Arena, a fast-paced look at the earth from above

Using images captured by Google Earth, Ireland-based artist Páraic McGloughlin speeds through scheme after scheme of human-made shapes and structures from high above in the experimental film short Arena. From McGloughlin at DirectorsNotes.com:

I put a lot of focus on imagery containing flat lines, symmetry and grids as they are so different to the patterns/shapes made by nature, and hoped in turn that this would be most effective. It wasn’t until I started messing with some images that I thought to allocate the idea of the game of life – “Arena” to the theme as it fit perfectly in my opinion. I wanted to create a retro-like video game effect out of the images and I knew I wanted to start with flat roads ‘bouncing’ off the sides of the screen with an element of growth, a focus on the abundance of life on earth as well as some kind of evolution idea.

Related imagery, and a TKSST Gift Guide recommendation: Overview: A New Perspective of Earth by Benjamin Grant.

Semi-related videos about patterns, shapes, Google, roads, maps, and more include Further Up Yonder: A Message From ISS To All Humankind, The Ground Beneath Me, People in Order, why rivers curve, and why all world maps are wrong.

Bonus: Motoi Yamamoto’s intricate, temporary salt installations.

Thanks, Ben.