Picturing Time Competition

Just received my invite to attend the prize giving event for the the Picturing Time Competition at Sothebys on 4th August 2011. I’ve won a prize but wont know what it is until the night itself!

More info at http://www.clockmakers.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Picturing-Time-Competition.pdf

Neon Sign Test for Sexual Nature

Augmented Reality for Dirt Exhibition

Intro screen for Dirt AR

First attempt at after effects

World’s first AR advertising

AR seems to be used a lot these days to make products more interactive, but may be it’s now used less so in advertising products. Obviously, the fact that a product has AR content can act as a form of advertising in its self i.e. I’ll buy it because I can have more fun with it. This video show the first use of AR in advertising in 2007.

Thumb War!

A thumb war or thumb wrestling is a children’s game played by two players in a tournament called a thumb-a-war (or thumb war) using thethumbs to simulate fighting.The object of the game is to pin the opponent’s thumb, often to a count of three.

The players face each other and each holds out their left hand or right hand in a “thumbs up”, and they link hands in a monkey grip. The game is typically initiated with both the players uttering the rhyme “One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war”, and their thumbs passing over each other in time with this rhyme. Gameplay has several tactics such as “playing possum”, aiming for the knuckle rather than the nail for a pin, going for a quick strike, and waiting for one’s opponent to tire.Variations include making the thumbs “bow”, “kiss”, or both before warring, and to war with both hands at once. Or sneak attacks, which involve using your pointer finger to take over the opponent.

Well that’s just rude!

Here in the U.K. we see the ‘thumbs up gesture’ as a sign of acceptance, good will, that everything is OK. This, however, is not the case through out the world – often this symbol can mean quite the opposite. The following examples are taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thumbs_signal
“Thumbs up” traditionally translates as the foulest of gesticular insults in some Middle Eastern countries – the most straightforward interpretation is ‘Up yours, pal!’ The sign has a similarly pejorative meaning in parts of West Africa, South America, Iran, Iraq, and Sardinia, according to Roger E. Axtell’s book Gestures: The Do’s and Taboos of Body Language Around the World.”

In Bangladesh, Iran it is traditionally an obscene gesture, equivalent to the use of the middle finger in the Western world.

In Italy, and Hungary in the right context, it can simply indicate the number one. Generally it is perceived as “OK”.

In Russia and Finland the meaning of this expression is “awesome”, “good”, or “well done”.

In the UK, specifically north-west England, a single-handed thumbs up sign can be used as a farewell or greetings gesture between young males. In situations where acquaintances may see each other briefly and unexpectedly, but are unable to communicate otherwise (e.g. whilst driving past one another, or through a glass window) the thumbs up signifies a gesture of recognition. It is also often used as a replacement for a more traditional “wave” goodbye when parting from one another. A less common variation is the use of a brief two-handed thumbs up gesture made close to the body.

In Australia, a thumbs-up is generally perceived as meaning “terrific”. Australian Sign Language assigns this hand shape the meaning “good”.

In the United States, American Sign Language users use this hand shape to indicate the number ten when wiggled modestly left and right. When held stationary and thrust toward another person the meaning is “yourself”. When lifted up by the other palm, the meaning is “help”.

In Japanese sign language, the thumbs-up indicates a man, or male gender as opposed to an extended pinky indicating female.

In India, although the gesture is well accepted, similar gestures have negative connotations:

• While doing a thumbs up, if the hand is wagged from side to side in a reverse-pendulum like movement, it means “won’t work” or “disagree”.
• Another rude gesture among kids (now less popular), is to show the thumb to a person and say “thengaa,” sometimes followed making a face, drawing the tongue out and touching the chin with it. It indicates cocking a snook at someone.
• Showing your thumb to someone and calling him/her “angoothachaap” (thumb-print) implies that you are insulting him/her as an illiterate person.
• Still, the acceptability of the “thumbs up” gesture is seen in the popular soda Thums Up.

In Egypt, Iraq and Israel, it means perfect or very good. It is widely common between people.

In the Philippines, Richard Gordon uses his gesture pose during his presidential campaign.

Pollice verso

Pollice verso or verso pollice is a Latin phrase, meaning “with a turned thumb”, that is used in the context of gladiatorial combat. It refers to the hand gesture used by Ancient Roman crowds to pass judgment on a defeated gladiator.

The type of gesture described by the phrase pollice verso is unclear. From the historical and literary record it is uncertain whether the thumb was turned up, turned down, held horizontally, or concealed inside the hand to indicate positive or negative opinions.

Popularly, it is assumed that “thumbs down” was the signal that a defeated gladiator should be condemned to death; “thumbs up”, that he should be spared.

Origins of the ‘Thumbs Up’ gesture

Medieval

Desmond Morris in Gestures: Their Origins and Distribution traces the practice back to a medieval custom used to seal business transactions. Over time, the mere sight of an upraised thumb came to symbolise harmony and kind feelings.

World War II

During World War II, pilots on U.S. aircraft carriers adopted the thumbs up to alert the deck crew that they were ready to go and that the wheel blocks could be removed.

The gesture’s popularisation in America is generally attributed to the practices of World War II pilots, who used the thumbs up to communicate with ground crews prior to take-off. This may have originated with the China-based Flying Tigers, who were among the first American flyers involved in WWII. The appreciative Chinese would say ”挺好的“ (“ting hao de”), meaning “very good,” and gesture with a thumbs up, which in Chinese means “you’re number one.” High officials in Chinese government see it as a sign of respect. Any person from China will recognise this numerical gesture, and it can be seen in movies and photos of the era, though this has not been verified in print by American Volunteer Group (AVG) pilots. American GIs are reputed to have picked up on the thumb and spread it throughout Europe as they marched toward Berlin.” Combat pilots in the US and around the world still use this gesture.