MetaFilter posts tagged with tasmania

Hang on!

awfurby — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:55:11 -0800

Bass Strait is the stretch of water separating Tasmania from the Australian mainland. It's a treacherous stretch of water, about 240km wide. These two guys just kite-surfed across it in 12 hours. (Pre-crossing forum discussion.)

The Lords of Cardboard

Rhaomi — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:57:14 -0800

Off Planet Films makes stuff with cardboard. Crafted by hand on a minuscule budget, the award-winning animations of the small Tasmanian studio have titillated crowds from Hobart to Sundance. Thankfully one no longer has to attend a festival to catch their work, as most of their films are now available on video sites across the interwebs (as well as on their main site). Some highlights:

Tortures for Flies - A series of shorts exploring the magical world of insect genocide.

Wolf Boy - A nerd-turned-werewolf rampages through the hinterland in this fluidly animated music video for Tasmanian band "The Phibes".

The Physique of the Christ - The story of Easter... on steroids. (mildly NSFW)

Dracenstein - From the creators: "A mad scientist's life turns pear-shaped after accidentally installing a vampire brain in his monster creation. Filmed mostly in real-time using our 2D cardboard puppetry technique, a couple of scenes were still shot single frame. We experimented in 'Dracenstein' to see if we could pull-off a comedic fight scene using the puppets. Nothing deep is intended in this particular film, its just popcorn entertainment. Entirely handmade in Tasmania by Off Planet Films on a shoestring budget of under $50 (fuel, food, cardboard and the occasional aspirin.)"

My One and Only - From the creators: "Made in 24 hours for the Launceston "Take That" short film festival, in which the film was required to include the following elements:

- a lollipop (provided)
- set in Launceston in the year 2058
- one specific genre selection (comedy)
- the word "quintessential"
- the Launceston City Council Town Hall steps
- G rated restriction

The competition began at 9:00 am 12th January 2008. We shot the Town Hall steps first, arriving home at 9:45am. Storyboards and script were completed by noon. Sound narration recorded by 12:30pm. Puppets drawn, coloured and cut out throughout the afternoon and night, until 2:00am. Filming commenced & was completed at 5:30am. Edited until 8:00am. Music and foley was added until 8:35am. Film was then rendered and submitted before the deadline. (phew!!) ... It was a very close call for us to finish. The first screening and awards ceremony was held at the Launceston School of Art at 2:00pm on the 13th.... and to our surprise our film was awarded first place!"

Off Planet also publishes independent comics, one of which doubles as a cartoon series called Inspector Crikey. There's a lot more to be found on their archives page, and most of their stuff is mirrored on their official YouTube account. Like what they do? Then why not purchase a DVD? Ignoring the fact that they ship from Australia, and that most of the films are available free on their site anyway...

A novel in twelve fish.

Dr. Wu — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 14:47:26 -0800

Gould's Book of Fish (full contents of Chapter One) by Tasmanian author/historian/Rhodes Scholar Richard Flanagan is a critically lauded 2002 novel that is the most interesting and accomplished work of fiction I've read in years. Set in the 19th century on a penal colony off the coast of Tasmania, the book is narrated by William Buelow Gould, a convict, charlatan, and possible madman. Here is an audio interview with Flanagan; here's an audio clip of the author reading from his book. (.ra files) Yes, the book is a few years old, but it somehow passed under my radar; and, anyway, a good book is timeless. (Picking up the piscine gauntlet thrown down by Plutor.)

A Lost Marsupial

interrobang — Wed, 04 May 2005 18:35:31 -0800

"The onslaught of destruction wrought upon the thylacine by the early settlers of Tasmania came about largely as a result of fear, ignorance, and misunderstanding." An extinct carnivorous marsupial .

Tasmanian Tiger Extinct or Not

peacay — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 03:40:59 -0800

The Tasmanian Tiger or thylacine [Thylacinus cynocephalus], a marsupial, was thought to have become extinct when the last known animal died in captivity from exposure in 1936. There have been numerous alleged sightings since. A German tourist supposedly photographed one recently (free reg.). Now there's a reward out for producing a live specimen but with prohibitive conditions requiring a permit that won't be issued. The thylacine cloning project has just been abandoned because the pup (from 1866) was kept in alcohol and not formalin - degrading the DNA.

Water,water,everywhere

johnny7 — Wed, 05 May 2004 02:36:10 -0800

The big bird race. Will they survive the long-lines? Will I get a return on my investment? Not the first use of the technology but a worthy effort.

State Library of Tasmania: Image Library

hama7 — Thu, 15 Jan 2004 11:30:07 -0800

State Library of Tasmania, Heritage Collection Image Library.

biscotti — Thu, 01 Aug 2002 12:22:15 -0800

The Thylacine Museum is a true labour of love. Everything you could possibly want to know about the thylacine (AKA "Tasmanian tiger" or "Tasmanian wolf"). Able to open its mouth incredibly wide, sit upright on its hind legs like a kangaroo, and a foremost example of convergent evolution (extremely similar to placental mammals like wolves, yet marsupial), the thylacine was a fascinating animal. Hunted to extinction in less than a hundred years (or not), a cloning project is underway to try and resurrect it. This site has everything: videos, Java-riffic skull diagrams, pictures of mummified thylacines who died over 4,000 years ago, and pictures of Benjamin, the last captive thylacine who died in 1936.

johnny7 — Sat, 22 Sep 2001 06:30:19 -0800

A safe getaway If the excrement REALLY hits the oscillator What's your thoughts on a safe haven??