But We Had Music

But We Had Music (The Universe In Verse, 2024 feat. Nick Cave) from Daniel Bruson on Vimeo.

How, knowing that even the universe is dying, do we bear our lives? The finitude and yet vastness of both our deeds and the cosmos through a fleeting moment of contemplation.

"But We Had Music" is a poem written by Maria Popova, performed here by Nick Cave and transformed into animation by Daniel Bruson, using charcoal drawings, light caustics and optical distortions with glass. The film was made as part of the seventh annual Universe in Verse — a many-hearted labor of love, celebrating the wonder of reality through science and poetry, that took place on April 7th, 2024, on the eve of a total solar eclipse.

More information on The Marginalian: themarginalian.org/2024/04/06/but-we-had-music/?mc_cid=4012e1f8d6&mc_eid=dee49e1ab2

Poem by Maria Popova
Reading by Nick Cave
Animation and Direction by Daniel Bruson
Music by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Voice edit by Pêu Ribeiro

Created for The Universe In Verse, a project by Maria Popova.

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman – Haruki Murakami – Official U.S. Trailer

From Kino studio:

"A lost cat, a giant talkative frog and a tsunami help a bank employee without ambition, his frustrated wife and a schizophrenic accountant to save Tokyo from an earthquake and find a meaning to their lives in the animated feature Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. Based on stories by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami (Drive My Car), the debut of composer Pierre Földes won the Jury Special Mention award at the renowned Annency Animation Film Festival.

Tokyo, a few days after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Kyoko suddenly leaves her husband after spending five days in a row glued to unfolding earthquake footage on TV. Her helpless husband Komura takes a week’s leave from work and heads north to deliver a box and its unknown contents to two young women. His colleague Katagiri, a simple debt collector by profession and an awkward loner in life, returns home one evening to find a two-metre-tall frog asking for his help to save Tokyo from an imminent earthquake. Through memories, dreams and fantasies, Kyoko, Komura and Katagiri, influenced by their visions of earthquakes—which are manifested as evil willow trees, giant earthworms, secret vows, mysterious boxes and a dark, endless corridor—attempt to rediscover their true selves."

Creativity Unleashed

by Gregg Chadwick

Ed Catmull's "Creativity, Inc." is much like the films of Pixar itself: a balanced mix of sheer enthusiasm and careful planning. Catmull writes,"The thesis of this book is that there are many blocks to creativity, but there are active steps we can take to protect the creative process." Catmull writes about the history and vision of Pixar as well as the strategies and mechanisms that have kept the creativity flowing for an amazing run of great animated films - second only in my mind to the stunning work of the Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki and his Ghibli film studios. Cattmull's book is a must read for anyone involved in the arts. From painters, to writers, to actors, to musicians, to film-makers, to game designers - all will benefit immensely from Catmull's encouragement to embrace the unknown while learning to communicate creatively.

Link here: Creativity, Inc 

Loving Vincent

by Gregg Chadwick

Currently under production by the Oscar winning companies Breakthru Films and Trademark Films, the animated film Loving Vincent delves into the life and art of Vincent Van Gogh. Each frame of the film is an oil painting on canvas that will lend a sense of immediacy and painterly touch to Vincent's story. 

Loving Vincent is sourced from over one hundred and twenty of Vincent Van Gogh's paintings and from the 800 letters written by Van Gogh during his lifetime.

The trailers below give hints of the animated feature to come.

Enjoy!