So it looks like I may get to go to Norwescon this Easter weekend. Every year they hold a mini film festival called Fandance that features fan created short films. I have decided that I need to create an animation for it. Even if I can't get the time off work, I can grab a train to Seattle after work on Friday and be there for Sat and Sunday.

So now I need to narrow down what I want to animate. I have many fandoms, and the possibilities are endless. Last night while I was trying to fall asleep I had visions of a Firefly musical. Maybe one of thoe trailers for one, or maybe a whole short story thing set in that verse. I could use my soldier guys but dress them up as Captn Mal, Wash, Zoe, River, Kaylee, Jayne, and Shepherd Book. That might be fun in and of itself. In my sleepless delerium I heard in my brain a song set to Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue. Very silly, and I may do it it anyway just for fun outside of this animation.

Then I thought about doing a bunch of short sketches. Just 30 seconds to a minute each. that may be too close to Robot Chicken though.

I could also do something with Doctor Who. I have been playing with the idea of a sketch where the Tardis runs off for a bit without the Doctor. Or I could use part of my first idea and dress up my small soldiers as different Doctors. Or maybe just a specific Doctor. I really, really love Who.

Hmm, none of these ideas are really jumping out at me. I also have that little plane I can play with, though I can't think of any way to fit it into a fan film. I guess it doesn't have to be a fan film. I know there are other things I am into, but I am so tired nothing is coming to mind. I am obsessed with British comedy, but I realy don't see how I could use that. Unless I tried to do a Red Dwarf animation. Getting voices for that might be hard though.

Ok, well, I guess that is a good start to brainstorming. I am going to have to make a tight timeline, as the deadline for submissions is March1st, and I am not sure if that means postmarked or received by. I am giving myself until Feb 20th just to be on the safe side. That is 3 weeks. I did my Douglas Adams animation in about 4 weeks. granted the audio and premise were already layed out for me, but i did have to decide the direction to take it and what I wanted in each scene. I think this is doable.

So, timeline:

~Decide on which idea to use by Feb. 3rd.
~Spend Feb. 3rd and 4th writing up a script and sketching out visuals.
~Spend Feb 5th polishing script
~Feb 6th-8th will be spent building props, sets, and figuring out how to make the visuals work.
~Feb. 9th-17th shooting
~Feb. 18th-20th editing and final polishing.
~Feb. 21st - send off in the requested DVD format.

I think that timeline will work for this. SO...now I need to get off my butt and head back home to finish brainstorming and maybe take a bath, cause I really need one.

I leave you with a pic of my dessert tonight:

This last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a sci fi convention. If you have never been to one, I highly reccomend it. The one I went to was Rustycon in Seattle. It was really, really fun. I am a nerd - a severe nerd. I reveled in the gaming, the friendly people. Most most of all, I got to immerse myself in a deeply creative and encourging atmosphere. This is a group of people who are intelligent, creative, and best of all enthusiatic. The enthusiasm is contagious.

Rustycon in and of itself is a low key, laid back con. It is nowhere on the scale of San Diego Comic Con or Dragoncon. I think that was just perfect for my first con in 5 or 6 years. I went to a wonderful panel on creating moving steam punk stuff. I got some interesting ideas about using automation to help in my stop motion. I also really want to put moving parts on my ukulele. 

I am also more determined to get something else produced. I did that Douglas Adams video last year, and I haven't really produced anything else since then. I have been pushing for my web series, but that will still be a long time to completion. I need to focus my goals more. 

Wow. This was going to be an awesome and intellectual post about the wonders of the con, but I am so tired and have a huge headache, so I am afraid after 2 hours of trying to write something coherent I have utterly failed at my task. I suppose it will have to wait until later. 

Well, I have done it again. Waited a long time between posts. In all fairness, I was waiting till had something to show you before I posted. I have a bajillion half finished projects that really need my attention.

In the last few weeks I started crocheting a helm. A friend of mine wanted one, and it looked easy enough. Well, the actual helm part was easy enough. The little visor part has not been so easy. As soon as I get rid of my frustration over it I will finish it. Here is what I have done so far:

That second pic is of the visor part. It is supposed to be held on with buttons, and can either go up on the head as decoration or down over the mouth and nose for warmth. If you can't tell, it is way too big. the first one I tried to unravel it and make it smaller. I in fact started to unravel from the wrong end and totally ruined it. So I had to start over. Then I didn't decrease properly. It ended up a funny shape. So now it is on hold until I can stop being frustrated with myself for being a dumbass.

I also put an ad on Craigslist for fellow collaborators on the web series. My vision was to get people together who knew some stuff but wanted to learn other stuff, all of which have good ideas, and make an awesome production. I have a few people interested, but it is sputering out. I need to figure out a way to get this off teh ground and going.

Last week I found this little airplane that fits my little guys exactly. It was so so awesome! The propeller broke off though. That was fine, becauae the propeller didn't move. this gave me the opportunity to reaffix it in a way that would allow for animation. Here some pics:

It is now held on with a magnet, so I can move it around. I have been gathering things, and soon hope to have a test animation up to go with it. I realize it isnt practical, and such, but it amuses me. :)

So that is what I have been doing with my time. I will post more when I have more, and am not layed out on cold medicine.