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08 Jul 17:20

New symbol designed to replace ‘the’

by Ben Moss
Meatigloo

Also worth noting, the letter we know as 'Y' was originally pronounced as 'th' (which is why Renaissance Festivals around the world use "Ye Olde Barber" or whatever) so technically, this symbol is a knockoff of the Y

thumbnailAn Australian entrepreneur, usually known for his restaurants, has stunned the design world by creating a ligature to replace the word ‘the’.

It could be a prank until you hear that Paul Mathis estimates spending anywhere between $34,000 and $68,000 USD developing his symbol, leaving a shocked design world asking, ‘How on earth did he spend $34,000 on that?’

His inspiration it seems, was the ampersand which he mistakenly believes to be an ‘and’ symbol. The ampersand, which is a ligature of ‘e’ and ‘t’, is derived from Latin, popularized by French, and has been in use since at least the 2nd century AD.

There are numerous problems with Mr.Mathis’ proposed ligature, the first and foremost being that it isn’t a ligature of ‘the’ it’s a ligature of ‘th’.

Of secondary consideration is the fact that the characters don’t lend themselves to being a ligature. The purpose of ligatures is the increase readability where letter spacing is such that parts of characters, such as the arm on an ‘f’ and the dot over an ‘i’, collide.

Another spanner is thrown into the works when you consider the relative relationships of uppercase characters and the ascender height of lowercase letters: in roman typefaces, the cap height is frequently shorter than the ascenders, and almost exclusively so in serif faces. The ligature proposed by Mathis becomes counter-productive, by either creating a jarring inconsistency with the rest of a typeface, or by forcing the redesign of all typefaces using the symbol.

The final nail in the coffin is that nobody knows what the ligature is supposed to be. It doesn’t increase readability if it isn’t familiar and so, other than giving you two extra characters to play with on Twitter, serves no purpose.

Whilst you can purchase extended keyboards from the Android store that include the new symbol, the Apple store have so far resisted Mathis’ attempts to release his app.

This vanity project fails because you can’t steer culture. Typography has developed over many hundreds, if not thousands of years. If there was a compelling case for a ‘Th’ ligature, its genesis would be evident in prior work. Language is an evolutionary, not revolutionary process. Mr Mathis would have been better spending his $34,000 lobbying Twitter to raise the character limit on his account.

It’s a great moral lesson for entrepreneurs everywhere: good design solves problems, it doesn’t invent them.

 

Would you consider using Mathis’ Th ligature? Does any good come from vanity projects? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.



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01 Jul 17:57

20+ resources for learning web design & development

by Cameron Chapman

Educational resourcesThere are tons of blogs, tutorial sites, and other resources out there that can teach you about web design and development. But what if you want something a little bit more formal, without actually having to go back to school?

That’s where resources like the ones below can come in handy. These sites offer courses modeled after those you’d find (or actually from) leading colleges and universities. They’re a great option if you’re not sure where to start, or if you want to bridge the gaps in your current training.

They can also be excellent options if you’ve taken courses in the past, but want to make sure your knowledge and skill-set is completely up to date.

Google Developers University Consortium

The Google Developers University Consortium offers a ton of great courses for developers interested in working with Google products. Of course that includes designing and programming for Android, as well as Google Maps, Google App Engine, and more. It also offers more general web technology courses, including an AJAX tutorial, PHP development, and information on GIS and KML.

In addition to using the University Consortium for learning, you can also submit a course, including course materials, assignments, lectures, and projects. The only catch is that it has to be Creative Commons-licensed.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Dev.Opera

Dev.Opera can help you learn all the latest open web technologies, including JavaScript, CSS3, HTML5, and SVG. In addition to web technologies, Dev.Opera also offers up courses and tutorials on Add-Ons, Mobile, and TV. And of course if you have information to share with the Opera development community, you can submit your own articles.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Lynda.com

Lynda.com is one of the largest premium tutorial sites for software, business, and creative topics. They have over 1900 video courses, all by expert teachers. For $25/month, you get unlimited access to all of their courses, making it a good deal for anyone who wants constant access to new learning materials.

Lynda.com’s courses are all mobile-friendly, so you don’t have to be chained to your computer to learn. And you can even create your own custom playlists of the courses you want to watch, which can then be shared with others (of course, they’ll need their own Lynda.com account to watch those videos). Lynda.com does offer a free 7-day trial, so you can test the waters before you commit.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Don’t Fear the Internet

Don’t Fear the Internet is a little different from other resources on this list. It covers basic HTML and CSS, but was specifically created for non-web designers, and is instead aimed at creatives in general.

So far there are seven lessons, covering typography, targeting content, CSS, developer tools, HTML, and even a basic primer on the internet. Every lesson is delivered in video format, but with text notes you can easily refer to later.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

P2PU’s School of Webcraft

P2PU’s School of Webcraft is a peer-powered learning environment that’s backed by Mozilla. It’s all completely free, and you can take individual courses or complete beta challenges to test your current knowledge.

Current courses offered include basics like choosing web hosting or a text editor, as well as more advanced topics like Coffeescript and PHP. There are even courses offered in Spanish. And like most resources of its kind, you can create and submit your own courses, too.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Codecademy

Codecademy lets you interactively learn to code, all for free. There are courses for everything from basic HTML to JavaScript to Ruby and other more complex programming languages.

The nice thing about Codecademy is its incredibly interactive nature. Every single lesson includes an interactive element that helps you retain the information you’ve learned. This is a big deal for those who learn by doing, rather than just by reading or listening.

In addition to standard courses, Codecademy also has a strong community where you can join groups to code with others, as well as profiles that let you show off badges and progress.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Code School

Code School is another online learning environment that stresses learning by doing. They offer “Paths” that give you a clearcut list of courses you should take to learn different disciplines. there are paths for Ruby, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and iOS. They also offer “Electives”, which cover topics outside of the basic Paths, including Git, R, and Chrome DevTools.

Code School offers both free and premium courses, with the most basic courses generally offered for free. And of course, you don’t have to follow the pre-defined Paths if you’d prefer to strike out on your own.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Udacity

Udacity offers up courses in a number of technology and design related areas. There are classes on web development, HTML5 game development, programming languages, interactive 3D graphics, and even topics like building a startup.

The courses are free, and are all highly interactive. Video lectures are bite-sized, meaning you can learn at your own pace without having to sit through hours of someone speaking. And of course all the instructors are industry leaders, so you’re learning from the best.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Why’s (Poignant) Guide to Ruby

Why’s (Poignant) Guide to Ruby is one of the best free Ruby courses online. It’s funny, easy to follow, and has great illustrations and comic strips included that really help drive the concepts home.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Udemy

Udemy offers courses from leading instructors around the world. A lot of the courses offered are tech- and design-focused, though there are also some great courses about startups and other topics.

Udemy also lets you teach your own courses, and earn money doing so. Courses range in price from only a few dollars right up to hundreds, depending on the subject, instructor, and length. There are even some free courses, though you might have to dig to find them.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Skillfeed

Skillfeed is a relatively new offering from Shutterstock. They offer a paid monthly subscription (just $19/month) to access courses, though there’s a 7-day free trial as well.

Courses are focused on technical and creative skills, and there are also “Skill Snacks” that offer up quick tips and tricks that you can learn in just a few minutes. Skillfeed video classes can be accessed from your desktop, laptop, or mobile device, too, so you can learn anywhere.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Treehouse

Treehouse offers a huge library of step-by-step video courses and tutorials for a variety of in-demand technologies. You can learn to build websites and web apps, mobile apps, or even how to start a business.

There are currently over 1000 videos in the library, with more being added all the time to keep you up-to-date. As you complete courses, you’ll earn badges you can proudly display on your profile to show your achievements. And each course has interactive elements to make it easier for you to retain the information you learn.

