“Twilight of the Masters offers a moving portrait of three of the world’s most dedicated craftsmen in the twilight hours of their careers. The film follows these craftsmen as they grapple with their legacies and consider how their craft might be passed onto the next generation.”
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The Purrtraitist
Larry Johnson – renowned photographer, specialising in feline portraiture. That’s right, and here he is taking pictures of show cats. Much better than your Instagram feed.
The Lexus Hoverboard
The hoverboard is here, more or less on schedule. It’s not quite as you’d imagine, but it’s kind of nice to know that what’s become a popular science fictional meme has been worked on by actual boffins in the lab.
The Chase
There’s always something very primal about the weather. Especially extremes of weather. It’s one of those rare moments the environment invades your life and makes you realise you’re part of other systems, which aren’t artificial. Just for a moment. I think, watching videos like this, it also reminds me of being young again, when I would constantly mesmerised by storm footage. I even liked that ridiculous Twister film at the time.
Books in the Films of Wes Anderson
There’s very little heavyweight analysis here – just a montage of how books are used in the films of Wes Anderson (one of my favourite film-makers). I think it goes beyond the mere romance and nostalgia of novels though.
The Disney Recipe
Okay, so nothing about the creatives necessarily – but here’s their corporate strategy chart from 1957, as featured in the Harvard Business Review. The mandate was to “fix animation at Disney”, and their focus was on franchises and brands. I think we can safely say it worked. Wonder if the same would work in publishing? I guess everything has to be cross-media these days to really work.
Coda
“A lost soul stumbles drunken through the city. In a park, Death finds him and shows him many things.”
A charming little film.
Chip Kidd: The art of first impressions — in design and life
Famous book designer Chip Kidd talks about two techniques designers use to communicate instantly — clarity and mystery.
Drone Aviary
“The Drone Aviary reveals fleeting glimpses of the city from the perspective of drones. It explores a world where the ‘network’ begins to gain physical autonomy. Drones become protagonists, moving through the city, making decisions about the world and influencing our lives in often opaque yet profound ways.”