Sand - Animation Test #2

The second animation test we did in Film 203 consisted of using sand on a light box. Once again the Bolex camera was used to capture the experiment one frame at a time. My clip was really just me playing around to get a feel for the medium, but most of our exercises were inspired by the classic NFB animations we previewed.  The Erlking by Ben Zelkowicz is the impressive sand animation short I remember.

Inspired Singles: Some Nights

Issue 29: Some Nights by Fun

If the upbeat energy of Fun doesn't immediately win you over, maybe the epic drum beats of Some Nights will. Having just discovered their music earlier this year, what really won me over with their songs like Some Nights, We Are Young, and All Right is the scope, personality, and harmonies of each track.  In Some Nights specifically, the drum beats really create a grand backdrop for what almost sounds like an homage to Freddie Mercury.  Plain and simple, Fun lives up to their name.

Cosmos Mystery Area

Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Cosmos Mystery Area is a perfectly campy way to spend an afternoon.  The entire location is kind of like a wonky fun house in the woods where gravity doesn't act as it should.  It was pretty quiet on the rainy day that we were there so we ended up getting a private tour.  

Inside one of the cabins they show you how you can balance while sitting in a chair over a thin ledge.  There's also other random demonstrations where water appears to drain upwards, and where gravity seems to be pulling you in different directions.  Even the trees in the area are all wonky as though they're being pulled by some magnetic force.

Some of it is actually pretty convincing, but it's mostly all illusion. Still, it was something out of the ordinary and we had some pretty good laughs trying out the different demos.