Apple releases 3rd in the “Experiments” series, this one by Donghoon Jun and James Thornton of Incite in collaboration with WET
The previous clip in the series was an excellent video showing what can be done using 32 iPhone XR cameras set up into a Bullet-Time” rig like the one used in “The Matrix”. As was the case with the previous release, a behind the scenes video is provided also, showing the techniques that were used to produce the effects in the main clip.
It can be seen immediately how much the lighting set up, creative experimentation and even the water resistant qualities of the iPhone XS all play a large role in finding the beautiful, mesmerizing, stylized results. The music, perfectly synchronized and a melange of watery sound effects and impressionistic electronica, is perversely flattering and enhances the visuals infintely. The water “rigs”, dry ice dispensers and various cylindrical plastic containers are, all by themselves, quite impressive and the art department that provided and produced those deserve much of the credit for the results!
All that being said, however, the quality of the images and versatility and range of the camera effects settings is impressive and hardly what comes to mind when one thinks of “smartphone” video.
Ace Time-lapse Photographer Capturing a Beautiful World
Here at Lynxotic we have been following Michael Shainblum and continue to be astounded at his incredible prowess in capturing beauty all around the world. Time-lapses like these are our favorites but he also has world-class stills that can be viewed (and purchased) at http://www.shainblumphoto.com
Above: Another example of amazing location shots by M.S.
Jungle Book director back to recreate the old magic
Disney
Jon Favreau’s new reimagining of the Disney classic “The Lion King” is all the buzz. Recently, at CinemaCon, the press were floored by newly released footage from the faux-live-action, photo-realistic movie.
Favreau’s recreation of the “everything the light touches’’ scene is the most recent reveal. This is the iconic scene where King Mufasa explains to his son Simba where and how they rule. Even better, James Earl Jones reprises his roll as King Mufasa, and delivers the speech once again.
Similarly, Favreau recently reimagined “The Jungle Book” in pseudo real VFX style. Jungle Book won several awards for its visual effects, including the Academy Award for Visual Effects in 2017. The award winning team returned with Favreau for “The Lion King”.
Classics reimagined
Although Disney has been recreating some of their classic animated movies in hybrid CGI / live action form, technology for a full VFX treatment seems to be catching up with the ideas and nostalgia.
The “re-boot and reimagining” isn’t an uncommon concept in Hollywood. Warner Bros. is reworking a stand-alone Joker origin story prequel, to be released in the fall, for example. But Disney’s new visual interpretations stir excitement and nostalgia all at once. This looks like a fresh and exciting take and I’m looking forward to the full experience.
Unexpected Flower Explosion Leads to Traffic Jams for Instagram
photo / Monique Ly
After two years of unusually plentiful rain, even areas such as Ansa-Borrego Desert State Park, Death Valley and Lake Elsinore, CA are enjoying an exceptional phenomenon called the “Super Bloom”. This year’s model is bigger and better than 2017’s version, and it’s coming 8 years ahead of schedule since once in a decade is the historical norm.
Photo / Monique Ly
Our climate is changing, and often, especially lately, it’s alarming. But, occasionally, we are also privy to unique and exceptional displays of beauty, caused by an out-of-whack Mother Nature.
photo / Monique Ly
This is a super charge of flowers blooming due to increased rain that has ignited dormant desert seeds into a beautiful bouquet of primrose, desert Lillies, poppies, Sand Verbena, and Bigelow’s Monkeyflower.
Photo / Monique Ly
What was once a desert is now an array and an eruption of flowers, and the wildlife that feed on these flowers.
photo / Monique Ly
The SuperBloom 2019 has been spectacular to behold. But, in true 21st-century human fashion, the opportunity was nearly stomped out by the overzealous. Instagrammers and hikers from far and wide bombarded Walker Canyon (near Lake Elsinore, CA) with massive automotive and foot traffic.
photo / Monique Ly
Reports of selfie-sticks doubling as trekking poles, and people stumbling and falling through flower patches, became the norm. All for the glory of “the ‘gram”.
An event that started with affectionate terms like “Poppypalooza” and “Poppy Mania” quickly sprouted the hashtags #poppynightmares and #isitoveryet.
#AttentionResidents: the roads are really bad out there. Long waits for Central Avenue. We have called in more police services from surrounding cities to help. The freeway is not moving… https://t.co/KqEmMmc7lI
— City of Lake Elsinore (@CtyLakeElsinore) March 17, 2019
photo / Danny Leeds
The phenomenon caused an estimated 66,000 people to flood the small California town (doubling its usual 60,000 population in one weekend). The normally sleepy metropolis couldn’t handle the congestion, which forced Elsinore police to “close everything”.
photo / Monique Ly
Local residents began to yell at people directing traffic, an exploring dog was bitten by a rattlesnake, and the gridlock became a safety issue (one hit-and-run was reported). The canyon is known for steep hills and the hillsides aren’t meant to have hikers.
photo / Monique Ly
Reports of photo-shoots in areas designated off-limits to tourists, and hikers in heels were common. Reports of selfie-sticks doubling as trekking poles, and people stumbling and falling through flower patches, became the norm. All for the glory of “the ‘gram”.
