Mind's Eye (series)
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The Mind's Eye series consists of several art films rendered using computer-generated imagery of varying levels of sophistication. The series began in 1990. It was produced by Steven Churchill of Odyssey Productions & Miramar Productions. The series was released on VHS (by BMG) and LaserDisc (by Image Entertainment) and later re-released on DVD (by Simitar Entertainment).
[edit] Overview
The typical entry in the Mind's Eye series is a short movie, usually 50 to 60 minutes long, with an electronic music soundtrack over a series of music video-like sequences. The original movie, simply titled The Mind's Eye, consisted of a less rigid structure of many semi-related sequences. The general style is usually a light, cartoony feel owing to its ease of rendering.
Viewers are mixed over whether they prefer the visual or musical side of each movie, for at least one is usually seen as flawed. Some viewers will mute the video and play their own music, searching for synchronicity, while others will enjoy it as a pure audio experience. The music has more distinguished names behind it, with contributors including James Reynolds, Thomas Dolby, Jan Hammer and Kerry Livgren, the founder and guitarist for Kansas.
[edit] Films
The Mind's Eye (1990) was the first effort, and served as a very useful demonstration of computer animation when the art was still in its relative infancy. It is composed of a sequence of the segments that ambitiously chronicles the formation of Earth ("Creation"), the rise of human civilizations ("Civilization Rising"), the technological advances of humanity from the advent of agriculture to the future exploration of the cosmos. The video speculatively concludes with a segment of what might be the next sentient species to arise on Earth. The soundtrack was composed by James Reynolds[citation needed].
Beyond the Mind's Eye (1992) featured the efforts of Jan Hammer and included the first vocal tracks, such as Too Far and Seeds of Life, a sequence themed around planet-colonizing seeds featuring the noted Panspermia by computer graphics artist Karl Sims. The DVD version included both the vocal version of Seeds of Life (sung by Chris Thompson) that blended the animation segment and footage of Hammer and his band performing, with an instrumental version of the same track. The program also heavily edited in the CGI sequences of The Lawnmower Man as well. The DVD contains 11 tracks.
The Gate to the Mind's Eye (1994) continued the trend of vocal tracks, along with music by Thomas Dolby. Over half of its 9 tracks include vocals: 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, its first jazz track; and Quantum Mechanic with guest vocalist Dr. Fiorella Terenzi.
Odyssey Into The Mind's Eye (1996) features a soundtrack by Kerry Livgren and two more vocal tracks, One Dark World (sung by Darren Rogers) and Aspen Moon (sung by Livgren's nephew Jacob).
Two more, Luminous Visions and Ancient Alien were released in 1998, taking the series in a drastic turn. Then the Computer Animation series began.
The series is no longer labeled as part of the Mind's Eye, but is marked "from the creators of 'The Mind's Eye'".
Several excerpts from The Mind's Eye were seen in the 1992 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 run.
[edit] External links
- Animation Trip - A site offering previews of the different movies.
- The Mind's Eye at the Internet Movie Database
- Beyond the Mind's Eye at the Internet Movie Database
- The Gate to the Mind's Eye at the Internet Movie Database
- Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye at the Internet Movie Database
- Luminous Visions at the Internet Movie Database
- Ancient Alien at the Internet Movie Database
