Christmas Film Catchup

• Film: Deep Water (B+) "Equal parts mystery and biography, Deep Water is both an engrossing documentary and an affecting treatise on human folly and obsession.

• Film: 2 Days in Paris (A-) "With 2 Days In Paris, first-time director Julie Delpy has crafted a sharp, insightful rom-com about cultural idiosyncrasies."

• Film: I am Legend (C) "I Am Legend overcomes questionable special effects and succeeds largely on the strength of Will Smith's mesmerizing performance."

• Film: Rescue Dawn (B+) With powerful moments and memorable story, Rescue Dawn is a film of rich visuals and obsessively dedicated craftsmanship."

• Film: Enchanted (A-) "A smart re-imagining of fairy tale tropes, Enchanted features witty dialogue, sharp animation, and a star turn by Amy Adams."

• Film: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (B+) "A tense and effective thriller, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead marks a triumphant return to form for director Sidney Lumet."

• Film: No Country for Old Men (B+) "Another triumph for the Coen Brothers, No Country has the perfect mixture of suspense, humor, and desperately compelling performances."

• Film: 3:10 to Yuma (A) "The remake of this classic Western improves on the original, thanks to fiery performances from Russell Crowe and Christian Bale as well as sharp direction from James Mangold.

• Film: Talk to Me (A-) "A riveting look at the life of legendary DJ "Petey" Greene, Talk to Me goes beyond the typical biopic with explosive performances from Don Cheadle and Chiwetal Ejiofor."

The Dark Knight Official Trailer

I cannot wait to watch this film!

Ginormous Gingerbread House

Yum!

Uniqlo Mixplay

This is a great commercial and dance sequence. Extremely well executed!

Eboy, Kick Bad Habits, Ceccoli, Seeing

• Photography: Ulli Michel's The Art of Seeing is what got me into photography and photojournalism. Bought the book more than 6-7 years ago and fell in love with the way the photographers captured an entire story an a single image. And now Reuters Photographers also came out with a second book, which I really want to get. "The Art of Seeingoffers a fascinating and visually stunning selection of pictures taken by Reuters Photographers with the vision and imagination to capture extraordinary incidents or moments of beauty. This collection comprises a story with many threads: celebration, adversity, hope, triumph and humanity - and offers some of the most spectacular and significant images you will ever see."

• Illustrator: Nicoletta Ceccoli, an Italian illustrator whose work is surreal, fantastical, dark and subtle. She is a "also a three-time recipient of the "award of exellence" from Communication Arts. In 2006 she received the silver medal from Society of Illustrators (New York)."

• Advertising: Stumbled upon Kick Bad Habits, an awesome blog on fantastic advertising campaigns concerning social issues for clients such as Amnesty International, WWF, and NRDC. Agencies to commend are Dentsu, Saatchi and Saatchi, and BBDO.

• Illustration/Art: I have been a huge fan of Eboy for quite some time, and I am excited to see the debut of their new Tokyo Poster. Crazy compositions and stories in every square inch. Thinking about getting the New York poster.

Hipster Olympics

This is the funniest video! These hipsters make up around 60-80% of the RISD student body.

ImageKind, New York

• Photography/Art: I am now selling prints of my work, mainly photography, and some illustration and fine art pieces. Since posting my work online, I have been getting so many positive responses of my photography that I have been thinking about pursuing a photo internship possibly for travel companies like Contiki, Lonely Planet, NYTimes Travel, or even National Geographic, although most of the time I do not think I am good enough to work there!
• Post-Graduation: Spent the previous weekend in New York City! Very excited to be moving and working there (interning at Momentum, then looking into Hangar, Food Network, and OfficeLab). Some pictures from the weekend:
  
  

Blair, Bach, Dobi....sloths...

• Thought: It is freezing in Providence! 25-35....I am so much of a sun/hot weather person. How did I survive 5 winters in Lawrenceville, Wash U, and now here??!! And because of global warming, we are going to have longer and colder winters, and longer, hotter summers, what will happen to Spring and Fall?

