Retro Appliance Death Rays by Greg Brotherton

Filed under Found on the Web

I like the way Greg Brotherton thinks. His online gallery shows us demented retro-futuristic devices like the Electrolux Death Ray, the Sunbeam Heat Ray, and the Hydraulic Robo-Slab; just the sort of equipment I need for the Secret Laboratory.

Do not, on any account, miss the Electrolux Death Ray commercial. You will definitely not want to be the last on your block to own one of these babies.

And of course in addition to the household appliances there are some fascinating robotic sculptures like the Minitron, an insectoid robotic minotaur. Honestly, that’s a phrase I never thought I’d use.

Anyway, these are about as close as I’m likely to get to the mad scientist appliance I really need – the Omnidirectional Disintegrating Weed Eater. Though one can hope.

Homeless, by Eduardo Suazo

Filed under Computer Graphics, Found on the Web

“Homeless” is an interesting animated short film by Eduardo Suazo; if you’re used to brief, frenetically paced animations you’ll probably hate it, but it’s well worth your time.

It’s technically proficient but it does raise the question of why, if this were the film you wanted to make, you’d animate it rather than shooting it in live action. The few (though important) effects in the film could as easily be done in either case. I guess when it comes down to it, the answer is that if you’re an animator, you use the tools you have. Anyhow, those musings aside, an interesting piece.

Swept up from 3D Total.

Mega Robot Returns

Filed under Computer Graphics, Found on the Web

Short on story but big on photo-realistic gonzo-ism, “Mega Robot Returns” is a test piece from Kaktus Films in Sweden.

Possibly an answer to that age-old question: “Why don’t those nuclear dinosaurs and invading alien cyborgs ever smash Stockholm?”

But I’m still left wondering what, exactly, happened to the dog.

Discovered at 3D Total.

A Great Big Robot from Outer Space Ate My Homework

Filed under Computer Graphics, Found on the Web

Mark Shirra’s “A Great Big Robot from Outer Space Ate My Homework” is yet another terrific animated short spawned by the Vancouver Film School. Nobody’s eating their homework over there.

Really nice work on the materials and textures, but it’s funny enough that you might not notice that at first. Nice one!

Harvested from 3D Total.

The Device Patented Process Indicating Apparatus

Filed under Found on the Web, Reading / Watching / Consuming

I’m always on the lookout for new additions to the Secret Laboratory, whether it’s sharks for the moat, or… in this case… nifty analog gauges to tell me whether space pirates have breached my defenses, or whether my coffee’s getting cold. (As if!)

The Device Patented Process Indicating Apparatus promises to be all this, and more. Though I think it’s likelier to tell me how hard my cpu’s working.

The Device is a handsome, wood and brass built unit that offers two analog gauges and an indicator light; it’s a programmable, um, Device, and has a USB port so that it can talk to your computer. The custom software allows you to tell the unit what it should be monitoring (like my CPU usage). Though the web site mentions both “Electrotherapeutic Shock Intensity” and “Ebay Auction Status”, which, um, indicates just how versatile a Device it is. Whillikers!

Just wish it was available already – like those Weta rayguns!

I Lived on the Moon

Filed under Computer Graphics, Found on the Web

Mysterious and strange – Yannick Puig’s “I Lived on the Moon“, set to the song from the Kwoon’s album “Tales and Dreams”, uses 3D rendered animation combined with effects that feel like 2D in a 3D space. The idea reminds me quite a bit of cut-out animation (think Terry Gilliam) though the visual style is softer and painterly.

But the foreground characters are fully animated and nicely lit in 3D, in a surprisingly successful style. This is a haunting, lovely piece of work.

Gleaned from 3D Total.