March 1: LEO the anti-gravity show

What would happen if the laws of gravity changed?

Taking advantage of the camera’s viewpoint and some exceptionally creative and athletic perspective adjustments, LEO, the brainchild of Montréal actor and director Daniel Briére, based on an original idea by Tobias Wegner, asks the question. For more about LEO and other works, go here: http://boatrockerentertainment.com/

Check it out!

February 14 (Valentine’s Day): Three clips for today!

Here are three clips that show what love looks like, though they’re not what you might think that at first. Oh, sure, there’s chocolates and hearts and stuff, but when the chocolates are gone and the cards disappear, it’s the thought that really counts.

First, a tip of the hat to the Seattle Seahawks for what sounded like a well-deserved rout, comes this fan-tastic clip that shows how connected we are to our favorite people, and how awesome some of them can be in return.

Second, a clip that shows our hearts can connect across species just as easily, as long as we remember that respect is a gift we can share with everyone, whether on two legs or four.

Finally, yes, there was a Coke commercial in the news. This isn’t it. Not because it’s not appropriate, but because I already featured it elsewhere. This one is more about the levels and depth of love. Yeah, it’s a commercial. That’s not the point.

February 2 (Super Bowl Sunday): Just Checking, Gracie and Proud To Be

While I could make today’s post be about Groundhog Day, I did that last year.

No, this year, thanks to the calendar, February 2nd is a different sort of holiday (for some, anyway). It’s Super Bowl Sunday. And in the spirit of the day, I’m presenting several commercials. They might not seem related on first glance, but they are. Here’s why.

The first comes in three parts. Part one is the original commercial, published on YouTube by General Mills on May 28, 2013. It might not seem like a big deal, until you hear that General Mills had to shut down all the comments on its YouTube post because the ad sparked a flood of racist vitriol. You can read all about the controversy by searching on the words Just Checking Ad.

This evening, Cheerios is doing it again, with a follow-up to the first commercial, which General Mills published on YouTube on January 28, 2014.

This is, by all accounts, a normal family, but a lot of people don’t see them that way. “Gracie” is played by six-year-old Grace Colbert. She and her parents have been interviewed on a number of news outlets, and the conversation goes very much the same each time. And yes, considering our president’s heritage, it’s a discussion that has to happen, out in the open, because we assign far, far too much importance to the differences in race in this country. Clearly, we still have a long way to go, recognizing that our differences are nowhere near as important as our similarities.

Well, what does that have to do with the commercial below? It’s not airing during the show because the cost for the slot was prohibitively expensive. But it’s on a subject that is at least as important as the normalization of families from multi-ethnic backgrounds and it is specifically aimed at the National Football League, which should make it a top priority. But since it’s not airing this evening, let me share it with you so you can share it with others.

Our local football team chooses to keep a racial epithet as a name. I say it’s time we retired the word, so that it may join its brother, the N-word, because that is how we show respect for the values and lives of Native Americans. And that’s where these two commercials tie in.

We are all brothers under the skin. Our perceptions, our judgments, are all wrapped up in the exterior package. Wouldn’t it be better to understand and respect  each other instead of judging and vilifying what we don’t know or understand?

January 30: Apple Macintosh Ad – Aired during the 1984 Super Bowl

In a few days a large percentage of the US will plop down in front of their televisions and watch either a game involving an odd-shaped ball that gets tossed between two teams or every single commercial that comes between tossing and running after said ball.

When did commercials during the Super Bowl become a thing? Well, Wikipedia has an answer for that.

Ironically, until I went to find the answer to my question, I didn’t know there was a link to the description of the very short clip below. But there it is.

I know where I’ll be this coming Sunday. Where will you be? Watching the Super Bowl or the commercials?

January 19: Touch Wood

On some Sunday mornings, I forget (sort of on purpose) to turn off my alarm so I can tune in to Krista Tippett’s morning meditation. The show, which used to be called Speaking of Faith and is now On Being, has made my Unitarian Universalist exploration of life a lot more interesting over time.

I was wondering whether to post one of the video links I have stored up for Sunday, but I thought I’d wander off for a little inspiration and it didn’t take me long to discover this blog post. I remembered seeing the commercial when it made the rounds a few years ago, but apparently that predated my blog because it’s not included in last year’s entries, though I can’t imagine why.

So, with that hat tip, here’s some stunning beauty for your Sunday.

