Before we even get to the amazing animation, lets talk about the creative use of paper cut outs with screenshots and video of the making of + animatic. If you ever wanted to learn how to make something truly inspirational, read about the project:

It started with Saulo Jamariqueli – Nearly Normal founder – writing a short narrative about a wolf’s life change. Everyone has their own interpretation about what The Wolf means to them. It can be seen as a reflection of modern life. The grass always seems greener in the other side, but as is often the case in real life, it isn’t.
…
Jaime Kiss – Nearly Normal founder – introduced us to Cintia Bertaccini – paper engineer – and we loved her and her portfolio! She was actually the catalyst for the project…
…
It was an experiment that took on a life of its own. Some artists were involved throughout while others would come in sporadically, and some contributed just for a few days. We wanted a full “hands on” experience, and to make nearly everything on the set, leaving almost nothing to do in postproduction. Even the soundtrack was composed entirely at Nearly Normal Studio, arranged by Luca Samuri and played by himself, Derik Yau and Saulo Jamariqueli. All the editing and Post Production was also done at the Nearly Normal Studios.

The Wolf I Used To Be… from Nearly Normal on Vimeo.

ANIMATIC – The Wolf I Used To Be… from Nearly Normal on Vimeo.

THE WOLF I USED TO BE… Making OF from Nearly Normal on Vimeo.

Check out the website of NearlyNormal
Or follow them on Twitter

“Oh, so Banksy then? Because you’re British so–”

What was that, Editor? I can’t hear your helpful suggestions over the sound of me beating your head in with my keyboard.

If one more person mentions Banksy I’m going to kick them over a waterfall. Don’t get me wrong. Banksy’s okay, and it might be that my distaste for him only stems from the fact that I hate anyone who makes more money than I do. (Read: everyone.) Or do I just hate anything that’s popular, like a filthy art hipster? Well…maybe. But that’s beside the point.

I’m not looking at art for a political lesson or some profound world truth. If that’s your thing, then fine. I can go outside and watch the world eat itself without any help. I don’t need a cartoon to do that. I can look at stocky buildings and soggy people anytime I want.
What I really want is to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

May I present to you: Matteo Cattonar.

…of course I may. This is my article.

Code name: AT-AT

Matteo Cattonar is a Verona-based contemporary artist. He’s got a published personal catalogue of his work and there’s more on the way. He’s been displayed in Italy and other places, including the Milan Open Art gallery, and he’s collaborated with other emerging artists in his field.

Cattonar is into painting, illustration, and set design. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere nice you may have seen some of his professional pieces out on the walls. He also does live performances in action painting, where you can watch him work. In some cases this form of art can be called ‘gestural abstraction’ and I just learnt that from Wikipedia.

If you’re interested in seeing him in action, there’s a video of Action Paintings exhibition of Cattonar collaborating with artist Dem125 available for view on his website. I highly encourage you to go and see. Watching him work is like watching a canvas evolve.

“I don’t work with sketches or outlines, unless it is necessary, but overall I don’t like them. I’m very impulsive in my artistic approach. When I see a white canvas I have to mark it. I don’t have the patience to draw a picture and reproduce it and if I’m not satisfied I cover it and I paint it in a different way.”

Cattonar is one of the few rare artists these days who can invoke actual emotions through their work. I’ve already forced you to look at a few in other articles and similarly Cattonar, like my other picks, is generally an unknown to most people. It’s such a pity that these artists aren’t more widely publicised when they have so much to offer us.
In his own words:

“A work of art (whatever its kind) has to catch the reflex of a superior and not human beauty … should be able to generate a unique emotion, something invisible which is hidden in nuances and forms, and in the dialogue between darkness and light. Inspiration comes from my desire of capturing a little tiny piece of that beauty, opening a window to a world we otherwise wouldn’t be able to see.”

Art Boner! Wait, can I say that? Because I totally have one.

And he really knows his stuff! He uses different paints and…things… I asked him how he did it in the hopes of absorbing some of his mystical powers, and also because I have both a genuine interest and utterly no idea how this medium works. One thorough explanation later and I still don’t have a damn clue.

“I’m still experimenting with the combination of different art materials, with the aim of finding the proper balance between their chemical and chromatic reactions.”

Also something about sprays and tops and…forty-four acolytes of the chaos dimension? I don’t know. Whatever. It’s like magic, and it feels like magic. It is pure, unrestrained creativity. It is a freedom through movement, a freedom that cannot be contained within lines. It is the embodiment of everything I love in art and that is why you need to see him for yourself.

Because it’s looking at the city through the eyes of a mad god.

