“Sketch City” Official Inspiration for 2010 Blender World Cup Animation Competition

Our “Sketch City” web series trailer somehow wound up as one of the “inspiration” pieces for Blender’s BWC animation competition.

Made it on the short list next to Aardman Film’s “Wallace and Gromit”

and Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride”. Nice company!

The Blender World Cup was started in 2004: to promote a competitive spirit within the Blender community while giving artists an opportunity to push themselves beyond what they know about Blender, composition, and storytelling. Learn more about 2010 BWC here

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Related Posts:
“Sketch City”
Shooting with Ray Flynn and T. Rex Lens
Building Paper Set

Obscure Object Films May 15th Screening – More Info

Related Posts:

Obscure Object Films Gelato! Screening at Brooklyn Movie Labs May 15th

“Proteus Syndrome”

“J’adore PORN”, “Obscure Object Part 3”

Obscure Object Films Gelato! Screening at Brooklyn Movie Labs May 15th

On May 15th, 2010 we will be screening three of our short films, “Proteus Syndrome”, “J’Adore Porn”, and “Obscure Object Part 3” in a film festival curated by Jason Wicks from Gelato! Arts Salon at Brooklyn Movie labs film studio space on 449 Nostrand Avenue.

This is the first in a series of Brooklyn film festivals in which Gelato! teams up with Dexter Taylor of Brooklyn Movie Labs. The May 15th show will feature films presented at the Gelato! Film Festival in Rome, Italy in December, as well as a few new entries.

We will be there to talk about the films and field questions. There will be two screenings during the evening ( TBA via Gelato! Art Salon blog )

Located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Movie Labs is Brooklyn’s first all-digital filmmaking institute and offers several programs in digital filmmaking from the ground up, with a team of industry professionals and state-of-the-art facilities to offer training to create work ranging from video podcasts to features.

Proteus Syndrome

Related Links:
“Proteus Syndrome”

“J’adore PORN”, “Obscure Object Part 3”

a storefront installation created by labtest

just re uploaded this- thought folks would want to see…
this is an installation we did at chashama on 42nd street, a couple a years back…

Thanks for a Great Night at “the Object” Screening

Thanks for coming out to “the Object” screening last night and spending some time in Burlesqueland with Dirty Martini and the rest of the Slipper Room’s lovely “Hot Box” performers Gigi & Pop, Jo Boobs, Trixie Little, Peekaboo Pointe, Weirdee Girl, Nasty Canasta, and UK guest , British Heart. The camera was passed around all night so photo credits ( amongst other things ) are a bit vague today… Hope you like the pics.

the Object “Sneak Preview” 30 sec Trailer and Notes from Post

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Here’s a sneak preview of the latest Obscure Object Films release “the Object” to be screened this Friday at the World Premier Screening Party hosted by international burlesque star Dirty Martini at the Slipper Room ( 167 Orchard St. ), Lower East Side, NYC Friday October 9th at 8pm.

This 4.5 minute film, shot on location in Brooklyn and Long Island City by Tal Shpantzer with a Canon digital Still camera, follows the thwarted lust of an artist for an unattainable woman and leads the viewer from the stage and dressing room of a 1930s cabaret to an animated fantasy theatre of his injured and fragile psyche.

“the Object” Film Premiere Hosted By Dirty Martini at the Slipper Room, Fri. Oct 9th

Burlesque star Dirty Martini to Host World Premier Screening Party of Filmmaker Stephen Dirkes “the Object” at the Slipper Room, 167 Orchard St., NYC, Friday October 9th, 8-9pm. Our Film Premiere, wrap party, cocktail Party and Dirty Martini’s live Burlesque performance will segue into the Slipper Room’s exceptional live Burlesque Show.

Obscure Object Films announces the release of Stephen Dirkes short film The Object, starring burlesque star Dirty Martini and Paul Richard. This 5 minute film, shot on location in Brooklyn and Long Island City follows a protagonist whose lust for women unattainable leads the viewer from stop action animation to a live action set reminiscent of the best of 1930s cabaret.

