Happy Wednesday friends of The Creative Cabana! Thanks for stopping by for another week of Creative Mastermind appreciation awareness. This week's Mastermind though is being honored on a more tragic note than what I usually share. Making recent news with the announcement of his death, I would like to dedicate the honor of Creative Mastermind to a man of many voices: Casey Kasem.
Casey Kasem is one of my personal idols and I've admired him since I was a child. He was truly one of the most beloved actors and disc jockeys of the 20th century and his talent was unique. As you can see from the picture on the left, he was the voice of many famous cartoon characters- most notably Shaggy from Scooby Doo. Kasem was also the host of the popular radio show American Top 40 which was a countdown of the biggest music hits throughout the year. Kasem held the title of host of this program from 1970-1988 and 1998-2003. Today American Idol host, Ryan Secrest, is the host of American Top 40, however you can still hear the passion of Kasem's personality come through on each episode of the program. Casey Kasem had the energetic drive that could really engage people and draw them into what he was saying. Throughout his shows he would share different segments about up and coming music, trivia facts, and stories about the artists. This is what true radio broadcasting was like- all about the music, less about the money.
Casey Kasem was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1932. It is believed that he was inspired by radio from listening to "Make Believe Ballroom", another popular radio broadcast from the 1940s. After graduating from college, Casey Kasem was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952, sent to Korea and became a DJ/Announcer for the Army's Radio Network. When he returned to the U.S. he became a success working in several radio stations across the country. He has earned a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has also been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Casey Kasem also provided the voices for several cartoon characters throughout his career. His most famous role was Shaggy Rogers from the popular children's show Scooby Doo. Kasem voiced Shaggy for 40 years between the TV shows, spin-offs, and movies. His unique voice provided a clear and comic relief to the character of Shaggy. As a tribute to Casey Kasem here is a great clip I found of Scooby Doo and Shaggy hosting a radio show. In this scene Shaggy does his "radio voice", stop and think about this: Casey Kasem is doing an impression of himself- CLASSIC
One of the reasons why I would like to honor Casey Kasem as a Creative Mastermind is that he was such an unique and talented individual, it can't go unnoticed. I firmly believe that many DJ and On-Air talents have an aspiration to be like him. It's difficult to really explain, but when you're working in a studio and the only way people know you is through your voice, you have to create another personality that comes alive. No one sees you, so you have a job to really create a vibrant personality using sounds. Casey Kasem did that with perfection. He didn't just announce music or read a script- he told stories, he shared moments with his listeners, and he reached out to people through his dedications and messages. Radio has lost that special feeling because everyone turns to their MP3 devices for music, and radio has just become another home to advertisements and sales. Casey Kasem created a whole new generation for radio listeners and gave us so many nostalgic memories as kids because we heard his voice on so many shows. He truly was a legend and creative in his productions. He could write, speak, entertain, and make us laugh so hard we thought we had lost our minds. People like that don't come around very often; many imitate, but few achieve. Thank you for educating us Mr. Kasem and reminding us to always "keep reaching for the stars".
Remember, the door is always open if you would like to send The Creative Cabana a nomination for Creative Mastermind. Have your favorite Creative Genius highlighted and put in the spotlight by simply leaving your nomination in the comments of this post or you can share it on our Facebook and Twitter accounts- just search "Creative Cabana". Be sure to give us details on who your nomination is and why they are a Creative Mastermind! Until next time friends, have a great day!
* I am in no relation or affliated with Casey Kasem or members of the Kasem family. All opinions in this post are of my own and are expressed in dedication to him. Scooby Doo is the property of Hanna-Barbara and Warner Bros. I do not own any of the characters mentionned in this post and hold no ownership to their rights. Images used in this post, were collected from Google Images search results. The sad Scooby Doo illustrations were found through my Facebook account where friends had shared these images from other sites. I am not the creator of these images, and I give credit of these images to the artist of each drawing. The YouTube clip was posted on the network by a YouTube user in dedication to Casey Kasem. The clip is being used here for educational purposes only. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Hello everybody and thank you for stopping by The Creative Cabana! I'm your host, Danielle and I am happy to be back at the The Creative Cabana after a rough and stressful week in the real world. Since my last post, which was just over a week ago (sadly), I have been very busy picking up extra hours at work, doing some volunteer projects, and this past Friday I had to have surgery for my wisdom teeth. It's been crazy and dare I say, a little bit painful. However, as I work my way through recovery I'm taking time to finish up a post that I intended to have published much earlier on. But they say better late than never so here goes...
This post is going to be a bit different than my traditional Creative Mastermind posts, because it's a partial tribute, partial recognition, and partial appreciation for the man I could easily call my favorite actor- the late and magnificent, Robin Williams. It's been a hard two weeks since his passing and I, like most of the world, still remain in shock over the news of his death. It's weird how we treat celebrity deaths, because it's not so much about the person who died anymore, it's how they died. Another great Hollywood legend passed away shortly after Williams, actress Lauren Bacall- but notice how she didn't get no where near as much attention as Williams did. I think the fact is, that everyone was caught off guard. I honestly don't think I've seen this much coverage of a celebrity death since Michael Jackson's passing back in 2009. I don't want to focus on Robin Williams' death though. I want to celebrate his life and success and share a few memories of him that make him a great Creative Mastermind.
