Mind's Eye (series)
Encyclopedia
The Mind's Eye series consists of several art film
s rendered using computer-generated imagery
of varying levels of sophistication. The series began in 1990. It was produced by Steven Churchill of Odyssey Productions
(originally Odyssey Visual Design) & Miramar Productions. The series was released on VHS
(by BMG
) and LaserDisc
(by Image Entertainment
) and later re-released on DVD
(by the now-defunct Simitar Entertainment
).
soundtrack over a series of music video
-like sequences. The original film, entitled The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey by director and co-producer Jan Nickman
, consisted of a non-rigid structure of many semi-related sequences. The general style which characterizes the series is light and cartoony due to the difficulty of rendering more complicated images using the computers of the day.
The computer animation sequences that appeared in the films were generally not produced specifically for the Mind's Eye series but rather were work originally created for other purposes, including demo reels, commercials, music videos, and feature films. Director and co-producer Jan Nickman
then assembled these sequences into a narrative through creative editing, which resulted in a double platinum selling film considered to be a milestone in the field of computer animation. As a result, "The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey" reached #12 on Billboard's video hits chart. This approach gave Churchill access to the best-quality computer graphics of the time without having to bear their substantial production costs.
The soundtracks for the films were composed by James Reynolds
, Thomas Dolby
, Jan Hammer
and Kerry Livgren
(founder and guitarist for Kansas
).
when the art-form was still in its relative infancy. It is composed of a sequence of segments ambitiously chronicling the formation of Earth ("Creation"), the rise of human civilizations ("Civilization Rising"), and the technological advances of humanity from the advent of agriculture to the future exploration of the cosmos. The video speculatively concludes with a segment of what might be the next sentient species to arise on Earth, as well as the CGI short Stanley and Stella in: Breaking the Ice
. The soundtrack was composed by James Reynolds
. The sales of this video were RIAA certified as "Multi-Platinum" and reached as high as #12 on Billboard's video sales chart.
Beyond the Mind's Eye (Odyssey Visual Design, 1992) featured the efforts of Jan Hammer
and included the first vocal tracks in such segments as Too Far and Seeds of Life, a sequence themed around planet-colonizing seeds featuring the noted Panspermia by computer graphics artist Karl Sims
. The DVD version included both the vocal version of Seeds of Life (sung by Chris Thompson) that blended the animation segment and footage of Hammer and his "band" performing (composed of four Jan Hammers), with an instrumental version of the same track. Beyond the Mind's Eye also features a heavily edited version of the CGI sequences from The Lawnmower Man. The DVD contains 11 segments. The sales of this video were RIAA certified as "Multi-Platinum" and reached as high as #8 on Billboard's video sales chart.
The Gate to the Mind's Eye (Odyssey Visual Design, 1994) continued the trend of vocal tracks, along with music by Thomas Dolby
. Five of its nine segments include vocal tracks: Armageddon
, a sequence depicting massive devastation; Neo
, an astronomy-themed song; Valley of the Mind's Eye, a song about the progress of human technology; Nuvogue, the first jazz
track in the series; and Quantum Mechanic with guest vocalist Dr. Fiorella Terenzi
.
Odyssey Into The Mind's Eye (Odyssey Productions, 1996) features a soundtrack by Kerry Livgren
and two more vocal tracks, One Dark World (sung by Darren Rogers) and Aspen Moon (sung by Livgren's nephew Jacob). Odyssey Into The Mind's Eye also features versions of CGI sequences from Johnny Mnemonic
and Ecco: The Tides of Time
. Released on VHS and DVD by Sony Music.
Other package films released by Churchill such as Imaginaria (Odyssey Visual Design, 1994), and Turbulence (Odyssey Productions, 1997) have failed to include the term "The Mind's Eye" as part of their titles and are thus not considered to be a part of the series. Churchill's most recent releases have been members of the 8-member Computer Animation series which ran from 1996 to 2000 with Computer Animation Festival Volume 1.0 (Odyssey Visual Design, 1993), Computer Animation Festival Volume 2.0 (Odyssey Visual Design, 1994), and Computer Animation Festival Volume 3.0 (Odyssey Productions, 1996) forming the main series. The subsequent three Computer Animation titles again included oblique references to Mind's Eye and are entitled The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation Classics (Odyssey Productions, 1997), The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation Showcase (Odyssey Productions, 1997), and The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation Celebration (Odyssey Productions, 1998). The last two members in the series are Computer Animation Marvels (Odyssey Productions, 1999) and Computer Animation Extravaganza (Odyssey Productions, 2000). A second sister-series obliquely referencing "Computer Animation" is formed by the original Mind's Eye video and Cyberscape: A Computer Animation Vision (Odyssey Productions, 1997).
selected it as his "Video Pick of the Week" on the week of December 25, 1992 on Siskel & Ebert.
