Studio Notes #36
Greetings, Fine Folks. Here's issue #35 of Studio Notes™—quick bits delivered to you each Friday.
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Walt Disney's multiplane camera system was revolutionary back in 1937, and seeing it explained and how it works is a damned delight. Painted glass panes stacked vertically that move independently to create depth and real world motion effects for early animated films. It's magical.
I was reminded of the "super cartoon camera" while watching the History Channel's marathon of How Disney Built America (which is also great).
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It's expensive, but this 3D-printed workstation dock is a creative way of housing your iPad Mini, HomePod, and Mac Mini that makes it look like a single computer designed by a 1970s futuristic visionary like Stanley Kubrick. I love how it folds down into an unassuming pyramid. Hi/lo-fi tech vibes yet again this week.
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It came out 6 years ago, but I'm just discovering it now. Chuck D narrated a podcast called Stay Free: The Story of The Clash (all 4+ hours on YouTube), which covers the history of the band. It turns out Chuck is a fan of The Clash and there are some interesting parallels between the punk legends and rap legends, Public Enemy. Both combine music with social messages, tackling important subjects that got attention because of the way they performed them. I'm looking forward to listening to the series, even if I'm 6 years late.
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I very much enjoyed the Paul Reubens documentary, Pee-wee as Himself. It's a two-parter, anchored by an extensive interview Reubens gave just before his death in 2023. Pee-wee's Big Adventure and Pee-wee's Playhouse were pretty inspirational to me growing up. I've long been a fan and his story is fascinating. Hearing about how SNL turning him down led to doubling down on crafting his Pee-wee Herman character and building his own brand was motivational. That intense and disciplined focus on his alter ego would eventually come at a cost. I wish we all knew the real Paul Reubens sooner. ★★★★
What are you working on?
I'm in Maximum Kerning Mode™ on our next typeface, Scorekard, which I'll be sharing a free pre-release version of with Gold members likely next week. Join us!
For people like you only: A flash 15% off all tees and hats in the shop for the next week with code JUNE-15 (and a shameless, sales-y reminder that Gold members get 25% off everything in the shop—anytime. And a whopping 40% of all fonts).
Stay Salty, my friends, and we'll see you back here next Friday.
Cheers,
