http://minimalmovieposters.tumblr.com/
I LOVE this site! All of the posters are fan art. Some are from professional graphic designers, some are from enthusiasts. As soon as I get the time, I'll submit a few of my own. But this is how all movie posters should be! They're witty, to the plot and simply about the art. Some of my favorites are below.
The Doctor is back! It has been a full ten years since Dr. Dre released the classic Chronic 2001. Now, after much speculation and anticipation, the first single from his new album Detox has hit the web. The song is simply entitled "Kush", a West Coast ode to the sticky icky also known as marijuana. Dre's signature piano loops lead the track, supported by a meandering bass line. What rap song about weed would be complete without a verse from Snoop Dogg? He adds his laid back flow to the second verse while Akon fills in the hook. The song is definitely classic Dre and very Friday night worthy but the video which should be impressive, underwhelms. The director, Joseph Kahn employs the "Live Photograph" technique, in which a Stedicam rolls along a tracked path through the environment, in which all the actors are stationary. When elements are digitally thrown into the mix, such as flying dollar bills and overflowing liquor, the audience has a chance to experience that EXACT moment in time ; A 3D photo. Much how modern technology trickles down from the armed forces to the civilian populous. Most artistic innovation trickles down from the sole purpose of being art, becoming commercially viable and then finally it becomes a trend. Death of the trend is soon to follow. This technique was first seen on a grand scale with Director Adam Berg's award winning continuous live photograph entitled "Carousel". Based on the buzz of that short clip, the technique found itself into the underrated comedy "The Other Guys", featuring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrel. The most memorable scene from that film by far was the frozen bar scene in which the viewer was treated to the outrageous drunken night of the two main characters. Now, the technique is everywhere. Dr. Dre's Kush has floating liquor, weed smoke and video girls. T-Pain's "Rap Song" has floating liquor, weed smoke and money. There are even instructional how to videos on how to achieve the technique at home. For this to be Dr. Dre's first music video in over a decade, it is sad to say that a could be classic rap song will be momentarily remembered and then easily forgotten due to the utilization of a video trend, which is quickly becoming a music video cliche'.
So, I literally just finished watching this movie, Justice League: The New Frontier. And it was hardcore good! And I mean hardcore literally. In the opening sequence, a dude shoots himself in the face! There's also some bone breaking, stabbing and way more blood than was expected from a superhero cartoon. This DC direct to dvd animated film actually premiered in 2008. I saw the trailer back then and based on the 1950's retro illustrative style and the not so inspiring trailer, I passed on it. It wasn't until I saw the DVD in Target, that I choose to give the film a second chance. I'm glad that I did. The 1950's setting actually served as a positive, with the writers of the (graphic novel and film) including all of the social issues of those times. There are parts about war, communists, racism, big brother, aliens and much more. Besides that, the action is intense. The language is almost rated R (which is a good thing), and there are stakes for each of the characters that intimately draw you into the story line. During the climax and denouement, I found myself cheering and screaming aloud for the superheroes. That's what good art is supposed to do. Make you FEEL something. And I definitely did. I could go on forever, but if you're into comic books and superheroes. Heck, if you're just into good stories, check this movie out!
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
(Oh yeah, some behind the scenes clips are in the video above.)
Wow. It's been journey to get this video produced, shot and cut. I first heard the song "Ali" at a photo shoot for the Pype Dreamz Music Group record label. I automatically knew two things. 1: The song was a hit. Pule' is as official of a rapper as ANYONE out. 2: I HAD to direct the video. Sometimes as an artist, you can just "hear" a concept or "see" a song, as I did with this one. It was the second project working with Ultimate Music Video and hopefully, it won't be the last. So after several location fall-throughs, budget restraints, schedule restraints and the most inopportune Final Cut crash EVER, the video is finally here. Enjoy. Directed and cut by yours truly, elbeethrie.
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
p.s. check out some more Pule' here...http://www.youtube.com/user/PypeDreamzDigital
No. It's not for the new one. This is probably the first time Cap' was ever put on film and it's pretty cool. I kind of like the gangster edge they gave him. There's a three man body count in just two minutes of trailer. Reminds me of the "Bucky Cap". Enjoy.
