Patience is DEFINITELY a virtue!

4

I recently came across this short animation by Andersen M Studio, which uses around 3000 still images in order to create an extract from Maurice Gee's novel, 'Going West'. I can't believe the amount of patience that must have been required from the makers to produce this! The intricacy of all of the paper cut-outs is so precise and delicate; making it beautiful to watch and unravel the different scenes. The entire film was made by hand, using only paper and 10A scalpel blades, and was filmed with 2 SLR cameras, using Dedo lights to light the pages. I loved how quick-paced the film was and the amount of detail that can be seen in every single cut-out from the pages - they've really done justice to the novel's extract in my opinion! The clever use of lighting helped to add atmosphere and drama to the piece, as well as giving it a very professional finish.

A classy way to sail the seas

This is the life! 'Cyan' is a 160-ft yacht, owned by 3 families together, and it has recently undergone a serious transformation. As well as all of the interiors of the yacht being re-done, by designer Nina Seirafi, an enclosed gym has also been added to the top deck of the boat! The interiors were ripped out and redecorated in a consistent style throughout - with African-inspired touches - and Seirafi has used various woods for ceilings, units, tables, etc. to keep a very sophisticated, elegant theme (reflecting the cost of the yacht!). "My style is maximum quality and minimum pretense,” she says in an interview with 'Architectural Digest'. “That’s what I aim for. Pretense and glamour are very different. I love glamour, but unpretentious glamour.” I'm not sure to what extent this yacht could be referred to as 'unpretentious'(?!), but it's still amazing to look at nonetheless!

Hamster band

Slightly 'off-the-wall' adverts tend to make a greater impression that those which follow more 'traditional' unspoken rules of advertising. Cadbury's is a prime example of this - take their drumming gorilla ad, and their dancing-eyebrows one; everyone knows about them and links them to the brand due to their craziness! The water company, Drench, have decided to take a similar approach with their new TV advert - introducing....the jazz hamsters!

Right from the start, this advert caught my attention - mainly due to the cute hamsters on the screen, I must admit - and it engaged me throughout. The concept isn't overly clever or trying too hard - but instead fits perfectly with the brand's tagline of 'perform at your best'! The simple addition at the end of the ad of having the drench water-bottle upside down as in hamster's cage is a nice addition; furthering the 'playful' and light-hearted nature of the campaign. The directors of the ad had to put food on the ends of the tiny instruments to make the hamsters 'nibble' on them; looking as if they were blowing into them, and apparently it took a whole day of filming to get this just right!

Cameras out!

http://www.worldphotographyawards.org/

The Sony World Photography Awards 2010 will take place in April of next year, in Cannes, France. These awards are free to enter and open to anyone - particularly amateurs trying to gain exposure for their work. I decided to have a look at some of the entries on the official website, and I thought it was very interesting to be able to see photographs from all categories, entered by different people from around the globe. There is such a wide range of styles and techniques that have been used that I felt very inspired after looking at some of the images on the site! I think it's a great way to unite the photography community and let everyone share their work - although there are also lots of photograph-sharing websites out there (flickr, photobucket, etc.), this allows for a more 'professional-take' on the entrants' work, and will often allow them to gain more exposure. I really recommend taking a look at some of the entries on the website if you have a few minutes to spare - it'll really get you wanting to get your own camera out!

http://www.worldphotographyawards.org/gallery.aspx

munchy seeds!

Getting kids to eat their daily vitamins, minerals, etc. can be difficult - so why not jazz up the packaging to try and entice them into it?! This is exactly what the novel brand 'Munchy Seeds' have done. Created by Ziggurat Brands in London, this vibrant packaging of roasted seeds aims to catch the children's attention and use a light-hearted approach to encouraging them to try some! The range of bright colours for the different seeds distinguishes one flavour from another and so kids can easily know which are their favourites, simply by recognizing the colour of the packaging. This is also quite a playful way of doing this; almost giving each pack a 'personality'! This is furthered by the use and inclusion of different animals on each packet or tub of seeds - for example, the chilli mix of seeds can be identified by a rooster, and the vanilla mix by a zebra. The idea of using hands painted as animals is an original way of portraying this, but also hints at the fact that seeds are 'finger-food' that you can pick at (just how the animals are doing on the packaging!). This adds to the overall 'playful' mood of the brand - and they even do the seeds in a bar, so kids can take it in their lunch boxes easily! I also like the fact that the simplistic packaging isn't overly 'childish'; still making it accessible to an older target market and not cutting them out completely.

