These days book authors are turning more and more to web video and social-networking to promote their work. The result is often a hit-or-miss encounter between “old” and “new” media but sometimes this collaboration creates wonderful new art. Take for example this little gem of a video inspired by the new book I Was Told There’d Be Cake, a collection of essays written by Sloane Crosley. While brainstorming for engaging ways to promote her book, Crosley decided to create dioramas centered around three of her essays and teamed up with Milk Products Media to make it come alive.

I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley from Book Videos on Vimeo.

Here’s the first in a series of three companion videos that make up “Diary of a Diorama”, a behind-the-scenes look at the process of creating the film (with narration by Crosley):

Diary of a Diorama: Smell This from Book Videos on Vimeo.

I’m a big fan of the MediaRights e-newsletter created by New York-based Arts Engine and these days I’m particularly excited about their Media That Matters Film Festival which will be coming out with a new batch of short films this June. Until then, you can view last year’s winners on their YouTube site which is ranked the #8 all-time most viewed non-profit channel.

To get you started, check out the winner of the 2007 media literacy award, “POPaganda: The Art and Subversion of Ron English” about an artist who challenges capitalist messages by posting alternative billboards:

There’s always been something fascinating about Björk, that not-quite-comprehensible Icelandic queen of electronica music.

For starters, she’s got an umlaut in her name. (How hot is that?) Secondly, she’s got some of the most psychedelic songs and music videos in the industry.

And still, Björk managed to raise the bar with the online release of her newest video, “Wanderlust,” which features an abstract storyline involving yaks and river gods. Oh yeah, and it’s also in 3-D.

Wired.com unveiled the video’s 3-D version yesterday as part of an exclusive release, complete with instructions on how to make your own 3-D glasses, and a substantial set of behind-the-scenes pics and videos.

For the 98 percent of us who don’t want to make 3-D glasses, there’s an equally stunning 2-D version of the video. Otherwise, if you have Quicktime, you have to watch the original version here.

Believe it or not, the only computer-generated footage is the river flow; according to Wired, everything else was filmed in front of a green screen using puppets and basic post-production.

It all reminds me of Spike Jonze’s film adaptation of “Where The Wild Things Are,” which is supposed to hit theaters in October 2009. Check out this leaked test footage to compare.

I think that’s enough abstract stuff for one day.

Getting your video featured on YouTube’s homepage is a lot like winning the lottery but first time animator animuser has done just that. Her video “Dreaming Commuter”, which was posted a week ago, has already garnered 239,355 views. That’s an unusual number for any video, let alone someone’s first post. It just goes to show that despite all the junk popping up on video-sharing sites, sometimes the right people get noticed.
Check it out:

Animuser posted this short follow-up around the same time:

Snack and Drink is an animated documentary short by Bob Sabiston and Tommy Pallotta of Flat Black Films (and Waking Life fame). The filmmakers follow Ryan Power, an autistic teenager in Austin, Texas as he walks to a local 7-11 to get a snack and drink. The live footage was rotoscoped with a wild variety of animation styles by different artists. The result is a surreal and beautiful glimpse into a world that resembles our own but is perhaps even more real.

While exploring videoart.net, I came across this short film, ‘Charlie Rose’ by Samuel Beckett by experimental filmmaker Andrew Filippone Jr. The re-mix of the popular PBS series “Charlie Rose” shows the host engaging in an absurd conversation with himself about the state of technology today. His repetition of the words “google”, “Microsoft” and “yahoo” place these entities in a farcical context while at the same time implying their disturbingly large importance in our lives. Say “google” three times and it begins to sound like gibberish. Say it yet a few more times and you recognize the power contained in that word. The filmmaker explains,

“Something has happened to PBS favorite “Charlie Rose.” The erudite conversations and sober intellectualism have been replaced by an absurd world where illogic, inane dialogues, and open hostility rule. The one-on-one interview between Charlie and his guest begins as usual but quickly goes awry, so much so that Charlie is warned that, somewhere, a man named “Steve” is “not happy.” Though this seemingly random statement might confuse us, Charlie understands it for what it is — a threat. But who is “Steve” and why is he angry? And why does the mere mention of his name stop Charlie cold?”

Every year, hundreds of Native Americans gather for the American Indian Center of Chicago’s annual Pow-Wow. Fresh Cut gets in on the drumming, dancing and of course the frybread!

Multiple performers (including kurokos dressed in black) work together to form this skit of a couple having a fight - water, dishes, pizza and spaghetti go flying! And it’s a pretty hilarious use of the “Pretty Woman” Song…

Japanese Human Art - Why Is My Girlfriend Mad? - video powered by Metacafe

Oh, Karl Lagerfeld… Just when I thought you were becoming an old Parisian making different renditions of Chanel jackets forever, you give me a spaceship full of art…

The Chanel Contemporary Art Container, designed by British architect Zaha Hadid of Pritzker prize fame, landed in its first stop on its global tour since leaving the Venice Art Biennale. In Hong Kong, the shiny white plastic futuristic disk was docked atop a gritty old harbor-side parking structure. The contrast was deliberate, and amazing.

With works by Daniel Buren, Yoko Ono, David Levinthal, and a roster of international artists, the venue wasn’t the only part of the exhibition that impressed. On entering, an obligatory mp3 player is strapped to you, narrating your way through the maze of mostly installation art within, bringing the isolation of experiencing art to a new level (you literally can’t interact with anyone), but at the same time dictating interaction with music and spoken word. Chanel has no problem reminding you who’s responsible for this sensory overload either – the commercialism of the whole thing is blatant, even self-mocking at times.

I’m not going to lie; it was kind of a mindfuck. It’s an unusual privilege to experience art in the space it was created for, and others in a handful of cities will also experience art in the exact same environment. The structure alone is worth going out of your way to see; make sure to check it out if it lands near you (next stops: Tokyo, New York, London, Moscow, Paris).

Watch a video tour of an artistic rendering and a stuffier take on the show from Reuters, after the jump…

In this clip from Creature Comforts, the filmmakers asked ordinary Americans about their self image and paired the voices with claymation animal figures. The resulting combination is both funny and poignant.

See the original Oscar winning short here.