| Animusic - A Computer Animation Video Album (Special Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Wayne Lytle
Studio: Animusic
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $13.99
You Save: $5.99 (30%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  86 reviews
Sales Rank: 3826
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Ntsc, Special Edition, Widescreen
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 75
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: GLDDAM1151D
ISBN: 0975252208
UPC: 821143115198
EAN: 9780975252208
ASIN: B0001WNL26
Theatrical Release Date: 2001
Release Date: April 27, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Studio: Cerebellum Corporation Release Date: 04/27/2004 Run time: 75 minutes
Amazon.com
Watching Animusic is like being mesmerized by the world's most elaborate Rube Goldberg devices: You're so astonished by their ingenuity that you can't look away. This "computer animation video album" is the brainchild of Wayne Lytle, a progressive-rock keyboardist and 1988 graduate of Cornell University's Program of Computer Graphics. Modifying techniques originally applied to the visualization of scientific data, Lytle partnered with graphic artist and 3D modeler Dave Crognale to create elaborate virtual stage sets and imaginary musical instruments that are driven via MIDI interface to virtually "play" the music that Lytle has composed for them. "The music drives the instruments," explains Lytle in his engaging DVD commentary, "and not the other way around." Using proprietary software called MIDImotion™, Lytle and Crognale have invented self-playing musical instruments that exist in a magical realm of musical and mathematical precision, perfectly synchronized to the kind of fully-synthesized prog-rock that Lytle obviously enjoys (and if you're a fan of Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, you will, too). It's the kind of audiovisual bombast that appeals to some more than others (and there's something oddly impersonal about removing humans from the performance of music), but Animusic is so intricately clever that anyone can be captivated by the meticulous novelty of these beautifully engineered musical marvels. Take, for example, the most popular track, "Pipe Dream," in which thousands of animated balls take on a life of their own, popping out of an intricate system of pipes and barrels and bouncing, with percussive precision, onto all varieties of strings, drums, xylophones, timbales, cowbells... it's just hypnotically amazing. The same holds true for all of these videos, and while the colorful 3D rendering of Animusic (first released in 2001) is no longer state-of-the-art, the underlying mechanics remain timelessly appealing. For this special edition DVD released in 2004, Lytle opens his toy-box to reveal the creative process of Animusic from conceptual drawings to final 3D rendering. There's also a "solo-cam" function allowing viewers to switch angular focus from one instrument to another, along with animated set-construction demonstrations to show how everything fits together in the realm of Animusic. The 5.1-channel surround mix makes Animusic a perfect demonstration disc for high-end video systems (this is nothing if not a geek's delight), and Lytle's first animation (from 1996) is included along with a sneak-peek at Animusic 2, the follow-up DVD released in 2005. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 81 more reviews...
 FIRST AMAZING VIDEO January 6, 2009
THIS IS AN AMAZING VIDEO. IF YOU ENJOY MUSIC AND COMPUTER ANIMATION THIS IS A MUST SEE. MUSIC TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE MESMERIZED. AFTER YOU WATCH THIS ONE, YOU WILL WANT TO SEE THE SECOND ONE ALSO.
 Blows your mind! January 5, 2009
No words to say what Wayne accomplish with these titles, Animusic 1 and 2. A must have in your collection (buy the second one as well). The entire family will enjoy it!
Animusic 1 DVD comes in full screen only. The Animusic 2 DVD has both Full and Widescreen on the same DVD.
Love Animusic December 22, 2008
This is one of the most entertaining music video DVD's I've ever purchased, and I'll buy all of the videos Animusic makes. Hopefully there will be plenty more of them!
Excellent and Captivating!! December 2, 2008
I don't really care what the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-star reviewers say. Being a musician myself and a computer graphics enthusiast myself, I would say Lytle and Crognale have created an ingenious product of superior quality and state-of-the-art. I remember watching computer graphics in the early 90's on the big screens at the local discotheques, and was very impressed then. But, unlike any of the New Age composers like Patrick O'Hearn or James Reynolds or Enigma, I prefer to see these imaginary instruments synced up to the original compositions of Lytle, rather than just elaborate computer graphics with un-synced background music. It is far more interesting to watch the extreme accuracy of these imaginary instruments playing at the correct intervals which reflect the true music. In my opinion, Lytle and Crognale are music/computer geniuses, and I have definitely become a big fan of Animusic, a new innovation in music and video coupling. And, yes, of course I love Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) and Rick Wakeman (Yes) Keep up the EXCELLENT work, guys!
Another kind of music video November 16, 2008
Yes, this is computer animation, and proud of it. But the computer is just a production tool, like an artist's brush, and the final product is what counts. That product is gorgeous, and covers a wide range of sensibilities. 'Stick Figures' features likable robotic characters. Most of the other pieces, including 'Pipe Dream' and especially 'Drum Machine' have a more industrial feel, like the offspring of symphony orchestra and an automated assembly line. 'Harmonic Voltage' takes the science fiction look even farther.
The music really makes this stand out. It's not just something to go along with the clever gadgets. The MIDI control tracks literally drive the motion just as they drive the sound - with remarkable cleverness to make sure that the cymbal or drum rotates into position just when it needs to be played. In fact, at lease one of these compositions, 'Aqua Harp,' has taken on a life of its own. A little searching at YouTube shows more than one human-played version of the very enjoyable tune.
Extras help, too. The seven shorts each offer preliminary sketches of the visual concepts and other material showing how the imagery comes together. Informative director's notes help viewers appreciate the behind-the-scenes work, and add an eighth, earlier piece to the collection. You don't need the extras to enjoy these clever and creative pieces though - all you need is a little sense of fun.
-- wiredweird
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