Fun On Friday #154: Stacheify

It is now more than half way through Movember and both my Mo, and money raised, are coming along nicely. But thanks to Daughter Number One, my attention was drawn to an app that provides a hint about the shape of Moes to come:

It is called Stacheify and it reminds me a bit of CrazyTalk in the way it let's you identify key features (eyes and mouth) in a still photograph and then manipulates the image to create an animation.

• Mo-bros: your Moes should already be well established.
• Mo-sistas: Show your support with Stacheify.

And don't forget to donate to Movember.

Copyright - Walking the tightrope

I have posted here on a number of occasions about copyright, mostly to say how complicated it is - particularly in the digital age. I have also had the occasional rant about the entertainment industry and how their stance is at times counter-productive and sometimes even downright stupid. Here's an example I came across recently. You can decide for yourself if it falls into the latter category...

The example comes from David Colarusso.When I talk to students about the value of digital video in the classroom, I almost always refer them to David's Tabletop Explainer series of YouTube videos. In fact, I usually show them his How To Build An Electric Motor... video (a cross between Blue Peter, Heath Robinson and The Gadget Show!). Recently, I learned from his facebook page that one of his YouTube videos had been taken down because FOX filed a copyright claim against it. You may have to be logged into facebook and/or a friend of David's to see his post, but essentially it shows how he responded to YouTube by claiming "fair use". Thankfully there is a happy ending and the video is now back up:

I think it is a great video. It draws you into some reasonably complex physics in a way that is entertaining and accessible. The animation of the arrows falling is brilliant and the mix of clips and explanation is engaging. Clearly, there is material from the film Speed in the clip but why on earth did FOX feel the need to ask for it to be pulled? In what way was it damaging their profits or their product?

I suspect that what happened was some automated process found the clip and the take down request was generated automatically because when David challenged the request (which I suspect led to the clip being viewed by a person rather than a process), they released their copyright claim. (Again, you may be able to see the image and comment from David from his facebook page.)

The question remains though - is it worth FOX and other copyright holders perusing a zero-tolerance approach to use of their material on YouTube or is such an approach largely counter-productive?

Fun On Friday #140: Extra, extra! Three Little Pigs!

Another advert this week:

It's not a new idea, to take a fairy story and turn it into a news report, but I liked the way they updated the story and linked it to current events.

What do you think? Scope to do this in the classroom with other stories?

Fun On Friday #137: Keith Harris and Orville

It never occurred to me that I would post something by Keith Harris and Orville and describe it as "fun"... but this is brilliant. (Although, please note the declaration of interest at the bottom of the post.)

Watch and enjoy:

Excellent! Move over Eminem, here comes Kayanoh.

It is an advert for the SIM only, no contract, mobile company. They offer some great deals. For example you can get 250 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited web for just £10 a month. And unlike some networks, there is no "fair use" clause on the data usage - unlimited really means unlimited.

If you are interested in getting a free SIM with £5 of credit, try the link below but remember to read the declaration of interest before you do.

Declaration of interest: This amused me so much, I think I would have posted it as a Fun on Friday anyway but I should point out that if you use the link above to order a SIM, I get 500 points when it is activated. And what do points make... well to be honest, I'm not sure but I think I can use them to get a discount on future charges.

So, shameless profiteering or a good Fun on Friday. Let me know what you think.

Fun On Friday #126: Star Treking

So... I love Star Trek; especially the Original Series with Kirk and Spock. And I would say that Star Trek IV: Voyage Home is in my top ten favourite movies.

Then there's Queen - a great rock band with an outstanding front man. And Bohemian Rhapsody; probably one of the greatest singles ever released.

So, iconic TV series and an iconic song. Now wouldn't it be a great idea if we could combine the two somehow? No! Of course not! It's a car crash of an idea. And yet...

If you just heard this version, you might think it was quirky or even, in the manner of the Chinese curse, "interesting" but the video! The word "bonkers" doesn't even come close to beginning to hint at the merest smidgeon of an idea of how completely and utterly deranged this video is.

And yet I was amused. The first snigger was when the cut out mouths of the paper star sign figures started singing but by the end I was just howling with laughter.

What about you? What do you make of it?