As always – check out links below to learn more about Matteo Cattonar
Check out his Website
Find him on Facebook
Or just buy his stuff Redbubble Store

Q: When did you decide the fashion lifestyle was for you?

When I was about 7 years old I used to grab pieces of fabric and make my dolls dresses with needle and thread. I would do their hair and makeup and would show them to my late grandmother who would always give me her opinion on the “looks” I had created. I believe her encouragement, fashion sense and advice helped me realize fashion would always be a part of my life in one way or another.

Q: You constantly work at bringing out the inner-beauty in other people, but do you apply the same techniques to yourself?

I do, playing around with colors and textures really becomes a part of the life of anyone involved in this industry. If I think of an specific look that I have never done before I tend to try it on myself first just to make sure it doesn’t just look good in my head. Having my hand stained with lipcolors and eyeshadows is an everyday occurrence.

Q: How did you finally break into the industry?

When I was going to makeup school my instructor worked for Bobby Brown, a makeup brand. She took me under her wing and before I knew it I was assisting her working on special events, weddings, fashion shows and photoshoots. Very short after, I began attending hair school and ended up doing both, hair and make up.

Q: I saw you were a jewelry & handbag designer, do you have your own product line?

I did have my own line for about 5 years.Traveled quite a bit and had the opportunity to meet very interesting people who I still have a great relationship with. When I look back probably the best part was working alongside my mom who assisted me those five years. It was a wonderful experience and even though I still enjoy designing I believe I have more of a natural inclination for doing hair and makeup.

Q: Tell me more about the DC Fashionista group you are apart of, what is the purpose of the group? etc.

The DC Fashionista Group was founded in 2006 to help create a fashion community in Washington, DC. My brother Jorge, who was the Marketing Manager for my line, and I traveled to New York and Miami often to participate in events and DC was not even an option then. Fashion events were very hard to come by. One night, speaking with my father we realized we couldn’t be the only ones out there trying to promote a fashion product or service in the city. The main purpose was to find fashion insiders who were positive, friendly who were ready to work hard as a team. Looking for options that evening we found Meetup.com. The DC Fashionista Group was launched and in the first 24 hours 16 people signed up and now there are over 1600 DC Fashionistas, most of them in the DC Metro area. As a group throughout the years we have shared venues to promote our services, worked in photoshoots, fashion shows as well as monthly meetups for the first few years. 36 meetups to be exact. Some have even traveled overseas together to work on fashion projects. Group members have become friends, some more like family. There are photographers, models, hairstylists, makeup artists, fashion stylist, journalists, bloggers, event planners, etc. Different career levels, some do it for fun and others as a profession. The beauty of this group is that we truly appreciate each other and never stop learning. There isn’t a level you have to be at to appreciate the camaraderie, you can be a full fledge designer or just someone who loves to shop at vintage stores. We are open to anyone with ideas and we encourage them to pursue their goals even in a small scale.

Q: Are you ever the subject of the lens? Or do you prefer being behind the scenes?

I prefer to be on the other side of the lens.

Q: Would you ever consider working with up-and-coming/amatuer photographers and models for creative shoots?

Absolutely. I work on test shoots every now and then. I honestly believe that you don’t have to be in the industry for years to be creative. Some people just have the eye for it. It can’t be taught. And if I see it on someone my instinct is to want to be a part of what they see.

Q: Which of your photo shoots, do you think best represents your talent?

The one I shot myself a couple of months ago is probably the one that I am most proud of: For Fashion’s Sake: The Nazca Lines. I am originally from Peru and wanted to capture a part of our culture along with childhood memories. Maybe it is not the best one I have ever done but I found that doing the photography, hair, makeup, fashion styling and actually designing the accessories gave me creative freedom.

My brother is a travel photographer and with his patience and guidance and with the help of my beautiful model Janine Clay and my amazing assistant Christina Trevino I was able to get images I am happy with. I am not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination so this was a nice challenge for me.

Q: What are your personal aspirations tomorrow and in the future?

My goal in the next few weeks is to launch my site as a hairstylist and makeup artist focusing on Brides and special events. I am very excited about all the projects coming up in 2012. I would love to travel more doing location weddings as well as photoshoots. I am ready for booking!

In the future I would love to buy a villa in Florence, Italy, move there with my family and travel all over the world working on weddings, special events, and all things fashion.

Q: Do you have any advice for people in your field trying to get into the industry?

My main advice is: If you don’t show up, nothing happens. All of us want to make it big and make a living doing what we do, but it never really happens unless we put our mind into it.

