This is my second Illustrator attempt. Still not sure why this image turned out in negative colors. The fish is supposed to be orange and the red portiuon is actually blue. Let me know if you know why this is happening.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Coy
This is my second Illustrator attempt. Still not sure why this image turned out in negative colors. The fish is supposed to be orange and the red portiuon is actually blue. Let me know if you know why this is happening.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Meat Cradle
This is the first image I made with Adobe Illustrator. It is the design for a restaurant that Drew and Corey will be opening called the Meat Cradle. The premise of this restaurant is that all dishes are comprised entirely of meats and topped with meat gravy. No dish has fewer than two meats, for a example a bacon wrapped sausage or a ham covered steak would be normal items. This is my proposition for their logo, a baby in a cradle reaching up towards a mobile of meats. I want to change the mobile and add a cradle and I'm not sure why it came out in these colors since the true colors are reds. Let me know what you think Drew and Corey.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Review of Ultra Violet
Ultra Violet: F
I saw the previews and was blown away by the visual effects of this movie. I took my seat in the theater, barely able to contain my excitement as the previews flew across the screen in a flashy comic book style. I saw the name of the director, Kurt Wimmer, and my heart skipped a beat; this film was written and directed by the same guy who did Equilibrium. Then the movie started. The first five minutes were packed with action and though I had no idea what was going on, I was excited. But the confusion continued and subsequently did not let up for the rest of the film. This movie was the biggest piece of lack luster, unmotivated bunk I have seen in a long time. There was no plot worth paying attention to and the action was so pointless and repetitive that I didn't care about how cool it looked, not to mention that the effects were all recycled from previous films and the fight scene were often so fast and anti-climactic that they weren't even worth including. To add to this list of failures the acting was intolerably bad which was understandable because the dialogue was utter garbage. This trash was forced upon the audience and Wimmer attempts to make it more epic and meaningful with the music, which in turn comes across as cheesy and over dramatic. The only things in this movie worthy of praise in fact were the costumes, sets and some of the ideas, though poorly implemented in the film. This movie should not exist and the fact that it does makes me lose all faith I ever had in Hollywood's ability to discern good from bad. Wimmer, where did you go wrong? This movie is so bad, it makes your earlier film worse by association. Seeing this movie is about as fun as giving yourself a frontal lobotomy and leaves you feeling about as intelligent afterwards.
I saw the previews and was blown away by the visual effects of this movie. I took my seat in the theater, barely able to contain my excitement as the previews flew across the screen in a flashy comic book style. I saw the name of the director, Kurt Wimmer, and my heart skipped a beat; this film was written and directed by the same guy who did Equilibrium. Then the movie started. The first five minutes were packed with action and though I had no idea what was going on, I was excited. But the confusion continued and subsequently did not let up for the rest of the film. This movie was the biggest piece of lack luster, unmotivated bunk I have seen in a long time. There was no plot worth paying attention to and the action was so pointless and repetitive that I didn't care about how cool it looked, not to mention that the effects were all recycled from previous films and the fight scene were often so fast and anti-climactic that they weren't even worth including. To add to this list of failures the acting was intolerably bad which was understandable because the dialogue was utter garbage. This trash was forced upon the audience and Wimmer attempts to make it more epic and meaningful with the music, which in turn comes across as cheesy and over dramatic. The only things in this movie worthy of praise in fact were the costumes, sets and some of the ideas, though poorly implemented in the film. This movie should not exist and the fact that it does makes me lose all faith I ever had in Hollywood's ability to discern good from bad. Wimmer, where did you go wrong? This movie is so bad, it makes your earlier film worse by association. Seeing this movie is about as fun as giving yourself a frontal lobotomy and leaves you feeling about as intelligent afterwards.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Oh Snow!
The snow is holding back from completing my film shoot for my IS. So I used this opportunity instead to create a panoramic from my window.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
The Digital Aesthetic
For my Digital Aesthetics class, taught by Professor Havholm (above), we conducted an experiment in which we opened the lecture up to the world by allowing people to listen in and contribute to the discussion via cell phone, AIM, and a note taking software called Peanutgallery. In addition we videotaped the class and I took digital stills. Here are some of my favorites.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Sculpture #2: The Devious Happies
I have been really consumed by all my work, mostly my Senior IS movie shoot, so my post have been few and far between. I have been doing work, though, actually quite a bit. This is the second sculpture from my sculpture class. The requirement this time was to create an object with moving parts using wire. I decided to make multiple objects. These are monsters that are inspired by the work of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. I think of them more as a beginning than a finished piece. Ideally this would be an army of monsters and I would make a playground for them to play on as well. So much I want to do and so little time.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Morphin' Time!
I recently began reviewing software for a website and one of the products I reviewed was a Morph animation creater called MorphBuster. The program is quite simple, but it produces some really cool results. I made an animation of James and myself and posted it on Google Video. Follow the link below to see it.