Pricing ranges from $25-$49/month, depending on which plan you choose. The more expensive Gold plan gives you access to feedback on your projects, as well as additional information and workshops.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Coursera

Coursera offers courses on a huge number of subjects, including a robust catalog of information, tech, and design courses. Courses in these subject areas include topics like social media, data science, creativity, innovation, metadata, digital democracy, and much more. Courses are offered on a regular basis, and are done more like a traditional college with weekly lessons and assignments. Each course runs from just five or six weeks up to 19 weeks or more.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Tuts+ Premium Courses

The Tuts+ Network has been a leader in design and technology tutorials for years, with both free and premium resources. Now, their Tuts+ Premium Courses give a more formal educational environment for learning about some of your favorite topics. There are courses on everything from parallax scrolling in web design to jQuery to web application design. Most courses run a dozen to two dozen lessons, though there are some that fall outside of those parameters.

Courses are available to all Tuts+ Premium members (who also get the benefit of hundreds of tutorials and 73 ebooks, as well as weekly new content). Tuts+ Premium membership is $19/month (or $15/month if you pay yearly). They do offer two free courses if you want to try it out: 30 Days to Learn HTML and CSS, and 30 Days to Learn jQuery.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Timothy Training

Timothy Training offers tutorials for a number of web technologies and programs, including Dreamweaver, HTML and CSS, PHP, MySQL, and more. They also offer live training and even on-site training.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

OpenLearn

OpenLearn is the online home of the free courses from The Open University. They offer courses on a huge variety of subjects, including technology and design. The Design and Innovation category has some great courses that would be of interest to a web designer, including Design in a Nutshell, while the Computing and ICT category has more technical courses, including classes on open source, Google, design thinking, and more.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

iTunes U

iTunes U is probably one of the better known online educational portals out there, with courses from some leading educational institutions around the world. They offer courses designed by schools, colleges, universities, and other organizations from around the world.

Courses can be found by searching or browsing, as well as by looking through the top-rated charts. There are even topical collections put together by top institutions. There are a number of courses and collections aimed at designers and developers, including Developing Apps for iOS, iOS Game Development, Talking Design, and Creative Media. iTunes U can be accessed through any iOS device. Educators also have the option to create their own courses.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Academic Earth

Academic Earth offers free courses from colleges around the world in a variety of subjects, including Introduction to Visual Thinking, Building Dynamic Websites, and Computer Graphics. Lessons are presented in video format.

Courses offered through Academic Earth are presented by institutions including Harvard University, Dartmouth College, Columbia University, Cornell University, Indian Institute of Technology, MIT, and more.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

KillerPHP.com

KillerPHP.com was created to teach practical PHP skills to web designer types, rather than developers. They offer up video tutorials on PHP and MySQL. You can subscribe for just $29 for 3 months or $99 for 12 months, or purchase courses individually.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

WebDesign.com

WebDesign.com approaches online learning a bit differently than most of the other sites listed here. Instead of letting you simply watch video lessons on your own time, they offer live, interactive webinars. Webinars are also included in their video training library, which subscribers have complete access to.

They offer some live webinars for free (mostly on non-technical subjects), while others are only available to members. Membership is $197 for a full year, which includes access to the full library as well as their library. Monthly and yearly subscriptions to just the live webinars are also available, for $47 and $97 respectively.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Web Standards Curriculum

If you’re interested in learning web standards, then the Web Standards Curriculum, offered by W3C, is a great place to start. It covers everything from web design standards to HTML to CSS, and even has information on JavaScript, accessibility, mobile web development, and SVG.

They also include resources aimed at teachers, with additional references, teaching materials, and project activities.

20+ resources for learning web design & development

 

Conclusion

Regardless of what you want or need to learn, you’ll almost certainly find what you’re looking for at one of the sites above. They’re a nice way to educate yourself without the cost of a formal education, but with more direction than just randomly surfing tutorials.

Have you used any of the resources above? Or did we miss any you think should have made the list? Let us know in the comments.



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20+ resources for learning web design & development


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26 Jun 18:02

AmazonFresh Delivers Your Local Food, Poses Serious Threat to Grocers

by Cameron Simcik
Meatigloo

I'm that weird sorta person who likes buying local AND buying shit online, so this is kinda perfect.

Amazon Fresh

When it comes to keeping up with our fast-paced culture, convenience is key. This is particularly true with everyday tasks like grocery shopping. See, sometimes just making the trip to buy your daily diet of Swedish Fish, Hot Cheetos and Vitamin Water (gotta keep it healthy, yo) can be a big pain. Lucky for us, the folks over at Amazon have offered us a handy solution: AmazonFresh.

Via AmazonFresh’s site or mobile app, customers can browse and buy groceries and home essentials, plus the usual products like books and tech gadgets, all with the tap of your finger. The service even includes deliveries from local markets, bakeries and restaurants.

At the moment, the service is only available for the Los Angeles and Seattle area. In the meantime, grocery stores should watch out for this online competition looming on the horizon. The concept of being able to order groceries from the comfort of one’s home is not one to be taken lightly, especially when presented in a simplified, appealing fashion. Check out a peek of the “grocery aisle” below to see what we mean.

amazonfresh

Excuse us while we hole up in the office eating Hot Cheetos, watching Netflix and never seeing the light of day again. Thanks, Amazon.

PicThx AmazonFresh

The post AmazonFresh Delivers Your Local Food, Poses Serious Threat to Grocers appeared first on Foodbeast.

26 Jun 17:51

Healthy Food Hacks: Swap Butter for Prunes + More Delicious Substitutions

by Erika Grant

Egg-Swaps

Be honest: You love butter. All of that rich, melting, golden goodness that runs in delicious little rivulets down the sides of your favorite baked goods and makes dessert the best part of pretty much any meal? It’s basically ecstasy for your taste buds.

Unfortunately, it’s also really freaking bad for you and hits your arteries with a cholesterol-raising punch after every indulgent bite. Not wanting to die young is a pretty great motivator to turn your back on butter forever, but let’s be real: A life without pastries is a life not worth living. That’s where the prunes come in. Turns out that substituting prunes for butter in cookies, cake, and brownie recipes significantly cuts down on fat and sugar while still keeping the flavor factor in check. And the best part? It’s not just prunes. The folks over at Greatist have compiled a master infographic of all the different substitutions your average healthy baker can make to reduce the death-by-cholesterol factor in all of your favorite baked goods. You might side-eye the idea of substituting beans for flour or using flax meal instead of eggs, but at the end of the day you’re chowing down on some delicious chocolate cake and your arteries can party on for a few more decades. Sounds like a win/win situation to us. Peep the infographic below:

subs

H/T + PicThx Greatist

The post Healthy Food Hacks: Swap Butter for Prunes + More Delicious Substitutions appeared first on Foodbeast.

26 Jun 11:18

30 Photographs Showcasing Age

by Eric Shafer
Meatigloo

As much as I like this photo-set, it made me realize how few color photos of the elderly there are and how they almost always take the same tones of sadness. Photographing the elderly shouldn't default to capturing the depression of having lived the best of your life, but that's almost always what I see. Guess what I'm saying is getting old has to have more to it than being colorless and sad all the time!

When working in photography, focusing on a specific concept is one of the best ways to ensure a creative and well-executed result. While some photographers can just shoot a series of photographs randomly and achieve great results, most quality photographs are the result of painstaking planning and skill. Concept matters and is a key component...
26 Jun 11:11

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

by Kendra Gaines
Meatigloo

Been trying an Adobe-free design diet for a few months now and the withdraws have been something awful. Having a list of alternatives to ease me off it is wonderful!

thumbnailWe’re all familiar with Adobe Creative Cloud (née Creative Suite). Popular favorites are Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Fireworks. They’re great tools that are extremely powerful, get the job done and help create the best product for designers and consumers.

However, Adobe’s switch to a subscription model has infuriated some users; many swearing off the software giant’s applications, and searching the web for alternatives.

Whether you object to Adobe’s market dominance, can’t afford a Creative Cloud subscription, or just think it’s healthy to use a range of software, there are alternatives to the CC behemoth. Small independent software houses and international mega-corps offer plenty of choice for non-Adobe web design. Below are some of the best to get you started.

