Design Trippin

Chuck Anderson, A Graphic Designer

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Chuck Anderson is the type of designer that we all would like to be, fiercely talented and very successful. The best way to describe Chuck's work is to hear it from the man himself:

Energetic, explosive, and colorful...That's been my style lately. I really don't have a certain style, so I can't share with you a description. That's the whole 'no pattern' thing. Not being restrained or bound to a style. I like to tell people to just look at my work. It's not really classified into anything, really.

Shortly after completing high school at the age of 19 (2003) he began to professionally design. He built NoPattern.com and took on a couple small jobs (underbidding himself each time) and posted them on his site. Between the small jobs and the experimental stuff he was creating he started to develop an interesting style using light and color.

These pieces quickly caught the eye of some large clients (Absolute, Vans, and Mountain Dew) who were looking for something new and fresh. It quickly became a perfect marriage of client and artist and has snowballed ever since. You can see his work at NoPattern.com or buy his book, "Wandering Off Into Space".

Fan Made Thunder Cats Trailer

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:52:00 +0000

There's dedication and obsession, in this case the fella that made this video has a ton of obsession.

It took him over a year and a half to build this video. You'll recognize many of the scenes from various different movies. That's because he photoshoped every single frame to get the actors to look like the Thundercats. Thinks about it, the video is 2:30 minutes long and there are 24 frames in a second, that's just ridiculous!

As for the final product. If you can get over the Troy, XMen and Riddick references it's a great Thundercats trailer, well done and great work!

Taking It To A Whole New Level

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:04:00 +0000

Just about everyone has seen this movie, but if you haven't it takes the "behind the scenes" to a new level. What's funny about this is that in the film the character, who's white, acts like a black man and later has to act like a black man in a vietnamese disguise, make sense?

So usually at this time of year all the studios launch their Oscar hopefuls by marketing the hell out of them. Tropic Thunder isn't Oscar worthy at all, but in context of the film's story it's hilarious. I really don't think they could have designed it any better. I love the understated look, playing into that serious drama feel. Robert Downy Jn. looks as though he's about to let loose and cry a river. And then the brilliant line above. Very cool, smart and very understated. All to get the web talking and increase DVD sales, well done.

AIGA Charlotte: Debbie Millman, A Struggling Designer

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:55:00 +0000

What can you add to Debbie Millman that others haven't already said? She's the quintessential designer, full of passion, energy and wit. Type in her name and you'll immediately find her website, blog plus numerous articles and write ups about her. She's everywhere and anywhere. So what can I say that hasn't been said before?

Let me reflect on the meeting for a moment. AIGA Charlotte invited Debbie back to Charlotte to discuss her latest book, How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer. It's a series of conversations between Debbie and other famous designers that explore how they became who they are and what got them to this point. So last Thursday Debbie spoke her in Charlotte and she began to explain why she made the book. The genesis all came down to an interview some years ago where the journalist asked her what it feels like to be an overnight success. This really ticked her off since she had been doing the same thing for the last 25 years! She went on to explain all of her trials and tribulations of being a designer and how AIGA has been both friend and foe at different times in her life. Through it all it was the relationship she had between her fellow designers that got her though the tough times.

Now after listening to her speak I felt as though I had a connection to her. At the time I didn't know what it was. But after reflecting on it for awhile now I think I understand. The best way I can describe the core of what she spoke about was this. To love something so much and have to struggle each and every day to do it. The struggle she talked about comes from all sorts of different places. For some it's the clients; for others it's the budget or the lack of enthusiasm; maybe the inexperience; the lack of confidence; the misguided focus; the lack of communicating; and perhaps the feeling of being disregarded by our peers. All of these things can be overcome by having a dream and sticking to it. But a long the way we struggle to achieve it because of our own insecurities.