I am a hard-core 90s child. I grew up with a lot of great nostalgic moments, several which involved Robin Williams. When I think back as far as I can to when I first became introduced to Williams, I'm torn between Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire. I can't remember which role I was exposed to first because growing up I didn't always catch on to movies or TV right away. I can remember though seeing these two films at a very young age and always laughing at scenes where Robin Williams shines. I suppose what made him stand out to me was his ability to change personalities so quickly. He always seemed to remind me of a little kid that was on a non-stop sugar rush. To help celebrate his obvious and amazing talent, I spent an entire week watching and reflecting on movies in which he left a strong impact on me. Want to see the list? well here we go:
1. Aladdin & Aladdin and the King of Thieves
Ok before you ask, if you didn't already know this- I'm not including "Return of Jafar" in this list because Williams was not involved in this movie with the role of the Genie. I am including the two films together simply for the sake of being in the same franchise. Ever since Aladdin came out in the early 1990s I've often said if Robin Williams could be animated as a cartoon character then the Genie is it. Disney animators have often said that Genie was created based off of Williams- actions, expressions, character, and personalities. It definitely shows. The clip here shows a few moments for "Aladdin and the King of Thieves" where Williams does some of his best jokes.
2. Mrs. Doubtfire
This is probably my favorite role from Robin Williams as he portrays a kind, but "hip granny" who hatches up a plan to see his kids everyday while he and his wife go through a messy divorce. The character, Daniel Hillard, loves his children to death and decides he'll do anything to see them despite the objections of the loving, but work-obsessed mom played by Sally Fields. So when the Mom is hiring for a housekeeper to watch the kids, Robin Williams' character applies and gets the job disguised a loving British nanny. This movie hits all the right notes in terms of movie making- there's plenty of funny scenes, but there's also serious and sincere moments throughout the film. Sally Fields and Pierce Brosnan do a great job in their supporting roles and the children in this movie are to die for! It's a slam dunk cast. My favorite scene by far in this film is when a court social worker visits Mr. Hillard's apartment and he's still dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire. He's essentially playing two roles to confuse the social worker. I couldn't find a good clip to accurately show this scene- so the following clip is another favorite scene where Robin Williams just does an improv of several voices. Great stuff!
3. The Birdcage
This movie was hard for me to get into at first just because it was very confusing for me. I saw this movie when I was kid and was very confused by it because while it's a great comedy, there's many adult themes and other moral factors that, well children just don't understand at a young age. I saw this film when I got older and now that I understood the social environments being presented in The Birdcage, it made more sense. If you've never seen The Birdcage- you should, it's great. Robin Williams along with co-star Nathan Lane play a gay couple in South Beach, Florida who own a night-time drag club. When their son wants to marry his girlfriend from college, the men do everything they can to impress the girls' family who has a Republican senator for a father- yeah, this just begs for trouble. Both families go through a series of events involving relationships, scandals, and other humorous adventures all in the name of love, so that the children can get married. To see everything that makes this movie so great just watch this video featuring the best scenes of The Birdcage with Gloria Estefan's "Conga".
4. Ferngully
Ok, I have to admit I honestly forgot that Robin Williams was in this movie until I started going through my collection of movies to write about for this post. Ferngully was one of those underrated 90s kids movies that encouraged children to save the rainforest. It is great movie? Well, it's ok... in my opinion, Robin Williams and Tim Curry make the movie enjoyable. Robin Williams plays a funny bat who escaped a testing lab and lands in Ferngully. He tells the tree fairies, the residents of the land known as Ferngully, about the destruction that humans cause to the environment. Williams' character "Batty" (yeah, real original) befriends one of the fairies and helps them to save Ferngully from an evil pollution monster known as Hexus played by Tim Curry. If you've seen Ferngully chances are there's two things you remember from this film. One you might remember Tim Curry singing about "Toxic Love" and you might remember Batty's Rap- sung by Robin Williams.
5. Flubber
Flubber is another underrated, but still pretty good Robin Williams delight. This was one of Disney's "lesser known" films because I think it didn't really generate a lot of interest at the time. Flubber was a remake of the classic film "The Absent-Minded Professor", in which a scientist accidentally creates this dysfunctional goo. The goo causes all kinds of mischief and crazy stunts. Robin Williams plays the scientist in this film and enjoys interacting with his creation. I have to be honest, I have not seen Flubber in YEARS! I remember watching it and thinking "yeah this movie is ok", but that was it. I recorded it off of Disney channel back when the world still used VHS tapes and until Netflix decides to add it to the collection, that tape as been my only window to this classic. If you've never seen Flubber, it's a good "kill some time" movie. I like the parts where Williams plays around with Flubber in multiple scenes. Without ruining too much of the movie for you, here's a scene with Flubber in full action:
6. Jumanji
Holy crap do I love this movie! When you think of a typical 90s kid, this has got to be one of the movies that comes to mind. When Jumanji first came out, I didn't really know what to make of it- fun, scary, strange, weird, and massive. For being a 90s film, Jumanji was actually a really well-made movie. It had great visuals, good storyline, excellent cast, and a great action adventure built into it. Jumanji is about a game that comes to life and makes the lives of people who play it a living nightmare. Robin Williams plays Alan Perish, a child who disappeared in the 60s after playing the game with his friend Sarah. In 1995, two children find the game and as they play a round they release Alan who was trapped in the world of Jumanji. Alan, Sarah, and the two children play the game in order to fix the mess the game has caused. Robin Williams is a little bit more serious in this film, but he still gets plenty of good laughs throughout the film. I like Williams' role in Jumanji as more of the heroic icon. He's smart, funny, brave, and learns some good lessons throughout the movie. I highly recommend Jumanji for anyone who seeks a movie with an adventure!
