you'll never look at cul-de-sacs the same way
January 22, 2019 5:24 PM   Subscribe

EPOCH [Photosensitivity warning: quite blinky.] A stunning two-minute stop-motion collage built entirely out of Google Earth images, by Ireland-based filmmaker Kevin McGloughlin.
posted by cortex (35 comments total) 57 users marked this as a favorite
 
Bookmark that for an acid trip.
posted by sjswitzer at 5:36 PM on January 22, 2019


"Culs-de-sac."
posted by Chrysostom at 5:37 PM on January 22, 2019 [20 favorites]


I feel like I'm going to die in seven days.
posted by Rinku at 5:43 PM on January 22, 2019 [14 favorites]


Wife: "What in...Sam Hill...are you watching?" [I believe the lack of profanity was to get my attention.]
Me: A series of Google Maps images.
...
Me: I may become one with the cosmos in a minute here.
Wife: I may throw up.
posted by notsnot at 5:44 PM on January 22, 2019 [7 favorites]


When I first moved to Nebraska from a dense urban area I called center pivot fields "pacman fields"
posted by chasles at 5:56 PM on January 22, 2019 [3 favorites]


I've been activated.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:57 PM on January 22, 2019 [12 favorites]


Video where the best part is pressing pause.
posted by klausman at 6:02 PM on January 22, 2019 [4 favorites]


This is very cool, and clearly not what they had in mind when they designed this video compression algorithm.
posted by aubilenon at 6:11 PM on January 22, 2019 [2 favorites]


How did he find all these images to sequence together like that, holy crap.
posted by egypturnash at 6:23 PM on January 22, 2019 [2 favorites]


Other than some buildings spelling "EPOCH" did anyone catch any Easter eggs?
posted by ArgentCorvid at 6:26 PM on January 22, 2019


I half expected Also Sprach Zarathustra to begin playing, and a starchild embryo floating through space at the end.
posted by Greg_Ace at 6:31 PM on January 22, 2019 [1 favorite]


If someone finds this on Youtube, please let us know. I'd like to play this slowed down by at least 4x, which we can do on YT. As is, it's annoying.
posted by intermod at 6:32 PM on January 22, 2019


LIKE!
Talkingleaf called it Koyaanisqatsi for ADHD. Judging by how much I enjoyed it, I'd say he's right.

Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Philip Glass.
Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Philip Glass.
Knock, knock!
Who's there?
Philip Glass.
posted by evilDoug at 6:59 PM on January 22, 2019 [9 favorites]


How did he find all these images to sequence together like that, holy crap.

I am fairly sure he downloaded all the Google Earth tiles he could, and then wrote a script to search for candidate frames containing the shape of interest, then possibly synched the background colors to the music. Similar techniques as automated photocollages.
posted by benzenedream at 7:01 PM on January 22, 2019 [1 favorite]


Before Skynet awoke, it dreamed.
posted by gwint at 7:15 PM on January 22, 2019 [10 favorites]


He might have used Terrapattern or something like it to collect visually similar Google Earth locations.
posted by moonmilk at 7:21 PM on January 22, 2019 [1 favorite]


That was fucking excellent.
posted by sixswitch at 7:31 PM on January 22, 2019 [2 favorites]


awesome!
posted by spbmp at 7:34 PM on January 22, 2019


Yesssssssssss this is relevant to my interests.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:00 PM on January 22, 2019


Soooooooo goooooooood. Delicious boiling earth froth! Windmills! Desert mitosis!
posted by chappell, ambrose at 8:23 PM on January 22, 2019 [3 favorites]


Delicious boiling earth froth! Windmills! Desert mitosis!

Can't tell if geology-themed poetry slam, or Death Metal lyricist tryouts
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:54 PM on January 22, 2019 [2 favorites]


Okay so I've spoken French for nearly forty years and only last week realized that 'cul de sac' translates literally as 'ass bag.'

Also: this is the closest approximation I've ever seen to the form of synesthesia I have. I'm not sure what to say about that, but I suspect the filmmaker and I should have a beer sometime.
posted by workerant at 9:08 PM on January 22, 2019 [1 favorite]


'cul de sac' translates literally as 'ass bag.'

The estate of Richard Thompson would like to have a word with you.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:18 PM on January 22, 2019


Delicious boiling earth froth! Windmills! Desert mitosis!

Can't tell if geology-themed poetry slam, or Death Metal lyricist tryouts


LASGUN REVIEWS

CRYSKNIFE -- SHIELD WALL

6.3/10

Cult-favorite Fremen band Crysknife have dropped their latest album, 'Shield Wall', smuggled through the usual channels to avoid Harkonnen censors. As with all of their music, the lack of rhythm in the lyrics challenges listeners to pay close attention to what's being said -- and not said. The songs are highly political, usually baldly so, citing the deplorable conditions imposed by Beast Rabban to meet the seemingly capricious and cruel spice quotas. There are often hints are more obscure secrets, however, including scandals just now breaking through the illicit underground feeds. The strangest track is the last, a dirge for the Fremen, but one that seems to reference some kind of alternate future: 'Banner raised, banner fell / a thousand years / the tyrant's / call / in the green desert.' Considering the escalation of recent rumors from the deep desert surrounding the mysterious Muad'dib, it's hard to imagine this record isn't responding to the times -- and potentially the future.

--Merrille Corrino
posted by curious nu at 9:30 PM on January 22, 2019 [9 favorites]


A similar work published a few months earlier: Arena
posted by rmannion at 9:41 PM on January 22, 2019 [7 favorites]


There are often hints are more obscure secrets

A missed opportunity to use "wheels within wheels."
posted by Chrysostom at 10:17 PM on January 22, 2019 [2 favorites]


Fully awesome. But too short by like 25 minutes.
posted by Mei's lost sandal at 10:32 PM on January 22, 2019 [1 favorite]


That was amazing. Mesmerizing. I laughed, I cried, it became part of me.
posted by bendy at 11:17 PM on January 22, 2019 [1 favorite]


Whoa.
posted by carter at 11:39 PM on January 22, 2019


A similar work published a few months earlier: Arena vimeo
wait: that one’s by Páraic McG, with music by Pearse McG, and EPOCH-maker Kevin McG is in the comments - there’s a McGloughlin clan at work on these?
posted by progosk at 12:06 AM on January 23, 2019 [1 favorite]


ANIMATORS ARE INSANE!!!

Omg, that was pretty amazing much more intense and interesting beautiful. Imagine not just hunting down the images but keeping track of each increment, like an impossible jigsaw puzzle, find the perfect 28 frames of a cycle and just need two more at just the right angle and size.
posted by sammyo at 7:26 AM on January 23, 2019


there’s a McGloughlin clan at work on these?

'course: they're a family.
posted by progosk at 9:18 AM on January 23, 2019


Hey, there's my house.
posted by Edward L at 2:44 PM on January 23, 2019 [1 favorite]


This is one of the best things I have ever seen
posted by churl at 4:26 PM on January 25, 2019


Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.
posted by lalochezia at 7:27 AM on January 26, 2019


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