If you asked me what I associate with the number 88, my first
response would be “wasn’t the Crazy 88 the name of a Japanese gang in Kill Bill
Volume Whatever?”. If I was musical, I
could have added that the standard piano has 88 keys. If I was more aware of other cultures, I
could have concluded that in Mandarin, the number 8 (八, bā)
sounds similar to 发 (fā), meaning prosper or wealth. What I would not have said is that it’s a
butterfly, found in Middle and South America. But it is. There is a picture right above this gabbling. As my grandmother might have said - well, knock me down with a feather. Our sibling site, the Ark In Space, has an
article on this most remarkable of butterflies, with a great gallery of
pictures to accompany it.
…And now for something completely different. As you may know, here at Kuriositas we love a
good dance but the videos we showcase tend to be contemporary, in terms of both
music and movement. However, sometimes it’s good to sit back and take in the
past. This little gem from the Berd Dance Ensemble of Armenia showcases their
national dance beautifully, set in the mountains of the country and beautifully
shot. The dance is very masculine, but
it should be noted that “Berd” does mean fortress, and is also the name of the
dance where the men create towers out of themselves (sadly not in this video).
Armenian martial dance emphasises brotherhood, physical
strength, unity and resilience – and you can see from this performance how it
was designed to be more than just recreation.This is
cultural team-building and bonding.The
particular dance shown here is traditional from the westen highlands of the country
and it is believed that it evolved as warrior initiation dances as well as for agricultural
and seasonal ceremonies. The roots of these dances go back at least 2,000 years.
The costumes, too, are worth noting.The white caps with red wrapping or scarves
are the traditional regional headgear from Western Armenia. The red fabric tied
around the cap adds colour contrast and helps visually unify the group on
stage. Red is a traditional Armenian colour symbolising strength and vitality
and you can also see it in their embroidered waistcoats.The whole ensemble is topped by the grey,
shaggy vests which suggest mountain or shepherd origins. Armenian armies often drew
on rural levies, so aspects of everyday village dress influenced the appearance
of light infantry.Oh and let’s not
forget the waistband and trousers? Superb!
Drag Path started as an exclusive bonus track on the Twenty
One Pilots 2025 album Breach (Digital Remains edition) and that meant that only
the fans who bought the special edition could hear it – at least at first.However, the song went viral on TikTok and so
now, in a slightly edited form, the band responded to fan demand and released
it as their new single.This is only
right – the song has become a cultural moment, grabbing hold of the zeitgeist
with both hands and giving it a good shake.
The song is about the emotional traces that we leave in
life, whether they be memories, scars or reminders of people or events that shape
us – as well as connection and being found in hard times. The video to
accompany the song is something special, and reflects the lyrics in certain
ways. It tells the story of a young rabbit, who joins his elders at dinner
where they share their memories of their past lives (and some of the pictures
they share foreshadow what comes later).Unfortunately, they are not alone – a mysterious and frightening beast
approaches their idyllic moment with evil intent…
I'm not going to include any spoilers - watch it yourself and see how it ends. Made in detailed stop‑motion with a beautifully circular structure, the visuals feel hand‑crafted
and expressive, matching the song’s emotional depth.The end is something of a deus ex machina,
but one which cannot fail to satisfy the legions of fans who have campaigned
for this song to be released as a single for quite some time now. Written and directed
by Tobias Gundorff Boesen and made at The Animation Workshop, this video is really
something quite special.
I am scratching my head a little as to how this came to be a Twenty One Pilots video, as it originally accompanied Slow Show by The National (we covered it back in 2012). I guess the answer is who cares? It's great to see the animatrion (filmed in the forests surrounding Viborg in Denmark) have a renaissance and it fits the song perfectly.
If you don’t like heights, don’t press play. Yet do. This sky road in China not only gives
visitors the opportunity to take in some breath-taking nature, but the aerial
footage here allows us to experience it from even higher up than it is
already. The forested mountains which Daobeiliang
Highway in Shizhu County, Chongqing crosses are staggeringly beautiful and the
presence of wind turbines among the clouds is something of a surprise (but the
winds must pick up quite a speed up there, so it does make sense). Often called a “Heaven Road” by the locals,
you will soon see why!
