:: I’m an animation and 3D / CG junkie. I recently watched Coraline. It’s excellent. I highly recommend taking the time to check it out. Bravo, well done. // AjS
[UPDATE: Thanks to Xiao Du for pointing out that Coraline is available in full-length format on Youku, link here or watch below. However, it's of course much better on a big screen or in HD.]
:: I can’t help think this video is actually a Mentos viral. But I don’t mind. Notice the soft product placement in the background at the 0:55 mark, and the avoidance of other product logos / names throughout the video, namely the “wall mounted flat screen TV,” “DJ turntables,” etc. Either way, I think it’s a great clip. Very creative and a lot of fun. Does anyone know more about it? Bravo, well done. // AjS
:: a couple years ago I had dinner with a budding Beijing-based artist / illustrator Yan Wei and her now fiance (Blake Stonebanks). As I was poking around online today, I was re-introduced to Yan Wei via some of her latest work – all of which is superb. See below for some examples.
When I first saw Yan Wei’s work, I couldn’t help but recall my Garbage Pail Kid-dominated childhood. That same exaggerated / manga-esque style and “unnecessarily grotesque and disturbing images of children” aesthetic is definitely (probably unintentionally) apparent, and I think that’s great – such images were the cornerstone of my youth! See more of Yan Wei’s work on her blog, or here for older pieces. I have also uploaded these images to a Flickr album. Bravo, well done. // AjS
:: an excellent documentary examining social media’s deconstruction / decentralization of institutions, decision-making, and organizations, and the impact the Internet is having (and potentially could have) on government, finance, collaboration / information sharing, and online / offline networking. Buy the DVD here (the video below is the full documentary). For more information, extra clips, and reviews, link here. To watch this documentary in other languages, link here. H/T Sean Leow. // AjS
:: anyone who reads 56minus1 regularly knows I love sneakers and that I’m a Ray Lei (雪磊) fanboy. So, there was no way I wasn’t going to like this collaboration. I’m just surprised it took me so long to find these. See below for two excellent productions by Ray, an extraordinarily talented multimedia designer based in Beijing.
The first one was for Nike’s Innov8 (创意沙龙) campaign and, I think, in support of the brand’s 706 interactive / multimedia exhibit last year in Beijing’s 798 art district. The 706 exhibit showcased – in a way only Nike can shamelessly pull off – 100 of the company’s most innovative accomplishments in footwear and apparel design. Pretty cool actually.
The second one, titled Moon Landing Plan, was shown at the Nike Dunk art exhibition in Shanghai last March. See Ray’s blog for some photos from the event, link here. Ou Ning, who also showed work at the exhibition, did a post on it too, link here.
Both works are great, and further examples of brands successfully engaging China’s creative community. Bravo, well done. // AjS
:: Edinburgh-based Danny MacAskill is incredible and just plain inspires me. He’s perhaps the best street trials rider in the world. Watch below to find out why.
Can you say fakie tailwhip? What? Yeah, exactly. Bravo, well done. // AjS
:: I recently came across this short “romantic comedy” film titled Signs by Sydney, Australia-based Patrick Hughes. It’s excellent. He produced it for the Schweppes Short Film Festival. Link here for more shorts from Hughes. This video is also on . Bravo, well done. // AjS
:: I stumbled across this video from Huangxiang and I fell in love with it. It combines a few of the things I like most in Web shorts: reverse and slow motion effects, the process of stuff being broken, and 30 seconds. Very 过瘾. Bravo, well done. // AjS
:: I found a great place in Shanghai to get wanton and zongzi. On Huating Rd., very close to the Middle Huaihai Rd. intersection (north side, basically at the entrance way to the old Tang Hui), a new place opened up last week. It’s not really a restaurant, but rather just someone’s home. There are only two proper tables, one of which is in the family’s living room and doubles as a wanton-wrapping station – it’s also where I sat and had my breakfast this morning (see first photo below). The other table is a fold-out that can be setup for outside seating. Great food and Longjing tea (free, of course). Pardon the reddish effect with the photos, I was testing out a new iPhone app called Vint Red. Pretty neat result. // AjS
