"The Timeless Racer" by Daniel Simon

Good morning readers,

I would like to share with you an artist that inspired me throughout my time in education and continues to inspire me today. Some of you may not know him by name but there's a strong chance you will have seen his work on the big screen. I am of course referring to German concept designer Daniel Simon. 

Daniel Simon and his Bubble ship from Oblivion
Image courtesy of danielsimon.com

Backed with a degree in automotive design from the University of Applied Science in Pforzheim, Simon spent 5 years in Barcelona at Volkswagen's advanced studio where he eventually became the senior designer for Bugatti automotive. Not many people had the chance to work on the legendary and world famous Bugatti Veyron so this must have been a real honour and certainly a lot of fun.

The Bugatti Veyron
Image courtesy of  bugatti.com

It was in 2007 when Simon published "Cosmic motors", a book that opened the doors to Hollywood. This book was a collection of sketch work and high end 3D visualisations showcasing a work of cutting edge vehicles from an unknown galaxy. Upon discovering this book was the time I knew I wanted a future in visualisation.

I have followed his career closely, witnessing his vehicle designs in such films as Tron Legacy and Oblivion. It's with vehicles where we are very similar as I have mentioned in my previous blogs that I am a huge petrol head and automotive racing nut. Something that I believe can also be said about Simon. The way he combines his passion for design, 3D modelling and all things automotive is incredible. His technique and style are the things that really set him apart, combining high end 3D models with photography and some compositing resulting in a visual that looks convincingly real. 

 

All three images are courtesy of Cosmic motors and danielsimon.com

So with this I am happy to say that Simon has a new book on the verge of release. "The Timeless Racer" is his second book and is the first in a series depicting a racing world that could have existed between 1916 and 2615. This book, set in the year 2027, is due for release in the next couple of weeks. I have no doubt the visuals will be of an incredible standard, I am just as interested in seeing his sketching and Photoshop rendering, as this really highlights his design process and the origin of his final designs and the subsequent 3D models.

All images courtesy of danielsimon.com "The Timeless Racer" and Design studio press.

It has been 6 years since his last book was released and 10 years since he started his first. It will be interesting and also very exciting to see how his style, techniques and process have changed since cosmic motors. All I can say is that I'm looking forward to being utterly blown away, as I have had it on pre-order for 5 months.

You can find out more info on Daniel Simon and his work at www.danielsimon.com. I will leave you with a selection of some of my favourite pieces of his work.

Happy reading.

All four images courtesy of danielsimon.com and Google images.

  

Greatest ever video game trailer recreated as live action video

Good morning readers, 

One of the best video game trailers of recent years has recently been amazingly re-enacted by a collection of hardcore fans. Two years after the original trailer release of 'Dead Island' the live action video manages to successfully recreate the brooding atmosphere and shock value of the original. Here at SoVibrant HQ we fondly remember the viral launch of the original after it provoked much discussion and admiration, and 10 million YouTube hits later it has proven to be arguably the most successful video trailer of all time in terms of its artistic value. Unfortunately for game studio Deep Silver the game itself has proven to be far less successful, primarily because it was rubbish. In order to appreciate the quality of both the original and the re-enactment both versions are included below.

www.sovibrant.co.uk

Story via The Verge

Videos via YouTube

Creative dreaming....

Morning all,

Just a quick word from me this morning but I couldn’t not share this article with you.

Using only plain cloths, clothes, stuffed toys, and other common materials, Queenie Liao (a mother and artist) has explored a creative way of expressing what her baby boy Wengenn may dream of during his sleep.  Each photo shows a carefully thought out dream experience and is extremely well executed.  Queenie’s album is entitled “Wengenn in Wonderland” and has 100 different fairytale dreams.  Well done Queenie, you really have pushed the boundaries with this one!

Have a look for yourself and see which your favourite is and to find out more click here

 

 

 

 

www.sovibrant.co.uk

Images courtesy of Google Images

Art, Creativity

The Exbury Egg

The Exbury Egg is 'a temporary, energy efficient self-sustaining work space for artist Stephen Turner in the estuary of the River Beaulieu. It is a place to stay and a laboratory for studying the life of a tidal creek, a collecting and collating centre with integral storage & display areas. It will take on the patina of 730 daily tides below the water line, and 365 days of weathering by wind, rain and bleaching by the sun above'.

It is, by all accounts, the most beautiful object and must have taken countless hours of craftsmanship to create:

More of the construction process can be viewed here. Well worth a look!

Design at SoVibrant

Quote and images courtesy of http://www.exburyegg.org

Blog - World Cup Qualification

For my blog, I thought I would stay topical with this week’s 'Big' news, more specifically, the football and the fact that England have only gone and managed to qualify for the World Cup Finals in Brazil, following Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Poland.

Now, before I get carried away with the success of England and start booking my tickets to the finals, which are reportedly going to cost the average England Fan somewhere in the region of £9,000, I thought I would take a look at some of the construction work that is currently being undertaken in Brazil, in preparation for the 2014 World Cup finals, primarily, the stadiums that are under Construction or Renovation.

National Stadium - Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha (Capacity 72,788)

Artist Impression 

The stadium, (named after Brazilian Footballer Mane Garrincha who won the 1958 and 1962 World Cup with the Brazil National Team) was originally built in 1974, before being demolished in 2010 and rebuilt. The current reconstruction was designed by Brazilian Architect Oscar Neimeyer, who is also responsible for a large proportion of the National Monuments in Brasilia. The Stadium is reported to have cost somewhere in the region of US$500 Million, making it more costly per seat than the Cape Town Arena, the most costly stadium of the 2010 World Cup.

