natecooper.net

(via kottke.org)

Check out this interesting article about writing. Excerpt:

“If you think of Groundhog Day — the only whys that are ever explored is the whys behind the individual choices Bill Murray makes during his endlessly repeating day. What you are NOT ever given the why answer to is:

Why did this start? Is it God? Why did he pick Bill Murray? Why this particular Groundhog Day? In other words, Danny Rubin & Harold Ramis do not bog you down in any of the metaphysical questions of how this world came to be or why this is happening to Bill Murray because they know it doesnt matter; what people want to see — what they will enjoy, is seeing what happens next: why Bill Murray makes the choices he does, and eventually, how he comes to see the world differently.”

Couldn’t really agree more. It’s all about the drive in the story-telling, sometimes the details can get distracting. I remember having a conversation with a friend about this and the movie Moon — where basically the philosophy behind the making of that movie was not to alienate the audience by making the sci-fi too obscure or detail oriented.

(via Dead Things ON Sticks)

FOUND Magazine’s Denim and Diamonds Tour 2009! last night at ICE in lower Manhattan, was quite enjoyable. Though I had heard of the concept of Found and seen an issue here and there, I did not know quite what to expect. If you’re unfamiliar, Found is a yearly published magazine whose content is derived solely from material that is discovered almost exclusively by accident. That crumpled piece of paper blowing down the street, the receipt someone carelessly discarded, perhaps a fax sent to the wrong number. Maybe it’s a love letter, maybe it’s someone begging for forgiveness, maybe it’s a ransom note.

While the prospect of riffling through the detritus of someone’s personal life seems appealing in isolation, turning pages in a magazine, what could possibly happen in a live show? It turns out a lot. Davy Rothbart one of the geniuses behind the magazine, also has This American Life credentials and an excellent stage presence. His knack for recreating a sense of discovery while reciting, on stage, found items, really exemplifies the joy that is embodied in the magazine and is bottom-line entertaining.

To wonder about the origins and stories behind some of the lost love letters & to-do lists is part of the wonder of reading them and Davy extols that virtue. But the point isn’t only to wonder, but also create. Davy said, “I love to get the first reactions people have to found items.” Some might be one liners but Peter Rothbart writes songs. Peter is Davy’s brother and for part of the show performs some songs, on guitar, based upon found items. For the third act, The Story Pirates actually acted out — in full costume — two sketches based upon found notes.

I talked with Davy after the show and what we seemed to connect to was this idea that there is a real joy to be open to the idea of discovery, but an even greater one to create new work out of it. Though this article I’m writing is a kind of work unto itself, I think I’ll consider it more of just a gut reaction.

If you get a chance to see FOUND Magazine’s Denim and Diamonds Tour 2009! absolutely take advantage!

Living in New York, one’s mind might be lent to wonder about the legality of street advertisement. They are literally everywhere. I’m not just talking about billboards (though their omnipresence is also very hard to dismiss), but on every barricade, construction site (New York has many) and even just on empty walls.

According to this article on Rocketboom, most street ads are totally illegal. A group called Public Ad Campaign decided to do something about it. They reclaimed visual space with white paint and put wonderful street art in place of the ads.

Video Below:

Jason Santa Maria lays out some very interesting queries here, but seems to lack answers. Here he speaks to why visual appeal is very much alive in print media, but lacking in online layouts. He argues some pretty compelling points about things that work for and against both mediums but seems at a loss to explain why more attention isn’t paid to design online.

Interesting discussion if you design for the web.

(via konigi)

Take some practical tips about writing by the illustrious Mark Twain. The secret is to share your work with a large cross section of people (listed one by one in this video), then, if a book fails to please, burn it.

For some reason this video is also narrarated by John Lithgow, which makes me a little giddy.

(via The Book Design Review)

WebUrbanist has a great collection of art projects involving the miniature from sculptures carved into needle eyes to tilt-shift photography.

Steven Tartick’s photo montage of the graffiti (and counter-graffiti) in an SVA bathroom reminds me much of the long dialogues strewn about the halls at my alma mater.

First there is the well designed and printed decals quoting statistics meant to insight thoughtfulness about inequities in IT and graphic design. Then there are the comments scrawled on and around the decals critiquing the statements.

I find both rather poignant at times though some of the handwritten comments are rather low blows.

I remember hearing that in my school’s library there was an entire series of articles published in a newsletter format, regularly inscribed on the bathroom walls of the womens’ restroom. I wonder if they still exist.

(via StevenTartick)

This video really illustrates the line between a photograph and motion pictures — a line of topical interest to me. There’s a magical wonder that happens with an object in motion. Even with the jerkiness of the low fps our mind wants to believe that there is a relationship and so follows the story frame by frame.

(via Pink Tentacle)

(via thundrrr)