Fun On Friday #123: Dinosaur songs

Short and sweet this week. A video that Daughter Number 1 brought to my attention:

My favourite bit is where the dinosaur is stomping on the car and it's owner at the 1:12 mark - does that make me a bad person?

A flip chart pop-up book. An interesting class project?

Fun On Friday #122: Stop Motion Squared!

If you are looking for something to do over the next couple of weekends, why not try something like this:

Hmmm... On second thoughts, it might take you more than a couple of weekends!

What I like about it is the way there is an animation within the animation - the people holding the pictures move about and the pictures they are holding are themselves like a flickbook animation. Brilliant.

And while we are on the subject of clever animation, have you seen the Ultimate Dog Tease?

It's extraordinarily well done, yes? I assume they use something like CrazyTalk but for video.

Have you come across any quirky animations? If you have, leave a comment pointing me in their direction.

Fun On Friday #118: Happiness Is A Warm Electro-magnet

It's art. It's science and technology. It's happiness.

F5 2011 RE:PLAY Film Festival. Inductance from Physalia Studio on Vimeo.

I would love to know more about this project. For example, what did they put inside the plastic balls?

Fun On Friday #111: Viral Videos

Last week, the Times published an article that it billed as "The 40 Best Viral Videos". Number 1 was David after dentist which has been seen umpteen million times but didn't do it for me. Next was Battle At Kruger which was a sort of amateur Wildlife On One style video of a square go between a herd of buffalos and a pride of lions which is more interesting in a car crash kind of a way.

Number three though was Human Tetris - now that's more like it:

Brilliant, and if you want to see more of the same, head over to Game Over. Stop motion animation on steroids!

Fun On Friday #109: Reverse Graffiti

Not so much a Fun on Friday, more a Weekend Wonder?

People complain that graffiti is ugly and destructive. This is different. Here is an artist that took something ugly and created beauty:

And what a sad ending!

Fun On Friday #108: Classical Nerd

On holiday, out of routine, late as usual.

This looks (and sounds) genuine and really appeals to my inner nerd:

Hopefully, normal EdCompBlog service will be resumed soon.

Fun On Friday #107: I'm A Star

Just over a year ago, I featured an advertising video which incorporated a user uploaded photograph (see Fun on Friday #62: Swedish Advert). Unfortunately, the video no longer works but the same people have produced a new tool that creates a video with sound and moving images recorded through your webcam.

The verbal instructions are in Swedish (I assume) but the lyrics are in English, so it is fairly obvious what you have to do to produce something like this:

As far as I can see, there's no way to embed the video but you should be able to see it by clicking on the graphic. I am impressed by the technology behind this although it is slightly embarrassing to have to sing "I'm a star" best in the world etc. What do you think?

Oh... and you can create your own version, and if you do, share the link here!

Fun On Friday #106: Wedding Video

I know this feature is called "Fun On Friday" but it can't always be frenetic and crazy. Sometimes you have to be able to sit in a deck chair and look at the scenery:

I've featured a lip dub video in Fun On Friday before (Fun on Friday #58: Lip Dub) but I think this wedding one is special. Other lip dubs feature students who have the time and the deranged inclination to do this kind of thing (e.g. LIPDUB - I Gotta Feeling) or one or two people who can practice in the comfort of their own bedrooms. But for this wedding video, the organisers somehow convinced the entire wedding party to join in. Everyone - including the embarrassing uncle, the batty aunt, the cute nephews, and even granny! (I especially like the "Faster than the speed of light..." chap's performance. I'm guessing he's an uncle.)

Do you know of any other examples of lip dub that have come from a surprising source?

A Couple Of Festive Things

I mentioned in a comment on Fun On Friday #92: Advent Calendar that someone had posted a comment which was then deleted (not by me) that linked to Festive 24 Things. The link was deleted but I've continued to watch the site with interest. There's loads of great "things" there. Here are a couple of my favourites...

First a great video of a Flashmob in action:

And a great idea for a Christmas quiz. Here are the lyrics from one of my favoute Christmas songs as interpreted by Tagxedo:

And here's my favourite Christmas carol:

There are special Christmas no-prizes for the first people to name those tunes!

Thank you Festive 24 Things for a great set of links and ideas.

Christmas is a time for giving...

As I mentioned in the previous post, I suspect that some of you will be getting portable digital video players for Christmas - perhaps an iPod Touch, an iPad or an Android tablet of some sort. If so, come Christmas Day, you might find yourself scrabbling about trying to find some video to transfer to your new toy.

