Again with the long pause in posting. I really need to get my shit together. Well, I am working on it. Sometimes when I get busy I lose track of time. That is what is going on right now. Besides working overtime last week due to server crashes, I am still working on writing. Last weekend was the Eugene Celebration here in town. There is a mini film fesitval during the celebration. I went to a part of it. I meant to go to more of it, but an impromptu Buffy marathon sucked away the time and I missed most of it. On Sunday they had a presentation of the Shaggy Dog Project, which is a Eugene collective of would be film makers who gather together to learn bits of it from each other. It was spearheaded by the retired Hollywood screenwriter Tom Blank. The actual title was "Screenwriter's Workshop", but it really was a "please come join us".

I think someone needs to look up the definition of the word "workshop". Still, I guess the hint wasin the paragraph that I didn't read. I just assumed they had titled it correctly. It wasn't a total wash, though. Honestly, if this group does what they say they do, it might be a good place to get helpful feedback. They mainly work in live action, but I could always learn a thing or two from it that I can apply to stop motion. When they opened it up to Q&A (questions about thier group, not screenwriting questions), I did ask. I specifically told them what I do, and asked if it would fit in with what they do. They said yes. There is a fee...."dues" if you will.The next meeting is in 2 weeks. I plan to head on in and at least see what they are up to. Worst that can happen is i lose a Saturday. It would be nice to have access to a better camera, one that can support shooting from the computer so I can use onionskinning. And real editing software. That would be nice too.I plan to take in my first episode script.

well,we'll see. Now it is time to go and soak my aching joints and plan the downfall of....well, never mind. :)

Heidi-ho. It has been a full week, AGAIN, since I last posted. My life is crazy busy, which is good, it just isn't conducive to getting anything done right now. I still have yet to settle in to my new digs and arrange it all in a way that allows me to work. It is a huge room out of someone's house, so it will take a lot of arranging and spacial concept cunning to get it to a workable space. I have virtually no spacial concept, so this involves me trying something, seeing how much it doesn't work and trying something else. It has been so hot lately I haven't wanted to deal with the physicality of moving furniture. I promised myself I would get it done tomorrow. Either way, I haven't left myself much time to work on either of the stop motion projects I was considering. There is no way they would be done before the deadline at this point. I am considering doing one of them anyway, just for fun. I need to shoot something. This doing nothing but writing is driving me nuts. Not that I don't like writing. I love it. But I don't want that to be to only thing I am doing. I am aching for a hands on project that will yield a visual result.

On another note, I have written my first 5 minute stand up routine. I was inspired to try. I am guessing it is pretty lame at this moment. I don't know that I will ever get to the point of actually performing it, but I wrote it. That is the first step, right? It is funny to me. Might not be funny to anyone else, but it is funny to me. I figure at the very least I am practicing my comedy writing. As most of what I want to write for my stop mo is comedy, it is probably not a bad thing to be practicing. I think if I were to ever try performing it I would need to work one-on-one with an actual comedian, getting thier feedback on how to make it work better. I realize that most people do this on stage, honing thier routine every time they do it, but I don't think I could do that. At least at the start. Here in Eugene we have one open mic night. If it still is going. I have been gone over a month, and it has been about 6 months since I last went to watch it. It wasn't very well attended back then. There are a few of our local comics that are good, a bunch that are so-so, and some that are cringe-worthy bad. I would be essentially doing the same routine over and over for the same people. That is not ok with me. I would prefer to get 2 or 3 five minute sets done, then hit the local open mic. I don't know if I will ever get up the nerve to get that far, but I like the idea that if I get the chutzpah I have something to work from.

Another project I am contemplating is another podcast. I miss my Celtic music podcast. It was fun to make. In my search for stop motion referance material, I have noticed the dearth of stop motion podcasts. There is one that posts a video every month or so, and there are several that have not posted in a year or two. What I am thinking of doing is creating a format and about 25 to 30 shows worth of topics and how to approach them, then approaching several of the online stop motion magazines or sites. Stopmotionanimation.com for instance or Animateclay.com, which is Mark Spess' site. Once I get my home set up worked out, if I can find a partner I think getting a show a week is within the realm of possibility. It would definitely be an audio podcast, maybe with video insterted here and there.

Yeah, I have a lot of big ideas. Part of the reason I started this blog was to organize them and explore feasibility, then document progress so that I don't drop my projects and have a bajillion good ideas and half done stuff. I was starting to feel like I was always working at things, but never had anything to show for it. This blog has been great for my productivity. It definitely helped me to get through the Douglas Adams contest. My next step is to find creative people to work on project with me. I love collaborating. Nothing is more exhilarating than that moment when two or more creative people start creating. When your ideas feed thier ideas, and thier ideas feed your ideas, and things start taking shape and stuff gets created. Even if half the ideas discussed don't get done, it is still a huge rush. A rush that I miss. My theory is that creativity begats creativity. The more you feed it with other's creativity, the more yours grows. Even if the things you are discussing have nothing to do with what you are doing, being around that spark helps to spark that part of your brain that creates. I feel like I am being very redundant in my words, but youknow what I mean. I am not in a writing space in the moment, so I feel like I am not expressing myself as well as I want.

Anyway, I think that is good for now. I will try to be more consistant with my posts. I vow to get my shit together and start creating again.

OK...I leave you with a random pic. There is an antique store in downtown Eugene that specializes in weird antiques. This is a pic of the window display. It is an embalming kit from the late 1800's. they also had one of those old coffin displays from the mid-late 1800's in the window. One of these days I will catch them open and actually go inside.

It has been a wild week. I got a new job, had to move again, and now am getting situated in the new place and learning my new job. Right now I do not have internet access, so I am currently at the library making a post to let you guys know I haven't forgotten about you.

I have a few projects I am considering at the moment, but both would have to happen pretty quickly. Doug Benson is running a video contest where you have to make a fake 2 minute or less trailer for a fake movie about someone with an iPhone who tried to use Siri and she started granting wishes. that could be fun, but may be more work than I have the mental power to commit. It would have to be done and submitted before Sept 1. Another one is making a music video for the Mini Opera contest sponsored by the Enlish National Opera. They already had the music part of the competition, and now they are asking film makers to choose one of the finalists and make a music video for it. The deadline for it is Sept 24th. I haven't read through all the rules. I may not qualify to enter. But it may be fun. I couldn't use my little soldier guys for it, so I would have to get really creative. Might be fun. I am currently figuring out if I want to enter either of them. When I decide, I am sure I will come back and start hashing out ideas here.

I am still working at writing the web series, and I am still working at storytelling. I have also played around a bit with a stand up routine, though I am not sure if I will everdo it on stage.

But most things are on hold till I get all situated and back to where I can shoot again. And have the energy. Moving during the hottest weekend of the year is NOT reccommended for anyone. Just an FYI. :)