I just started using Vimeo for my video uploads, and I can already say that it’s much better than YouTube. I guess the only drawback is that there are more users on YouTube. I certainly don’t miss the ads though!

Increased activity to be coming soon. Subscribe to my RSS feed or follow me on Twitter to receive the latest updates!

My documentary still needs some more work before it is publicly presentable (and I also need to clear some legal rights), but I’m happy with it for the purposes of my thesis. I’ve finally settled on a title for my 47-minute film that explores the world of cosplay. I’ve decided to title it Leaving Mundania, and I’m actually really happy with it. I think it embodies the essence of cosplay and it summarizes the common sentiment that I’ve heard through all of the cosplayers I’ve spoken to during the production of this film. Cosplay is an opportunity to be someone else, if only for a little while. It’s a creative outlet for our otherwise relatively colourless lives. It’s a release from the rules and expectations placed upon us by society. And to put it in the most simplest of terms, it’s FUN.

I hope to be able to announce a public screening of Leaving Mundania in the near future. In the meantime, stay tuned!

I LOVE technology that allows people to be creative in unimaginable ways. The new Nintendo DSi is one example, with its new multimedia capabilities. In fact, the console’s North American slogan is “What will you and i do?” I’ve been hearing a bit of buzz about the latest offering from Nintendo, but I’m admittedly not much of a gamer, so I didn’t pay much attention to it… But after seeing the creative things you can do with the DS, I can honestly say that I want one!

KORG saw the creative potential in the DS, and they lauched the KORG DS-10 Synthesizer in July 2008. Simply plug in the software, and you’ve got a sampler in your hands! I got a real kick seeing how people are using their DS’s to create electronic music. The video below is just a glimpse of the future of jam sessions.

Jetdaisuke uploaded that video and he has become one of my favourite people to watch on YouTube. Sorry, he only speaks Japanese, but I don’t think you need to understand exactly what he’s saying to enjoy his music techno-geekery clips. For example, in this video he demonstrates how to create a DIY talk box for the KORG DS-10 Synthesizer with two simple materials: a bendy straw and tape. How cool is that? I love this guy’s sense of humour… “With a single straw, you can feel like Daft Punk!”

Now, on to some more complex (and undoubtedly more expensive) technology. This is the Tenori-On, conceived by media artist Toshio Iwai and developed by Yamaha. The simplest description of this incredibly cool gadet would be, “a sequencer/sample with a GUI of an interactive lite-brite”. Really, that’s basically what it is! I’m still trying to wrap my head around how exactly this thing works. I was awed by the simplicity of the design and the complexity of the music you can produce with this portable device. See (and hear!) it in action in this product demo video:

Now, see it in action in a live performance. Okay, this isn’t necessarily a “live” performance (i.e. on stage in front of an audience), but it’s impressive as hell! This is Victoria Hesketh, aka Little Boots, a British electro-pop artist. Wait until she layers on her own vocals at 2:03…

And if that isn’t enough for you, here’s Little Boots performing her single “Meddle” in front of a live audience on the BBC 2 program “Later”. Her multitasking abilities will knocks your little boots off. Pure cheese, I know, but I couldn’t resist…

I think I’ve become a fan! Here’s an interesting article about her where she’s quoted as saying, “I’m a total synth pervert.” This is absolute geekery at it’s best.

My conversation with Elena was not about the absurdity of people who choose to live with inanimate dolls as their partners or family members, though I couldn’t help but ask her about it. I spoke to Elena about her more recent work, Fandomania: Characters and Cosplay (2007), which explores the identities of cosplayers through portraiture. Cosplay is a conjunction of the phrase “costume play”, and refers to the practice of dressing up as fictional characters from video games, anime, manga and so forth.

I was intrigued by Elena’s striking images of cosplayers, each of whom were presented in evocative poses against a stark black background. The vibrant contrast and isolation of these real life incarnations of fantasy characters was initially jolting, but I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the body language and facial expressions of these individuals. Click here to visit the online gallery on Elena’s website. What’s most interesting about Elena’s approach is that it’s a complete departure from how cosplayers tend to photograph themselves. Just take a glance through the “Anime Cosplay” group pool on Flickr, and you’ll know what I mean.