Creative people don’t usually have business sense, two different parts of the brain. If you can’t sell your products or services look for a partner, someone who can help you meet your financial goals. It is not about compromising your talents or gifts but it is finding the right people to work with. Find your right fit.

Go to trainings, attend classes, intern, assist, do whatever it takes to learn your craft and learn it well the first time around.

Be honest with yourself, you can lie to everyone else but don’t lie to yourself. That just sets you up for failure.
Don’t work with people you don’t respect, put your heart and soul in every single thing you do.

Look for mentors,those who share your same values. Never be afraid to ask for advice even if you have been doing the same thing for years.

If you have stopped doing what you love because things went wrong, it’s ok, it happens. Just know that only until go back to doing what you love you will feel complete.

Take a look below to learn a little more about Abigail de Casanova
Abigail de Casanova has been involved in the fashion industry for over 13 years. As a hairstylist and makeup artist she focuses on getting her clients ready for special events as well as working on photo shoots and fashion shows. Her work as a handbag and jewelry designer has been showcased at the MTV Video Music Awards, The Cannes Film Festival, among other high profile events including movie premieres in New York and Miami. She is the President of The DC Fashionista Group which was founded in 2006, a networking group for designers, models, photographers, makeup artists and hairstylists in the Washington, DC area.

Find her on Facebook

Check out her Twitter

Don’t forget to follow her on Tumblr.

Today, not only are we lucky enough to have an exclusive interview with Glenda, but she has been kind enough to curate a self portrait project just for CreativeFluff Magazine. Take a look at her photography below as well as read through the interview to get insight behind this budding photographer’s work.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am 17 years old. I’ve moved around quite a lot in my lifetime, almost every year of my life. I’ve lived in Maryland, Arizona, & even Guatemala for a few years. I was born in Illinois and am currently living in a suburb just west of Chicago. Driving across the country, being in airplanes for ten hours, and always being the new girl has really given me a lot of time to myself. It’s been pretty lonely and all but I’ve always used creativity as my scapegoat. I’ve danced, sung, drawn, acted, wrote and read since the day I was born. I had a pretty hectic childhood with a pretty dysfunctional family, but my mother has always pushed me to be creative. I have seen beautiful and ugly things and my need to show the world has always existed. I’ve always enjoyed snapping stills but I think my passion for photography grew as I lived in Guatemala. I think it was the extremities of the country; both the horror and the beauty.

Q: What has you drawn to photography at such a young age?

I think it’s just my desire for expression – like any artist, really. I truly believe I’m on this Earth to capture. It’s what I do best. I want to do it till the day I die

Q: Are there any artists or designers that inspire your work?

I’m very inspired by many artists: Frida Kahlo, Tim Walker, Bosch, Sally Mann, Dali, and even director Wes Anderson. Some to-be legends however Rosie Hardy, Brooke Shaden, and also youngling Alex Stoddard really push me to have strong concepts. I think the one thing all these people have in kind is that they were totally different and most of these people have been found controversial. These people are innovative and have invented new ways to see the world…or shall I say create new worlds.

Q: What type of photography are you drawn to? Portraits? Documentary? Fashion?

This is a hard question. Really, I’m drawn to pretty much all forms of photography. I mean I guess I love people, so pictures of people are my favorite.
Documentary photography is so beautiful because it really allows you to connect with real people. Though I mostly take “artistic” images and usually they have a surreal aspect to them, I love pictures that just tell stories.
Lately I’ve been really getting into fashion photography. I never used to understand fashion, I thought it was shallow and ridiculous. This was until I realized the huge roll that clothes pays in my pictures. I realized that clothing really makes a character. Sometimes I see a dress & immediately a story pops into my head. That’s why sometimes you see people wearing bags on their heads on the runway, yeah it looks ridiculous, but I think there’s always a story that the fabric and stitching tells.

Q: With all your amazing talent, are you getting a lot of work in photography?

Thank you so much! Haha, I take pictures every so often of kids from my school which is always fun! This summer, on my birthday, I’m doing my first wedding with a gorgeous model! So that will be very exciting. There are a lot of people who want to do photo shoots with me and most of the time I do it for free, but it’s always a little hard because I’m in high school and have a busy schedule! I do a lot of volunteer work and work with local people, business, my school. I work with a local boutique that sells a lot of vintage clothes, so it’s always fun to be able to photograph the clothing! A lot of photographers feel like doing this type of work is selling themselves out, but I find it to be really enjoyable. I give a lot of free sessions just because I love to do it and don’t feel like I should be charging someone to have fun myself, plus it always serves as good practice

Q: Are you looking at an art college like Parsons, SVA, etc?