Graphics and illustration

Sketch ($49.99)

Bohemian coding’s Sketch is being touted by many as a viable alternative to Fireworks. At $49.99 it’s an affordable alternative to high-end vector applications like Illustrator.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Stencyl (from $79 per year)

Stencyl is a game creation platform that claims to create an easier workflow for you while rendering beautiful results. The best part of Stencyl is it exports using Flash or HTML5, depending on your preference. This is a great alternative to Adobe Flash and a great way to use HTML5 to create games and apps for interactive designs.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Pixelmator 2.1 ($14.99)

It’s tough to find a formidable bitmap application to rival Adobe’s Photoshop. We all use it and use all it’s features heavily. Pixelmator is a decent program that does pretty much everything Photoshop does. Of major importance is the fact that Pixelmator is built primarily for Mac OS so it links well to other Mac programs. Pixelmator is currently available in the Mac App Store for $14.99.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Gimp ($Donation)

It’s almost impossible to talk about design programs without mentioning Gimp as a close second to Photoshop. This open source solution is used for photo and image retouching, composition and authoring. Gimp also has the ability to create animated GIFs and MPEG files that can be used online.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Inkscape ($Donation)

Inkscape is an open source vector images editor that’s very similar to programs like Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw. You can create almost anything in such a program whether it’s a logo or website design. Inkspace is also relevant to those of us who want to create and support SVG capabilities; Inkscape supports this file format which makes it easier to use online.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Acorn 4 ($49.99)

Acorn is seen strictly as an image editor because it’s so simple. Sure, you can create more complex things like website designs and such, but Acorn is really great for enhancing your images. It’s quick and easy and many of the effects are editable and non-destructible. This is definitely great for the developer who doesn’t want to design a full website, but wants to make sure their images are correctly edited first. 

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Coding and development

Sublime Text ($70)

If you’re not into WYSIWG (What You See Is What You Get) HTML editors, then this is probably the text editor for you. It’s extremely sophisticated, easy to use and it just makes sense. It has excellent predictive code to help you create clean files. It also formats your code cleanly (if you let it). There are so many great features Sublime has to offer to make coding understandable and easy whether you’re a beginner or pro. 

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Microsoft Silverlight ($Free)

Silverlight can fit just as well into a graphics application, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll make it about development. Silverlight is a framework that’s dedicated to helping create rich Internet applications. It’s considered the necessary framework for creating Windows Phone applications, but the support for Silverlight hasn’t gone widespread, and with the collapse of the Flash market and the rise of jQuery animation, it’s questionable how long it will be around.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

BlueGriffon ($Free)

BlueGriffon is a WYISWYG editor that’s based on the rendering engine of Firefox. They claim their interface is extremely easy to use for beginners and advanced developers as well. BlueGriffon is great for those of us who want to create web sites that still maintain the necessary web standards. It’s not the most beautiful application, but it gets the job done. 

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Free HTML Editor ($Free)

First and foremost, this application is only for those of you using Windows. This HTML editor is a slimmed down version of the popular CoffeeCup Editor, but it still maintains some of the features used such as Code Cleaner which makes sure your code is squeaky clean. It’s a WYISWG editor that focuses on making development easy for all skill levels. This is a great tool if you’re looking for something and are a Windows user, there’s also a more advanced version at $69 should you wish to upgrade.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

CoffeeCup Web Editor ($69)

This is the Free HTML Editor’s big brother, this time developed for MacOS. This powerful application allows you to make whole sites and get started in seconds. If you’re familiar with Dreamweaver, a lot of what you can do with that is available here in this Web Editor. You can link your files, upload via FTP and so much more with this tool. This Web Editor is available for only $69 which is honestly a steal for the features and value.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

KompoZer ($Donation)

There are two groups of people who should be using KompoZer: the person who knows everything about coding or the person who knows nothing about coding. There’s no in between. KompoZer is extremely basic and isn’t as caught up in the fanciness as a CoffeeCup Web Editor may be. However, it’s still great for the pro who wants to check his work or the beginner who wants to fool around to see if they can make something.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Other tools

Flow ($4.99)

As you can see, Flow claims to be the Mac’s best FTP + SFTP Client. Right off the bat, I’d have to agree. FTP’s (as you’ll see as you scroll down further) aren’t the most intuitive things in the world. You typically just find a way to upload your files and kind of go your ways. Flow has so many features that just make sense, like the ability to copy URLS, drag and drop files easily and preview images and files as you go along. Flow is available in the Mac App Store for $4.99 I recommend you all get it if you’re fed up with your old FTP client. 

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Transmit ($34)

One of the most relied on FTP clients on the Mac, if you’re looking to replace that upload feature in Dreamweaver you should definitely check out Transmit. The Disk feature, allowing you to launch any of your saved favorites directly in the finder is awesome.

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Cyberduck ($Donation)

This open-source FTP client is a little different because it’s been developed to work with your favorite cloud service. The interface is a bit easier to use than most standard FTPs, but it’s nothing that’s extremely out of the ordinary. Cyberduck gets the job done while working with your cloud storage for Mac and Windows. 

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

Prototypes ($39.99)

Earlier we talked about some platforms that make it easier to make rich applications. Prototypes is a simple tool that I think most designers, as well as app developers will want to work with. It shares and tests iPhone apps as you still design them. You can take your stand alone images from Photoshop, Illustrator or wherever and use Prototypes to make your application interactive. While it’s not exclusively web design, it’s definitely useful in making sure things work well for iPhone users. 

15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud

 

 

There’s something in this list for everyone interested in creating websites. You may have to pull a little trial and error to figure out what’s best for you and what works for your skill set. Web design and development is a very challenging task, but with the right tools and applications, anyone can create stellar sites in no time.

 

Will you be taking out a Creative Cloud subscription or hunting for alternatives? Have we missed any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments.



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15+ alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud


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25 Jun 12:00

An Update on the Jenny Slate-Penned Looney Tunes CGI Feature

by Amid Amidi
Meatigloo

You watch your mouth - Space Jam was a masterpiece!

We reported last September that comedian and former Saturday Night Live performer Jenny Slate had been hired to script a new CGI/live-action Looney Tunes reboot. She recently updated Splitsider on her progress:

“I don’t know what I’m allowed to say about it, but I will say that I love writing it and I love the research that I did for it, which is basically watch one million cartoons and categorize all the characters. It’s a really, really fun world to be in. It’s just an instant, really fast, punchy fun world, and the people that I work with at Warner Brothers and at [production companies] Heyday and KatzSmith are so nice to me. I’ve never written a movie before, and there are a lot of questions I have to ask that I feel are very stupid. They actually had to give me the new version of Final Draft, and I had to like buy a new computer. They seem to just put faith in my ideas and because they’ve always been supportive of me as a creative person, writing this has been a real pleasure and I’m proud that they let me do it. I love it, and I like the story that I’ve written a lot. You know, we’ll see. I don’t know. There might be somebody else there writing one that’s better, but I like the one that I’m writing. So, that’s all I can say. What else can I do except for like the shit that I’m doing and try to not be an asshole?”

It’ll be interesting to watch what Slate comes up with and whether the producers (which include Jeffrey Katzenberg’s son David) move forward with her treatment. It’s in her favor that the last two Looney Tunes features—Space Jam and Looney Tunes: Back in Action—were comedic duds, and that there hasn’t been a truly funny or memorable version of the Looney Tunes characters since the 1950s. Unlike many other well known properties that are being revived nowadays, there’s no pressure to live up to any contemporary standard for this group of characters because every revival/reboot is seemingly more awful than the last.

Also noteworthy, in the same article Slate says she’s working with her husband, Dean Fleischer-Camp, to develop an independently funded stop motion feature about Marcel the Shell, the character that she co-created with Fleischer-Camp and which became a breakout online hit thanks to the animated short Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.

24 Jun 17:40

WATCH: Chronicle writer Max Landis’s Superman rant

by Vince Mancini

Max-Landis-Superman-Rant

Say what you will about Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel movie, one thing he has done is to give comic book fans the gift they desire above all else: something to argue over for years to come. Here, Chronicle screenwriter Max Landis (son of John Landis) was set to record a bit for Trailers From Hell when he ranted for nine straight minutes about Man of Steel, the concept of Superman, and the state of the modern superhero movie in general. Want to finish a screenplay? It helps to have this kind of passion.