In Debbie's career she's reached a point and a volume of work that others can't deny and so she finally has what she wanted. But I've been doing this for 10 years now, 15 years less than Debbie Millman. I've some awards, though I've never been published and my peers think I'm a somewhat decent designer. But that's not good enough. I want to do inspiring work just like Debbie. Maybe I have to do this for 15 more years and go through a ton more crap before I get there. Perhaps I have to work with creatives like Debbie who will teach me how to live and breath creative better? Perhaps I'll never get there or maybe I will. That feeling of the unknown scares the crap out of me. And perhaps that's why Debbie and others like Stephan Sagmeister are talking to us all to provide a little inspiration to make it all worth it.

Or perhaps, just perhaps it's the struggle that makes the designer?

I wish I could find an example of what she talked about but it's not online. So the next best thing I could find is a video the AIGA just released. It's only hosted through their website so check it out here. It's a little something to get inspired.

Eerie: Moon

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:00:00 +0000

How else can you describe this poster? From what I understand the premise is about an astronaut stranded on the Moon for 3-years. After a while things go a little spooky when feelings of paranoia and solitude start to kick in.

The poster reminds me of Alien, which also used a theme of the unknown and loneliness. I also like the fact that the story is all about one guy to which the poster displays perfectly. I'm glad they didn't turn Sam Rockwell into a "big head" because so much more can be told through a poster when it focuses on emotions rather than who's in it.

It's a good beginning, I want to see more.

MODE's Top 10 Methods

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:19:00 +0000

I'm a little late with this entry since I saw them over a week ago. But the presentation made by John and Tyler, two of the principles at Mode was so good it's worth mentioning, although a little late.

The definition of Mode is: how something is done or how it happens.

It's a very fitting name for them since that appears to be there company motto, to figure out how it's done and to apply it to others. Mode is an interactive firm ran by a group of designers and developers. As quoted from their website "…with the purpose of creating conversations between clients and their audience." The guys moved down from Boston about 3 or 4 years ago to start a fresh and decided that Charlotte was the ideal city for them and they have been growing ever since.

So the Charlotte AIGA does a series on "TOP 10 Trends and Tips" and recognized that they would be perfect for this. Which brings us back to the night I mentioned earlier where they gave us a presentation on Interactive Media Tips and Trends. This is what the AIGA had to say by it.

There has been a shift in thinking and approach in the design and technology fields to a more holistic viewpoint of the way users interact with brands through visual, mobile, and social media. Learn techniques, trends and business approaches of the interactive movement from the partners of Charlotte-based branding and interactive studio Mode Through their own backgrounds, Mode partners John Pietrafesa (Creative Director) and Tyler Hawes (Interactive Director) personify the integration, trials and triumphs of design and technology, as they steer both their team and clients toward the goal of brand interactivity.

I wish I could remember all of what they said because it was a lot. But they were kind enough to send us all the presentation (click here) which basically used cool websites to anchor each topic. I chose 10 of my favorite examples below to give you an idea.

1. Intro: youtube.com
2. Don't forget the design Basics: jasonsantamaria.com
3. Grid Structures: shopcomposition.com
4. Interactive is more than a website

5. Interfaces Are Evolving: microsoft.com/surface/
6. Engage All Senses: demo.fb.se/e/ikea
7. User Organised/Personalized:
msnbcmedia.msn.com
8. It's Not Static: dopplr.com
9. Interacting With Your Enviroment:
youtube.com
10. It's all about Human Interaction: youtube.com

If you've had a chance to visit all of these wonderful links you'll see 3 very basic messages using incredibly cool examples.

Designers and creatives need to work more cohesively to create online tools that are smart and eye catching.
This medium is constantly evolving and getting better because these same designers and developers are working better and better together.
Because of them anything is becoming possible and they create the trends.

Overall it was a very entertaining evening and I can't thank Mode and all at the Charlotte AIGA people enough for putting up such a splendid night for us all. Personally I hope to learn more about Mode in the future.

Posters Will Never Be The Same

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:41:00 +0000

A movie poster is a simple thing. But over the years studios have tried hard to make their's stand out above all the rest. You've probably noticed this when you go to a theater and you've seen the large oversized 3-dimentional poster stands of Wall-E or the next big blockbuster. I have to say they are fun and to be honest most movie theaters are fairly bland anyway so they can use the help. But now with the modern age of the web these same movie posters (and movie trailers) are making it online first and just like theaters they are having to do something different.

