When I saw the three second clip teasing Taylor Swift's music video for "Style" I was immediately intrigued. Now, "Style" would not be among my favourite songs from the album "1989" by any means, but I really really liked the look of the video. I am very very particular about the cinematography in anything, be a film, photoshoot or music video so I'm surprised that I like the video as much as I do.

From the first look it's different from Taylor's previous videos, the style of the video ties in with the vintage and 80's look and sound of 1989. You can see her videos have become more arty and have matured as she's grown older herself. There's a huge difference between this video and the video for "Blank Space", which was released on the 10th of November. There's nothing overly complicated about the video which I like. I'm not a fan of something that looks like it cost a lot of money to make.

"1989" shows a new side to Taylor both musically and visually. She is moving away from her original country roots and exploring a more pop sound. So far in my opinion she's done a good job and I'm really excited that I'm going to see her in concert (finally, after seven years) during the summer.




The concept is simple really, using alternating camera shots of different scenes, filters and smoke yet the finished video is stunning. I took a few screenshots of some of my favourite images from the music video. One aspect that is particularly striking is the fact that the actor (Dominic Sherwood) she chose to star in the video has two different colour eyes, one blue and one brown. It's really unusual and I'm not sure what Taylor's motives were for this but it certainly has an interesting effect.

The man who directed this was Kyle Newman, and he's the husband of one of Taylor's friends Jaime King. I would love to know his reasons for directing the video as he's done. Something to note for the video is that Taylor is never really shown with the actor in the video, except for one scene. Their interaction is shown through a series of projections and reflections with pieces of glass.

It's a dead giveaway in my opinion on who the video/song is about. I think that the video itself is a direct link to the person in question, especially when it comes to a vintage look and the use of an almost polaroid- like image.



The images shown on this post belong to Taylor Swift and and Big Machine Records, used merely for decorative purposes and to show my appreciation for the video.

I'm posting this just less than two weeks before I go to my fifth D.I.E.

I wasn’t sure what to expect the very first time I went to DIE. I was curious obviously, because I’d heard from people that it was the “best night out going”. So I was expecting a lot.
D.I.E occurs usually once a month at Dolan’s Warehouse by the docks in Limerick City.

You'll see something like this when you go into the warehouse part of Dolan's down in the rave.

The  third D.I.E I went to, I came home with bruises on both my feet, one from a heel stepping on me and another one from catching my foot on the metal stairs. Regardless I enjoyed myself. You always meet people you know, people that have travelled from Cork to be here, Erasmus students, and new interesting people. The funny thing is you’ll probably never see these new people ever again.
The one thing I find about DIE is that every single event is different unlike Crush 87 which is essentially the same every time. There's a lot of waiting around in the cold for taxis but I promise you it'll be worth it.

Lead singer of "Gascan Ruckus". EH HEH Katie!

The fourth D.I.E I attended was February 12th. The live acts were particularly good. Gascan Ruckus played before Fox Jaw. Downstairs was Bok Bok djing in the warehouse and that room was packed with people. The warehouse was lit up with the huge D.I.E symbol that pulsated and changed colour, the ceiling was lit up by hundreds of tiny little lights. We went upstairs on to the balcony to take a few sneaky photos but unfortunately, our little adventure was stopped in its tracks by the security. Ah well.

I’ve been to D.I.E Night so to speak, four times now over the last four months. D.I.E occurs once a month and it’s something that you count down the days and hours to until you can head to the warehouse. Upstairs past the bar is where the live acts play, there’s a little stage set.
I find myself dancing like a wild thing, swishing my hair, jumping around. My feet are usually sore from dancing so much. I used to be a “heels only” girl but I’ve learned the hard way that to avoid excruciating pain and to ensure maximum dancing, to wear flats.

One thing I find that happens at D.I.E without fail is that someone will end up going on an emotional rant, and you will not be able to get a word in edgeways. At times like this, you're better off, having a drink or two to loosen yourself up and join in with the emotion or smile and nod as best you can.
I'm so used to the madness and excitement of D.I.E that when I go to a regular nightclub (eg The Knights in Shannon Co. Clare) I find myself underwhelmed and out of place.

Photo belongs to Ciarán Cummins.

The “DieNight Limerick” Facebook page is a great place for photos and information on upcoming events. The cover photo changes frequently, and some photos have been the D.I.E symbol tattooed brilliantly on someone’s arse cheek or an army of little yellow ducks prepared for battle.
Enlighten yourself with the famous D.I.E tattoo here: People who go to D.I.E usually post pictures/snapchats/videos of the events on the page so take a look to get more insight into what you're getting yourself into!

On the left is a snapchat screenshot of many many ducks. If you've seen these ducks at D.I.E I'd like to you to know that they belong to the brilliant Ciarán Cummins who ends up involved with the D.I.E Facebook page cover photo more often than anyone else... I'll be very very surprised if he doesn't have had some involvement with the cover photo in March.

Here's to my fifth D.I.E on the 5th of March! It's on during UL's Rag Week so it's guaranteed to be absolutely mental!

Words can't express how excited I am!

MARCH 5th!