Lengthy, spoiler-y block quote to follow (SPOILER ALERT – I’ll put the more spoilery stuff below the cut), but he essentially expresses a similar Man of Steel critique as I did in my review, which follows a general pattern that I’ve noticed in almost all Man of Steel critiques (the positive and negative ones). Which is basically that the film makes you remember all the great things about superman, but then devolves into a hero-villain showdown that’s at best hackneyed and kind of dull (my take), and at worst EVERYTHING THAT’S WRONG WITH SUPERHERO MOVIES AND BY EXTENSION SOCIETY TODAY!

“I’m interested in movies where character drives story. Movies where story drives story don’t really interest me. [...]

No one gets what’s special about Superman. In a pop way. What’s special about Superman, is that his parents didn’t f*cking die. He’s not a selfish, post-traumatic sissy who needed to have his parents shot to death in front of him to understand that maybe you should help people and that crime is wrong and murder is bad. His Uncle Ben didn’t need to be killed in front of him basically by his own hand to drive the point home that if you have superpowers you should use them to help people.[...]

He’s just a guy from Kansas who has the best superpowers. And instead of absolute power corrupting absolutely, it has absolved him from fear, and greed, and hate, and all of the weaknesses that stem from human insecurity.

“That scenario where he basically allows Zod to destroy all of Metropolis, where he attempts to beat him in a punching contest? And then he’s forced to kill him? I have to believe Superman would kill Zod immediately if the alternative was 100,000 dead people.

It shouldn’t be a city-destroying sequence. It should be two guys fighting in space, or on the moon…

… [Man of Steel] reminded me of Transformers 3, or the end of Avengers. Everything ends in the same city-destroying, pandemonium, terrorist attack from space. Everything gets leveled and all of these people die and then the next scene it’s like “hey, you want to go to a baseball game?” No! The teams are all dead! Why are we in this office?

“I guess what I’m saying isn’t so much an opinion on the Man of Steel. It’s more about the way superhero movies have become… at the end of all of these movies, all I’m seeing is fire and death. And that confuses the living sh*t out of me, because everybody’s going to these movies and they’re all making so much money. And at the end, a hero stands tall as all of society crumbles behind him. That isn’t a superhero to me; a guy who stands there when everyone else is dead. That’s like a rock star. I don’t want to see movies about rock stars. Put the hero back in the super hero movies, because I think ‘super’ might have taken over.”

He’ll probably get some blowback for being kind of smarmy about Chronicle at the end there, but I found myself agreeing with nearly everything he said. And again, a person who gets overly emotional and passionate about these things is exactly the kind of person you want writing screenplays.

One place I have to disagree is “I don’t want to see movies about rock stars.” I agree up to a point, but… we still have Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, right? Because every time he chews scenery, I want to rip my shirt off and light my tits on fire. (*stamps feet to “We Will Rock You”*)

[hat tip: QuietEarth]

23 Jun 20:19

Revisiting the “Mrs. Doubtfire” Cartoon Directed by Chuck Jones

by Michael Ruocco
Meatigloo

I didn't know the short cartoon featured at the beginning of 'Mrs. Doubtfire' was directed by Chuck Jones! I had always thought they used old footage since it was for such a short segment of the film. Realizing the cartoon was created with such attention to detail deserves a rewatch.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Chris Columbus’ comedy Mrs. Doubtfire. In the opening of the film, Robin Williams plays a voice-over artist who is recording lines for a cartoon that has already been made. (Yes, that’s out of order for a standard cartoon production, but for entertainment’s sake, we’ll let it slide).

The cartoon was supervised by legendary Warner Bros. director Chuck Jones, and animated by a small team of A-list animators that included legends like Bill Littlejohn and Tom Ray, and younger animators like Eric Goldberg. Coincidentally, Goldberg was also animating to the voice of Robin Williams for another animated project around the same period—the Genie in Aladdin.

In the film, we see barely a minute’s worth of animation of the two main characters—Pudgy Parakeet and Grunge the Cat. But in reality, Chuck Jones and his crew animated five minutes of material. This was never publicly shown until it was included several years afterward as a bonus feature on the Mrs. Doubtfire DVD.

While the cartoon doesn’t break any new ground in terms of execution or gags, and doesn’t even have a proper ending (it ends with a repeating cycle of Pudgy enjoying a cigarette for thirty seconds), the short has its moments. Williams voices all three characters, and it’s enjoyable listening to his vocal delivery. The animation, being much more fluid than Jones’ typical output of the period, is lively and filled with the energy of his classic cartoons from the mid-1950s.

The story doesn’t end there, though. Apparently, Chuck Jones wasn’t too keen on the backgrounds, feeling that they were overly detailed. So Jones had the cartoon completely reshot with new backgrounds that reflected a more subdued graphic style. As an added bonus, here’s the alternate version:

And just for good measure, here is a two-minute pencil test:

18 Jun 17:50

Off My Mind: Why 'Man of Steel' Wasn't a Superman Movie

Meatigloo

I agree on all of these points, but the glaring problem with the movie was the entire plot! Why couldn't Zod & Co. just go to another planet? They had a terraformer! They were going to destroy Earth anyway. Why not rebuild on Mars or something?

Man of Steel hit theaters this past weekend like Superman punching through a brick wall. It was a spectacular movie with great visuals and some truly touching scenes. Yet the movie didn't seem to be the Superman movie some wanted.

Let's be up front and clear on this. This is strictly my opinion. You've already seen Gregg's Comic Vine review for the movie. We even debated some of the things we did and didn't like over email. We are all entitled to different opinions. I am not knocking the creative process of this movie. It just didn't really feel like a "Superman movie."

Let's also note there will be spoilers for the movie.

Who is Superman supposed to be? He is a hero we can all look up to. Some of those that complain about him refer to him as the "Big Blue Boy Scout." He's the hero that can do no wrong. And as mentioned in this movie and comics, he's supposed to be a symbol of HOPE.

In a day where many young kids aren't too familiar with Superman (there isn't an ongoing show and the title of the movie and trailers make no mention of his name). This could have been a huge leap in connecting with new fans of all ages. Perhaps it still can and will. The problem is a huge part of who Superman is supposed to be was altered in big ways.

The movie did have some great moments. We got to see the struggle of young Clark trying to fit in and showing restraint against the bullies of the world. Kevin Costner did a superb job as Pa Kent, doing everything he could to protect his "son." There were many scenes filled with emotion and it looked like we were getting the Superman movie we've been waiting for these past several years.

Even thought this was nearly two and a half hours, there were parts that felt rushed. Lois Lane managed to easily uncover Clark's trail that must have covered years of his life. Yes, she is one of the greatest reporters around but, in the movie, it felt like she had no difficulty in tracking down this mysterious super-man to the Kent Farm. Clark may have grown up on a farm but he did manage to wiggle his way as part of the crew in a top secret government research center. The passing of time also flew by when Clark finally discovered who he was and quickly put on the suit. But these are things I could easily overlook.

Once we see Superman in costume, he seemed to not possess that need to put all others above himself. Yes, I know he makes a sacrifice at the end, we'll get to that in a moment. Whether it was Pa's words of wisdom in putting himself first, Clark seemed to struggle back and forth with the notion. He did give himself up to Zod in order to save the entire planet. Unfortunately when the attack against his mother occurred, he made no effort to try to remove the fight to a safer location. Downtown Smallville had to fend for themselves. He did manage to get Zod away from the farm but also left the other Kryptonians there with Ma.

Superman made no effort to try to protect the innocent townspeople of Smallville. During the big showdown in Metropolis, the same could be said but on a massively larger scale. Did most residents in Metropolis manage to evacuate before the buildings started to topple? Again, Superman made no effort to try to move the fight elsewhere. Granted, up against others with the same level of power, it wouldn't be the easiest thing. Even in the aftermath when it appeared Zod was defeated, Superman just stood there while thousands were likely trapped under rubble. "Hey Lois, how you doing?"

Again, even this could be overlooked. He was still a "new" hero. He may not have been as heroic as we expect Superman to be but he did push himself as far as he could. He did overall save the day. The fact that many innocents were harmed probably was meant to give the movie a bigger feel. It made the danger more severe.

Then there was that final scene with Zod. Why didn't the movie simply end with Zod pouting in the ravaged destruction of Metropolis? Instead, Superman does the one thing he's not supposed to do. He kills Zod.