If you watch the web much you'll have followed the viral campaigns of Batman or Wonder Woman. You'll see that the studios are trying to get as much of a bang for there buck as possible because views or website hits can become major dollars. So a simple unveiling of a poster online just doesn't quite cut it anymore. These days a movie posters might get an honorable mention or a quick post but that's about it. Because of the viral sites or perhaps because there are now so many posters being unveiled online we are on information overload and so a movie poster has to be different.

Well take a look below (reload the page to see it from the beginning). Just the other day a "motion poster" came out for the new Terminator movie and it's taken a very different approach. I'm starting to wonder why they didn't do this before, it's both very exciting and different. I think this is just the beginning and I imagine we'll see more of this approach in the coming year.

From This Day Forward

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:32:00 +0000

Nicole and I are creative people. We do things differently than most and always try to have a little fun it. After I proposed to my beautiful wife (whom I love so MUCH!)… Nicole, one of our first questions was how are we going to do the invitation?

Invitation: We both agreed that we didn't want to do the typical ornate card. We wanted something a little bolder. In January we had gone to Savannah, GA for Nicole's Birthday with our friends Toni and Hall. We had such a wonderful time there and thought that getting married in a square would make for a beautiful and romantic location. With the location picked we began to get our ducks in a row.

We realized that because we were only inviting a hand full of guests we could make the invitation personal and special. While Toni was visiting us Nicole mentioned the infamous book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. We all agreed that nobody has ever received a book as an invitation before and that would add the personal touch of Savannah. Neither of us liked the name so it was retitled, "From This Day Forward" and used our favorite photo from our trip in January.

It was cool because we just changed out the dust-jacket with all the official Wedding information and the guests could then read the book to get an idea as to what Savannah is all about. To include all the extra information about traveling, lodging and the schedule we came up with a book mark. Once we had all the pieces we just wrapped it in craft paper and illustrated it with a gold pen.

Thank You Card: The Wedding day was everything you want it to be, full of happy moments and great memories. We wanted to carry on the personal touch so we wrote a book review of our Wedding/Book "From This Day Forward" with some of the highlights, see below.

"I Need an Ad" – Prutech

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:13:00 +0000

This was one of those unexpected "I need an Ad right Now!" calls you get occasionally. The company had purchased AD space but didn't have an Ad! So I sat down and tried to think of all the ways IT effects our lives. I have to say that I like the lines, I'm not a writer, but when I need to, I can usually put something descent together.

Bocce From A Different Angle

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:28:00 +0000

Bocce is an age old game that's been around forever. The premise is simple, get your ball as close to the white one as possible.

I was asked to design a logo for a Bocce that embodied that feeling. So I did some Bocce research and found that every logo has a Bocce ball in the "o". This seemed to obvious, but that was the case with every Bocce website I went too. I felt the logo could be something more. After looking at the name some more it occurred to me that by turning the "B" and positioning the "o" it made three Bocce balls like you would see on a Bocce ball lane.

With a lot of playing the above is the logo. But as you can imagine, they didn't go with it and instead wanted the Bocce ball in the "o".

A Little Gem of and Idea

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:24:00 +0000

I had just come back from the HOW conference and the first thing I was given to do was this AD for Bluff Magazine. While I was gone the Marketing Dept. had been brainstorming ideas. They were all fairly descent, but obvious. One stood out though and it was "You + 7 Buddies + HUC = One Hell Of a Poker Night".

Now maybe it was seeing all the cool stuff at the conference that led me to come up with the idea there and then, I don't know, but this one seemed right. I know this is a "1+1=2" approach that's typically not very smart. But what I liked was that the Heads-Up Challenge table is an unknown, which makes it complicated. So this approach actually fits. New products scare people because we all like what we are used too.

I took the line and designed it to be fun and simple. I also designed the layout to point towards the table. I think all layouts need a flow, whether by using type or white space to direct the reader to your objective. That way the reader understands what it is in seconds, versus a minute. We all know how fleeting a readers eye is.