• Photo: I always see this shot coming from the back of 15 West...that is Prov Wash, and the Illustration Building...
  

• Web Design: Today was Richard Gann's final for web design. I was so nervous showing mine but then it was fine! Saw some portfolio sites and work that was mind-blowing!
  

• Illustrator: Morgan Blair, RISD 2008. Amazing master of pen, pencil, digital, and photography, and yet keeps her unique, raw style and personality. Her photography is beautiful as well. I saw one of her most recent pieces in a show for Advanced Projects (independent study class) and it was one of my favorites. At her prolific and highly distinctive rate, she will be famous and busy with commissions in no time.

• Illustrator: Nick Bach, RISD 2008. Highly detailed linework in mediums from paper to wood. I can see his pieces in tons of shows on the West Coast and also in High Fructose or Juxtapoz.

• Thought: I was going by the freshman dorms today and ran by some work rooms, noticed some fantastic stuff, and made me feel good to be a student at RISD and be surrounded by so many talented and passionate artists!

• Illustrator: Rob Dobi, RISD alum, graduated from the illustration department and is a remarkable illustrator, character designer, graphic designer, and photographer. Found this illustration he did for his book Your Scene Sucks, a hilarious book/website/rant mocking the emo crowd, particularly the abundant amount of hipsters at RISD. As he writes, its a "strange contest where the winner wears the tightest jeans, puts on the silliest looking makeup, and sports the worst haircut. in the end, everyone loses. you all end up looking the same." I completely agree . For more silly and obnoxious stereotypes: click here.
  

• Art/Illustration/Printing: "The amazing artisans at Pressure Printing announced two magnificent new signed and numbered prints from a couple of my favorite living artists." The image below is Mark Ryden's"Madonna & Karl, a 5.5" x 6.5" intaglio embossed print is mounted in a hand-made and hand-gilded wooden frame. Price: $5000! WOW. Other featured artists are James Jean and Alex Gross.
  

• Textile/Printing: My friend Ilene Godresky, RISD Textiles '09, printed tons of sloths on bright fabrics and pasted them all over her kitchen, so cute! Ilene is also going to be a star!

Bonnaroo, Smashing, Nakamura....

• Design: Just showed my Bonnaroo 2008 concept and work to my class, received positive feedback. And if I were to really work for the company that does the design for Bonnaroo, Superfly Presents, I would be in heaven. Saw some other student work that had HUGE potential to make big bucks for niche markets: such as high-end packaging for dog food, Christmas pop-out cards, Christmas bags where angels' halos and reindeer's antlers served as handles, monster mutated plush toys for kids (which is similar to Designer Toys like Munky King and Super Rad Toys mostly for young adults and professionals willing to spend $200 for cool toys.)

• Design: Uploaded designs for Smashing Darling, a "place for EVERYONE who loves fashion that thinks beyond the mall. Whether you want to shop, sell your own designs, find raw materials, meet others, collaborate, or just see what's new and hot in independent fashion...Smashing Darling is the place that brings all of these elements together and is a community like no other"

• Design/Apparel: Anatomical Chart Company is selling socks that "some of the various acupoints located on the front and back of the lower leg, calf, and the top of the foot. Pictured on the sole is a reflexology/organ legend." Humorous.

• Artist/Industrial Design: Stumbled upon artist Tetsuya Nakamura, who makes sexy, curvaceous, luxury bathroom fixtures, sinks...at $26,000 a piece! Beautiful colors, blends graffiti, art nouveau, and fiber-reinforced plastic, and car design into the home.
  

• Graffiti: Speaking about graffiti, I got into the genre when I looked through Banksy's Wall and Piece, Siggi Schlee's Fadings, and Christian Hundertmark's, The Art of Rebellion 2.When I travelled through Europe and especially Spain, collected so many fantastic graffiti works.

Where is Advertising Going?

• Advertising: Posted student ads for RAINN, for my XX XY Gender Studies class with Melissa Ferreria. I was researching statistics for rape cases and the numbers are astounding.

