Vincent Laforet’s “Reverie”

It’s been under heavy development but it appears that the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR is finally here. This is a camera that can shoot still images at 21 Megapixel, and—more importantly—can shoot high-definition 1080p video at 30 fps.

 

Canon allowed photographer Vincent Laforet to experiment with the SLR’s HD video capability, and the result is his short film, Reverie. It is truly stunning – the images are crisp and the colours absolutely pop.

 

View Reverie here.

 

This camera will change the way we, as an audience, consume images. The integration of HD movie capability into a high-end 21 Megapixel camera opens a multitude of new possibilities for photojournalists, news photographers, documentary makers and, dare I say it, serious filmmakers.

 

Shooting digital holds numerous advantages over shooting 35mm. Apart from being handheld and versatile, the second primary advantage is colour. Digital, much like the naked eye, manages to pick up all the little details and gradations of colour and tone within its environment. 35mm simply does not have this capacity.

 

Commercial, music, skate and surf directors have been using HD to great effect. Significantly, so to have serious “auteurs”. Case in point: look at the work of director Michael Mann—one of the leading proponents of digital technology in film. Mann started experimenting with digital editorial flourishes in his earlier films like The Insider and Ali, before going all-out and shooting almost entirely in digital for Collateral and Miami Vice (for which he used the Thomson Viper FilmStream cameras). As a result, Mann’s movies are an exercise in aesthetic—his images cascade around you and immerse you in a world of sensation.

 

Increasingly, more and more directors are turning to digital so as to capture the imagery that meets their creative vision. Steven Soderbergh (Out of Sight, Traffic) used a RED One for The Argentine and Guerrilla – his two-part biopic on Che Guevara starring Benicio Del Toro. Meanwhile, David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac) recently used the Thomson Viper FilmStream for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

 

The Canon EOS 5D Mark II SLR digital will essentially democratise studio quality HD video. The body-only price tag of the Canon is a US $2,700. Sure, it’s enough to put you on 2 Minute Noodles for the rest of the year – but for accessible high definition video, nothing comes close. And it’s a frickin’ SLR!

Obamarama

Barack Obama has been written off as too aloof, too elitist, too effete, too liberal and too inexperienced. But look at him above in one of my favourite photos of the campaign: too cool. Seriously, if America can get a world leader in the White House who likes to knuckle-knock it out with his wife every now and then - it can only  be a good thing. The photo was taken just moments before Obama stepped to the podium to acknowledge that he would be the first black candidate nominated by a major party for president of the United States. In this revealing moment, style mattered more than substance, and personalities more than policies. Image politics – it does work.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

It’s official: the David Fincher-Brad Pitt partnership of the last decade is now as cinematically significant as that of the Martin Scorsese-Robert De Niro partnership of the 1970s and 80s.

Big call? You bet. But, thanks to Seven and Fight Club, Fincher and Pitt have pushed the boundaries of popular cinema – Fincher via his progressive approach to technology in film, and Pitt through his calculatedly reckless (and grossly underrated) performances. The two have now partnered up for their third feature: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Based on the 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the film follows the life of Benjamin Button (Pitt) as he is born ageing backwards from the age of 80, falling in love with a 30-year-old woman (Cate Blanchett) along the way. Dark and romantic, it looks like Fincher is treading new ground.

The new V Lemon TVC

Me likey.

How Michael Jackson Brought Down Wall Street aka The Fed Bailout Explained

If you’ve been scratching your head trying to make sense of what the hell is going down on Wall Street and why it’s impacted the global economy (credit default swaps?), Radar Online’s editor-at-large, Choire Sicha, has written a brilliant piece explaining the Fed bailout:

“So, you know how you like to buy songs on iTunes? There’s so many different songs. Some of them are awesome, and some of them are lousy. And you only get a little audio preview of a song before you buy it, so really you dunno if it’s any good before you buy it.

That is what a share in a company is like. You know it might be good? But really you don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.

Now, imagine how great it would be if you could sell back your mp3s to iTunes! Like, you could buy a song when it was really unpopular, and it’d be like 29 cents. And then when it was really popular—like some Kanye jam was getting lots of radio play—it’d go way up to 99 cents. Then you could sell it, and you could keep the profit.

So that is basically the stock market, where they sell shares, except in the stock market, you’re buying a little bit of a company, instead of on iTunes, where you’re buying a little bit of a rapper or a band.”

Trust me, it only gets better. Educate yourself and find out how Michael Jackson brought down Wall Street: The Stock Market and the Bailout for Kids.

Paranoia Mix

This is awesome…

I wonder if it’s Chris Cunningham’s kid?

[via Yimmys Yao]

Sarah Larnach

This weekend saw the release of Ladyhawke’s (aka Pip Brown’s) new album. It’s full of 80s infused pop rock with big production, big choruses and big synths. Not only are the tracks hot (scope out Back of the Van, Paris is Burning and Dusk Till Dawn) but so is the album artwork. Pip enlisted the help of Sydney-based illustrator/painter, Sarah Larnach. Sarah’s watercolours are elegantly dirty and give off a contemporary/retro vibe that is just right. See the gallery below for more of a taste.

Synecdoche

 

Get excited! Synecdoche, the directorial debut from Charlie Kaufman, is released in cinemas State-side this October. Kaufman (best known for penning the screenplays to Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Adaptation) is widely regarded as the most creative mind in Hollywood today. The film tells the story of a theatre director (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play.

Synecdoche premiered at this years Canne Film Festival to mixed buzz. Hot or not, with Kaufman at the helm, you can bet it’s going to be an intriguing ride. Random trivia: The title to this movie is a play on Schenectady, New York, where the movie takes place. Schenectady, New York has the distinction of having the postcode 12345.

Make Your Own Action Figure!

Have you ever felt like life is a movie and you’re the lead actor? You have? Well, then why not make it a franchise and create your very own action figure! Cyndi Safstrom is a doll artist who can create your very own “mini-me”. Each doll head is hand sculpted from photos and the head is then sculpted onto a vinyl doll or action figure, and dressed in the clothing of your choice.

Hmm, I wonder if she could craft some mini Ksubis and a low-v American Apparel?

Ari Marcopoulos Skate Vid

New York based fashion designer Adam Kimmel had a downhill skate session in SoCal recently. Luckily for us his mate, photographer and film maker, Ari Marcopoulos was there to capture it. The results are epic – check the downhill camera passes. Beards, balls and boards – these guys have it all.

 

Interestingly, Marcopoulos also shot the cover image for the Beastie Boys “Ill Communication”.

Nike Hamburger

Eight creatives were asked to interpret eight different Nike Sportswear icons. Below is Olle Hemmendorff’s take on the Air Max 90. Eat fresh!

Olle, 25, has been working between advertising, internet, fashion, and art since he left high school. He left advertising agency Joy as creative director in early 2008 and is now doing some freelance work.

Skate Study House

If you hate Ikea flat-packs, this may be the tonic. Skate Study House is an innovative design concept specialising in recreating popular furniture through the vision of a skateboarder. All product is designed and handcrafted in California, USA, by designers Pierre Andre Senizergues and Gil Le Bon De Lapointe.

Skateboarding: it’s not just a lifestyle. It’s furniture too.