I did apply to art schools all over! I applied to schools in NY, Georgia, Kansas, California…but I think I might stick in Chicago for a couple years. I’m not sure where yet, but wherever I go I’m 89% sure it’ll be an art school and 100% sure I’ll pursue photography. I really think that college isn’t about getting a degree, especially with what I’m doing. I want to go to college to actually learn and get way better

Q: What advice do you have for other amateur photographers?

My advice is carry your camera everywhere you go. I carry my camera everywhere, sometimes I tell myself I’m not going to take it but it’s become a reflex and it’s glued to me. There have been so many situations at school or at work where my camera has served as a relief and I’ve gotten myself into new work. It’s great! I always tell myself, you NEVER know what will happen. The world is so unpredictale, and I’m tired of having to say, “ohhh…I wish I had my camera for this.”

Q: Do you find that being a “people person” helps in photography shoots?

Absolutely. Sometimes it’s a little bit of a struggle for me because I recently have been very shy and awkward but I realize that when I feel confident and enthusiastic, the people I’m photographing feel the same. It’s so important that the models feel secure and feel a strong sense of direction! It’s good to have a conversation and break the ice so that the session will go smoothly

Q: Have you been able to get constructive criticism about your work?

I’m a very big part of Flickr. It’s a wonderful community; I get daily feedback (since I’m working on a 366 project) on all my photographs. To be honest, sometimes it it feels like that’s what keeps me going. It’s what keeps me taking pictures every day & I love it.
I’m also in Advanced Placement art class at my high school, so we have weekly critiques. It’s always helpful, but sometimes I wish that people would be more truthful/critical instead of just being kind

Q: Which of your camera’s is your favorite to shoot with? Mine is an old Spartus Full Vue with 120mm film

Well a couple months ago I got a Nikon D7000 and a 50mm lens, so paired up it’s quite magical! I think what I really love about that camera is the great video option. I’m in my school morning announcements and get to make videos all the time so I always use it. I love cinematography and want to do really learn more about that world in college.
Now which cameras are the most fun is the real question. I’m not going to lie I’m a camera hoarder. I have shelves and boxes of cameras, lenses and accessories. I love shooting with my smiley face camera (Holga 135TIM), my nikkorformats, minolta x-700 and now thanks to the impossible project I get to use all my Polaroids! Of course shooting with film is super expensive but it’s so much fun. I get to develop all my black and white film and pictures at school so that’s pretty awesome!

Q: Finally, where do you see yourself and your photography in 10 years?

In ten years I’ll be what…27? Wow. Well… I see myself getting out of college for the second time but this time not with an photography degree but with marine biology. I see myself on a plane going back to my home in some warm state after being in Australia for a really long time. I see that the only thing in my luggage is a little bit of clothes and a bunch of camera equipment. I see someone waiting for me at the airport that cares about me, but I’m not married yet. I’ve been too busy, traveling the world, going to school…and getting a lot of recognition for it. I’m sitting in my seat my hands on my camera, excited to show the world of my trips. Excited to have come so far, and have people know that I’m a photographer…and a great one

Interested in learning more about Glenda Lissette’s Photography?
Check out her personal website.
Follow her on Tumblr
Like her FaceBook Page

This is Star Wars Uncut – Director’s Cut.

Finally, the crowd-sourced project has been stitched together and put online for your streaming pleasure. The “Director’s Cut” is a feature-length film that contains hand-picked scenes from the entire StarWarsUncut.com collection…

In 2009, thousands of Internet users were asked to remake “Star Wars: A New Hope” into a fan film, 15 seconds at a time. Contributors were allowed to recreate scenes from Star Wars however they wanted. Within just a few months SWU grew into a wild success. The creativity that poured into the project was unimaginable.

Star Wars Uncut: Director’s Cut from Casey Pugh on Vimeo.

StarWarsUncut.com

Lisa was kind enough to send us a few to try out and I must admit that when the Snap Sac bags arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. The packaging around the product was minimal, beautiful, & stylish; just like their totes. Each tote comes folded up neatly with a small paper (I assume recycled) tab describing the type of bag. We received the following: Grocery Tote, Super Tote, Mega Tote, Cool Tote, Lunch Tote, and Petite Tote. All of the bags were gorgeous and featured modern and simple prints on the outside while on the inside each one had a small tab embossed with their SnapSac brand.

Now, at Creative Fluff we have to differentiate ourselves from the mainstream. Many things fashionable are unwieldy and definitely not practical. Thus it’s great that these bags are sustainable; it’s great that they look pretty, but do these bags work as bags?