The Transformation of Joe and James
The Transformation of Joe and James
Friday, February 03, 2006
Safety Net
Monday, January 30, 2006
Review of Underworld: Evolution
Underworld: Evolution D
If you go to the movies looking to see generic action movies with convoluted plots, sub par CGI, and action that is so fast and confusing that you have no idea what is going on, then Underworld: Evolution is the movie for you. I had absolutely no clue what was happening for the first third of the movie and that was because there was nothing to understand. This movie was utterly devoid of plot and relied solely on the first movie's development to drive it along. I went to this movie because James said that reviews were amazing. It became immediately evident that this was not the case. Upon returning we realized that those were user reviews and that the movie was panned by every critic. This is a bad movie, but not bad enough that you can enjoy its badness. The awful thing is that the movie took itself seriously while explaining nothing to the audience. I almost left this movie it was so bad, but I stayed hoping for some payoff. Was there one, you ask? Yes. There will be yet another sequel. So mark your calendars and make sure to miss what will hopefully be the final chapter in the Underworld series.
If you go to the movies looking to see generic action movies with convoluted plots, sub par CGI, and action that is so fast and confusing that you have no idea what is going on, then Underworld: Evolution is the movie for you. I had absolutely no clue what was happening for the first third of the movie and that was because there was nothing to understand. This movie was utterly devoid of plot and relied solely on the first movie's development to drive it along. I went to this movie because James said that reviews were amazing. It became immediately evident that this was not the case. Upon returning we realized that those were user reviews and that the movie was panned by every critic. This is a bad movie, but not bad enough that you can enjoy its badness. The awful thing is that the movie took itself seriously while explaining nothing to the audience. I almost left this movie it was so bad, but I stayed hoping for some payoff. Was there one, you ask? Yes. There will be yet another sequel. So mark your calendars and make sure to miss what will hopefully be the final chapter in the Underworld series.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Pool Ballin'
This is Corey Eisenstein and my first attempt at creating an animation. We created it over winter break on Corey's Canon 20D still camera. Follow the link below and enjoy.
Pool Ballin'
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Anyone Can Post Now!
So I went through the settings and now anyone who wants to can post. So, I encourage people to comment away and let me know what they think about the things that appear in my Blog.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Review of Syriana
Syriana: A
I'm going to start this film review outright by saying that this is an incredible film that will not be appreciated by everyone. Even though the film features beautiful cinematography, complex narrative, an all star cast and a gripping plot that is both confusing and intoxicating, it will not be enjoyed, or even viewed by half the population, because it deals with the conflict in the Middle East and doesn't support the views of Conservative Republicans. Well if you can look past that and be entertained by a socially and politically charged film that shows the perils and downfalls of a gas-guzzling capitalist economy, then this film can also be for you. I thought this film was poignant and brilliantly done. I left the theater with many thoughts in my head weeks ago and am still churning them over now. Any film that can do that to me is worth a second watch and my recomendation.
I'm going to start this film review outright by saying that this is an incredible film that will not be appreciated by everyone. Even though the film features beautiful cinematography, complex narrative, an all star cast and a gripping plot that is both confusing and intoxicating, it will not be enjoyed, or even viewed by half the population, because it deals with the conflict in the Middle East and doesn't support the views of Conservative Republicans. Well if you can look past that and be entertained by a socially and politically charged film that shows the perils and downfalls of a gas-guzzling capitalist economy, then this film can also be for you. I thought this film was poignant and brilliantly done. I left the theater with many thoughts in my head weeks ago and am still churning them over now. Any film that can do that to me is worth a second watch and my recomendation.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Review of King Kong
King Kong: C
Spoilers ahead....
My expectations for this movie were low... and they were barely met. What I was hoping to get from this film was lighthearted entertainment and maybe a couple of cool action sequences. What I got was three hours of gratuitous scenes that should have ended before they started. The first third of the film, and consequently the first hour, was all build up. This is what I think Peter Jackson does best because of his early career in horror flicks. He knows how to build up tension and he does this expertly. This was in fact my favorite part of the film. He concretely and beautifully build the world of the Depression and gives it the feel of an old 1940's film. Then there is a boat ride, which last quadruple the amount of time it should and finally in an unimpressive storm they are washed ashore Skull Island. My second favorite part of the film follows as the crew stumbles on tribesmen who are both creepy and perfectly costumed. It is after this first hour that we finally meet Kong, and the movie begins to go downhill. From here on out it is one over the top, unnecessary scene after another. First there is a fifteen minute Brontosaurus chase which is completely unbelievable. They have a herd of Brotosaurus being chased by tiny raptors who are not satisfied by catching just one, aparently want the whole herd and the humans to eat. Then there's a colossal T-rex vs Kong fight which is about twenty minutes and ridiculous. At one point there is a Tyranasaurus stuck in a slew of vines, unable to move his upper body, but still pushing off a wall in order to try to eat Naomi Watts. I think Peter Jackson gives these dinosaurs too much credit or else just really wanted to use a shit ton of CGI. And then there is the Kong/Naomi Watts love story. Peter Jackson has a knack for making cheesy scene to milk emotion and I feel like he throws then in to piss me off. No one in their right mind would buy into this crap I thought to myself in the theater, but as I was leaving, low and behold a woman in the back of the theater is sobbing her eyes out for poor Naomi who lost her Kong. So what did I get out of this film? I learned that people are stupid and gullible and will buy into any crap and that dinosaurs love to eat white people so much that they will do anything to get them, even if it means they have to die. If you are going to make me sit throught three hours of a film, make sure its all necessary and interesting.
