Viewing Category: Inspiration
In case you missed it, the guys and gals at The Iconfactory have launched their brand-spankin' new website! For those of you unfamiliar with The Iconfactory, they're a design firm that produces some of the most beautiful, cleanly-rendered icon art you're likely to come across. Their work is just superbly executed; here's a small sampling:
The Iconfactory story is really cool...they started doing free icons for fun 10 years ago, eventually expanding into the commercial design studio they are today, producing not only excellent stock icons for GUI designers, but also custom design for some of the most recognizeable brands on the planet. That they did this by being themselves---passionate, talented, and incredibly down-to-earth---makes their success story even more inspiring. Ged and Talos taught me how to use Photoshop back in 1993 when we were all graduate students in Computer Graphic Design, so I am admittedly biased favorably toward them personally. But just look at the work...I think you will find that it speaks for itself, loudly and clearly. It kicks ass!
Congratulations on the new site, guys! It's great!
Today I have been thinking about magic as a profession. If you think about it, we're exposed to magic constantly, and often don't realize it.
Magic Pairings
I have been following the recent split between Amanda Congdon and Andrew Baron, the two most recognizable people from video blog Rocketboom. They've split due to creative differences, which I find interesting because the story is (1) unexpectedly melodramatic and (2) tales of business partnerships gone awry provide interesting insights into motivation. Nevertheless, the combination of Congdon and Baron created a successful video enterprise; Dave Winer commented that "they have a magic thing". It'll be interesting to see how they fare individually through their continued work on the Internet. It's not often that a creative team splits in a medium as immediate as video blogging. It's a bona fide soap opera, unfolding in something close to real-time across the Internet.
These kinds of magical pairings are all around us. Every piece of music we hear on the radio is a product of magical synergy between music producers with incredible ears, technicians who know how to wring the best signal out of any recording environment, and vocalists who somehow can resonate with our very souls...they've somehow all found each other, and together they can create 10x experiences. Individually, they are mortal like the rest of us.
Digital Magic
While browsing Congdon's website links, I came across this video post montage reel linked from Karmagrrrl. The reel, created by Manhattan digital production artist collective R!OT, shows before and after shots of various commercials they've worked on. It's magical...as a friend of mine said, "you'd be surprised how much out there is fake". Digital effects have come a long way, to the point that they are utterly invisible and convincing in our everyday media viewing.
At the same time, being exposed to all this fakery can lead to false expectations of ourselves. For example, there's a rather startling sequence of actress close-ups, with their less-than-perfect skin, baggy eyes, and too-wide noses...they are transformed before our eyes. As Karmagrrrl notes, To all the grrls outs there. The next time you see a makeup commercial, with perfectly beautiful models, remember this video!.
That aside, the editing rhythm of the montage itself is fun and snappy that initially seems to be just another commercial reel, but slowly starts to wow you with what they're showing you: the secret world behind the imagery. It's like watching a close-up magician at work; you only experience the magic even if you know how the trick is done. It's a joy to see a trick superbly executed by someone of great talent.
Being Comfortable with Magic
When I see work of this caliber, it makes me wonder how digital artists deal with impossible client requests. Because they're magicians, maybe they just wink and say, "That sounds impossible. Sure, we can do it." The normal reaction would be to start covering your ass and put conditions on everything, but that's an energy-sapping approach, and isn't fun for anyone. I've been guilty of it myself more than once for even minor projects, and now I'm feeling a little embarassed about it.
After seeing these two pieces, I'm thinking I should make an effort to be more of a magician in my day-to-day. Back when I was seriously pursuing video game development, I used to talk with my friends about showmanship and the impossibility factor as elements of creating a powerful impression. I seem to have forgotten that.
So this is yet another brick I'd like to add to my foundation: become a practical magician, with the confidence to create those moments of impossible synchronicity. One thing I've recognized that helps is that my "creative DNA" is firmly anchored in the visual design of data, not so much in "pure creative", and that raises a question: what does it mean to be a magician in the context of information graphics?
A friend of mine was recently on a quest to find a new fish screensaver. While I don't find screensavers particularly compelling, I suggested that she look for one of them new-fangled 3D fish ones. She uncovered a couple of mediocre screensavers before finding Marine Aquarium. Even I had to admit it was pretty cool.
It's one of the loveliest fish screen savers I've seen, with beautiful color and attention to detail. If I didn't mind loading down my machine with extraneous software, this would be the screensaver I'd buy.