I’ve been meaning to write about Cartoon Saloon for a while now, even before the beautiful “Song of the Sea” was short listed for an Oscar. Why? Three reasons mainly.

One: Because it’s an animation studio based in Kilkenny, where I am from.

Two: It’s an Irish animation and illustration design studio and I am 100% in support of anything Irish, particularly Irish film as I feel Irish film doesn’t get enough promotion and recognition internationally.

Three:  Cartoon Saloon’s work is absolutely gorgeous and unique.



Their animation is richly illustrated and beautifully unique. The first time I saw any of Cartoon Saloon’s work was a trailer for “The Secret of Kells”. I was in genuine awe, simply because it was unlike any animation I’d seen before. It was so fresh, exciting and stunning and yet there was a distinctly Celtic/Irish feel to it that was familiar in a way. I think that if you compared a scene from a Cartoon Saloon film and an animated film from DreamWorks you'd see a huge difference in the music, art and storytelling. It's clear that there's a great attention to detail, abstract art and emotion with these films. I think that both children and adults alike would be captivated by the beauty and elegance Cartoon Saloon films have. Rightfully so, as these films take roughly five years to animate!

In 1999 the animation studio started as an informal partnership between a few animators brought together by Paul Young and Tomm Moore. Since then Cartoon Saloon has gone on to create films that have won multiple awards and the studio itself is a multi-award winning animation and illustration design studio. The studio works with various, internationally known clients such as the BBC, Cartoon Network and Disney. They have created productions such as "Skunk Fu!", "The Secret of Kells" and "Song of the Sea" etc and work has begun on a project called "The Breadwinner".

David Rawle, Tomm Moore and Paul Young were  on the Late Late Show on RTÉ to discuss the film's Oscar nod.

"The Secret of Kells" is a 2009 film that follows the life of Brendan, a young Irish boy who lives in an Early Christian monastery in Kells. The film shows a fictionalized account of how the Book of Kells was created. He goes on to meet Aisling, a fairy who appears in the shape of a girl and a wolf. The monks are busy creating a huge wall to protect the monastery against a Viking attack. It's a beautiful film and it really showcases the talent of the illustrators and animators at Cartoon Saloon. I like that Cartoon Saloon have chosen to show the world Irish legends and stories of the past. Ireland is known for its rich storytelling and Irish art is among the most striking and popular in the world. It starred Irish actor Brendan Gleeson. This film was shortlisted for an Academy Award in 2010.

Film poster for "The Secret of Kells".

"Song of the Sea" is a 2014 film that explores the legend of the selkies, mythological creatures that can take human form. An Irish boy (played by David Rawle) discovers that his little sister who cannot speak is a selkie who has to find her voice and save supernatural creatures from the spell of a Celtic goddess (Fionnula Flanagan). I feel with this film Cartoon Saloon have upped their game even more. I am so proud as a Kilkenny and Irish person of what this little Irish animation studio has achieved. I can only imagine the hard work put into each little movement or colour in every shot of the film. Each wave in the sea is different, and you can see the shading, colour and sound come together perfectly to make the sea come to life on the screen. Just think of the work gone into creating such a simple movement as a wave moving?

Poster for "Song of the Sea".

Both of these films have received rave reviews and the fact that they've both received Oscar nods is a testament to the Academy for recognizing the talented work of Irish animators/illustrators/directors and a pat on the back for those involved. I'm so so excited for them. I hope to visit the studio some day because I'd love to see the process that goes into making an animated film.

Cartoon Saloon have also animated a series called "Puffin Rock" for RTÉjr, it's on weekdays at 8:10 am and 1.10pm. No doubt it's as beautifully animated as other productions.

Puffin Rock.

Both founders of this animation studio are on Twitter, Tomm Moore and Paul Young, I recommend you follow them and keep to date with their progress in film, award shows and of course this year's Academy Awards! I also include the Twitter of the film's writer, Will Collins because he's the genius behind the lovely story.

Irish singer/songwriter Lisa Hannigan sings a song in the film, also named "Song of the Sea". It's a haunting, very ethereal song and it goes well with the film. I've posted a link so you can give it a listen. You can also get a version of the song as Gaeilge (in Irish) which is equally as beautiful.




Please do take the time to watch the trailers for both films I’ve talked about and any of the links posted on the blog post. I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed so tightly that Cartoon Saloon will be successful this year at the 2015 Academy Awards. No doubt they will continue to create works of art just as stunning and I look forward to seeing what they do in the future. I think that showcasing our legends of the past through excellently animated films is a beautiful way of promoting Irish culture and storytelling.

I am really thrilled for Irish film, last year was a great year for us, in terms of our films' and the Irish film industry's success. I really hope it continues and our talented directors, illustrators, musicians, producers, artists, designers and all those who contribute to Irish film will get the support and recognition they deserve. We are slowly carving our little niche in the film industry, and making waves in Hollywood. I'm very proud and SO excited.

EDIT: I went to a Song of the Sea exhibition on the 16th of August 2015 and here are the photos.

Thank you for reading, I really do appreciate it, especially as this blog post is special to me.