Glinda, also known as the Witch of the North, is a prominent character in L. Frank Baum's famous novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." She is portrayed as a beautiful and powerful sorceress who resides in the northern part of the Land of Oz. Glinda is notably the ruler of the Quadling Country, one of the four quadrants of Oz. She is known for her kindness, wisdom, and her role as the protector and benefactor of the Munchkins. With her magical abilities, she maintains peace and harmony in her land, ensuring the safety and happiness of her subjects.
Tyler is one of the night’s performers who is also nominated for an award. He’s up for Best Rap Album, with his album Igor competing against 21 Savage’s personal I Am > I Was, Dreamville’s collaborative Revenge Of The Dreamers III, Meek Mill’s fiery Championships, and YBN Cordae’s contemplative The Lost Boy. Of the five, Tyler has the second-most nominations after Dreamville’s J. Cole with three nominations. Tyler was nominated for Album Of The Year in 2012 for his work with fellow Odd Future member and close friend Frank Ocean on Frank’s debut Channel Orange and again in 2017 for his own Flower Boy, which was up for Best Rap Album. A win for Tyler would be his first.
Tyler The Creator was joined by Charlie Wilson, Boyz II Men, and an army of Igor cloens for his intense Grammys performance of songs from his Best Rap Album-nominated album Igor including Earfquake and New Magic Wand. He s up for Best Rap Album, with his album Igor competing against 21 Savage s personal I Am I Was , Dreamville s collaborative Revenge Of The Dreamers III , Meek Mill s fiery Championships , and YBN Cordae s contemplative The Lost Boy.
With her magical abilities, she maintains peace and harmony in her land, ensuring the safety and happiness of her subjects. One of Glinda's most significant appearances in the story is when Dorothy Gale, the main character, arrives in Oz after a tornado transports her from Kansas. Glinda becomes instrumental in guiding Dorothy on her quest to find the famous Wizard of Oz, who might be able to help her return home.
TYLER THE CREATOR - GRAMMY PERFORMANCE
Working under the direction of Drew Best at Immenent and Alex Reardon of Silent House productions, I was tasked with designing and animating a virtual set extension for Tyler, the Creator’s explosive 2020 GRAMMY Performance of EARFQUAKE / NEW MAGIC WAND, at which he took home the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for his IGOR album. The physical set, designed by Silent House, depicted a neighborhood street lined with pastel colored houses. During the performance, the set would crack apart and spew flames. My task was to create a mapped animation to extend the set and enhance the effect with added VFX.
002// THE CONCEPT
The performance opens on a colorful neighborhood street where Tyler is accompanied by a quartet including Boyz II Men and Charlie Wilson. The mood quickly changes to a dark, stormy environment. As the earth-rattling bass hits, the street cracks open and the scene begins to self-destruct. Powerlines spark, structures fall, and basically everything explodes as a fiery abyss opens in the middle of the street. At the finale moment, Tyler drops off the backside of the physical set, into the virtual fiery pit.
003// THE Process
I began recreating the houses and the street in Cinema4D using the physical set as a reference. There were a number of unknowns including the final placement of the set in relation to the screen and the camera angles that would be used on show day, so I created the scene in 1 point perspective with plenty of breathing room for ease of remapping and flexibility for the live cameras. Another unknown was the actual audio since Tyler was creating a bespoke mashup for the performance. So I created a series of looping layers and musical moments that could be arranged and composited in After Effects so that we would have the ability to remix as needed as those details solidified.
004// CREDITS
Production Design - Alex Reardon // Silent House
Animation Studio - Drew Best // Immanent
Design & Animaton - Sean Bowes
Tyler The Creator was joined by Charlie Wilson, Boyz II Men, and an army of Igor cloens for his intense Grammys performance of songs from his Best Rap Album-nominated album Igor including “Earfquake” and “New Magic Wand.” The extras wore duplicates of his signature, powder blue suit and Andy Warhol wig on a stage set to look like a burning suburban cul-de-sac. Check out the performance below.
Throughout the novel, Glinda provides Dorothy with advice, aids her in her journey, and proves to be a valuable ally and friend. Glinda is not only a powerful sorceress, but she is also resourceful and clever. She uses her magic to aid in defeating the Wicked Witch of the West, another influential character in the story. Glinda's quick thinking and cunning strategies help her and her allies overcome various obstacles, making her a key figure in the ultimate triumph over evil. Beyond her magical abilities, Glinda is known for her grace and benevolence. She governs her subjects with fairness and compassion, ensuring that their needs are met. She also possesses a deep understanding of the Land of Oz and its inhabitants and uses her knowledge to maintain peace and prosperity. Glinda's character has captured the hearts of readers for over a century since the publication of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Her kindness, wisdom, and magical prowess have made her an iconic figure in children's literature. Glinda, the Witch of the North, stands as a symbol of power, goodness, and hope in the magical world of Oz..
Reviews for "Glinda Witch of the North: Balancing Power and Responsibility"
1. Sam - 2 stars
I found "Glinda Witch of the North" to be rather disappointing. The story felt disjointed and the characters lacked depth. The plot seemed to meander without a clear direction, and I often found myself wondering where the story was headed. Additionally, I found Glinda, the titular character, to be unrelatable and her actions often illogical. Overall, while the concept had potential, the execution fell short for me.
2. Lisa - 1 star
I must admit that I did not enjoy "Glinda Witch of the North" at all. The writing felt clumsy and amateurish, with poor grammar and inconsistent pacing. I found the dialogue particularly cringe-worthy, with stilted and unrealistic conversations between the characters. The world-building was also lacking, as the author failed to adequately describe the magical land of Oz, leaving the reader feeling disconnected and unengaged. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book to others.
3. John - 2 stars
"Glinda Witch of the North" didn't live up to my expectations. I found the story to be predictable and lacking originality. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked growth or development throughout the book. I also found the pacing to be inconsistent, with certain parts of the story feeling rushed while others dragged on unnecessarily. Overall, I found this book to be mediocre and would not choose to read it again.