Several excerpts from The Mind's Eye were seen in the 1992 film The Lawnmower Man, which itself was featured in Beyond the Mind's Eye. The Mind's Eye and Beyond the Mind's Eye were both integral components in YTV's Short Circutz run. Several excerpts from the 1995 film, Johnny Mnemonic
, and the 1994 game, Ecco: The Tides of Time
, were also featured in Odyssey Into The Mind's Eye.
A sequence from Beyond the Mind's Eye titled "Panspermia" was used for the music video for Planet Caravan
by Pantera
. (A cover of a 1970 Black Sabbath
song.)
James Reynolds' compositions from The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey have featured in both the 264th and 271st episodes of The Hearts of Space
, respectively entitled "The Lost Frontier," and "West of the Galaxy"
A short segment taken from the Mike Oldfield
music video Let There Be Light
from his album The Songs of Distant Earth
is included in the Oceanic Celebration video from Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye.
The Mind's Eye
Beyond the Mind's Eye
The Gate to the Mind's Eye
Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye
Luminous Visions
Ancient Alien
Art film
An art film is the result of filmmaking which is typically a serious, independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience...
s rendered using computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
of varying levels of sophistication. The series began in 1990. It was produced by Steven Churchill of Odyssey Productions
Odyssey Productions
Odyssey Productions is the former name of a California-based photography and 3-D computer animation company founded in 1983 by Steven Churchill in partnership with Adrian Turcotte...
(originally Odyssey Visual Design) & Miramar Productions. The series was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
(by BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
) and LaserDisc
Laserdisc
LaserDisc was a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. Initially licensed, sold, and marketed as MCA DiscoVision in North America in 1978, the technology was previously referred to interally as Optical Videodisc System, Reflective Optical Videodisc, Laser Optical...
(by Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
) and later re-released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
(by the now-defunct Simitar Entertainment
Simitar Entertainment
Simitar Entertainment, Inc. was a media company that sold music, videos, DVDs, and computer software. They specialized in compilation albums, special interest video, and urban. Simitar distributed its own label. They were affiliated with Beast, Beast Retro, Pickwick, Plum, and Revival...
).
Overview
The typical entry in the Mind's Eye series is a short package film, usually 50 to 60 minutes long, with an electronic musicElectronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
soundtrack over a series of music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
-like sequences. The original film, entitled The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey by director and co-producer Jan Nickman
Jan Nickman
Jan Nickman is an American film and television director, producer, cinematographer and writer. As the co-founder of Miramar Images, Inc. and Sacred Earth Pictures, Nickman's career in film and television spans three decades...
, consisted of a non-rigid structure of many semi-related sequences. The general style which characterizes the series is light and cartoony due to the difficulty of rendering more complicated images using the computers of the day.
The computer animation sequences that appeared in the films were generally not produced specifically for the Mind's Eye series but rather were work originally created for other purposes, including demo reels, commercials, music videos, and feature films. Director and co-producer Jan Nickman
Jan Nickman
Jan Nickman is an American film and television director, producer, cinematographer and writer. As the co-founder of Miramar Images, Inc. and Sacred Earth Pictures, Nickman's career in film and television spans three decades...
then assembled these sequences into a narrative through creative editing, which resulted in a double platinum selling film considered to be a milestone in the field of computer animation. As a result, "The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey" reached #12 on Billboard's video hits chart. This approach gave Churchill access to the best-quality computer graphics of the time without having to bear their substantial production costs.
The soundtracks for the films were composed by James Reynolds
James Reynolds
James Reynolds may refer to:*James Reynolds , American actor*James Reynolds , American involved in the Maria Reynolds scandal...
, Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
, Jan Hammer
Jan Hammer
Jan Hammer is a composer, pianist and keyboardist. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, as well as his film scores for television and film including "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme", from the popular 1980s...
and Kerry Livgren
Kerry Livgren
Kerry Allen Livgren is an American musician and songwriter, best known as one of the founding members and primary songwriters for the 1970s progressive rock band, Kansas.-Biography:...
(founder and guitarist for Kansas
Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
).
Films
The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey (Miramar Images, Inc., 1990) was the first effort by director and co-producer Jan Nickman which served as a demonstration of computer animationComputer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
when the art-form was still in its relative infancy. It is composed of a sequence of segments ambitiously chronicling the formation of Earth ("Creation"), the rise of human civilizations ("Civilization Rising"), and the technological advances of humanity from the advent of agriculture to the future exploration of the cosmos. The video speculatively concludes with a segment of what might be the next sentient species to arise on Earth, as well as the CGI short Stanley and Stella in: Breaking the Ice
Stanley and Stella in: Breaking the Ice
Stanley and Stella in: Breaking the Ice, also known as Love Found is a 1987 computer animated short film.- Synopsis :Birds and fish are moving around different halves of a sphere, separated by a sheet of ice. One bird and one fish notice each other and approach their sides of the ice sheet...
