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M dot Strange update 1/22/12

My Xmas/New Years break was 2 weeks longer than expected because of cancelled flight complications but now I'm back and.... well... as I wrote before I left ...I expected the music for Heart String Marionette to be done by the time I came back and it isn't... 

I spent a lot of 2011 waiting for the music but I didn't just sit around doing nothing... I did 8 episodes of Badassery, did a Rabbit Junk video, wrote 2 books, finished the script and storyboards for my next film... so as I'm waiting in 2012 I won't just sit around...

As far as HSM being incomplete goes... it's really just a matter of money... No one who has worked on HSM has been paid a single cent... not me for my 4+ years of work and not Endika for his 3+ years of work on the project... To do my part of HSM I do it all myself so the only limit is me..... for Endika to complete his part he has to work with several musicians... professional musicians who get paid for their time... if you're not paying them then you have to wait until they have the time/desire to work for you for free... if you had the $$$ to pay them they'd do it tomorrow... but when you don't you have to wait...

So there's been several times when it was "all supposed to be finished" but reality and the lack of $$$ got in the way... 

It KILLS me to wait... so if you're anxious to see HSM I'm like 1000x more so... but there's nothing for me to do besides wait... I already finished the HSM "M dot Strange Soundtrack" for the DVD... I could easily pop that in and say that its done BUT Endika is both my friend and co-collaborator on HSM... and I should be giving him an "Assistant Director" credit on the film because of his contributions to the narrative as the project has gone on... I can honestly say that his contributions to the film have made the film better and I'm not even talking about the music as that's another thang...P.S. the music that is done is amazing

We already missed 3 film festivals that we were invited or selected to premiere at... I already seem like some unprofessional rookie with all my "it will be done by" statements... the only thing that has been lost is respect in M dot Strange as a producer with no money ^_^ So I wait....

So again I apologize... I've done everything I can do to complete HSM asap... but its been out of my hands for about 10 months now... unless I scrap the original vision... I believe in that film and I only have a few friends and I'll believe in them until the end unless they give me reason not too.... as long as you're doing your best and not wasting my time jerking me around I won't say FUCK YOU AND PEACE OUT

Now that I got that out of the way I should tell you about the projects I'm working on by myself in 2012...

M dot Strange's DARKSIDED- A series of short animated horror films centered around monsters and demons

BADASSERY- new episodes including "Scientologist Robots on the Moon" , "FAP FACTORY" and "MINECRAFT w/HAPPY ENDING" 

I'm also to go further into my next animated feature film which for the first time I'm making the title known OMG?! The title of my next film is "GOD LIVES UNDERWATER" (nothing to do with 90's band of same name)- it has to do with "god" and takes place underwater ^_^ I already finished the script and storyboard and now I will start modeling everything... so I will start animating it this year and NOTHING I repeat NOTHING will hold me back on this one ^_^

I serve my audience above all... so this waiting/lagging has really eaten away at me the past year for letting yall down : ( I hope yall will stick with me as I have lots planned for the coming year ^_^

While I was on my Xmas trip I filled up a little sketchbook with drawings... Here's a few of them...

I also storyboarded a couple short little random animated shorts on my trip imma make asaP as well...

So again I apologize for the delays... I'm doing my best but I still have a lot to learn... 

If you can't wait and want to know more about Heart String Marionette... both about the film and the making of if check out the book here

So thanks again for sticking with me... even with all these delays I GUARANTEE Heart String Marionette WILL BLOW YOUR MIND and you will watch it over and over once you see it ^_^

It will be out this year... hopefully sooner rather than later... its been a long journey... I've been in cycles of excitement/depression while waiting on HSM... when I open the edit and look at it I'm excited then when I realize I can't put it out yet and have to wait I get depressed...

I wrote "God Lives Underwater" while excited so while it is darker than HSM its not all E_VILE.... BUT I wrote the outline for the film after that while depressed and its FUCKED... I'll crank out that script soon too...