What also helped was the use of color. The gold flat tone helped the table kick off the page as well as stand out from all the other poker ads that are usually dark in tone.

This is one of those occasions where had I chosen the headline they wanted me to use it probably would of turned out like usual. In talking with my colleagues and digging a little more I was able to find a little gem of an idea and do something a little different.

What's Under The Mask?

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:05:00 +0000

Billboards are a cool medium when you can do something fun and daring with it. Then when you have a client that also wants that, the hard part is over. That was the case with this. Trevor Baker, a long time friend and coworker brought the project to me with an idea of a mask covering the billboard that slowly revealing itself.

The idea was so simple I mocked it up and the client approved it immediately. The next step was to actually make it look real. We looked into an actual vinyl mask, but we quickly realized that the elements and reality would make it difficult to choreograph it correctly. So in camera was the prudent approach.

What you see is the end result. The client has had an overwhelming amount of attention and it has placed their Neurosurgery ahead of the pack.

An Evolution: PlayHeadsUp.com

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:07:00 +0000

I've done many a website, but none more complicated and evolving than PlayHeadsUp.com. It required an extensive amount of planning and developing , plus the major help of a brilliant programmer, Brady Gaster.

The website is for a brand new amusement table called, Heads-Up Challenge. It was introduced over a year ago and since then has been placed in more than a thousand bars around the US and the world. Like any new product it needs a website. But the problem was, how can we explain what it is to players, Operators and Bar owners? That question immediately took us down a path of shooting lifestyle and video so we would have the assets to work with. Click here to see the video.

Having the assets to build the site was only part of the solution. The design of was also key. For this I took direction from the table it self. Other than the monitors on the table, it has no 90º angles. So I attempted to introduce as many curvatures as I could. That and the primary colors of gold, green and black helped me to create the aesthetic look of the site.

I can program a sites, but it's not really my cup of tea. PokerTek has a "do it in-house" philosophy. So Brady Gaster, one of the programmers was available and eager to do something different. Through a process of wire frames and design we were able to develop a strong repore. We decided that with the table constantly evolving with new features so fast that we'd have to be able to change the content regularly. So Brady built a whole back end to it using Graffiti, a very good user friendly Content Management System. I've never dealt with Graffiti before, but I will now. It allowed me to easily adjust the design and content with a click of a switch.

Like I said, it was an evolution. I'm very happy with the site. I feel that it answers the question we started with so long ago. What is it? It's a kick ass game.

It's Time To Make A Change

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:30:00 +0000

Whether you recently voted, have financial problems or just had a new addition to your family, change can be a difficult thing. We don't know how change will effect us and in what new directions it will take us. The idea that we aren't in charge of our own destiny makes me feel like a plastic bag in the wind. Change brings insecurity and makes you yearn for the old days. But change can also mean good things, the possibility of new challenges. The chance to make a difference and the belief that everything happens for a reason.

I once heard a story, maybe a myth. A long time ago a king recognized that his people were going through tough times and unfortunately it wasn't going to get better. So he decided that his people needed to be reminded of a positive message. A message that would give them piece of mind and security. A message that would last after he was gone so that his people's people would also see the truth in it. So he called for all of his wise men and told them of his concern. They deliberated for a long time and finally after the king had almost moved on to another solution they came to him. They told him four words, to which the king immediately saw the truth in and immediately had them chiseled above the gates so that all who walked in and out of his kingdom would see them. And just as he wished, the words stayed. The gates eventually fell but the words remained. Those words ring true as much today as they did back then and give me great comfort now, "this too shall pass."

Election Day! Still Need A Reason To Vote?

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Today is November 4th, Election Day! Nicole and I waited almost two hours in line this morning to vote for Barack Obama and it was worth every minute. This election is by far the most historic election I've ever seen and I've never felt more a part of something in my life.