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
If you knew me as a film major in college or know me as a sometimes music video director and film editor, then you know that Spike Lee is one my BIGGEST cinematic influences. I often talk about why he is so great but sometimes, it is just best to show you. I present, the opening sequence to "Do the Right Thing"...A Spike Lee Joint. What's so special about this? Well, besides an ever so sexy Rosie Perez in her major motion picture debut, the intro encapsulates the mood of the story and sets the tone for what is to come. "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy was used as a leap motif throughout the film but it was also one of the songs that scored the 90's. It represented conscious rebellion and social uprising against the preverbal "MAN". When you hear the song, it inclines the listener to scream "WE AREN"T GOING TO TAKE THIS SH%T ANYMORE!". As a film editor I know that sometimes there is a "perfect song" for a sequence and this was definitely it. Well, what about Mrs. Perez?...Besides the fact that she is just going for it, I mean all out. She is a genius level choreographer. To the average viewer, Rosie is just flailing about, dancing like a common youth from around the way. In actuality, the dance is expressionist in nature, much like the roots of hip-hop itself. The medium was initially used to express yourself and to vent. THAT is what makes it ART. Self expression. Rosie's movements are agressive, energetic and sexy. You can feel her character's anger and frustration through her actions. Think about the dance style of Krumping. It is the same thing. This, once more adds another layer of tonality to the opening. Even the small details, such as the red light emphasize and reinforce anger. You now know through the visual, the character and the soundtrack EXACTLY what you are about to get yourself into. Exquisitely executed. This is why Spiz'ike is the man.
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
These people are sooo ridiculous. I can't even begin to explain. Just click the link and check the technique.
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
Had to repost the link of an article featuring Alex Goose. He's really doing his thing and he's a SCAD alum. We're doing big things in the world. Check it out.
http://junglegymmagazine.com/2010/06/28/alex-goose-msc-dsnr/
A movie about Facebook! We ALL have one, soooo the movie is really about us...right?
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
I wish i could say that I illustrated these logos, but I didn't. I WILL be this nice one day soon. Very soon.
--elbeethrie
So I was commissioned to design the mixtape cover for Pule's "Jack Moves". As an artist, Pule' often plays on words. He wanted the mixtape cover to do the same, playing off the word "jack" in a playing card sense. I kept the first two variations simple in nature. It was honestly inspired by rapper Drake's "So far Gone" mixtape cover, which has seem to become a modern day design motif. (I've seen the stye of illustration in several images since then. Much credit to that designer.) But simplicity is always best. I used the deck of card suites; spade, heart, club and diamond to metaphorically represent Pain, Love, Power, and Wealth. <--All of these being emotional elements in good music. The font is of a Deko variety. I'm not going to say which one specifically because I don't want everyone to start using it. lol
The second concept is a little more hood. Still solid in design and playing of off the card theme, I included the artist, himself and poker chips in the background. Poker chips = high stakes, as in the risk it takes to embark upon a rap career. The money is obviously there as a hood motif, but also as the object that is there to gain by taking these risks. The font is of classic playing card variety. It's called "Kingsandthings".
The third concept is actually started as a combination of the first two. I originally wanted to place Pule' on a Jack card, but that seemed kind of obvious and corny. So instead, I replaced the playing card with a simple black border, staying simple and symbolic. I kept the font clean and modern for this one as well. Combining both words to make one shape (classic, third grade design skills). If you look closely, you'll notice a faint spade in the background. If you look even closer, you'll notice that inside the spade, you'll find a pair of turntables and a mixer. Honestly, the spade is primarily there to fill the negative space.
Let me know which one you like best!
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
This thing has FLASH, 3D, DUAL TOUCH SCREEN, BLU-RAY and MS OFFICE! Why would you want a blown up iPhone?...
Sooo, this is the first time I actually had access to some original 5D footage. Thanks to the great homie, Caroline Mungo. I believe this was the day she bought the cam and we were both anxious to shoot something. Coincidentally, my friends over at PDMG (Pype Dreamz Muzic Group) were anxious to capture some footage of their artist, Pule'. The original plan was to shoot an "in studio performance", probably in black and white or something. In hindsight we were fortunate enough that the building owner was not in town to let us in the studio. We thought our plans to shoot were dashed until I received a text from Pu (Pule'), asking if I knew of a rooftop that we could shoot on. I just so happened to know the perfect place. I would tell you, (some of you all who know me already know, because I shoot there all the time now) but If I told you all, everyone would start shooting there. So, with a fistful of hope and excitement, we actually left a birthday party and headed out to meet the label at the location. We arrived with no plans, no concept and honestly, no functional knowledge of the camera's features. But hey, we're SCAD grads, so we figured it out. Just as we finished our "shot list" (four shots in total), Pu arrived, amped to shoot. Caroline did her thing as director and camera-op and i kinda co-directed in the background. We wrapped the shoot in a few hours with only ONE interruption from security, but the lady was nice. (I should give her a copy of the vid).
