We’re proud to announce 3st’s first collection of design in motion, celebrating the new intermedia dimension of our studio.

Design, Direction, Animation, and 3D:
Rick Valicenti/3st, John Pobojewski/3st, Bud Rodecker/3st

Additional Collaborators:
Music: skinny girl with c’s by Charlie Deets
Editing: Micah Gardner, Charlie Smith
3D Animation: Matt Daly, Michael Cone, Ronan Leyesa
Photography: Francois Robert, Hedrich Blessing
Motion Capture: Red Eye Studios
Architectural Rendering: visualizedconcepts, inc.

We recently completed several short films for SOM’s Urban Design team, led by Philip Enquist. For the past two years, 3st has helped tell the conceptual story behind several master plans from around the world.

This film for a new mixed-use community in Nanjing told the story of SOM design concepts through metaphor and organic imagery. SOM director Doug Voigt shared the good news after his presentation:

We have won the project in Nanjing. It was quite an effort and the competition was intense. Working with you early on provided us with more than an amazing film… it gave us a narrative to organize the entire plan. Thanks again for all your brilliant work and collaboration.

Direction + Design: John Pobojewski / 3st, Rick Valicenti / 3st
Editing: Micah Gardner, Mike Cone
Illustrative Mandarin: Baozhen Li
Soundtrack: Air

Baietan is a revitalized city in central Guangzhou, China on the banks of the Pearl River designed to grow sustainably. For SOM San Francisco.

Film: John Pobojewski / 3st, Rick Valicenti / 3st
Soundtrack: Richard D. James

A master plan for a sustainable residential community in Danang, Vietnam, focused on balancing the edge between an “Eco” and “Urban” lifestyle. For SOM London.

Film: John Pobojewski / 3st, Rick Valicenti / 3st
Soundtrack: John Pobojewski / 3st, Rebekka Takamizu

Recently, 3st announced a partnership with Hedrich Blessing and their photographer Dave Burk in a series of short architectural films called The Moving Image. The first installment focuses on Jeanne Gang’s Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center.

Each film in The Moving Image will feature a unique soundscape from intermedia designer John Pobojewski / 3st. Below are excerpts from a conversation with John on how he created a consistent sound identity for this series.

Why was there a desire for a bespoke soundscape?

JP / 3ST: In early conversations with Dave Burk, Rick Valicenti, and Hedrich Blessing President Jon Miller, we agreed that any sound or music for these films had to be as unique as the photograph itself, and ideally tied directly to the quality of light found in these moving images. The artful mastery of Hedrich Blessing’s imagery could not afford to be commodified by stock music.

I also felt that a consistent timbre was needed to unite the film series. So we began searching for the right context… the right historical precedent to play against.

What proper precedent exists?

Jon and I discovered a shared love for the neue jazz world of recording label ECM, and their tremendous relationship with art photography. For over 40 years, ECM has been exhibiting the most beautiful austere photographs within album artwork for most of their artists: Bill Frisell, Dave Holland, Keith Jarrett, Marc Johnson, and many more.

It only seemed fitting to reference the ECM sound across all these films… the sizzle of the ride symbol, the upright bass, the sense of mystery all provided the right flavors.

How did the soundscape you created connect to the image?

Any soundscape, like any design, needs an structure to build from. How Hedrich Blessing captures light quality is the unique aspect of our film series and it’s what makes their work timeless.Therefore, it seemed like the perfect question to ask was: what does light sound like?

And how did you answer this question?

Rather literally, actually. We began by choosing the key moments in the film, and then sampled their light values in dark, mid, and bright tones.

From these tones, I took the hue values and matched them to degrees on a color wheel. By then mapping those same percentage values onto a music composition tool called the circle of fifths, we were given pitches that matched directly to the color of the light.

From the color of the light comes the pitches of the sound.

How did it all come together?

The poetry then comes in how you connect these pitches with horizontal melodic lines and vertical harmonic lines. Those decisions were influenced directly from the architecture. Layering plays such a critical part in the success of Studio Gang’s building: layering of translucent textures, layering of view orientation, layering of spaces.

This layering led me to the sound worlds of Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell, and the overlapping washes of guitar paired with delay.

From here, I added the upright bass and sizzle ride cymbal as our minimalist rhythm section and a vibraphone duet with the lead guitar in framing the highest tones in our chord set. This “soprano” of guitar and vibes then dialogues back and forth with sounds from the space itself: the reflected conversations off of the concrete walls, the construction sounds of the soundstage sets, the traffic driving by.

