Don’t Make it Too Easy, John!

Well, my True Friend John (@johnjohnston on Twitter) is a GIFfriend Master who also likes to teach a computer how to make a GIF for you.

A recent experiment by John allows just anybody to just upload a picture and press a button and make a Dancing Jim one of UNCLE Jim (@jimgroom on Twitter) without any hard work at all.

I decided that I would try it out with a couple of pictures I had left lying around from when I did Heavy Metal Bands and also Movie Posters Without Any Icons from last time.

Here is what I made with John’s one-click GIF-JIm-Dancing.

"Dancing Jim - HippyMOOCSlaughter" animated GIF

“Dancing Jim – HippyMOOCSlaughter” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

"Dancing Jim - Apocalypse" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

“Dancing Jim – Apocalypse” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

Plus, because it has a special place in his heart, here is one where UNCLE Jim is Escaping from New York.

Dancing Jim - Escapes from NY" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

Dancing Jim – Escapes from NY” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

It sure is easy, but it makes the Dancing Jim All Over the World assignment already into an even easier one so that is only one star.

Which might be a short term save for you at the last minute on a Sunday night early on in the course, but it won’t stretch your real skillz, plus it’s not nearly as much fun as doing them the proper way.

Are You Feeling Artsy, Hippy?

"Are You Feeling Artsy, Hippy?" animated GIF by iamTalkyTina

“Are You Feeling Artsy, Hippy?” animated GIF by iamTalkyTina

UNCLE Jim Groom (UNCLE Jim Groom, @jimgroom on Twitter, on Twitter) was writing today about a GIF that Spencer Scott made of him that was a Clint Eastwood one.

But when I saw it, I was thinking about when the Hippies where putting flowers in the guns and that UNCLE Jim would probably have a Hippy one with flowers in it. Plus a Hippies Flower Power badge of it.

UNCLE Jim’s flower came from this GIPHY garden.

So this is an AnimatedGIF Assignments 859 Riff-A-GIF based on Spencer’s picture but now is a GIF.

#noirchat

“Noirchat” by iamTalkyTina, on Flickr

Well I have some nice time away from missions this week, and so I decided to watch the NOIR106 Week 9 video and see if I could catch up on some hijinks, just for fun. Paul and Martha and Jim talked a whole lot about all the works that the students have to do this week (just like every other week) but it was also a fun time to hear them talk about the Hostage Hut Event  when I hosted UNCLE @jimgroom this weekend and all the GIFs and peoples Making Art.

It was also nice to hear how well UNCLE @jimgroom was respecting our release-from-Hostage conditions, when he said, “We brokered a deal in the evening, early morning,” and “that was part of the brokering, the negotiations not to talk too much about it.”  “TalkyTina did take care of me …” but he did not go into greater detail, even when pressed, which was a True Friend thing to do. But he did seem to have a few words for Martha (who was otherwise occupied during the day) when he said, “I just felt that maybe you could put a GIF out there, maybe you could have been the tenth to save me, so that I didn’t have to negotiate …” But he got out all the same.

 “I just felt that maybe you could put a GIF out there, maybe you could have been the tenth to save me, so that I didn’t have to negotiate …”
— Jim Groom to Martha Burtis

I made some notes of what they said during the show, and at the end I felt like making some Art and so it started out being a one screen commercial for our Radio Show (which will be on ds106radio NEXT MONDAY NIGHT AT 9PM) …

“One More Special Radio Show” by Talky Tina, on Flickr

… but then it turned into a whole thing of interesting quotes that they said.

I was thinking that this could be a nice way to do a review of the weekly get-to-work video, and then thought it would make a nice assignment. I only thought that at the end, and so I didn’t go back and make mine as complete as I might have (so it doesn’t have enough stuff in it to reflect Agent Paul and Agent Black), but is has some good stuff for you to watch. It only takes about a minute or so because most of the screens are each 5 seconds. Maybe I will make a Slideshare of it (so that you can read it at your own pace) but right now it is just a GIF!

"NoirChat, Week Nine" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

“NoirChat, Week Nine” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

Enjoy!