Yes, they do. In fact, they function quite well. I’ve only had the opportunity to go hands on with the insulated lunch tote, but from my experience with it I can tell you that it does insulate my lunch at work keeping my homemade chicken & mint soup nice and fresh. Take a look at what the bag looks like filled with tasty things.

Whats next?

This is only our first look at these wonderful SnapSac bags. We will continue our review discussing the Pros, Cons & Bottom Line when it comes to considering these for purchase as well as any possible improvements that could be made to strengthen SnapSac’s brand as well as increase their sales while still “Doing Good”. Keep an eye out for our in depth review but in the mean time, check out the information below about SnapSac if you’re already itching to purchase a bag!

SnapSac™ grew out of our desire to listen to consumers. We survey our customers to find out what people really want in a tote bag, and we continue to make listening to consumers important for future improvements and evolution to our products. We encourage you to join our conversation and tell us what you think about our bags and how our products can serve you better!

SnapSacs™ are available at Sprouts Farmer’s Markets, Henry’s Farmer’s Market, grocery stores nationwide and online at www.snapsac.com and amazon.com. For more information and to see styles and designs please visit www.snapsac.com or call 888.478.3886.

Got Something to say? Let us know with a Comment!

Official music video for “Join Their Game” by Pelbo, from their second album “Days Of Transcendence” available on iTunes. Shot on Gråkallbanen in Trondheim.
Director: André Chocron
Director of photography: Audun Magnæs
Impro choreography: Ingeborg Dugstad Sanders
First assistant camera: Henrik Flatås
Gaffer: Aksel Løseth Waade
Sound design: Daniel Lindvik
Colorist: Camilla Holst Vea at Storyline Studios
Producer: Hallvar Witzø
Shot on RED Epic
Supported by Boreal Transport, Sparebank1 SMN and Pizzabakeren (pizzabakeren.no/)

There are more ways of killing a man than there are of making bread, or making love. And while the latter two are quite limited in scale, Man has gone beyond his imagination for his capacity to destroy life with one push of a button

Truer words have never been spoken within the first 2 minutes of a major movie. Guy Moshe’s imagination has brought us the eclectic and amazing film Bunraku: an age old tale of strife. Check out the amazing opening animation cinematic stills as well as the entire video below.

Credits:

Directed by Guilherme Marcondes

Produced by Hornet Inc.

Executive Producer: Michael Feder
Producer: Hana Shimizu

Animation
Producer: Jan Wohrle
Lead Compositor: John Harrison
Compositors: Yussef Cole, Julien Koetsch, Arthur Hur
Storyboard Artists: Tom Lintern, Carlos Ancalmo
Character Design: Rafael Grampá, Mike Luzzi
Background Design: Morgan Schweitzer
Character Animation: Mike Luzzi
Additional Animation: Frank Summers, Keng-Ming Liu
Editor: Joe Suslak

Live Action
Director of Photography: Toshiaki Ozawa
Live Action Producer: Joel Kretschman
Assistant Director: Jeff Lazar
1st Assistant Camera: Scott Maguire
Gaffer: Michael Yetter
Best Boy: Rich Ulivella
Key Grip: Joe Mandeville
Art Director: Ryan Heck
Asst. Art Director: Andy Byers
Set Design: Andrezza Valentin
Puppet Fabrication: K&Z Studio Inc., Adam Parker Smith & Carolyn Salas
Puppeteers: Adam Pagdon, Ulysses Jones, Megan McNerney, Celli Clemmons
Production Assistants: Matthew Churchill, Rick Matera, Connie Li Chan

“In the west, it’s all about the decisions you make; and if there is a choice to be a chicken; there is also always a chance to become…a legend.”

Henrique Barone has stroke metaphorical gold with his existential wild western piece “Tough West”. He produced this flash film during his Classical Animation course at Vancouver Film School. What struck me about this piece was that not only did it encompass the wild western aesthetic, it touched on the hardboiled nature of 1940′s noir.

Take a look at some of his concept art below followed by the video at the end.

Want to learn more about Henrique Barone?

Check out his portfolio
Find him on twitter
Take a peek at his resume
Or just email him directly here: henriquebarone@gmail.com

Enter data hero Michael Rigley, BFA of California College of the Arts’ graphic design program. His data visualization animation is does truth to the numbers in his piece about tracing what happens to the data that we spew into the digital landscape every day. Take a look at some of the sample screens from his animation below and be sure to catch the video.

Information Design

Network from Michael Rigley on Vimeo.

Information technology has become a ubiquitous presence. By visualizing the processes that underlie our interactions with this technology we can trace what happens to the information we feed into the network.

Want to contact the artist?

Michael Rigley‘s Portfolio – http://www.nonomy.com/
mike@nonomy.com