#i; Leap, Cats, and Potholes

Exams over. This is great news.

In my post-exam celebratory relaxation period I still haven't got stuck into making anything to fill this daily blog with, but that will come soon. Honest. Instead, there are a few things I've stumbled across today that have caught my eye.

First, Pothole Gardens. I have a huge love of anything that seeks to make the world around us a slightly nicer place. That's my love of a lot of simple street art, and I think this is inventive and nice. Find a pothole, make it flowery. Simple:

I do see the potential problem that these will just get run over and become brown shmushes on the road, but until then, I think this is the sort of thing my Grandma would've liked, and that's good enough for me. Reminds me of this inventive use of potholes in a village in Germany - allow them to be used for advertising: solve a genuine problem and provide outdoor advertising space. Win-Win. I can't find the link now, but a while ago a group (I want to say ImprovEverwhere, but I can't remember. Regardless, check out that link RIGHT NOW. So much fun is had) Also of these brilliantly painted drain covers (among many others, too), these manhole covers in Japan, and this sort of creative site-specific advertising:

As I wander off on this tangent of things I'm being reminded of, that last photo reminds me of this modified streelamp:

I absolutely love this sort of inventive advertising. I don't know the statistics about how effecting this sort of thing is (but would LOVE to know if it works), but it seems to me that, while the standard posters, TV ads etc etc are valuable and great, and have huge potential for inventiveness, originality, and efficient selling of a product or service, a unique and entertaining approach like this draws attention, and I think builds a positive image for a brand. If I see this sort of thing, I think that I then associate it with original thought, an attention to detail, and personality. That may just be me, but I think they're great.

Moving very swiftly onto something else that I like. A short sci-fi film - Leap:

Leap from Dan Gaud on Vimeo.

I like it, except for the very last line. I'm assuming that you have now watched the film, so I'm not ruining it for you. I thought the last bit of the last line makes a corny mess of what was a fairly engaging and interesting film. The film takes a clever idea, executes it in a way that definitely keeps the viewer intrigued, and then in an instant changes the whole character and final impression, with a lazy, corny line and an overly dramatic music climax. I think my main complaint is that it's cheap. If the narrator didn't say "and maybe, to save myself", and left it at "I'm going back to find that girl - to save that girl", then it would end in a way that leads off nicely, makes us want more, and suggests a worthwhile plot and interesting future events. The final line, for me, sucked away the promise of exciting future events, and made me feel like I was watching any old clichéd shitty film. This may just be me. I really did like the rest, though, and particularly interesting is the "breakdown" video here, although while this is interesting, I would, as someone who has no understanding or knowledge of the techniques used, really like a bit of explanation. Maybe the creator could narrate over the compilation, and explain how the transitions were made.

Finally for today, this made me laugh.

phew. long.