7. Hook
The last Robin Williams film I would like to recognize from my childhood is Hook. Unlike the others listed above, this is probably the one film I had literally only seen maybe once or twice. I remember watching it in school because it was movie many of the kids enjoyed and it followed along well with the original Peter Pan stories. In this version of the Peter Pan classic, Robin Williams portrays Peter as a grown-up adult with two children who are kidnapped by a vengeful Captain Hook. In order for Peter to save his kids, he must return to Neverland and remember who he once was. Very similar to Jumanji, I think Hook allowed Williams to have a slightly more serious role. Hook has its fun moments and lots of good laughs watching Williams act throughout the movie. I think what draws me to this film, is the different portrayal of Peter Pan. I mean it reminds me of the "What if?" scenerio. What if Peter grew up? What if Peter had kids? Those questions get answered and what better person to be Peter Pan than the everlasting child himself- remember, I said earlier that Robin Williams often reminded me of a child. Besides who else would better suited to say: "To die would be an awfully big adventure..."
Ok my friends, there you have it! My favorite Robin Williams movies all tied up into my own Creative Cabana tribute to a wonderful mastermind and talent. I cannot express in words how much I will miss this beautiful soul, not just for his laughs and talents. He was also a great human in general- he gave so much to support St. Jude's- a philanthropy which I have personally supported through involvement with Greek Life during my college career. Robin Williams was someone I really hoped to meet one day, for real. There will never be another one like him and I still cannot believe that we will never see his smiling face again until it is time for us to pass on. I pray everyday for his friends and family who struggle with his loss. All I can say is Thank You Mr. Williams, Thank You. Wherever you may be, I hope you have found peace and happiness far beyond what this world could provide.
*All thoughts and comments mentionned in this post are strictly of my own beliefs. These do not reflect those of Robin Williams, his family, friends, co-workers, or entertainment associates. I do not own any of the movies mentionned in this post. All films and clips used belong strictly to their respective filmmakers, and producers. Clips used were published on YouTube from other associate users and have legal right under the Fair Use Act. Images used in this post were gathered from Google Images Search Results. These photos belong to their respective photographers/creators and I take no ownership over these images. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Happy Monday friends! Hope you've all had a terrific weekend and that you're having a good start to the week so far. It's a new week, so that means we have a new Creative Mastermind to announce. Over the last few days, I've been contemplating about which direction I wanted to go with when deciding this week's mastermind. I like relevancy, and I try to pick subjects (and people) that center around current trends based on what I see in the world around me. One of the things that has really caught my attention lately is the weather. A very broad subject, the weather is changing and because we're in the transition period between Spring and Summer we see a lot of patterns in the weather that effect us- our daily plans, moods, and even our health. Recall last week's post "What a Beautiful Day for Sketching!" in which the weather was so gorgeous outside I just had be a part of it. There's the really good and beautiful side to weather, but there's also the mysterious, dangerous, and breathtaking part of weather too which sometimes I think people tend to or try to forget about.
I have a strong passion for weather and believe me when I say that for many years I had every intention of going to college to study meteorology. When I got to high school though, I was discourage from the field because of the struggles I had when it came to harder studies in Math and Science. None the less, of all the research I've done one of the pieces of evidence that scientists rely to study the weather is photography. Using photographs, scientists can use visual evidence to study a weather pattern and determine the movements of a particular storm (even in the aftermath). One man who stands out among many nature photographers is Jim Reed, this week's Creative Mastermind.
Jim Reed was born in Georgia in 1961, but raised in Springfield, Illinois. From an early age he developed a love for storms and passion for photography which literally came together as "the perfect storm" for him. He went on to receive his Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of South California and started his career in film-making in the 1980s. He was producing many pieces such as commercials, music videos, and occasionally working on motion pictures. In the early 1990s, Jim Reed settled in Kansas and returned to his love of storms with his new skills in photography and cinematic arts.
His work has been seen throughout many books and TV programs spanning all across globe. He's been featured on channels such as Discovery, National Geographic, and even The Weather Channel to display his work and showcase his knowledge of storms through his art. Reed has also been honored many times through several organizations for his outstanding work in photography within his field.
What makes this field of photography so unique is that not only does it open doors for creativity, but it's also unpredictable and spontaneous. Even with today's technologies, scientists still do not have a full understanding of weather systems and how they can predict the wrath of nature. So when photographers like Jim Reed go out into the field, you really don't know what to expect and what work they'll bring back with them. Hundreds of severe thunderstorms form throughout the North American region each year, but only a handful of them will produce really significant storms that spawn phenomenons like tornadoes, baseball sized-hail, or devastating flood levels. So when storms like these develop, Jim Reed takes advantage of the situation to document these developing cells.
It's hard to exactly define the qualities that are precise reasons why Reed is a Creative Mastermind. I have a lot of respect for the art of what he does- it's more than snapping a picture of clouds. Each moment he captures tells a story from an event that could change history. For example, Reed has several photographs that captured the critical moments of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005- before & after, damage, during the storm, people driving through the storms, etc. Sometimes photos like these are the evidence that meteorologists use to survey storm strength and damage for insurance companies. After all a picture is worth a thousand words- but sometimes these pictures can be worth a thousand lives. Businesses looks back on these pictures and can say "this is where we went wrong and this how we're going to fix it".
On the creativity side of Reed's work, I have to give major kudos for color and angle of his shots. While these images may reveal somewhat scary situations, they also have a certain degree of beauty in them. In this field nature is the canvas, and timing is everything, so Reed does an excellent job of using these elements carefully in a timely manner. Weather can change so quickly, and safety is important when documenting nature's wonders. Reed handles each of these factors with excellent consideration and precaution- though a few of his images I'm sure you'll agree appear to be "too close for comfort".
Overall, I think Jim Reed is a pure talent not just to photography, but also to science. Reed captures images that portray visual evidence of our scientific understanding of weather. I encourage you all to watch some of the various documentaries on extreme weather and see just how far crew members, such as Jim Reed, will go to get the perfect picture. This work is truly fascinating, and you can tell from the images just how passionate he his about weather. Don't take my word for it though. Visit his website: http://www.jimreedphoto.com/index.html and get up close and personal with nature's fury.
