Byrdhouse

links for 2009-08-31

• 
  Playgrounder

  The Buyers Guide for Kids and Parents- brainchild of Dan Benjamin

  (tags: shopping)

• Mag.ma

  a roundup/guide to web video

  (tags: video)

Cruise Boat Balconites

Take your time here; it's a slow, methodic opening. Fullscreen is better. HD Version on Vimeo is even better.

There's a few great moments in people watching history happening. Eventually you'll also see the people in the reflections. I took this while on vacation.

MA Guide

Go big.

These some spreads from the guidebook for Modern Atantla's Design is Human event. Find out more here.

This is the accumulation of a lot of work by a lot of good people. Hope to see you there.

MA09 / Design is Human / Event & Home Tour / May 12-17

MA is Modern Atlanta. 2009's modern home tour and week of design events is being held May 12-17. This year also includes some film screenings including Koolhaas Houselife and Gary Hustwit's Objectified. The launch event this year will be held at the new White Provision building in West Midtown. Check the full schedule of nightly events is found on the MA website. Hope to see you there!

Slapping the Cowboy

We just launched a new site celebrating the yellow-clad hero of pressure treated pine: YellaFella, Yellawood's ambassador of quality building products. Be sure to check out the "Fight the Bad Guy" part if you're having a tough week and need someone to take it out on. YellaFella launched his first series of commercials about his Adventures in Rotwood. We produced the website over a few short months, working with actors, musicians, cowboys, animators and the 3d effects gurus- The Westside Collective. I helped with art direction and the flash. Aaron did the front-end design work. Check out YellaFella.com

Let the Right One In

The Swedish director of this haunting vampire tale replies to news of an American remake in the works by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves and sci-fi producer JJ Abrams:

Remakes should be made of movies that aren’t very good, that gives you the chance to fix whatever has gone wrong. I’m very proud of my movie and think it’s great, but the Americans might be of an other opinion. The saddest thing for me would be to see that beautiful story made into something mainstream. I don’t like to whine, but of course – if you’d spent years on painting a picture, you’d hate to hear buzz about a copy even before your vernissage! 1

Last evening we saw Let the Right One In. It was a great, and yet somehow, an underwhelming experience for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high. It had all the elements that I want in a good movie: character, story, photography, yet something was still missing.

The photography tends to be mostly blues, greens, grays and the cool whites of fluorescent lighting. The framing is highly composed and stationary, with very, very (very) short depths of field. The architectural setting is decidedly modernist, buildings which are trendy by today's standards, but in the early eighties were tinged with institutional/socialist qualities.

Despite how great it is, the photography isn't what makes this film good. (Also, it is certainly not the typographical selection for the subtitles, which makes you work harder than you should to read the dialogue.) It is the story that does it. It is the complexity in its characters.

I failed to have a close connection to the cultural dimension of the film though and this is where I think a good film can be a great film to an audience. I felt foreign to it. I experienced the same thing when seeing Ringu, the Japanese predecessor to the American version, The Ring I liked the remake better. I'm curious to see if an American version of Let the RIght One In will do the same.

Why do I still have a slide projector and a minidisc player?

There have been many instances where I have thought of a fresh appropriation for something created years back on a different device like a tape deck or minidisk player. These bits of sound (or in some cases, images) never made the "technological jump" with the rest of my digital luggage. There they rested, locked into their own proprietary format, inable to be quickly realized in a new contex, only available on an abandoned device. One may choose to sell outdated equipment on ebay or donate them to a charity. Not me.

This got me to thinking how certain playback devices offer unique player-specific qualities. The cassette player adds an unexpected hiss to its recordings. The crackle of a scratched LP. The striped visual noise of a VCR whose tracking is a bit off. Likewise, there are recording-specific attributes, those that are encoded into the work at the time of the recording. Film does not look like video.

From wikipedia:

"The medium is the message" is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived, creating subtle change over time.

How might the media itself posses meaning regardless of the content it stores? Furthermore, should this understanding of media and their specific qualities belong in the communication designer's toolset? What if a movie that is set in the eighties is shot on a technology from that same time period, for instance on betamax?