You could call this heroic. He gave up his personal moral (that we assume he had) and ended one life in order to save others. He showed an extreme level of remorse and you could utterly feel his pain. The scene was simply completely unnecessary. I'm not a prude. I'm not old fashioned. I just don't see why we have to have a movie, one that introduces Superman to a new crowd, where the hero has no choice but to kill.

Isn't Superman supposed to be better than us?

Why is Hollywood determined to have the villains die at the end? Norman Osborn in Spider-Man, Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2, Two-Face, Ra's al Ghul, etc in the recent Batman movies. I understand this was a PG-13 movie but Superman doesn't kill in the comics. Lois also doesn't say "dick" and so on. Is killing and profanity the only way to appeal to the average movie-goer?

I am aware that Superman has killed before. He did kill Zod before, a Zod from a "pocket dimension" (in SUPERMAN #22 in 1988). He was so filled with remorse and questioned his place. This lead to Superman exiling himself into space.

Superman shouldn't have to kill. In the scene in question in the movie, maybe he didn't have another way. That's debatable. Perhaps it would take careful scrutiny and a repeated viewing. Could he have blocked the heat vision with his hand? Could Superman have found the strength to overpower Zod, just as he managed to overpower that gravity machine? Maybe Superman was just really tired, right?

I wouldn't go so far as to say it was a horrible movie. I did enjoy moments of it. Am I too close to the character since a Spanish Superman/Flash comic was the first comic I ever saw or because I used to have a Superman MEGO that I played with until his leg fell off or because I have a tattoo with Kryptonian writing? There should always be another solution. And the filmmakers could have come up with another angle/ending.

Man of Steel may have been a good movie. It just wasn't the Superman movie I was hoping for.

14 Jun 17:55

Here’s a Bunch of Concept Art From the American-Set Akira to Remind You That Someone Thought it Was a Good Idea

by Susana Polo
Meatigloo

Meh. As much as I'm against the white-washing of Akira, I think the concept art's pretty cool.


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Yeah, you’d just managed to forget that Warner Bros. was developing a live action Akira movie removed entirely from its context of postwar, post-nuclear horror Japan and set instead in New York with white American actors in the leading roles. Now that you’ve remembered, you might as well feed that anger this concept art.

(Crunchyroll via io9.)

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07 Jun 17:46

Krispy Kreme Offers Free Donuts for National Donut Day

by Charisma Madarang
Meatigloo

When I worked at Krispy Kreme, they gave free donuts out whenever we made a fresh batch. That light saying, "FRESH HOT DONUTS" would turn on and hords of people would pour into the shop waiting for their free donut. So Free Donut Day is more, "Meh" because it's not guaranteeing hot, fresh donuts, just a plain ol' donut.

krispy-kreme-donut

In case you haven’t heard: It’s National Donut Day today. To celebrate, Krispy Kreme is offering a free donut at any of its participating locations in the US and Canada. There’s no purchase necessary and guests can choose donuts of any variety.

I recommend stopping everything you’re doing immediately and heading there now. FREE DONUTS, for goodness sake.

If you’re still reading (ugh, no one ever listens to me), lets take this moment to appreciate dear ol’ America. Where else in the world can you revel in a day dedicated to feasting on glazed bits of fried cake?

Exactly.

free-donuts-today

Head over here to find a participating Krispy Kreme near you.

H/T GrubGrade + PicThx Krispy Kreme

The post Krispy Kreme Offers Free Donuts for National Donut Day appeared first on Foodbeast.

06 Jun 17:24

Why Google Web Designer is more of a threat to designers than it is to Adobe

by webmaster@digitalartsonline.co.uk (Neil Bennett)
Meatigloo

I whole-heartedly believe that there's more to being a web designer than understanding HTML. Sure, a company can go the free route (this is currently an option), but they may lack the marketing/design skills to make that site successful.

How Google's version of Adobe Edge Animate could lead to you losing work.
    


23 May 13:10

Striking Japanese art created solely in Microsoft Excel

by SMaine
Meatigloo

Quick - Nobody tell Adobe!

We're not joking - these masterpieces were entirely created using software designed for filling in spreadsheets. Find out how artist Tatsuo Hourichi did it.
    


17 May 17:54

A&W Wants to Clip Mini Billboard Ads to Your Beard

by Charisma Madarang
Meatigloo

My husband needs to grow his beard back in - mama wants some of that billboard cash!

beard-ads

It’s about high time we made use of manly manes and one of the world’s most valuable natural resources: Beards.

At least, that’s what A&W was thinking when they signed up with a Kentucky-based agency to create “beardboards.” According to Biz Insider, the “half-joke, half genius” scheme involves paying men with beards $5 a day to walk around with a mini ad clipped to their facial hair.

“We’re getting a ton of emails from guys with epic beards that want to host beardboards and we’re actually in talks with some brands that want to be Beardvertisers. I think we’ll probably be seeing some beardboards in the wild before too long,” said agency Cornett-IMS’s Whit Hiler.

I can imagine this working really well on a first date:

Girl: So, what do you do for a living? (The inevitable, dreaded question.)

Guy: I sell beard space. 

Girl: You what?

Guy: I’m a beardvertiser! *Points to a mini billboard of bacon burgers clipped to his beard*

Girl: God, that’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

I mean, look at the potential:

brad-pitt-beard

cast_away tom hanks

hagrid

gandalf

Foodbeast’s very own, Rudeluv. Too presh <3

rudy!

H/T Biz Insider + PixThx Prepster Punk, Stranger Diaries, Intuition, Epic Beards

The post A&W Wants to Clip Mini Billboard Ads to Your Beard appeared first on Foodbeast.

16 May 17:53

Help make Abercrombie and Fitch synonymous with homelessness

by Cory Doctorow
Meatigloo

Your heart's in the right place, but isn't there currently a surplus of donated clothing to begin with? I recently read a report that we have so much clothing we SELL IT TO WASH CLOTH AND CAR INSULLATION COMPANIES! The excess that doesn't sell (there's that much) then gets shipped off to Africa, essentially killing the culture and economy over there. So yeah, encouraging people to donate clothes they'll probably replace in a month is kind of a bad idea.

As you know, Abercrombie and Fitch is a horrible shitshow of a company whose owner refuses to make large sized clothes so that "unattractive people" can't wear them, and who burns surplus clothing rather than donating it to charity to keep their clothes off poor peoples' backs. So Gkarber has set out to make the brand synonymous with homelessness, by clearing out thrift shops' supply of A&F and bringing it to skid row and giving it to homeless people. He'd like you to participate by clearing out your closets and donating any A&F to your local homeless charity..

Abercrombie & Fitch Gets a Brand Readjustment #FitchTheHomeless

    


16 May 17:32

Remember When We Said Man of Steel‘s Jimmy Olsen Might Be a Woman? We Have New Info On That.

by Rebecca Pahle
Meatigloo

Dear God - They're pulling a Smallville! Guessing Jenny's gonna get killed off and Jimmy with honor her by taking up her old job at the Planet.

Earlier this year speculation arose that Man of Steel might be genderswapping Jimmy Olsen. There’s no Jimmy in the movie, the theory goes, but there is a Jenny Olsen, and she’s seen in the trailer running away from an explosion with Perry White, which would seem to suggest that she has something to do with the Daily Planet. After that initial rush of “OMG they might genderswap Jimmy Olsen, that would be so cool!,” the whole thing kind of died down.

Until now. If this new detail we’ve seen is true, you can count that rumor as…

[possible spoilers behind the cut, unmarked]

…debunked.

The information comes courtesy ScreenCrush, which posted several new Man of Steel pics this morning, one of them of White (Laurence Fishburne) and Olsen (Rebecca Buller). Along with the pics there’s this (emphasis mine):

“…there are still a lot of ‘Man of Steel’ surprises in store. One of those surprises is the confirmation below that Clark Kent’s longtime pal and Daily Planet colleague Jimmy Olsen has been replaced by Jenny Olsen (played by Rebecca Buller). Jenny is reportedly not a straight genderswap of Jimmy Olsen but instead is described as his sister (but if she’s replacing Jimmy in the film, then isn’t it essentially just a genderswap?).”

