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Showing posts from May, 2013

Putting it all together

So much of being an animated filmmaker lies in the actual making of the film- well like... DUH BUT as I've learned the hard way 0_0 If you don't put the necessary time into your web presence and promotion it's going to be really difficult for new people to learn about, discover and buy your work. Now that I have a handle on the making of the films I can focus on other things.... I haven't had any non free blog sites for any of my stuff since 2007 when I was on a trip through Europe and my web host got hacked- trashing all the sites- and I never rebuilt them. I realize this blog/site is good for people into the making of my work and/or animated films and art in general BUT it SUCKS for fan's of my work- fan's not interested in making their own films or my rants on whatever ^_^ So with the paypal monies I got from the last couple I AM NIGHTMARE pre-orders I paid for a year of web hosting and I'm going to be building a new mdotstrange.com an

I AM NIGHTMARE Production Diary #14

I'm about to start animation on the sixth sequence of the film's nine sequences. At this date only sequences 1-3 are totally complete though. After recording the lines for sequence three- one of the main voice actors(She voices five characters) got injured and had to have surgery- so since she's going to be out of commission for awhile I just worked around the shots that her voice was needed in. Bog and Teenee just hangin out So I would say sequence's 4 and 5 are %60-%70 complete- so now I'm moving onto the shots I can do for sequence 6. So I'm just going to keep moving forward with the film and then when she is well enough to record I'll go back and animate the shots that are missing. Advisor Simmons and Mayor Tom check the time So I'll keep moving forward all the way through the end of the film if I have too- as long as there is other work to do I need to keep moving forward. I'd guess that she should be ok to start recording again in t

I AM NIGHTMARE Production Diary # 13

So this month has a relatively low quota of 10 shots a day- I've been keeping up with the quota and things have been going reasonably well- I'm coming up to the halfway point of the film and its still on target to be completed by the end of October 2013 I'm going to have to figure out how I'm going to render the film very soon as I'd like to release a teaser trailer by the end of June OR I could cut the trailer together using the temp renders then once the trailer is edited I could just render the shots in the trailer? NOW that seems like a good idea ^_^ As I edit the film- I use the music that MadDashiell or myself have already created for the soundtrack or I'll whip up some new music on the spot if nothing seems to fit Since I'm going to be able to complete this whole film in one year total- I have to start planning my next one- my goal is to make an entirely new animated feature film every year- I have a couple feature scripts lying around

Self actualisation- The greatest challenge?

It seems to me after venturing away from my computers for a few weeks and talking to a number of living humans that the one of the biggest challenges in life once basic needs to survive and be healthy are taken care of is trying to figure out what you want to do- It makes me think of Maslow's hierarchy of needs It's that self-actualisation phase at the top that I'm talking about- its attempting to tackle that which brings out the "what do I want to do" panic in many of us. I think this is where Joseph Campbell's "follow your bliss" is very handy because it is as simple as that- What do you love to do? What can you not stop thinking about? What are you endlessly curious about? What challenge fascinates you? What can you stay up all night doing/thinking about? What makes you angry/frustrated/sad? What causes your passion to erupt? I feel if your an artist or solo creative person you have to jump from the Safety phase to the Self actualisat

The Forever Alone Filmmaking Podcast now has its own youtube channel

All of the podcast episodes have been uploaded to youtube for your listening pleasure ^_^ We'll upload each new episode onto that channel so subscribe if you prefer the podcast in this format. While I was in Iceland my lovely assistant Rakel did all the work- so thanks to her for making it so! Now that I'm back we'll be recording some new episodes so you don't have to be totally alone while working in your crazy forever alone filmmaking projects ^_^

Back on the animating joB

So my two week break in Iceland is over and I'm back to animating I am Nightmare - If you don't relax every once in awhile your mind and body will break down- I have a hard time relaxing when I'm in close proximity to my workstation- So I have to go 5000 miles away from it to relax. On the flight back I bombed my notebook with new ideas and creepy things I even storyboarded some new little sequences for parts of I am Nightmare I already animated And I fantasized about making toys of my characters from We are the strange and Heart String Marionette I'm just about to go storyboard the shots that I'm going to animate this month- its the 4th sequence of the films 9 sequences- it ends at page 48 of the scripts 102 pages- I'm pretty sure I can animate both the films 4th AND 5th sequences this month- that would take me to page 60 of the scripts 102 pages and over the hour mark of finished film- I'll be back animating live on U