The first couple of speakers I watched today, for me, failed to hit the mark. Tedium sets in very quickly when watching others indulge themselves. I become intolerant to watching 2 mins of work that maybe took two months to create if there's no emotional attachment to me, the viewer.
In fact, I start to write this post as an audience agitates in the presence of some exploratory works that I'm sure were amazingly fun to create - which is a shame. In some respects, it's an inspiration to keep going strong with our own personal projects - it seems that nothing experimental is deemed a failure, with which i wholeheartedly agree. But, the presentation of these explorations really should, perhaps, be better contextualised and be told as more of an engaging story.
Han Hoogerbrugge is a breath of fresh air. He sits on stage behind his laptop looking like he's stepped straight out of Reservoir Dogs.
His early animation work on 'Modern living' and 'Nails' really showcase a raw talent in it's simplest form - these were not money making projects, quite the opposite, but commissioned work arrived because of it. A theme we heard a lot at FOTB10 and one we really try to follow ourselves.
Some MTV animations were followed by 'Clown Basics' and the work in progress of a new game. The on-screen humour plays such a big part in getting the audience on your side.
ProStress is a nice outlet that began self-focused and then turned to look at the light side of topical news, and is a daily obsession with instant reward. One cartoon every morning leaves the feeling that the day has been productive before its barely begun. #jealous
This then led to a tangible product called Fuck Death - models made in China and 'advertised' by The Pope.
Animations for 'Freedom' (?) and 'Melting Pot' were followed, bizarrely, by a website highlighting safety procedures in hospitals. Like the dangers of Laughing Gas and Heavy Lifting. Only in Holland.
And more MTV ads (who else could use the same style for a doctor and a music channel?).
Ah! How did I not work out that, if you were to draw a Venn diagram of all of the above - the Pet Shop Boys 'You Need Love' would be bang in the middle (albeit slightly on the tamer side of things). Cynics might say a slight sell out, but I would say the perfect outlet and, I hope, a decent earner for such an engaging talent.
A great presentation.
Day 1 observation:
A LOT less laptops than other similar conferences - might be due to shit internet, but a very different crowd, nonetheless. One that includes about 30 times more females - of whom around 50% are #squeakclappers according to the hot-blooded males in our party - I can't possibly comment. There's a direct relationship between laptops and hot girls. Put the laptops away and the girls shall come ;)
artraffi
2012-01-09 21:23
nice pics!! i just made a video of it in berlin--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGXYEqVFclg
orgicus
2012-01-16 20:26
That's pretty sweet ! Although not the same, reminds me of Keith Peters' Polar Distortion experiments ( http://www.bit-101.com/blog/?s=polar )...Simpsons did if first :P