I recorded my phone interview with Elena and cut together some audio compositions that explore Elena’s artistic intention behind Fandomania and her insights into the fascinating world of cosplay and anime fan conventions.

Interview clip #1
(Music credit: “Butterfly” by Strange Republik)

Interview clip #2
(Music credit: “1978 (June 8)” by Allah Universal)

Interview clip #3
(Music credit: “Dust” by Strange Republik)

Interview clip #4
(Music credit: “Switch 1″ by Serphonic)

These aren’t just simple looped samples of beats and licks. We’re talking about well-composed pieces of music. What’s most impressive about this artist is his ability to cross over a wide spectrum of  genres. I also appreciate how Kutiman also fully embraces the spirit of Creative Commons by crediting each of his video sources. Simply amazing. Check the videos below for a sample, and be sure to visit ThruYOU for even more.

These are my personal favourites. Highlights include: a theremin solo, pianicas, a Hammond B-3 with a Leslie amp, various synths I can’t even identify, and FuNkY beats!!

Anime conventions, as bizarre as they seem to the uninitiated, are very welcoming to outsiders. However, I did feel slightly out of place by not being in costume as I navigated my way through stylish ninjas, furry mascots, and elaborately decorated warriors wielding impossibly large swords. I’ve attended several cons on the west coast as an industry representative from Ocean Productions but this was the first time I’ve experienced this environment as a regular attendee. It was definitely interesting witnessing the random dancing, photo shoots and singing that filled the hallways of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. I was amused by the fact that MTAC was tucked away downstairs while the upper floors of the convention centre hosted more “public friendly” conventions such as the Art Expo, Canada Blooms and the Canadian Bead Oasis Show. One of my favourite moments of the day was when several women from the Canada Blooms event passed by several cosplayers and couldn’t help but ask what was going on.

“What’s with all the fancy costumes?”

“There’s an anime convention downstairs.”

“What’s anime?”

Well, I’d be intrigued too if I came across a mass of cosplayers without ever knowing about anime.

Here are some screencaps of my footage from the event.

www.macheadsthemovie.com

Here are some photos that will give you a sense of what’s it’s been like around here. These are the craziest icicles I’ve ever seen! They were hanging outside Christe-Belle’s window, and they must’ve been at least 4 feet long! I guess it’s not too surprising given the weather conditions we’ve been having. It’s been sunny but frigid during the day so the melting snow on the roof froze as it dripped off the roof, forming these gargantuan stakes of ice.

I shot these just after as the sun was setting, so caught some nice blue and purple hues. No colour correction was done on these!

]]> http://www.okadajiro.com/?feed=rss2&p=76 http://www.okadajiro.com/?p=58 http://www.okadajiro.com/?p=58#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:45:27 +0000 Jiro http://www.okadajiro.com/?p=58 I’m probably one of the 100 million bloggers posting something Obama-related this week. How could I not? The inauguration was such a historical moment. I’m so glad I got to watch it live!

I checked my Twitter feed frequently that day to keep up with the flurry of info, and one tweet from @timoreilly caught my attention: he was “awestruck” by a 3-D rendering of the inauguration. Now this is Tim Oreilly, CEO of Oreilly Media - a computer technology publisher that’s well-respected by various technology innovators. (Oreilly also happens to be the one who first coined the term “Web2.0“) I knew this had to be worth looking at if this guy was impressed by it.

I was right. This blew my mind.

Click here to try it yourself!

This interactive 3-D photo map was created with an application called Photosynth (Microsoft). Actually, there’s nothing really extremely groundbreaking about this technology. Photo-stitching and 3D rendering software for digital photography has existed for quite a while now. The real innovation with Photosynth lies in its social application.

CNN.com requested viewers to take photos of “the moment” during Obama’s inauguration and email it to their website to be incorporated into a Photosynth rendering of the event. This is the result: a fully interactive 3D photo map that allows you to view the scene from multiple angles. Very cool.

It would be awesome to see this technology being harnessed at many more events in the future. Here are some ideas:

• Live concerts (u2 will be touring soon!)
• Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremonies (especially the lighting of the torch)
• Super Bowl XLIII

Why not try to gather a mass of people at an upcoming event to create your own Photosynth? Learn how to do it HERE.

Got any ideas for potential events or venues to document using this technology? Comment below!