Juicy J aka Pixel Pimp

Here we have self titled 'world class illustrator' Juicy J. This guy has got style flowing through his veins. I first spotted his work via a comment on myspace years ago and have since seen his work making appearances  all over the net and on the pages of Computer Arts magazine. His work is bold, colourful, vibrant and so sexually in-your-face that it makes you wonder how much of a man you really are!? Wondering how a person can portray so much attitude via his artwork and being aware of his self-depiction of being a god-like figure I mentally prepared myself and went in for the interview.


*strong language has been used!


Hey Juicy J, where are you from?
I'm from Atlanta, Georgia. But, I'm not sure that has any real baring on my art or point-of-view. The world is infinite and getting smaller with books, internet and social media. I try to stay open to everything and become a product of my physical environment.


How would you describe your style of art?
I don't know. I work primarily in vector, but that's a broad spectrum. I guess it's cartoony and fun. But I guess I try to convey 'awesomeness!' in most things I do. So if I had to describe It I would say I specialize in awesome!


Have you got anything exciting that your currently working on?
Mostly everything I do is interesting... to most people. I'm a contributing illustrator and writer for a young, urban magazine. I'm getting into the world of tattooing and photography. I'm in beginning stages of doing concept and illustration work for a pilot animation on Cartoon Network. But the most interesting thing I'm doing for me right now is a series of pin ups of my girlfriend.


What would be your one important tip for people?
Stop being so cunty and mediocre, as I believe that's the source of most people's shitty lives. Most people suck at life and instead of figuring out ways to make their situation better they generally opt to bitch, complain and tear people down to their cunty level. My tip is surround your self around positive and cool people. Your life, art, and anything you do will drastically improve!


Finally, which artist is really doing it for you right now?
I don't really follow art or other artist, as I don't want to fall in to the trap of replicating my peers. I draw most my inspiration from movies, friends and life... And sometimes from smoking greenery.


Juicy J has loads more fly work on his web portfolio. Please check him out over at: 
pixel-pimp.com

[ladies man - Juicy J]

inFAMOUS & inFAMOUS 2

For those of you who don't know inFAMOUS and inFAMOUS 2 are both videogames for the Sony Playstation 3. The games are developed by Sucker Punch productions, who also made the Sly Cooper games a few years ago. The inFAMOUS games feature some very stylized motion graphics as cut-scenes between the game. Most of the animation is comprised of highly polished 2D stills and subtle 3D elements with the motion of the piece being very sharp camera movements through 3D space. It looks fantastic. The characters are very bold, vibrant illustrations with a very sketchy, hand-drawn edge, which leaves the production looking like it could be a graphic novel for the internet generation. To add to this, both of these scenes have a narrative voice-over, which really reinforces the whole graphic novel vibe. Adding more fluidity to the scenes are gentle movements of the 2D elements and on occasions more than one still frame of movement has been drawn. Over-all these are very slick motion graphics. I'm not sure if they have been made in the game engine or not, as they seem to use an After Effects kind of style and effects. Either way its a style that I really enjoy watching and I really hope we get more of it in the future.
enjoy


inFAMOUS - opening scene



inFAMOUS 2 -released soon!

Naked Compagnie

What can I say about this studio that hasn't already been said? Well, not a lot as it turns out. I have tried to find out some really interesting stuff for you and I have contacted them, but alas, they are mystical creatives, floating through the industry and producing very smooth work. What I can tell you is that they are from Paris and they create some beautiful visuals. A lot of Naked Compagnie's work seems to be pop concert visuals, which are played on huge screens across the back of a stage. They have created these visuals for artists such as The Pussy Cat Dolls, Jay Z & Mika.  Its an intriguing use for motion graphics and An angle that I hadn't really considered until I found this studio. Due to the nature/purpose of this work the videos below may seem repetitive, but do have a look because the quality and style of their work is superb. I have contacted Naked Compagnie and if they reply I will definitely update you :D


You can find more Naked Compagnie at Naked-co.com enjoy..

