March | 2015 | CJMS Communications

Monthly Archives: March 2015

James Curran’s Cute Animated GIFs

James Curran's amazing work will blow your mind!

James Curran: We have become obsessed with these adorable and fun animated GIFs created by animator, Illustrator and designer James Curran, from Slim Jim Studios. James Curran is widely known as the man who created the amazing fan-made opening credits for TINTIN. Curran, a London-based designer and animator, created the TINTIN credits on a lark and somehow they found their way back to Steven Spielberg (the Director of TINTIN). Curran created the video in just about a month with music from the original TV series and as a huge fan of the series, he incorporated elements from all 24 books, even though they weren’t a big part of the movie. Steven Spielberg saw the opening credits on the web, loved them, contacted James Curran, invited him to the UK premiere and hired him to work on his next film. So it seems you just never know who’s going to see your work on the web. But Curran didn’t do the work to get noticed. He did it because he’s an artist and he loves TINTIN. So a lesson for us all is just do what you love and that passion will come through in your work. We have posted some of our favourite GIFs below but for a complete look at James Curran’s portfolio of work, we strongly encourage you to visit his website. Enjoy!

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Alex de Mora – ‘Leisurewear’

Alex de Mora imagines what our generation will look like when we are older

Alex de Mora: So you think that “old people” dress like old people? But have you ever thought about what our generation will look like when we get older? ‘Leisurewear’ is a series of fashion photographs created for Vice Magazine by photographer Alex de Mora, who likes to imagine the elderly of a not too distant future. Alex de Mora notes ‘I was inspired by the character I saw when taking personal photos of my Grandmother, and I thought why not transform this into an fashion editorial, so I pitched the idea to Vice Magazine. I had been wanting to shoot a “leisurewear” series for a while, and wanted to give a hip hop angle to the idea. I thought of Snoop Dogg going shopping in his velour tracksuit. The shoot itself took place in my studio in London and we decided to colour match the background, clothes and set for each shot, to give it a surreal, stylised tone. My amazing team of Kylie Griffiths (stylist), Penny Mills (set design), Sami Knight (hair) and Lydia Warhurst (make up) helped me to make this idea the reality.’ Alex de Mora is a highly regarded photographer based in London, UK who specialises in fashion, commercial and portrait photography. Over the years, De Mora has created some amazing images and his editorial clients have included VICE, i-D, Oyster, Dazed & Confused, and Crack while his commercial work has been for brands such as Nike, Red Bull, Atlantic Records, Liberty, ATP Records, Converse, and Johnnie Walker. This fantastic shoot took place in Alex de Mora’s London studio, and features streetwear icons ranging from Champion and adidas Originals to Le Coq Sportif and Moschino, all worn by old-aged pensioners. To see more of Alex de Mora’s amazing work, be sure to visit his website.

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Low Cut Connie’s ‘Shake It Little Tina’ – Video of the Day

Low Cut Connie's sound & Adams Carpenters' dance moves make this vid rock!

Low Cut Connie: Check out the crazy choreographies by Adams Carpenters, an Instagram dance sensation with over 52,000 followers, in a montage created for the music video Shake It Little Tina from American band, Low Cut Connie. Love it! Low Cut Connie is a rock and roll band established in Philadelphia in 2010. Its frontmen and founding members are Adam Weiner (piano), who is from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and Dan Finnemore (drums and guitar), from Birmingham, England. The band has been recognised by various media in the US for their records and high-energy live show, of which the L.A. Weekly recently said “Their ferocious live show…is unmatched in all of rock right now.” In 2011, they released their debut album Get Out the Lotion, landing on NPR / Fresh Air’s ‘Top Ten Albums Of The Year’ and legendary critic Robert Christgau’s ‘Top Ten Songs Of The Year’ lists. Their 2nd album, Call Me Sylvia included the band’s biggest song to date, Boozophilia, named one of Rolling Stone’s ‘Top 50 songs of 2012’. The success of this record prompted an invitation by Jack White to play the grand reopening of his Third Man Records venue. Low Cut Connie played 100+ shows in 2013 and ended the year by recording their third album with renowned producer Thomas Brenneck (Amy Winehouse, Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Alabama Shakes). This soulful effort will be released Spring 2015. It features guest stars Merrill Garbus (Tune-Yards), Dean Ween, Greg Cartwright (Reigning Sound), and members of the Dap Kings and The Budos Band. The band will tour the US, Canada, and Europe throughout 2015. You must watch this video – it’s fantastic and so much fun!

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Katja Kemnitz – Too Much Love

Katja Kemnitz documents the lives of plush toys by photographing them before & after

Katja Kemnitz: In this fantastic series ‘Too Much Love’, German photographer Katja Kemnitz, who was inspired by her daughter, decided to document the lives of children’s plush toys by photographing them before and after dozens of hours of hugs, kisses, wear and tear. Katja Kemnitz is a 29 years old photographer from Bonn, Germany. She has always been interested in art, mostly poems and paintings, but has never even used a pen or a paint brush. Katja Kemnitz first discovered photography about 7 years ago when she stood in front of the camera and decided to model for the first time. Her love for the medium grew as she continued to meet some great, very creative photographers and learn more about photography and it was at this time, Kemnitz started to become interested in the more technical aspects. She notes ‘I bought an analog film camera and tried to photograph pigeons and seagulls on the Rhine. These pictures were not presentable, but the camera fascinated me. I looked at many photos on the Internet and dabbled in taking self-portraits, which became better over time.’ Katja Kemnitz believes her inspiration comes from her children – not only for her ‘kid’ photos, but also for her more conceptual images. ‘They show me again and again how important the little things are. And that each thing contains a secret story that you just have to discover. I think that to see the world through children’s eyes helps to be a very good photographer. Kemnitz is also inspired by nature ‘I draw much inspiration from the forest. The silence, the colors – I just feel safe when I’m in the woods. That’s why I’m often alone in the forest to take self-portraits.’ and fairytales ‘I love the kitschy fairy tales with their stereotypes, such as the dark, inscrutable stories.’ About her series ‘Too Much Love’, Kemnitz says ‘I show old, much-loved teddies and dolls compared with new doppelgangers. I think the broken stuffed animals have a lot of soul. The project was inspired by my older daughter, who carried her plush dog with her everywhere when she was little. One day I found that dog in store, without any damages. However, my daughter did not like him. The old one was better and could not be replaced.’ The series is still ongoing and more of Katja Kemnitz’s work can be viewed here.

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‘Blade Runner’ – New Trailer for UK Re-Release

'Blade Runner', Ridley Scott’s trail-blazing sci-fi, is back on the big screen

Blade Runner: “This new trailer captures the essence of the film and I hope will inspire a new generation to see Blade Runner“. The brand new Blade Runner trailer gets the thumbs up from Ridley Scott. Blade Runner, Scott’s trail-blazing sci-fi, is back on the big screen in the UK from the 3rd April 2015 courtesy of the British Film Institute. Originally released in 1982 and adapted from Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ridley Scott’s iconic dystopian classic is unquestionably one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made and this April, cinemagoers across the UK will have the chance to see it again, at its best on the big screen, when the BFI releases Blade Runner: The Final Cut. Harrison Ford is exemplary as the world-weary detective hunting down intelligent but murderous replicants in a neon-lit, rain-spattered future Los Angeles. Rutger Hauer, Sean Young and Daryl Hannah all give career-defining performances. Featuring an iconic Vangelis score, Ridley Scott’s classic sci-fi opus is one of modern cinema’s most influential films. Blade Runner initially polarised critics: some were displeased with the pacing, while others enjoyed its thematic complexity. The film performed poorly in US theaters but has since become a cult film. It has been hailed for its production design, depicting a ‘retrofitted’ future, and remains a leading example of the neo-noir genre. It brought the work of Philip K. Dick to the attention of Hollywood and several later films were based on his work. Ridley Scott regards Blade Runner as probably his most complete and personal film. In 1993, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Blade Runner is now regarded as one of the best science fiction films ever made. Given complete artistic freedom to make The Final Cut in 2007, the 25th anniversary of the film’s release, director Ridley Scott created this final, definitive version, fully restored from the original negative. A grand cinematic synthesis of sound, image and thought-provoking drama Blade Runner: The Final Cut is an unforgettable experience that demands to be seen on the big screen. We can only pray that it will be released somewhere in Australia very soon!

