SONY Playstation 3, with the help of the super creative folk at London’s “Studio Output” have this week released a set of viral videos aimed at promoting the PlayStation@Store’s video service which allows users to purchase and download HD movies directly to their personal consoles.

Capitalising on the current image projection mapping craze, the three videos showcase what SONY has dubbed “immersive imaging”. That is, the viewer is immersed in the world they are viewing on screen in a crazy multi-dimensional way that hasn’t, to my knowledge, been seen before.

The mind blowing factor here? Each piece was shot in one take with ZERO post-production or VFX. The fact that there are little men running around in spandex suits manipulating the environment along the way just highlights this amazing detail.

Considering the horror year Playstation has had with the network hacking mess, this viral campaign is a terrific step in the right direction at a smart time of the year!

“Great films fill rooms.”

The concept is simple really. Talented artists cover other artists in a chain format. That is, for example, Garrison Starr covers a Joey Ryan track, who in turn covers a Cary Brothers track, who in turn covers a Ryan Adams track and so on. The interest generated in these one-off acoustic performances creates awareness in the Ugandan situation and ultimately encourages donors, sponsors and advertisers to support programs that directly aid the Ugandan people in need of assistance.

You can read all about The Voice Project on the movement’s website, and check out the growing list of fantastic acoustic performances from artists such as Brett Dennen, Peter Gabriel, Bedouin Soundclash, Broken Social Scene and more.

As a taster, here’s a couple of my favourite performances so far.

To view more music from The Voice Project, visit www.voiceproject.org.

All you have to do to become an proud World Record holder is sign up on the URDB website, take a look through their brief “Rules & Principles” guide (which merely comes down to being honest and accurate; not hurting yourself, other people or the planet; and not wasting resources in your attempts), choose a record from URDB’s extensive database that you would like to have a crack at (or invent your own), then break the record in front of an appreciative gathering, meticulously documenting the attempt (with video etc) as you go. Simple as that.

You know how you sometimes get so engrossed in surfing around on YouTube to the point that hours of your life are lost, never to be returned? Well the URDB World Records site has the same kind of attentive pull – don’t say I didn’t warned you.

True, a lot of the content/records are pretty silly, but there’s no doubt that there’s some damn impressive achievements to be found throughout the site, like Dan Mackey’s “Most People Flipped Over While Performing A Front Aerial” record, or Mike Hedge’s “Most People Photographed In Mid-Air In A Single Photograph”.

If, rather than wasting precious minutes of your life perusing through the site’s record attempts, you’d like to just find out about the best and most creative record attempts, you can also keep an eye on the URDB Tumblr blog which you can find here: http://tumblelog.urdb.org/. Oh, and there’s an iPhone app too for those of you who are on the go. Enjoy!

Locked up 0-0 with both elite goal tenders, the best in the NHL, shutting down opportunities at both end of the ice, it looked like the game was headed to an all-too-familiar period of overtime.

However…

With 18.5 seconds left on the clock, the Vancouver Canucks’ Raffi Torres pounced onto the end of a pair of beautiful passes from team mates Ryan Kessler and Jannick Hansen. To the frenzied delight of the sold out Rogers’ Arena, Raffi made the most of it, putting the puck past Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, and into the back of the net.

It went a little something like this:

Seriously… it doesn’t get any better than this!

BRING ON GAME #2 ON SATURDAY (SUNDAY OZ TIME)!

Bonus Videos

A couple more Vids to get the goosebumps going!!!

The win, elevating the team to the final stage of the NHL competition for the first time since 1994, wasn’t without its nail-biting moments for Canucks fans, however. With only a minute to go in regulation time, Vancouver were facing a 2-1 loss after great goals by the Sharks’ Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi. It came down to a 6-man push on San Jose’s goal and an eventual deflection goal by Kesler with a mere 13 seconds left on the clock, to force the game to extra time.

