I’m still real new to After Effects.
Monthly Archives: September 2011
Sleep ∞ Over
I heard Sleep ∞ Over last night on my cousin’s Sirius radio and I checked them out. Sleep ∞ Over is Stefanie Franciotti, from Austin Texas. The first song I heard was Casual Diamond, I really like Romantic Streams. Listen to it below. And check out her website here. I don’t know if it’s intentional, but the super basic html design of the site goes along perfectly with her minimal sound. “Forever”, her debut album will be out tomorrow, September 27. Pick it up here. I think I’ll be listening to more of this. Romantic Streams by Sleep ∞ Over
Com Truise – Brokendate
New track & music video from synthesizer sensation, Com Truise. Plus a little back story as to how this music video came about. Great tunes. Awesome work all around. enjoy.
Com Truise – “Brokendate” from Ghostly International on Vimeo.
Music as evocative as the stuff made by Com Truise—master of the transporting synth odyssey—necessitates videos that are nothing short of cinematic. Hence the fully blown-out treatment for “Brokendate,” which rolls everything from eighties cop noir to Blade Runner retro-futurism to slo-mo Hype Williams nods into one five-minute world unto itself.
Says previous collaborator and director Will Joines of 10 lb Pictures: “While I was cutting the ‘Fairlight’ video earlier in the year I kept thinking that it was fun, but if I ever had the opportunity to actually film something for one of Com Truise’s songs then I could really go all out and create this whole world that would be specifically tailored to his music.” Mission accomplished.
About Com Truise
When talking about the music of Com Truise (one of the many pseudonyms of New Jersey designer/musician Seth Haley), the nostalgia bit inevitably comes up, so let’s get that out of the way. Yes, his songs tap classic sci-fi and proto-electro in a way that is distinctly early eighties in scope. But they’re also remarkably weird—stutter-step proggy and intoxicatingly psychedelic, like those classic touchstones got drunk on lava lamp juice inside a pinball machine. After his well-received Cyanide Sisters EP, a grip of remixes for artists like Twin Shadow, Neon Indian, and, uh, Daft Punk, and a few floating MP3s, Truise’s first LP, Galactic Melt, will finally enter brainspaces this summer.
Find ‘Galactic Melt’ in The Ghostly Store:
http://theghostlystore.com/products/com-truise-galactic-melt
Production House:
10lb Pictures | http://10lbpictures.com/
Director:Will Joines
Producer: Sarah Romney
Cinematographer: Zoë White
Release details:
http://ghostly.com/releases/galactic-melt
Tour Dates:
http://ghostly.com/live#com-truise
Get Messy: Encaustic Painting
A few weeks ago I was feeling bummed that I was spending most of my time as an artist on the computer. I found out about a demo on encaustic painting at my school. So I decided to check it out. Dick Blick sponsored the demo, so luckily it was free. Encaustic painting can tend to get a little pricey but like anything, if you like it enough you don’t mind the extra cost. Encaustic paint is very different from any other medium. It’s very versatile and can be reworked at anytime. Paints come in blocks and are melted down in to liquid. As the liquid dries (think wax) it can be textured, sculpted, or scraped. Layers of the paint can be added immediately and can be modified and/or taken off. I like to think of it as a 3D painting. The photo is of the painting I did. It’s on a 2×4 block of wood about a half inch thick.
Here’s some info on the process and what you’ll need to get started. First of all, just like any process, stores are going to try and tell you that there are certain tools you need to get the right effect, although it’s nice to have the recommended materials, it can get very expensive. You may not have to buy most of the materials if you have some things lying around. You will need:
- Wax Paints (come in many colors) $8
- Soy Wax (base coat) $10
- Paint Brushes (use old ones, they will get ruined)
- Any size wood (scrap wood works fine)
- Stove
- Oven Pan (you can heat the pan on the stove)
- Pot (this can be washed)
- Heat gun (a hair dryer works fine)
To begin, heat your pan on the stove. Melt the wax paints on the pan; they will get very runny so be sure to spread the colors out. In the pot, melt the soy wax until it is liquid. Make sure to keep both the paint and wax hot at all times. Remember: it will dry very quickly if it cools. Take your block of wood and with your paint brush, paint a layer of the soy wax as a base coat. Next you can start painting! The fun in encaustics is that you have the freedom to customize the process however you want! Once you start painting the wax will dry quickly, this is where the heat gun (hair dryer) comes in. Use this to keep the paint moist so you can work with it as you make your creation. Remember you can sculpt and engrave the wax. Want to get the drip effect like my painting? Just saturate your paint brush with paint and press it against the edge of the wood so it starts to drip. Hold the wood straight up and down and use the hair dryer to melt the paint for even more of a drip effect. Have fun, but be careful. You’re working with hot wax remember so, don’t hurt yourself for arts sake!