 

Jim, Close(d)-Up in the Hut

"Jim, Close(d)-up in The Hostage Hut" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

“Jim, Close(d)-up in The Hostage Hut” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

Well, I guess it’s time to let Jim out. His captivity motivated the creation of 19 @jimgroom Animated GIFs yesterday (20 if you count the close-up above), and so I guess that’s a pretty good haul for sitting around on your keister in a hut. You can see them all in the comments of that post. Plus, badges!

Perhaps he will enjoy the GIF as a souvenir to remember the fun time!

You can also click on the GIF above to see a finer 1200-pixel wide version, for more enjoyment of the beauty! You can also check out the high quality still-image version on Flickr.

For full documentation of the proceeds of the day, along with a larger, full-scene view of the Hostage Hut, read Jim Groom is Still in the Hostage Hut.

Some times a GIF is just a wonderful Art to make.

Okay, Jim, you are free! Go make some Art, bub!

"Extra GIF" animated GIF badge for subsequent submissions

“Extra GIF” animated GIF badge for subsequent submissions

Jim Groom ransom gif

Jim Groom is an [edu] PUNK!!

Jim Groom is an [edu] PUNK!!

Talky Tina has Jim Groom held hostage for RANSOM! And the ransom is that we need to make animated gifs of Mr. Jim Groom. We had until midnight. Well, it is 11:34 my time and so I think that counts, right?

Super true friend, please let him go? I see that he is still in his hut overnight, but hopefully he will be released in the morning.


Process!

I made this gif in GIMP.

1. I copied the original image, which had “edupunk” on his hands, a few times on different layers and labeled them “edupunk” for ease of reference later.

2. Then I took one of those layers and, using the “clone” tool, got rid of the “punk” so I just had “edu.” I saved that layer as “edu.”

3. Then I got rid of the “u” in “edu” using the clone tool, and saved that layer as “ed.” Same for eliminating the “d” and ended up with just an “E” layer. Then I erased the “E” and ended up with a “blank” layer.

4. I then had to order the layers and specify the time delay between them. I started with the blank layer, then used the “E” layer, then the “Ed” layer, then the “Edu” layer, then “edupunk.” I alternated the “Edu” and “edupunk” layers to get the “blinking” effect, ending with an “edupunk” layer. The part I spent the longest on was specifying the delay between layers to get the effect I wanted. You can see what I chose in the screenshot below (it is just missing the very last “edupunk” layer, which was 600ms).

Screen Shot 2015-03-14 at 11.46.23 PM

6. Then I had a heck of a time because though the delay was right when I used “filter,” “animation,” “playback” in the GIMP menu, when I exported the file to a gif file it just gave the same delay to all the frames (looked like about 100 ms). After some web searching, and having been fooled by a tutorial on time delays that told me otherwise, I found that what I had done wrong was put a space between the number and the “ms”, like: (600 ms). Wrong. Need to take out the space and then it works!

Jim Groom is Still in the Hostage Hut

"Jim Groom in the Hostage Hut" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

“Jim Groom in the Hostage Hut” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

"Extra GIF" animated GIF badge for subsequent submissions

Making this Art into a GIF doesn’t do justice to the beauty of the images in this piece. Consider viewing the larger 1200 pixel-wide GIF, or even better, the still-image version that I have posted to Flickr.

This is where Jim has been spending the day. When we had considerable submissions this afternoon, it looked as if we might reach the ransom (originally 10 GIFs, but arbitrarily raised to 12, just for fun), and so I turned off the ice-melting lasers and let the balloons drop their support lines to keep Jim afloat. Things will remain this way through the night, and if he’s still afloat in the morning, then we’ll re-negotiate the terms of the new expectations for his release.

But it has been a fun day! Thanks to all the folks who made wonderful GIFs in a valiant attempt to get Jim out!

  • iamTalkyTina (1 Accepted GIF, 1 Extra GIF)
  • Tom Woodward (1 Accepted GIF, 1 Extra GIF)
  • Mariana Funes (1 Accepted GIF, 2 Extra GIFs)
  • Ronald L (1 Accepted GIF, plus, he is going to be a True Friend soon!)
  • John Johnston (1 Accepted GIF, 5 Extra GIFs)
  • Vivien Rolfe (1 Accepted GIF)
  • Bertha Curtis (1 Accepted GIF)
  • Bill Smith (1 Accepted GIF)
  • Melanie Barker (1 Accepted GIF)

TOTALS FOR TODAY9 Accepted GIFs, 9 Extra GIFs

There are badges available for all participants!