Altogether, the soundscape helps propel the film forward, woven tightly together with the moving images. And hopefully leaving the viewer wanting more. — JP/3ST

Rick Valicenti/3st recently conceived and directed a book for Francois Robert‘s photography exhibition Stop the Violence. This keepsake features a beautiful alphabet painstakingly arranged by Robert. Each letterform is composed solely of human bones.

To announce the book, 3st produced a 60 sec short film edited by John Pobojewski/3st and Bud Rodecker/3st which features an original soundscape composed by Pobojewski.

To request a complimentary copy, visit 3st.com/stoptheviolence and fill out your information.

Valicenti juxtaposed these letterforms with a typed transcript of President Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech from 2009.

On each of the 26 spreads, the alphabet of bones punctuates the President’s speech as he advocates peace while accepting the notion of a “just war.”

The exhibition opened in Tucson on the Saturday evening of the shooting rampage that killed six people and injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others. The visceral impact of Robert’s work has never felt more relevant or more important.

Classic Color deserves the highest accolades for getting behind this project as publisher. Ray Bell, Classic’s president, believed in Valicenti’s idea and Robert’s imagery and led his craftsman to deliver the most remarkable reproduction we have seen in quite some time.

to justify is tragic
to accept is unacceptable
stop the violence

We are excited to announce a partnership with Hedrich Blessing in a new series of short architectural films we refer to as The Moving Image. Hedrich Blessing, home to history’s most important architectural photographers, now combines their unparalleled view of space, composition, and lighting with 3st’s unique vision in direction, editing, and sound design.

Jeanne Gang‘s Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center is the first in this series.

Cinematography is by Dave Burk/Hedrich Blessing
Direction by Rick Valicenti/3st
Editing by Bud Rodecker/3st
Sound design by John Pobojewski/3st

To date, The Moving Image 01 has generated a lot of interest online from several feeds including
e-architect. Stay tuned for the second installment within the next few months.

For more information, please contact us.

While you’re out tonight, be sure to stop by the Chicago Art Department (1837 S. Halsted St.) to check out the Great Lakes Nation opening. The opening is from 6–10pm, and is open through October 24 by appointment. Contact stacy@chicagoartdepartment.org for viewing.

On display will be Bud Rodecker’s video created for Moving Design’s Call to Action Workshop.

More about the show:

What if the 35 million people living in the Great Lakes Basin decided
to secede from North America due to a lack of sustainable priorities?
Motivated by the impending freshwater crises, artists will examine the
issues of living in Chicago by the largest freshwater system in the
world.

Other Featured Artists from Moving Design’s Call to Action workshop:
Nick Adam
Todd Childers
Matthew Hoffman
Lisa Korpan
Bill Lenehan
Stacy Peterson
Scott Reinhard
Bud Rodecker
Matt Wizinsky

Opening Night: Friday, October 8, 2010, 6-10pm
Open through October 24 by appointment.
Please contact stacy@chicagoartdepartment.org for viewing.

We just completed a looping video, Gather Give Grow, that highlights the program of Archeworks’ Mobile Food Collective (MFC) in an abstract and joyful way. Our video of the MFC premieres today in the U.S. Pavilion at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition of the 2010 Venice Biennale!

The Thirst Short, directed by Rick Valicenti and designed by Rick, John Pobojewski, and Bud Rodecker, will be in the U.S. Pavilion from August 29 through November 21, 2010 as one of only seven American projects in “Workshopping: An American Model of Architectural Practice” curated by the High Museum of Art, 306090, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Archeworks—a post-graduate design school in Chicago dedicated to advancing the public mission of design—is representing the U.S. in the 12th International Architecture Exhibition, which showcases American designers as civic catalysts. Archeworks is redefining the role of the architectural discipline, initiating collaborative projects that stake out new territory addressing urban design and social issues.

Outside the exhibit hall, Archeworks will do what we do best – workshopping. Highlighting the themes of the Mobile Food Collective, we will engage local residents in exploring our respective food cultures and heritage. Beginning on August 26 in Venice, our small team of design students will lead a three-day design workshop in partnership with architecture students from the University of Camerino in Ascoli Piceno. Archeworks initiated this unofficial programming to engage more directly with young Italian designers who want to respond to social issues through design.