. The soundtrack was composed by James Reynolds
James Reynolds
James Reynolds may refer to:*James Reynolds , American actor*James Reynolds , American involved in the Maria Reynolds scandal...
. The sales of this video were RIAA certified as "Multi-Platinum" and reached as high as #12 on Billboard's video sales chart.
Beyond the Mind's Eye (Odyssey Visual Design, 1992) featured the efforts of Jan Hammer
Jan Hammer
Jan Hammer is a composer, pianist and keyboardist. He first gained his most visible audience while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 1970s, as well as his film scores for television and film including "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme", from the popular 1980s...
and included the first vocal tracks in such segments as Too Far and Seeds of Life, a sequence themed around planet-colonizing seeds featuring the noted Panspermia by computer graphics artist Karl Sims
Karl Sims
Karl Sims is a computer graphics artist and researcher, who is best known for using particle systems and artificial life in computer animation....
. The DVD version included both the vocal version of Seeds of Life (sung by Chris Thompson) that blended the animation segment and footage of Hammer and his "band" performing (composed of four Jan Hammers), with an instrumental version of the same track. Beyond the Mind's Eye also features a heavily edited version of the CGI sequences from The Lawnmower Man. The DVD contains 11 segments. The sales of this video were RIAA certified as "Multi-Platinum" and reached as high as #8 on Billboard's video sales chart.
The Gate to the Mind's Eye (Odyssey Visual Design, 1994) continued the trend of vocal tracks, along with music by Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
. Five of its nine segments include vocal tracks: Armageddon
Armageddon
Armageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
, a sequence depicting massive devastation; Neo
Near-Earth object
A near-Earth object is a Solar System object whose orbit brings it into close proximity with the Earth. All NEOs have a perihelion distance less than 1.3 AU. They include a few thousand near-Earth asteroids , near-Earth comets, a number of solar-orbiting spacecraft, and meteoroids large enough to...
, an astronomy-themed song; Valley of the Mind's Eye, a song about the progress of human technology; Nuvogue, the first jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
track in the series; and Quantum Mechanic with guest vocalist Dr. Fiorella Terenzi
Fiorella Terenzi
Fiorella Terenzi is an Italian astrophysicist, author and musician who is best known for taking recordings of radio waves from galaxies and turning them into music...
.
Odyssey Into The Mind's Eye (Odyssey Productions, 1996) features a soundtrack by Kerry Livgren
Kerry Livgren
Kerry Allen Livgren is an American musician and songwriter, best known as one of the founding members and primary songwriters for the 1970s progressive rock band, Kansas.-Biography:...
and two more vocal tracks, One Dark World (sung by Darren Rogers) and Aspen Moon (sung by Livgren's nephew Jacob). Odyssey Into The Mind's Eye also features versions of CGI sequences from Johnny Mnemonic
Johnny Mnemonic (film)
Johnny Mnemonic is a 1995 cyberpunk film, loosely based on the short story "Johnny Mnemonic" by William Gibson. The title character, a man with a cybernetic brain implant designed to store information, is played by Keanu Reeves. The film portrays Gibson's dystopian view of the future with the world...
and Ecco: The Tides of Time
Ecco: The Tides of Time
Ecco: The Tides of Time, developed by Novotrade International and released 1994, is the second game in the Ecco the Dolphin series, a sequel to Ecco the Dolphin for the Sega Mega Drive, Game Gear, and Mega-CD...
. Released on VHS and DVD by Sony Music.
Spin-off titles and others
Concurrently with the release of the Mind's Eye series, Churchill also released a series of titles such as Virtual Nature: A Computer Generated Visual Odyssey From the Makers of the Mind's Eye (Odyssey Visual Design, 1993) that obliquely referenced the series. This sister-series of videos continued after the release of Odyssey Into The Mind's Eye with the final three titles: The Mind's Eye Presents Luminous Visions (Odyssey Productions, 1998) and The Mind's Eye Presents Ancient Alien (Odyssey Productions, 1998), and The Mind's Eye Presents Little Bytes (Odyssey Productions, 2000).Other package films released by Churchill such as Imaginaria (Odyssey Visual Design, 1994), and Turbulence (Odyssey Productions, 1997) have failed to include the term "The Mind's Eye" as part of their titles and are thus not considered to be a part of the series. Churchill's most recent releases have been members of the 8-member Computer Animation series which ran from 1996 to 2000 with Computer Animation Festival Volume 1.0 (Odyssey Visual Design, 1993), Computer Animation Festival Volume 2.0 (Odyssey Visual Design, 1994), and Computer Animation Festival Volume 3.0 (Odyssey Productions, 1996) forming the main series. The subsequent three Computer Animation titles again included oblique references to Mind's Eye and are entitled The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation Classics (Odyssey Productions, 1997), The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation Showcase (Odyssey Productions, 1997), and The Mind's Eye Presents Computer Animation Celebration (Odyssey Productions, 1998). The last two members in the series are Computer Animation Marvels (Odyssey Productions, 1999) and Computer Animation Extravaganza (Odyssey Productions, 2000). A second sister-series obliquely referencing "Computer Animation" is formed by the original Mind's Eye video and Cyberscape: A Computer Animation Vision (Odyssey Productions, 1997).