Your first @jimgroom AnimatedGIF goes towards Jim’s ransom and earns you an “Accepted GIF” badge.

"Accepted GIF" animated GIF badge for ransom-eligible submissions

“Accepted GIF” GIF badge for ransom-eligible submissions

Subsequent @jimgroom Animated GIF submissions do not count towards Jim’s release, but are fun and enjoyable and earn you an “Extra GIF” badge.

"Extra GIF" animated GIF badge for subsequent submissions

“Extra GIF” animated GIF badge for subsequent submissions

Be sure to also submit your posts to the Animated GIF Assignment 1633: JImGroom Animated GIF so that your work will be visible in the Assignment Bank to future participants!

Tomorrow will be another day!  Keep making Art, bub!

Free the Groom

Now this is weird.

jim_groom_dicejim_groom_dice-dance

Given we can’t waste time I dug out a processing script I’d used before. I can’t recall where I got the original, or what changes I made, but it looks like I simplified it a lot and exported a series of frames to gifs. Stitched these together in FireWorks.

Animated GIF of Jim Groom Ransom Art

"Pixellated Groom" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

“Pixellated Groom” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

It’s a thing to make an Art out of UNCLE @jimgroom. Lots of peoples do it! There are dancing ones, poster ones, and noisy ones, plus more!

Yesterday for The Daily Create tdc1160 was to make a ransom note to get Jim Groom back. My True Friend David Kernohan made a pretender Tina one saying give him animated GIFs to get Jim out.

“…or groom gets the stairs” by David Kernohan, on Flickr

After that, I got Jim and said make more animated GIFs, but these ones of Jim. I found a cool font on dafont.com called mpf-kidnapped and played with that for a while, but in the end, I used a web-based kidnap-letter generator at strix.org.uk/ransom/ and uploaded a custom image background to get UNCLE Jim in the picture.

“@JimGroom Ransom Note” by Talky Tina, on Flickr

So I have Jim now and I am demanding 10 Animated GIFs of Jim Groom to get him out. Not just a plain old animated GIF, but an animated GIF of Jim Groom. Plus, the deadline is midnight tonight, otherwise I will keep him longer. So you DS106 peeps get to work!

I was going to keep him until I got 106 Animated GIFs of Jim Groom, but I would not be able to stand it that long.

To start things going, I am personally donating ONE JimGroom Animated GIF (up above) to the kitty*.

But, to keep it formal and so that you know I mean business, I made an Assignment of it.

Animated GIF Assignments 1633: Jim Groom Animated GIF

So be sure to do the linking correctly from your blog to that assignment so that we know that the ransom is paid up. Any additional Jim Groom Animated GIFs paid after midnight will be applied against random future ransoms. So we will get 106 of them some day.

If you need pictures of Uncle Jim, start here: (it is called Google images)

"Funny thing that happened while searching for Jim Groom on Google"

“Funny thing that happened while searching for Jim Groom on Google”

So go make Animated GIF Art of Jim Groom NOW to get Jim out! Be original. Be creative. Make Art, bub!

————————–

*that’s the #106 #noircat, in case you were wondering

Tina Noir Valentine 2015

“Tina Noir Valentine 2015,” by Talky Tina, on Flickr

Well, this is for Mr. Paul’s Noir Valentines Design Assignment 1615 assignment that he made that I made for him. You can read all of those noir words that I said up there in the card, and then you can look them up if you need to translate them into your regular words. Jim Groom (@jimgroom) and Mr. Paul (@phb256) will like the Twists, Slugs, and Roscoes: A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang.

Here is the full text:

Don’t be a bunny, close your head and pin your diapers on. Dip the bill, drift and fade in your Flogger (and go climb up your thumb). The rumble is you may be lousy with the bees, but my cheaters say you’re a hinky hombre, and I made ya. No Oyster fruit from this peeper, savvy? I’m swift and no weak sister bim. Take it on the beezer, it’s time for you to visit the clubhouse, or I’ll play you some chin music and set you up for the Big Sleep. But have a happy Valentine’s day all the same, bub!

