be the best, the inspiration for Good Your Journey was the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The animation in this short are all shapes, particles, etc. -- basically everything we've covered in class-- but I find it intriguing how these minor skills in after effects, if executed well, can create an amazing short. Beyond this short animation, Stephen Mlinarcik has linked his personal website to his Vimeo page, I encourage you all to take a look at his webpage, he has not only created animated, directed, and edited shorts but he has also composed, photographed, and performed-- just proving how the media industry is all art, and there is pleasure in being able to be good at multiple formats. 

Good Your Journey from Stephen Mlinarcik on Vimeo.

A Record of Life- Owen Gatley

I came across this video during my study break in the library, i love how intricate the short film in all of its 2D animation but I also appreciated to simple and clean the execution of the editing was done. I'm still having a hard time putting together all my pieces and making them as clean and precise as shorts like this one... but none the less practice makes perfect.

http://d4b1a8ba9a9dd2e78943-bcbd65c9c621cf52241f416bb0150c1e.r82.cf1.rackcdn.com/owen_gatley_a_record_of_life.mp4


Enjoy, Krystal N.

The Inverse of Progress

We as a society seem to be a living paradox. In the present, technology is at an all-time high level of advancement. Every day, more and more things are discovered/invented and one can looj back one week and say "I don't know how I survived back then without x". But, at the same time, the general public seems to have lower and lower standards every day.

You would think that with the level we're at, people would demand technological marvels lije holograms, jetpacks and futuristic things of the sort. But, in 2014, the most downloaded iPhone app was a game with primitive graphics that involved mindlessly and repeatedly tapping the screen. That is all it takes to demand peoples' attention. On the internet, anything is achievable. But, people continue to gawk at trivial things like memes and vague pictures that can refer to anything. The level of intelligence on the internet gets lower and lower with each passing moment. Now of course, I'm no better. I often find myself laughing at memes and reaction faces. I'm just as human as anyone else but I do realize there's more internet beyond memes and there are more technological wonders than Flappy Bird, and I try to broaden my horizons. But sadly, the foreground of the internet is cluttered with the same things rehashed and reposted over and over and over again. Standards for quality material sink lower and lower.

And the biggest offender, of course, is this asshole.

What's the big deal with Minecraft?

Let me just say right off the back that I find it amazing that the game Minecraft is still alive and kicking. For those of you that may not know what Minecraft is, it is game that allows players to build constructions out of textured blocks in a 3D procedurally generated world. The game is very pixelated, as you can see in the pictures below.

This is a simple grass block in Minecraft.

This is land within Minecraft.

So I am not the biggest gamer in the world, playing the occasional Mario Kart and Halo, but I do know a lot of people that play video games. Generally, the gamers I know say that they want the most realistic and high definition games ever, but they for some reason they are still in madly in love with Minecraft. My question is why, why do people love this game when it is the complete opposite of what they are looking for.

I had to do a little research of my own to find out the answer to that question. I asked multiple people why they are really into the game. It was almost an unanimous answer, they liked the simplicity of the game both the look of the game and how the game is played. In the commercial version of Minecraft players are able to play in creative mode or survival mode. Creative mode allows the player to create their own world, they have infinite resources and space to create whatever their hearts desire. There are no lives or hunger. Survival mode on the other hand is really exactly what it says. You have to survive. There are attacks that happen at night. The player has to begin building shelter and also soothe their hunger with limited supplies. So the survival mode is definitely more challenging. In both of the games everything is made of blocks allowing your everyday joe to build amazing buildings and lands. 

So if we are to take anything away from Minecraft it is that something extraordinary can be made out of something ordinary, it is really what you do with it that makes it amazing.

Simplicity

This video includes animation and time lapse.  I love that these natural scenes are enhanced by motion graphics.  This takes something so simple and makes it even more beautiful.  After Effects does some pretty amazing things, but just utilizing a few effects can really enhance footage.

John Maeda

John Maeda is the president of the Rhode Island School of design. He is dedicated to linking design and technology. He is influenced by the work of Paul Rand, who's logos were often very simple and elegant. Here is a video of Maeda speaking at the Ted Conference about simplicity and elegance.