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Since it seems like the Badassery kickstarter campaign is probably going to fail because I didn't include a good enough sob story or like touching music haha...

It seems the next animation I will do is a music video for the new Rabbit Junk song "What doesn't kill you will make you a killer"

I finished the storyboard, concept art, modeling, layout, and lighting... did some new style tests and it's almost good to go... just need to model a character I forgot tomorrow...

Since the video only has 21 main shots and I have the time... I'm going to lower my shot/day quota and go nuts on the animation... when working on Heart String Marionette my quota was 7 shots/day... for this video I'm going to lower it to 2 shots/day.... so it'll be fun to not have to press so much when animating... Also I won't use any animation cycles or motion clips...

After I put this video out... imma bounce from the interneTS for awhile... proB a couple months... I need to re-examine what I've been doing the past few years... where I've been putting my time... how/where I've been putting things out and how/why... As I'm looking at changing things up and taking a different path as it seems I'm coming to a dead end doing things the way I have been... and when I come to a dead end I won't just sit down and give up ^_^

Comments

  1. i hate to see someone that has given 100% over the last 10 years question his motives ... it is good to explore other options but please do not give up your drive .

    distractions can destroy.
    ..all I can give you is motivational music.

    Tek Horror Creations
    100%
    http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/5/18/1917394/100percent.mp3

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  2. @Variant

    well said man

    @M dot

    as variant said we know you're a person of changes and we'll accept them as long as you don't completely quit or something, maybe you could start looking for a little crew that help you out at making movies, maybe you could start doing something different (videogame business perhaps), you like challenges as we know, as long as you keep creating everything's fine, and always remember that everything you made to this point was important, it made a difference, never think the opposite of that my friend, the path of the struggler isn't easy or nice, if it was most people would take it, but you have pulled it off pretty well up to this point, your reward in the end will be something bigger than what any human can get on this world, i wish you luck in your travel my friend, keep grinding :)

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  3. @M Dot

    BY THE WAY!, i don't know if it is around these days or if it has passed by already, but Happy Birthday M!

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  4. I hope the break will allow you to recharge your batteries before hitting your next project. Even if Badassery doesn't take off, I'm sure you have several other things brewing in your head.

    If you do feel like you're hitting a dead end, I'm sure we'd all be very interested in hearing why you feel that and what developments have led you to that conclusion.

    Cheers,
    Michael

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  5. @MDuffor

    I feel that when it comes to exhibition and distribution there aren't many attractive options for a solo player like myself... So I'm looking into forming relationships/partnerships with different companies and individuals so that I have some new venues in which to exhibit and distribute my films... I'm even thinking about opening up the production side as well...

    In other words I want to go "pro"... I tried doing everything myself and I enjoy all of it EXCEPT the distribution/exhibition side and I SUCK at it... So I want to work with people who know what their doing... In the past I was assailed by those people of all types... but I was too stubborn to listen to what they had to say at the time... I felt that my last film was CRAP and I didn't want it to represent me..now with HSM I'm a little happier with it and I'm ready to play the game...

    Now if the director of production of a major studio was talking to me today about me directing a project for them I would be much more receptive and willing to work with them then I was in the past... as I tried it MY WAY... and I know the Pro's and Con's...so I want to try a different way now.

    My ultimate goal was always to make films that would be exhibited in the Cinema... feature films... and I can't make that happen on my own.

    If I switched to just doing shorts... and made a ton of episodes... internet distribution would be much more viable... So it's either keep making features and GO PRO or switch to shorts only...

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  6. I have to say I'm very ambivalent about this. Aren't you the one who said "We don't need those pasty-faced media moguls"? Aren't you the one who pushed us to be indie all the way?

    Where is the rising tide?

    You didn't mean it all those times you promoted independence, you were jsut saying that because you felt your first film wasn't good enough (in your opinion), and now that you have a film that's good enough, you reveal you didn't mean it all along?

    If I was offered a lot of money by the pasty faced media moguls ,I too would have a hard time turning it down, granted. So then maybe it would have been better to say to people: "Go indie until Hollywood accepts you," all along, instead of "we don't need those pasty face media moguls"!!!!

    Just saying!

    Where is the rising tide? That's what I want to know...where is it.

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  7. @Taylor

    I'm with you man, i feel as dissapointed as you...

    @M dot

    I wanted to believe, i really wanted to believe in everything you said to us, but i guess you said all those things to justify yourself, you wanted to believe in what you said too. My only hope is to believe, that you only want to go to this point, to get something that gets all the business that has to be done to sell your films and stuff, and that is not a bad thing, but that's just a really tiny hope. Why did i invested 40 dlls in your books if they were filled with lies then? and not to mention many people invested way more..., but i guess it's good then, if you don't believe in what you said, i will, because those words meant something to me, to all of us, even if they meant nothing to you, but i guess this makes you no different from all those hollywood faggots you critize so often...