The stadium was opened 18th May 2013, with a friendly match between local sides Brasilia and Brasiliense, before Brazil played their first game in the stadium on June 15th, beating Japan 3-0.

For those of you like myself, who use Autocad, you may recognize the Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha Stadium, as the stadium is integrated into the start up screen for Autocad 2013 and therefore appears across my screen on a daily basis.

AutoCad 2013 

The Completed Stadium

The stadium will play host to seven matches in the 2014 world cup finals

The only other stadium to play host to seven matches in the finals is the refurbished Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, over looked by the famous Art Deco statue of Jesus Christ.

In preparation for the 2014 world cup finals, this iconic football stadium, originally constructed for the 1950 World Cup and once recognised as the largest stadium in the world, hosting crowds of 200,000, has undergone a full refurbishment and renovation programme, which involved the demolition of the lower ring of seats, the construction of a new ring offering improved visibility, the expansion of the access ramps and the replacement of all seating. The stadium has also been fitted with a new roof complete with a rainwater collection system. The facade, which has been listed by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage, remains untouched. This stadium will host the 2014 World Cup Final.

Site: Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro

Site: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Capacity 62,160) Status: Completed

Among the 12 venues chosen to host the 2014 Wold Cup Finals, there are a number of other stadiums currently under construction that are definitely worthy of a mention in this blog.

Site: Manaus, Amazonas (Capacity 42,374) Status: Under Construction

Architect : GMP http://www.gmp-architekten.de/start.html

Estimated Cost : US$ 246Million

Artist Impression

Stadium Under Construction

Site: Natal, Rio Grande do Norte (Capacity 42,000) Status: Under Construction

Architect : Populous (Formerly HOK Sport) http://populous.com/project/estadio-das-dunas/

Estimated Cost : US$ 185Million

Artist Impression

Stadium Under Construction

Site: Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo State (Capacity 68,000) Status: Under Construction

Architect : CDCA Architects Aníbal Coutinho http://populous.com/project/estadio-das-dunas/

Estimated Cost : US$ 375Million

Artist Impression

Stadium Under Construction

So with less than 8 months until the finals begin, there are a number of impressive stadia under construction / renovation.  The stadiums, together with the South American Skill, Flair and Philosophy to Football and the renowned Brazilian Carnival atmosphere, I for one feel that this World Cup will certainly be a memorable World Cup.

Whether it is a memorable performance from England, that remains to be seen.

(All Images Courtesy of Google Images)

SoVibrant

Steve Murray

Senior Designer

Related Posts: The Oscar Niemeyer Foundation

Can you bank on your brand to install consumer confidence?

Hello readers,

As many of you may have noticed on the high street, Lloyds Banking Group has separated its main brand from TSB, a bank it acquired in 1995 and is due to resell next year, according to EU competition rules. Whilst both banks have had a rebrand, as they currently stand both of these banks are offering identical products which puts customers at a crossroads and begs the question, which brand do you as a customer, trust more?

TSB's branding has seen it take an approach towards local banking, focusing on serving individuals and local businesses, promising to put profits back into the local community through loans and mortgages. Its current advertising campaign boasts a return to the traditional banking of yesteryear, in a time where banks were trusted and customers interests were at the core of the bank, run for the benefit of the community. It's not hard to understand why a brand that has spent the best part of 20 years of the high street would want to distance itself from the current consumers perception of mistrust of the financial industry.

I have to say I found the advertising campaign is really engaging. I was intrigued to find out more and the juxtaposition of  two-dimensional characters and 3D computer generated imagery gives a welcoming, friendly feel.

TSB Branch - Courtesy of Google images

At first glance, the brand experience matches that of its values, with the removal of glass cashier screens in branch, and meeting rooms for customers in the back of branches, giving an altogether more personal feel. This brave venture to try and recapture trust will only work if the brand delivers it values to its customers as promised. The business values will have to be evident right to the bank's core. From the cashier to the chief executive, each will have to embrace and demonstrate their understanding of these values.

In contrast, Lloyds Bank has placed its focus on 'moments that matter' with current advertising detailing case studies of first time home buyers and new business owners. The brand itself however, remains relatively unchanged. With a tweak to the horse, a switch to using the green brand colour in isolation and a new typeface this brand has modernised, but the very fabric of what makes Lloyds Bank has remained intact. As a Lloyds customer myself, I have had mixed experiences with them and I wonder if they will in fact deliver on being there for the 'moments that matter' to their customers. In light of yet another recent scandal regarding PPI claims, I can't help but feel that Lloyds may have missed a prime opportunity at this re branding juncture, to distance itself from its past image, installing a new confidence in its customer base with a fresh approach.

Courtesy of Google images

With recent changes in the law to allow consumers to change their bank within days as opposed to weeks, banks will have no option but to try and build trust. If these two banks' new customer values are to set a precedent, it will be interesting to witness the evolution of the high-street banks and to see how they will seek consumer confidence. We will no doubt see more re brands and repositioning on the banking high-street soon, but only thorough and consistent delivery of brand values by its employees will a bank convince customers to trust them once again.

What are your thoughts on the branding of these banks? Which one do you prefer? We'd love to hear you thoughts.

Chris Cheshire
Brand & Experience Team