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Go Go Maniac, Listen, Vocaloid

These two songs, Go Go Maniac and Listen are from the anime K-On!, all about a high school music club going for girl-band rock and roll fame. But there were these guys who liked the series and made their own instruments out of whatever came to hand… test tubes, rulers, plumbing supplies, pots and cans, you name it. And they are actually pretty amazing, as you can hear. Sadly, I don’t yet read squiggly, so I can’t tell you anything about the band except I like them and the horse they… something. Thanks to Japanator for the heads up on that one.

I don’t know if the video was taken down, or if it is just temporarily unavailable as I write this. So I will post a blip on Vocaloid, which is a software application that allows you to build your own singing idol, and hope the other video magically reappears.

Fun Stuff

I am happy to report that the Google Pacman now is permanently online at that link!

Craving some Steampunk? Allow me to recommend the alternate history series Clockwork Century from author Cherie Priest. Some of the books and stories in this series are up for some serious awards, so it is worth your attention. If you are looking for a Build Your Own project, I was just passed the link to the Gamepunk Woot Shirt design. While it has been forever since I last silk-screened a T-Shirt or poster (yes, another one of those jobs we have all had that doesn’t directly relate to our main goal in life, but that was fun and educational), it has inspired me to start working on creating 3D VRML/2ndLife/Machinema objects based on the Portable Games In A Steampunk World concept. Perhaps you have a design idea? Triple points if your 3D object can actually activate a HUD and run an interactive game within the virtual environment!

I am glad Chuck got renewed for a 4th season, because I love that show. For those who enjoyed the season finale last Monday but were hoping for more music, thanks to the Chicago Tribune you can watch the Jeffster Music Video in its entirety.

 

And one last detail, for the Punk Rocker who needs to remember their roots; Linda, Linda…

Sci-Fi Art

There is some wonderful science fiction art being produced continuously, and a lot of the world class artists who produce it have put tutorials online so you can learn how to build your own. My favorite magazine on the topic is ImagineFX, which at $16 dollars a copy US seems a little pricey. Until, that is, you notice the DVD each issue comes with has all the workshops for that issue, including all the resources you need to follow along and make your own version. It also includes various free resources, like Fonts, Brushes, video instructions, 3D models, Textures, open source free apps, and so forth. A lot of their Workshops go online so you can access them there, usually around three months after the magazine hits the news stand. In addition, many of the contributing artists like Henning or Tom Nelson also post their contributions on their own web sites (again with the three month pause; no one wants to discourage you from buying the magazine and actively supporting the artists and publisher).

I have posted about this magazine before of course; what made me think of it now? I just found a nice article called Beyond Cylons and Warp Drive: Phenomenal Sci-Fi Concept Art that showcases 40 incredible works by almost as many artists. Each of the images links back to the source page so you can learn more about the creator and the project. Some of these are book covers, some are matte paintings for the backgrounds in movies or TV shows, some are paintings or page illustrations for magazines, but they are all amazing. And did I mention the site that published the article also is full of tutorials? Just in case you were thinking of building your own…

Build your own Sci-Fi: 3D Contest

It began April 14th, and runs through July 4th of this year; the Reallusion Sci-Fi Machinima Filmmaking Competition, based on the iClone Animation software package. Build your best Sci-Fi animation segment and submit it for a shot at $10,000 in prizes. And yes, the software package in question is a bit pricey to get the latest and greatest version, but you can pick up fully functional LE versions for cheap or free from partners like Daz 3D Studios or included on disks from magazines like 3D Artist. And there are also a ton of free online tutorials from many sources to help get you up to speed, including the 2nd Life Machinima Resources. Good luck in the competition!

Hollywierd

Todd Miro has put together an absolutely brilliant article explaining quite a bit about how today’s movies ended up looking the way a lot of them do, and posted it at Into The Abyss. If you’re into making your own movies, particularly if you process them through a computer (and who doesn’t these days), there will be bonus material for you in this one.

Build Your Own Sci-Fi: MyOuterSpace

William Shatner has been up to many fun and amusing things over the years, and this new project he is associated with allows groups of people to team up to create new science fiction projects. It is called My Outer Space, where the planets are talent pools each specializing in a range of skill sets, and the starships are virtual production companies, each working on a film, stage play, or animation. It looks like they are serious about gathering up some talented people and creating new science fiction, so stop in and check them out.