Title: 72 DPI
Publisher: Die Gestalten Verlag

REVIEW: Erik Reponen (BIG Interactive)

DGV's "72 dpi - Anime," is the latest follow up to "72dpi." I found it to be a thorough catalogue of some of the best work to come out of the fields of motion graphics, video, web design, and everything that falls between. I frequently found myself recognizing work I had seen over the course of the last year or two. The editors have taken on a formidable task of presenting work that only really works on a screen in a book format. The end result is something that goes beyond the traditional bound page.

When opening the funky translucent vinyl cover one finds an "experience" inside that consists of three parts: a DVD, a wonderfully bound book, and a DVD-ROM segment for those who have DVD-ROM access for more interactive features (I did not have access to a DVD-ROM for the time of this review.) I call it an experience for the reason that there isn't any narrative structure to follow or an overlying theme other than the fact the work presented is very recent and most of it is more progressive in nature, you won't see any McDonald's Big Mac commercials in this one. The synergy of the on-screen and on-page becomes a veritable ADD theater of the mind. I'll explain later.

The most compelling part of the "experience" is the actual work on the DVD. It really shows what the best and the brightest young stars of motion design are doing today. It's hard not to have opinion's about some of the pieces on the DVD -- you either love them or hate them. Nevertheless there's enough for everyone. One thing's for sure is that this book is not short on content. As a professional web designer who was already familiar with a lot of this work I found it to be something quite different when having it presented all at once. It really forces one to look at the current trends in design and to contemplate it's future. The pieces in general seem to come from a collective mind. Small type, extruded 3d, 2d 3d, arrows, vector silhouettes, cut corners and the like are abound -- yet still there is a great well of originality to be found in each piece. As The Designer's Republic's Ian Anderson (whose Funkstorung video on the DVD has a special place in my heart) once said "steal what you need but think for yourself." It will be interesting to see what a lot of these designers will be doing in the following years as their mastery of the tools grows with their life experience. It promises the general public more than just clever, design driven concepts but truly intelligent, compelling concept driven experiences. This is something to look forward to.

Not all concepts work. Something I found a really frustrating is that when I wanted to rewind or fast forward or skip around as one is accustomed to with a DVD - I couldn't. The DVD is structured so that if you want to access something directly you have to look it up in the on-screen menu in it's respective category or use the cryptic "Quick Check Reference Card." I'll appreciate a new way of navigating content any day, but this reminds me of the expression "going around your ass to find your elbow." I found myself watching sections over and over again so I could stumble across that gem that I forgot to write down.

The book makes up for the short-falling of the DVD navigation. It allows the work to stand for itself without detailed reviews or annoying captions. There are few informative interviews peppered throughout that are a welcome insight into the methodology of several of the designers. It would be impossible to document every frame of the DVD, so instead the editors have painstakingly selected details that really showoff the pieces best attributes. The great thing about the book is that you'll find a fascinating detail you didn't notice before and have to go back to the DVD to find it again. "72dpi - Anime" reveals itself in layers.

My only guess is that the editors want to force one to read the book first and then feel compelled to look up the work on the DVD, which would explain the "Quick Check Reference Card." This reviewer and several of his colleagues found that to be a great disservice to the work. After all it is called "72dpi." Do you really want to see screenshots in print first or the work the way it was originally intended first?

All in all "72dpi - Anime" is a well done document of a prolific and provocative time in motion design and will be interesting to look back on as times change.