Congrats to Jim Reed, Extreme Weather Photographer for being crowned this week's Creative Mastermind! Your talents have not gone unnoticed, and you are an incredible contribution to art and science lovers everywhere! If you would like to nominate someone to featured as a Creative Mastermind, go ahead and share your ideas with The Creative Cabana. Leave a comment on this post with the name and details of your nomination or you can share your nomination on Facebook or Twitter just search "Creative Cabana".
* All images used in this post are the sole property of Jim Reed and Jim Reed Photography. The images were gathered from Google Images Search Results and are used for educational purposes only. Bio information was used from Jim Reed's website directly and I hereby give citation to the following website: http://www.jimreedphoto.com/index.html. All opinions in this post are my own views and do not reflect the views of Jim Reed or any of the organizations he has serviced. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Good Day to you my friends and welcome to The Creative Cabana to help kick off the start of the month of June! I hope you all had a great weekend and that you're ready to begin the summer season with a variety of creative projects. Each week to help me get inspired for the week's discussions and Creative Mastermind candidates, I tend to do a little brainstorming and eventually I get drawn to a particular concept of who shall be named Creative Mastermind for the week. Over the weekend I spent a day trip with my family visiting a home decor and home hardware store shopping around for the endless list of things we need to help fix our the house the way we want. One area of the store I went to was the paint section- naturally I'm looking into re-painting my bedroom at some point and wanted to get some color ideas. Upon looking at the various brand names I came across one name that I haven't read or thought about in many years- Crayola.
Whenever I see the name or a product titled "Crayola", I instantly think back to my childhood. For many people Crayola is a staple symbol in our childhood. We grew up drawing with the crayons, and being amused by the in-box sharpener that came in bigger packages, or we used the markers that seemed to dry out after a few uses. Crayola is by far the most popular art supplier for children because they pride themselves in making their products "child-proof" with no mess technology and easy to use instructions. In order to establish Crayola as this week's Creative Mastermind, I have to give the credit to the two men who created the "Crayola" brand, Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith
Binney and Smith, who happened to be cousins, formed their business partnership in 1885 which initially began as the "Binney & Smith" company. The men were working to create colorants to be used for industrial businesses. Remember that colors during this time period were limited because of dyes and pigments that were available (and affordable). In the early 20th century, the men began selling basic slate pencils to be used for tablets in schools. After doing some experiments with various industrial materials, Binney discovered a unique concept that would become known as the "first white dustless chalk".
In 1903, Binney and his wife began development of their own wax crayons which today bears the name "Crayola". By the way, in case you didn't know where the term "Crayola" comes from, it derives from the french word "craie" which stands for chalk and "ola" for oily. Crayola becomes a big hit and goes on to become the household name that it is today. Crayola now isn't limited to just the crayons though, the products have ranged from paints to silly putty and even coloring books. This has become a childhood favorite for many decades and popular tool for even the youngest of artists.
When I sat down and thought about what makes Crayola shine in creativity, the main idea that comes to my head is that the products inspire the creativity. Having the option of applying colors to everyday surfaces can spark imagination and exercise our artistic skills, no matter how limited they may be. I think what makes Crayola so creative too is that with crayons in general, there's really nothing else like them. Who would've thought that a few colored pieces of wax could amount to such artistic detail. Paint is one thing, and pencils are great too. But when the crayons were first introduced, there really wasn't anything to compare them to. Many people were intrigued by the fact that there's no dust from these crayons- a revolutionary idea. These fundamental tools are essential to our creativity because they help to illustrate our thoughts. Maybe you should dig out that old kindergarten picture you drew of your family- it may not look like much now, but once upon a time it was valued portrait. Crayola's products help children build memories, spark creativity, and set the standard of learning through art.
What are you waiting for? Grab your crayons, coloring book, and go do something creative! Crayola's name will be around for quite some time, but you're not getting any younger and besides, it's fun to relive your inner-child. Thank you Crayola for giving children of all ages a chance to develop artistic skills and teaching us to be creative in everything we do.
Thanks for spending time with me at The Creative Cabana! If you have an idea for someone who'd make the perfect Creative Mastermind, send me a message by leaving a comment on this post, or you can share ideas on Facebook or Twitter just search "The Creative Cabana". Have a beautiful afternoon and keep checking back for more creative topics this week! June is going to be the Month of Drawing, so watch for upcoming posts related to drawing tips and tricks. Stop by again soon!
*I do not own Crayola or any of the Crayola brand-named products. Those products and their patents belong to the Crayola company and their respective developers. Images used in this post were collected from Google Images Search Results. I have no relations to Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith, I have used the Crayola brand in this post for discussion and educational purposes only. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Hello once again to my Creative Cabana readers! I hope you've been enjoying the new design format and that you've had a chance to re-familiarize yourself with the site and content. I've had some trouble getting this week's Creative Mastermind post released mainly because of issues I'm having with my internet signal. Without going into too much detail, I have to say that it's really been a challenge keeping everything updated online when you only have limited internet access half the time! It makes me wish I could go back to a simpler time, when technology didn't 100% take over the work load... a time like Kindergarten.
Schools around here are getting ready to go on summer break and it's really gotten me thinking about how much I miss school. I was one of the students who actually enjoyed going to school, but I also liked having a nice long vacation as much as the next kid. So when school was out for the summer, there were a couple of things I would do to keep on track with studies during the summer. One thing was to complete different activity books geared towards various subjects and grades- my Mom used to get these from Walmart or Kmart and I HAD to have these finished by the end of the break. The second thing I would do, which was 100 times better, was to indulge in an educational cartoon titled "The Magic School Bus"- and guess what, that is this week's Creative Mastermind! Snaps toJoanna Cole and Bruce Degen, the creators of the popular children's books and tv show, "The Magic School Bus".
