Mind's Eye (film series)

Last updated

The Mind's Eye series consists of several art films rendered using computer-generated imagery of varying levels of sophistication, with original music scored note-to-frame. The series was conceived by Steven Churchill of Odyssey Productions in 1989. The initial video was directed, conceptualized, edited and co-produced by Jan Nickman of Miramar Productions and produced by Churchill. The first three products in the series were released on VHS (by BMG) and LaserDisc (by Image Entertainment [1] ). The second and third programs in the series were also released on DVD (by Simitar Entertainment), while the fourth program was released and distributed by Sony Music exclusively on DVD.

Contents

Overview

The typical entry in the Mind's Eye series is a short package film, usually 50 to 60 minutes long, with an electronic music soundtrack over a series of music video-like sequences. The original film, titled The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey, by director and co-producer Jan Nickman and producer Steven Churchill, consisted of a non-rigid structure of many semi-related sequences. The general style which characterizes the series is light and cartoonish, due to the difficulty of rendering more complicated images using the computers of the day.

The computer animation sequences that appeared in the films were generally not produced specifically for the Mind's Eye series but rather were work originally created for other purposes, including demo reels, commercials, music videos, and feature films. Nickman then assembled these sequences into a narrative through creative editing, which resulted in a double platinum selling film considered to be a milestone in the field of computer animation. As a result, The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey reached No. 12 on Billboard's video hits chart. This approach gave Churchill access to the best-quality computer graphics of the time without having to bear their substantial production costs.

The soundtracks for the films were composed by James Reynolds, Jan Hammer, Thomas Dolby and Kerry Livgren (founder and guitarist for Kansas). [2]

Films

TitleRelease DateDistributorDirectorProducer(s)ComposerDetailsSegments
The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation OdysseyJanuary 1, 1990Miramar Images, Inc.Jan NickmanJan Nickman
Steven Churchill
James Reynolds Serves as a demonstration of computer animation when the artform was still in its relative infancy. The sales of this video were RIAA-certified as "Multi-Platinum" and reached as high as No. 12 on Billboard's video sales chart."Creation"
"Civilization Rising"
The technological advances of humanity from the advent of agriculture to the future exploration of the cosmos
A segment of what might be the next sentient species to arise on Earth
Stanley and Stella in: Breaking the Ice
Beyond the Mind's EyeDecember 23, 1992Michael BoydstunSteven Churchill Jan Hammer Some scenes were originally created for the 1983 Simutrek arcade lasergame Cube Quest . Video sales were RIAA-certified as "Multi-Platinum" and reached as high as No. 8 on Billboard's video sales chart."Too Far"
"Seeds of Life", a sequence themed around planet-colonizing seeds, featuring the noted Panspermia by computer graphics artist Karl Sims
CGI sequences from The Lawnmower Man (1992)
The DVD version includes both the vocal version of "Seeds of Life" (sung by Chris Thompson) that blends the animation segment and footage of Hammer and his "band" performing (composed of four Jan Hammers) and an instrumental.
The Gate to the Mind's EyeJune 30, 1994Odyssey Productions Thomas Dolby "Armageddon", a sequence depicting massive devastation
"Neo", an astronomy-themed song
"Valley of the Mind's Eye", a song about the progress of human technology
"Nuvogue", the series' first jazz track
"Quantum Mechanic", starring guest vocalist Dr. Fiorella Terenzi
"Delirium Tremendus"
"God and the Quantum"
"Synchronicity", produced and conceptualized by visionary artist Beny Tchaicovsky.
Odyssey Into the Mind's EyeJuly 12, 1996 Kerry Livgren Features two vocal tracks: "One Dark World" (sung by Darren Rogers) and "Aspen Moon" (sung by Livgren's nephew Jacob). [3] CGI sequences from Ecco: The Tides of Time (1994), Johnny Mnemonic (1995) and Cyberscape, a 45 minute computer animation produced and copyrighted by Tchaicovsky.

Spin-off titles and other releases

TitleRelease DateDistributor
Virtual Nature: A Computer Generated Visual Odyssey From the Makers of the Mind's Eye1993Odyssey Visual Design
The Mind's Eye Presents Luminous VisionsApril 24, 1998Odyssey Productions
The Mind's Eye Presents Ancient AlienJuly 10, 1998
The Mind's Eye Presents Little BytesJuly 25, 2000

Two other anthologies released by Churchill did not include the term "The Mind's Eye" as part of their titles and are thus not considered to be part of the series.

TitleRelease DateDistributor
ImaginariaDecember 21, 1993Odyssey Visual Design
TurbulenceMarch 16, 1996Odyssey Productions

Churchill's most recent releases have been entries in the eight part Computer Animation series.

