Flooby Nooby

June 05, 2010

Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as the half-Vulcan Spock in the Star Trek series (seen above as a three-dimensional wireframe?), has become the latest actor to announce their retirement (so that we'll know it's intentional and that they aren't just really bad at getting roles). The actor and narrator of Civilization IV recently told the Toronto Sun he's ready to leave acting and, presumably, his lucrative music career:

“I want to get off the stage. Also, I don’t think it would be fair to Zachary Quinto,” he says, referring to the actor who portrayed a youthful Spock in last summer’s smash Star Trek relaunch. “He’s a terrific actor, he looks the part, and it’s time to give him some space. And I’m very flattered the character will continue.”
In other words, don’t expect to see Nimoy in the next Trek sequel, scheduled for 2012. And don’t expect to see him anywhere else, either. Having just shot what will be his final appearance as enigmatic genius Dr. William Bell in TV’s Fringe, he says he’s retiring from acting altogether.
“I’ve been doing this professionally for 60 years,” he says with a laugh. “I love the idea of going out on a positive note. I’ve had a great, great time.”
...with his acting and filmmaking career behind him, he wants to concentrate on photography...

And yet it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this retirement takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world--a world that our beloved comrade gave his acting career to protect, to nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human.

Via iwatchstuff

Inspiration

At her Harvard commencement speech, "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling offers some powerful, heartening advice to dreamers and overachievers, including one hard-won lesson that she deems "worth more than any qualification I ever earned."

June 04, 2010

What our 'Avengers' may look like

Sean Stiegemeier in Iceland

Best Mugshot Ever

Talking About Knees

Salesman Pete

French animation students (yes... students) continue to push the boundries for cel-shaded CG animation. This trailer for Salesman Pete is the latest example (and among the finest). It also puts to shame the bland indistinguishable visual styling that dominates all mainstream computer animated television series and feature films nowadays.

The film’s directors Anthony Vivien, Marc Bouyer, and Max Loubaresse have a Salesman Pete production blog with pre-production artwork from their film. What's crazy for me is that this is a 3D trailer/demo with some 2D animation elements integrated into it. I'm so used to seeing the opposite; 2D films or TV series that use 3D CGI to model and animate vehicles and ships because it's easier than to do it through traditional animation means. It's interesting to see the reverse effect in this, it works well.
Via Cartoonbrew