The engineering is a marvel, the Qiyao mountain landscape
breath-taking. Those cliffs look huge,
and I find it difficult to imagine how the road was built- I certainly don’t think I would have liked
to be one of the construction workers (although for those who love heights,
this would have been the job of a lifetime). So take a trip along this sky road.You will either want to be there or be happy
that you’re not.I don’t think there is
an inbetween, to be honest!
A battle rages on a distant planet, yet it is not at all
like our own.It is an organic world
where white blood cells and viruses have evolved into humanoids and as they
have evolved, so too have their methods of warfare.Amidst the carnage, a white blood cell soldier
takes his viral enemy captive.Yet the prisoner
of war and his captor develop a bond, one which could mean the end of conflict.
I won’t pretend to understand the real biology behind
this very entertaining animated short, made by ESMA students in France.It works for me, though!Directing credits go to Jonah Montier, Simon
Brejoux, Gibril Siline, Carla Kaddam, Tess Benedetti, Justin Phillipps, Nolwenn
Queval, Claire Alberny and Lucie Gonzalez with music provided by Adèle Chavy.Sound is by Tristan Le Bozec, Sébastien
Fournier, and José Vicente, with voices by Nesrine Tkitek and Jonah Montier.As usual, the visual feast that is an ESMA
production far surpasses my expectations – it is, after all, a student
film.Yet this can stand up and be
counted among professional productions, such is its production quality and
visual storytelling.
Talk about Kaylon’s Got Talent… This is dazzling stuff - a host of humanoid robots performing martial arts with youthful human partners.Yet these performers are not from Isaac’s homeworld: this is China. When people remark that this is going to be the
“Chinese Century”, it’s difficult to disbelieve them when you watch a
show like this.This year’s
Spring Festival Gala from Beijing (broadcast by the China Global Television Network)saw humanoid robots join forces with Young Fu
artists to deliver a jaw-dropping martial arts performance (see below). It has, naturally, very quickly gone viral
since the gala aired on 16 February.
These robots, child-size and so perfectly matched against
their pre-teen opponents, moved in perfect synchronisation with the performers (with only the occasional slight wobble). They executed precise martial arts routines that blended centuries-old traditions
with cutting-edge robotics. Plus, the kids seem to be having a lot of fun, too (and no Kaylon-style revolution either, although that might have been interesting to watch).
Yes, this
might count as a form of soft propaganda, but flipping heck, I love it. The robots were developed by Unitree Robotics, based in Hangzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province (and not owned by the Chinese government, as it happens). As technology becomes embedded into national
celebrations like these, I wonder what we in the West can come up with to compete with
this (or perhaps we don't have to?). Answers on a postcard, please...
Now you have seen the illusion, as it were, take a look at the bigger picture. The video belows goes into the details behind the Unitree Robotics spectcacular performance. I have to admit to a nagging worry about these robots being weaponized, but perhaps I have been watching The Orville (and other movies and shows) too much. Yet my blood did run ever so slightly cold when the taller robot came out towards the end of the performance, jian sword in hand. Time will tell, but I am quite happy that my last name isn't Connor right now. Sorry for mixing my sci-fi metaphors.
You have quite likely never heard of Hampi. Yet in the year
1500, it was the second-largest city in the world, surpassed only by Beijing.
Situated in the Vijayanagara district of the Indian state of Karnataka, Hampi
was the epicentre of the medieval Karnata Kingdom, part of the Vijayanagara
Empire. Founded in the 1330s, this Hindu empire ruled over most of South India.
A symbol of royal power and military might, its rulers maintained vast numbers
of war elephants, both as a display of authority and to use to stunning and
brutal effect in military campaigns. They were, quite literally, the tanks of
their day.
We do not know precisely which ruler ordered the
construction of the magnificent stables to house his most valuable elephants,
but it was most likely Krishna Deva Raya, who ruled from 1509 to 1529 at the
height of the empire’s power. The elephant stables remain the world’s only
surviving example of this type of architecture. It stands as a rare reminder of
how architecture, power, and animals were once bound together in the making of
empire. Above you can see part of the interior; the mahout entrance has been
mysteriously bricked up, probably to discourage after-hours visitors.
This short film is bloody wonderful. Erm. I suppose I could have described it a little
less appropriately – let’s just say that it brought out my inner Ron Weasley
for a second. As far as Jane Austen
adaptations go, this may not be quite what you were expecting – but it does at
least have all the right ingredients. In
fact, the Jane Austen references are everywhere. And so they should be.