Benny Benassi - Spaceship : Director Ray Kay

I have some great artists lined up to showcase. But, today a video caught my attention, which I felt needed talking about. Here we have the new video for Benny Benassi. The director of this video is Ray Kay. Ray Kay produces some absolutely stunning fashion photography and music videos for all the big names [seriously too many to mention. Just check his site]. All of his work that I have seen really pushes the fashion style visuals and every still of music video is a fantastic, stylishly composed still and very sexy. So with all this credibility and experience it makes me wonder how a video like this has slipped through. I find it uninspired and clichéd. The theme of the track is 'Spaceship' and visually that message comes across, but the way it's done is just so.. cheesy. We have a space ship that looks like a cross between Star Trek and Tron [just not quite as good as either] floating through the clichéd meteor shower. Once inside the ship we are confronted with the stars of the video, green-screened onto a very nightclub looking dock and showered with jerky, unnatural camera movements. The shots are very rarely creative. Also, for years photographers strived to lose lens-flare from their shots, but digital film has over recent years brought it back. With today's software and used right it can look great! Unfortunately, this video abuses the flare and is a good example of why we should stop using it again. Eventually the video lands on an alien planet, but instead of creativity we are confronted with another uninspired and clichéd mars scene with Kelis [badly] floating through an explosion that seems to have finally arrived from 1980. The only perk's being the 3D particle effects ripping through the skies and the colour change from blues to orange. I don't like to rip on other peoples work, but this video pissed me off. With so many super-talented artists struggling to get noticed, it seems disgusting to me that superstar creatives like Ray Kay can get away with this.



To play fair here is a second video by Ray Kay. The video is for 'Adam Lambert - For your Entertainment' and is brilliant. Great compositions and very stylish. The shots showcase his fashion imagery and the lighting is amazing. The shots are tight. The edits are tight. Overall this is a VERY sexy production! What happened with spaceship?
*apologies for bad video. official video has embedding disabled. link above^

Three Legged Legs

Three Legged Legs are one of my favorite studios. The three creators have an awesome portfolio of work and really show their ability to adapt. What I love about this studio is how they can take a brand and really inject genuine creativity into the subject. Corporate is the last word I would use to describe this studio. Working for huge brands such as: Wrigleys, Zune, Starbucks, AT&T & Sony Viao to name just a few and having produced amazing personal shorts like Humans! & Ricochet, Three Legged Legs continue to push forward in the industry, constantly producing exciting new films. I really urge you to check out these guys website and make sure that you have a good look through as I cant link it all here [but, i want to]. The Chronicles section is worth mentioning also, as it's filled to the brim with pitch work for projects that unfortunately never saw the light of day. They are an inspiration to the industry and deserve huge respect for their work!
My two video choices to showcase [how I managed to get it down to two ill never know] are:


Los Angeles Lets Be Friends.
This video is over excited, bright and colourful. It uses some great animation and motion tracking. Its fun!



Zune | Piece of me Piece of you
Great concept, Great lighting, Great compositing, Great dancing,  Great music. Great, Great, Great! Also, not enough puppets used these days!

Soulatech

Here is an artist I have been watching for quite some time. Soulatech is a 26 year old freelance graphic designer with a very distinct style. By composing experimental, abstract shapes layered with tight graphic design elements and intelligent colour palettes, Soulatech has formed a very contemporary visual style. I love his work and get a very sci-fi/alien/digital graffiti feel from it. Soulatech is also the online designer for Rubik Records who he says have always been very supportive and are always willing to offer feedback.

[Soulatech - Demo]

So Soulatech, Where are you from?
Birmingham, UK.


How would you describe your style of art?
Digital, urban, abstract design.


What would be your one important tip for people?
Stay focused on your goals with your personal work, no matter how big or small they are.


What other artist is really doing it for you right now?
This is a hard one to answer as I like a lot of the designers I follow on deviant art. But Nicogamer, his style and flow are just dope. I have been following his work for a while...watchin' another design progress is just amazing and his style is fresh!


You can view Soulatech's gallery over at Deviant Art and he is available for commissions.

email: soulatech@googlemail.com[Soulatech - Rue The Whirl]

Justice - Stress

It's not all about the very latest videos and artwork here at We Take Control. If the content is right, then its going in. This is why todays offering is a video for a music track by Justice, which was released in 2007. The video is directed by Romain Gavras who is making frequent appearances in the media for shock tactics. Stress is not only my favorite video from Romain Gavras , but one of my favorite music videos of all-time. Before you watch the video I need to mention that some people may be offended by it and that it was banned from the tellybox [for all the wrong reasons]. The content [or lack of] has already been documented all over the internet, so i'm not going to dig too deep.


