S4C Idents

Last message of the year (ho ho).
Watched endless crap telly, classic films, & reading glossy magazines has left me craving some knowledge to awaken my senses. So I've caught up on the pile of Creative Review's that I never get round to. My favourite piece was about some mind blowing idents made for Welsh channel S4C by Proud Creative. They involve live action scenes and landscapes of wales that change and respond to the voiceover's tones and sounds - how technically amazing is that? So depending ton the volume, intonation, any pauses or stutter's, the live action that has been filmed reacts and changes accordingly. Therefore no one ident is ever the same. The clever coding skills were that of directors at Minivegas.

Signage in the car park moves in response to the voiceover

Read more of this on Cr blog.

Need the time?

Following on from Human clock, there's also Handwritten clock- cheers Paul.

Similar but still good:

Another set of illustrators I like are Tom Gauld and Simone Lia who create works for comics and books. See more of their work here.


And with that I'm off to some illustration exhibitions tomorrow for more inspiration! {yes it is quite difficult to think of easter when it's Christmas}

Seasons e-greetings

Ahh, festivity is setting in now. I'm very excited but have the usual to-do lists running around my head bumping into each other and falling over, and so getting nowhere.. multiplied by ten. But I have a new venture to to dig my teeth into - card illustration. I've always loved making cards for friends and family, and last year even designed my own collections with the insane idea of launching them. But now my thought doesn't seem too far off. An online greeting's company setting up in the New year has asked me to design a collection. So i'm indulging in my passion for all things silly and doodling to my heart's content. I've also been researching the market to see what I'm up against. I have to share with you my favourites:



http://www.haroldsplanet.com/ecards/created_greetings/JnpdCvqtMx.html

I've always been a fan of Vimrod and the childish Pea Tree productions. I'd also encourage any of you to send their e-cards - They're fun, free and environmentally friendly!

http://www.haroldsplanet.com/ecards/categories_English.html

On the theme of environments, that leads nicely to another great not-for-profit idea set up by an old guru of mine Naresh Ramchandani, dothegreenthing.com
The site invites you to do one thing each month that is easy that can make a small but very worthwhile contribution to the planet in the reduction of CO2. You can also sign up for their weekly videos and be part of a whole community - some members competitivly trying to be the greenest. So I'm doing my bit and making a lot of my christmas presents this year. (sorry family- Hope you appreciate the love, care and time taken...money's a bit tight this year!)
Incidentally, if you haven't got round to writing your cards this year, send an amusing e-card from them too, and save our trees! (sounds good doesn't it?)

Eurostar - More like Eurotrash

me, and it's been sitting on my scanner since


Forgive me, for this post is not exactly up to the minute, since this ad for the new Eurostar was of course released when King's cross unveiled it's new platform two weeks ago. But I ripped this out because I didn't like it at the time, and it's been sitting on my scanner since. In my sorting out, I almost chucked it but I thought no - I'm in the mood for a good rant. I've looked at it again, and I still don't like it. Yes it's edgy and daring, but without sounding too much like a Daily mail journalist, I think it does a lot to damage an already loutish image across the European border. The poster shows a skin head peeing into a teacup, alluding to the Belgian fountain, ' Mannequin pis', along with the headline which translates to 'Attention! London is around the Corner'.
Eurostar has said that although Belgians love the royalty, they also like the edginess London street life has - it is a celebration of all things British. I'm sorry but have the Creatives at Hurrell and Dawson been out on the streets of London in the past twenty years? It's like looking at a tourist book that still tells you to visit Carnaby Street for the crazy punks and anti- establishment fashion. if they are trying to promote tourism they should try and be more realistic and not hold onto dated stereotypes that many cause many of the cosmopolitan Europeans to avoid visiting. As for his shaved head and painted back - Have we not got enough problem with football hooligans being 'around the corner'? I just feel it doesn't relate to the very modern image that the architects and designers of King's Cross were aspiring to and have achieved.

Human Clock

It's an old idea I know, but still fascinating and lovely to see - how imaginative people can be when showing the time. Photos are submitted to the site from all over the world and a different image is displayed each minute. I'd love to have it live on my site if anyone knows how to do this?
post complete at:
and 48 seconds. pip, pip. derrrr................