>
STAR CYCLES MOVIE
RENT $2.99 OR PURCHASE $14.95
"This ambitious and impressive movie blends academic concepts, imaginative computer animation, and diverse soundscapes into an engaging, cohesive whole." —Anil Prasad, Innerviews
"STAR CYCLES - The Timeless Wisdom of Pythagoras" is the third "visual music" film by VyZ, released in February 2006. The band finished producing the soundtrack in November 2004 with Adam Holzman, yet again, providing his innovative keyboard work over the live, improvised "VyZ" music. "Star Cycles" introduces the ancient teachings of Pythagoras via a cosmic journey through the universe, milky way, and solar system to the inner reaches of the earth's ecosystem, human evolution and the eternal cycle of life and death. It is designed to be a highly creative, cinematic, sonic experience.
Due to the geometric and mathematical/musical roots of Pythagoras, the band elected to construct the film around the dynamic imagery created by the G-force music visualization software. G-force was first used by Herbie Hancock during his live tour in 2002 and has gone on to be a visual music projection tool for live music events around the world. The "VyZ" band has customized G-force to emphasize it's geometric algorithms for the "Star Cycles" film and has licensed G-force from its publisher, Soundspectrum, Inc.
STAR CYCLES is an innovative, educational movie created to expose students of all ages to the teachings of the Greek Master, Pythagoras, and inspire enthusiasm for Math, Music, Geometry and Astronomy. Featuring animation from the Space Telescope Science Institute, NASA, and The European Space Agency.
The STAR CYCLES movie is designed as a springboard for learning about both the mathematical and musical nature of the Universe, as well as, the Pythagorean roots of our modern world in democracy, science and art. Most of us only know about Pythagoras through the Pythagorean Theorem we learned in our middle school geometry class. STAR CYCLES - the Timeless Wisdom of Pythagoras, provides a wealth of knowledge across many academic disciplines that Pythagoras introduced over 2500 years ago. The great Greek philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, were all deeply influenced by Pythagoras and his teachings, as were the great scientists and artists of the Renaissance, such as, Galileo, Kepler, Copernicus, DaVinci, and Michelangelo. Einstein used the Pythagorean theorem in his theory of special relativity. The movie was produced to especially inspire students, teachers, parents, and librarians.
5 STAR REVIEW ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO - February 13, 2006
THE ACT OF LEARNING
Star Cycles is the quintessential DVD for high school students that really does bring fun back to learning. It is an engaging feast for the eyes, ears and brain. There is clear relevance in studying the Ageless Wisdom from those seekers of Truth and Knowledge who have gone before us and even more so for those who have sought and found. Pythagoras is just such a man who understood and taught all about the diversity and unity of life on Earth and the Cosmos. His vivifying ideas are worthy of the attention the Pritchard School of Digital Arts brings forth in this dynamic and creative DVD for students.
As an educator, the ease of use and logistics of interfacing between the website and the video are a standout feature. The film is broken down into 10 segments or subsections which could each be used as a stand-alone lesson or supplemental to a larger unit. The combination of Movie and interfaced website makes for a powerful learning tool. There are also "Teacher Guides" that provide a solid overview of each part of the DVD with national curriculum guidelines and worksheets to print out for a class.
If you are like me and are always looking for a way to make Math, History, or any of the Sciences come alive in a new and exciting way for your students, you will love Star Cycles. Technology and curricula which assists the classroom teacher to ignite the spark of enthusiasm for learning has never been more in demand. Making the connection from isolated academic subjects such as Biology, History, Astronomy, and Math, to what is relevant to the lives of students and the world around them, is where real education begins. The interfaced website supports the classroom teacher after this connection and ignition has been made with a wealth of information that expands on the topic covered in each section of the film. The student Study Guide section also includes essay questions that can be answered online and emailed to their teacher. I was very impressed by the professional organization and presentation of this innovative, and educational DVD about "timeless wisdom." I have found a kindred soul in Pythagorus as he states "the most important act is the act of learning".
—John McComish, Berkshire County Educator
REVIEW IN SENSES MAGAZINE - Spring Issue, 2006
ELECTRIC UNIVERSE
“Time Travel with the sacred science of Pythagoras, 2500 years and back to the present, emerging in a multimedia film in a 21st century cauldron.”
John Pritchard, an award-winning multimedia designer/filmmaker/musician, is taking the concept of multimedia art to a new realm with his latest project, “Star Cycles – The Timeless Wisdom of Pythagoras,” a musical, educational and interactive DVD. “Star Cycles” unravels musical, mathematical and mystical concepts introduced by the Greek philosopher, Pythagoras, more than 2,500 years ago. Snowballing off the successful release of “Novus” (2004), a film about the electromagnetic scientist Nikola Tesla, Pritchard rode the momentum into this project. Alongside bandmates Rich Damone (bassist) and Charlie Tokarz (flute/saxophonist), he set out to illustrate concrete and abstract concepts by creating a story that followed a musical narrative. The result: an entrancing production filled with psychedelic images that blend and dance with musical reverie. ‘Star Cycles’ is introducing a very simple perspective of the universe, the Milky Way, the local solar system, the planets, the Earth we live on – and then of course, humanity,” said Pritchard. “The whole process was an attempt to reach the high school/college audience who’s interested in both current astronomy and the fairly new concept that we live in an electric universe rather than a static nuclear furnace-based universe. We put together a musical, educational presentation that was introducing a lot of these concepts that we don’t get in our normal education — unless we really dig for it.”