I find this video fascinating. Shot like a documentary and using the good ol' shakey-hand cam we follow a day in the life of a street gang member. The gang seem like they could have been lifted straight from cult film The Warriors and the film seems to reference this on more than one occasion.  The production is absolutely stunning to look at. The de-saturated colour-correction giving a very moody, urban feel throughout. There are also a lot of different shots and compositions used and we are constantly dragged from long chase shots to tight, sometimes unrecognizably close edits. A lot of the transitions use blurred zooms which constantly flicker in and out of focus and the depth of field is used superbly. Then there is the feel of the production. It's uncomfortably realistic to watch. Visceral and primeval acts of violence in a very contemporary setting. It's so close to home that it makes you wonder if your loved ones are really safe out on the streets. Were people actually terrorized for the sake of art? Lastly, I would just like to mention the sound. I'm not here to review music, but the punishing and relentless Justice soundtrack, the ambient sound of the city and the screams of the citizens within it all combine with the visuals to make [in my humble opinion] a truly remarkable piece of art!

enjoy..

Columbus - Love Machine

This video is really doing it for me right now. It has been produced by The Crystal Beach and is stunning! Watching this video I can't help but think its right on trend at the minute and we'll be seeing a lot more from this director in the future. Please have a look at his website as he has some really vibrant artwork on show.

Once again we have a lot of retro 80's visuals which are bursting with effects and I adore the choice of colours. The super-bright neon lighting is stunning to look at throughout the production. Its beautifully composited and seamlessly animated. I love the fast-cuts, the touches of depth-of-field and definitely can't get enough of those pretty lens flares flashing all over the screen! Lets get on to those effects. This video seems like a showcase of how to use after effects in 2010. Its pushing out every trendy effect in the book. You cant watch this production for more than a few seconds before another flashy, contemporary technique is thrust in to your over stimulated eyes. Andrew Kramer would be proud! I also need to mention the fashion. The Shaman is looking like a fly, future pimp and Miss Universe is rocking out with high-tops, space material leggings, super funky space marine armor and The Shamans sci-fi head piece. Very sexy! My last comment on this video is that I couldn't help but get a Mighty Boosh feel from it and in my books thats a good thing. Anyway, thats enough from me. Sit back and enjoy this electro masterpiece..

Mark Ronson - Bang Bang Bang

Here we have the new video to the single Bang Bang Bang by Mark Ronson. I wanted to try and post this before the tune gets too big and your all pig sick of hearing it. The video is great. Okay, so there's this current trend for mimicking the 80's style visuals and its been pushed hard. I love it! A lot of these videos are done with such a quality modern edge and showing so much appreciation for source material that its hard to ignore it. A new generation of visual artists are taking control and I think that you can see a true excitement for subject in their work. 


This video is by Warren Fu. Its Packed with 80's references, film inspiration and we should all know by now that if you have Asian influence in your work, that your coolness skyrockets!! The colour correction on this video is brilliant. Very muted with some great colour combinations and you gotta love those neon lights. You will find out if you continue to follow 'We Take Control' that I am a HUGE after effects fan and this video doesn't fail to deliver. Here the motion graphics are spot on. Full of great screen-wipes, transitions and armed to the teeth with effects. They never become intrusive and always look smooth. With Casio fonts, Gundam shapes, everybody dressed to impress and some lil' breakers dropped in for good measure.. Here we have 'Marc Ronson - Bang Bang Bang'


enjoy :D

Welcome to 'We Take Control'

Anybody who knows me will also know that I have an obsession for tasty visuals. During my degree I loved researching inspiring work by digital artists from around the world. Well, now that I have finished I have decided that this will be my outlet for my findings. My aim is to not only showcase these people/studios work, but on occasions I will also try to get interviews with the creators. [its a long shot, i know] So, fasten your seat belts, get ready for the screen burn and prepare to have your fragile little minds blown.

Lets hope this works! :D