Product Review: ODSY Banton 2 Grips.
Grips are Grips. Everyone’s an expert at telling you which grips they like. Even a scooter kid or a fixie rider could chime in on grips. When I was younger… I loved the Primo Nate Hanson Grip. It was a very fat grip. I have a problem I like to call death grip, where I squeeze my grips way too tight sometimes. This would in-turn make my knuckles hurt. So I would always opt for the fattest grips I could get after the Nate’s were gone. RIP. Fast forward to fall 2011 and I have a pair of the Odyssey Adam Banton 2 grips. They look like microphone mesh and actually do a great job of staying grippy when your hands sweat. They come with a pair of Par Ends as well.
I’ve had my grips for a while now. -Between 6 months and a year. The microphone mesh pattern works great but tears up your hands at first. A lot of people that felt them mentioned I should boil them, then they would be great. I refused to though and my hands were sore for a while, they slowly started to break in and they became a dream.
As they wore, they got skinnier and smooth. Since the picture that was taken (below) my grips are now completely smooth and skinny. They feel like a baseball bat grip now. Which, I really like. But with the smoothness comes the slipperiness as well. I have to wipe my hands often in the heat to keep them from feeling greasy. It’s about time for a new pair. I’d recommend these to anyone that’s looking for a really grippy grip that isn’t sticky.
Comfort: 7 / 10
Design: 9 / 10
Price: $9.99 – pick them up here
conclusion: I like them, and I’d recommend them. However, I’m going to try something different next. I’m thinking the Duo Corey Bohan Grips.
NORA 2011.
One year ago, I was at NORA watching Chris Doyle crowd surf to accept his Dirt Jumper of The Year award. After, I shared a taxi with a girl that worked for S&M’s distribution and Ian Morris – Who had just won Video of The Year for This Is United, and was really drunk. I could see how stoked Ian was on winning. Later that night a friendly Asian guy came up to me and asked about the gray Animal beanie I was wearing. That guy I would find out to be Willy Santos. He was there to photograph the Maloof Money cup event. We ended up talking for a while.. about the Cult/Fit debacle, about how big skateboarding is compared to bmx, and skateboarding making most of their money off their softgoods. Afterwards, I ended up walking back to my hotel. I had no clue how far it was. All I knew is that I spent all my cash, and I had to get back to the hotel. I went the wrong way and ended up on the wrong side of the casinos. I was so sick of walking that I started to just run, I had no clue how long it would take so why not fast forward? I took my beanie off and stuffed it in my pocket as I jogged in the direction of the hotel. After a few blocks, I noticed it was gone. It must of fell out as I was running. I ran back a few blocks looking for it. I was stoked on it and quickly realized that this was insane and I should forget about the beanie and just get back as soon as I can. Roughly around 4:30 am I ended up back at the hotel.
Finally I could sleep.
photo borrowed from Ben Ward’s Instagram
Interbike… was my first trip on a plane. First time west of Ohio, and my first time seeing a lot of pros in real life. Seeing how pumped everyone was at NORA is something I think you don’t see as much of on the internet. There is this kind of unspoken brotherhood within bmx.
At first I felt like nothing can compare to seeing Doyle crowd surfing to the stage. But, after seeing Mike Aitken up there with Stew Johnson to accept the Video of the Year Award for Anthem II. I was immediately jealous of every one under that roof. To see Mikey up there, after all he’s been through. To see Stew up there with all his hard work paying off..I know I would of been cheering my ass off.
40z N shortyz #6
I just got internet again after moving west to Lemoyne. Lots of new stuff going on. As soon as I log in I find a new mixtape from 40z N shortyz. It’s two months old but this is the first I’ve seen it. Enjoy.
Rob Peffer, Gary Dimartine, Kyle Evangelista, Bob Williams, George Miller.
Money In Da Bank.
Here’s a new edit from Mclovin and Sage. They killed an hour at some of my favorite nib spots in Lebanon. Good riding and Mclovin’s making moves in the editing bay.
Money In Da Bank Edit from Cody Neiswender on Vimeo.
Let’s Didgeridoo This
Freak Fridays are awesome. Terrible One brings us another installment. lots of great riding in this. enjoy.
Life can be full of “maybes”. Maybe one day, Terrible One will be in the dictionary. Paper dictionaries are already a thing of the past, so our chances might be a lot better. That’s a weird thought . . . however, if that were the case, this would be a fitting entry for T-1. For us, it’s always been about the journey and all that comes with it. The good people you have next to you, all of the folk that we’ve crossed paths with along the way. Australia: April 2011. Enjoy
- Joe