Anyone who was a child growing up in the 90s, knows just how popular this show was. Even though the series concluded in 1997, it still maintains it's popularity with children even to this day. For those who may not be familiar with The Magic School Bus, it started out as a series of children's books about a class with a fun teacher, and crazy school bus that had magical abilities. The children, their teacher known as "Ms. Frizzle", and the Bus share in many adventures as they learn about different topics in science. Ms. Frizzle uses her crazy gadgets inside the bus to take the children on different "field trips" to explore areas to teach the kids about how science works in the world. Both the books and TV show gave children a fun and innovative way to learn because everything in this show was centered around children and seeing it through a different environment. Kids could relate to the desire of having fun "field trips", Ms. Frizzle is adorable and full of laughs, the kids are pretty much like regular school children- funny, smart, but curious. The Bus sometimes shows it's own emotions by doing all kinds of wacky things during the trips, but also gives kids the idea of "Wow! I wish our school bus was that cool!".
And then of course there's this.... the theme song. The theme song that EVERY KID knew and was probably just as memorable as the Captain Planet theme, because it sounds so cool. Little Richard sings the lyrics with a wicked instrumental background that just makes you want to dance. Take a listen and for those of you who grew up with this show, get ready to reminiscence.
The credit for the creation of The Magic School Bus goes to Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen who originally created the concept in the mid-1980s. The TV show aired on several children's networks from 1994 to its conclusion in 1997, although many Magic School Bus books continued to be published. Joanna Cole is the author of the Magic School Bus book which has sold millions of copies world-wide and in multiple languages. Cole has said that she always enjoyed science in school and even had a teacher that was similar to Ms. Frizzle.
Bruce Degen is the illustrator of the series and responsible for the design of The Magic School Bus, Ms. Frizzle, and the children. His animated style can be seen throughout the TV series as well as on the covers of the various Magic School Bus books. The style is very similar to the animation seen in other children's shows such as Arthur. Degen did an excellent job of portraying the unique cartoon look along with the realistic design of the scienetific scenes. In one episode, Ms. Frizzle takes the class inside of a human body to observe how we digest food. Regular images of inside the human body can be quite graphic even for kids. However, Degen gave an animated portrayal of what the body looks like so that children can understand what they are seeing. The overall design of the characters is fun, but developed.
So you know a little bit about The Magic School Bus and its creators, but you might be asking- what makes them the Creative Mastermind? Well, there's a couple of different angles to look at this from. In Degen's case, I really applaud him for the well-developed illustration. The mix of education and animation can sometimes be too clumsy and doesn't have the impact on kids like it should because they feel they're just watching a regular kids show. He was able to take a realistic concept and translate that into animation to make the world of science seem more kid friendly. The Magic School Bus really engages the kids to watch and learn because the action draws their attention. Degen illustrates the scenarios in a way that differentiates The Magic School Bus from being too straight forward, thus making it a kids educational show. With Cole, she has the imagination of a small child and brings out the characteristics of a typical elementary school child through the characters. Ms. Frizzle is like a child in a way, because she's so carefree. You never see her crying or get very serious with the kids, because she believes in "taking chances and making mistakes". The writing is excellent too, from jokes to facts. Cole has a strong sense of humor which shows within the series, but also works it well with the learning aspects. It's hard to combine education with cartoons because children expect to be entertained. The Magic School Bus has all of those elements- humor, truth, adventurous, and entertainment.
Overall, I have to give Joanna Cole, Bruce Degen, and the team of "The Magic School Bus" an A+ on creativity. They hit all of the right notes with this series, books and TV shows. It has long captivated the hearts and minds of children, educators, and parents for many years. It's a great classic that will live on for many years to come. Many school even show episodes to their class for specific lessons because it's so entertaining and educational too. Shows like this help us to reflect on how we educate our children today because they are the future. Congrats to the Magic School Bus for being this week's Creative Mastermind!
Think you have a good idea of someone or something that is worthy of the "Creative Mastermind" title? Send in your suggestions to The Creative Cabana. Simply leave your thoughts in a comment on this post or share them with us on Facebook or Twitter- just search Creative Cabana. Check back for more Creative Goodness from The Creative Cabana. Until next time, have a great weekend everyone!
* I do not own The Magic School Bus, Arthur, Captain Planet, or any other show mentioned in this post. The Magic School Bus is the property of the Scholastic Publishing company and is owned by the respective publishers/authors. Images used in this post were gathered from Google Images Search Results. The YouTube clip provided in this video is available for educational purposes only. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Welcome to The Creative Cabana and join me in a round of saying "HAPPY FRIDAY!". Hopefully you've had a great week, for me it's been pretty hectic which is why I'm running behind on getting my posts online to you. Every day this week I have had something major come up and it has really messed with my schedule, but better late than never- right? Well you know they say "good things come to those who wait", so for those of you who have been anxiously awaiting my post, I greatly appreciate the patience. For this week's Creative Mastermind, I'm highlighting someone who has been an artistic inspiration to me for many years. This person created a form of Art that remains popular today and has sparked a lifetime of famous images. This week's Creative Mastermind goes to Pop Artist "Andy Warhol".
