:: Visionary Seeds of HOPE ::

Vision Seed :: HOPE (visions of Whitefeather)
Run Time: 8min 08sec :: 8min 06sec
Creators Page: VisionSeed was created by Bruce of DharmaDog Pictures as a teaser to his forthcoming feature-length documentary on Willy Whitefeather and his wisdom. HOPE was the original animated short created by Luna Media.

I first came across Vision Seed on the Current TV site. I have seen quite a bit of Bruce's work on there and am repeatedly impressed. His work continues to give voice to the spirit of the united nature of human beings, native wisdom and the earth. When researching his history I discovered that he and his wife are the driving force behind For the Next 7 Generations, a documentary film in progress about the 13 Grandmothers Council which is convening with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India on October 14th. All of this work is truly inspiring to me. I actually considered tearing off to India when I first heard of the work of the 13 Grandmothers. But that's a whole other tangent...

I have included the VisionSeed video as well as the original animated short film HOPE because hearing Willy Whitefeather speak sends chills down my spine everytime. His wisdom seems to resonate on a universal level. Whitefeather is a Cherokee elder and the author of several children's books. I will stop babbling now cuz you should really get to watchin' these. They're superb, in my opinion, on every level.

::click the trampled pyramids to play::



::HOPE by Luna Media::

Bust That Cycle!

Bust That Cycle
Run Time: 3min
Original Format: Mini-DV
Created By: The Fabulouso ZeFrank, from his Video Blog, The Show with ZeFrank

Ze Frank is my hero. Seriously. After my friend Eddie introduced me to the phenomenon that is The Show a month ago, I've become an addict. I get up every morning and before I do anything I click up zefrank.com to get my daily fix. He posts every day except for weekends. I get a little jonesy on the weekends. I look forward to Mondays now.

This episode is perhaps my favorite so far. It inspired me to take a whole new look at what is possible in the world of video blogging and to bust a few cycles of my own. I like them inspirational videos. And I like to share them with you! So enjoy. More info on Ze and his plethora of amazingness below...

Oh, and don't be discouraged by all the inside jokes. Watch a few more episodes of The Show and you'll catch on. I promise.

::click the little tipped triangle thingy to watch::






In case you're curious, Ze Frank is a web designer, developer, speaker, and occasionally funny person with a really cool cat named Annie. In 2001, Ze created an online birthday invitation and sent it to seventeen of his closest friends. Forwarded wildly, the invitation soon generated millions of hits and over 100 gigabytes of daily web traffic to Ze's personal Web site zefrank.com. The site grew to include interactive group projects, short films, animations, and video games, many Flash-based, including children's educational videos featuring handy tips such as "Don't vacuum your face".

See? It just goes to prove that people really like cool stuff. Or, something like that.

MIDI Animusical Madness

Animusic 2 :: Fiber Bundles :: Heavy Light
Run Time: 5min 12 sec :: 7min 12sec
Original Format: CGI, computer-animated MIDI algorithms (wow.)
Created By: Wayne Lytle is the founder of Animusic and composed most of the music.


My next door neighbor text messaged me the other night:

"Alli, you have to come over and check out this DVD I just bought."

We got comfy on his couch with a glass of good red wine and he opened the portal to the planet of Animusic to me for the first time. My mind was a little blown. The whole time my geek brain was racing with the complexities of the algorithms and the 3D rendering that must have gone into making this magical technological masterpiece. "What did he use to animate all of those landscapes? Maya? Shake? How much editing was involved? Must... make... sense of the technological factors!" (yes, I realize this officially makes me a geek.)

I have included only two of my favorite episodes here. There are 13 chapters of this on the DVD with multiple angle options. Stunning, really. Have a look... and if you get the chance, I highly recommend the DVD projected onto a really big screen.

::: Hug a Stranger :::

Free Hugs Campaign ~ The Story of Juan Mann
Run Time: 3 min 39 sec
Original Format: Mini-DV
Creator's Page: Free Hugs Campaign on MySpace
Related Links: Music by Sick Puppies

This is the story of one man who was inspired by his own loneliness to do something great for humanity. Juan Mann decided that he was going to give himself a gift by giving to others- after all, if you can give it away, you must have more than enough to go around. One day, after arriving home in Sydney, Australia and feeling like a tourist in his own hometown, Juan Mann wrote a sign with black marker on a piece of cardboard: "FREE HUGS" was all it said.

If anyone ever told you that one person has no power to make a difference in the world, take a risk and hug a stranger and then see how you feel.



"I found the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held that sign aloft, with the words "Free Hugs" on both sides. And for 15 minutes, people just stared right through me. The first person who stopped, tapped me on the shoulder and told me how her dog had just died that morning. How that morning had been the one year anniversary of her only daughter dying in a car accident. How what she needed now, when she felt most alone in the world, was a hug. I got down on one knee, we put our arms around each other and when we parted, she was smiling... Everyone has problems and for sure mine haven't compared. But to see someone who was once frowning smile even for a moment, is worth it every time." -Juan Mann


Apparently, the city of Sydney thought the free hugs campaign was a risk to public health. So it banned the free hugs. Juan collected signatures and, well, *power to the peace~full* is all I need to say. A bit more on Juan and his plight here:






And yeah, I got a little misty this morning when my new friend on Zaadz gifted this video to me. It touched me in that sweet, fuzzy place that I sincerely believe resides in every human. Thanks, Juan, for reminding us that teeny-tiny acts from the heart can catalyze huge amounts of inspiration and change.