The Sharks, led by courageous captain Joe Thornton who, as it was revealed, played through game 5 with a separated shoulder suffered during game 4 of the playoff series, put up a hell of a fight in the extra periods, throwing everything they had at the Canucks. In the end, however, it took a Herculean effort from the Canucks goalie, Roberto Luongo, who amassed 54 saves for the night and allowed his team mates to battle on for the eventual win at the other end of the ice.

Image: www.canucks.com

Image: www.canucks.com

Image: www.canucks.com

As expected, thousands of jubilent fans spilled out of Rogers Arena and onto Granville Street in downtown Vancouver for the biggest street party experienced since the triumphant 2010 Winter Olympics campaign by Team Canada.

Image: Maurice Li

It’s after seeing the photos and video captured of the party, including the shot above taken by Maurice Li and this awesome 360 degree panorama, that I am now longing to be back in the Great White North… but I guess I’ll just have to do my best as a passionate supporter of the team from down here in Oz!

We’ve no idea at this point who the Canuck’s opponents will be in the Stanley Cup Finals (Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning), but to be honest it doesn’t really matter. There’s a belief in the team, the city and fans around the world that this is the year the cup will be heading to Vancouver! I personally can’t wait for the finals to begin!

GO CANUCKS, GO!

Upon my return from New Zealand this evening, I happened to catch the following ad which looks at the prestigious, World Champion, “Darwin Ice Hockey Club”. I know, all my friends up there in the “Great White North” are probably thinking, “Eh? What kind of gong show is this?”

Well, just check out the video below. You guys may cringe at Vegemite itself (you know, that brown spread stuff we all put on our toast), but I’m betting you’re going to LOVE this ad!

PS. The slap shot on goal at 1:18min is something else, eh?

In front of a packed house the boys from Perth put on an energetic show drawing on tracks (see full setlist below) from their past albums “Day One”, “Universes” and their current self-titled offering “Birds of Tokyo”. They seemed to really feed off the atmosphere in the room with the Tivoli being revealed by lead singer “Kenny”, as one of their favourite rooms to play to (I never know whether to believe bands when they say things like that).

Highlights for me? The high voltage opening track “White Witch”, the impromptu rendition of “Happy Birthday” sung by the crowd to guitarist Adam Spark’s, tracks like “Broken Bones”, whatever the “EP track” it was they pulled out from left field (if you have any idea what it was please leave a note in the comments section below), “Wild at Heart” (see video below) and two of my absolute favourite songs from Birds of Tokyo “Plans” & “Silhouettic” which rounded off the night beautifully.

Somehow I managed to completely forget to take my camera with me, so what you see above and below I managed to capture with my iPhone 4. Less than ideal, but better than nothing.

On a final note, I need to point out that it’s become painfully clear that you just can’t afford to buy two tickets to concerts like this in Australia. I could have bought 2-3 tickets to a far more popular and internationally renown band in Vancouver for the same price it cost me for one ticket in Brisbane. Ridiculous!

Therefore, a big cheers to my friend Mel (@melchecker) and her sister Leonie for letting me hang with them for the night saving me from “Nigel” status for the night.

As part of the festivals “Arts” program, a 72hr Filmmaker Showdown is held, participated in by a number of creative production teams shooting and editing 3-5 minute short films that are shot within 100km of Whistler and presented to an 1,800-strong audience at the Whistler Conference Centre.

This year’s event marked the 9th year of the competition’s existence and boy did it produce a fantastic “Best-in-Show” winner. Titled “Poached Earth”, the short film documents the existence, life and struggles of the “hot tub poacher” – individuals who sneak into resort and private hot tubs along Whistler’s famed “hot tub alley”. A great, creative piece from a talented group of film makers – no doubt about it.

For their troubles, the production team of Patrick Henry, Justin Hannewyk and Jonny Fleet received $10,000 in cash and $5,000 in prizes. Not bad for a few days of high-pressure fun! Check out the presented version of the film below.

Yes, the lads from Vancouver-based “Hoodwinked Films” have turned down offers to have a decent lyricist get on board (haha!), for a parody version of Cee-Lo Green’s monster hit “F*%$ You” which they launched a couple of days ago, just in time for the playoffs opener.