Earlier this year I voted for another Democratic Presidential Nominee, click here, and was quite saddened at the outcome. For a long time I felt unsure about Barack Obama until I went to a rally here in Charlotte (informed by Facebook) and was amazed at the turnout and what Barack had to say. It was enough to make me see him in a new light and give me the inspiration I was looking for. After that I signed up on a bunch of Barack Obama website and was introduced to 30Reasons.org.

The organization 30Reasons.org is a pro-Barack Obama website and for 30 days prior to Election day it emailed me pro-Barack Obama posters. Every day I would expect a new poster in my inbox and each one gave me a different reason to vote for Barack Obama. Each new poster took on a new topic and the topics ranged from the economy to McCain being just another Bush. Some were smart and insightful and others were crap and childish. But what I liked about them all was the interesting approaches they each took on. All the different perspectives reminded me that we all see things differently and it's amazing that we can vote on anything!

My only complaint was with the whole objective of the organisation. I think it would have been better had they done the saem for McCain also. That would have shown us the "yang" with the "ying" and given us the opposing perspective which is something we all need when we are making a decision on a candidate.

Overall I found it very inspiring! I've never seen anything like this and to be honest I'm going to miss it.

Official Coraline Poster Hits!

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:43:00 +0000

The new poster for Neil Gaimen's "Coraline" has just come out! Why am I excited about this? It's directed by Henry Selick who brought us "Tim Burton's A Night Before Christmas" and many other amazing and inspiring stop motion movies.

Neil Gaimen wrote the book specifically for young adults which always seem to border on reality and fantasy. It's about a curious girl who unlocks a mysterious door in her family's new home and enters into an adventure in a parallel reality. On the surface, this "Other World" eerily mimics her own life - though it is much more fantastical.

The poster is just beautiful and really captures the imagination. I love the logo, The font and the button are okay, but it has more weight when you see that the "l" also symbolizes a cat. The colors are both eerie and magical. I also love the figures, they have a fairly unique look to them, almost look like they are stick figures. One of the better movie posters to be release in some time.

Nerdcore Takes On SciFi

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:01:00 +0000

A couple of months ago I wrote and article about the Nerdcore Supergirls. Well they've come out with a new calendar with 12 new girls and it's just as edgy as the last except it takes on the scifi arena, another passion of mine. To find out more got to TotallyNerdcore.com.

Wonder Who It Is?

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:09:00 +0000

I just ran across this and I'm not sure what it is? It looks like a poster for a new Wonder Woman movie. About time! You would think they would have done one by now since every man and child loves Wonder Woman!

Anyway, I like the treatment of the poster, it's got a patriotic tone to it which make sense being that it's Wonder Woman and we are about to go and vote for our next President. I also like the headline, very witty and I completely agree!

Also, the site is worth checking out, go to wonder-who.com. It's dark in tone which reminds me of "The Dark Knight". But to the left you see a cute little kid that's hidden in the dark who's looking up to the poster. Almost like Wonder Woman is bringing the kid hope in these dark times, very cool.

The last point is that the website looks to be slowly revealing itself and we'll soon find out who's going to play Wonder Woman. So far it's hard to tell, I hope it's not a lame duck. I'll be checking back soon to find out who it is.

UPDATED: This final poster just came out, looks like Megan Fox is the next Wonder Woman and she looks hot!

Flash Trailer: Real or Not Real

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:54:00 +0000

Not real unfortunately! I love the Flash and really enjoyed the TV series from the the early 90s. And to be honest I don't understand why they haven't made a movie of it yet? Anyway, take a look at the below YouTube video.

This was posted with the video:

On Thursday October 16, 2008 there was a special advanced screening of The Watchmen in Portland, Oregon. This trailer ran before the screening.

Obviously it's fake and you can tell by the production quality that it's completly on the nose. The cinematography is worse than Ben Affleck's "Daredevil". If they hadn't shown so much of the bad guy and woman in a clumsy roof top/studio I may of bought into it more. I also think that they should have stayed with the effects. The effects are fun and I imagine that if it were a trailer for the movie that it would of looked something like a red blur zooming over buildings.