A full-color book was printed to promote the movie and it has gained almost as much praise and attention as the film. The presentation of photographs, coupled with bits of information on Pythagoras and his timeless wisdom are a perfect supplement to the DVD, which has a companion website that launches while navigating the 10 learning modules that make up “Star Cycles”. “We all come from the stars and are intrinsically connected to their eternal cycles. Pythagoras called the harmonic vibrations of the planets and stars the ‘music of the spheres.’ His greatest symbol of truth and harmony is the geometric star pentagram we all learn to draw in nursery school,” explained Pritchard. “Star Cycles” – like every project Pritchard, a drummer and keyboardist, embarks on – began with sound. Every Tuesday night, his band has a conversation with their free-form jazz. Pritchard gushes over the effect a live jam session can have on the spirit: “Music teaches me how important it is to improvise, to roll with life, and to trust my intuition to produce my best efforts,” said Pritchard. “We’re really talking at a very high form of communication. It’s instant dialogue with rhythm, harmony and melody. We’re not composed, we let music play naturally.” The band is aptly named “VyZ”, as in the third syllable in ‘im-pro-vise’.
Reversing the normal procedure of scoring a movie, Pritchard’s team uses the music as the recipe and the movie as the oven: “For me, the music not fitting precisely, like an average musical score would, sets up a lot more visually. When you’re watching it, you pay more attention to the art.” Born in New York City, Pritchard moved to Argentina when he was 8 years old. He won his first art award (for a Peter Maxstyle bald eagle) and received his first piano and Slingerland drumset by the time he turned 10. By 12, he had traveled most of South America and spoke fluent Spanish. After finishing the last two years of high school, Pritchard went back to New York to get his bachelor’s degree in fine arts and his master’s degree in education from St. Lawrence University. While there, Pritchard was exposed to the fresh scene of video art and short avant garde films. He made his first movie in 1983 when he was awarded a grant to film in China as part of an educational group that traveled to Beijing, Xian, Loyang, Nanching and Shanghai. Over the past 20 years, he’s served as a creative director, multimedia consultant and computer expert to Fortune 500 companies, advertising agencies, digital start-ups and educational institutions. He’s worked with big hitters like Microsoft, Apple, Sony, Canon, and Time-Warner. He’s received millions of dollars in grants for progressive and worthy causes. His resume makes one wonder if he’s figured out a way to live his 46 years four times over. In 2001, he opened Pritchard Digital Arts, a multimedia education and production company. His love for teaching fueled his desire to give back by paying his education forward. “Teaching is art. Art is teaching. Life is art,” said Pritchard. The school is located in Williamstown, Mass., home to the prestigious Williams College – one of the institutions where Pritchard has taught. He came back to Williamstown for one year that turned into seven: “I am a country boy now, but will always be a New Yorker at heart.” His school is responsible for setting up organizations like “artistsON digital filmfest,” for emerging digital filmmakers, and “promoFest,” a platform for artists to develop a digital presence on the web. Charlie Chaplin is at the top of Pritchard’s pioneering filmmakers list. Pritchard says that Chaplin wrote, edited, directed, produced, acted and composed the musical score for his films. Maybe this is where multi-tasking rubbed off from. Pritchard is an acute observer who learns from those who came before him.
“I love learning what people are about and really asking good questions. There are many great artists, minds, geniuses, moviemakers and technicians throughout history. They all have something in common: they ask good questions. It’s the curiosity thing that is part of any person’s creative life no matter what your medium is,” he said. Pritchard himself is an inspiration. He is a true success story for every starving artist that is shooting for the moon and hoping to land among the stars. “I’m a big practitioner of keeping your dreams in front of you. Someone taught me at a very young age, ‘If you visualize it and put your heart into it, it will manifest on its own time.’ It may take several years or even a half a lifetime but you’ll get there,” Pritchard said. In a society where the curriculum and quality of education has long been in question, Pritchard is reinventing the ways we learn as a diverse group of people with a multitude of learning styles. He’s getting people excited about the state of technology and what it has to offer. “The computer has become my entire film studio. It’s amazing what you can do today with just some time.” To make it in this business, Pritchard says that you can’t have anything to hide: “Fearless creativity is the primary requirement for true success.” His newest project after ‘Star Cycles’, an autobiography narrated by his improvisational music, is a living testament to this philosophy. “It’s really dealing a bit more with the inner process that I’ve gone through in the last 15 years or so on my road to being a creative person,” explained Pritchard. With a unique interpretation of art, a progressive style and an open nature, John Pritchard connects the dots of his own stars. Through the trials of his life — and playing Rugby as a kid — he earned his rewarding epiphany: “It’s not about winning. It’s about pushing yourself to go places you haven’t been.”
DOWNLOAD FREE PDF
DOWNLOAD FREE PDF