To begin with, there are three sisters, much along the lines of
Sense and Sensibility.They are around
the same age as Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret Dashwood but here instead we
have Miss Estrogenia “Essy” Talbot (Julia Aks), Miss Labinia Talbot (Samantha
Smart) and Miss Vagianna Talbot (Nicole Alyse Nelson).And yes, if you hadn’t guessed this is a comedy,
then you just have. I hope.You have also probably guessed what constitutes the period drama too. Let other keyboards dwell on guilt and misery, though; this is just for fun.
The Janeite world-building is thorough, although it might make a few uber-purists run for the smelling salts (or dash to the gin cabinet). We have the father who retreats to his study whenever
things get a little uncomfortable (shades of Mr Bennett in Pride and Prejudice),
and the even more uncomfortable fact that all his daughters are as yet
unmarried. Of course, in those days it was a truth universally acknowledged,
that a single woman in possession of no great fortune, must be in want of a
husband. And it looks like Essy is about to be the first of the Talbot girls to get hitched. She has managed to attract the attention of
the handsome, brooding, slighly dim Mr James Dickley, played by Ta’imua (great chemistry
between the two leads, by the way).
However, the drama of the title comes into play very quickly. Could this
be the end of the Talbot-Dickley union, before it has even fully started?
You can watch and find out, the film is below. What involvement Emma Thompson had in the project I cannot tell you,
but she is listed as Executive Menstrual Advisor. Shame there was no Thompson style weeping in
the film… but it is a comedy after all. What I can tell you, though, is that it was written by Julia Acks
(Essy in the film) and Steve Pinder. The talented duo also directed the
film. What I enjoyed about it most
of all is the script, which is very sharp, knowing, contemporary and extremely funny – a gift to
any actor who can keep a straight face long enough. I imagine there were one or few bloopers made while filming.
Not only is it all of the above, it is stylistically so in keeping with the way
period dramas are made in terms of the way the whole thing looks – perfect,
really.Plus the casting of the sisters
is spot on – you can create an Austenesque backstory for each of them the
moment they utter their first words.Having watched this, I was hardly surprised to see that this has been Oscar
nominated for Best Live Action Short Film.Fingers crossed that this beats the opposition into bloody (ah, did it
again) submission and comes out on top.
This is Clathrus archeri. Looking every inch the result of a GM experiment gone wrong, it resembles a strange cross between a toadstool and an octopus.
Yet this is not the result of some subterranean gene-splicing enterprise to bring the world a spore-bearing cellaphod (for whatever reason that might be). This is exactly how nature intended the Octopus Stinkhorn. The shape and form you see here is an integral but short-lived part of its life-cycle.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on AI, don’t they? Even my
octogenarian mother referred to it recently as “slop” – and I have no clue
where she got that term from because she doesn’t exactly doomscroll, but she
still managed to catch the zeitgeist with the word of the day. In fact she doesn’t
exactly go on the internet; she’s quite proud of that fact, in fact. I imagine
she picked up the term from one of her more tech savvy friends – they regularly
meet for horrific amounts of caffeine and to put the world to rights (I refer
to them collectively as The Coven – and that’s a term of endearment). In this short comedy video, their US male
counterparts are, I imagine, doing a similar sort of thing.
A couple of old fellahs are chewing the cud and taking in the
world when they spot an athletic young man doing gymnastic flips in the park. Very impressive flips. Too impressive flips. One of them
immediately declares “That’s AI” as he has seen things like that on his Instagram(and here they are really beginning to sound like the aforementioned coven). Before long they are surrounded by a large
group of people, all of whom have their own herd opinion about whether or not that’s
AI in front of them.
This funny comedy short was written and directed by
Sebastian Lopez. It stars James Stallworth as Zee and Claudius Pratt as John. The
flipper is Mads Egerlund and let’s not forget Trumpet Guy who is played
by Karim Theilgaard. A short note here – go and try and find anything about
Mads Egerlund (who plays the flipper).Apart
from references to this short, you won’t.And that can only mean…
Spare a thought for The Breakers. I don’t know if they are just Cruz Beckham’s
band (in a Cliff Richard and The Shadows kind of way) or just hired musicians
who have come in for this single. Yet they don’t even get a name check until
part way through the video and even then, they don’t get one on the YouTube
title for this video. Regardless, I’m
happy to remain blissfully unaware of their true connections with the third child
of David and Victoria Beckham (who I think made their money selling used cars,
or on Love Island or, well, something like that).
