F.A.T. Lab (Free Art and Technology) is a network of artists, engineers, scientists, lawyers, and musicians dedicated to the research and development of new technologies and creative media. They are "committed to supporting open values and the public domain through the use of emerging open licenses, support for open entrepreneurship and the admonishment of secrecy, copyright monopolies and patents."
Inspired by Cornell's new, innovative robotic gripper (a sort of shape-shifting balloon hand), Steve Norris of Norris Labs decided to go DIY and make his own home-brewed replica at a lower cost.
Who wouldn't like to experience soaring through the skies like Iron Man? Purincess Labs has created a device that may create a somewhat similar experience (okay, not quite... but similar, nonetheless):
F.A.T. (Free Art and Technology) presents a project in celebration of F*ck Google Week, F.A.T.'s protest against Google's totalitarian rule of the web (read more). F.A.T. Lab built a fake Google Street View car and canvased the streets of Berlin, posed as Google.
Check out this science experiment video on how to chemical stalagmites. Chemist Chris Schrempp (star high school teacher and author of the book Bangs, Flashes, and Explosions) walks host Chris Hardwick through the process of making chemical stalagmites and some cool exothermic reactions similar to hand warmers.
One of our favourite movies of 2011—Manborg, which we saw at Toronto After Dark—has become one of our favourite movies of 2012 with its week-long run here in Toronto at the Royal. A gloriously funny pastiche of ultra-cheap kung-fu, horror and sci-fi, Manborg is also a perfect example of the DIY ethic: it wears its rough, hand-made edges proudly, and its intense roughness makes its devotion to ‘80s channel-100-at-3-AM crap-cinema ephemera even funnier. We had a chance to speak with director St...
No joke, Heward Dental Lab offers customized tooth tattoos at a reasonable price. Plus, they only stay permanent as long as you'd like them to - "they can easily be removed in five minutes in the dentist’s office with just a little grinding with a rubber wheel."
With an impressive series of viral music videos to their name, it is no surprise that the latest video from indie rockers OK Go is another hit. The video is directed by James Frost, in collaboration with Syyn Labs, a collective of engineers that work on elaborate art projects. A huge Rube Goldberg machine was built in a warehouse, for a one-take video for the song This Too Shall Pass.
Our friends at Graffiti Research Lab were detained in Beijing over the weekend on charges of “upsetting public order”.
What is your favorite part of Gmail? Labs?
Rajo begins investigating the illusive mystery of aspect ratios and just why on earth we're STILL finding black bars on our fancy new widescreen TVs.
Mike breaks it down for you: zoom lenses have their advantages, and prime lenses have their advantges. It's just that prime lenses have more of them...
Today Bingo barely scratches the surface of what 'Mise en Scène' is, but you get the idea. It's the sum total of all the parts that make up a film's meaning. Something about a spaghetti shirt...
Got a film in the works? Why not finish it up and submit it to an upcoming festival?
MIke waxes poetic about his favourite kind of, uh, tape. Gaffer tape: better than duct/duck in almost everyway save for its price. Don't go to set without some.
Rajo shows off his new favourite iPhone app, the incredibly cheap and easy to use Stop Motion Recorder from bitween. Holy cats is it ever cool...Watch this quick and easy tutorial!
Mike explains stop motion animation, which is incidentally the coolest kind of animation out there.
Rajo takes you through the final installment of our ridiculously basic series on non-linear editing with Final Cut Pro. Now you go try it...
James L. Brooks has a new movie out! To celebrate the release of How Do You Know, we here in the Film Lab thought we'd take a trip down memory lane and celebrate the man's ouvre...
James L. Brooks has a new movie out! To celebrate the release of How Do You Know, we here in the Film Lab thought we'd take a trip down memory lane and celebrate the man's ouvre...
Making a film? Is it your first time? Have you got your actors pushed right up against the wall? Can you see their shadows? BIG MISTAKE, rookie... Here's Mike with two quick tips to help you out.
Continuing his series on the very basics of non-linear editing, Rajo finally gets to the fun part: editing with Final Cut Pro.
Not only is Jacob Medjuck the talented writer/director of Summerhood, but he also came up with a brilliant way to get his film seen in theatres...
Our interview with Jacob Medjuck (writer/director of Summerhood) continues as he spills his trade secrets re: working with children and allowing authenticity to emerge.
This particular chunk of our Gareth Edwards (Monsters) interview contains this message: grab your camera, install some commercial post-production graphics software on your computer and start motion tracking!
Gareth Edwards has made a miracle of a film: cheap, gorgeous, smart, super entertaining and, effects-wise, on par with a lot of Hollywood's more expensive sci-fi projects. He talked to Mike at this past TIFF...
Happy Hallowe'en! Mike shows us how far a little corn syrup, warm water and food colouring can go, especially if you're looking to save a few bucks in your SFX budget. Fake Blood!
Here's a quick and dirty little series on the very basics of non-linear editing. If you're not using FCP, don't worry, every non-linear editing software package functions in more or less the same way.
Mike runs down the whys and the what-fors surrounding pre-production scheduling. Surprise: a lot of it has to do with keeping your cast and crew happy.
Hail to the hardworking facilitators in the production office!
What the heck is a cucalorus? Maybe Bingo can explain it, if he calms down a bit first....
Ok, so your new film got selected for the fancy-pants film festival. Now what? Kris Booth, director of AT HOME BY MYSELF WITH YOU talks about going to Cannes, and sharing his passion..
Just in time for TIFF, we chat with AT HOME BY MYSELF WITH YOU's Kris Booth about applying to festivals as a canadian director..
Forgot to buy tickets for TIFF? All your favourite movies sold out? Well put away those razor blades, because you've still got a chance...
Rajo lays out a fairly basic primer on 3D film technology. Show of hands, who's going to Pirhana 3D this friday?
Exactly how did Sly manage to collect all our favourite 80s action stars in one super-movie? And why couldn't such a movie come out IN the 80s?
Pulling focus is a neat trick that you should definitely try sometime! It's a great filmmaking technique, and it's not that hard to pull off.
Pulling focus is a neat trick that you should definitely try sometime! It's a great filmmaking technique, and it's not that hard to pull off.
Another science-geeky treat from Not So Humble Pie (the creator of yummy cookie lab rats, chocolate atoms and gingerbread scientists). This time our creative bakers/cake decorators bring us ganache filled brain cupcakes. Click through to learn how to make them.
Cater your next geek fest with the services of online bakery Geeky Cookies. Available in sets of a dozen, each in the $20-$25 range.