• Every two and a half minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
• One in six American women are victims of sexual assault, and one in 33 men.
• In 2004-2005, there were an average annual 200,780 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
• About 44% of rape victims are under age 18, and 80% are under age 30.
• Since 1993, rape/sexual assault has fallen by over 69%.
• And black women are 10% more likely to be raped.

• Book: The Perfect Pitch, mentioned in my older post, I liked the parts where the author destroyed his Blackberry, and how these modern everything-in-one devices ruin productivity, and that you make the best work when not multi-tasking (i.e constantly checking your phone for text messages, IMs, calls and emails..), and when you separate your family and work time, when you know how to really relax, when you take vacations, and he also wrote that "the most exciting, groundbreaking ideas happen under extreme time pressure..." Good to note.
  
• Video: Perfect Pictures for the Perfect Word, crazy TV spot for photography, controversial?
  
• Book: (that got me into advertising) Gavin Lucas's Guerrilla Advertising- I love innovative and smart advertising that takes full advantage of the medium. You viral/guerrilla advertising like these in Amy Gifford's blog too. In reality though, these tactics are hard to follow through with clients who are not willing to change and take risks (and that happens so much).

• Industrial Design: "Wired magazine reports that Siemens is preparing a paper-thin electronic-display technology so cheap it could replace the everyday labels on disposable packaging, for everything from milk cartons to boxes of cereal." Advertising is changing so fast into the digital world it's hard to keep up! With Adwords, Kindle, E-Paper, LED SkyScreens, MultiTouch Screens, blogs, social networks like Facebook and Secondlife, the world is going to turn into Minority Report. It is scary to think of a world entirely dependent on a digital world, where everything is based on the interface. No more magazines, paper, TV, books... our bodies (and eyes) are going to alter and adapt to the interface too.

• Film: On another note: I cannot wait to watch City of Men, City of God is on my top 10 list of all favorite movies because everything from the cinematography, directing, transitions, storyline and plot seam perfectly together! Liked it so much I made my own movie posters for the film.
  

Octonauts, Lego, Walteria, Thomas....

• Book and Illustration: I want this book, The Octonauts, by Meomi Labs, so cute! They have a great website too.

• Toys: I played with so much lego when I was young, and now they came out with Star Wars Lego- awesome!

• Artist: Willard Wigan: who creates crazy micro sculptures using thin hairs as tools! Reminds me of paintings done on rice kernals, which I like better.
  

• Article: Bacteria Makes Water Taste Better!
• Food Design: Walteria Living Vanishing Creatures Chocolates ($49.50 )
  Each box of chocolates contains a Pygmy Hippopotamus, Mountain Gorilla, and Koala Bear. This series makes reference to consumption with an emphasis on conservation education. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each set of chocolates will be donated to aid the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

• Photographer: Ben Thomas, beautiful, soft and surreal photographs of urban landscapes that look like constructed, or miniature photography, his photographs remind me Laura Letinsky and David Levinthal.
  

Chocolate Quail Eggs

• Industrial Design:
• Homehero fire extinguisher

• Chargpod
• Edison oil lamp
  
• Keen ventura: All natural, canvas , lightweight and sneakers perfect for traveler

• Chocolate quail eggs, wouldnt want to pay 30 bucks though

• L'luvka vodka: awesome Vodka packaging
  
• Etienne Meneau tree wine decanters

• Artist: Peter Callesen, this guy makes the coolest sculptures out of paper, his work speaks for itself.

• Artist: Tomer Hanuka: clean and elegant style with crazy, deranged characters. Kind of like James Jean but with lots and lots of drugs.
  

Flotsam, Goodrich, Greenberg, Impact...

• Illustrator: Renowned RISD alum and illustrator David Wiesner lectured last night in the RISD auditorium. His work, boundless imagination, and prolific career impressed me so much that right afterwards I went straight to RISD works and purchased his latest children's book, Flotsam. And..it was signed, he has a beautiful signature too!

