Penny Lane Graphics

Bad Hair Day?

2010-03-24T19:41:00.000-07:00

Disney's next masterpiece, Tangled. The story of Rapunzel. Should be some fun! The few drawings I've seen look amazing!

And the winner is...

2010-03-08T16:55:00.000-08:00

Funny! Ben Stiller as Avatar character. Winners of this year's Academy Awards seemed to be no surprise. I was happy to see The Hurt Locker win best picture. I was thrilled to see Up win 2 awards. Big fan of Pixar!

Through the Looking Glass...

2010-03-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge Tim Burton fan. I loved Nightmare Before Christmas, Big Fish, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorshands, just to name a few. I am also a huge Disney (Pixar) fan too! So putting these two together should make for a great experience for me! It was! The visuals were eye-popping. The characters were quirky and dark. It was "curiouser and curiouser" as the movie went on.

A few books stand the test of time as enduring classics. Lewis Carroll wrote the two Alice books over 130 years ago, and his work is still read with enjoyment by children and adults alike, and still fires the imagination of creative people. The movie combines Lewis Carrolls' stories Through the Looking Glass and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The story takes place 12 years after Alice's first journey to "Underland." She has no recollection of ever visiting in the past. She is a quirky woman grown up in stuffy old England. She sees a rabbit in a waistcoat and follows him to a hole under a tree and accidentally falls in and on to Wonderland... where the real story begins.

The CGI and the live action in this movie are seamless. The fantastic scenes come across as real. The movie reminded me of a 2010 version of The Wizard of Oz. Good vs evil... dreams... believing in yourself... Australian actress Mia Wasikowska was a great choice to play Alice. Although the movie was shot in 2-D then converted to 3-D, it was a great visual experience.

I've read a lot of reviews about this movie, some good, some very bad. This a movie that you really need to see for yourself. Do not listen to other people's opinions. Just keep in mind the quirkiness of Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton... and let the movie unfold in your eyes and your mind.

Just for your information, I loved it.

Olympic Design 2010

2010-02-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia, PA : The world is on the brink of Vancouver 2010, ready to watch more than 80 nations and 5,500 athletes compete for achievements that lifetimes have been dedicated to. The Olympics have always been more than incredible physical feats. They are a boom for the host city's economy, a unification of warring countries, and an education on sportsmanship. The Olympics have also been a catalyst for great design and new advancements in technology. Vancouver is no exception. Incredible design can be seen this year from the medals, to the Olympic website, and the torch.

The medals for the 2010 Olympics are works of art, symbols of sustainability, and reminders of nature's beauty. Their creators, Corrine Hunt and Omer Arbel, collaboratively designed the medals to mirror the landscape and heritage of British Columbia, with undulating curves and laser etchings of the Aboriginal depictions of the orca whale and the raven. Not only is each medal totally unique, but the materials come from recycled circuit boards and computer parts. With the world watching, athletes will be presented with these upcycled priceless trophies of sustainability. The emotion and symbolism contained in these medals is beyond those awarded at any Olympics before and elevates the standards of design and sustainability for future games. A moving video is available on the official site of the Olympics. Watch here.
~ Innovation Philadelphia

Super Commercials

2010-02-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

The game is history. The Saints win it 31-17. The commercials were mostly average. A few stood out to me as great. Either great concepts, funny, or just plain great. The CarreerBuilder.com Casual Friday spot was hilarious. The Coca-Cola Sleepwalker ad was great too. A few other ones that I enjoyed were, The VW Punch Bug spot, The Dr. Pepper Little Kiss spot was fun (I'm a big Kiss fan!), The Bud Lite- LOST parody was fun too. I almost forgot the Betty White-Abe Vigoda ad... that was cute and the David Letterman promo with Oprah and Jay Leno..

I was disappointed in the Doritos ads, the Denny's chickens, Emerald nuts, many of the Bud Lite ads, and the Boost Mobile ad. All of the others were average forgettable ads.

To see all of the Super Bowl ads click here.

Just a Thought...

2010-02-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

February 6, 2010 , Lititz, PA

"Here in the middle of imagination,
right in the middle of my head
I close my eyes and my room's not my room,
and my bed really isn't my bed.
I look inside and discover things that are sometimes
strange and new
And the most remarkable thoughts I think
have a way of being true.

Here in the middle of my imagination,
right in the middle of my mind
I close my eyes and the night isn't dark
and the things I lose, I find.
Time stands still and the night is clear
and the wind is warm and fair.
And the nicest place is in the middle
of imagination when I'm there."
~ Ernie

Spotbowl

2010-02-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

February 5, 2010, Lititz, PA

Sunday's Super Bowl game between the Colts and the Saints should be good, but marketers and advertising junkies all over the world are anticipating the commercials again this year. A Harrisburg, PA based ad agency, Pavone, sponsors a website dedicated to the commercials of the Super Bowl. Visit Spotbowl to get your score sheet. Keep track of what you like or dislike during the game and report back. It's a great resource site for great TV commercials.

Society of Design - Chip Kidd Event

2010-02-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

February 4, 2010- Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA
Graphic designer, author, musician, entertainer, Chip Kidd spoke to over 450 Central PA designers and guests. The Society of Design. held the event. Kidd spoke about rejection and how after work is rejected by clients, a designer must pick him/herself up, dust themselves off and try again. Even the best of the best get their work rejected. He showed a number of examples accompanied by humorous anecdotes and insight into his world.

The next SOD event is slated for March 4, 2010 when Modern Dog will present their work and experiences.