Category: Scripts

Accountability, responsibility, and other things ending in -ility

8/30/2013

It has been a while. I have worked on several things between then and now.

I did manage to cut the pieces for my iPad frame. However I am still trying to figure out how to cut the slit in the middle so I have a place for the iPad to sit. Hacksaw worked for the 45 degree angle cuts on the ends, but not so practical for the middle part. I am still problem solving that issue. I really want to get that one solved soon so I can get back to animating.

I did take a stab at making the foundations for the Ood and Vastra masks. I failed. Failed miserably. For one, I did it just after I had a root canal done, so the left side of my face was swollen. I also realized that when doing this myself, I had to move my face up and down to see what I was doing with the plaster fabric strips, which created pockets in the plaster every time I moved. It will not work for a foundation at all. Here is a bad pic of me with the mask:

I apparently didn't put enough vaseline on my face, as plaster stuck everywhere. It is right now resting on one of the foam heads I bought waiting for a purpose. The first night after I did this I totally freaked myself out by waking up with my face right next to it. Looking around, the other foam heads I bought were at random places around the room, lit up by the street lights. Looked like there were floating heads around my room. Scared the crap out of myself. And made myself laugh.

So, anyway, as that didn't really work out, I have thought it over and have decided to price out alginate. It is a gooey substance that when set brings out details, but is rubbery so can peel off. You then fill with plaster to make a lifemodel of your head. I am thinking making two of those might be an easier route to take. I just need to make sure I have a real baldcap (the plasticwrap one I tried previously was shit) and a person to smear me with alginate. And I need to find out if the cost is in my price range.

On another note, I am making a comic book. I have written the first script and sent it off. It is a practice script to make sure the artist and I are in sync and on the same page. More like a development script. I have the storyline all written out, I just need to scriptify it. It is kind of fun. Yes, I realize I already have a bajillion projects on the table. But this one kind of struck me as fun, so I took it on too. And really, it has sparked my writing brain into production again. Now I feel motivated to finish the other writing projects I have started. So I guess it has had a purpose.

I am also working on learning songs for OryCon. I have joined a filk group. If you don't know what filk is, you can go here. I have a few songs about Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Beer in the Pants, Gandhi, etc to learn before Nov. 7th. Though this is fun, it is a lot of work. I am excited to perform again. It has been a while.

Ok, I suppose this post was mainly about accountability, which is one of the reasons I started this thing. More later.

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Busy as a beav...er, bee

12/9/2012

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Well, it has been a very productive weekend. I haven't finished recording and posting stories yet, but it still has been very productive.

I spent several hours yesterday rewriting the story arc for the webseries. This is re-write number 3. Re-write because the direction it was going has changed so dramatically I had to go back and change the first few episodes and reconfigure the story arc. For some reason this time my characters are telling me where they want go with it, and it is not what I had in mind at all. However, it is truer to the characters themselves, so I guess I don't mind the rewrite. It is also necessitating the addition of more great characters, so I starting losing track of it all. And little jokes, story threads and character interactions are popping in, giving little touches to what was a good silly little story thing. It has become more than I meant it to be. I do not think it is bad. But it really isn't what I had in mind when I started this. it is tons better. I just hope I can make it fully to fruition.

One thing I noticed was I kept having to flip around through my notebooks to make sure I was referencing each character correctly, and not leaving dangling story threads through out. I found cheap foam board at the Dollar Tree, which I had planned to use for light bouncing. I decided that having everything easily accessible was a better idea.

So now, my walls look like this:

I just taped the foam board to the walls using packing tape. I will still be able to use the other side for lighting. I also am saving a few to put animation notes on. As crazy as it looks, it is actually helpful. I have never been in a writer's room, but after I did all this I realized this room now looks like pictures I have seen on the intertubes. So maybe I am on to something. Probably a lot less efficient, as it follows my logic not general conventions, but still. Sitting back and looking at it all I feel like I actually accomplished something. And I feel that much closer to this thing becoming a reality.

Also this weekend my friend drove me to the hardware store so I could purchase some supplies. I bought plywood, 1x1, 1-1/2x1/2, etc. I glued and nailed the boards together for a frame, then I glued and nailed the plywood to the top. Once it is dry I will have a base I can clamp to the table and attach a background.