Spoilers ahead....
My expectations for this movie were low... and they were barely met. What I was hoping to get from this film was lighthearted entertainment and maybe a couple of cool action sequences. What I got was three hours of gratuitous scenes that should have ended before they started. The first third of the film, and consequently the first hour, was all build up. This is what I think Peter Jackson does best because of his early career in horror flicks. He knows how to build up tension and he does this expertly. This was in fact my favorite part of the film. He concretely and beautifully build the world of the Depression and gives it the feel of an old 1940's film. Then there is a boat ride, which last quadruple the amount of time it should and finally in an unimpressive storm they are washed ashore Skull Island. My second favorite part of the film follows as the crew stumbles on tribesmen who are both creepy and perfectly costumed. It is after this first hour that we finally meet Kong, and the movie begins to go downhill. From here on out it is one over the top, unnecessary scene after another. First there is a fifteen minute Brontosaurus chase which is completely unbelievable. They have a herd of Brotosaurus being chased by tiny raptors who are not satisfied by catching just one, aparently want the whole herd and the humans to eat. Then there's a colossal T-rex vs Kong fight which is about twenty minutes and ridiculous. At one point there is a Tyranasaurus stuck in a slew of vines, unable to move his upper body, but still pushing off a wall in order to try to eat Naomi Watts. I think Peter Jackson gives these dinosaurs too much credit or else just really wanted to use a shit ton of CGI. And then there is the Kong/Naomi Watts love story. Peter Jackson has a knack for making cheesy scene to milk emotion and I feel like he throws then in to piss me off. No one in their right mind would buy into this crap I thought to myself in the theater, but as I was leaving, low and behold a woman in the back of the theater is sobbing her eyes out for poor Naomi who lost her Kong. So what did I get out of this film? I learned that people are stupid and gullible and will buy into any crap and that dinosaurs love to eat white people so much that they will do anything to get them, even if it means they have to die. If you are going to make me sit throught three hours of a film, make sure its all necessary and interesting.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Review of Chronicles of Narnia
Chronicles of Narnia: C+
It is rare nowadays that when I dislike a big Hollywood Blockbuster, that it had nothing to do with the crappy CGI. Interestingly enough, the Digital animation is one of the only redeeming qualities of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Therefore, let me begin this review by praising Disney for once again doing an excellent and believable job of blending live action and CGI, (save for a few cheesy green screen shots). So with no further ado, the criticism. I understand that the storyline was written for children and this is the main drawing audience for the film, but come on. I think that we should give more credit to children and write screenplays that are more engaging and have more complicated dialogue that is not so explanitory and doesn't rely on modern one liners for entertainment. The result of these oversights was a very boring film that built up to the battle with slow and deliberate pacing. So naturally I was waiting eagerly for some showstopping action that would knock my pants off and blow me out of my seat. That did not happen. It was almost the opposite, in fact, as there were moments where I felt my eyelids droop and my conscience flutter to more interesting things than the movie I was watching. I am sick and tired of large scale battles in movies where the viewer can not even tell what is going on and thus is forced to create the battle in his own mind. If I wanted to do that I would just read a book. This is essentially just another epic akin to Lord of the Rings with more of the same corny music, fluff for a plot, and bad kid acting. Of course I am an overcritical person and my experience was slightly jaded by the fat couple sitting next to me who, despite all my shushing, continued to comment on the movie with such gems as "Azland... I bet that's the Lion. You, know like in the title." Many of you will go and see this movie and be mezmerized as my roomy James, who I can't fault for being able to let his guard down, but as I see it this is just another piece of generic crap with some beautifully executed CGI.