Some DVDs now come with a ready ripped version of the film that can be copied straight to your portable device (or computer) without any messing about. The first time I was aware of this was with the Wolverine DVD but I hope this is a feature that grows to be come standard. It seems to me this is a very sensible way to combat piracy - make it as easy as possible to obtain legal, reasonably priced, copies of material in a format of the users choice. Certainly, it is much a better idea than suing teenagers or adding copy protection that seriously annoys legitimate purchasers while only inconveniences pirates. And don't get me started on that stupid "You wouldn't steal a car..." sequence that I am forced to watch whenever I play one of my legally purchased DVDs!

What if you do not have any DVDs with ready ripped material? Well those nice people at Digiarty Software have come to your rescue this Christmas. They are making a copy of MacX iPod DVD Ripper available free to facebook users. Will I say that again? A free copy MacX iPod DVD Ripper. Excellent! (And note, despite the "Mac" in the name, there are versions for both Macintosh and Windows).

Just go to the Special Offer section on their facebook page, scroll down a bit (if necessary) and there they are; two download buttons for MacX iPod DVD Ripper.

Not sure how it works with the Windows version, but with the Mac download, you get an installer and a text file with a licence code. In next to no time you are up and running... and ripping. The offer is available until 10 January 2011.

And there is more. It seems there is an opportunity to get a free copy of MacX DVD Ripper Pro too. I haven't tried it yet but I'll let you know how I get on when I do.

So thank you everyone at Digiarty Software and Merry Christmas!

Fun on Friday #82: Time for a commercial break

I usually try to avoid advertising on this blog... but these amused me and I couldn't resist sharing.

First up an old one that my daughters couldn't believe I'd only just discovered the Old Spice advert:

Then this advert from a well known fizzy drinks company:

Which adverts amuse you?

Fun on Friday #76: Brick-by-brick fussball

I'm not a huge football fan but I am a fan of both Lego and animation. So Lego animation is a wining combination in my book... even when the animation is football based:

It seems a shame to focus on England's opening match of the 2010 World Cup when there are happier times that are also recorded in Lego: Brick-by-brick fussball: England v West Germany.

Are there other sporting events that could be recorded in Lego?

Fun on Friday #74: 222 T-shirts

Thanks to a video that was brought to my attention by Daughter Number 2, I return to animation as the subject for a Fun On Friday:

I discovered that this video features on a top ten list of stop-motion animations on the Mashable site. All ten are impressive but the t-shirt one is my favourite.

Now it may be that you are intimidated rather than inspired by videos like this as videos this complex may be beyond the resources of most schools. However, I am sure that pupils can come up with ideas that are just as creative.

As always, if you know of good school produced examples, please share them here.

Fun on Friday #73: Meet the Sloths

Meet the sloths. That's it. It doesn't get much more fun than this:

Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.

It was a Twitter contact that directed me to this video. I can't remember who it was... but thank you whoever you were.

Fun on Friday #69: Crowd Sourced Movies

Last week, I posted a link to some animated movies. However, as was pointed out by Chris in her comment, creating stop-motion animation is a very time consuming process. I quoted in my reply the chap who did the Michael Jackson video who said his five minute animation took him "About 2 1/2 weeks, 4 or 5 hours a day." That's a lot of time to invest in producing a five minute video! Can you imagine producing a feature length movie?

Perhaps the solution is to crowdsource the whole thing. ...And that's what Star Wars Uncut has done. They took Star Wars: A New Hope (which despite George Lucas' best efforts, I still think of as the first Star Wars movie) and split it up into 500 clips, each 15 seconds long. People were then invited to recreate up to three 15 second clips.

To give you an idea of what people did, here are two of my favourites:

Star Wars Uncut - Scene 093 from Ed Bear on Vimeo.

Star Wars Uncut - Scene 302 from Doug Vander Hoek on Vimeo.

Other favourites include Scene 7 (Lego animation and a fantastic explosion), Scene 8 (a brilliant interpretation involving Ninja Turtles as the Rebel Forces) and Scene 349 (a cartoon with a surprise cameo appearance at the end).

My only problem is, I can't decide if this is crazy, or a work of genius. What do you think? And, what's your favourite scene?