Putty Hill is an interesting film that is intimate and packs an emotional punch. The fact that it is mainly non-actors is even more amazing. It has a wonderful feeling of being a doc but at the same time has a fluid narrative flow. It just opened this past weekend in NYC and will be rolling out to other cities soon.
RADAR : MakerBot
The sign on the door reads MakerBot industries. Inside, boxes line the floors and there is a flurry of activity. A light humming sound fills the air. Machines buzz as they print physical objects that merely minutes before were 3D renderings on a computer screen. This is Bre Pattis’ ‘Botcave’ and within its walls resides a startup that intends to change the face of printing. The MakerBot is a box-like unit that prints using thin plastic, which it lays down layer by layer. Eyeglass frames, wall brackets, tweezers, action figures even a 3D rendering of Walt Disney’s head are all possible. Makerbot came out of NYC Resistor, a hackers collective offering shared knowledge and camaraderie. And out of Makerbot, the hopes are to create a revolution in crowd-sourced manufacturing.
Relevant sites:
GEAR: USB audio converter
Looking for easy ways to digitize your vinyl or use your laptop as a recording device?
Behringer UFO202 U-Phono High-Quality USB Audio Interface with Built-In Phono Preamp
PRICE: $30
Making a Big Head of Paper
Looking for an interesting way to spice up the holidays? This project was inspired by “big-head” mode seen in videogames. Making the “big-head” involved 3ds Max , Mudbox 2010, Photoshop CS3, Pepakura, and TexTools software. Followed by printing, cutting and folding.
Build an Eyewriter
This is awesome!
The EyeWriter project is an ongoing collaborative research effort to empower people who are suffering from ALS with creative technologies. It is a low-cost eye-tracking apparatus & custom software that allows graffiti writers and artists with paralysis resulting from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to draw using only their eyes. For more info visit www.eyewriter.org
THE NEW YEAR PARADE 2008 (TOM QUINN)
Powerful film that show’s what’s possible with limited resources and lot of heart. It is now on DVD – pick up a copy or rent it well worth the watch.
site: www.thenewyearparade.com
DIED YOUNG, STAYED PRETTY
Support DIY filmmaking and make your way to the IFC center this coming Friday when DIED YOUNG, STAYED PRETTY opens for a one week run.
Official Selection of the 2009 South By Southwest Film Festival and 2008 Montreal World Film Festival, DIED YOUNG, STAYED PRETTY is a candid look at the underground indie-rock poster subculture in North America that was reborn, post-Punk, with the launch of groupie Clayton Hayes’ website Gigposters.com. The documentary reveals a new breed of subculturists who’ve set out to destroy the mainstream through their controversial and intensely visceral design work.
Under the guise of advertising for rock shows, these unheralded masters of the silkscreen and Xerox machine carry on public discourses that range from hot button political issues to lewd, inside jokes. Stealing pieces from America’s disposable culture, these graphic artists pervert classic references into beautiful obscenities that they slap in the face of polite society while safely treading under the radar.
Director Eileen Yaghoobian gives an intimate look at a few of the giants of the subculture, some who go broke to maintain their creative workshops while others have found commercial success. Featuring interviews with Tom Hazelmyer, Art Chantry, Brian Chippendale, the Ames Brothers, Jeff Kleinsmith, Jay Ryan, Print Mafia, and Rob Jones, among others, outside their own circle, they are virtually unknown, but within their ranks they are bareknuckle brawlers. Yaghoobian sneaks her lens into the lives of these self-professed radicals to discover where the real power lies, if any remains.