One Plus One Equals Three

'Burst' & 'Orchestra': TV Ads of the Year (So Far)

The Sony Bravia 'bouncing balls' may have started a delicious trend. Above is the new TVC for Schweppes created by George Patterson Y&R and director Garth Davis. Shot at 10,000 frames per second and featuring the sublime music of The Cinematic Orchestra, this is simply stunning and quite deserving of the praise being heaped upon it about the place.

Read more at indents.tv. If you like what you see, The large QuickTime file there is worth the download.

Related (created by the same agency and the product is a fizzy drink): the new Victoria Bitter Orchestra TVC. How to make a memorable ad for a well-known 'blokey' product that has a famous associated signature tune? Have some skilled musicians play the beer! See below:

"If Wollongong breaks out in colour, it could be the end of the world!"

Aunty Jack introduces colour TV to Australia in 1975. This is a great example of cutting-edge colour broadcast technology – used creatively - from 'way back then'.

If you're not a local and/or unfortunate enough to have been born after the 1970s, you may be wondering who or what Aunty Jack is? This (the famed Aunty Jack song) may help explain. Perhaps even this. Then again perhaps not. Try this.

At present, Aunty Jack is hermetically sealed in a vault (as all six foot six moustachioed/sideburned aunties should be) at the National Film and Sound Archive in Canberra. As stated on IMDB, the show was deemed to be of such cultural significance that all master tapes and film were promptly archived.

Babakiueria (& the Redfern Speech)

"Can you imagine what it would be like if black settlers arrived to settle a continent (Australia) inhabited by white natives?" Written by venerable comedy writer Geoffrey Atherden and winner of the United Nations Media Peace Prize in 1987. The above is the opening scene of the 30 minute film (make sure you watch till the end). More at IMDB.

To continue with the reconciliation theme, here's ex-PM Paul Keating's landmark Redfern speech from 1992. This was recently (and deservedly) voted the most important speech ever given in Australia.

Edible Whale Science with the Institute of Cetacean Research

Another clever clip by Hugh Matkin – a 23 year old law student (with a very keen eye for retro-aesthetics). The above clip neatly (and humorously) articulates what many Australians think of the 'science' involved in the whale cull in the Southern Ocean. More comedic clips by the talented Matkin here – the Chairman Rudd one is a ripper.

A week or two back I linked to The Whale Hunt by Jonathan Harris, a photographic essay (and exploration of narrative structure) whose subject is a whale kill by the indigenous Inupiat in Alaska, who undertake a controlled whale kill each year. I then received numerous vitriolic emails – both from the pro-whaling and anti-whaling communities (although the most heated were definitely the pro-whaling emails – but hey, I learnt some new swear words). These comments and emails weren't posted... they were barely intelligible... should they arrive again they will be happily trashed. Unless perhaps they contain strikingly new and interesting swear words I'm unfamiliar with. I'm more than happy to share effective profanities.

Breaking News: Info-graphic Humour

"Experts are still trying to determine the effect of the concentric circles on the long squiggly green objects located in the blue area."... "Joining us now is a concentric circle expert..."

Very funny – but, it must be said, perhaps a little tasteless in using the info-graphics that relate to the Asian tsunami of a few years back? Thanks Nosmo.

The Australian Cricket and Fried Chicken Kerfuffle

Much has been said, written and debated the last few days over the recent Sydney second test match between Australia and India. A heated affair (Bollyline?) with an Indian player cited for (possible) racist comments, dreadful umpiring decisions, regrettable sporting conduct from some in the Australian team and then the petulant Indian team threatening to pull the plug and return home. Controversy upon controversy was heaped upon the 'gentlemans' game'.

Not that I'm an especially huge fan of cricket, but when it's super-hot outside, a session on the couch with a cold drink watching a few overs on the telly is a relaxing way to avoid the searing summer heat. (OK, I confess: watching Sachin Tendulkar and Mike Hussey in action may well be 'cricketing poetry in motion'. I seem to find myself watching more when they're at the crease).

Many have written of how the Australian team, in their quest to win 16 test matches straight, have perhaps not played as fair and square as they should have. An ugly arrogance has crept into their game (some may even say it's been there for years) and many cricket followers have lost some respect for the current team (even though the history books will show them to be perhaps one of the very best of all time).

I have to admit I've lost my respect for the team too and for a reason not often cited: their abysmal, cringe-inducing KFC TV commercials.

Attempts to Kill the Worm Largely Unsuccessful

Channel 9 brought 'the worm' back last night. The worm is a somewhat informal – yet hardly scientific – data visualization that conveys viewer/audience response to the performance of political party leaders engaged in televised debate. We had one broadcast last night – and the worm made it fun. In short, the pollie goes good – worm goes up. Pollie goes bad, worm goes down.

The Liberal Party* were not in favour of using the worm in the most recent debate. The party's leader (and current Prime Minister) John Howard is somewhat notorious for his downhill slumping worminess in such debates – and currently, he needs all the help and positive spin he can get with his party trailing markedly in the polls. But the worm snuck onto our screens, created a controversy, and showed which pollie had an upturned worm (Rudd) and whose worm was headed seriously south (Howard's).

Such a simple data visualisation sums up the action succinctly, makes politics fun for children ("look, the worm is going UP"!) and personally I'd like it to see it as an on-screen option on most TV shows. As in, "I think this show sucks (worm down), what do others think?". "Yep – it's a downturned worm."

*Note to those outside of Australia, the Liberal Party is not known for its 'liberal' standpoint on things. Which is, well, weird given their name. They don't like worms either. And – 'the worm', just in case you're wondering, is at the bottom of the images shown above.

It All Begins With a Dot

A series of stunning opening sequences from various TV news programmes on NRK, the national broadcast network of Norway. Amazing what you can do with a dot.

Interestingly, NRK (Norsk rikskringkasting) is financed by license fees.

Fifteen Minutes on Six Feet Under: TV Titles Bliss

The titles for Six Feet Under are considered by many to be the apogee of TV titles design. They certainly "raised the bar for television everywhere". Beautiful, haunting and elegant (words not often associated with the TV medium) and matched by a brilliant programme.

Here's a 15 minute 'behind the scenes' video on the creation of these great titles. Contains the background to those opening chords, a description of how to find a 'solo tree' in Seattle and how to film a crow in the US – which is actually illegal(?). A must see (even if this is quite a big download). Enjoy. I've watched this three times already...

Also, another example of fine TV show titling by Digital Kitchen: The Company (a mini-series about the CIA). Superb stuff.

"The Prime Minister's gone on BoobTube."

John Clarke and Bryan Dawe are legendary satirists in this country. With a current Federal election looming, our 'pollies' are currently falling over themselves to appeal to younger voters by creating sites on MySpace and by putting video clips on YouTube.

Here, Clarke and Dawe 'critique' the PM's latest foray onto YouTube. Wonderful and brilliant stuff indeed. (Video clip on RHS of that page).

According to his MySpace page, Kevin Rudd likes Hogan's Heroes, Get Smart and "John Denver is great for car trips".

John Howard's aforementioned Climate Change Announcement on YouTube doesn't exactly adhere to McLuhan's concept of 'The Medium is the Message'. A video like this... on YouTube? Oops. This appears to many (myself included) to be the work of a man firmly rooted within the 20th Century. 10-4 dudes and hepcats...