TitleRelease DateDistributorNote
Computer Animation Festival Volume 1.0November 5, 1993Odyssey Visual Design [4]
Computer Animation Festival Volume 2.0September 2, 1994
Computer Animation Festival Volume 3.0July 12, 1996Odyssey Productions
The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation ClassicsMay 6, 1997
The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation ShowcaseAugust 29, 1997
The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation CelebrationMay 1, 1998
Computer Animation MarvelsJuly 23, 1999
Computer Animation ExtravaganzaAugust 18, 2000

A second sister series obliquely referencing Computer Animation is formed by the original Mind's Eye video and Cyberscape: A Computer Animation Vision (August 28, 1997, co-produced by Zoe Productions and Odyssey Productions), a surreal animation chronicling the evolution of human life and thought, by Beny Tchaicovsky. [5]

Reception and adaptations

Beyond the Mind's Eye was a bestseller in the US when it was originally released on VHS and LaserDisc. Roger Ebert selected it as his "Video Pick of the Week" for the week of December 23, 1992 on the TV series Siskel & Ebert .

Several excerpts from The Mind's Eye were seen in the 1992 sci-fi horror film The Lawnmower Man , which itself was featured in Beyond the Mind's Eye. The Mind's Eye and Beyond the Mind's Eye were both integral components in YTV's Short Circutz segments that aired between programs in the 1990s. Canadian independent television station NTV airs excerpts from the first three Mind's Eye videos as part of their "Computer Animated Art Festivals" that run overnight on Fridays.

Pantera covered the song "Planet Caravan", originally by Black Sabbath, on their 1994 album Far Beyond Driven . The music video for this song features scenes from Beyond the Mind's Eye.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morphing</span> Special effect

Morphing is a special effect in motion pictures and animations that changes one image or shape into another through a seamless transition. Traditionally such a depiction would be achieved through dissolving techniques on film. Since the early 1990s, this has been replaced by computer software to create more realistic transitions. A similar method is applied to audio recordings, for example, by changing voices or vocal lines.

<i>Shada</i> (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Unaired 1979 TV serial, later reworked

Shada is a story from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by the series' script editor Douglas Adams, it was intended as the final serial of the 1979–80 season but was never originally completed, owing to strike action at the BBC during studio recording. Entering production as a six-part story in 1979, plans were later revised for the story to be broadcast as a four-part story in 1980. Ultimately however, the story was never completed in either format.

<i>Tron</i> 1982 science fiction film by Steven Lisberger

Tron is a 1982 American science fiction action adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer and video game developer who is transported inside the software world of a mainframe computer where he interacts with programs in his attempt to escape; it also stars Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner, Cindy Morgan, and Barnard Hughes. Tron, along with The Last Starfighter, was one of cinema's earliest films to use extensive computer-generated imagery (CGI).

<i>Timon & Pumbaa</i> (TV series) 1995 American animated television series by Disney

The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa is an American animated buddy comedy television series created by Walt Disney Television Animation. It was based on Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King, centering on Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog as they continue to live by their problem-free philosophy hakuna matata. Compared to most other The Lion King media, the tone of the series is more slapstick comedy-oriented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Vinton</span> American animator (1947-2018)

William Gale Vinton was an American animator and filmmaker. Vinton was best known for his Claymation work, alongside creating iconic characters such as The California Raisins. He won an Oscar for his work alongside several Emmy Awards and Clio Awards for his studio's work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workprint</span> Rough version of a motion picture or television program

A workprint is a rough version of a motion picture or television program, used by the film editor(s) during the editing process. Such copies generally contain original recorded sound that will later be re-dubbed, stock footage as placeholders for missing shots or special effects, and animation tests for in-production animated shots or sequences.

<i>The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy</i> (TV series) British sci-fi comedy television series by Douglas Adams (1981)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a BBC television adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which aired between 5 January and 9 February 1981 on BBC2 in the United Kingdom. The adaptation follows the original radio series in 1978 and 1980, the first novel and double LP, in 1979, and the stage shows, in 1979 and 1980, making it the fifth iteration of the guide.

<i>Rock & Rule</i> 1983 Canadian film

Rock & Rule is a 1983 Canadian adult animated musical science fantasy film featuring the voices of Don Francks, Greg Salata, and Susan Roman. It was produced by Michael Hirsh and Patrick Loubert and directed by Clive A. Smith from a screenplay by John Halfpenny and Peter Sauder.