“Yosemite Schematic” Wins Gold at Yosemite Film Festival

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We congratulate Obscure Object Films/ Labtest colleague, Peter Bill’s award of the the John Muir Gold Award for his “Yosemite Schematic” short film in the Environmental Film Competition of the ’09 Yosimite Film Festival.

Another in his California landscape series of time lapse films, this beautiful panoramic montage of digital still and super 8mm film, time lapse footage was shot on Nikon D200, Canon S50, and super-8 cameras.

“Obscure Object Part 4” Fills the Night Sky in Dumbo, NYC Sept. 10th

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We’ll have a free screening of “Obscure Object Part 4” outside on the walls of 33 Washington St., Rabbithole Studio and under the Manhattan Bridge at 5 Front Restaurant from 5:30 to 9pm, in Dumbo, NYC for Brooklyn Art Project’s First Thursday Art Walk event Sept. 10th ( we know its actually the second Thursday ).

The latest in the “Obscure Object” series of short films is shot as digital stills by photographer Tal Shpantzer on location in Greenpoint and Dumbo, Brooklyn. From storyboard to final scoring, Stephen Dirkes has created a unique world inhabited by media agents, spies, lovers, watchers and hunters.

“Obscure Object Part 3” Sell Out Show at Coco 68

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Our good friend and colleague, Masha Gvozdov, put together an art exhibition in Greenpoint this Thursday, August 27, 2009 at Coco 68, 68 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn, NYC. Photographer Tal Shpantzer and I submitted our film “Obscure Object part 3” as a looping DVD and 2 16×20 prints from the film.

This short features Juliette Morel ( Paris ) and Carlos Vidal ( NYC ) as “Alphaville” and “Tetsuo” inspired agents and was shot entirely as digital stills in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Animated 2 Channel Film for National Tour

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Just finished this up and offering a peak at a 6.5 minute animated film I put together for a band’s up coming national tour. I started with stills from Muybridge’s animal locomotion series and time lapses I shot in Big Sur as well as some stills from Tal Shpantzer. The band had seen my “Motion Etudes:Flight” online and I created something similar.

Lots of play with pixelizer effects. The upper part of this video is the main channel (4:3) that will be projected large behind the band. The bottom strip of this video is the 2nd channel (16:9), ( its doubled side by side in this vid ), which will be played on LCD screens downstage and forming a proscenium. Thank you Jars of Clay and Nettwerk Management for the call.

“Motion Etudes : Flight” International Screenings June 09

Director – Stephen Dirkes, Improvised Bass Recorder – Alison Melville, Stop Motion Photography – Tal Shpantzer, Costume/ Make up/ Animation – Masha Gvozdov, Dancer – Nadia Manuela Fischer, Time Lapse Footage – Peter Bill, Edit/Music – Stephen Dirkes, Narrator – Roderick Glanville, NYC 2009

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Two screenings this month;

Esenherz Arts Liquidation NYC, May 29, 2009

Despite the financial success of ESENHERZ ARTS it is no longer willing to support ESENHERZ MERCHANDIZE GROUP and demands a payback of all its investments.

This situation forces ESENHERZ MERCHANDIZE GROUP to hold a Liquidation Sale of all assets.

Danscamdanse Belgian Film and Dance Festival April 26th

Proteus Syndrome

Located in Ghent, Belgium, DANSCAMDANSE is an international film festival focusing on the interaction between dance and visual media: dance, as seen on film, or simply as a source of inspiration. 

Gelato Arts Salon May 17th, NYC Short Film Screening

Obscure Object Part 3

The next Gelato Arts Salon will be May 17th in Brooklyn, NY. 

Luminous Flux at Galapagos Art Space Dumbo, NYC April 3-5 2009

This 4 channel video installation premiered at:
luminousfluxnyc.com
April 3-5, 2009 Galapagos Art Space, Dumbo, NYC
curated by Leo Kuelbs

Director – Stephen Dirkes, Stop Motion Photography – Tal Shpantzer, Costume/ Make up/ Animation – Masha Gvozdov, Dancer – Nadia Manuela Fischer, Time Lapse Footage – Peter Bill, Edit/Music – Stephen Dirkes, Improvised Bass Recorder – Alison Melville, Narrator – Roderick Glanville, NYC 2009