In a recent exhibit at Art House in Castleberry Hill during LE FLASH, an artist displayed ephemera related to the Challenger explosion. The choice of slide projectors and 8mm film projectors added a layer of meaning that transgressed the content itself. It allowed you to see and experience the event as though you were in that 1986 elementary school classroom when the tragedy occurred.

Where Do Chicken Nuggets Come From?

 

We went to see Banksy's installation of animatronics entitled, "Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill" now running on Seventh Avenue near Bleeker Street. It's like the hall of presidents only with fish sticks and hot dogs instead of presidents. See more videos and images here.

Why I like films about time travel

The actual why I'm not sure about. So sorry for that misrepresentative post title. Actually I'm now thinking it might have been better titled, "Please Tell me why I like FIlms About Time Travel," because I really wish I had a clue why. Back to the Future, Donnie Darko, Memento, Primer, Twelve Monkeys All are about time, all are on my favorites list.

Chirp Winter Mix

Grab the new CHIRP mix. Video cover art by Aaron Byrd.

Happy Holidays

Here's some video fun for the holiday season. Have your holiday checklist handy?

Phonebook Phone Table

Click To Play

Cops on Bikes

We made a music video for Thriller 2's "Cops on Bikes." See it here

Commander Chameleon

We just got a new site up for the Athens band Commander Chameleon. The band is made up of a handful of good friends from our formative years. They have a new album out, free mp3's you can grab from the site. Be sure to turn on the sound when you visit the new Commander Chameleon website.

HeadOn: Apply Directly To The Forehead

This commercial for Head On is, well, absolutely mesmerizing. Head On is an ointment you evidently apply directly to your forehead. For what, I can't exactly say. Do listen with sound. I guarantee you won't forget how to apply it.

UPDATE:
Read more info on Slate

Train Ride In Tokyo

For your viewing pleasure, a movie clip of riding the train in Tokyo.

Because You Deserve A Vacation

Imagine a pristine beach tucked away in a corner of the world where the gentle lapping ocean trumps the sound of inbox chimes and IM chats. A place where you are no longer responsible for anything but frosty beverages and those yummy mini sandwiches. A trip of unparalleled adventure awaits you as you embark upon the majestic journey that will become your summer vacation. (And no, a trip to IKEA during your lunch break is not considered time off.) Here's a medley of compelling moments that have littered my own vacations over the years.

Reminder for Thursday

Hey remember last week at that pub. How I told you we had an art thing coming up. It was one of your classic blank stares you gave. A most considering pause, caped by one serious, "I really need a haircut." Well it's Thursday May 5th at the RIALTO downtown Atlanta. We'd love to see you there.

As fate would have it, we're also going to be at Sage in Decatur that afternoon unveiling the Decatur Arts Festival design.

Sustainable Sound

Our most recent field trip was across town to the West End's Northyards. Wade from EAI gave us a short tour of an empty space adjacent to their own office space. The concrete surfaces made for an incredible natural sustain. Have a look and listen.

The Cycle Theory

The Cycle Theory is a new short film we've been working on. Go have a looky, wouldya.

The Cycle Theory

[Dre from The Cycle Theory]

We at Lightroom have been working on a new short film called "The Cycle Theory." It's a delightful tale of a man that has perfected a method for guaranteeing constant female companionship. Check out The Cycle Theory trailer.

We Need Toothpicks

[Click image for Movie Clip]

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A Primer on Primer

I didn't get it. I left confused, disoriented and ultimately thirsty for some sorta of coherent explanation. Primer, which won a grand jury award at this year's Sundance film festival, has the raw graininess and low budget appeal that independent filmgoers thrive on. This is a garage-tinkering, time-traveling, jargon-spouting film about two inventors who tackle space, time and ethical paradoxes. I liked it, but I certainly didn't get it. The narrative went from being understandable to hard-to-follow to just plain indecipherable. Tech enthusiasts are going to love the detail of science in the film and the spirit of small scale garage engineering that it captures. Most of us will just walk away scratching our heads, but you'll like it nonetheless. It's great sci-fi.

There's a interesting explanation (theory, really) on what happens in Primer here. If you are thinking of seeing this flick, I would suggest reading this primer. The "spoilers" won't make a difference, and maybe it will help you hang in a little longer while on this mind-bending ride.