So imma just keep working and complete the things I can do myself....

If you have any ideas/suggestions of stuff you'd like to see me make/do while waiting for HSM let me know in the comments!

Comments

  1. Have you ever thought about taking out a loan?

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  2. Haven't posted in a while, glad to hear news about HSM.
    I should find out where endika lives and leave explosive packages on his door step to show i both love him and want him to keep working, that;s obviously what doing such actions means.

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  3. Welcome back sir. Glad to see an update. Keep on as you are doing, trust me, none of us hold it against you that the music is not done. When it is done, it will just be that much more amazing. I know the frustration though, that's why I'm trying to do as much of the work on my film as possible myself, because I know as soon as I start relying on people doing free work that I'll have to wait it out to A) not piss them off B) get decent work done. Watched the Mac Video presentation, good stuff. Can't wait, but I'll wait as long as it takes. Cheers man.

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  4. I was gonna say that he should start a kickstarter to fund the rest of the soundtrack making.

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    1. I've been thinking about that too... PeopleS are raising like 100k to make a film based on nothing but some still photos and we have a finished film but we suck at that sort of thing ....and we don't have an online presence or any major contacts online to get it seen by the many...

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  5. Good to hear you're back and getting into it. Try not to stress out too much about the music; It'll get there and you've already completed the majority of the film.

    An underwater film sounds pretty challenging, can't wait to see how you tackle it.
    I'm also looking forward to seeing DARKSIDED. I imagine it'll be something along the lines of Kwaidan.

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  6. Still spreading love for what you do. Can't wait to see HSM but I am patient and the Badassery episodes have been keeping me entertained. Do you still do any of those random freestyles in your spare time?

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    1. Matter o fact I haven't done any sort of hella rapping at all the past year or so... if thats what you want I'll see what I can do ^_^

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  7. If worse comes to worst how about combining both scores?

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    1. The film is cut to the original score like to the exact notes and stuff... the music pretty much makes the story work/flow the way it is... without the original music its a whole different thing and won't work the way it is...

      Its that whole good/cheap/fast triangle thing... the music is awesome and we're doin it cheap so its not fast... I wanted all three haha but reality is all HELL NAH!

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  8. anything we your audience can do to help u mdot?, we want to see your movie as badly as you want to put it out.

    screamerclauz's suggestion ain't a bad idea too, might sound interesting

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    Replies
    1. Your comments help a lot ^_^ .shows me yall still care and want to see it even though its taken forever 0_0

      Sometimes I'm like ITS DEAD IT TOOK TOO LONG NO ONES CARES ITS OLD NEWS AN HERO

      I'm like WATS CAME OUT 5 YEARS AGO?!?! 5 years?!!? I can't make a film every 5 years thats too long IMMA DIE?!?!? But with no budget all I can do is wait I guess

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  9. I know that the Badassery campaign on kick-starter didn't quite work out (which is a real shame), but maybe you can make a campaign for finishing HSM. I know it's a gamble, and potentially a lot of work, but if it means you can get the sound you want then it might be worth it: I'm sure you have a surplus of digital that you can give away for the donations. The real downside is it could potentially diffuse your release by spreading it out a bit more (rather than the innitial huge splash). You are a very smart guy: I am sure you will figure out the best solution. I hope to see your art for years to come!

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    Replies
    1. Yeh Kickstarter is a godsend for filmmakers YET M dot Strange is too dumb or doesn't have his shit together enough to make it work 0_o I just don't think I have the online presence to raise much money on Kickstarter... I don't have any online connections to major blogs/super twitter peopleS who can get it out to the many...I should probably be working on that but instead I'm doing concept art for my next film right now... I'm a hopeless Uberector 0_0

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  10. kompoz.com
    real musicians with real instruments willing to record (re-record) whatever you need.

    you can even upload rough recordings and find skilled peoples to do HQ recordings with REAL instruments.

    check er out .. fwd to Endika .. might help him fill in some of the gaps.