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  8. @ Tyler

    sorry i meant tyler, not taylor in the last post xD.

    If a hero dies, just make another one. If you die M, if you rot, is your problem, we will not, we will defend everything you stablished. we are grateful because you proved that one single person can change something, we are grateful because you made us believe that we could change something, that we could defend true art, that we could change people life. I at least, Thank you for that, but this is the last i'll thank you for...

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  9. It is interesting that you say you are taking time to sort of reevaluate yourself. I have just been writing a little chapter for hopefully a future book about renewing yourself and how it can get your mind back on track and keep you from getting stale. I am glad to hear it.

    Once HSM drops, I will snag a copy and hopefully showcase it at the art shop that my family owns. People around here would absolutely love your stuff man I guarantee it. I've mentioned it before, but there is a little cinema near me that shows low budget indie films. I would highly suggest sending them a trailer and press info: info@apextheatres.com

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  10. im not sure if im making sense ,but feel my logic here. as you build countless characters and archetypes into direct interactive artist expression or otherwise,you feel like your backed my your own army.just think bjork "army of me", ie the ability to split and distribute oneself efficiently to conquer daunting creative tasks.

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  11. @terrthom

    I think i get you..., kind of multiple personalities, one part of you is creative, the other is practical, and other is reckless, and the other is thoughtful or something like that. Am i getting it right?, Do you think this applies to M?

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  12. It's more than that..., guess it comes from taking the role of multiple people at once, makes sense i guess, but still...

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  13. @Tyler

    Well I'm learning as I go just like everyone else... I've seen the limitations of the "indie" way as it pertains to feature films... so I'm examining different ways of doing things...

    And I've learned there is A LOT in between being totally "indie" and working with "Pasty faced media moguls" ^_^ So I'm interested in the "in between" space...

    Now I think the way to do it is how Lucasfilm started and how Pixar started... the "studio" controls the production... then they hand it over to a distributor... right now I'm my own studio AND distributor... and I don't like the way that has been going...

    The way I've been doing it... its bad for me and its bad for the audience... I mean I never even released the official soundtrack to WATS... there should have been Emmm, Blue, Rain, and HIM action figures... a game??! It could have done at least a limited theatrical release but I never made it happen... as far as they money goes I probably only got 1/4 out of it then what I could of... so in the end I realize its better for you and me if I go about things a different way for HSM.

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  14. @All

    I'm mindfucked *.*, from every possible angle

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  15. Until now, i'll take that is good to team up with other people for creative projects, as long as you don't get pimped by those people and swallowed by the mainstream, so it's green light to "exterior aid" then...

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  16. @Erikku

    Hey d00d its nice to see that you think I "die" so easily 0_0

    So now I'm a "hollywood faggot" because I'm re-evaluating the way my career is going? 0_0

    So yes because I'm simply taking a step back and thinking about where I'm going that means everything I've done up till now is a lie? Even though nothing has changed at all and I've done nothing at all different 0_0

    It's interesting how one blog post made me go from "hero" to "lying Hollywood faggot" in your eyes 0_0

    You've must to have felt betrayed before by people you've looked up to eh?

    I'm sorry you feel that way guy... I'm just trying to figure out how to make this film thing better for the audience and for me.

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  17. @terrthom

    Yeh that's kinda true... I have to have several different selves to get all these things done... artist m dot just creates and only worries about creating... but lately business man m dot is like... hmmm we need to change things up...we need to find a better path to take artist M dot...

    @cloudman

    Yeh I think its important to re-evaluate yourself for time to time to make sure your heading in a direction you want to go... that's what I did in 2003 and it led to me making "We are the Strange" because I thought making an animated feature would be a good thing to do...

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  18. @M

    i had a reason for react like that, i had many people i admired before in the past and let me down in the end, so yea, as you said that happened to me before, i have reasons and i really felt bad because i take this stuff seriously, but i guess i'll just calm a bit, and take your word by the moment.

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  19. @Erikku

    I understand d00d... that's happened to me a lot too... I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do these things... not just for me but for all of us... I want to find a way so that I can tell you all... THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!!!

    Now today I can say that creatively THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE A FILM... BUT I can't say it on the business end... I can't say THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE A FILM AND THIS IS HOW YOU CAN MAKE A LIVING FROM IT... and that's what I want to do... I want to find that way...