It is rare nowadays that when I dislike a big Hollywood Blockbuster, that it had nothing to do with the crappy CGI. Interestingly enough, the Digital animation is one of the only redeeming qualities of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Therefore, let me begin this review by praising Disney for once again doing an excellent and believable job of blending live action and CGI, (save for a few cheesy green screen shots). So with no further ado, the criticism. I understand that the storyline was written for children and this is the main drawing audience for the film, but come on. I think that we should give more credit to children and write screenplays that are more engaging and have more complicated dialogue that is not so explanitory and doesn't rely on modern one liners for entertainment. The result of these oversights was a very boring film that built up to the battle with slow and deliberate pacing. So naturally I was waiting eagerly for some showstopping action that would knock my pants off and blow me out of my seat. That did not happen. It was almost the opposite, in fact, as there were moments where I felt my eyelids droop and my conscience flutter to more interesting things than the movie I was watching. I am sick and tired of large scale battles in movies where the viewer can not even tell what is going on and thus is forced to create the battle in his own mind. If I wanted to do that I would just read a book. This is essentially just another epic akin to Lord of the Rings with more of the same corny music, fluff for a plot, and bad kid acting. Of course I am an overcritical person and my experience was slightly jaded by the fat couple sitting next to me who, despite all my shushing, continued to comment on the movie with such gems as "Azland... I bet that's the Lion. You, know like in the title." Many of you will go and see this movie and be mezmerized as my roomy James, who I can't fault for being able to let his guard down, but as I see it this is just another piece of generic crap with some beautifully executed CGI.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Amazing Commercials
So I have an appreciation for well done commercials. They can often be even more entertaining than the show you're watching. These are a few of my favorites.
Singin in the Rain
Photos for an Imperfect World
Imposssible Field
Angry Chicken
Singin in the Rain
Photos for an Imperfect World
Imposssible Field
Angry Chicken
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Cheating the Mrs.
This is the film that I made while I was in Prague durring the summer of 2004 with Corey Eisenstein and Ashley Beecher. The quality of this post is not as good as the original, but at least it is now viewable. So enjoy and let me know what you think. Follow the link below.
Cheating the Mrs.
Monday, November 14, 2005
About Joe
About Joe
By James Riviere
I have known Captain Pickard since the first day of College. Being his roomate freshman year and now senior year, and best friends in between, I can confidently say you all should take my words seriously, as it was written in stone.
Joe is.... See, the thing is that Joe is not easily described. His personality is not the type to be to put in a box. Fuck boxes. But in the limited space I have, I will attempt the impossible.
Albert Einstein once said: "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
Joe loves life and all it posesses, yet hates, and I man HATES, stupid shit. Lesson #1: Dont say stupid shit around Joe, because its stupid and he doesnt tolerate stupid people.
Albert also said: "You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created." Joe doesn't see the world as we do, nor should he. Lesson #2: Don't be up in his grill about realism and accepting shit as is. You know why? Because shit aint that simple to Joe. Get out of here with your simplistic pee-brains!
Anatole France said: "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." Joe aint afriad to dream. Lesson #3: All you sucker mc's who sit and dream and never act about how the world should be and surmise to the notion of how things "have to be done," you too...get out of Joe's biznass. This boy is gonna dream. And when all you suck-a-ducks are asking "why?" Joe will look you dead in the eye and say, "why not?!"
So next time you wake up from a bizarre dream, or all of a sudden see the world in absurdities, or have an idea that goes against all rational thought, DON'T repress it like you usually do...drop Joe a line. For all you other 9-5 biatches looking for picket-fences and 3 kids with a shit dog named Rocko, peacie weiss, you ain't ready for Joe...trick ass hoe.
By James Riviere
I have known Captain Pickard since the first day of College. Being his roomate freshman year and now senior year, and best friends in between, I can confidently say you all should take my words seriously, as it was written in stone.
Joe is.... See, the thing is that Joe is not easily described. His personality is not the type to be to put in a box. Fuck boxes. But in the limited space I have, I will attempt the impossible.
Albert Einstein once said: "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence."
Joe loves life and all it posesses, yet hates, and I man HATES, stupid shit. Lesson #1: Dont say stupid shit around Joe, because its stupid and he doesnt tolerate stupid people.
Albert also said: "You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created." Joe doesn't see the world as we do, nor should he. Lesson #2: Don't be up in his grill about realism and accepting shit as is. You know why? Because shit aint that simple to Joe. Get out of here with your simplistic pee-brains!
Anatole France said: "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." Joe aint afriad to dream. Lesson #3: All you sucker mc's who sit and dream and never act about how the world should be and surmise to the notion of how things "have to be done," you too...get out of Joe's biznass. This boy is gonna dream. And when all you suck-a-ducks are asking "why?" Joe will look you dead in the eye and say, "why not?!"
So next time you wake up from a bizarre dream, or all of a sudden see the world in absurdities, or have an idea that goes against all rational thought, DON'T repress it like you usually do...drop Joe a line. For all you other 9-5 biatches looking for picket-fences and 3 kids with a shit dog named Rocko, peacie weiss, you ain't ready for Joe...trick ass hoe.
Friday, November 11, 2005
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