    :)

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  11. I havent commented in a long time, but ive kept up with this all. I know you've put a lot of work into this, and soul even, this film is you and yourself I feel..I honestly didnt like things like your short series...but it just lacked what i feel was heart. There was something i loved about WATS and I feel maybe this film will have too, thats what im interested in with stories. You've been a huge inspiration to me and my work. I hope to one day take all that you jumpstarted within me, and have something of my own to show. I'll show it to you :3 you can see my film too one day! Hopefully not too long away.

    All this sentimental stuffs is to say. I've waited a long time for this film, but I am willing to wait, because, to get it done right and to get it done proper is worth the wait to me.

    and p.s. i know its not competition but..one day ima be your rival :3 watch out! :D

    from your rival to be, Drainage64

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  12. can you provide numbers for the $$$ required ?

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    1. I don't know the exact number but from what Endika told me its a couple hundred bucks a day to book sessions with professional musicians... said something like to record all the percussion would cost $1000 for the one player to record it all in 2 days... so based on how many players he needs... I would say somewhere in the range of $10,000 - $20,000

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    2. wtf
      is he trying to get an entire orchestra or something?
      I hope you're keeping an eye on him 0___o..
      I've known plenty of people who well, screw you over in the end due to greed/laziness
      not that he's doing that. (i don't know anything about Endika) but i've had my experience with people like that. or more like i've ONLY experienced people who ended up doing that

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    3. Lol, well he said Endika made like an orchestral score for the movie. And the parts he shown already sound pretty awesome.

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    4. Yeh he pretty much is working with a small orchestra and a small chorus... so its about 10 people in total since a few are multiinstrumentalists...and from what he said you gotta pay em around $300 a day person for all day sessions... and most of them then multiple sessions so yeh... I recently realized its just like that triangle diagram with GOOD-FAST-CHEAP... you can have two at once but never all three... so we're getting good and cheap but its not going to be fast... if we want it fast its not going to be cheap so yeh

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  13. Hey dude.. I can relate to the dark feeling of not having the $$$ to pay for someone elses work.. it sucks.. even more so when you know the people working for you deserve it.. i did my first (live) feature film last year and all the actors and crew worked for the love of art.. the outcome was amazing but then came post and its been delayed for a while now.. everyone believes in the project but it just seems it takes forever to get done.. so yeh.. i know how it feels.. but do not fret my friend.. things work out for the best. and here i´ll be waiting for HSM as long as it takes.. if yer curious you can check out the teaser trailer to my film here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeEIhgJ8vSk

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    1. Yeh I guess us no budgeterS just have to wait eh? Nice work! I embedded the trailer in my newest post....best of luck my friend!

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  14. Don't worry d00d. I've got tons of patience. I know how it is with money etc at least you get to make what you want instead of being beholden to the industry.

    Adam

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    1. I need to borrow some patience from you if you have a surplus Adam! ^_^ Yeh yer right...its the EXACT film we want to make and no one can change that... just need to have a bit more patience DEEP BREATH (bleeds from eyes)

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    2. I'm not sayin' it 'aint hard. I feel yr pain d00d. It's a bastard to be held up like this. You can count on me for continued support my friend!

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  15. I know you are frustrated with the time it's taking on HSM. I agree with the others that a kick-starter for HSM might work, or just an appeal at your website. I'd be happy do donate as I think others would as well. Love the badassery, but really want to see HSM out there as it's time.

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  16. YO M DOT! i watched those MacVideo presentation clips and holy shit... the one scene from HSM where that clan is hearing the note being read was insane. that's a perfect example of MOOD and ATMOSPHERE. i re-watched it like 10 times. dude, i can't wait to see the whole thing. i don't care if i have to wait another year. good things come to those who wait and work hard. great presentation you gave in general. very revealing and worthwhile.

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