    I THOUGHT I knew that way but the world has changed... the internet is always changing... so I need to figure out the way....

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  20. d00d, you can't let yourself get discouraged from filmmaking and closed-off just because BADASSERY (sooperman) didn't get enough backing on Kickstarter! I've had a project on crowd-funding get ZERO $$.. at least you got some people interested!

    You need to step back and realise that what made those mini episodes so good was that they were fucked up and NOT what "NORMAL" people like to watch.. Knowing this, how could you expect the "normal" people on Kickstarter to back a project, which by its very definition is "fucked up" and not the "norm"?

    They are not your audience.. I don't feel like you've jumped ship or went back on your words. You just need to feel appreciated and I definitely need a hug! lol

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  21. ..oh, and I also want to add. SO fucking what if you want to earn a living from making your movies. This isn't a goddamn charity! Even artists sell their works (paintings, sculptures, music etc) for money. How are you supposed to live if you can't make money from your art?

    God forbid that you make some money after slaving over a computer for YEARS and YEARS. Earn even a penny and you're considered a fucking scumbag.

    To the folks:
    What what if he said he didn't want distribution before and now he wants it? So WHAT? He is human.. isn't he allowed to make mistakes and learn from them.. try different things? I don't give a shit if he "sells out" and goes to Hollywood.. at least that way, the whole fucking world will hear about him and see the movies this way.

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  22. @Amer

    ThNX for the comment d00d... yeh your right... I did feel a bit discouraged by the kickstarter thing..but your totally right... the stuff I make is so out there people don't know what to make of it...so I shouldn't look at that as things to come...or not come I should say 0_o

    Thanks a lot for your comments... and yeh I shouldn't feel guilty if I want to make this a viable career and not a hobby that makes a few bucks... so that's what I want to do... be a legit little studio! ^_^

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  23. Absolutely NOTHING wrong with wanting to be a legit little studio.

    I think a lot of the hate comes from people who are either young and in school OR have never done an honest days work in their life!

    When you got bills to pay and not living off mummy and daddy, then we'll see how they feel about the subject!

    I find it so backward and silly and backward that when a struggling actor gets a gig, a band gets a record deal, a writer gets his screenplay picked up AND everybody congratulates them, but if a filmmaker, who's done virtually everything by himself says he wants help with distribution, everybody jumps on him! WTF is that about people?

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  24. @Amer

    Well I can say from my POV getting caught up in the whole "make everything free" on the internet thing is what has now made me feel guilty for wanting to make more money with my stuff... but fer sure when it comes to the bottom line...if your not making enough money to do what you gotta do... you can't go to the bank and be like "yeh but its cool cause I kept it real, so just like gimmie 5 G's"

    When you've spent years of your life workin on something... wagering all your time/money/energy... you know what that feeling of a NEED to HUSTLE feels like... and I feel the need to hustle ^_^

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  25. Take all the time you need d00d. If you never question yourself, you can never evolve, as a person or as an artist.

    There’s a saying with regards to business, ‘He who holds the gold makes the rules’ – and don’t the film industry know it! all their lies and BS are about overwhelmingly stacking the odds in their favour. No self-funded indie can ever hope to compete with that.
    So don’t try to. And don’t bother getting angry with ‘them’ (I know, easier said than done). You’ll only hurt yourself more.

    Can you still find ways to play your films ‘theatrically’ without going broke & giving everything away forever? – Yes, but it requires a shit load of work, on top of everything else that you do.

    There are no be-and-end-all solutions to this, but I helped a fellow filmmaker put together a 14 screen tour of his documentary back in 2008, mostly to work out how to do it for my stuff – and it made a slight profit. This was after industry people telling us that it couldn’t be done. It was bloody hard work though, and in retrospect, it could have made more money if we’d had merchandise to sell.

    You don’t need a ton of money to do this either. You just need to set yourself a modest goal & be clear about what you hope to achieve. I know this shit is hard for anti-social weirdo types such as us, but it can be worth it!

    If you need some help getting HSM out there, you know where to find me.

    Adam

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  26. its good that he's re-evaluating. after all he said that if you stay the same you're going to get stale and die. If he did stay the same he WOULD be like the dinosaur moguls who all use the same damn strategy. By trying new avenues of distribution he's evolving to better survive so he CAN create! The world and the internet are ALWAYS changing. and we need to change our game to survive, lest we become the past dieing fast...