MOBILE FOOD COLLECTIVE
by Archeworks

Executive Director
Susanne Schnell

Director
Martin Felsen AIA

Research Director
Sarah Dunn

Program Manager
Katie Vail

Project Directors
Mason Pritchett
Jesse Vogler

Fellow
Catherine Muller

Archeworkers
Rachel Belanger
Maria Kulesa
Derek Layes
Adam Panza
Geoff Salvatore

VIDEO DESIGN
by Thirst

Directed by
Rick Valicenti

Design + Animation
John Pobojewski
Bud Rodecker

Music + Sound
John Pobojewski

ARCHITECTURAL MODELING
by Visualizedconcepts inc.
Thorsten Bösch
Nick Glazebrook

TIMELAPSE SEQUENCES
by Hedrich-Blessing
Dave Burk

MOTION CAPTURE
by Red Eye Studio
Damion Davis
Dustin Carroll

From the Observation Deck
Michelle Litvin

DMK Burger bar was recently reviewed in Time Out ChicagoTime Out Chicago — go check it out. While you’re waiting for your burger you can take a moment to watch clouds of typography explode over a normalized sunset. View this project on our site.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill were recently named the winner of an international design competition to expand the Beijing Central Business District (CBD). Seven teams of the world’s leading urban planners, urban designers and architects were invited to participate, including Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects and Foster + Partners.

Thirst created an eight-minute video, narrated in Mandarin, to outline the SOM Vision to a captivated competition committee. Results came quick — SOM was declared the unianimous winner after only 48 hours.

Screenshots are below. View more of the project on 3st.com.

Rick Valicenti, John Pobojewski, Bud Rodecker, and film editor Charlie Smith worked together to bring this video to life.

Philip Enquist, FAIA, Partner-in-Charge of Urban Design and Planning for SOM, led the effort. His comments:

From: Philip Enquist
Date: September 26, 2009 11:53:01 AM CDT
Subject: Re: The SOM Vision 092609

Rick

Your contribution is wonderful and quite “healing”.
You make it seem so effortless.

Thanks. Phil

View more of the project on 3st.com.

We just finished a new ambient video installation at the DMK Burger Bar in Lakeview. Renown restauranteur David Morton and renown chef Michael Kornick are opening this new hip atmospheric eatery in Chicago’s Lakeview — stop by if you’re in the neighborhood as it opens tonight.

Early reviews say to “expect chef-driven burgers and artisanal beer.” We can vouch for two things: the video is hypnotizing and the burgers are delicious.

Thanks for Jason Pickleman (who also crafted the language and created the identity for DMK) for commissioning us to create the video.

View more of the project on 3st.com.

We’re excited to announce that last night Thirst had five pieces accepted into the Chicago Design Archives. The winning pieces are: Wright’s Utopia Catalog, AS+GG’s website, MCA’s Dry Ice Invitation, Thirst’s Top Five Love Songs, and the 09-10 LOEB Fellows poster.

A little bit about STA’s Chicago Design archives from the official press release.

Archive09, is an annual competition presented by the STA to recognize the best in Chicago design. This year’s competition drew hundreds of entries. Of that total, 44 were selected for the Chicago Design Archive (CDA), an online compendium of the most significant design work in Chicago’s history.

It feels great when others recognize work you’re mighty proud of. Thank you STA for a great night.

Here is a sample of our winning pieces.

Photo by Thea Dickman

Photo by Brian MacDonald

The Sears Tower gets a brand refresh announcing a landmark renovation effort to reduce 80% of the building’s energy use. 2 video presentations and accompaning supporting graphics were created to announce the project to the international press.

View more of the project here.

Rick,

Well the big evening is almost here…today was meeting with the Press at 9:00 . It was a success! They loved our room. We also met with Victor Skrebneski this morning in our room he loved it also and was attracted to what was on the LCD ! We had to leave as he was touring Mick DeGuilo’s room. He is considering a new Kitchen I guess. We met with Bud this morning about the layout of your cards and found a nice place for them under the LCD.

As I continue to say….thank you for being a special part of our room. Its amazing! Sorry you won’t be able to come to the opening but hope that you  will slip in as see your work of ART IN MOTION in our room. We would be more than happy to meet you there also. Thank YOU!

Best,
Denise

See the videos here