Under the sea....

One of the National Geographic Magazine's well-known photographers, David Doubilet, has been one of my favourites for some time now. He specializes in underwater photography and has been interested in this since he was just 12 years old! Currently working as a Contributing Photographer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Magazine, Doubilet travels around the globe capturing the most stunning sea photographs - everything from fish and divers, to sea-scapes and shells.

I find his technique produces beautifuls shots that really capture the viewer's imagination. The images are so clear and precise that they almost seem unrealistic sometimes; there's something 'fantasy-like' with some of his photographs. What always draws me to Doubilet's work is the sharp, brilliant colours that he produces - capturing the moment in full and creating a sense of awe when you look at the photographs in depth.

Tord Boontje

http://www.tordboontje.com/

Whilst browsing through 'Design Week', I came across a piece of graphic design work by Tord Boontje, which caught my attention. Typography is one of my greatest interests within design and I love the way this designer subtly encorporates the type into the image. This is a very delicate design and I like the authentic vibe produced by the hand-drawn images and type.

Born in the Netherlands, the designer Tord Boontje has been commissioned for a number of projects and installations which I had a look at on his website (http://www.tordboontje.com). I'd recommend having at look at some of his work as he has a very unique style - very intricate and inspired by nature and floral designs. It may sound stereotypical, but I must admit that on first seeing his work, I assumed that the designer was female - simply because of the prominent use of floral work and the overall delicacy of the designs. It is more common to find female designers with this kind of style.

Some of Boontje's work includes shadow installations, and the way that he works with cut-outs and lights is amazing and creates very soft, gentle effects. He tends to use low lighting; which works well with the floral designs and curving nature of the cut-outs. These installations vary in size and purpose - from art exhibitions, to promotions for Swarovski Crystals - and I like the continuity in his style that can be seen in all the different mediums that he uses.

A novel approach to getting a job

It was after seeing Trafalgar Square on the news this evening that I was reminded about the graduate who pleaded for a job from the top of a plinth in the heart of London. Back in September of this year, Alex Kearns took desperate measures to attempt to get himself a job - as he, like so many graduates, was finding it very difficult given the current economic climate. Alex graduated from Swansea University with a 2:2 in French and Italian this summer, but had so far been unlucky in finding a proper job. After his session on top of the plinth - which included revealing a huge CV and holding a sign reading "Give me a job!" - he did manage to secure to job in fact! His new boss apparently felt he had some "get-up-and-go" - which is certainly true!

Nowadays the competition for jobs seems to be hotter than ever and so drastic measures sometimes seem like a good option! Everyone always says that the only way to get the job is to stand out from the crowd and be noticed.....which is certainly advice that Alex Kearns took on board! I think this was a very clever use of his time on the plinth; as he knew it would be a very public event and a brilliant opportunity to get his name out there and his voice heard. The slightly 'comical' aspect of his stunt, and it's unique nature, brought about lots of press coverage. Okay, so not everyone who's looking for a job should aim to be on the news with some wacky idea to get themselves noticed - but this is just an exaggerated example of ways in which graduates (in particular) are beginning to distinguish themselves from the competition. Personally, I think this raises the bar and should help to promote more original ideas and creative ways of thinking - simply handing in your CV and smiling nicely in an interview most probably won't be enough anymore....

Me?

So how do you go about summing up yourself in a simple logo or brand identity? A difficult task, I found. Here are a few rough ideas for my own personal logo; I've tried to encorporate aspects of design into them and decided to simply use my initials rather than full name - as it's more concise and I'm lucky that the letters C and P work quite effectively when placed together!

Feel free to leave any comments or feedback, as I feel that a strong personal identity is important as a first impression for any designer. Thanks!