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  27. @all and M

    I was going to leave a comment yesterday but internet died so... I just spoke by impulse yesterday because that's what i do when i worry about something that's important to me, but it's true M, it's not bad to take different paths so you can have a better life and also you can make better work, which i think is what you're striving to, Sorry if i appeared all PsycHO fAN Boy o.O, M it's not your fault, we also put a lot of pressure over your shoulders and you deserve to have a choice, What you want to do it's the most prudent decisition and i'll keep supporting you. Also what Amer said is right, we all get rejected sometimes because people think our work isn't "normal" or what is expected from us?, so what?, it's your work, it's not the first time this had happen or will happen, but we can't get upset every time our work gets dumped, as long as you like it's fine, and even if not, you can always start a new project.Do what you think is Best, we'll support you all along :).

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  28. @M

    By the way!, about all the thing about making videogames!, i just made this hella awesome friend called Arvie when i went to comicon as a volunteer this year, He makes videogames on his own, just like you make films, and his lovely wife assistant Adonna takes care of all the merchadise and business stuff for him n.n, maybe he would like to work with you sometime :), if you're interested i can introduce you with him one of this days. Think about it!, a HSM videogame n.n, and he's really good at what he does so :)

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  29. @M

    They live in orange county, between san diego and los angeles, i can ask them their location if that's good for you :)

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  30. @M dot reinvention and reevaluation is natural and recurring. apparently when i speak its sounds bi-nine idealism. I have produced a 100 pg webcomic ,and have made 20 copy of my first toy prototype, ie have not done much. you must reinvent,ect to even possess the mindset to actually explore and self teach. the realities that may favor corporate representation, ie sustainable income , mass distribution,and manufacture.exploration of unknown obliterates 90% of stress that i could potentially have period. you pretty much HAVE to twist turn like a claymation cartoon to adapt to this learning curve.adaption,reinvention,revelation,and reaction are paramount. its very odd to me how i a "littler guy" like myself is handled as if i have no inkling of creative pathology. everything ive said is verbatim of how i actually live. the only difference is im not worried if it sounds old-fashioned or idealist. its about actually creating content and artistic expression not "artguy philosophy wars".

    `

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  31. “Now if the director of production of a major studio was talking to me today about me directing a project for them I would be much more receptive and willing to work with them then I was in the past... as I tried it MY WAY... and I know the Pro's and Con's...so I want to try a different way now.”

    Do you Capice now?

    So it's too bad, I would have liked to see how the Indieblitz / Youtube following/ google search optimization thing worked out, but I do hope that the small studio handing over distribution to distribution pros thing works out well for Mdot.

    OKIDOKI?

    So I think a lot of the hate comes from not being at all logical, and making inferences based on information that was not available at the time that I made the original post in this thread.

    I will say that I have noticed even amongst the established people in Hollywood, the good movies always seem to be made by people who have to struggle to get the funding. An example would be “Apocalypse Now,” which had to be financed with every penny of Coppola's personal fortune. He risked everything on that film, and then Sheen had a heart attack in the middle of it. And then there's “Million Dollar Baby,” which “Hollywood also did not go for, and had to struggle to get funding, and then won four oscars.

    I still wish Mdot the best. This indie film / internet distribution thing is a huge experiment in uncharted waters. Everyone will have to figure out what works best for them.

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  32. Dude you have done the indie thing and just getting a distributor is not selling out.

    You make movies you want to make but really to keep it going and make a living you do have to play business.

    I think distribution is best. It will get you a bigger audience. I think of great artists like Osama tezuka. He told his stories and made money doing it. He drew it and someone published it for him. He wasn't a sell out. He positioned himself to tell his stories and be able to eat.

    Heck I say a lil hwood wouldn't kill you. Imagine positioning yourself directing a remake of Dune, doing it right and get a 100 mil to do your next project. Do it for 50 and pocket the rest.

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  33. Dear M dot,

    Here's my unsolicited advice on some things to consider during your multi-month break from THE INTERNET:

    Embrace lo-fi, low-end 3d.

    While reading A-Book, I was like "whoa, all the characters in HSM are wearing Noh Masks and they've all got puppet bodies with joints that can only move in one direction."

    Then I thought to myself "I bet M dot made all the characters this way because they'd be easier to animate. He wouldn't have to animate emotion on their faces because their faces are covered by masks. He wouldn't have to make their movements fluid and organic because they have clunky puppet bodies with limited range of motion."

    I also noticed that a lot of the screenshots in A-Book were very dark. At times I was like "what the fuck am I looking at? Did M dot purposely make everything dark so we wouldn't be able to see what he felt was cartoony CG?"

    All in all it seemed you wanted to make a Hollywood quality film but you felt you couldn't do it on your own (yet, but you're FUCKING CLOSE!) so you made things easier for yourself and created short cuts via Noh masks, puppet bodies and dark lighting. That said, I AM AWARE that the whole mask/puppet things plays a big role in the theme/motivation behind HSM.