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Craig Boudreaux – After Katrina

Craig Boudreaux's haunting images after Hurricane Katrina

Craig Boudreaux: ‘All that was left were crushed dreams and moldy memories.’ It is with these chilling words that photographer Craig Boudreaux tells of the moment when he returned to New Orleans, a year after the devastating passage of Hurricane Katrina. Born and raised in the region, Craig Boudreaux has captured a series of moving and very haunting images – the homes of his grandmother, his family and his friends, immortalising the messages that people have left, drawn with spray paint directly on the walls of the ruined and abandoned houses. It took over ten years for Craig Boudreaux to find the courage required to thoroughly sort, edit and publish these unique images. Hurricane Katrina was the fifth hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. The storm is currently ranked as the third most intense United States landfalling tropical cyclone, behind only the 1935 Labor Day hurricane and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Overall, at least 1,833 people died in the hurricane and subsequent floods, making it the deadliest United States hurricane since the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Total property damage was estimated at $108 billion (2005 USD). Reflecting on his photographs, Craig Boudreaux writes ‘These are photographs taken in the months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the New Orleans area. It’s taken me ten years to complete these edits. These are primarily from Arabi and the Gentilly area of New Orleans. Some are very personal to me – my Grandmother’s home, homes of friends, and the house in which I grew up. Most of these structures were completely submerged. When these were taken, the flood waters were long gone. All that was left were crushed dreams and moldy memories … and painted messages to anyone who cared.’ There are many amazing images in this series so to view them all (which we strongly recommend), please visit Craig Boudreaux’s website.

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Apple Watch & New MacBook

Apple products continue to innovate and impress

Apple: A further and more in-depth look into the new Apple Watch and the new MacBook were announced at a live Apple event in San Francisco, California. So awesome!! And although the Apple Watch is clearly the most exciting new kid on the block, it is definitely the new MacBook that is the talk of the town. Apple’s new MacBook now becomes the thinnest notebook ever at just 13.1mm at its thickest point and a weight of just under a 1kg (907 grams). The newly designed Apple MacBook runs silently with a fanless logic board that is 67% smaller than the 11-inch MacBook Air. The batteries themselves have been redesigned as well, allowing them to be built with a contoured design to maximise the available space. The result provides enough power for all-day battery life, according to Apple. One major change is that the Apple MacBook features just one single USB-C port that will be used for multiple purposes including charging, video output, and USB data transfer. USB-C also has a reversible design, eliminating frustration when trying to orient a USB cable correctly. The new notebook is available in space grey, silver, and gold tones, and in two different versions. One version starts at $1,299 (USD) with a 1.1GHz Intel Core M processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of flash storage. The $1,599 version (USD) has a 1.2GHz processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Both versions of the new MacBook will be available in the United States beginning 10th April, 2015. The Apple Watch is Apple’s first wearable device that will be launched on 24th April, 2015. The Apple Watch collection features highly polished stainless steel and space black stainless steel cases. The display is protected by sapphire crystal. And there’s a choice of three different leather bands, a link bracelet, a Milanese loop, and a band made from high-performance fluoroelastomer. Siri is also integrated allowing users to experience the familiarity of features found on other Apple devices such as navigation, keeping track of events, and messaging friends. Take a look at both the Apple Watch and the new MacBook below:

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‘Cosmopolitan’ Magazine Brings Sexy Back