Now, we don’t know where they got their information or how accurate it is. Jenny being Jimmy’s sister isn’t confirmed, but as things stand now Jenny-as-Jimmy isn’t looking likely. Like ScreenCrush says, if Jenny’s replacing Jimmy it is, effectively, a genderswap—so why the extra step of making Jenny Jimmy’s sister? If you want Jimmy’s role in the film to be filled by a woman, then just make Jimmy a woman. Jeez louise,  it’s not that hard.

That said, maybe the reason for the sister thing is that they’re holding Jimmy in reserve for a sequel? But if they’re going to bring Jimmy in anyway I see no reason for inventing the sister character. Maybe there is one. Maybe this all makes sense and David S. Goyer, who wrote the screenplay, has a really good reason for what looks on the surface like his completely unnecessary creation of a brand new character because he wanted Jimmy, but a lady.

I’m still going to send a side-eye Goyer’s way while listening to sad music in memoriam of Man of Steel‘s lost genderswap opportunity, though.

(via: Movies.com)

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14 May 17:33

The top 10 alternatives to Photoshop

by tommay
Meatigloo

Definitely going to have to check these out! The only downside to a Photoshop alternative is the apparent lack of a community (at least one as large as PS). Part of the reason I love PS is because of the tutorial sharing...

Photoshop's not the only image editor on the market. We round up the best alternatives to Adobe’s software.
    


10 May 17:23

No more Creative Suite: what does it mean?

by Cameron Chapman
Meatigloo

Boo! I don't think everyone constantly updates their Adobe software when a new version comes out, so the numbers breakdown for the monthly subscription costs don't appeal to me.

Sure, this might work well for a team of designers or something, but for the individual freelancer this is bullshit.

Creative CloudAdobe has just announced that Creative Suite will cease to exist after CS6 (in name at least), and be replaced exclusively by Creative Cloud. On its most basic level, that means there won’t be perpetual licenses for future Adobe products (though, for now, you’ll still be able to buy CS6 in that format) and instead all of their Creative Cloud software will be available by subscription only.

For creatives, this is a huge shift. Adobe has been the leader in graphics and web software for years (especially after their purchase of Macromedia), and designers and agencies are used to the perpetual license model. I’ve already been hearing complaints from some colleagues unhappy with the switch, though many of their complaints don’t really have much merit if you really break them down.

$50 a month?!?!

The price is probably the most common complaint I’ve been hearing. But if we break it down into long-term costs for the subscription compared to the cost of the perpetual licenses, the subscription actually comes out on top.

A new (not upgraded) license for Creative Suite 6 Master Collection is US$2,600. An upgrade license will cost you anywhere from $550 (if you already had the CS5.5 Master Collection) to over $1,000 (if you had any of the other CS5 or 5.5 products). Adobe has historically offered major upgrades every 18 months or so, which means the monthly breakdown is between $30 and $58 per month. And if you have to buy the entire Creative Suite new, then you’re looking at a cost of over $144/month for 18 months.

Adobe is offering CC subscriptions for new users for $50/month, and for “upgrade” users for just $30/month for the first year (and CS6 users will get an even steeper discount for the first year). The other big advantage is that you won’t have to fork over a large payment up front. This makes it much more affordable for new designers or small agencies, and will obviously reduce start-up costs for new freelancers or agencies. This could encourage a lot of great designers to strike out on their own.

 

I don’t want my work in the cloud!

The good news is that you don’t have to host any of your work in the cloud, and the software itself runs right on your computer, not online.

Granted, the cloud offers a lot of great features you might want to take advantage of, but there’s nothing that says you have to. You can keep using your CC products just like you’ve been using CS products for years.

And if your internet connection is down (either on purpose or because of connectivity problems), you don’t need to worry about your software not working. It only needs to connect to validate your license every 30 days, and with the annual plan it will still work for over 3 months (99 days) without validating. Of course, without internet access you won’t be able to access online CC features, but the software on your computer will still work fine.

 

But how do I pirate something in the cloud?

Okay, I haven’t heard this one expressed directly, but I’ve heard grumblings where the subtext is basically the same thing.

My answer for this is that you really shouldn’t be pirating the software in the first place.

Without getting into the entire moral and ethical debate surrounding software piracy and when it is or isn’t acceptable, let’s look at one small aspect of it: the biggest reason given for piracy is often that the product isn’t affordable. I can see where that was the case with CS, as it’s a very expensive professional program. Obviously your hobbyist or entry-level designer might not want or be able to spend thousands of dollars on software.

But Creative Cloud removes that expensive start-up cost. Most professional designers using Creative Suite products are making well over $50/month with the software. And there are free and low cost alternatives that will meet the needs of most hobbyists if they don’t want to spend that kind of money on a monthly basis.

I understand the frustration that many people who design as a hobby or just like to “play around” in Photoshop or another Adobe program, but at the same time, it’s certainly not Adobe’s job to make it possible to use their products without properly licensing them.

Adobe maintains that the added difficulty in pirating their products had nothing to do with their decision to transition to an entirely subscription-based product line, but I’m sure they’re finding it to be a nice little added bonus.

 

I only use Photoshop/Illustrator/etc! I don’t want to pay for everything!

There’s good news here: you don’t have to. There are plenty of people out there who only use Photoshop, or Illustrator, or any of the other Creative Cloud/Creative Suite products. And for those people, you can subscribe to just one program at a discounted rate of US$19.99/month.

This is a great option for those people who only use one product (like photographers who only use Photoshop or visual effects designers who only use After Effects).

 

More about the new subscription model

Students and teachers will still be able to get Creative Cloud at a deeply discounted rate of US$19.99/month ($29.99/month after June 25). The big bonus here is that they’ll get access to all of Adobe’s programs, rather than just the one or two they might need for their classes.

This opens up a lot of creative possibilities, as students and teachers will be able to more easily branch out into other media. We’re likely to see more designers familiar with motion graphics, more video editors proficient in audio editing, more photographers proficient in design, etc. And of course we’re more likely to see interesting projects coming out that combine disciplines.

In addition to the basic Creative Suite programs we’ve all become accustomed to, Creative Cloud offers some additional tools you might not have used before.

There’s the Digital Publishing Suite, which lets you create content and publish apps. There’s ProSite for managing and building your own professional portfolio site. Business Catalyst offers tools for website hosting and management. And Story CC Plus is available for collaborative screenwriting and production tasks (like scheduling and reporting). These are apps that a lot of designers and other creatives may not have tried before, but without any added cost, there’s no excuse not to now.

One of Adobe’s main reasons for switching to the cloud model is the ability to constantly update products and add features without a major product upgrade. These constant updates are good news for the creative community.

 

The verdict?

While transitioning to the cloud is going to be an unwelcome change for some designers and other creatives, overall, I think it’s good news for the industry and for creative pros. You’ll have access to more programs and more features for less money. And you’ll get updates on a more consistent basis, without added cost.

While I’m sure we’ll continue to hear complaints from some sectors of the design community, overall I think most creatives will embrace CC once they give it a chance.

 

Are you already a Creative Cloud subscriber? Are you happy about the change or do you have reservations? Let us know in the comments!



3,000 Items! MEGA Design Bundle – only $49!
No more Creative Suite: what does it mean?


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08 May 17:37

Zach Braff: Man of the People or Horrible Person? (Neither)

by Michael Schreiber
Meatigloo

I wonder if this whole Zach Braff debate will result in the creation of a filmmaker Kickstarter, similar to what Michael Schreiber mentioned in this article. It'd be great to see people fund a property they believe in with the added benefit of profit. It'd be like a stock market of entertainment!

Zach BraffEmmy winning writer/director/producer Ken Levine went after Zach Braff today in a blog post about the actor's recent foray into crowdfunding. The Scrubs alum has raised millions of dollars for his planned sequel to Garden State from regular folks, when the Hollywood money machine proved to be unavailable and/or undesirable.

