A Day in the Life of New York City, in miniature
27th February 10
Posted in awesomeness, online video
The Sandpit from Sam O’Hare on Vimeo.
This is a stunning piece of film, shot by Sam O’Hare in NYC, in miniature and using a shallow depth of field. Worth noting right at the outset that the tilt-shift effect was faked in post (but the overall effect is far from lessened because of this).
For best results hit HD and watch in full screen. And turn it up.
There’s a really great interview with O’Hare here, on the Aero Film site. Here’s a sample, in which O’Hare talks about the equipment he used in putting this together. It involved over 35,000 stills.
The music is perfectly matched. It was specially written by Rosi Golan and Alex Wong, and composed by Human.
If you watch carefully there are some priceless moments, usually involving tiny characters doing things that look other-worldly when viewed in this way (I particularly like the scene in which someone sneaks out on their roof – this is shot in the height of the hottest part of the summer of 09 – to have a quick cigarette). One of the slightly odder things about the film is that despite seeing hundreds of people across the five minute piece, we don’t see a single face. This adds to the surreal, almost fake quality of the film.
Thanks to @finnbarrw for the heads-up.
11 comments on “A Day in the Life of New York City, in miniature”
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Ben Malbon
your web-site posts are quite useful too. Thanks 
Really clever and well done. Some of the cityscapes actually look like models, and the the cars and trucks resemble Matchbox toys. Thanks for sharing Ben.
Wow! Cool. I love to visiting the city in 3 weeks again.
It is actually Rosi Golan, and Alex Wong
Thanks
Apologies. Now reads correctly I hope. Thank you for such ace work. B
[...] If I were photography geek (unfortunately I’m not) i’d have been drooling over the photography porn making-of story [...]
This is verily the awesome
(and thanks Finbarr)
Wow. This is just awesome. New York City in a microscope. Wish I could be part of it…
Truly, inspirational. I loved the two couple beneath the bridge practicing Tai Chi.
Hi Ben – familiar urban grime as a tonka toy-town : tilt-shift stop-mo is so magical.
you know Keith Loutit’s work out of Oz? Same style. Similar level of awesome: http://vimeo.com/keithloutit
Hi Tom, thanks so much for the tip-off. Love that stuff. Have circulated so more can enjoy it. B
I’ve seen good swing/tilt a thousand times. Likewise, I’ve seen stop-motion cityscapes a thousand times — none better than the original “Koyaanisqatsi” in 1982, which Sam O’Hare credits as his inspiration.
But the technique here (and in the Keith Loutit work linked above) makes stop-motion seem totally new; it transforms the images into something otherworldly and magical.
Hey, did you shoot some of this from my roof? It’s amazing. Congrats.