Coca-Cola’s Virtual Thaumatrope

I am so excited by this simple new site developed by Coca-Cola. Cokespinner.com is a simple virtual interface that allows users to select a thaumatrope from a small set of different designs (packaged in a little cylindrical case, just as some original sets of thaumatropes were) and then “spin” the thaumatrope, either by using the up and down arrow keys or by using the slider on the right side of the screen. I’m not sure if the included thaumatropes are contemporary designs based on original ads, or if they’re reproductions. Either way, the site is a fascinating adaptation of the thaumatrope (and harkens back to the days when the toy was frequently employed for advertising purposes).

Dain Fagerholm’s Stereoscopic Drawings

I was just introduced to Dain Fagerholm’s amazing stereoscopic drawings via John Martz at Drawn! The three-dimensional effect of these is stunning! The artist also has a tumblr.

Animated GIFs: The Birth of a Medium

This short PBS video offers a nice overview of the history of the animated GIF: its initial appearance, wane in popularity, and its glorious post-2007 resurgence. It features a few great short interviews with various artists/practitioners, all pointing to the breadth and potential of the form (including the cinemagraph, one of the newest variants).

The New York Public Library’s Stereogranimator

Another fine example of using new 3D web formats to bring earlier media into the spotlight, the NYPL’s relatively new Stereogranimator site lets you browse the Library’s collection of stereographs, animate them into .gifs or or 3D anaglyphs, then share them around the web. Inspired by a project by Joshua Heineman, and developed through NYPL Labs, the site is such an excellent way to make a part of the Library’s digitized collection more accessible, and allow users to interact with the materials in new ways. Below is my first attempt using the site: an image of a group of people playing a game. Enjoy!

GIF made with the NYPL Labs Stereogranimator

The Woman in Black

Imagine my delight when, while watching the trailer for The Woman in Black (the new horror film starring Daniel Radcliffe), I spied a zoetrope in action. Radcliffe’s character comes across it while looking around the creepy and deserted Eel Marsh house (he’s there to get all the estate’s affairs in order and sell the place). Upon giving it a spin, he looks through the slots, only to see a scary woman’s face gazing back at him from the other side of the drum. The zoetrope only shows up for a second, and the footage wasn’t included in the initial US version of the trailer (only in the UK version). I’m not sure if it was explicitly in the script, or if some enterprising production designer thought it made a good contribution. Either way, it made my day. (The film itself was pretty good…the ending fell apart a little bit and had too many special effects, as is often the case when this type of film wraps up).

John Leung’s Magic Carp-pet (2010)

Winner of RedDot design award, John Leung’s Magic Carp-pet is a moire pattern printed half on a rug and half on a glass-topped coffee table that animates a school of carp swimming as you walk around the table. Basically, it’s a novel large-scale scanimation piece. The videos below show both the mock-up and the actual demo version. I wonder how it would look in a regular domestic setting.
More info available at John Leung’s website.

Yellowstone, Daniel Henderson, 2009.

Yellowstone 2009.
Black Belgian marble, glass lenses, nickel-plated brass, powder-coated aluminum, LCD screens, 32 x 36 x 28 in., 1350 lbs.
Painted steel base, 51 x 36 x 23 in.,

There are several giant View-Masters and reels out there (notably at Disney Orlando and at Dollywood), but Daniel Henderson’s 750 pound sculpture entitled Yellowstone (at Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey), is certainly the most elegant.
Photo via the artist’s website.

Happy 2012!