Report, Elfia Arcen 2014

Still waiting for my domainname to be released so the new site can finally be launched.

If been to Elfia with a full crew which is awesome and today I finally finished my first documentary, in Dutch. So, hurray. I'm getting better at this, but there still is a long way for me to go. 

So, please enjoy this video. Iike it. Comment on it and share it on facebook.

In other news. Tommorow I will be on set of a Dutch movie, called Homie's. It's a comedy about some friends whom got involved in a drugdeal. Appearently one of the scenes takes place on a fair like Elfia. I'll be suppyling some stuff for the backgrounds. Maybe I'll report on it later this week.

Elfia, Royal Debate: Maximus and Minerva versus Ezekiel and Fairyina

The full recording of the Royal debate of Elfia on 20-09-2014 between Maximus and Minerva versus Ezekiel and Fairyina of the Steampunk Objective. A real Nature versus Technology argument.
Did some editing on it to make it more watchable. Also the one that lead the debate was.... Well, lets say it redefines the meaning of being multi linguistic.

Thriftshops and countryfairs

This weekend I learned It not a good idea to bring to a thriftshop. I come across to many unique and practical thing for me to ignore. Recently I discovered there is an store with a great selection of second had good and before I knew it, me and a friend of mine were rearranging my livingroom yet again! But it really improved.

I went to the Historische Openlucht Museum (Historical Openair Museum?) in Arnhem. It's a great park were the moved and rebuild all kinds of historical buildings for the Netherlands from 1700 and later or so. Farmhouses, windmills, stores, trainstations and workshops. I can al be found there. You can even ride electric trams to get from one place of a park to another. It's great. There are also a lot of activities like games, Dutch crafts and the like. If you foreign and you want a good impression of Dutch history and culture I can greatly recommend to go here, but keep in mind you'' spend your entire day there because it's huge and there is allot to see.

I was kind of surprises when I arrived and see this
line in front of the museum

I went because a friend of mine was there for the weekend with her family. There were with a tractor club. Yes, a group dedicated to old tractors from 1939 to the 70's. I didn't know however this was a annual festival held by Land Leven (Country Life). A magazine on argiculture history and culture. A poplar one to apparently, because it was busy. There actually was a trafficjam in front of the museum. Fortunately I gone there on my bike. Something I use to little ever since I have a car.     


So after cycling uphill all the way I got to walk all from activity to activity. There were presentation on craft and art. I could taste different foods and off course buy stuff. Somethings were really unique and even appealed to my steampunk-ish sensibilities.
The tractors were also very enjoyable to see. Even beter. I got to drive along on one, which was awesome!

 

A tractor build in 1939

 I didn't go there with the intention to buy anything, but off course when I see something I really like (something I don't often see) I have to buy it!

So I bought this. A bandoleer-like purse designed by Marinel Hartong from Majesteit. I was looking for some this pratical for a long time and finally found something awesome. They have all kinds of leather bags, purses and the stuff like that that both look good and are practical. Incidentally it also looks good with this leather coat for our RAGTAG-project  If your intrested in their designs or would like to see more you can mail them at marinel.majesteit@xs4all.nl.

So, that was kind of a unexpected highlight.

And Next week Elfia Arcen. I'will be there on saterday to attend the royal debate. I will be there with a small film crew to record this possible historical event were an Steampunk king and queen will be elected. So, yeah, another video.

Disney legancy and Hullaboloo

The original depiction of the Nautilus by
Alphonse de Neuville and Edouard Riou

So… This isn’t according to plan. It appears my old provider was taken Tupperwaresteampunk.nl hostage and demands ransom. Now I have to wait 38 days or so until the domain has been freed and the moving to the new provider can begin in earnest. So, not only does mijndomein.nl webmaker suck. So does it’s information they give you regarding moving away. Wonderfull.

Now then, something more positive. Hullaboloo!

  

Disney has had a pronounced impact on Steampunk decades before Steampunk even became a thing. 1954's Walt Disney picture 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea has, and will be, honourably mentioned in all books on Steampunk and it's history because of it's aesthetics.

When people recall the Nautilus from Jules Verne's original book, they always picture the Disney version of this vessel, even if they haven´t seen the movie. That tells us something about this movies influence.

Walt Disney himself was a sciencenut. He had an almost Gene Roddenberry-like optimism about the future of technology and how it would effect people. So all the Disney themeparks have some ‘tomorrows-future- today’ kind of attractions, like Star Tours in Disney World or Spacemountain in Eurodisney (Paris).
That, combined with the All-American themes that can be found around these park it’s ain’t surprising some attraction, maybe without the designers realizing it, got a Steampunkish vibe to them. Or maybe they simply tried to recreate the style of 20,000 leagues under the sea.Whatever the case, Disney is important for the Steampunk culture in a sense because it was so ahead of it time.

It became kind of a tradition. In 2004 they made anothter Jule Verne adoptation of

‘Around the World in 80 Days’. But this isn't the only title that has an indirect link to Steampunk. The even delved it what we now call Dieselpunk, like withThe Rockeeter (1991) and Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). Even the series Tailspin were kind of Dieselpunkish and included skypirates.
Rescue Rangers also had a DIY-character named Gadget (for some reason she was named Misty in the Dutch version) that had build an airship from a plastic bottle and a balloon. 

These days Disney seem to have even embraced the Steampunkish side of they’re work. There is a ´Phineas and Ferb´ episode dedicated to a Jules Vernian-past called ‘Steampunx’. This includes the song ‘A brave New World’ by none other than Professor Elemental himself… Have I ever mentioned Steampunk is considered part of the mainstream in the US? 

So, can we expect a full blown Steampunk production from Disney? … I dunno. Looked for their upcoming releases but couldn’t find any.

Therefore we ‘ll have to do with Hullabaloo.

This crowdfunded animated shortfilm is now on Indiegogo. It will be produced by James Lopez, know from Disney’s The Lion King and The Emperor’s New Groove.
So will it be good? Probably.
Will it be great? … Let’s hope so. And here is my reason why. Right know Steampunk lacks a an iconic character, like Superman is to superheroes or Indiana Jones is the adventure films. Could Hullabaloo’s Veronica Darling be this character? It better be. With 25 days left it has already exceed it’s 80,000 dollar goal with nearly 100,000. So yeah. With that much support they better make it work… No pressure James.

You want to support this project?  Like it on facebook and visit their indigogo-page. Better yet, support it!