Popular culture
Beyond the Mind's Eye was a bestseller in the USA when it was originally released on VHS and laserdisc. Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
selected it as his "Video Pick of the Week" on the week of December 25, 1992 on Siskel & Ebert.
Several excerpts from The Mind's Eye were seen in the 1992 film The Lawnmower Man, which itself was featured in Beyond the Mind's Eye. The Mind's Eye and Beyond the Mind's Eye were both integral components in YTV's Short Circutz run. Several excerpts from the 1995 film, Johnny Mnemonic
Johnny Mnemonic (film)
Johnny Mnemonic is a 1995 cyberpunk film, loosely based on the short story "Johnny Mnemonic" by William Gibson. The title character, a man with a cybernetic brain implant designed to store information, is played by Keanu Reeves. The film portrays Gibson's dystopian view of the future with the world...
, and the 1994 game, Ecco: The Tides of Time
Ecco: The Tides of Time
Ecco: The Tides of Time, developed by Novotrade International and released 1994, is the second game in the Ecco the Dolphin series, a sequel to Ecco the Dolphin for the Sega Mega Drive, Game Gear, and Mega-CD...
, were also featured in Odyssey Into The Mind's Eye.
A sequence from Beyond the Mind's Eye titled "Panspermia" was used for the music video for Planet Caravan
Planet Caravan
"Planet Caravan" is a psychedelic song by Black Sabbath. The song's lyrics and mellow music create a dreamy atmosphere.Geezer Butler has stated that the song's meaning is floating through the universe with your lover. The song appears on their 1970 breakthrough album, Paranoid...
by Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
. (A cover of a 1970 Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
song.)
James Reynolds' compositions from The Mind's Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey have featured in both the 264th and 271st episodes of The Hearts of Space
Hearts of Space
Hearts of Space is a United States weekly syndicated public radio show featuring music of a contemplative nature drawn largely from the ambient, New Age and electronic genres, while also including classical, world, Celtic, experimental, and other music selections...
, respectively entitled "The Lost Frontier," and "West of the Galaxy"
A short segment taken from the Mike Oldfield
Mike Oldfield
Michael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
music video Let There Be Light
Let There Be Light (song)
"Let There Be Light" is a single by musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1995. It is from the album The Songs of Distant Earth and uses audio from the Apollo 8 space mission.- Music video :...
from his album The Songs of Distant Earth
The Songs of Distant Earth (album)
The Songs of Distant Earth is the 16th album by Mike Oldfield, released in 1994. It is based on Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction novel The Songs of Distant Earth.- Release details :...
is included in the Oceanic Celebration video from Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye.
See also
- Odyssey ProductionsOdyssey ProductionsOdyssey Productions is the former name of a California-based photography and 3-D computer animation company founded in 1983 by Steven Churchill in partnership with Adrian Turcotte...
- The Lawnmower Man (film)
- Short Circutz
- Johnny Mnemonic (film)Johnny Mnemonic (film)Johnny Mnemonic is a 1995 cyberpunk film, loosely based on the short story "Johnny Mnemonic" by William Gibson. The title character, a man with a cybernetic brain implant designed to store information, is played by Keanu Reeves. The film portrays Gibson's dystopian view of the future with the world...
- Ecco: The Tides of TimeEcco: The Tides of TimeEcco: The Tides of Time, developed by Novotrade International and released 1994, is the second game in the Ecco the Dolphin series, a sequel to Ecco the Dolphin for the Sega Mega Drive, Game Gear, and Mega-CD...
- Fantasia 2000Fantasia 2000Fantasia 2000 is a 1999 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was the 38th feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and a sequel to 1940's Fantasia...
External links
- Animation Trip Homepage - current Odyssey Productions copyright holders
- SIGGRAPH.org Odyssey Productions developer blurb
The Mind's Eye
Beyond the Mind's Eye
The Gate to the Mind's Eye
Odyssey Into the Mind's Eye
Luminous Visions
Ancient Alien