I thought this video was relevant to Winnipeg for a number of different reasons. First, we have some great designers (and champions of design) here that are looking to do some amazing things for both our city and the design disciplines studied here. Second, we have a lot of great capital projects that are either underway or about to be announced that will add excitement and life to our city. Coincidentally, many of them are museums of some sort or another. But the definition of museum is changing. They are no longer static exhibits that merely educate. They are interactive experiences that entertain as well. The success of these new institutions rely on the ability to draw back visitors several times a year. They need to educate, entertain, inspire and relate to their audience. We can no longer think of museums as places that preserve history. We need to think of them as places where we can celebrate history and anticipate the future.

Here's a spot from Glasgow's Axis Animation for Dead Island, a video game about, what else, zombies. I thought this was a beautifully created commercial. It's really a short film that engages the viewer and keeps them watching, even though it's pretty evident where it's going about 10 seconds in. Creepy and emotional, two of my favourites.

T'was the week before Christmas and all through our space,
Our staff was preparing to meet clients face to face.
Pictures of stockings were hung above the "fire" with care,
In hopes that guests would arrive, and they'd stop, and they'd stare.
And they'd notice how much time and attention it took,
For us to decorate every cranny and nook.
We chopped, and we sawed, and we cut, and we pasted,
We really hoped all this work wasn't time wasted.
There was last minute prep, and we worked and we scurried,
We set off the fire alarm, and got firemen there in a hurry.
Was it worth it, this work? This Primp and this prep?
We'd soon see as off the elevator guests stepped.
They came and they ate, and they drank and we chatted,
They had a good time, they didn't leave empty handed.
After hours of fun, food, beer and wine,
Everyone left feeling warm, welcome and fine.
There's something to be said for getting together with friends,
During this holiday season, the fun never ends.
So thank you to all of you who came,
And for those who didn't, thanks all the same,
For making this year, one of the best ones yet,
Here's to the New Year, and making it better than best.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

(sorry for the bad poem)

We've just finished a commercial for the Sheps Hair Restoration Clinic and we couldn't be more pleased with the results. Thanks to Stephen, Mark and Chris at At First Sight for the great videography and editing. It's always a pleasure to work with such a great team of people. And a special thanks to Larry Kirouac, an actual patient of Sheps', who took time out of his busy schedule to tell us a little about how passionately he feels about Dr Sheps and his team of amazing people. You can watch out for the spot airing on Hockey Night in Canada on CBC.

 

I love movie trailers that get me all excited inside. I love movie trailers even more when they can get me excited about something I never, in a million years, thought I'd get excited about. For example, when my wife Catharine and I started dating, I took her to see Spellbound, a documentary about spelling bees. I thought the trailer looked really interesting and I wanted to show her that I had some varied interests. She laughed throughout the whole thing, not because it was funny (which it was) but because she couldn't believe I'd take her to a documentary about spelling bees. What really should have been a relationship killer turned into what I like to think was the catalyst for a fantastic relationship, a fulfilling marriage and a beautiful family that I never imagined I could have. Who would have thought anyone could make a movie about spelling bees so compelling, dramatic and entertaining?

Documentaries as of late have been experiencing a surge of popularity, being adopted by mainstream audiences (much to the chagrin of some hipsters I know). I'm not sure why this is but I have a theory. Three in fact: first - the quality of dramas/comedies have declined in recent years. It's harder to come up with original stories and movie studios are relying on the quick buck that sequels tend to bring in. They are essentially dumbing down movies and unfortunately many audiences buy into it regardless. Second - with the creation of "The Internet", YouTube, Vimeo, and Reality TV, people are really digging "fact"-based stories over fiction. Real is the new fake. Third - Documentaries are just better than they used to be. Maybe that's because of the filmmakers, maybe it's because of the technology they're using or maybe it's because the topics are more varied and engaging. Who knows? Maybe it's all of it. Maybe I'm way off base.

Anyway, this brings us to "Indie Game". I don't know how the entire movie is going to turn out but if it's anything like the trailer, I say "game on". I'm not a big gamer myself. I've got a PS3 and some games but as much as I've tried, I've never gotten into any of them. The great thing about the trailer is that in a matter of minutes, it draws you in to the world of game development from the points of view of the developers. It shows just how much of themselves they put into their work and how much is riding on their work's success. Winnipeggers, Lisanne Pajot and James Swirsky have obviously put a lot of passion into this film and I for one can't wait to see it.

This is one of those pieces of work that you come across once in a long while that feels full and complete. I love it when I experience something like this because it happens so rarely. The Spike Jonze and Olympia le-Tan co-created Mourir Auprès de Toi, is a beautifully torrid little love story that fits humour, suspense, tragedy and love into the span of a perfectly paced few minutes that leaves you walking away from the table fully satisfied while at the same time wanting more. Thanks to Ed Huot for posting this on Facebook and introducing me to Nowness which will surely become one of my regular web haunts from now on.

This is a nice little video by the folks at Brought to You By showing the art of Letterpress printing. It's not the first time we've seen something like this but it does make you want to go out and letterpress your next project. Letterpress printing has made a resurgence in recent years. Craftsmanship has made a comeback! Hazzah!.

I have to admit, I'd never heard of Steampunk prior to coming across Tom Banwell's apocalyptic creations. I'm not going to get into the whole Steampunk history or origins because a) you can read it for yourself and b) I'm actually not that interested in learning enough about it to sound like I know what I'm talking about. I will say this though, without knowing diddly or squat about this sub-culture, I'd say these guys have a pretty active collective imagination. I guess it must be comforting knowing what you are going to dress up as for every single Halloween. Guaranteed, none of these crackers are deciding between Thor or Iron Man this October. Unless of course it's some kind of messed up Steampunk Thor or Steampunk Iron Man. Sweet dreams.

In honour of the man himself, I am going to keep this short and sweet. Check out Funny or Die for more Ron Swanson tributes.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Logos can be like relationships. Sometimes it's love at first sight. Sometimes it's like looking at someone across a crowded bar and thinking, "Meh, good enough." And sometimes it's a long courtship that grows and evolves. In Ferrari's case it was more like a blind date set up by a pushy aunt. What does this say about how much weight rests on logo design as it pertains to a company's success? Is logo design now more critical than it was "back in the day"? I would argue it is given the fact that design in general is held in higher regard today than ever before. I'd also say that people hold brands to a higher standard than they ever have and that logos are created to represent those standards. It would be interesting to think of what Ferrari's logo might look like if it was created today. I would almost guarantee that the idea of a horse wouldn't even make it from pencil to the sketchpad.