    But in the end, who cares if your characters a little clunky or rough around the edges? As long as the story's good and engrossing, nobody cares if dude moves like Frankenstein. We, the audience, don't need disclaimers like "puppet bodies" in order to forgive minor technical flaws. Sometimes the minor flaws are what fans love about Indie films.

    Last, I suggest you don't totally disappear over the next couple of months.

    I don't want you to feel that your fans are taking you hostage by not letting you escape THE INTERNET but, honestly, I wouldn't be an M dot Strange fan if it wasn't for your blog (written and video). You're captivating because you're a one-man shop and you've got interesting view points. You're also willing to share your honest take on things.

    I'm pretty sure many of your fans are in the same boat as me. They're aspiring filmmakers who look to you for advice and inspiration. If you disappear from THE INTERNET, you take that away from us. I guess we could reread A-book and B-book while you're away but, honestly, a good number of us will probably waste our time on INTERNET PORN and beer (me at least).

    p.s. Windows XP is your dad.

    Thumbs up, d00d. You're a COOL FUCKING CAT M dot! Thanks for everything.

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  34. Speaking of short fiolms. Dd you remember this 3D short that come guy made about 10 years ago?

    "FIXY PERCENT GREY".. it was just over 3 minutes and it was OSCAR Nominated in 2002.

    http://www.ruairirobinson.com/fiftypercentgrey.htm

    This dude is now making live action (with CG work) professionally now.

    The point in making is.. There is nothing wrong with making "shorts". They can be hit and miss, but at least you can try lots of things out in the process and don't have to commit years upon year on one project.

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  35. This is his more recent work.

    BlinkyTM

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUWW5QCJveo&hd=1

    Have you thought about using your 3D skills with live action as well?

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  36. since i was the first to respond to this MONSTA thread .. maybe I'll get to be the last.


    probably after 10 years or so of devoting your life to this art , you kinda want a chance to relax... have a regular life .. develop relationships, get a somewhat normal job, get healthcare ...lol ..

    as a fan i say NO. YOU WILL WORK ON NEW VIDEOS TO ENTERTAIN ME.

    as a person that is not crazy I say go live a life! take more than a couple months! take a year !

    go to school! , get some certifications! work a 9-5 for the winter ! These are what we all do anyways.


    .. and if nothing else comes of doing these "other" things, you will have NEW experiences from which to write NEW stories.

    take it one day, one day at a time.
    http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/5/18/1917394/Distopia.mp3

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  37. @Variant

    taking my fan boy stubborness away, i agree with you, actually i'm more reasonable then i was a couple of days ago o.O, i'm just reading some tony white books, and even if i don't like to take "professional voices" so seriously, he's right to certain degree. In the long run, sooner or later, you'll need some help, and as one friend told me, as long as M keeps being M and as long as he sticks to his vision, there's nothing wrong with wanting to expand his territory, so i agree with variant, go live life a little more, eat some ice cream, make friends that can help you, as long as you keep the quality work coming, we'll be willingful to see :), even some psychopath guy like me o.O.

    By the way, the videogame propousal is still there if you want to take it :D.

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  38. wow lots of stuff to read through on this thread... ok let me see if I can get the gist of it:

    Mdot, sounds like you need someone to take over the business side of things. I've done exactly that, one of my voice actors also happens to have his own production / promotion company and he also happens to have gone to school to study how to do all that business shit that I have no idea how to do (and hate doing.. and failing at it..) SO... he's going to be my "Executive Producer" which means he takes the fancy big title, but does all the leg work to drum up festivals, distributors and shizz once this film is done (he's already rustled up a composer for the score who'se working for free too.. ;) SO see if you can find someone you know who's good at that stuff, get them on board and then you do the creative stuff that you're better suited for.

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  39. I see a lot of the angst in this thread has already sorted itself out, but I thought I'd throw in my perspective on this discussion.

    First of all, it is pretty apparent that M Dot is the kind of person he is because that is who he truly is. You can't make up crazy visions like his; they have to be part of you. So he's not going to suddenly change into a different person.

    Everything he's said so far has been the truth as he sees it given his experiences. And that's why we are all here. We like reading about how MDot sees things, and how he is forging his way through the realm of film making. I am also one to champion the one-man-film approach on various boards, but MDot's words hold a lot more weight than mine because he's actually done it. So if you come seeking guidance on how to make your own one-man-feature-film, then MDot's words are still the truth because he knows what the hell he is talking about.

    If you are going to grow, you have to always re-evaluate yourself. You keep what works, and you change what doesn't. If you keep doing something in a way that keeps failing, that doesn't make you a rebel that makes you stupid. And as this comment thread later revealed, MDot has the artistic side worked out, but he needs to revisit the business side of things.

    Going pro isn't a cop-out. Going pro simply means that you make a living off of your work. It means you create art that enough other like-minded people enjoy enough to send you $10-20 a year to buy your work and support you as an artist. You can create stuff as fucked up as you like as long as you find a few thousand other people on the surface of the planet who like stuff as fucked up as you do. So it sounds like MDot is going to be exploring other options to reach his audience and expand upon what he has now, not replace it. Every artist should strive to make a living from their work, since that means they can spend more of their lives doing their art instead of finding some other job to put food on your table and a roof over your head.

    And finally, from past posts it shows that MDot is thinking about how to do indie right. It is far too easy to go down a route that gets your art seen, but puts money in everyone else's pockets but your own. Festivals only make sense if your project is meant as an advertisement for your skills so that you can get a real paying job. If your project is meant to earn you a living, then festivals have a sucky return on investment unless you have a good chance to win and the award drums up more visibility and sales. Thus, MDot chooses his festivals carefully. Likewise you could spend a lot of your own money four-walling your film and getting it seen by people in theaters, only to have the theater make money off your work and you barely break even. DVD sales are tanking for most studios, and people are still trying to sort out online distribution in a way that they can make money from it. I'm sure those same challenges are part of this micro-indie film distribution we are all interested in, but there are so few people doing it that MDot has to figure out what works on his own rather than looking at industry trends.

    To end this long-ish reply I'd just like to suggest that if you are making your own film, then get to it, if you waiting for HSM, then continue to check in and offer your support, and if you are interested in the journey of indie filmmaking then give MDot the benefit of the doubt as he continues to learn more and more on his journeys and graciously share his gained knowledge with all of us.


    Cheers,
    Michael

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  40. Maybe Master M you need a theater with 500 people applauding you film, then you think ok this is what all of that effort was for, kind of a olympic atlhete. Cheers and keep on animating.

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  41. HOLY SHIT!! Cinema 4D R13 is coming out this year and look at the crazy Character studio updates.. This will make your rigging and animating work so much easier.. and this release comes just in time, because I will have saved up enough money to get this in September!!

    http://www.cineversity.com/tutorials/lesson.asp?tid=1990

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  42. You will get offers again after screening Heart String Marionette at festivals.
    Also, just leaving without a "thank you", after tons of your fans donated money to you seems like a doosh move. You honestly couldn't have thought you would make that ridiculous monetary goal in such short a time frame from Internet Donations of all things.

    I do feel that you should take this pro however. Try looking into the next comicon and taking your work there. Like the octopus you need to spread those tentacles.

    Keep it strange.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hey M!

    Feel guilty for what? Are you kidding? You single handedly have inspired me a and a bunch of people more than any other artist I know. i was actually able to see many many things about my own character my own fears by reading your posts. if anything i´m really grateful and feel lucky you were the first and most important person/artist in the whole interwebs to ever do that. Specially someone whose work has never compromised content for appearances. Poses.
    Whatever route you choose from now on, just know that more than a few of us are in debt to you for your inspiration and support you fully. You have been ahead of the curve with your vision. Your decisions have been right so far. Trust that instinct, i think it will not fail you. And not raising kickstarter money for one particular project is only another reason to make you stronger with the rest of your projects.
    Also, HSM has been a long a heavy process. it isnt over yet. Once you see the final product i think your head will be in a better happier place and you will, again, take the best possible path by trusting your instincts.

    ReplyDelete
  44. p.s. please don't take down any tutorials.



    :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. @Randomfactor

    Yeh your right and thanks for the offer Adam! ^ ^

    @Surreal

    Fer sure- I don't want to stick to my old ways "just because" that's how you become a dinosaur for sure

    @Nanabozho

    Good points...aight you convinced me to not totally BAN myself from the internets ^ ^

    @Variant

    Thanks for the the ideas!

    @Nodelete

    Yep that's exactly where I'm at... realized the limitations of working alone when it comes to the business side and want to work with someone else on that front...

    @Mduffor

    Yep exactly... DVD isn't the shining light it used to be and digital goods like film and music are expected for free online when it comes to indies especially I've found...

    @Imaginario

    Yeh that's part of it too... I'm at a weird place... years and years of harder work then I've ever done and HSM is just sitting... and I'm like "wait, no one has seen it... I haven't made a dime from it...whats going on?!" I know its not done yet but these thoughts can still get in...