A Closer Look
I was struck by the level of pixel art in the background graphics; it's rare to see that level of attention outside the professional video game industry. As I analyzed the graphics technique, I saw an artist's signature that seemed very familiar...
SACHS
I couldn't remember where I'd seen it, but a quick Google revealed that it was the mark of Jim Sachs, legendary pixel artist. Older gamers might remember games like Defender of the Crown from Cinemaware, which showcased the Commodore Amiga's animation and sound supremacy. There was no other computer at the time with the raw multimedia-handling hardware capability, and the color resolution was significantly better than just about anything on the market. When I was in college, visiting an Amiga geek's dorm room meant seeing the latest Cinemaware release and gaping at it. I was still using an Apple //e at the time: 8-bit processor running at 1MHz, the screen resolution of wet newspaper, and the simplest possible sound hardware: the click. The Amiga was, to my mind, the future of personal computing, handily spanking all comers with raw hardware capability; I still feel a tinge of lust when I look at these circa-1984 specs :-)
Pixel Artistry
In the good ole' days of the Amiga, Jim Sachs was one of the artists that defined pixel graphics perfection. Even now, looking at collected works online, I'm impressed by what he managed to convey in a mere 32 colors per scanline. The picture above is the one I remember seeing in college (or possibly the red or blue variation of it). If you click the image, you'll see the pixel-doubled version of it, so you can see the pixel work a little more cleanly.
If you're used to today's 16.7 million color displays you might wonder what all the fuss is about, but trust me: Sachs was one of our major inspirations, showing computer graphic artists everywhere what was possible, and giving us a taste of what the future might bring. While a 32 color palette might even seem like a LOT, keep in mind that every shade of color counts; to make a smooth shadow, you could easily blow half of your palette budget for not a lot of impact. It takes a real subtle touch to do it right. If you click the thumbnails below, you can get a sense of just how limited the color palette is; I doubled the size to be a bit more viewable on modern monitor resolution, and inset the actual color palette in the upper left corner):
Note: there are more-famous images have very subtle color work, but the images I found online appear to have been converted from special Amiga video modes (HAM, EHB) that don't illustrate my point.
I was very curious to find out what Jim Sachs had been up to; I didn't know that Jim Sachs is also a programmer. His coding experience, combined with his eye for animation and color, is the apparent force behind his very popular acquarium screen saver. I realized somewhat belatedly that this was the screensaver I'd seen everywhere, in computer stores, television---you name it! I have even admired it in passing. The screenshot does not do the animation justice; the motion work is really quite beautiful.
Anyway, I'm glad to see that Sachs still out there inspiring us, and presumably making a good living.
MAIN LINKS
» Jim D. Sachs Artwork
» Jim D. Sachs Bio
» Pixel Art entry on Wikipedia
I chortled with glee when I came upon Leslie Russell's "riff on the Printable CEO": When is a Cigar Worth Smoking?. This is a great example of a concrete goals tracker list. Each list item combines personal satisfaction with the recognition of the tangible "worth smoking" metrics:
10 It has a complex flavor! Unique notes!
10 It's highly recommended!
05 It's new from a famous label!
05 It's sharp visual design! Unique!
05 It's well constructed! Blemish and plug free!
02 It matches well with a favorite drink!
02 It's a gift from a friend!
02 It's a social or business event!
01 It's one you've never tried before!
01 It's an old favorite!
I like to indulge in the cigar ritual once couples years or so, because they're one of those luxuries that are surprisingly complex. Every good cigar is a handmade work of art that is consumed in a single sitting. Every cigar is susceptable to the history of its storage. Cigar smokers are sometimes ostracized because people think the smoke is especially disgusting (and it is, if you're not the one making the smoke). But within every good cigar is a whole world of contemplative pleasure and solitude. Cigars are best smoked with a good friend, with a nice drink, somewhere away from the bustle of life.
» Check out Leslie's Printable Cigar Tasting Guide on Flickr.
I followed a link to this one-button helicopter game via Penny Arcade, and then followed another link to Pixelhugger, the author. Delightful pixel graphics! Very clean. Very retro 8-bit. Makes me happy, because the PIXEL ARTS ARE STILL ALIVE.