You've probably heard the name before if you've ever studied Art History or if you have seen some of his famous work. This guy took the realms of art and really expanded his creativity through his unique designs. Warhol was born in Pennsylvania in the late 1920s and studied Commercial Art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in the mid 40s. He began his career working in advertising to create many commercial poster designs and was also one of the first people to use printmaking with a silk screen. Warhol went on to gain fame as a fine artist and was credited for his movement of art known as "Pop Art". Warhol passed away in 1987, but his legacy has left an impression on fellow artists and admirers around the world.
Here are examples of Andy Warhol's most famous pieces:
I don't know where to begin as far as reasons for why I adore Warhol's work. I love the color, the way certain details "pop", and I admire just the iconic display of each image. While each of Warhol's designs depicts some kind of famous person or novelty, he did an excellent job of keeping the integrity of the subject in each picture and uses color to effectively portray the style of each image. For example, in the pictures I have shown above look at how "easily recognized" these subjects are. Not just because you know exactly who or what it is, but what does the portrait say about them? Look at the vibrant colors used in the portrait of Marilyn Monroe. You have yellow, pink, and black- When I think of Monroe, the first thing that comes to mind is her beautiful blonde hair which is accented in Warhol's depiction of her. For John Lennon's image, I note the variety of colors used which helps to recognize his colorful personality. As cliche as this sounds, literally what Warhol has done here is he took a trait from his subjects and allowed them to "Pop" out in his work through his techniques of Printmaking.
Another reason why I think Warhol's art is so popular is because his work is so distinct and relate-able. I feel like many people tend to have more of reaction to artwork that they can connect with and appreciate instantly. Everyone knows who Michael Jackson is, everyone can relate to Campbell's Tomato Soup- these are all things the public is already familiar with and they don't have to put a lot of thought into figuring out what the picture is or what it's supposed to represent. You can appreciate the artwork for what it is at face value. Plus Andy Warhol's "Pop Art" movement was so innovative and ahead of it's time, it's almost like looking at the future of photography and art. We can imitate the "Andy Warhol" look now from using programs like Photoshop, PicMonkey, and Instagram- but back in the 60s you didn't have those luxuries. He had to create each piece by hand, which can make this even more classic!
His style is seen today through different commercial art designs and techniques. Think back to the 2008 election with Barack Obama and John McCain. Did you happen to see this image floating around? Very similar design and technique, and clearly it's reminiscent of Andy Warhol's iconic style. I also read just recently on the internet that more of Warhol's late work has been discovered included images he had created through digital art and computer design. If you'd like to read more about that and see images of this discovered work, visit http://gizmodo.com/andy-warhols-lost-amiga-computer-art-rediscovered-30-ye-1566990245 or take a trip to the Andy Warhol museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and see it for yourself!
Overall, there's just so much talent and creativity to appreciate from Andy Warhol. His artwork is truly an inspiration to people who have a passion for art, graphic design, print, or just creativity in general. Andy Warhol is a great artistic legend whose iconic displays set the bar high for a whole new genre of art and creative development. Here's to a great and tremendously talented artist, we salute you Andy Warhol and miss you!
So there you have it my friends, Andy Warhol- your Creative Mastermind of the Week! If you know someone or something, that would make an excellent Mastermind, share your suggestions with The Creative Cabana. Either leave a comment on this post, share it with us on our Facebook page, or you can tweet your nomination to @CreativeCabana on Twitter. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your Friday!
*I do not own any of the works credited to Andy Warhol, nor am I a relation or have any connection to The Andy Warhol Foundation. The pictures used in this post as examples of his work are the property of Andy Warhol himself, and the respective photographer. The Obama "Hope" design is also not credited to myself and I give the ownership of that design to the respective owner/designers of the image. Opinions used are strictly my own and do not reflect the opinions of those associated with Andy Warhol, The Andy Warhol Foundation/Museum, or the Obama Administration. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
New week, new adventure, and a new Creative Mastermind! Welcome to another fun-filled week of creative awesomeness here at The Creative Cabana. After spending a busy week (and weekend) of meetings, work, and running household errands, I'm finally get a chance to sit down and really focus on naming this week's Creative Mastermind. After doing some brainstorming, the individual I chose to highlight for this week is someone I've been wanting to talk about for awhile, but haven't really found a good opportunity to do so. This person is not some big name movie star, they haven't created any award-winning productions, and you won't see them on the cover of an arts and entertainment magazine. However you might've heard, or at least watched this person before on YouTube, and if that's the case then you'll have a good idea of why I've selected this person as this week's Creative Mastermind. Ladies and Gentlemen say hello to The Nostalgia Critic...
I know this picture looks a bit strange, but trust me this guy is a genius! He's incredibly talented and quite the comedian offering reviews and opinions of movies and shows across all genres. His real name is Doug Walker and he's a great talent to his character which he created- The Nostalgia Critic. It's a web series created by Walker and some of his friends which produces comedic reviews of popular movies and sometimes TV shows. Typically the "Critic" is portrayed as an angry, and very picky reviewer who makes jokes about a movies content, acting, and messages. Walker has stated before that the reviews given are not entirely his opinions, but more of how he views them in the Critic character. In fact it's similar to the way the staff of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and RiffTrax (also a Creative Mastermind alumni) portrays films. He's funny, he's crazy, and he's also very knowledgeable about the actors that are involved with each film which makes each episode even more enjoyable.
If you've never heard of him before, don't be ashamed! I had actually never watched a video of his until one of my college friends sent me a link to one of his videos on YouTube and I could not stop laughing. He makes a lot of good jokes about the things he reviews, but he also makes valid points about the production and plot details in a motion picture. I think it's fair to say that if there's a movie you want to see and you're unsure about it look it up from Nostalgia Critic and see if he's given a review of the film. There aren't episodes out there for every single movie created, but he manages to spotlight the big names and even does little themed sets within his series. He's done a special series called "Disneycember" where he reviews just about EVERY Disney that has come into existence all the way up to the recent film "Saving Mr. Banks". Additionally he's reviewed Star Trek movies, The Star Wars Christmas Special (yep, there is one), Twister, Jaws, and even an animated "Titanic" movie- yes, it's real.