The beauty, as captured in part by our photography crew above, remains, thankfully, and 2019 will likely be remembered as the year of the Great SuperBloom of Southern California.
3 new Apple Memoji videos hit the street today, and, like previous Animoji clips are basically Karaoke Music Videos. Timed to coincide with the 2019 Grammy Awards, today’s batch feature heads crafted to look like the original artists themselves, as a way to emphasize the “me” in Memoji.
In previous “Animoji” video clips Apple used anonymous people that were carefully chosen to match pre-set characters, such as the Cat or Unicorn. Generally, the entire Animoji project appears to be a fringe benefit from the face ID security system, and as a gift from the Steve Jobs Pixar legacy. Ok, true or not, in any case, they look like Toy Story style characters.
It’s a mystery why the talking heads always sway from side to side. Perhaps this is meant to show off the head tracking response, for example, but by now one would think that’s a given.
Although extremely cute and more responsive and adaptable all the time, it looks like third-party apps will have to fill the void, if virtual actors with more range are to emerge.
It would be great to see a talking avatar that has more realism or at least a personality that goes beyond “cute” and “super cute”.
When this concept finally goes beyond fun, games and Karaoke, a wide variety of potential uses could become possible. Just ask Max Headroom.
All the angst over AI taking over service and manufacturing jobs notwithstanding, by now you’d think someone would have created an automated Megyn Kelly. The 69 million pay-out she received when she was fired could have recouped any prior outlay for research and development. And, hey, at least the animated anchor would have stayed on script.
In November of last year the world’s first AI news anchor started working in China. The Chinese-English speaking bot “…can read texts as naturally as a professional news anchor”, the state-run Xinhua news agency that created the bot, claimed in a statement. Judge for yourself:
If you know of any third party apps trying to graduate from cute when it comes to Memoji recording, please contact our video department. Here at Lynxotic News we could definitely use a few new spokes-bots.
Capturing New York City – Behind the Timelapse by Michael Shainblum
video excerpt / Michael Shainblum
Every once in a while we come across a really exceptional clip that deserves a wider audience. Michael Shainblum’s Capturing New York City is one such clip.
Above you can also see the “Behind The Scenes” clip, released along side the video above, which shows in some detail all that’s involved in setting up a “Bullet-Time” rig, other than acquiring 32 iPhones !
High quality aerial photography produced using unmanned, remote-controlled Drones is becoming more commonplace. With this proliferation, and with a simultaneous massive improvement in camera quality, a new wave of spectacular visual renderings of the world’s most beautiful cities are appearing online.
Some of these also use special effect techniques such as time-lapse and “hyper-lapse”. Similar to time-lapse, hyper-lapse adds movement while maintaining a stable image throughout. Once only possible through laborious software processing, the effects can now be produced “in-camera”, through the use of gyroscopic stabilizers rendering an effect that adds an otherworldly dimension to the “trip”, creating a true feast for the eye.
Using these effects, adding music and a bit of editing, the stunning aerial views created can evoke an experience as if mind-altering substances had been ingested!
Here are a few of the best examples we found on YouTube:
Hong Kong
Hong Kong has possibly the world’s most beautiful skyline, especially at night. This video, titled “Escape” by Francis So takes the Hyper-lapse genre to the next level with an integrated story and a great variety of locations in and around HK
Frank H. – New Entertainment Pictures has put together a breathtakingly detailed day in the life of this beloved metropolis. Traversing a typically cloudy, almost “sleepy London-Town” on a journey from Dawn to Dusk, practically all the most amazing landmarks can be seen as if from the view of a floating spirit guide.
ITALY!
In many ways the most amazing of our clip selections, this is an incredible look at some of Italy’s most photogenic landmarks, all from the perspective of a mind-altered space alien. The rich highly saturated photography heightens the effects and creates a sensual tableau that, truly, must be seen to be appreciated.
Producer / Director Adam Shomsky Included the following location notes:
Berlin
With a musical accompaniment that evokes “Falco’s Amadeus meets Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (spring)” creating an eerily fitting aural backdrop, TimeLapseWorlds has created an impressive visual mix of some of Berlin’s classic locations, including;
“The Memory Church” (in German: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, but mostly just known as Gedächtniskirche ). Famous for being bombed in 1943, the church was rebuilt between 1959-1963 but the original spire was retained and serves as a reminder of the horrors of war.
The “Friedensengel”(peace angel) known also as The Berlin Victory Column) which appeared in the 1987 Wim Wenders‘ Wings of Desire (1987) Portrayed as a meeting place for angels.
TheBrandenburg Gate (German: Brandenburger Tor). This iconic landmark split the east and west sectors during the cold war and remains at the heart of Berlin, in body and spirit.
Perhaps, after such a mind blowing “trip” a calmer look from a drone at peace with the world is a fitting final journey:
Frank H / New Entertainment Pictures has produced a soothing, dreamy portrait of the Berlin. Using various slow-motion effects and a confident, calm approach, this view from a drone is portrays the city in a decidedly different light, but the result is no less satisfying.
The clips in this preview are but a tiny foretaste of what may soon be possible in creative photography and visual special effects. Stay Tuned.