To see a little of what went into the production of this commercial, watch this:

September 27: Imagine a World Without Hate (Official Video)

I have often wondered what the world would have been like if all these people were still here. Including the vocalist.

August 21: T-Mobile Angry Birds Live

Yes, yes, yes.

It’s a commercial. For a game about which I am completely ambivalent. And you know what? It doesn’t matter.

Why?

Because…Angry Birds LIVE!

I’m not the only one who feels this way. Almost 18 million people agree with me.

So how’d they do that?

And now you know.

August 10: La Choy Presentation 1966

Okay, so, moving from cats to dogs to dragons… The connection (of course) is Jim Henson. This is an early example, pre-Sesame Street/Muppet Show, of Henson’s Muppets and the commercial work he did before breaking into educational TV.

I remember the La Choy Dragon from my childhood, but he might be completely new to you.

July 27: PBS: The Movie (PBS Meets The Avengers)

Another Spit-Take warning from your friendly neighborhood video pusher. How to give PBS that extra edge? Pull out the super powers, that’s how.

Unexpected Crossover Week comes to an end tomorrow with a cross between superheroes and seriously bad puns, leading to…well…that would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?

July 22: Zachary Quinto vs. Leonard Nimoy: “The Challenge”

Unexpected Crossover Week begins with an unexpectedly hilarious commercial for some automobile or other. Spock vs Spock. Like Mad Magazine’s Spy vs. Spy. In fact, I’m willing to bet that was the inspiration for this awesome work of art!

Enjoy!

May 4 (Star Wars Day): “Weird Al” Yankovic ~ The Saga Begins

Yes, folks. It’s here. Two. Two. Two fandoms in ONE!

“That’s three, ma’am.”

What? Oh, yes. Three! Three fandoms.

Sorry. But wait! There’s more!!!

Lego Music Video Version:

Star Wars Day Attack Ad: Say No to May the 4th

April 6: Grey Poupon “The Lost Footage”

Saw this shortly after I started the #365videos project. It was only a matter of time….

April 5: EDS, an HP Company ‘Cat Herders’

One of the best commercials to come out of the 2009 Superbowl. I have oodles of experience with this, but not in the literal sense.

April 4: Ipad vs. Paper

Got too distracted by other stuff and forgot to post this yesterday. I know it’s made the rounds, but it’s hysterical and deserves another watch…

February 28: Real Genius by M. Night Shyamalan: Trailer Recut

Now I want to watch the movie again. With this filter. Too bad I don’t have time! Off to do some web editing before going to work. All my web clients hit me up at once. Fortunately, they’re all relatively quick jobs. Shouldn’t take long. There aren’t that many clients. 8-/

February 27: Watchmen & WALL-E Mashup Trailer

Mashup week continues…with real Mashups!

In other news, got the first three grades back from my art class: 90, 97 and 92. I’ll take it! Test today might not be so good, though. And test on Friday for Western Civ could be good and could be a disaster.

Also got my Financial Aid form filed. Looking for two written recommendations for a scholarship provided by my state senator. Anyone game to recommend me the old fashioned way (before, you know, LinkedIn)?

February 24: Kermit the Frog at the World Premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Because I’m still awake and I know for a fact tomor… today’s going to be nutso.

Through the end of February, Mash-up week. Geeks take over March 1. And no, I haven’t seen Stranger Tides yet. But Kermit plugging Pirates? Yeah.

February 23: Bert and Ernie recording for TomTom GPS – behind the scenes

A heck of a day. I did get a web site launched (finally), that’s been stewing in the background, but PayPal link isn’t there yet, so we’re not quite done. The rest is less useful.

Tomorrow starts with services and carries to a wake, and thence to The Oscars. Somewhere in there, a board game needs to be finished. A friend tonight said he’s never seen me this tired this late. And that was after a nap this afternoon. Next week’s shaping up to be extra special.

So here you go. Bert & Ernie. They have the energy for learning new stuff. I wish I was them.

February 22: AT&T Archives ~ Robot, by Jim Henson

On the run pretty much all day today. Sharing early so I don’t forget.

February 3: Making Of Natural Gas

Well, now THAT’s over…

Welcome to Fire and Ice week. Found this – too cool (warm???) not to share.

Future weeks: One Hit Wonders (at least two weeks’ worth coming), Star Wars Week and more.