    @Amer

    I know!!! I saw and I was like ALL THESE NEW TOOLS FIT IN MY WORKFLOW PERFECTLY! The Cmontion thing is like vibrate tags on steriods! And the collision deformer is AWESOME and the new Xref system will be GREAT for films and yeh all the other animation stuff too 0_0

    @Funpiece

    If you look around on Kickstarter the amount of money I was trying to raise for an animated short is NOTHING compared to what people raise on there for similar projects... its actually about TEN TIMES LESS than what people try to fund for similar stuff... people routinely successfully raise $10,000 - $25,000 for animated shorts on kickstarter if you check it out... so me trying to raise $2500 is not ridiculous at all if you look at the precedent that has been set already.

    And as far as "leaving" with out a "thank you" goes... all the information I have written here...tips, tricks...I even put out two free ebooks this year... all the tutorials and the like that I have put out both here and on youtube will be online forever... 12 of my music albums are downloadable on Bandcamp for free...

    So instead of merely saying "thank you" throughout the years... the way I said "thank you" was to do what I have done... shared what I know... wrote about it... made videos about it etc... because I don't have to do any of that BUT I appreciate the people who are into my stuff so I do everything I can to share what I know or have learned...

    So if its a "douche" move to do my best to share and teach everything I know for free for years and years and just want to take a few months break from it then yeh I guess I'm the worlds biggest douche haha

    @Kid

    Thanks for the comment... well that's exactly in what I had hoped with sharing my experience so I haven't failed on all fronts eh ^ ^

    Yeh I was just bummed about kickstarter because compared to similar projects I wasn't asking for much and it's not going to happen BUT I decided whatever I've always overcome monetary limitations with my creativity and power as an Uberector so I'm still going to make more BADASSERY episodes no matter what and they will be BAWSE!

    I sort of forgot my role... I'm the misanthrope, the outcast, the loner... So even if NO ONE supports me and my ventures I'm still going to make AWESOME stuff any way that I can.

    ReplyDelete
  46. no, I meant it was a d0oshie to ignore the people who donated 512 bucks. Anyway, you seem to be really flustered as of late with the constant "..."'s, like your doubting everything you say.
    Maybe you really should take a break until Heart String Marionette is released.
    Won't HSM give you all the sales funds, new fan hordes, and attention from the companies who have actually money like before?

    -

    Why don't you put ads on your youtube videos to receive the add revenue? Every little bit counts.

    -

    Anyway, we still support you mdot. I bought all of your letter books and I know a bunch of other people did, so remember you don't have NO ONE!

    -

    Do all the people you make music videos for not allow you to upload them to your own channel? Like that Left for Rights video you did was fantastic!
    (I actually had no clue it existed until finding out about it from a separate source entirely) Some of your clients are HUGE. I'm surprised you can't use them to piggyback since you have such similar target audiences.

    ReplyDelete
  47. @FunPiece

    Ok i see... point taken... well I'm just a dumb ass when it comes to some things and like... I'm trying to become less of a dumb ass so its going to be weird for awhile ^ ^ Thanks for your comments and for your support!

    ReplyDelete
  48. @funpiece

    The $512 was pledged, not donated.

    People who pledged will have their money donated only if the project reaches its goal.

    @Tyler & Erikku

    Mdot is 100% DIY when it comes to making a film, but the distribution process is a pain in the butt.

    He did the whole indie distribution thing with WATS and it worked okay but for all I know it's probably not worth the extreme labor he put in. It's a good idea to see what else he can do with HSM.

    He's not "selling out", he's trying to find the best option to get the film in your hands and some money in his pocket so he can keep making films.

    Mdot is trying to find the balance of being indie without selling his soul to the devil.

    All in all, he should be able to do what he wants with the film, seeing as he's the one spending years of his life in a dark room slaving away devoid of all light and the outside world. I support whatever decision he makes.

    ReplyDelete
  49. @Funpiece

    Yeh the way kickstarter works you get nothing unless the project reaches its goal...so if it doesn't those people get their money back... forgot to mention that...

    As far as ad's go... you only really start to make money on videos with ad's when the views get into the 100's of thousands...and I don't get those kind of views....not even close... also I find those ad's annoying most of the time... so the whole youtube ad revenue thing isn't an option for me with the stuff I've been making...

    @Ed

    I know that you know how it is d00d... yeh I'm just trying to find a way to be successful without wanting to kill myself.... more often than I already do ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  50. It's been a long time since this, but I (sorry) haven't looked into MDotStrangE much since We_Are_The_Strange, which I loved. But as it is, I develop my own video games. I'm working on one that's huge, and by that I mean it's a LOT of work. I just hope that after that much work, I'll have a living product. The point is, that I'm not afraid to admin that you're a huge damn inspiration. Your artwork and film productions have inspired me, that alone is enough reason to give you every little possible marketing and advertising help that I can.