Levine's argument is compelling. He essentially says that Kickstarter was created for people who don't have access to Hollywood. Braff obviously does, therefore his use of Kickstarter to fund his movie is tantamount to breaking the crowdfunding Code of Hammurabi. Following a deft takedown of Sundance for having become a tool of Hollywood rather than an alternative to it, Levine writes:

Sundance is a lost cause. But Kickstarter isn’t. Not if we put a stop to this now. If you only have so much money to give to charity, give it to cancer research and not to help redecorate Beyonce’s plane. Support young hungry filmmakers. The next Kevin Smith is out there… somewhere. He (or she) just needs a break, which is what Kickstarter is supposed to provide. Zach Braff can find his money elsewhere. He did once before. He’ll make his movie. And if it’s half as good as GARDEN STATE I will praise it to the heavens in this blog and urge you to go spend your money to check it out.

This argument assumes, however, that Hollywood doesn't make mistakes... that when they hear a pitch for a good movie, they always fund it. That's certainly not true. Plenty of good ideas never get made and plenty of bad ones do. Maybe Braff barked up every tree he could, and still couldn't get it funded. Or maybe he just wanted to make sure, as he notes on his Kickstarter page, that he would be able to maintain creative control. All of that seems fair to me. Successful actors, even rich ones, should have an alternative to the company store.

So, I don't have a problem with Zach Braff going to the public and asking for money in exchange for things like private screenings and meet and greets. (For $200 he'll scrawl your name on a wall that will appear in the film. Yay!) Now, just to be clear, I think people that willingly give their money to a millionaire in exchange for stuff that costs him nothing are nuts. I wouldn't fund a movie in exchange for that. But it's a free country. Each of us can do as we please with our money.

But consider this: Zach's raised close to $2.5 million for his movie from almost 35,000 people. If he'd raised that money from private investors, he'd have to pay that money back and give away a big chunk of the profits. Raising the money through Kickstarter - for the sequel to the enormously popular Garden State - means he doesn't have to pay anyone back and gets to keep all the profits.

He's a fucking genius.

Like I said, as well intentioned as Braff's investors are, I can't help but think of them as suckers on some level and like Levine, I'd won't participate. On the other hand, I'd almost certainly be willing to invest in a movie in which I believed in exchange for some of the back end. I know in most cases it'd be a gamble, but maybe my $250 could turn into $500 or $1000. If the movie tanked though, I'd be OK with it, because I'd helped produce something that meant something to me. That's a model that makes sense.

Maybe Braff and other independent filmmakers should be selling shares in their movies, not tickets to the after party. If they did that, those 35,000 investors would almost certainly act as guerilla marketers too. They'd have a real, tangible incentive to get the word out. In the end, the public would almost certainly get to see a lot more different types of movies... and a few of them might actually be pretty good.

Image Source: david_shankbone, via flickr

    


08 May 17:25

Disney Tried To Trademark Día de los Muertos, But Don’t Worry, The Internet Shut That Down Real Quick

by Rebecca Pahle
Meatigloo

Chalk this up to another story where Disney is the villain.

Yesterday the Internet flipped out in response to the news that Disney had filed several applications to trademark the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos, which is the subject of an upcoming Pixar film. The freak out-age is completely justified: Trademarking Día de los Muertos would be exploitative, appropriative, and disrespectful of Mexican culture, plus it’s just downright insane (owning trademark to a holiday? C’mon, Disney).

Luckily the massive amount of criticism got Disney to back off. We did it! We climbed this whole mountain.

Said Disney in a statement released last night:

“As we have previously announced, Disney-Pixar is developing an animated feature inspired by the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. Disney’s trademark filing was intended to protect any potential title for our film and related activities. It has since been determined that the title of the film will change, and therefore we are withdrawing our trademark filing.”

Suuuure, Disney. You withdrew the applications because you decided to change the title. Completely unrelated to people calling attention to your BS. Plus there’s the fact that, while they could have trademarked Día de los Muertos in the U.S., they might’ve had trouble doing the same in foreign markets, where the system’s not set up to allow a corporation to claim legal ownership of things that should be in the public domain. *coughfairytalescough*

The trademark applications now being de-submitted are those that would have applied to food (cereal, candy, etc.), cosmetics and toiletries, audio books and computer games, jewelry, “printed matter,” and all the other tie-in merch Disney’s still planning to sell. They’ll just have to do it under a different title now, one they can trademark.

So now let’s shift this conversation over from Disney trademarking Día de los Muertos to Pixar making a Día de los Muertos movie in the first place. Of note is the fact that there are actually two Día de los Muertos in development; the not-Pixar one is being directed by Jorge R. Gutierrez and produced by Guillermo del Toro, both of whom actually are Mexican. The Pixar version, on the other hand, has non-Mexican Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 2 and 3, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc.) as its director. As long as the final result is respectful of Día de los Muertos, is it OK that Pixar’s making this movie? Or is an American company and a white American director making a movie about a holiday that’s an important part of another culture inherently too problematic to live? Sound off in the comments.

(via: Deadline, Stitch Kingdom)

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03 May 17:25

A little conversation with Tyler Stout

by marcos333
Meatigloo

Tyler Stout makes pretty things! It's stuff like this that makes me never ever want to pick up a pencil or paintbrush!

A little conversation with Tyler Stout

You probably already stumbled with the amazing movie posters of Tyler Stout, If not you should see what this guy is capable. Today we had the opportunity to have a little conversation with this illustrator. So please take a sit and enjoy the interview, hope you guys get some good tips and insights from this.

You can see more from Tyler at his Official Website


Some movie posters designed by Tyler.

1) First of all I would like to thank you for doing this interview, it's an honor for us to present more about you to our readers. I would like to start asking about how was the beginning of your career? Please show us one of your early artworks.

I started off doing 11x17 black and white flyers for some local music venues in seattle and portland, oregon. it kept going from there.




2) Please share a picture of your workplace and tells us more about your daily routine.

I get up, say hello to my family, walk out to my studio (which used to be a garage), do some work, watch some movies, return some emails. at dinnertime my kids come get me and tell me its time to eat, I go back inside and eat dinner with them, hang out with family, then go to bed.



3) Beside your daily work, do you have any hobbies? Please share it with us.

I’m not sure I really have any hobbies. I do things with my kids. I read books, comic books and regular books. I play video games.


4) What you think are the next steps for you as a professional and as a person? And how do you see your creative area on the next 5 years?

I don’t have a long term plan really, I just do one job after the next, as they come up. hopefully in five years I’ll still be making a decent living doing what i do, still able to provide for my family, and be in good health.


5) Please share five golden lessons you learned to this point.

- Don’t put work in front of real life moments.

- Don’t put work in front of taking care of your actual real life physical body

- Don’t put money in front of making work you’re proud of

- Don’t be afraid to turn down jobs you’re not sure of

- Don’t sweat the critics, do work you believe in and it’ll work out.


6)What's the best thing about working on your business and what is the worst? Why?

I like having my own schedule and being my own boss. unfortunately I am terrible at keeping a reasonable schedule and I am not a good boss.


7) Do you have any heroes? What make them your heroes?

My grandparents. they loved me unconditionally and kept me from being a complete psychopath.


8) Tell us in one picture how you're feeling about your life right now



9) Now for some quick and short answers:

- A Food: Sugar

- A Animal: Bugs, bunnies

- A Color: Black on black

- A Tool: Maynard James Keenan

- A Person: Louisa May Alcott

- A Place: Brush Prairie, WA

- A Song: Good Old Days - Weird Al

- A Movie: Deep Rising

- A Book: Gremlins by George Gipe

- A Quote: “Not a woman?” - Llug


10) Thanks again for your time, please leave a final message for the ones who are starting out on this kind of business, tell us something we should expect.

Let’s see....my final message for the ones who are starting out on this kind of business....would be....a picture of a small cat suspended by some sort of string or rope-like apparatus, and engraved underneath, written in an elegant, Future Condensed font (or possibly Avante Garde Medium Italic), would be this simple phrase - “Hang in there”.


Tags:  inspiration tyler stout interview
03 May 17:16

Kandinsky style type

by Stacey Kole
Meatigloo

This is a thing of beauty and everyone should look at it once to consider it a life fully lived.

Lovers of abstract art are undoubtedly familiar with the superlative Wassily Kandinsky — the Russian-born painter, printmaker, and theorist who was recognized as having painted the first purely abstract compositions in modern art history. As a tribute to the pioneering expressionist, Turkish graphic designer Sinan Buyukbas has created a series of stunning 3D typographic art — aptly titled “Kandinsky Type” — to reflect Wassily Kandinsky’s groundbreaking style.