The discussion forum continues to grow...whew! Right now, I'd call it something of a self-empowerment strategies discussion group, which is very cool. We have a few more public background stories available in the guest area; you'll have to join in to participate in the braoder discussion. It's been a fascinating blend of personal stories mixed with project and career ideas; the analogy that comes to mind is that it's like a raw version of Po Bronson's book What Should I Do With My Life, with a little bit of Gig : Americans Talk About Their Jobs. One happy difference from that book; this is an international crowd.
Some of the topics from the past week:
60-second Pitches -- I'm trying to figure out how to do them, and am posting them publically for all to heckle. I've never really gotten it smooth, but trying it in the context with a bunch of people who have to deal with the same issues (or imagining that) has been nice.
Identifying Your Benefits for Others, So They Can Connect With You -- The question on my mind lately. It's related a bit to marketing, but also toward making connections in general that produce useful collaboration. It's marketing in the sense that you have to know what your benefits are, and how to portray them to someone else so they "get it". Remarkably hard.
Creating a Revenue Stream Based on Writing -- Also on my mind, with great perspectives from other people. It might just help to talk about this stuff in general.
The University -- I decided to make this private again, but I'm starting to post the groundwork for various "how do I do" topics of current interest. Right now I'm looking at actionscript and rich internet application development, seriously considering Flex or OpenLaszlo. There are tons of things I want to look into, but I'm very irked at the lack of clear documentation and workflow examples. So I might as well research my own.
There's been a lot of interesting discussion in the Background stories areas too as we get to know each other. I personally am finding it inspiring and thought-provoking, hopefully others are feeling the same way.
More next week!
My cousin John is studying Electrical Engineering at UCLA, and for fun he makes games and animates. That's sort of like saying, "Noah once had to deal with a little rain"...John is a really talented animator and programmer.
He just showed me his latest opus, Shoo Fly, a one minute animated story about a girl chasing an annoying fly (I love the character design of the fly). It's not often I choose to watch a Flash animation frame-by-frame...but really, it's that fantastic. This original piece is astonishingly awesome. Although the soundtrack is not original, all the writing, direction, and character animation is 100% John. The editing alone is phenomenal; it's well above-average.
You may have seen John's acclaimed Final Fantasy A+ hit Newgrounds a couple years ago. Submitted as his final exam for Japanese class while still in high school, John also did all the voice work in Japanese for multiple characters, on top of creating the 10 minutes of Flash animation that recreated the world of Final Fantasy in an original and witty story.
Illustrator buddy Brad has uploaded a video of him drawing a horse on paper. It just takes him a couple minutes, and it's fascinating to watch. First there's a piece of paper, then there are some lines, and then suddenly there's a horse head smirking at you. Amazing.
Of course, it's entirely possible that Brad was drawing from the photo reference, shown here. I wonder if that makes it easier? :-)
I find the logic behind Mr. Crow's theory delightfully plausible and wonderful; I keep a copy of this on the wall for inspiration. The panel is from Tony Millionaire's twisted Victorian tale Sock Monkey. Another fine comic book introduced to me by my sister, years ago.
More on his website maakies.com.
Via Jinjur: It's Miyazaki Movie Month on Turner Classic Movies! Hayao Miyazaki is one of my favorite animation film directors, probably best known in the U.S. for the somewhat tedious Princess Mononoke; I liked his followup Spirited Away much better, and of course his older films starting with Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky Laputa and Lupin III: Cagliostro Castle. They'll be showing nine of his movies, including a couple that haven't been shown here before.
What I like about Miyazaki's work is his refusal to wimp out on what makes a stories ring true; he's not one to provide loopholes for a sequel. His movies deal with themes of self-discovery, the ambiguous nature of right and wrong, inner strength, and choice. Lest you thing they're all dull, he also infuses his movies with great action and characters. Some of the english dubbing is not-so-good, so it's good that TCM will be broadcasting both dubbed and original language versions).
Every one of Miyazaki's movies crackles in the portrayal of wonder. I also can't think of another animation director that conveys the sense of flight and motion better than he, with a corresponding knack for action editing that is half-a-beat ahead of your expectations. He's one of the best.
On the surface (particularly in his older work), it looks like simple animation intended for children. And yes, it is, if your kids can stand to face a little reality, violence, and ambiguity wrapped up in wonder. I'm up for a little of that myself.
If you like graphic novels, the manga version of Nausicaa is one of my all time favorite reads, approaching Dune in portraying what it is to lead. Either that or Watership Down...I can't quite bring myself to pick one over the other.
A lot more information on Miyazaki can be found at the Nausicaa.net fansite.