Cosmopolitan recreates the covers of cheesy romance novels with real people

Cosmopolitan: Of course, everyone knows of the cheesy romance novel – the novelettish and sentimental literature made to tickle the senses, covers emblazoned with virile young men and young ladies in search of fierce love that are clearly marketed to woman with ‘healthy and active’ imaginations. Well, world renown and bestselling women’s magazine, Cosmopolitan, has recreated these covers using real, everyday people in an clever and amusing series that will definitely make you see their funny side. The ‘romance novel’ or ‘romantic novel’ is a literary genre. Novels of this type of genre fiction place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Some scholars see precursors to the romance novel in literary fiction of the 18th and 19th centuries, including Samuel Richardson’s sentimental novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740) and the novels of Jane Austen. British company Mills and Boon began releasing escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. Their books were sold in North America by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd, which began direct marketing to readers and allowing mass-market merchandisers to carry the books. In North America, romance novels are the most popular literary genre, comprising almost 55% of all paperback books sold in 2004. The genre is also popular in Europe and Australia, and romance novels appear in 90 languages. Most of the books, however, are written by authors from English-speaking countries, leading to what is deemed an Anglo-Saxon perspective in the fiction. Despite the popularity and widespread sales of romance novels, the genre has attracted significant derision, skepticism and criticism. Erotica is a term used to describe scenes in the novel that are risqué but not pornographic and ‘Romance erotica’ seems to be on the rise as more women explore this new sub-genre – You only have to look at the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey...enough said. Enjoy!

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Joywave – Video of the Day

Joywave's new surreal music video 'Somebody New'

Joywave: When modern-day skateboarding meets what seems like the visual glitches of video game Grand Theft Auto V, you get ‘Somebody New’ the new surreal music video for the band Joywave, directed by Keith Schofield and produced by Three Foot Giant. In Rochester, New York, indie electro band Joywave began in 2010, formed by vocalist Daniel Armbruster, guitarist Joseph Morinelli, bassist Sean Donnelly, keyboardist Travis Johansen, and drummer Paul Brenner. Joywave first offered up a sample of their ’80s-inspired electro tunes with the Golden State single in early 2011. They earned a fair amount of attention through a series of online mixtapes that meshed original tunes with other artists’ materials, all remixed to include Joywave’s signature playing and vocals. In addition to these mixtapes and early single releases, the band released the Koda Vista EP in 2012 and the How Do You Feel? EP in 2014. Apart from their own releases, Joywave have made frequent guest appearances on their friends’ singles, showing up in the role of both remixers and guest performers on standout recordings by Big Data and Betty Who. Joywave are perhaps best known for their collaboration with electronic music project Big Data, Dangerous, which peaked at number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Also achieving considerable popularity was Joywave’s Tongues, featuring KOPPS; as of November 2014, the official music video had surpassed 350,000 views on YouTube. The song has also reached over 1 million plays on SoundCloud and has been featured on FIFA 15. In July of 2014, Joywave, along with Big Data, made their late night television debut on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Check out their awesome video for ‘Somebody New’ below:

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Pop Chart Lab – The Vocations of Heroes & Villains

Pop Chart Lab imagines business cards of comic book superhero & villain alter egos

Pop Chart Lab: LOVE! This awesome print imagines the business cards of famed comic alter-egos, from Clark Kent to Tony Stark to ‘The Bruces’ both Banner and Wayne – as well as a slew of notable CEOs notably Green Arrow and Green Goblin, mallet-wielding psychiatrists like Harley Quinn, and patriotic military personnel including Captain America and War Machine. The credentials of over 30 secret identities are featured here – all beautifully designed and hand-illustrated – to form a brave, bold, and business-casual rolodex that makes for an uncanny addition to your wall. Each print is signed and numbered by the artists from a first printing of 500, and comes packaged in a Pop Chart Lab Test Tube. Finishing options include print with hanging rails, print mounted on a panel or simple framing available in white, black, oak or walnut. Also note that framed prints require an additional 3-4 business days of processing time from the date of order. Using 100 lb. archival stock certified by The Forest Stewardship Council, this fantastic poster is pressed on an offset lithographic press with vegetable-based inks in Long Island City, Queens. Not to mention for $29, its an absolute bargain! This is a ‘Want, Love, Need’ with some ‘Gimme, Gimme, Gimme’ thrown in for good measure.

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