As to the validity of whether it played before the screening of "Watchmen"? Well I don't think there's any chance of that! For a fan to get passed the security and get it played in front of the 'never before seen' "Watchmen" movie would be highly unlikely. No, what they did was film the trailer in a theater before another film and afterwards post it on YouTube saying they shot it at the "Watchmen" screening. That statement and the manner in which the bootleg video was shot gave the trailer more traction. I'm sure it had a lot of imperfections so I imagine the bootleg aproach helped hide them. If you are a movie fan like I am then you know that it wouldn't be the first time you've seen a trailer shot like this before. San Diego Comic Con anyone?

Lastly, the reason why it's not real is because the guys that are in charge of making it happen are in major limbo. Producer Charles Roven who's supposed to be making this happen recently admitted that the project hasn’t moved forward in a very long time.

So it's fake, but being a major fan of "The Flash" (have tattoo on arm of logo) and other securlar superheros I'm willing to put all of the above away and just dream a little. Why can't it be real? We need the Flash, the world needs him, I need him. We need more hero's in our world to inspire us, especially right now. So, all I can say to the guys/gals that made this trailer is thanks. I'm sure it took a lot of work and going the extra steps made us dream a little more. Perhaps the guys in the corner offices will realize that there are fans out there that want to see Wally West running around on the streets in his red tights because, he's fast!

Soviet Era Anti-Alcohol Posters

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Click on the title above or here to see all the posters. I found them while using StumbleUpon and was quite taken by the style and obvious cold war era. Unfortunately the website I found them on doesn't give any explanation about who did them, when and why. But it does luckily translate the headlines. If anybody knows more or can direct me to a link which can explain them better I would really appreciate it. I grabbed my favorite from the website because I felt that these posters perfectly capture the internal problems of the culture. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that it's widely known that Russians like their vodka. Very stereotypical, but some say it's what drives the country. At some point along the way the government must of realized that alcoholism was a serious problem and I tried to help their countrymen. Maybe other countries have done it also, but I've never seen anything like it from that era of time.

These posters use themes of desperation, suicide and confusion. Some have been beautifully drawn in satire while others show the minimalist abstract style we've come to expect from communism. I especially like the "Enemy of Production" poster, it's a good concept. If this poster were used today it would be very successful design and would be used as a logo and for all the advertising/collateral needs. Another good poster is the suicide "Alcohol" poster. Not as successful as the last but well executed. I've seen this graphic done before and makes me wonder if this poster was the first to use it?

There are a lot more good posters to check out, so if you have a chance go to www.tululuka.net/alco.

Here's Johnny...again and again...

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:10:00 +0000

The shining is a brilliant story by Steven King and incredibly imagined by the great Stanley Kubrick. Well for some reason the film is coincidentely getting a lot of attention right now.

Fantastic Fest is going to have a party at the original lodge in Oregon, where the film was shot. If you want the VIP deal you get dinner, a room at the lodge, posters, drinks and a screening of the movie. Separate from that there is also an online exhibit dedicated to the film called "Artwork and No Play" that can be seen at PhoneBoothGallery.com. Great artists have taken memorable moments from the movie and reimagined them to retell the movie that was.

We the people of the Internet

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:01:00 +0000

It's only four weeks to go until we decide who our next president will be and we're all in the bubble now. We crossed into the bubble back when Tina Fey began her uncanny Palin impersonations on SNL. Since then we've been inundated by tv ads and heavy media coverage.

Which is why I like the web. If you don't like the page you're reading then just go to another. You could say the same about tv except that it doesn't matter where you go, politics are on every channel. The web is the safest place to be right now because the web has to repect the visitor. And so this respect or should I say soft-sell has paved the way for some interesting viral approaches.

For example, I went to a rally a couple weeks ago because the candidate sent me a text message through Facebook. Not the ads, news, tv, radio, phone calls or newspaper, it was a nicely written text message. Respect though the web can be a powerful tool and one that in this day and age we lack a great deal of.