OKAY, NOW I had to cut this sucka! The 5D footage looked great after creating a custom preset in FCP that could handle the footage. I STILL can not believe the clarity (35mm equivalent) in this handheld device. But hey, that's modern technology for ya. The only issue was that we only had four shots, with just TWO masters! I had to get creative. My whole goal was to make the viewer feel how we felt that night. It was clear, around 70 degrees the music was bumpin' and the modern landscape of Downtown Atlanta, made the vibe just right. Everywhere you turned, you could see the beauty of the city. It just felt cool to be there. So that's how I cut the vid. Really smooth, I held on takes, only spiced it up a bit here and there, threw the city in the background on a transparency layer and then let Pu vibe it out with his performance.
Well, that's the story! There's the vid. I hope you like it. Leave comments, Tell ya friends.
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
p.s. There an extended version of the vid as well, with a clown car scene. I may post it later. Also, check the updated UMV open. * I like it better than the original.
If you know me, you know that I have been copping Mac Mini's since the beginning. The third generation just dropped yesterday. I HAVE to get it. Once I upgrade the RAM, I'll have a lil bitty comp, that's more powerful and massive than an 07' quad core. Let's go! Here's the article.
The original was pretty awesome. But this is 2010! And THIS is the new awesome. Let hope that the WB picks this up. I'll watch EVERY episode!
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
So this is the open tag I created for "Ultimate Music Videos", a premium music video service based out of Atlanta, GA. They've been doing a lot of work lately and hopefully, you'll be seeing a lot more of the graphic. This is honestly like a "Beta" version, because the logo may change (I've been commissioned to that as well). The only thing is that, there's not a lot you can do with the letters U, M and V. Honestly. So I kept it simple with a basic typeface and extrude. As far as the motion graphic goes, there's a few elements going on: A simultaneous 3D camera pull and tilt, smoke, flames, and a light pass, all color corrected to a blue hue. Sound design by me as well. Let me know what you think. Clients can send rate inquiries to elbeethrie@gmail.com
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
Some people are just sick when it comes to their artistic ability. This fake trailer is pretty spot on. Texturing, rendering, animation, even the footage of the bunnies is on point. I think that it will be YEARS before I ever get this good.
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
A lot of times, people forget that "Club Flyers" are still works of art. Whomever made this was definitely out to remind you. They're so many elements here that work harmoniously, elaborate illustrations and the subtle graphic design...it's just ridiculous...in the best way possible. Initially, the illustration looks busy, but it also makes you stare at the image longer in order to decipher what you're viewing. Once you do, it's great. There's two super-heroine chicks grappling in an endless ring/vat of slime. Outside the ring, in a subtle homage to Bruce Buffer, there's the qwerky ring announcer in the background, shouting out info about the event. That small element is so pertinent because it ties back to the WWE's classic Wrestlemania events of the late 80's and early 90's that Bruce Buffer actually did announce. The illustrated rendition of the Wrestlemania font is spot on as well. I also like how the artist used space, elevating the ring in order to display the event info. There's many more details about this flyer that need mentioning, like the SUPER elaborate city in the background and the fraying of the edges. These little details are what takes good illustrations into the realms of greatness. It's also these details that would cause me to hire this artist if I was a client. Great work.
p.s. I REALLY need to step up my illustration and creativity game. AND i'll be attending this event.
--elbeethrie
www.elbeethrie.com
A lesson I'm learning myself. But people are getting MAJOR bucks for something I do everyday.
So this thing has been done for a while now, I'm JUST getting around to posting it. Hopefully, you all watched the VERY sexy trailer for this vid. It was so racy that it got yanked from facebook. Which is cool, because the point of this art thing, to disturb, and provoke thought. Good art makes people think and feel. Anyways, the resolution and image quality wasn't that bad, but the graininess, plus black and white conversion, definitely helped tell the story. And that was important as well, the telling of a story. I feel like so many videos with African American priciples, lack concept. It's normally a few cuts at a few locations. All performance and no substance. On the contrary, Goldwood's song has great substance and hopefully, I was able to convey that through the video. Anyways, check it out and let me know what you think. Conceptualized, shot, lit and cut by me. It was a fun shoot and they'll be more music videos to come. : )
(And no, this isn't something done on a whim, because I have a camera that captures video. I have a bachelor's degree in film and television from the best art school in the world. That message is directly for all the overnight "directors" that have been popping up lately, just because they own a 5 or 7D.)
--L
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