I wasn’t even going to press play, but I did, and was
pleasantly surprised – so much in fact that I thought I would let you make your
own minds up too.I think if Blur and
Oasis had a secret love child with Kula Shaker and Deep Purple, then the child
might grow (metaphorically) to be something like Cruz Beckham (and The Breakers,
don’t forget The Breakers).This is Cruz’
third single (apparently) after Optics and the very unappealingly titled Lick
the Toad (I am not curious).It does
rock in a gentle kind of rocky manner and Mr Beckham has a pretty good voice. That sounds like I'm damning with faint praise but I genuinely did enjoy this. But, am I the only one to think Cruz is vaguely
reminiscent (looks-wise) of a youngish David Bowie?Not sure about the moustache, though. Really
not sure about the moustache.
Anyway, the video has a cute little intro and outro, which
adds well to the overall effect.But
best of all is that this is a good tune, a bit of a toe tapper, a three minute poptastic popgasm. So, yes, we like it. Watch For Your Love below.
The Big Push are a UK band who first became known for their
powerful street performances in Bristol and Brighton, blending rock, reggae,
hip-hop, soul, and folk into something completely their own. They’re known for
raw musicianship, fearless reworking of well-known songs, and performances that
feel immediate, energetic, and alive. If
that sounds like something that might appeal to you, hang around. You’re about to watch a bravura performance
of a Depeche Mode classic. Or a Johnny Cash classic. Or a Marilyn Manson
classic. It has been covered by many artists
and The Big Push have now joined that particular pantheon.
This is their take on “Personal Jesus”, stripped back,
intense, and full of attitude, showing exactly why their live videos have
captured such a huge audience. It was
shot last summer on Ship Street in Brighton.
The locals seem to love it to! Watch the video below and see if you agree with me - that The Big Push are probably the best buskers in the world.
Family outings can go awry, especially when they are intergenerational. In The Duke of Wentworth we have doddery old
grandad (played wonderfully by the late, great Timothy West), his daughter and
her hubby, plus the most recent addition to the family – a little baby
girl. Things don’t quite go to plan when
baby needs changing, leaving grandad to his own devices for a while amidst the
splendour of the stately home. Then – of
course – a group of American tourists mistake him for their tour guide…
You may remember Timothy West in major British dramas that
reached global audiences, such as his portrayal of Winston Churchill in The
Gathering Storm, the acclaimed BBC/HBO production, or as Sir Leicester
Dedlock in Bleak House, broadcast on PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre.
More recently, he appeared as Jeremy Listerin Gentleman Jack, a
BBC–HBO series that gained a strong following in the United States, reinforcing
his reputation as a commanding presence in historical and literary drama.
This short film was created to showcase Wentworth Woodhouse
Country House in the English county of Yorkshire - and it looks resplendent. Yet West is the true star - absolutely in his element as he proceeds to lead the
(highlygullible) American visitors
around the house, confidently feeding them increasingly absurd nonsense about
its history.Watch it and have ten
minutes of fun below.
Take a whistle stop tour of some of the most spectacular radio telescopes in the world and find out about what actually goes on there. On almost all of the continents these giants command the landscape as they survey the skies.
Radio telescopes can be found the world over. They are used in radio astronomy, the science of studying, at radio frequencies, celestial objects such as galaxies and stars as well as more difficult to understand phenomena such as Masers and Pulsars. They also collect and track data from space probes and satellites that we have shot up in to the atmosphere and space. Here are some of the more significant and – in terms of design – beautiful radio telescopes in the world.
I remember discovering the Fayum mummy portraits (as a
reader, rather than the Jesuit priest who did uncover some of them back in 1615) and
have returned to them time and time again.It is fascinating that realistic images of the faces of people who died
so long ago can still be seen by us today. Dating from around the 1st to the
3rd centuries AD, roughly c. 30 BC to AD 300, they were produced in the Fayum
area of Roman Egypt, mainly during the early Roman Imperial period, and were
attached to mummies as realistic painted likenesses of the deceased.
In this video, Alexandra Olsman, one of Sotheby’s specialists
in ancient sculpture and works of art takes a look at one in particular (and I
guess it’s up for sale, this video being by an art broker). Unlike many of the portraits,
this particular chap is obviously middle-aged (the majority are of young adults
and children).It’s an honest “warts and
all” picture but what Olsman does is answer a question that has intrigued
many.Were these portraits drawn before
or after the death of the “sitter”?The
answer is a little more complex than you might expect – and, of course, based
on a certain amount of guess work as we do not know who these people were, let
alone how or when they died.