Another great example is DeclareYourself.com, a non-partisan website dedicated to getting young people to regeister and vote. A very important task since most voting is done by voters that are aged 30 and up. I was cynical when I was 21 also, but the website has done a brilliant job by tapping into that 21 - 30 demo by using sarcasm and cynicism in their messages. I actually found it after I saw these eyecatching posters and watched the dripping in sarcasm video that Leonardo DiCaprio made with his fellow Hollywood elites. I'm already registered, but for those that aren't I'm sure the website has been a good bridge to help them get set up in time for the election.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I mentioned that DeclareYourself.com used a video. That's another thing we are seeing a great deal of these days. Go to Funny or Die, Jib Jab or even CNN to watch satire done best. TV is so bloated with all the political junk it's nice to choose to watch a video rather than have it thrown on you.

See more Sarah Silverman videos at Funny or Die

It all comes down to respect. We choose to visit a web page; we choose to watch a video or even read an article. That form of choice is a very powerful tool and to have that in a medium as big as the web makes me very happy. Big brother is quite there yet. Much like we choose what we want to do on the internet we as a country also choose who we want as president. We the people choose this, not the ads, news, tv, radio, phone calls or newspaper. We do and if you want to make the smart decision, visit the web and find out a little bit more about the candidate's.

Polish Movie Poster Art

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:33:00 +0000

I am not polish and I am not at all well versed in the in's and out's of Polish art and design, so bear with me and I hope I won't interpret these incorrectly. The other day I ran across WellMedicated.com, "50 Incredible Film Posters from Poland" and I was flawed.

What I grew up with and what the polish did are so greatly different it messed with (eg. Alien) my child hood memories. The polish interpreted them in bizarre and facinating ways. As you can see for yourselves, left is polish, right is western. I was inspired to learn more and wondered how they came into being?

From what I have learnt (not much out there) Polish film posters were developed out of circumstance. After World War II, Poland turned into a totalitarian dictatorship, a soviet state. The economy tumbled and graphic artists, including well known ones, had to work for the state. Unlike other soviet block countries, Poland was still able to watch US/European movies, but under state owned controlled means. When it came to movie advertising, ie posters, the standard genre imposing, name driven and big heads approach was not imposed. This is because the state wasn't under any legal authority from the west and could be completely ignored.

In a strange way, the lack of legal control and being forced to work for the state conspired to create a free environment for graphic artists. But due to the WWII and living in a soviet block they created posters that were often times deeply psychologically, dark, complex and in some cases tragic. While also exploring the meaning and approach of what makes a poster, a poster. This backwards freedom caused them to create truly original pieces of art.

It's interesting, when you look at a movie poster you understand everything in 5 seconds or less. But you can't say that about these. These posters can be viewed over and over again and you can derive multiple meanings from them. That's probably why many authors can't pin point why they are the way they are. This is wear I could be misinterpreting them myself. But after really thinking about these for a while I've come to believe that the artists understood the meaning of limitation. Through graphic design they were attempting to tap into the fundamental questions of why am I here, what am I doing and what do I want to say. Something we are all trying to figure out.

To see more go to CinemaPoster.com. It's not easy to navigate but has many more posters and talks more about what happned to the Polish poster in the 80s though to today.

The People vs. Jill Greenberg

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:08:00 +0000

If you pay me to take your photo, and I then take the photo you don't use and add blood and fangs to it to make a political statement and publish it on my website? How would you feel, how would you react and did I, the photographer cross an ethical line?

My answer is, yes I did. The reason is that you paid me to take your photo and I turned around and purposely tarnished your image.

If I had manipulated a random photo I had come across and I had no relation to you, then it would be deemed as slander and free speech.

But the fact that I was contacted to take your photo, meet you, talk with you, say good bye to you, and then manipulate the heck out of you with social and political statements. Then that's simply ethically wrong. You, your friends and publishers would probably never trust again.

That is exactly what happened recently with Jill Greenberg, the photographer and John McCain, the Republican Presidential hopeful and the Atlantic, the magazine.