Moviegoer

We've seen a few movies lately. Below is a list.

Open Water
In a sea of computer-generated effects, there's something great to be said about realness. Real sharks are sooo refreshing. But mostly, this movie makes you feel emotionally taken advantage of. There is a full frontal though that is a very redeeming quality to some.

Taking Lives
Derivative. It's like a Donald Kaufman original. If you haven't seen Adaptation, this means it's a carbon copy of every thriller suspense movie out there. Basically it is Seven or Silence of the Lambs repackaged. The title sequence looks like they spent alot of time studying Kyle Kooper from ten years ago. I really have no idea why we rented this.

Garden State
It's good. That's about it. Melancholy can get tiring. It didn't achieve quite what I wanted it to. Moments, yes.

Hero
Beautiful. Stunning. A Sanctuary. I'll admit I feel asleep towards the end, but it wasn't because it wasn't good.

Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut
Okay, I haven't seen the director's cut. I did watch the original though recently and I still like it. Too bad the soundtrack doesn't include anything from the eighties. (Note to self: produce a playlist on iTunes featuring music from John Hughes films.)

A Life Aquatic
Not out yet, but I sure love the trailer. Come, join the Wes Anderson cult: Available in Hi-res and low.

Texas Toast

[Click image for Movie clip]

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Revenge of the Nerds

Expect to see dorks everywhere soon. Reality shows, MTV videos and particulary in films, as geeky protagonists are the next gay. (You heard it here.) Why? Eccentric nerds are flipping sweet that's WHY. It's all about moonboots and magical unicorns, you understand. Think Urban Outfitters' t-shirt line without so much irony.

I say this after catching a screening of Napolean Dynamite earlier this week. It's a new typology in comedy that's emerging and you can thank Wes Anderson for the inspiration. I'm not saying Dodgeball isn't funny, I'm just saying it is part of a lineage of SNL Hollywood that in my opinion is a worn path. Napoleon is fresh. It's weird. The characters are real geeks. They get picked on, made fun of, and shoved around, yet there's a genuine charm. The halls of high school will be filled with kids reciting Napoleon's lines, trust me. And while the theme isn't anything new, the delivery is something to talk about. Viva la Nerd!

Atlanta Has A Film Festival

And it's happening right now, folks. Maybe you should roll off your sofa and go catch a few flicks. Your skin could use the sunlight. A few projects I'm involved with are making headway this year. Ghostrunner on First is screening Friday, June 17th at 5:30, along with several other shorts. (remember that one?)

Moved, created a few weeks ago as part of the 48 hour film project, is screening with the "Best of" on Saturday, June 18th at 2:30pm. (Peek behind the scenes.)

Both are great. The full lineup for the week is on the official site.

All in 48 Hours

This weekend the 48 Hour Film Project returns to Atlanta. The challenge is simple: Make a short film in the time allotted to you. That's writing, shooting, AND editing, all in one weekend folks. You draw the genre from a hat, and are given a character, a prop and a line of dialogue, all which must find their way into the film.

UPDATE:
The screenings for Atlanta are being held at Madstone Theaters May 23-5.

Feeding The Wildlife

The tunnels underneath Zoo Atlanta are much like the legendary ones that exist behind the scenes at Disney World. Visitors don't know they're there. We recently had the opportunity to venture into those very areas where only a few without uniform have gone. And we got to feed the elephants. See the clip (QT,1.5M). When I asked if we could ride them, the trainer stared very seriously back at me for several moments refusing to dignify such an asinine comment. She turned and continued the tour, "Over here is where they go each evening after the zoo closes..."

Headed South

We're traveling to Austin this weekend for SXSW because we heard you had something important to say about:

a) your new book
b) accessibility and web standards
c) wireless stuff
d) blogging

The Critics' Corner

[Candler Park]

Lights On

Matt and Aaron are discussing some ideas for the lightroom film. I can't say much about it other than that Gang of Green may make an appearance. To me, there's nothing more exciting than watching bright ideas get brighter when there's a shared vision.

If this were an ad, you'd overhear this tagline as the mesh-music did a decrescendo, "Bright people get brighter... in the lightroom..."