Generation gaps often express themselves in viewpoints, perspectives
and attitudes – and often those of the older generation can become to seem a
little extreme to others. Kept within the family, they can be, well, swept
under the carpet.However, sometimes
help has to be called and in Tom’s case he has turned to the services of a pair
of very different nurses, Gloria and Helen to help look after his ailing nonagarian grandfather.
The carers, played by Lolly Adefope (Ghosts - UK version) and Ellie White
(The Windsors) sit down for a chat with Tom (Jack Whitehall) and he soon
discovers things he never knew about his "grandpa", including the titular luger which he
finds in a biscuit tin. Whitehall is well known for his previous stirling comedic turns in Bad Education and Fresh Meat. This short film,
directed by Freddie Waters (Peacock) and written by Freddy Syborn (Bad
Education) stands out because it is so character driven (it mostly takes place
in a single room), rather than depending on a big budget or flashy setting to
interest the viewer.Each character is beautifully
written and acted and we get a real feel for the personalities involved in this
“situation” comedy.
Forevergreen tells the story of an orphaned bear cub,
rescued from almost certain death by a benign spirit of the forest – which in
this case comes in the shape of an old and wise evergreen tree. The tree teaches the young cub how to survive
and a parent-child bond is created between the two. That is, until the cub reaches those
difficult teenage years and is accidentally introduced to the allure of fast
food left behind by humans. A chain of
events is set in motion in which desperate decisions must be made…
This charming animated short, written and directed by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears was created by a team of over 200 people who all
donated their free time to create what is a beautiful piece of visual
storytelling.As you can imagine, as it
was an after hours project, it took some time to make – over five years in fact.On a simple level it works as an extended metaphor
– don’t give your kids junk food.Flippancy
aside, Forevergreen tells a simple yet profound tale of sacrifice and parenthood
and how this can spread out, like the leaves of a tree, over generations.
Frankfurt in Germany has been around for at least 1200
years, so it has amassed a certain amount of history in those years. Much of it
was destroyed during the Second World War and reconstructed later but today the
city hosts a myriad of gleaming new tower blocks in the banking district, too. Kirill Neiezhmakov has been making
timelapse and hyperlapse films for years and I am not sure whether this is the
first time he has captured Frankfurt on film, but the results are compelling to
say the least. In this hyperlapse, he experiments with
seamless AI morphing transitions to go from one place in the city to another
and I must say that they work a treat.
Kirill approached the shoot knowing time and conditions were against him. Heavy rain, dark skies and the loss of his folding bike limited his mobility, reducing a planned three-day shoot to barely a day and a half. Despite this, he captured 20 hyperlapse sequences, selecting 17 for the final film. The dramatic weather became an asset, with dense, rolling clouds contrasting sharply against Frankfurt’s steel-and-glass skyline. Kirill also continued his AI morphing experiments, seamlessly transforming old and new architecture. Each hyperlapse was created manually, moving the tripod frame by frame to achieve a natural, organic flow.
I love a visual, extended metaphor in the morning. This animated short by students from the École des
Nouvelles Images in France has the tagline “Wind carries away
destinies.” However, I think it is truer
to say that this particular wind drives people to them. The story is very simple, but beautifully
told. In a park we meet the various
people enjoying their time there – a young couple with their child, and even
younger couple discovering love for the first time, an old man with his dog and
the harassed businessman trying to do a little work while having his
lunch. All are destined to meet the wind
– but what will become of them?
This charming animation was directed by Martin Chailloux, Ai
Kim Crespin, Élise Golfouse, Chloé Lab, Hugo Taillez, and Camille Truding, with
an original score by Camille Riey (MAAAV). It was produced by Julien Deparis,
and the sound mix was created by Pierre-François Renouf.
It may look like the hideaway of a super villain from a Bond movie but this is the Sphinx Observatory, dedicated to research which must take place out at an altitude of 3000-3500 meters.
It is situated in Jungfraujoch, Switzerland. At an astonishing 3.571 meters above sea level, the Sphinx observatory in the Swiss Alps is the highest-altitude built structure in Europe.
