For me the weekly soapbox session has always seemed to be an opportunity to inspire those who work around you. To inspire colleagues you have to improve every facet of the work they create in or out of the studio environment. And even if this isn’t achieved, enlighten them on what your thought process is and at the least, what it is that inspires you. This power of inspiration is priceless and usually always appreciated by anyone with half a brain. Anyone with a stomach can also appreciate cupcakes and muffins, and somehow I felt it was necessary to include a small island of each in the boardroom where we hold our soapbox sessions. After all, being light hearted usually allows one to relax and open their mind to what follows a tasty chocolate cupcake. Tasty and expensive!
I decided to inspire through two remarkable videos I have come across over the past few months. Both have drastically changed my perspective on what is possible and what should be possible if pure thought and dedication are thrown into the creation process.
The first video is a work created by a Spanish resident by the name of Alex Roman, and simply put, is the greatest piece of 3D visuals I, and many other people, have EVER seen. Greater still is the fact he produced the entire piece by his lonesome self. From modeling, to texturing, to lighting, to rendering and compositioning. Even the musical score, which on its own is a fantastic piece of work. Not much is known about the creative process as of yet, apart from the fact that it took roughly a year to complete using Autodesk 3D Studio Max, Vray, Adobe AfterEffects and Adobe Premiere.
Yes, that was 3D like the Avatar movie! Here is the project website.
The second video I played was a small section of a documentary called Objectified, directed by Gary Hustwit. It explores the delicate relationship the user and designer has with the thousands of objects that are created in our world today. By interviewing and following a few of the worlds best and most inspirational industrial designers, the documentary allows us to see the thoughtfulness and thoughtlessness that goes into so many products that we use everyday. After all, almost everything we use in our day to day lives has been designed…
Yes, Apple just became more appealing.
What you take from these two videos is completely up to you, which for me is the greatest aspect of the soapbox session. Its just a pity you weren’t there for the cupcakes!