What makes Nostalgia Critic a Creative Mastermind? I really applaud how each episode is produced. When I first saw him on YouTube I thought it was going to be one of the stupid homemade videos with a webcam of a guy just talking nonsense about these films. Instead I was surprised and delighted to see how well each video is made. Walker produces his videos in very high quality and even creates his own effects for each episode. He creates his own animated illustrations, graphics, audio, sound effects, and scripts to produce what turns out to be a very entertaining show. His more recent reviews have included little skits that just make the episodes even more entertaining and it really shows how he continues to build and grow from an actor's stand point. Overall, I have to give him points for this honor based on production, excellent writing and editing, plus his fantastic acting skills as the Critic character. If you've never watched The Nostalgia Critic on YouTube, I highly recommend that you check it out. Keep in mind, his material is geared more towards a mature crowd as some of the language and jokes are not exactly appropriate for younger viewers. However if you find yourself needing a good laugh and looking for something good to watch, then check out the Nostalgia Critic's videos on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/DougWalkerReviews or visit his official website at http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/.
I hope you enjoy this week's Creative Mastermind The Nostalgia Critic and have some laughs by watching his many movie reviews online. If you have an idea for a Creative Mastermind please feel free to share it with The Creative Cabana either by commenting on this post, share it on the Facebook page, or tweet to @CreativeCabana. Be sure to check back this week as there will be 2 finale episodes left in the Web Design series and then we'll be moving on to sketching and illustration! Lots of great ways to spend time in the sunshine so be sure to visit us while you're out enjoying the Spring weather. Enjoy the rest of your day everyone!!!!
*Images used in this post were collected from Google Images Search Results. I do not own The Nostalgia Critic as that is the sole property of Doug Walker and his production team. I also do not own any of the films mentionned in this post as those pertain to his reviews. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Good morning and thanks for stopping by The Creative Cabana for your happy, healthy dose of creative goodness to start your week! Each week when I go through different candidates for a Creative Mastermind honor, I try to mix it up the categories so I'm not always profiling photographers, or artists, or any specific profession. Something I haven't address too much of here at The Creative Cabana is the creativity that comes in audio production. In a previous Creative Mastermind post I discussed the developers of the audio mixing program "Audacity". Audacity is a great free program that allows you to do basic audio editing and cleaning for your audio files. If you'd like something a little more industry standard and professional, then I'd like to introduce you to my favorite audio program from Avid known as "ProTools".
ProTools was first launched in 1991 after it's earlier versions of Sound Tools and Sound Designer were making improvements during the 1980s. The developers of ProTools Evan Brooks and Peter Gotcher created it as a diverse audio editing tool but at first was limited by the hard drive technology of the computer at that time. When ProTools came out in the 90s it was starting to advance in better performance, and more options for editing practices. ProTools was built on a multi-track system which means you have the ability to work on more than one audio track at a time. This became a great advancement for audio engineers in businesses like the music industry, radio, motion picture industry, and advertising. In fact, in 1999 Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" was the first Number 1 single that was produced using ProTools.
ProTools was also used in the development of the interactive video games: Guitar Hero and DJ Hero. I admire this program a lot for it's ability to provide creative access to alter and change audio into whatever you need. I learned ProTools when I was studying Electronic Media Production in college. To me ProTools came naturally to me because I understood how to interpret functions and using my good judgment to determine how I wanted files to sound. I used ProTools in everything from creating Public Service Announcements to promoting special events, and even special news updates for the campus radio station. Here's an example of a promo I created for an Acapella Group known as Take 6. All of the recording and editing that you'll here in this piece was created using ProTools along with my voice narrating.
I'm deeming ProTools and it's creators this week's Creative Mastermind for their sensational development of a program that allows users to create unique audio pieces. Programs like ProTools provides the tools needed to utilize creative skills to mix, edit, and control sound as we want to interpret it. We can use it to remix our music, edit our interview stories, or create storytelling pieces that reflect a situation. The sky is the limit when it comes to a system like ProTools. If you're studying broadcasting, media production, computer science, or audio engineering chances are that you'll come in contact with ProTools at some point in your life and when you do, be prepared to face it head on with excitement. Embrace your creativity through audio and never fear to do the impossible when creating your masterpieces.
Congrats to Avid Media and the developers of ProTools! Heres to many more years of creating digital audio production that enhances and drives talent further into the 21st century! If you have a great idea for someone or something that would make a great Creative Mastermind, please share your thoughts by commenting on this post or share it with The Creative Cabana on Facebook by clicking here or on Twitter @CreativeCabana.
*All images used in this post were collected from Google Images Search Results. I do not own Avid Media or ProTools- these products are the property of their respective owners and developers. I do not own the rights to "Livin' La Vida Loca" or Ricky Martin. The video used comes from the VEVO channel avaliable for display on YouTube and is soley used here for entertainment purposes only. The Take 6 Promo provided in this post IS my personal creation developed for promotional use of the Take 6 concert that was held at Ashland University on December 7th, 2011. I do not own Take 6 or any of their music. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Good morning and Happy Tuesday everybody! Hopefully you enjoyed the weekend and I hope that your work-week kicked off to a great start. As you know, it's the beginning of a new week which means it's time for a new Creative Mastermind to be announced. Last week in celebration of the arrival of Spring, I decided to dig out one of my favorite animated films, Walt Disney's "Bambi". Now from my personal experience, Bambi is one of those movies that I think gets swept under the rug sometimes. There's isn't much to offer in the way of dialogue, a plot, or in character development. Instead, Bambi is one of those movies that plays off of emotion which in this case I think is a lot more powerful than any of the traditional film elements we're used to. Before I get to far into this post, I want to say that I'm approaching the film from the perspective of art, and animation versus looking at the movie for story development. I find the creativity in Bambi solely in it's artwork and animation which is why I'm placing the animators and producers of Bambi as this week's Creative Mastermind(s).