The above image is the first image that popped up on her website a few days ago which started the controversy. It all stated as a simple cover job for the Atlantic magazine. They wanted a photo John McCain on their cover and contracted Jill Greenberg, a famous portrait photographer to take it.

According to PDN who interviewed Jill Greenberg she apparently asked McCain to step to the side after doing the main shoot (which she didn't do much retouching on, "I left his eyes red and his skin looking bad,") and asked him to do a quick 15 minute photoshoot. She then took several moody back-lit pictures of McCain using a strobe light being projected from below to create a sinister look creating deep shadows across McCain's face. To this she said mockingly, "He had no idea he was being lit from below!" Something you would see a lot in old 1920s Bella Lugosi Frankenstein or Dracula movies.

After she had submitted the contractually obligated McCain photo to Atlantic for the front cover she then published the bloody shark teeth pic on her website. As you can see she superimposed a shark's mouth dripping blood on to McCain's face as well as publish a new image each day with different captions. One caption read "I am a bloodthirsty warmongerer" and another "I will have my girl kill Roe v Wade", reference to running mate Sarah Palin's anti-abortion stance, and posted them on her website.

When the magazine found out what Jill Greenberg had done they immediately published a public apology to John McCain for the explicit photo tinkering and messaging done by her on their website:

When we contract with photographers for portraits, we don't vet them for their politics—instead, we assess their professional track records. We had never worked with Jill Greenberg before (and, obviously, we will not work with her again). Based on the portraits she had done of politicians like Arnold Schwarzenegger and her work for publications like Time, Wired, and Portfolio, we expected her, like the other photographers we work with, to behave professionally.

Jill Greenberg has obviously not done that. She has, in fact, disgraced herself, and we are appalled by the manipulated images she has created for her Web site of John McCain.

I can understand the Atlantic's position on this and I feel that she shouldn't have taken the job in the first place. By taking the money and manipulating the image she crossed a line.

When PDN asked her whether she had any reservations about taking the assignment she said, "I didn’t. It’s definitely exciting to shoot someone who is in the limelight like that. I am a pretty hard core Democrat. Some of my artwork has been pretty anti-Bush, so maybe it was somewhat irresponsible for them [The Atlantic] to hire me."

Another good point, she's a known hard core Democrat and has ran into controversy before for her 2004 photographic exhibition called, "Four More Years" [correction, End Times], where she displayed toddlers crying at the prospect of a second Bush presidential term. This sparked a torrent of outrage by parents and bystanders that found what she did as cruel and child abuse. Some called for her to be arrested.

Here's how she explains it, "The first little boy I shot, Liam, suddenly became hysterically upset. It reminded me of helplessness and anger I feel about our current political and social situation." "As a parent," she continues, "I have to reckon with the knowledge that our children will suffer for the mistakes our government is making. Their pain is a precursor of what is to come."

Personally I think the pictures stand for themselves and I get the connection. I'm just glad it wasn't any of my kids in shoot otherwise she'd of had a few nasty words from me.

So here we are, she crossed the line and she know's it. At the same time though I can understand what she was thinking, it's like telling a child to not take a cookie that's sitting right in front of her. She never hid her feelings towards the Republican party and she's crossed the line before. At the end of the day shouldn't the Atlantic have taken some of the responsibility. I think it all comes down to this line in their apology:

"...we don't vet them for their politics—instead, we assess their professional track records."

Duh, of course you do! Do ask a thief to hold your car keys?

When you have a moment, take a look at her other stuff. Jill Greenberg is actually a really good photographer and has done some great commercial work as well as some really capturing portait stuff. If you can, use her, just watch out if she asks you stand in front of a low light for 15 minutes.

Looking Out Distractedly by Franz Kafka

noreply@blogger.com (John S Howard) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:50:00 +0000

What shall we do in the spring days that are now rapidly approaching? This morning the sky was grey, but if you go over to the window now, you'll be surprised, and rest your cheek against the window lock.

Down on the street you'll see the girl walking along and turning to look over her shoulder, and then you'll see the shadow oh the man rapidly coming up behind her.

Then the man has overtaken her, and the girl's face is quite dazzling.