James Houston

Coming Soon

Sun, 24 May 2009 20:17:24 +0100

New video for Brooklyn based ‘Care Bears on Fire’

Official Secrets Act - So Tomorrow

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Video for “So Tomorrow” by Official Secrets Act.

Track available on iTunes, or get the 7” here.

Big Ideas (don't get any)

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:53:03 +0000

Radiohead held an online contest to remix “Nude” from their album - “In Rainbows” This was quite a difficult task for everybody that entered, as Nude is in 6/8 timing, and 63bpm. Most music that’s played in clubs is around 120bpm and usually 4/4 timing. It’s pretty difficult to seamlessly mix a waltz beat into a DJ set.

Based on the lyric (and alternate title) “Big Ideas: Don’t get any” I grouped together a collection of old redundant hardware, and placed them in a situation where they’re trying their best to do something that they’re not exactly designed to do, and not quite getting there.

It doesn’t sound great, as it’s not supposed to.

The virus manifests itself in the form of the colour black,...

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:55:00 +0000

The virus manifests itself in the form of the colour black, which contrasts against the boring white clinical environments that it infects. The campaign is untitled. It is held together by a concept and aesthetic alone.

It uses the viral property of self-replicating cells to alter the experience of a range of dull environments. In this example, the unseen virus replicates a disheartened office worker. He multiplies and creates a primal and liberating audio composition, thus rejecting the office and embracing creativity. The virus can not be seen although its effects are clearly visible.

The virus infects all of the MTV owned channels (including VH1 and TMF) and works as a drip campaign: as a feature video is played on one channel (in example the office scene), the main infected person creeps over onto the other channels - popping up in music videos, adverts or other content. These unexplained cameo appearances would tease and intrigue the viewer, and only when they see the main feature is everything revealed.

A brief set by Steve Rigley & Jo Petty asked to create a...

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:37:00 +0100

A brief set by Steve Rigley & Jo Petty asked to create a Cultural Guide to the United Kingdom.

This video highlights cultural icons that one would traditionally consider to be associated with the UK. Their true origins are revealed. The objects are portrayed in heavily stylised vector drawings, as to highlight their apparent familiarity to UK residents.

This film has a tone of instructional kid’s TV: an immigration relations officer for the police told me that the children in immigrant families learn to integrate much quicker than the adults, and thus act as a conduit to the parents. This format also delivers the information in a way which isn’t patronising.

Instead of being aimed at immigrants or migrant workers, this is a ‘cultural guide’ for every citizen of the United Kingdom; explaining that the UK has prospered as an effect foreign input.

This film is through to the semi-finals of the Adobe Design Achievement Awards. Fingers crossed.

Tenants.

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 23:38:00 +0100

Tenants.

A poster for a Glasgow University lecture on the number zero.

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:22:12 +0100

A poster for a Glasgow University lecture on the number zero.

A poster for a V&A exhibition for neglected & forgotten...

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:42:00 +0100

A poster for a V&A exhibition for neglected & forgotten crafts.