Watch as the American housing market spirals out of control. An urgent cry for simplicity, Subprime uses a constantly rotating isometric perspective to illustrate the current subprime mortgage crisis in the United States. Every successive house that is built folds into itself and sprouts the growth of a bigger one, only to repeat the ultimately futile process again.
subprime – TRT 2:27 mins.
Beeple is Mike Winkelmann, a graphic designer from Appleton, Wisconsin, USA. His short films have screened at onedotzero, Prix Ars Electronica, the Sydney Biennale, Ann Arbor Film Festival and many others. He has also released a series of Creative Commons live visuals that have been used by electronic acts such as deadmau5, Taio Cruz, Tiësto, Paul van Dyk, Amon Tobin, Wolfgang Gartner, The Glitch Mob, Flying Lotus and many others. He currently releases work on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint.
Mike Winkelmann – Appleton WI
17 Days Video Series 
I really enjoy this video. I feel like I’m playing the Sims again when I watch this. My only critique is that I wish there was more interaction with the person and the homes he visited
This piece reminds me of a the American dream always moving up the ladder to something bigger and better but at the same time disregarding the things that they once came from as something beneath them.
This video displays an amazing and creative way to show how american housing has changed so much. The transitions are smooth and this video is very much entertaining. Great spiral effect.
Now I feel I need to check out those Creative Commons live visuals that he has created for all those DJs.
woah
This reminded me of playing the sims. When you get money, you put in a pool, add a second story, build a garage, but all with audio. I really enjoyed this and the representation of all of the different objects being added and taken away from every situation.
It really shows American’s need for social status, and to climb the property ladder. I really enjoyed how you drove your point home at the end with the biggest house being put up for sale.
Great job, good choice of music, and the simplicity and easy understanding of your work.
Great video! The concept was explained very well! Nice introduction. I like the fact that it started out with a small house and eventually became a huge mansion. It kind of reminded me of legos and the sims! Great Job!
This is a really important issue to address, and I’m glad someone did! Too many people fall into the “homestead ideal” trap in America; there’s always this idea that bigger is better, and it should be yours. But it’s not sustainable or affordable for the majority of the people in this country and really just incurs a lot of debt and a lot of land being occupied by superfluous lawns and empty buildings that no one can afford or use.
I really think that the housing crisis is a huge deal right now, and this video is very relevant and can be applied to other aspects of economy and life in general. I think the biggest factor in establishing a concept for me is when the houses would collapse. I feel this was a good to represent the demise of this market and its greed for making something bigger and better.
I think of being trapped in one place. A person buys a home, and then remodels it again and again, ultimately putting it up for sale. Will it be sold right away? Probably not. It’s unfortunate that people put so much thought and effort into their homes, just to make a profit. Well, I shouldn’t say “homes”, but rather, “houses”.
I really enjoyed this video. It shows the evolution of the home. Going from small and simple necessities to large houses with all anyone could ever want.
Not only does this video accurately visualize the current failure of the subprime mortgage, but also reminds us all of the idea that bigger and newer is better. This idea is unsustainable, and we need to re-examine the current trends in home building. I think that if the people in the video had more interaction with the homes portrayed, the impact could be much stronger.
This video also shows the evolution of the types of homes that we have lived in that in turn reflects the amount of space, things and resources we have come to use. It starts out as just the bare necessities, a bed and something to keep us warm, and has escalated into isolation and material objects to keep us happy. Families don’t seem to be spending as much quality time together, but instead have televisions in multiple rooms and video games that simulate life.
This looks like a very fun use of animation. It reminded me a lot of the computer game “The Sims”. From what I can understand from this film, is it is a progression represented by moving up in the size of ones’ house to accommodate their family.
such a well designed video. crisp clean, stylized and beautiful colors help illustrate an ever-changing home throughout history.
We, as a society, push the concept that bigger is better. If I have a big house, I will be happy. When I then become unhappy again, I will sell that house and buy a bigger one. Good plan, yeah?
this video demonstrates very well how housing has evolved. I like that you did the video this way because it was very easy to follow and understand.
I really like this video and how it is has a playful attitude to it and the use of animation. I like how it shows how housing and the way people are living has changed over time. Or how people move into a house and our constantly moving or building a new one.
I love the way the screen is constantly rotating as the subject matter changes. I think the music fits well and goes along with the way the houses are changing.
I think this is a very cool looking video. The animation is very smooth and well done. The concept I believe is about mans relationship with nature. This video shows a evolution of our homes and lives.