Brummbaer was a German digital artist who has done work as an art director, designer, graphic artist, and 3D modeler. As an actor, he has appeared in various German TV movies, and also produced and directed. In the latter part of his career he became focused on computer graphics, created several short computer-generated animations and made visual effects for movies.

<i>The Transformers</i> (TV series) 1980s American animated series

The Transformers is an animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro and Takara Tomy's Transformers toy line. The first television series in the Transformers franchise, it depicts a war among giant robots that can transform into vehicles and other objects.

<i>The King and the Mockingbird</i> 1980 French film

The King and the Mockingbird is a 1980 traditionally-animated fantasy film directed by Paul Grimault. Prior to 2013, it was released in English as The King and Mister Bird.

Spite Your Face Productions, or SYF, is an animation production company based in London, England, consisting of animation directors Tony Mines and Tim Drage. They have created a variety of animated content for broadcast, web and DVD, but are best known for their series of stop-motion animated Lego shorts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MovieCD</span>

MovieCD is a format for digital video storage and consumer home video playback released in 1996 by Sirius Publishing, and was rendered obsolete by the wider distribution of DVD. It used a video codec called MotionPixels, marketed by MotionPixels, Inc., a subsidiary of Sirius Publishing. It was used in many third-party video games from the mid to late-1990s, and during the same time on Sirius's MovieCDs that it had been originally developed for, enjoying an international distribution in both forms.

Odyssey Productions is the former name of a California-based photography and 3-D computer animation company founded in 1983 by Steven Churchill. It was the first San Diego company to produce 3D computer animation and its clients have included Coca-Cola, General Dynamics, Union Oil, Southwestern Cable, Metrocast, Honda, and a number of TV stations across the country.

Rock Odyssey is an animated feature film produced by Hanna-Barbera for a television release in 1987. Directed by Robert Taylor, with storyboards by Pete Alvarado. This features Scatman Crothers in his final film appearance, released following his death. The film was dedicated to his memory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Film</span> Visual art consisting of moving images

A film – also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick – is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere through the use of moving images. These images are generally accompanied by sound and, more rarely, other sensory stimulations. The word "cinema", short for cinematography, is often used to refer to filmmaking and the film industry, and the art form that is the result of it.

Jan Nickman is an American film and television director, producer, cinematographer and writer. As the co-founder of Miramar Images, Inc. and Sacred Earth Pictures, Nickman's career in film and television spans three decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beny Tchaicovsky</span>

Beny Tchaicovsky (1954–2009) was a painter, musician and a multimedia computer artist. Tchaicovsky's paintings have been exhibited internationally in museums such as the Luxembourg Museum in Paris with the 1989 show "Les Trois Amériques à Paris", as well as in exhibitions in Germany, Brazil and the United States. Tchaicovsky's numerous awards include The Visionary, awarded first place for the best cyberposter on International Multimedia Day at the 49th Cannes Film Festival in 1996.

<i>Peter and the Wolf</i> (TV special) 1995 live-action/animated TV special

Peter and the Wolf is a 1995 live-action/animated television special based on the 1936 musical composition/fairy tale of the same name by Sergei Prokofiev, and directed by American conductor George Daugherty. It first aired Friday, December 8, 1995, on ABC in the United States. The music for this special was performed by the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daugherty.

References

  1. Business Wire. "Image Entertainment Signs Exclusive Agreement With Odyssey Productions for DVD and VHS Release of State-of-the-Art Computer Animation Programs". Aug 18, 1999.[ dead link ]
  2. Fitzpatrick, Eileen. Computer Animation Reaches a Growing Niche. Billboard. Pg. 70. 18 October 1997.
  3. Pell City, AL Library entry [ permanent dead link ]
  4. Chen, Chun-Wei. Parsons Animation and Digital Video Festival. "Comic Studio: Research Paper" - References Archived 2012-06-30 at archive.today . Dec 9, 2002.
  5. SIGGRAPH '97 Newsletter
The Mind's Eye
The Mind's Eye at IMDb
The Mind's Eye at AllMovie
The Mind's Eye is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Beyond the Mind's Eye
Beyond the Mind's Eye at IMDb
Beyond the Mind's Eye at AllMovie
Beyond the Mind's Eye is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
The Gate to the Mind's Eye
The Gate to the Mind's Eye at IMDb
The Gate to the Mind's Eye at AllMovie
The Gate to the Mind's Eye is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye
Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye at IMDb
Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye at AllMovie
Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
Luminous Visions
Luminous Visions at IMDb
Luminous Visions at AllMovie
Ancient Alien
Ancient Alien at IMDb
Ancient Alien at AllMovie
Virtual Nature
Virtual Nature is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive