Friday Finds 6.10.11

Miyoko: Best of Behind the Scenes

Because we love architecture and design, we're naturally inclined to like set design as well (just read our article about the Tron: Legacy set and director Joseph Kosinski's approach to the project). This week, I stumbled across a slideshow titled Best of BTS (Behind the Scenes). Take a click through for images of the Metropolis film actress inside the Maria robot outfit taking a cool-off break, the Empire Strikes Back opening text sequence being filmed, a model mountain and King Kong used in filming that movie, and more.

Sam: Four Days, Four Recordings

Four days, four recordings. by cafekaput

Sometimes as a creative person taking on creative tasks, you tend to get caught up in the means, and lose sight of the creative act itself. I know I do. That's why I'm particularly inspired this week by these quickly made recordings by Jon Brooks, the man behind The Advisory Circle. As he notes, "They're 8-track demos and mainly improvised, just using a guitar, a keyboard and a few pedals. Nothing is mixed, it's all as raw as it was tracked, using a pair of particularly crappy (but trusty enough) headphones. I like working this way, as it makes me think differently about approaching the song. In fact, it helps me concentrate on the song, rather than get caught up in technical detail or worse, aimless knob-twiddling." We could all stand to do a little less aimless knob-twiddling.

Diana: The Wire: The Animated Series

Perhaps the best series, nay, THE best series to ever get transmitted through the boob tube is undoubtedly, inarguably, and unquestionably the Wire. For five seasons, creator David Simon guided viewers through the seedy side of Charm City (aka Baltimore, Maryland), weaving together tales of charmingly flawed police detectives, government corruption, union corruption, drug dealing, the Russian mob, Greek mob, and basically every salient topic that's out there. So, the series ended a few years ago, leaving a void in my soul. That's temporarily been filled by a discussion board topic prompting people to create animated renditions of the series. Check it out!

Jaime: Baby Trashes Bar

Until watching this video I never realized how much babies basically behave and move like drunk people. This is goofy and just the right amount of wrong. Mostly hilarious. Happy friday!

Amy: Block Notes

Get all old school with your to-do lists and Tetris them up. Block Notes are designed by Ben Ambrose and sold through SuckUK. A good way to make reminders more fun!

Aaron: Don't Give Up

The most discussed jam around the Dwell offices this week is the the great prog-pop team up "Don't Give Up" from Peter Gabriel's album So. Kate Bush provides the other half of this lovely, ethereal duet, but perhaps the strangest/most moving bit is that in the video where Bush and Gabriel hug for the entire time. Longest hug in MTV history. Support. Don't give up.

Jordan: Lucky Mountain

Since Aaron already Friday Found the remarkable duet, Don't Give Up—fun fact: Kate and Peter are actually STILL hugging, to this day!—I'll link you guys to Lucky Mountain. This pretty perfect comic about contemplating creativity by SF artist Paul Madonna is part of his Small Potatoes series, and it's lovely and everyone should click through and read the whole thing.