Animation, Art, and Other Shiny Things
The following are two incredibly important computer animations; the first 3D rendered animation from 1972, and the first fractal generated animation from ca 1979.
In 1972 Ed Catmull (founder of Pixar) and his colleagues created the world’s first 3D rendered movie, an animated version of Ed’s left hand. This is the film that they produced. It includes some “making of” footage (around 1:30) and some other early experiments. Read more at nerdplusart.com/?p=1106.
The first fractal animation. Vol Libre
I made this film in 1979-80 to accompany a SIGGRAPH paper on how to synthesize fractal geometry with a computer. It is the world’s first fractal movie. It utilizes 8-10 different fractal generating algorithms. I used an antialiased version of this software to create the fractal planet in the Genesis Sequence of Star Trek 2, the Wrath of Khan. These frames were computed on a VAX-11/780 at about 20-40 minutes each
Rather than a long-form post today I offer you some thoughts. Six of them actually. Now get in there and exercise some of that fat outta your head.
Adam Dorn grew up steeped in jazz.
[T]he son of famous jazz and R’n’B producer Joel Dorn. He grew up around the jazz and R&B discs his father produced for Atlantic Records in the ’60s and ’70s. As a 15-year-old, he sent a fan letter to bassist Marcus Miller. When Miller responded, inviting Dorn to come by the studio, one visit turned into three years hanging around artists David Sanborn, Luther Vandross and Miles Davis.
In the New York clubs, as Mocean Worker, he worked jazz licks into his drum ‘n base DJ’ing, but not a lot more than is usual. By nature, there is actually a great deal of jazz in electronica, so the time he spent hanging with jazz legends was not going to waste.
Then he began to include samples of swing jazz and incorporate swing and big band structures and sounds into his music and it took off.
I came across Mocean Worker just after the Cinco De MoWo! album was released and am a huge fan. And I certainly haven’t been alone; Lincoln has used MoWo’s music in it’s commercials and his work shows up all over TV and radio.
I am feeling doubly fortunate as I’ve been able to dig up three animated music videos.
Shake Ya Boogie (from Cinco De Mowo!)
Shooby Shooby Do Ya! (from Candygram for MoWo!) Animation by Czarek Kwaśny
On and On (from Enter the MoWo! – can you identify all the jazz legends in this video?)
I’m not usually a fan of rotoscope animation, but this is not your ordinary rotoscopy. It’s done in watercolor. This gives the video an interesting nuance and ‘mixability’ between the colors and gradients. The watercolor also adds an extra texture (and at times, angularity). The flow and transition of the animation draws you along as well.
Irina Dakeva (of french-based wizz design) animated and directed this music video for Breakbot‘s “Baby I’m Yours“.
Click Me For a Random Post
The Ruffled Crow 