SMS Controlled Bots LIVE

What happens when you let anyone in the world control robots with their phones? Well I wanted to find out so I teamed up with my friends at Twilio to find out. We ended up with these two robotic arms programmed to respond to the following SMS commands: forward,left,right,back,down,up

If a viewer texted one of these commands to the number corresponding to the bot then the bot would move a step in that direction. We mounted small 3D cut circular blades to the bots “hands” so they could pop the balloons. And it worked!

Check out the full recorded Facebook Live feed here

Special thanks to Mark Kleback for the programming.

Some behind the scenes pics below.

Although you can see the Sony FS7 set up here the actual live ended up on a Canon C100.

Hamster Wars – Star Wars With Hamsters

 

obi wan hamster from hamster wars by keith hopkin
It’s that time of year again for another Star Wars feature. But before watching Rogue One in theaters catch up and see where it all began in this hamsterized version of Episode IV: A New Hope. Starring the amazing hamsters of the Westchester Rescued Hamster Haven. Enjoy!

Hamster Wars

Video by Keith Hopkin & Laura Vitto
VFX by Loris Ravera & Peter Carlson
Music by Tommi Kelly
Additional Illustrations by Bob Al-Greene

Hamster Skywalker from Hamster Wars by Keith Hopkin

The force is strong in this one

4 Videos, 1 Couch

I hate waste especially if I know something can be used for a future video. Should I throw away the couch I just used for one video? Should I throw away this new Tiffany lamp and side table? Thankfully I am only talking miniatures!

When I built a small hamster-sized set last year for a Friends “Central Perk” video I acquired some small dollhouse furniture at a shop on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. One of these items was a cute brown two-seat couch. I never thought I would repurpose it so heavily. Here is how I used it in four different videos.

1. Hamster Friends

The  “Central Perk” coffee shop centerpiece is an ugly, fuzzy orange couch.

Friends Central Perk

So I took my new tiny brown couch…

Hamster Friends Couch

And painted it orange!

friends
After the shoot this small furniture set sat near my desk for many months , sometimes giving a place for  mini Fox Mulder and his Mario Bros. friends a place to kick back and have a drink after a long day of conspiracy hunting.

Fox Mulder on Couch

2. Hamster Things

Back in September I decided to recreate the now-iconic lightbulb filled Byers living room of Stranger Things. Their couch is more or less a light brown and had blanket and pillows thrown on it.

Stranger Things Season 1 Byres Couch

So I painted the orange “Central Perk” couch back to brown:

Hamster Things, Stranger Things Couch
My Mashable colleague Laura Vitto drew yellow lines on  a paper towel for the blanket and I gotta say it worked really well!

You can watch Hamster Things here.

3. Hamsterfeld

I recently recreated Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment in Seinfeld. One of his couches was somewhat of a  blue fabric. So I took the same couch from “Hamster Friends” and “Hamster Things” and painted it over once again for “Hamsterfeld“:

hamsterfeld couch by keith hopkin

What’s the deeeeeal with couches??!

4. Hamster Yule Log

And finally, here’s the same pre-painted one-seater from all of these videos that appears in “Hamster Yule Log”. It’s a 12 minute video you can throw up on your big screen on loop while you enjoy the holidays!

You can watch that one on a 4-hour loop here!

 

Hamster Yule Log by Keith Hopkin

Special thanks to the Westchester Rescued Hamster Haven for providing all of the talent to use all of this tiny furniture!

Where will I use this couch next??!!

Keith Hopkin Behind the Scenes with Hamster Friends

100 Years of Pomeranian Beauty

100 Years of Pomeranian Beauty in 60 Seconds by Keith Hopkin

Quincy came by the Mashable studios again. This time she demonstrated the past 100 years of Pomeranian beauty. (Hint: Pomeranians have always been cute.)

Watch now and follow Quincy on Instagram and she will love you forever 🙂

Video by Keith Hopkin  & Laura Vitto

Have you had enough cute?  Watch this little rescue hamster from the Westchester Rescued Hamster Haven show us a thing or two about hamster beauty standards throughout the decades.  You’ll never believe what happens next!

Video by Keith Hopkin

 

Hamsterfeld – Seinfeld with Hamsters

I’ve done Friends with hamsters, Stranger Things with hamsters and Harry Potter with hamsters. So now check out my newest creation – Seinfeld with hamsters! Special thanks again to Westchester Rescued Hamster Haven for providing the excellent talent!

Hamsterfeld - Seinfeld with hamsters by Keith Hopkin

 

I had a lot of fun recreating this iconic set in miniature.  Look at that tiny kitchen!

Keith Hopkin, creator of Hamsterfeld Video

 

Look at this tiny little Mac computer Laura made!

Miniature Seinfeld Hamster office by Keith Hopkin

Kramer’s coffee table book about coffee tables that turns into a coffee table!

Hamterfeld by Keith Hopkin

I really wanted to get the details right 🙂

Hamster Seinfeld (Hamsterfeld) by Keith Hopkin

Sometimes I will do all of my building through the lens.

Hamsterfeld Behind the Scenes

Here’s a still from Seinfeld

Seinfeld

Video by Keith Hopkin & Laura Vitto

Special thanks to Tommi Kelly for his musical rendition of the theme!

Sweet post from www.someecards.com