The Society Of The Spectacle

With the final launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis and the closing of the Space Shuttle program imminent, there has been a surge of interest in the significance of the Shuttle, and in our own, frankly humbling capacity to go beyond the earthly boundaries.

So it’s fitting that this film, recorded on cameras attached to the booster rockets of the Endeavour’s final flight, captures the majesty of the Shuttle launch from a radically different perspective. The speed of the launch, as well as the hypnotic evolution from our crisp blue skies, to the vast blackness of space are awesome. Add in the beautiful soundtrack, and you’ve got a video that holds your attention all the way.

Enjoy.

(Via Tim Nolan)

I’m loving this data visualisation, using the coordinates from Wikipedia articles to map the history of the world through it’s significant events. The thing that stands out for me? Look how late the USA arrives at the party, and then subsequently dominates the events. What a great idea.

By Gareth Lloyd

More Nike love this week, this time from the ‘Destroyer’ range. Profiling the nightime shenanigans of Amsterdam. Beautifully shot, and full of ‘Warriors’ style menace. The music really help too.

(Via Fubiz)

Top notch time lapse of the best city in the world. Cinematic loveliness. Check it out.

From @mindrelic (Josh Owens)

Filmmaker Alex Jablonski and cinematographer Michael Totten have, for the last year, filmed a short documentary each and every month, under the auspices of ‘The Sparrow Songs’. These short films create a snapshot of America (and specifically Southern California) in 2010. It reminds me of the 3six5 project in it’s diverse (and sometimes brave) subjects, but also tries to get underneath some of the issues and stories that dominate a society wrestling with it’s present malaise, and it’s future ambitions. These aren’t political caricatures, but are honest, open and fascinating films, whether you are inspired, or confused by the subjects themselves, they are beautifully done. I urge you to explore them all, but I’ve posted the one that fascinated me the most. The Donut Shop.

Yesterday I was sent a rather lovely film based around the relationship between image and words, WORDS is a disarming and gorgeous tapestry of human emotion, weaved together with care and love. I received another tweet this morning which help expand the backstory of where and who these people were. This film was from the website EVERYNONE. (Who turn out to be a pretty awesome NYC/LA Production company) One film in particular stood out, both for it’s content (A stop motion journey across America) and it’s beautiful marrying of image and sound. It beautifully captures the disconnect between much of America, how the sounds, moods and styles of places vary dramatically. The only consitent sounds are the sounds of the motel rooms that thread mainland USA. They are in fact, the spine of America and an unusual one at that. Here the visuals help paint a desolate, fractured world. Even though nothing ‘much’ happens, it’s a hypnotic journey and well worth the 12 minutes (especially in HD on Vimeo, trust me)

Via the  guys at Ogilvy, here’s a film from Logorama. A magnum opus of Michelin Man coppers chasing Ronald McDonald around a world based around, and on brand logos. There is some imaginative stuff in here, apart from the amount of work that has gone into it, it also acts as quite an eye opener in the amount of logos you recognise, but it is a very interesting re-imagining. Take a peek. UPDATE: Here’s the website, where the it says this has been nominated for an Oscar for short film. Nice.