Jorg: Is the YouTube Star a Full Sailor??

We published this article in Propeller on Monday. It was written by Christine Baker, our super-talented writer/editor. It was in regards to the work by Brett Novak, a design student at Full Sail and his ultimate creation, Jorg.

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On YouTube, even a talking thumb can stick out from the crowd.
At Full Sail, he’s an unassuming Digital Arts & Design student who drives a motorbike that sometimes runs. Across the globe in South Korea, however, he’s the creator of a popular YouTube video called "Crazy Eyes," which has been featured on a Korean primetime variety show that translates to mean "Exist or Not!"

The student, Brett Novak, made “Crazy Eyes” while experimenting with AfterEffects before coming to Full Sail. “Crazy Eyes” features Novak’s friend, Eric Kopecky, whose eyes Novak altered to look like they were moving in opposite directions simultaneously.

On "Exist or Not!" Koreans citizens, celebrities and even optometrists were asked to weigh in on whether or not the boy in “Crazy Eyes” could really move his eyes like that. Several tried to mimic Eric’s eyes, to no avail. At the end of the show, Eric and Brett revealed the truth and the effect was explained.

The popularity of the show and the uproar over the video was surprising to Novak. "I was expecting a 30-second showing, but it’s like the entire segment."

Besides his "Crazy Eyes" fame in South Korea, Novak’s YouTube sensation Jorg (a talking, dancing thumb with a superimposed face, minus the nose) has brought Novak even more attention. The first of the three Jorg videos has logged more than 1 million views since its debut in 2005.

On Friday, Jorg appeared on an episode of the BBC show "Money Programme," which was investigating YouTube and the rise of do-it-yourself TV. For the show, "Money Programme" ran a documentary-style interview with Jorg, soliciting the famous thumb character’s thoughts on YouTube and the future of television. The piece also includes post-audio work by RA student Patrick Forrest.

Novak also was asked back on "Exist or Not!" for a Korean New Year episode, which includes a new version of "Crazy Eyes." On the show, he wishes a happy new year to the show’s viewers – which represent about 15 percent of the Korean television audience. "Happy New Year!" Novak said in Korean. "You could be a star like me."

The Origin of the Thumb
Novak is the man behind the camera and digital effects, but he shares some of the fame with pals Eric Kopecky and Nico DeRobertis. Kopecky is the face and voice of Jorg, and is featured on "Crazy Eyes." The actual thumb in the Jorg videos belongs to DeRobertis, although Kopecky’s thumb was used as a stand-in for the BBC special due to distance and time constraints.

Novak is modest about all of the attention. "It’s so crudely done; it’s so badly done!" Novak says of the "Crazy Eyes" video, which he made two years ago. Similarly, the first two Jorg videos are hand-animated, he says.

"There’s a guy named Steve Oedekerk who’s been doing the thumb stuff for years," said Novak. "He did like the Bat Thumb and The Blair Thumb project." Novak says Jorg was inspired in part from Oedekerk’s material. "The character is ours, but the actual, literal animation, that’s been done."

The Hand (and thumb) of Fate
It was, in fact, the fun of experimenting with AfterEffects and making videos for YouTube that led him to seek out Full Sail, where he has been able to hone his skills, Novak said.

He points out that there’s quite a difference in quality between his first videos and his work now, and some people have noticed.

"I got a couple of comments from people that feature this stuff that were like, ‘Wow, you’re really cleaning up – giving Oedekerk a run for his money!’"

Novak’s goal is to continue to develop his skills in video, web design and motion graphics, which he has already put to use on non-YouTube projects such as a music video for the Canadian metal band Kittie and work for Lands End and multimedia company Xenopod, Inc.

As for Jorg, it seems that his star is still rising, thanks to YouTube.

Digital Arts & Design Program Director Bill Galbreath commented that Novak’s experience is a perfect example of how fast art and culture circulate around the world these days. "It points out why it is important to do good work, to reach for your passion and to deliver an interesting piece. You never know when someone from the other side of the world will call you and invite you to tell your story to an eager audience you never knew existed."

- Christine Baker