350 SQUARE FEET

An incredibly efficient use of space. The only thing I'm not liking so much is the stove set up and the uber-tiny fridge. But either way, its an impressive feat of design and engineering.

RISE OF THE DRONES

Drones. These unmanned flying robots–some as large as jumbo jets, others as small as birds–do things straight out of science fiction. Much of what it takes to get these robotic airplanes to fly, sense, and kill has remained secret. But now, with rare access to drone engineers and those who fly them for the U.S. military, NOVA reveals the amazing technologies that make drones so powerful as we see how a remotely-piloted drone strike looks and feels from inside the command center. From cameras that can capture every detail of an entire city at a glance to swarming robots that can make decisions on their own to giant air frames that can stay aloft for days on end, drones are changing our relationship to war, surveillance, and each other. And it's just the beginning. Discover the cutting edge technologies that are propelling us toward a new chapter in aviation history as NOVA gets ready for "Rise of the Drones."

Click the image below to watch the program online.

METROPOLIS & C-3P0

Robot maintenance.

The Maschinenmensch (German for "machine-human") from Metropolis, is a gynoid (female robot and female android) played by German actress Brigitte Helm in both its robot form and human incarnation. Named Maria in the film, and "Futura" in the Novel, she was the first robot ever depicted in cinema. Robot Maria's haunting blank face, slightly open lips, and pronounced female curves in the film have been the subject of disgust and fascination alike.

C-3PO was played by Anthony Daniels in all six Star Wars films. Daniels initially did not agree to be cast as C-3PO; but changed his mind after reading C-3PO's part in the script and seeing a concept painting by Ralph McQuarrie, who based his early design largely on the Maschinenmensch from the Fritz Lang masterpiece Metropolis.

Lang (right) checks preparations for an upcoming scene.  Metropolis, 1927.

A young George Lucas confers with Anthony Daniels as C-3P0 on location in Tunisia, 1976.

PROMONTORY SUMMIT 1869

In May 1869, the railheads of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads finally met at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. For some reason I cannot explain, I've always loved this image. It sparked my imagination as a kid. 

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UPSTREAM COLOR

Writer/Director Shane Carruth's new film "Upstream Color" has a new trailer. Carruth is best known for his independent film "Primer", which was honored at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival with the Grand Jury Prize. Carruth, a former software engineer with an undergraduate degree in mathematics, utilized his technical knowledge on the project. "Upstream Color" is his first film in almost 10 years. His next project, a science fiction film tentatively entitled, "Topiary", is currently in development.

ILM AVENGERS VISUAL EFFECTS REEL

Still the best in the business. Check out the great work from ILM on the Avengers. Mind boggling.  

We are proud to present this video which showcases some of ILM's Oscar nominated effects work for the 2012 hit film, "Marvel's The Avengers". This reel represents a small fraction of the work created by over 200 ILM artists, scientists, and engineers backed up by a world class production team.

DAVID BOWIE

Happy 66th birthday to David Bowie who also breaks his 10 year silence today with the release of his new album, "The Next Day".

Segment from "Extras" where a random encounter with a music legend in an exclusive pub ends up as an embarrassment.

CLOUDS INTERACTIVE DOCUMENTARY

The creative practitioners featured in the documentary represent a new breed of interdisciplinary artists who combine software engineering, audiovisual design, and cultural engagement. CLOUDS explores the themes of creativity, aesthetics, simulation, and sharing articulated by these luminaries in the computational arts community.

Counter to the widespread perception of code as exclusively utilitarian, this generation of hacker-artists struggles to develop new forms of visual expression, expanding the vocabulary of technology to resonate at a deeper human level. In an increasingly data-driven culture, our subjects act as intermediaries who can help us to navigate and make sense of our evolving digital universe.

Support this project.

FALLEN ASTRONAUT

“Fallen Astronaut” is a 3 inch tall aluminum sculpture of a human figure was left on the moon in 1971 by Apollo 15 astronauts. Created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck, the sculpture is a memorial for astronauts and cosmonauts who have died in the pursuit of space exploration.


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© Matt Wallin. All rights reserved.