Does Luke Evans have what it takes to play Rocky Horror’s
Frank-N-Furter? Well, we know he has the
voice. You only need to watch his turn
as Gaston in Disney’s 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast to know that
the Welsh actor can belt out the shows numbers probably without pausing for
breath. We know he has the body. He showed quite a lot of it as Zeus in 2011’s
Immortals. It's probably still intact. So, he would probably be able to squeeze
into Frank-N-Furter’s corset very nicely (although physically he may out-muscle
Rocky but we’ll have to see).
Why the questions? It's because he is about to step into one of theatre’s most iconic
roles and appears below in a newly released rehearsal video alongside director Sam
Pinkleton. The footage offers a glimpse of Evans working through the show’s
emotional 11-o’clock number, I’m Going Home, giving fans an early sense
of the tone and style this revival is aiming for. With Pinkleton at the helm,
the production looks set to balance the show’s camp legacy with a fresh
theatrical edge.
Richard O’Brien’s cult classic begins previews on 26 March,
ahead of an official opening night on 23 April at Studio 54. The production is
scheduled as a limited Broadway engagement, running through 21 June.
Fans of the sweet transvestite from Transsexual,
Transylvania may want to get their tickets early. Watch Luke Evans rehearse as
Frank-N-Furter below.
Ancient Egyptian faience amulets are small objects with a
big story to tell. Known to the Egyptians as tjehenet, faience is a distinctive
ceramic material celebrated for its luminous blue-green colour and its powerful
symbolic links to rebirth, protection, and the divine.
In this video, archaeologist and artist Zahed Taj-Eddin (how
wonderful to be both!) of the Victoria and Albert Museum explores and demonstrates how these striking amulets were made thousands
of years ago, revealing the materials, tools, and techniques used by ancient
craftspeople. From shaping the core to glazing and firing, the process combined
practical skill with a deep understanding of early ceramic technology.
Faience amulets were more than decorative items. They played
an important role in religious belief and daily life, serving as protective
charms and symbols of regeneration in both life and the afterlife.
For anyone like me, who is curious about ancient Egypt,
archaeology, museum artefacts, or early manufacturing technologies, this is a
fascinating glimpse into how beauty, belief, and innovation came together in
the ancient world.
In Our Hands is an award-winning animated short film
that examines the fragile relationship between the human body and the world it
inhabits. As a fusion of dance and animation, we couldn’t resist it at
Kuriositas, as so many of our posts are about one or the otherbut so rarely both! Created in the Czech
Republic in 2024, the four-minute film offers a quietly powerful meditation on
responsibility, agency, and consequence.
Humanity, the film suggests, exists in a state of profound
contradiction. We are capable of creation, growth, and care, yet equally
capable of destruction and passive complicity as ecosystems unravel around us.
Through its spare but expressive visual language, In Our Hands poses a
deceptively simple question: if the future of nature, and of ourselves, rests
in our hands, what will we choose to do with it?
Artist Kristián Mensa (Mr. Kriss) uses movement, dance, and
animation to craft a poetic reflection on humanity’s place within the endless
cycles of life. Bodies become landscapes; gestures echo natural rhythms;
moments of harmony sit uneasily beside images of loss. The result is a film
that feels both intimate and universal, inviting viewers to reflect rather than
instructing them how to feel.
Directed, written, and artistically interpreted by Mensa,
with cinematography, editing, and music by Jan Pivoňka, and animation by Petr
Šenkýř and Ladislav Rejkuba, In Our Hands is a striking reminder that
hope and collapse remain equally possible — and that the choice, however
uncomfortable, is ours to make.
In order to achieve the beautiful contrast between light and dark, known as chiaroscuro there is a method employed by photographers – Rembrandt Lighting. Here, with some beautiful examples, is how it is done. Image Credit Flickr User Mai En Hoa
CDK Company does it again. Would you like to see some
amazing choreography, brought to life by a group of (again!) amazing dances.
Well, watch the (amazing) video below.You’ll be amazed – honestly!It’s
great to see that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody still proves irresistible to young
artists, whose parents were probably not even born when it was a hit first time
around.This is a joyful and
unrestrained performance – a thrill to watch.
Directed and choreographed by Sergio Reis, this dance version of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen was
performed by the company in collaboration with Muziekgebouw (the venue in Amsterdam). CDKcompany
(also known as CDK Company or Cardo Dance Kingdom Company) is an international
dance collective based in the Netherlands that brings together a creative team
of choreographers and performers to produce high‑quality dance work and
training. The group focuses on innovative choreography, visual storytelling and
shared creative expression, often blending contemporary movement with striking
video and performance elements.As you
will see, this piece has all of that in spades.
