Design in the mind

For the joy of animation and line.

See more from the artist Michael Fragstein here

Perhaps I’ll reveal my age by bringing up this animation from the 60s that I recall from my childhood, Mary Mungo and Midge – on viewing it again recently I was taken back to my early love of animation and illustration – and not surprising when presented with cartoons as illustrative as this. Yes, the story is slow and aimed at the young and that cut out cartoon method looks clunky but the overall affect still has charm. In this episode Mungo teaches Mary about the difference between painting and printing – you may learn something too!

I’ve just come back from seeing my first session of international short animations at the Melbourne International Animation Festival. And with every year, and with each session, it can always be relied on that there is an outstanding animation feature – and for me this session it was from Canada’s animator Theodore Ushev, titled ‘Lipsett Diaries’, written by Chris Robinson – a short animation based on a diary from Arthur Lipsett who was a Canadian avant-garde director of short experimental films (13 May 1936 – May 1, 1986). This is their interpretation of these diaries – find out more on the film here. Certainly worth taking a look.

And an insight into the painstaking process Theodore Ushev undertook to creative this lavish animation.

This stunning film was produced by Alex Roman – it’s a fully CG animation and looks amazing, beautifully composed. “Architecture through the cinematographic lens. The visual fusion between the third and the seventh arts”. Make sure you watch it full screen. Find out more here

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

From Bonsajo – a visual performance unit from Japan – comes ‘Vanishing Point’ – a short but impressive graphic animation.

Vanishing Point from Bonsajo on Vimeo.

I know – there seems to be a lot of video posts going on here lately – it’s because there are so many inspiring videos around – like this one, a lovely, wormy animation from designer Christian Borstlap. A fab example of a simple visual concept that clearly helps communicate while entertaining. And I like the message – there certainly is a lot to learn – it’s never ending – that’s the joy of life!

things to learn from Matt Edgar on Vimeo.

2 of my favorite things – paper and stop-frame animation – together here in this multi-award winning animation for Asics by Nordpol + Hamburg.

Origami In the Pursuit of Perfection from MABONA ORIGAMI on Vimeo.

I’ve been meaning to post this stop frame animation for a while now, created by PES – it’s been around for a while now but it is a gem – it was the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Winner, 2009 Audience Award, Annecy Animation Festival and TIME Magazine voted #2 Viral Video of the Year.

Ah, I’m looking forward to when the web actually looks like this, made up of paper, wire, string and tape with a live harp player at your side! – where you can reach in and feel the web pages! Google’s promotion for their new internet browser, Chrome.

And now for a musical interlude – from one of my fav bands – The New Pornographers, with an animated video by the very talented Fluorescent Hill

“Myriad Harbour” The New Pornographers from Fluorescent Hill on Vimeo.