    As far as that goes, I find it substantial to release schooling information, based on my person.(I entirely worded that sentence as so, to sound like I know what the fuck I'm talking about) I go to a film high school in Utah, called East Hollywood High School. Every one there is obsessed with film, and indie especially. In general the people there are pretty fucked up, if not unfucked.

    I wouldn't mind having some screening (after I can fluster up money to buy the film that is >.<) at my school of a production of yours, with definite information cards on where they can buy the film and where they can find your 'in works' films and 'making of's... It sounds like it may help even just a bit.

    ReplyDelete
  51. somebody mentioned something silly like 2500 USD was too much to ask for kickstarter. Dude it is not.

    http://www.thedreamlandchronicles.com

    He already almost has 6700. So it is possible.

    I wonder how we can help M Dot get more funds aside from us donating as well.

    I tried getting a story published at cartoonbrew.com. I think they should showcase him. Any other sights we can help spread the word?

    ReplyDelete
  52. Don't get too discouraged, sure much less worthwhile and more throwaway projects have got kickstarted but they are either twee hipster trendy things being done by attractive young women, and/or projects by full time social networkers caning twitter/facebook/their fanbase 24/7... Badassery is a different matter, I think it could be popular but you maybe need to get together with some of the more productive species of internet addictz to spread the word more!

    With HSM go for the big time for sures! :)

    ReplyDelete
  53. cartoonbrew coverage would definitely be a good idea tho it's total pearls before swine.

    ReplyDelete
  54. @ cemenTIMental

    Yeh yer totally right... I'm good at the making stuff part so I'll just keep doing that ^ ^ Just finished animating a new Rabbit Junk video so I'll put that out soon then I'll do at least 2 new badassery epS this month rain or shine ^ ^

    ReplyDelete
  55. This must be one of the most commented entries on the blog of recent times.. Ddots, you really know how to shake things up! lolz

    If there was ever any doubt that people watched or appreciated your work, they can be put to rest now. From the amount of comments, it's clear that we are here to stay, so I'm glad we're getting some more videos from you. Looking very much forward to seeing the new Rabbit Junk video and some more Badassery, agent 69!

    ReplyDelete
  56. M Dot its been a long ride. A long long ride. I rememeber seeing the trailer for WATS on youtube years ago and thinking how unique this was and to find out it was being done by a single person. Just blew me away.

    Once i started seeing your dev diaries and all your videos from then on i felt this bond in a way. Your this artist trying to do something very different and personal and your doing it on a grand scale. You were me in the future. (might be over selling myself here)SO as time went on i really cheered for you and felt i could relate to your highs and lows and when sundance happened i really felt for you and i hadnt even seen the movie.

    What im trying to say M DOt is that I understand. I understadn what youve been saying all along how you are this artist and you very much wanted to do things your way and you kind of disliked how everything that made it big was so identical in appeal.

    Ill put it this way. Im an art student who hopes to one day do video game design. Always been my dream. So ive been working hard these past few years uping my tool set art wise and really trying to find my voice. I recently did a series of pictures that where all very poppy and fun but depicted rather dark or morbid things. One of these pictures depicted a nude female and out of all of the pictures she received the most views. 4,500 or so views within a few days. Ive ahd a deviant art account for four years and hardly have that many page views. The rest of my pictures barely made any numbers. Ive been doing Art for years and all my personal pieces all the ones im really proud of get nothing, while the cheap generic ones make headlines. Its this breaking point where you realize that the masses are mindless and love what they are taught to love. And your art, my art, isnt what they were taught.

    Ive seen WATS atleast five times and it took me that many views to get it. You have a voice, you have somthing to say, you have a style and it seems you might have defined it even more with HSM. YOu are a great artist with ambition. One that goes against norms and you have found an audience. Not the largest one but an audience none the less who loves your work. And your not turning your back on them. Youve done alot these past fiew years really working with them, doing more than most any one else has to show them what no one else has. How to be yourself and make what you want to make.

    IM proud of you M Dot. Im glad ive followed you for as long as i have. I love your art and i love what you do. Heck i might even love you in a none or completely gay way(probably not, although you do rock the goatee. Im going to support you in this and really i think your doing the right thing. You once said that your audience is a bunch of weirdos and thats mostly true. Theres also tons of them out there but you have to reach them first.

    Im glad your around M Dot. I hope you stay around in some way or another. I can honestly say you are a big inspiration to me and if it wasnt for you i dont know if i would have as much faith in following my dream.

    ReplyDelete

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