The production was brought to life by producers Ivy Schoumacher and Bas Kunz,
with Jowha van de Laak as assistant director. The visual storytelling was
captured by director of photography @markvrhs and enhanced by colorist Ryan
Urzi. Assistant choreographers Mauro van de Kerkhof and Jowha van de Laak helped
refine the movement, making this adaptation a striking fusion of music and
dance.
You think we made the dodo go extinct? Nah. If you want to get
to the real historical truth of why the flightless bird went extinct, all you
have to do is watch this animated short by ESMA students. It will leave you in no doubt that the real
reason behind the extinction of the dodo was just… well, that would be spoiling
it. Watch it for yourself. However, I must
warn you that the video has a higher body count than the average Arnold
Schwarzenegger film. Or the average Sylvester Stallone film for that matter. Or
even the average Keanu Reeves film. It’s
messy. Gloriously, hilariously messy.
That this is a student film is remarkable in itself. What is
perhaps worrying is that I can so easily imagine them gleefully storyboarding
this film and coming up with the various and manygruesome ways that the dodo drove itself to extinction
that you will experience for yourself shortly.The reprobates responsible are Talhia Brom, Emilie Cayre, Dorian
Condelis, Solène Corral, Brice Girardin, Ghita Hsaine, Ambre Kerbrat, Adrien
Lhabitant, and Héloïse Ogez. The music is by Clovis Schneider and the sound by
Tristan Le Bozec, Yoann Poncet, and José Vicente. Together they make up part of
the Class of 2024 at ESMA.I hope they
all survive much, much longer than their animated dodos!
Oh - and whoever thought up the name El Dodorado deserves an award.
You may or may not know this but Kuriositas is curated by just one person – and that person would be me! There are a number of expenses that the site incurs each month and so, with my cap in my hand, I’m going to beg a favour.
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Best regards
Robert-John
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This animated short, the first professionally created by Filip Diviak, tells the rather sweet story of Edgar who (you may or may not have
realised) has a cow. On a visit to a
slaughterhouse, Edgar sees the birth of “his” cow and, well, next thing you
know the calf is at home with Edgar in his flat. Now if you know cows (and I do), then you
will know that they are not the most elegant of creatures in their movement and
if confined to a small city apartment, then accidents around the house are bound
to happen.
And of course, a calf will always grow up into a cow.
Yet Edgar has a solution. No spoilers here – watch and see
what he comes up with!
Long overshadowed by its lengthier neighbor to the east, this is the second largest continuous wall on the planet. Some call it by the name of the fort it surrounds – Kumbhalgarh. Others simply refer to it as The Great Wall of India. Yet bewilderingly, it is still little known outside its own region.
Looking back at the title, I could have worded it a little
better as it could so easily be misconstrued. However, one look at the ecstatic
comments under this video on YouTube and, well, maybe it’s not so inaccurate
after all. Sometimes, projects can just
gain legs. As this project works on the
idea of hundreds of character run cycles, then that’s literally metaphorical
and metaphorically literal (I think).
The project creator, Julie Roulet (also known as 3verange)
announced this collab on Instagram and TikTok back in July, asking artists to
contribute an animation of a character running.Amazingly, the response was huge with 534 hearing the call and contributing
a dazzling array of characters to the project.The result is something quite magical.Fine, there is no story (except the one you can make up in your
imagination) but that was never the point.This project (or silly idea as 3verange puts it!) brought so many people
together – all ages, a host of different nationalities, levels of animation expertise – that’s where the beauty of
this lies. Plus there is a huge amount of artistic styles on display - and they all fit together perfectly. Yes, it may be silly (I would call
it daft, rather than silly) but then what’s the point of life if we can’t be daft/silly
at least some of the time?
One commenter puts it rather well: "This is so beautiful. The variety of animation styles and
qualities, the range of characters from humanoids to non-humanoids to both to
horses is amazing. I may not have been a part of this project, but I think it’s
a wonderful display of how people can come together even for something “small”
like this".
Even taking the time spent by individual animators out of
the equation, the amount of hours 3verange must have spent bringing it
altogether makes my head spin a little. So, a big thank you to 3verange for
bringing this remarkable collaboration to life and to The 534 as well, of course!
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