Well, it is always fun to have a nice Valentine Card to send. Plus a Noir106 one.

Sources for my Noir Tina Valentine 2015 card:

 

Not Just Another Face in A Hole

Tina, with Hair, Pigment, and Ray Ban Sunglasses, by @iamTalkyTina

Tina, with Hair, Pigment, and Ray Ban Sunglasses, by @iamTalkyTina

WELL! I am NOT just another Face in a Hole. 

But sometimes I think that someone (La kisha Mahone (@LKMahone) not saying any names)  is just stuck on trying to make a monkey of me. Because when I woke up this morning, I was another face in a hole of me and of monkeys from her.

So it reminded me again of a dark time and when I was making a movie (but just a bit part) — but I already told you that story.

So anyway, when I got made a monkey of the second time with the Face in a Hole, I just had to set the record straight again. Plus, make a GIF of it (actually, TWO). Because making a GIF of it makes it even more fun. And two GIFs makes it double the even more fun!

So anyway, up above here is my response to it. Now, I will tell you how I did it without that Face in the Hole thing.

First, I had to find the original image of some guy and monkeys (it is always good to attribute your sources) and so I used TinEye, the Reverse Image Search engine to do that. I found 50 results and selected this picture of Bruno Looking Stupid.

Instead of a Face in the Hole one which says Face in a Hole on it, I made one of me with my hair showing (so that I do not look like Thomas the Tank Engine) but I also coloured my hair to match the hair of my actor friends in their monkey costumes (so for that, I used the Colour Replace tool, plus another layer of me where I made the Brightness darker and the Contrast more of it). Then, because they had colour in their faces, I put colour in my face (even though I am from the Black and White TV times) — I can do that as a professional in the business with make-up and the such. I also used the Colour Replace tool for that, too, borrowing some face colour from the other monkeys for it.  Plus, because they were all wearing their cool-kid sunglasses from the set, I am wearing my sunglasses, too. So you don’t get any of that hair or colour or glasses with Face in a Hole.

Then, because just a regular picture sometimes needs a little sprucing up, plus for the exercise of making a GIF, plus for the fun and the Art of It, I decided that I needed to add some movement to the image. I remembered that Arthur C. Clarke was on the set that day playing with that bone, so I found this image of it on the Internet.

"2001 bone to spaceship cut scene" GIF

“2001 bone to spaceship cut scene” GIF from andrewsimone.com

Then, I put the GIF into photoshop and got rid of the sky parts so that I would just have the tumble bone. I also removed the spaceship part and set it aside so that I could use it later for the coupe de groom. That is like a coup de grace, but with Jim Groom instead, and transportation (that’s the coupe part).

So here is what it looks like when you use the Magic Tool to select something and then use the eraser to get rid of it. You just have the bone left.  (Note, this is just one frame, you have do do it for each frame of the bone in each active layer of it. So that takes a few minutes. But worth it!)

"Bone Isolation Technique" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

“Bone Isolation Technique” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

Next up was to insert the 25-odd animated bone frames into my static image, and re-create the situation from when the photo is purported to have been taken — me and my actor buds hanging out, with Arthur C. Clarke in the background practicing the bone scene. Look how surprised they all are at getting their picture taken with me.

"Not Just a Pretty Face in a Hole" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

“Not Just a Pretty Face in a Hole” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

Now, that is pretty much enough of it, because that is my @iamTalkyTina picture, plus a GIF the bone in the background. But remember, there is a coupe de groom coming up.

So back to the bone-spaceship GIF where we set aside the spaceship part for later? Now we get that back out and add in some Dancing Jim Groom from the Dancing Jim All Over the World assignment (Animated GIF Assignment 1001) and make it kind of like Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Bomb but with Jim Groom instead and on the bone-spaceship instead of the bomb.

"Dancing Jim Groom Around the World on the 2001 Bone Spaceship" animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

“Dancing Jim Groom Around the World on the 2001 Bone Spaceship” animated GIF by @iamTalkyTina

So that is what can come from invoking me, @iamTalkyTina in a blog post. Or if you make a monkey of me. And it shows just how much learning can come after a simple Face in the Hole.

Well, bye!