Using bold, striking hues and funky shapes to craft the letters, Buyukbas states he approached each character as a blank canvas, channeling the creative mojo of Kandinsky with both color and form. In fact, one look at the painter’s work known as “Composition X” (1939) makes it easy to see where Buyukbas got his inspiration.

Kandinsky style type

Free-spirited, whimsical, and even a bit indulgent, the finished product of this typographic experiment is the perfect homage to the abstract expressionism of the Russian trailblazer. Enjoy!

Kandinsky style type

Kandinsky style type

Kandinsky style type

Kandinsky style type

 

How well does Buyukbas’ design capture the spirit of Kandinsky? Is this a suitable subject for type design? Let us know in the comments.



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Kandinsky style type


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02 May 18:01

No Canvas Too Small for Intricate Masterpieces by Hasan Kale

by Steph
Meatigloo

Just add one of these butterfly paintings to my "WANT" list.

[ By Steph in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 1

Insect wings, grape seeds, cactus needles and thumbtacks are among the tiny objects that become canvases for stunningly detailed works of art by miniaturist Hasan Kale. The Turkish artist works on an incredibly small scale, often painting scenes from his native Istanbul, complete with reflections of the city’s characteristic architecture on rippling bodies of water and microscopic seagulls.

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 2

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 4

Kale’s works are so small, he doesn’t even need a palette – he mixes the minuscule amounts of paints required for each piece right on his own finger. The 53-year-old painter has been creating tiny works like these since the 1980s.

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 3

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 5

Using extremely fine paintbrushes, Kale faithfully renders these scenes with a remarkably steady hand. Many of the paintings are ephemeral, painted on perishable items like breadsticks.

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 7

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 8

Miniature Art Hasan Kale 9

Kale adds many more photos of his work on a regular basis at his Facebook page.

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[ By Steph in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

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02 May 17:47

The Chinese Edit of Iron Man 3 Sounds Awesome

by Vince Mancini
Meatigloo

I'm sorry, but isn't there some sort of issue with milk from China. Something about the shit-ton of pollutants getting into their food? Been hearing about how people are importing milk from other countries to avoid possibly poisoning their kids and they get Iron Man to advertise how awesome it is? Smart business move, poor ethical choice. I've never read an Iron Man comic, but this kinda sounds like his whole M.O.

You know we’ve come a long way when the formerly Maoist regime of China is not only allowing their citizens to watch films from the greedy imperialist west, but they’re cutting said films in order to add more consumer advertising. I guess this is what winning the Cold War looks like. USA! USA! USA… I always knew that if I just cracked enough Coors Lights, those dowdy artillery plant workers would shed their grey coveralls for a bikini pool party. (*air guitar*)

HONG KONG – As the houselights dimmed in cinemas across mainland China at around midnight on Tuesday, audiences attending the first wave of public screenings of Iron Man 3 fell silent with apprehension as a question appeared on screen: “What does Iron Man rely on to revitalize his energy?”

After a three-second blackout, three big Chinese characters appeared onscreen: “Gu Li Duo.”

The Marvel fanboys shouldn’t bother to rummage through their libraries to solve this riddle, because Gu Li Duo isn’t a a mystical power source in the original comic series — it’s a milk drink which is on sale for less than $1 a carton in convenience stores across mainland China.

Phew, I was worried the answer was going to be ground up rhino horn, or endangered tiger penis.

Online reactions to the film have been largely positive,  but bloggers appear united in their consternation of the deliberate product placement that sees new a character named Dr Wu (played by mainland Chinese actor Wang Xueqi) consume a carton of Gu Li Duo.

Not that audiences outside mainland China will get a glimpse of this, though: this scene is part of the film’s China release, a version which is four minutes longer than the normal cut seen everywhere else in the world.

All of these additional sequences revolve around Chinese characters. There’s Dr Wu having a telephone conversation – from his office in Beijing, in Chinese – with the television behind him showing a news bulletin of Iron Man cheered by schoolchildren in one of the Chinese capital’s landmarks. And towards the end of the film, Dr. Wu is shown operating on Stark – and then having a short conversation with his unnamed assistant (played by Fan Bingbing) about the task.

Jointly produced by the Disney-owned Marvel Pictures and the Beijing-based DMG Entertainment, Iron Man 3 is not classified as a Sino-US co-production – a status which would have given the film’s foreign investors a larger share of the box office (25 percent) than an import. [THR]

Product placement this ham-fisted and obvious actually seems kind of quaint, and charming. I’d much rather see them cut in obviously-filmed-somewhere-else-at-a-different-time product placement scenes than the supposedly more integrated American version, where you’re watching The Next Iron Chef, and surprise! Today’s special ingredient is Milky Way Bars™! I mean, I know you have to advertise, but maybe you could do it in a way that doesn’t ruin the whole f*cking show?

The post The Chinese Edit of Iron Man 3 Sounds Awesome appeared first on FilmDrunk.

01 May 16:55

Vertical Horizon Photo Project

by paul0v2
Meatigloo

Some of these photos make me pretty dizzy - is that weird?

Vertical Horizon Photo Project

Vertical Horizon is a photographic journey between the buildings of a relentlessly growing city. It is a deep immersion into the city's thick atmospheres and a visual record of its wildly diverse built environment. This book is like a contemplative dive into the raw nature of Hong Kong and an expression of its vertical elan.

This project was created by the the French graphic artist Romain Jacquet-Lagreze. His interest in photography began during his period of working in Los Angeles and Tokyo, and subsequently blossomed into a passion after his arrival in Hong Kong.

Stunned by its architectural "race to the sky", he felt the need to use his camera to share his feelings about the city. The geometry of the urban environment and the vivid lives it shelters are the aspects of Hong Kong that inspire him most.

For more from Romain Jacquet-Lagreze visit his website rjl-art.com.

For more from Romain Jacquet-Lagreze visit his website rjl-art.com.

Tags:  photo photography inspiration vertical horizon
01 May 16:21

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

by PauloGabriel
Meatigloo

Pretty much the coolest GIF-set I've seen in awhile. I never paid that much attention to game backgrounds before. I kinda want to frame a few of these.

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Stop everything you're doing, because you can't continue with your head blown. That's right, because this is one of the freshest things you'll see around the web these days. For any of the gamers out there who've been in love with fighting games for a long time, this is for you!

Redditor RudeBootie has made an album consisting in 125 fighting game backgrounds as GIFs. That's right... remember all the arenas where you defeated your foes in the past? Well, they're back in a glorious way. In my opinion these below are some of the best you'll find in the collection, but don't be mistaken: they're all great! Check it out. Cheers! ;)

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Wicked Fighting Game Background GIFs

Tags:  gif games illustration
30 Apr 17:13

Creator of the Animated GIF Among Webby Award Honorees

Meatigloo

Here's to Steve Wilhite - the man who helped make the Internet entertaining!

It’s a big day for Steve Wilhite, who, along with musicians Frank Ocean and Grimes, comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and actor… Read More

30 Apr 11:59

The Makery - Visual Identity

by abduzeedo
Meatigloo

I'm a little jealous - I want a wax seal!

The Makery - Visual Identity

Visual identity is for me one of the most important areas of design. It is the definitive element within the design process used across all applications and branding materials. It's not just designing a logo, it's creating the identity of an organization. The Makery project represents this with majesty and so we just had to feature it on Abduzeedo.

The Makery is a creative consultancy with a primary focus on hand-crafted models, installation design and art direction. Apart from commercial projects, The Makery endeavours to be a provider of workshops for students in a bid to spur creativity within local youths.

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

By working closely with the client, we arrived at The Makery: When one thinks of a bakery, one pictures oven-baked pastries lovingly prepared by hand. The Makery, on the other hand, produces stunning pieces of hand-crafted art.

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

The Makery - Visual Identity

Tags:  visual identity branding inspiration
30 Apr 11:58

First new feature announced for InDesign CS7

by tommay
Meatigloo

Now this is a pretty cool addition to InDesign!

Adobe reveals new QR code creation tool, to be shipped with the next version of InDesign. Find out how to use it here...