• Illustrator: This semester RISD has had the pleasure of some amazing artist visits and lectures: Kinuko Craft, Anette Lenz, and Carter Goodrich. I fell in love with illustration because of Craft, Goodrich, and Gary Kelley.

• Photographer: Jill Greenberg. And right as I was purchasing Flotsam, I noticed Jill Greenberg's latest book, Monkey Portraits. Very funny collection. I remember when she became famous for her series on crying babies that made many parents infuriated when they found out she made their baby models cry.

• Green Movement: I am glad that movements and efforts to reduce global warming and give back to nature is finally in full swing. Thank you Al Gore (with An Inconvenient Truth). His book, Assault on Reason, is high on my list. Derek Smith gave a compelling speech at RISD a couple weeks back about how graphic designers have a huge power to help the green movement. " (an amazing speaker by the way, which brings back to my last entry) gave a compelling speech at Derek's message is one of essential value to designers and he will be discussing issues such as paper selection, printer selection and the impact of our daily design decisions on an individual, studio, and corporate level," but unfortunately they are not doing much at all about it. He advocates Meridian Printing, Monadnock Paper, Symbio Design and Iolabs Printing.

Pura Vida, Stiff, Bella...

• Photography: Uploaded a new series from my Thanksgiving trip to Costa Rica in my photography page. Had an amazing time and definately will be going back there. It was great to get away for a week and come back refreshed.

• Advertising/Design: Uploaded a new design package for Bonnaroo: from logo to posters to a welcome backpack that could be given to all the attendees since the tickets were around 200 bucks! I went this summer 2007, it was my first time and it was one of the craziest experiences of my life! It's a great way to listen to new music, meet all sorts of people, and get away from life for 4 fun and insane days in the middle of nowhere.

• Travel: Never take US Airways! My flight to San Jose was delayed for an hour, and my flight back was not only delayed for 1.5 hours, but the gate was double booked! And you also have to pay at least 5 dollars for food (when I flew 5 years ago, you never had to pay). Joy flew Delta and she got some pretty decent food.
  

• Book: I love vacations and backpacking because you get to read books you have been pushing aside during the year. Finished Mary Roach's Stiff. Cover design by FWIS. Like the simple solution: beautiful photo with dark and somber color palette and a bold and graphic title tag on toe. The book was well-written, funny, a page-turner, and deserves all the hype it has been receiving. If you are a CSI and Bodyworks fan, you will enjoy this book~

• Book 2: Now working on Seth Godin's Small is the New Big. Good read. Joy did not like how all his titles were Yoda-Speak, like Godin thought he was Yoda..a little too egotistical? You pick up on a lot of inspirational and positive insights on self progress. People need a wakeup call: today is the day and age where anyone with our abundant amount of accessible resources....can be spectacular (if you use initiative, drive, of course).
  

• Book 3: Also reading Jon Steel's The Perfect Pitch. Also another great read for marketers, advertisers, and businesses. Books 2 and 3 both advocate:
  
• You need to know how to relax. You make better work when you take care of yourself and your health. Take a vacation and do not feel guilty about it. You find inspiration and motivation when you are not stressed out! Now I go to bed at 1 am at the latest, get around 7-8 hours of sleep, I try to work out daily, avoid desserts...etc.
  
• It's about the story. As Godin says, "Good marketers tell a story." The boring powerpoints and pretty visuals do not win the client, it is a profound, authentic, and moving story that can move the consumers on an emotional and personal level.
  

• Music: I love trance and electronic. I progressed from listening to everything from classical, alternative, rock, hip hop, and rap to only playing trance tracks and sometimes indie rock. Trance/House strips music down it the pure essence and beat. New Yorkers: go to Madeevent for concerts, and I want to go to next year's Ultrafest in Miami!

• Movie: A couple weeks ago, Jess and I tried to see No Country for Old Men, but the tickets were all sold out. We ended up watching Bella, and loved it. Powerful yet subtle story that speaks against abortion, very New York, and good acting.