Recently the Census bureau released the latest populations of cities across America. Detroit’s rapidly declining population clocked in at 713,777. A staggering drop from their boomtime in 1950, when the population was a thriving 1.8 million.
Which means there is enough space in Detroit to fit two cities. Fifty percent of the landscape is in decay. I can’t imagine what that must be like, walking around a metropolis when half of it is dead and empty.
French photographers Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre set out to document the decaying buildings of an American city in decline. Their book “The Ruins of Detroit“ was published in December 2010.
A few choice pieces from their book that I grabbed from The Denver Post. My particular favorite being the Dali-esque melting clock.
I will say that this current state-of-being really presents a unique filming location for a city that could use the funds.“The Walking Dead”? Are you guys listening?
Quietroom, who’s business seems to be helping beauraucratic agencies talk like normal people, just released a Santa Brand Book. Complete with Brand Essence, Brand Imagery, Brand Language, Brand Promise, and this gem:
We projected that if *Santa* were a bird, it would be a stork. If it were a river, it would be the Danube. If it were a biscuit, it would be a Hobnob. If it were a holiday, it would be Easter.
It’s simply, awfully, palm-sweaty wonderful. (If you’re in the branding industry pour an extra shot of brandy in your eggnog first.)
Click here for the pdf file. It’s worth it. SantaBrandBook
At the end of the year – amongst the retrospective lists that catalogue the best movies, media moments, albums, and whatever – is the who’s who of what words made it into the dictionary. But little thought of are the words that are taken out. The makers of the Oxford English Dictionary have created a fantastic website Save The Words which feature words that are in peril (apparently microreader and 10-cent store on on their way out) and encourages people to sign up by pledging to use them in conversation in order to save them. It’s very well done – simple, clean, beautiful, fun, with great navigation.
A bunch of artists in Prague brought cameras to the concert and cut together a DVD with pretty great concert footage using the soundmix provided by Radiohead from the sound board. Nice. You can watch the concert in song segments on YouTube, or you can download the whole concert in a variety of formats for iPhone, iPad, AVI, Quicktime, etc…..
The quality of the footage, the color correction…it’s a much better experience than you would expect from fan-generated material.
Though, listening to the clips on YouTube – where is the bass? I was at a show during this tour and the bass was HUGE. Maybe it’s too squashed on YouTube.
Celebrating the 10th year of its website and the launch of their new e-commerce store in the UK, the tech-advanced design house Ralph Lauren staged a 3D light projection show over the facade of their London and New York flagship stores. Nicely done, but I don’t think you can really call this 4D. Stephen Hawkings, if you’re reading this, let me know.
Green screening and 3D modeling work was done by London-based Drive Productions.