With clever “Canucks-themed” lyrics (see below) added to make up for the lack in vocal aesthetics, the boys have come up with an entertaining ode to the best damn club hockey team on the planet – the Vancouver Canucks! Check out the video below and GO, CANUCKS GO!

You see me driving round town for the team I love
And I’m like Canucks Rule. Roo-oo-ool.

They can’t contain us or stop us. Let’s go for the cup!
You won’t see the Canucks lose, cause the Canucks rule.

Said if they had Edler they may be better.
Ha Now ain’t that tough sh!t
Now ain’t that tough sh!t.

And with the C on our chest they’ll soon know we’re the best.
Because the Canucks Rule. Roo-oo-oool.

Well I’m sorry that we’re such an All-Star team,
but that don’t mean we don’t have to try.

You can try to play dirty but we defend like attorneys,
and I hope Malhotra gets back his sight.

We all shouted LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU and then the whistle blew.
That’s Lu he’s the goaltender, just thought you would know better.
Tooo bad we got news for you. Go run and tell your little Hawks fans.

You see me driving round town for the team I love
And I’m like Canucks Rule. Roo-oo-ool.

They can’t contain us or stop us. Let’s go for the cup!
You won’t see the Canucks lose, cause the Canucks rule.

Said if they had Edler they may be better.
Ha Now ain’t that tough sh!t
Now ain’t that tough sh!t.

And with the C on our chest they’ll soon know we’re the best.
Because the Canucks Rule. Roo-oo-oool.

Now I know, that we have Burrows – Dan and Hank and Mase and Keith.
Try to keep up, try to beat us. Cause playin’ the ‘nucks ends in defeat.

Now, we all shouted LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU and then the whistle blew.
That’s Lu he’s the goaltender, just thought you would know better.

Tooo bad we got news for you.
Ooo, I bet you really hate our team right now.

You see me driving round town for the team I love
And I’m like Canucks Rule. Roo-oo-ool.

They can’t contain us or stop us. Let’s go for the cup!
You won’t see the Canucks lose, cause the Canucks rule.

Said if they had Edler they may be better.
Ha Now ain’t that tough sh!t
Now ain’t that tough sh!t.

And with the C on our chest they’ll soon know we’re the best.
Because the Canucks Rule. Roo-oo-oool.

Now Kesler, Kesler, Kesler, why you wanna score goals on me so bad?
So bad, So bad, so bad.

I tried to stop your wrist shot but it slipped right in between my pads, my pads, my pads.

And I’m like, Uhh Ry. Uhhh, Ry, uhhh, Ryan Kesler.
Oh I hate you! I still hate you!

You see me driving round town for the team I love
And I’m like Canucks Rule. Roo-oo-ool.

They can’t contain us or stop us. Let’s go for the cup!
You won’t see the Canucks lose, cause the Canucks rule.

Said if they had Edler they may be better.
Ha Now ain’t that tough sh!t
Now ain’t that tough sh!t.

And with the C on our chest they’ll soon know we’re the best.
Because the Canucks Rule. Roo-oo-oool.

UBC LipDub – Raise Your Glass & Celebrity Status

While we’re showcasing mad Vancouverite talent, a HUGE shout out to the UBC Lipdub team who brought together some 1,000 students on March 26 this year to shoot a viral lipdub video which was launched this week and has already generated over 650,000 views on YouTube.

Obviously a terrific promotional piece for the BC campus, the video is seemingly shot continuously while performers lip sync to “Raise Your Glass” by P!nk and “Celebrity Status” by local punk outfit, Marianas Trench.

Check it out, it’s AWESOME!

The product known as “Wavegarden”, can be installed in new or existing lakes and ponds in an environmentally safe and friendly way that involves wave generation technology being hidden, either underground or underwater. The entire dealio just looks dead set cool and presents an exciting opportunity for inland communities to have access to waves in an economically viable way.

To find out more about the concept, check out the official “Wavegarden” website and check out the promotional video below.