(Fade to black.)

The Big Idea

Did I mention we've been working on a new short film?

The clothesline of note cards you see above reflects the current state. In the nature of experimentation, we chose to take a very piecemeal approach to writing the script. Dozens of vignettes line the studio, each with a singular idea only loosely related to its neighbors through setting. As opposed to broad stroking narratives, we have opted for the bottom-up methodology. The downside of this process is obvious: the thread which binds a compelling story of desire and conflict hasn't surfaced yet.

It makes me think of a designer I knew that got engrossed with the specific pieces when he designed: showy button rollovers, text effects and embossing o' plenty. There was a lacking sense of overall coherence to the designs; no over arching ideas, just meaningless bits.

Confidence lingers in the room that the uniting thread will soon make itself known, but I'm becoming concerned. The journey we take when we design is at its very core discovery. At least that's what we keep reassuring each other.

Then someone across the room speaks up, "Hey, are we forgetting anything?"

The Christmas Chillout

So you're throwing a little Christmas shindig and need some holiday tunes to get your guests in the spirit. Why not go with a twist, both for your martini and your stereo? The Reindeer Room Volume II is a collection of seasonal favorites wrapped in the sounds of electronic lounge. No fireplace to get cozy by? Not to fret, the album is accompanied by its own yule log DVD. It's a perfect backdrop for any holiday activity. Now where to hang that mistletoe...

Elephant

I was going to go with something like "Mastodon" or "Pachyderm" for the title, but enough already with the thesaurus/pun titling.

We saw the Gus Van Sant directed Elephant a few nights ago and we're honestly torn about how we feel about it. When I say we, I mean my wife Florrie and I. On one hand, my hand, the movie is finely crafted cinema. Long, continuous shots of characters in what I like to call first-person shooter compositions. The character is in the center of the frame, shot either from front or behind, with very short focal lengths as they walk down long corridors of high school land. Ambient sounds of kids slamming lockers, eating lunch, talking casually, while not in the field of vision, add to a seemingly three-dimensional environment. It made me think of some of Robert Altman's early work like Nashville which uses sound design to elicit the feeling of a place that occurs even off camera.

But Florrie brings up a good point: What insight does this film offer about incidents like Columbine that have plagued the education arena in recent years? There's nothing to be taken away. No explanations. No outlooks. No solutions. It's a retelling without commentary. I mean, why even watch it?

Film buffs will surely turn up their noses. Does a film really have to say anything? Elephant is a slice of a day. It leaves just as abruptly as it arrives upon these kids' lives. The film can be viewed as a carrier of an experience, one which allows its audience to live through one horrific event in time. You undoubtedly can relate to some of the caricatures. It feels like high school. But there are no stars, no heroes, no spectacular ending, and definitely no beefed-up Fox News story. In a way it leaves you empty. Is this good cinema? Yes. Does it help you understand anything? No. I'm curious as to what you think.

Who's on First

Ghostrunner on First (yes, that ghostrunner) premieres this Thursday, November 13th at Vinyl (that's next to Earthlink Live). Screening starts at 9:30. In addition to the film, Prophetix will perform following the showing of their latest music video for Gotcha. You so should go.

Listen Up

I'll be speaking at the upcoming Young Architects Forum on Wednesday, October 29th. You should go. I mean, if you live in Atlanta of course. I won't say much about the talk other than that it will involve seven (hopefully eight) dancers in exotic fish costumes. If that doesn't get you out of your cave I don't know what will. Enough said. Here's the details:

October 29th, 6:00pm
Offices of TVSA
1201 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta
Parking available at 15th Street entrance
Seating is limited.
or call (404) 222-0099 ext 1.

Say It And Meme It

My brother Aaron has been working on a short film. I hope it's not too premature to show it to you. The sound levels are being tweaked and the score is being rewritten, but, well I think it's coming along great. See for yourself. Come on, you've got a couple of minutes. We would love your feedback.
Oh, and you'll need Quicktime 6.3

Prophetix

Prophetix is an Atlanta-based hip hop outfit that is currently working on a music video directed and produced by our friend Matt Hutchinson. Check out a few images I took during the blue screen session last evening below or view the entire collection.