TWS ran their 2nd annual Skate and Create contest. There were 4 entries this year: DVS, Etnies, C1rca and DC. The DVS and Etnies videos (above) blew the others away with great concepts, execution and skating. See all the videos here.

This is kind of a silly video, but I like idea behind it:

Soon Platform21 will be closing its doors. The incubation period is over, and we will end three years of pioneering work with a BANG! For the last-ever Platform21 project, Japanese designer Yuri Suzuki and artist Masa Kimura are building a breakfast machine, and they’re throwing everything into the mix – Platform21 = Jamming. They’ll reuse remnants of past Platform21 projects and receive help from designers who’ve previously taken part in our projects, as well as the public. For eight days, everyone will build the machine together, ultimately turning Platform21 into a two-day restaurant serving all-day breakfasts.

Hollywood directors have dreamed of it: the breakfast machine. Imagine a contraption that sets a chain reaction in motion at the push of a button, frying eggs, juicing oranges, brewing coffee, making toast, and serving it all on a plate with jam, cheese and meat. Not a bad way to start the day!

Every day at 17:00, it’s Happy Jamming Hour. Visitors are invited to the jam session: various designers will assign quick hands-on activities that put your improvisational skills to the test.

If you’re in Amsterdam, here is all the information you need to participate:
16–24 September: Help build the breakfast machine!
25–26 September: Platform21 serves all-day breakfasts
Open daily 12:00–20:00
Happy Jamming Hour every day from 17:00
Free entry and participation

You’ve probably seen these already, but I am totally digging these recently released concept art photos from Tim Burton’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie. Stefan Dechant is the art director (he also directed the art for Where the Wild Things Are). I love the vivid use of color and the textural backgrounds. It will be interesting to see how these renderings translate into the actual movie.

Johnny Depp is the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter plays the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway is the White Queen. Mia Wasikowska stars as Alice and Matt Lucas plays Tweedledee/Tweedledum.

The movie is going to be a mixture of live action and CGI animation and will be released on March 5, 2010.

We went with some friends to see The Watchmen this weekend. I have to say that Zack Snyder did a good job envisioning the film version of the book. The visuals were great, but I thought the stylized speed ramped action sequences contrasted too much with the standard shots. The environments and atmosphere of the city created a believable interpretation of the book’s New York. I especially liked Rorschach’s character, the live-action and voice really brings him to life in a way that the stillness of the book cannot.

The only downside I saw to the movie, was that if you haven’t read the book, the movie is going to be a little hard to follow. I thought it was great to see the book become motion and I can appreciate the movie as a series of smaller character studies and special effects that breathe life into the book. The larger themes and story arcs are still there, but to me, the appreciation of the movie is the medium, film itself, and what it brings to the telling of the story.

If you’ve seen it, what are your thoughts?

WB has asked/forced sites to remove the opening titles sequences, so they may be difficult to find. But if you can, check them out and you’ll see a glimpse into major events of the alternate USA in which the story takes place. Like Nite Owl saving Bruce Wayne’s parents and preventing Batman.

Erin from Design for Mankind just launch a great new video series, Dialogue, in which she will be speaking with designers about their work/process/lives. First topic on the list is Balance, which she discusses with Lisa Solomon, Jen Gotch, and Kelly Lynn Jones: “In today’s world of virtual luxuries and overbooked schedules, how do you, as an artist/designer/blogger, hold it all together? What does your work/family/personal life balance look like, and what happens when you drop the ball?” The first video is great and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series as she releases them each week…

Thru-You is an incredible project by Kutiman. He sliced up hundreds of youtube clips of people playing instruments and/or singing into a series of songs. Be sure to watch the about section to see how he did it.

Here are some video grabs from a Nestle commercial that Ty Evans did with Bob Burnquist. The link is for Ty’s director’s cut, not the tv version. Be sure to check out the how it’s made to see how hard it is to skate in a bowl full of balloons. And check out Epicly Later’d for an interview with Ty himself.

These are stills from a very cool short video from Red Bull detailing the new vehicle design rules for the 2009 season of Formula 1 racing. The design changes are intended to increase mechanical grip and decrease aerodynamic grip/downforce, placing more emphasis on driving technique than body design. This should make racing more about driving than about technology, and make it more exciting at the same time. The animation is nicely done and explains these changes very clearly. Makes me want to watch F1, if only they had it in 3d…

The music video for Royksopp’s “Remind Me”, directed by H5, is one of the coolest videos I have ever seen. Though it came out in 2002 and won best music video at MTV Europe’s 2002 Music Awards, I hadn’t seen it until just the other day. Check out the H5 archives and see what else they’ve done. Be sure to watch the Areva commercial as well.

Katie O’Rourke introduced me to her mini-design series, Designing Minds. Each video features an interview with a designer (or designers in some cases) and takes an in depth look at their artistic process. Designing Minds is a great resource for getting to know some of your favorite designers better. Some of my favorites – Stefan Sagmeister, Marion Bantjes, and Julia Rothman (above).