Cat Michaels, Writer
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Creativity in chrome, bolts, and wheels

5/19/2017

9 Comments

 
As a kid, I thought being creative meant you were an artist…somebody who painted or drew pretty pictures. 

It wasn’t until I was in college and an instructor tagged me for turning in a creative music education project that I realized I needed to expand my definition of creativity.

Fast forward to a few months ago and another paradigm shift: the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) in Raleigh hosted Rolling Sculpture, an exhibition of 14 rare cars and 3 motorcycles representing the best designs from Art Deco period of the 1930s and 1940s.  

Hmmm.  <All sorts of wheels turning here>
  • Was this exhibit simply Art?
  • Amazing Chrome and Wheels?  
  • Or All of the Above?
​
Join me at the museum, and see for yourself.
Rolling Sculpture - catmichaelswriter.com
Rolling Sculpture: art on wheels in an old-timey Delahaye

I never thought of automobiles as art. 

​Though my gear head Spouse/Editor could've told me otherwise.  
According to the NCMA, its Rolling Sculpture exhibit offered examples of car design with artistic flair, innovation and elegance.  It showcased ...decorative arts with industrial design, luxury and glamour…a perfect metal canvas.

The detail work on these beauties was AMAZING!  The Art Deco influences and craftsmanship screamed hubba-hubba!!!​
​
....car design with artistic flair, innovation and elegance.   Decorative arts with industrial design luxury and glamour…a perfect metal canvas
Xenia hood ornament; 1935 Chrysler
BMW Cycle
1936 Peugeot Coupe


Bugatti’s Aerolithe concept car was the only one of its kind ever assembled.  It looked like a helmet worn by the Flash or a Roman soldier back in the day.  I wouldn’t mind driving one around town for groceries or a trip to the library, especially if Señor Bugatti was good on gas.
Rolling Sculpture – catmichaelswriter.com
Bugatti Aerolithe Concept Car

Sweeeeeet! 
​
My favorite was the 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow. The Arrow simply oozed class.  This beauty was the glam Jean Harlow of automobiles of its day….gleaming, sleek and sexy.  (Mercy! Did I just call a car sexy?!?!?) 

​The builder of the 1936 Voisin C28 Clairiere wanted to give the impression you were driving an airplane.  What do you think? 

​It could also serve as a car pool vehicle for Voldemort’s lesser minions.  I'd let the Malfoys ride in it (they were nasty but turned out ok in the end.) 
Rolling Sculpture – catmichaelswriter.com
Art? Chrome? Auto? All of the Above?

​Wouldn't you love to cruise down the highway in this sleek 1930 Henderson KJ motorcycle or this '41 Chrysler's eye-popping red convertible?
1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt
1930 Henderson KJ Streamline


What do you think about creativity and chrome now?  Where do you and your young readers find creativity?  I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section.
​

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9 Comments

The Agony and Ecstasy of Making KidLit Preview Videos

5/4/2017

8 Comments

 
There’s something to be said for setting aside projects, decompressing and tackling them later with fresh eyes and gray matter.
 
That’s what happened to me in January when I started a video preview of my fourth book,
Sweet T and the Turtle Team.  Using a trusty tablet video app, Irene A. Jahn’s dazzling illustrations, and snippets from my book, the first pass was okay.  But it didn’t knock my socks off. 
 
I put the video aside for a while.  Then tucked it away with all my writing projects for several weeks after dad’s passing this winter. 
 
I tried tweaking it again in early spring. Better, but not there yet.  Something was missing, but I couldn’t put my finger on what.
Picture
Creating KidLit book videos: a LABORED labor of love

Motivated by the approaching summer release date, I recently retrieved the preview from virtual mothball storage. I notched up to a faster, perkier instrumental audio. Added beach-y photos from free Creative Common sources. Whipped out my ‘big’ vid-making app, i-Movie, to tack on frills and flourishes. 
 
Voila!  It was a keeper. Ecstasy!
 
Making videos to share with you is a labor of love, and a true  L*A*B*O*R.  I want them more than a ShapChat clip.  Vid-creation takes time.  I toil at it, though it’s getting easier with each one under my belt.
​
I’d be over the moon if you and your young reader will take a 60-second trip to North Carolina's Gull Island with me.  Feel the summery ocean breezes and wiggle your toes in the soft sand?  T will ask you to steer clear of fragile sea turtle nests that dot the beach.
PictureSweet T with sister Jenna, Aunt Mae, and Billy

Please click the green button below to start your summer adventure on Gull Island with Sweet T, Jenna, Fuzzy, new Island friend Billy, and Aunt Mae.
​

(btw....Aunt Mae is named after a real person from my tribe of readers.  She follows my What’s Up monthly newsletter and won naming rights for a character in my book.  

​Mae is pictured in the illustration above ---um, holding a pelican.

​Ya gotta read the book to find what that's all about!)

Video Preview:
Sweet T & the Turtle Team

Picture
Video Preview on You Tube


​NERD NOTES

Hey, let's compare notes!

​My workflow starts with copywriting based on my book description. From there, I assemble and organize visuals --- art, graphics, text over images --- to bring oomph to my words. Poke around with free sound clips, too.

Then edit, edit, edit!  Everything is open to skinnying down to a 60-second clip.
 
I use these apps to pull elements together:

  • MS Word: storyboarding
  • Creative Commons Photo Sources: Pixabay.com and Unsplash.com
  • Photo-editing: Apple’s native app for editing and resizing photos and illustrations; occasionally mobile apps like Photoshop Express and SnapSeed (for Droid and IOS) 
  • Canva: graphic design software for writing text over images in the intro and outro
  • Animoto: video-creation mobile app (Droid or IOS)
  • i-Movie: Apple’s native app for desktop and mobile to create instrumental backgrounds and insert outro, intro, and transitions
​
​There are tons more video and graphics apps on a shoestring budget I’d like to try. I even added voiceover with a fancy microphone on a few projects, but it just about killed me. At least for now, I can produce a short video, hold my head up without embarrassment, and say, “I made this!”
 
Hey, what do you use for video and graphic design at home, work or school?  What tricks and tuts can you share for filmmaking on a budget?  Please share in the comment section.

Thanks for stopping by.  Like what you see?  
Don’t miss a post!
Send this blog to your RSS feed or email.
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Updates - Special Offers - Fun Stuff


Kids: have a grown-up download your FREE coloring printables from Cat’s books
Young at Heart: download your FREE copy of a special Catly short story
Driving Down to Dillon: A Tale of Love & New Beginnings

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8 Comments

    Cat Michaels

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  • Welcome!
  • Cat's Books
    • Sweet T and the Turtle Team >
      • Just Between Sam and Me
    • Finding Fuzzy: A You-Decide Tale of a Lost Friend
    • Sweet T and the North Wind
    • The Magical Aquarium
  • Cat's Corner: Blogging About Books, Writing, and More
  • Meet Cat
  • Author Visits
  • FREE STUFF in the Kids' Zone
  • Contact Cat