So if you've never seen Bambi, then I'm sorry to say you're really missing out a great classic! The picture above is just one of several theatrical posters from Walt Disney that was released when Bambi hit the theaters in 1942. It notes that Bambi is "A Great Love Story" which yeah there's a little bit of romance, but the term love is referring to the love of nature. There's a lot of bonding love between Bambi and his mother in the first half of the movie, and then throughout the whole film there's a since of love between each of the animals in the forest as they build friendships. Like I said earlier, Bambi plays off of your emotions- especially when "man" is involved in certain scenes throughout the film. Yeah, SPOILER ALERT, it's a tear dropping film.
From the artistic viewpoint, the production and artwork of Bambi is stunning and easily one of Disney's best films when you look at just the animation alone. The entire film was created using oil paints on various canvases and backgrounds to give each scene a rich and brilliant look. Before computer and digital animation was developed, most animated features were either hand drawn or painted depending on how the look of the characters and scenes were supposed to be visioned. While Disney went on to create many other films that featured sensational painted backdrops, Bambi's style is most recognized because of the "layers" of animation. Check out the clip to see what first hand the "layers" style. (The first minute and 20 seconds consists of the opening song and credits, after that you can see the layered animation design.)
Beautiful, right? The Disney animators used a "multi-camera" technique which would feature different layers of the animation and then the camera could pan and focus wherever needed. This allowed for the audience to have a more in-depth experience with the film and it gave Bambi the feel of 3D animation for the time period that it was released. The camera was set up to take shots of different layers of glass where each layer consisted of an animated scene: one layer being the furthest shot of forest trees, next layer would be closer trees, a final layer of trees inserted in front of the first two, and then a layer with the drawn/painted animation of our moving characters. I can't recall any other Disney film practicing this technique, at least not in this much detail, which is why I firmly believe Bambi sticks out as one of the best animated films.
The illustration and development of the characters is highly praised among artists and movie lovers too. During the production of the film, Walt Disney brought in several of the forest animals to the studio for the animators to study. For Bambi, Walt wanted to have more realistic looking characters and his animators were inspired to create fun, yet real looking animals by observing their movements and behaviors first hand.
I think that's another aspect that makes this film so unique- the characters, while still cartoons, actually look like real animals. I think Disney was trying to show the animals through a true and realistic design compared to the clumsy animation style in movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Not that I'm bashing that movie, which I love, but seriously compare the two deer for a moment:
So which one actually looks like a real deer to you? Granted these movies were animated in two very different styles and at different time periods- but c'mon at least Bambi looks like he's got some bones and limbs! But I digress, it's going back to the appreciation and creativity in the animation that makes this film stand out. I often praise Walt Disney himself for the work and dedication he put into creating these beautifully made films, but this time I want to give exclusive credit to the animators, designers, and producers of Bambi.
I wish I could name every single person on those teams. The entire collaboration of artists and animators paid off giving Bambi a reputation as a household name. While critics overall didn't praise Bambi at it's initial release, and it didn't make the money needed at the box office, Bambi today is recognized as a classic! It's also preserved in the Library of Congress as a film that promotes the Preservation of Nature (another great creative message to share).
So there you have it my friends! A great way to help ring in the Spring season by watching a vibrant and colorful film like Walt Disney's "Bambi". I can appreciate this film from the artistic view point as it is what I believe the most well-animated films from Disney. Movies today just aren't made like this any more and even when Bambi II was released in 2006, I was grossly disappointed because it lost the beauty of the art that was displayed in the first film. Bambi is a true creative treasure and should be respected for it's message, art, talent, and beautiful production.
If you have a suggestion for a Creative Mastermind, I always invite readers to submit their ideas to The Creative Cabana. Leave your suggestions by either commenting on this post, leave comments on our Facebook page, or tweet to @CreativeCabana. Creativity knows no limits so go ahead and explore! Enjoy the rest of your day and I'll see you back here soon for more creative energy to share.
*I do not own Bambi, Bambi II, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Walt Disney, or The Walt Disney Company. All films mentionned belong to The Walt Disney Company and have ownership to those rights. Images used in this post were collected from Google Images Search Results. I do not own these pictures, covers, or share rights with their credited owners. The video clip provided in this post is from YouTube and shows only the opening sequence of the film under the Fair Use law. This clip is provided by another YouTube user. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Casey Kasem was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1932. It is believed that he was inspired by radio from listening to "Make Believe Ballroom", another popular radio broadcast from the 1940s. After graduating from college, Casey Kasem was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952, sent to Korea and became a DJ/Announcer for the Army's Radio Network. When he returned to the U.S. he became a success working in several radio stations across the country. He has earned a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has also been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Casey Kasem also provided the voices for several cartoon characters throughout his career. His most famous role was Shaggy Rogers from the popular children's show Scooby Doo. Kasem voiced Shaggy for 40 years between the TV shows, spin-offs, and movies. His unique voice provided a clear and comic relief to the character of Shaggy. As a tribute to Casey Kasem here is a great clip I found of Scooby Doo and Shaggy hosting a radio show. In this scene Shaggy does his "radio voice", stop and think about this: Casey Kasem is doing an impression of himself- CLASSIC