Here are some pics:

So that's now done. I also purchased some small pieces of sheet metal. I am still figuring out what exactly I want to do with them. One of the ways I anchor my puppets is by using magnets. Unlike some, I put my magnets in the feet and use a metal base. Even if I feel the need to go the other way with my new puppets, a sheet metal base for the floor will give extra stability. I just haven't exactly decided how to execute it yet.

So that was my weekend. I still have a ton to do, but I feel like I am moving forward instead of stagnating.

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Scripty script is scripted

6/6/2012

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BIG SIGH. I think I have a good draft of my first episode. For the series I am going to do. I am kind of excited. This is fun. There is probably a lot that needs to be done to modify it, but I like it how it is. I would love to have people read it and give me feedback, but I am not ready to make it public for everyone. If you want to read it and give me your opinion, go to the contact form and send me a request. I will send you the private link to it and you can let me know how bad it stinks.

As is evidenced by my fragmented sentences and half formed ideas, my brain is fried. It has been fun, but a challenging fun. I know what I want to do for the second episode already, so tomorrow will be fleshing out episode 2. It would be nice if I could finish it tomorrow, but I don't see that happening. Sometimes it takes me longer than I like to get me into writing mode. I have to get past the "Oh my god what if it blows" wall that my brain throws up every time I try to write. I am hoping the more I do this the easier it will get to tear that wall down and start something. The fact that I got through it, whether it is trash or treasure, makes me so happy at this moment.

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Off the Cuff Stuff

6/5/2012

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I don't have a lot to say today. I just don't want to go too long without putting in a post. It seems to be a habit with me to leave it for too long then say it has been too long. I have been working on writing scripts and fleshing out ideas. I made an attempt at taking a picture of the brickwork on the castle (see previous post) and replicating it over and over to cover the white spot in the middle of it. I failed, but I think that is mainly because I am not sure exactly how to do it. I will try again later when my frustration at myself has died down. Or it might just end up a cheesy grey piece of construction paper. We shall see when I get closer to needing it.

Last night I was laying in bed flipping through my list of eBooks, and came across The Meaning of Liff. If you haven't encountered this book before, it was written by Douglas Adams and it is a "dictionary" of terms. He made most of the words up, but he constructed the definitions for all of them. In my tired haze I thought "hmm....a book based on the word in this would be hilarious". In my end of day not-so-tired haze, I still think it is a good idea. I think it would be fun. I also need something at which to direct my writing practice. So I have decided I am going to try to write a book using all of the words from the Meaning of Liff. Of course, I would have to preface it by saying "USE THIS BOOK, NOT YOUR BRAIN TO TRANSLATE", as some of the words have real world definitions that are completely different than his. To tie it into my Rl-RPG, I am going to write 1000 words a day on it, and get XP points for it. I am barely at level 2 in most of my categories. I don't even want to make a new infographic, it is that pathetic. I am still working on it, just not as enthusiastically. I think I may need to change the nature of my game as well. I want to make stop motion more an integral part of the storyline. I have some definite goals now, so it will be easier. And I think I may cheat and start my character at level 6.

I have also decided to redesign how I set up my sets. Right now it is all based on an old cookie tin, which is deep enough to set the camera in the set, but too deep to use the tripod. The bonus so far has been that it brings the set up to a height that is less straining on my back. I can sit in my chair and not hunch, or stand a hunch a little. I am going to play around with cutting a hole in the backdrop to see if I can move it forward and back without making too many issues. I could slide the cookie tin further back through the set if I want it closer to the tripod. Or maybe I should redevise what I use for a floor. I haven't decided yet.

Any suggestions or comments about anything here are welcome.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say. Nothing profound. Nothing really interesting. Just daily life stuff. Just cause I am in a random mood, here is a pic from the Eddie Izzard Cake or Death video I did last year. Enjoy.

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Sleet. Nice.

2/29/2012

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Yes, it has been a few days. I have been working on scripts for my next video. Or few videos. When I was having issue with my other computer due to RAM shortage and eventual system crash I had a ton of ideas for some short stop mo video, just for fun. Little 1-2 minutes blurbs.

As I didn't have a way to make them at the time I took the ideas and put them into comic strips. Of course, ideas had to be majorly truncated. I had them up on the web for a while, but my account got hijacked and I was banned for producing porn. I was using the same little soldier guys I have been using for the last few videos. I have no idea how that can be construed as porn, even with my overactive and gutter hopping imagination. My guess is as I let it slide for about a month someone hijacked my feed and was sending people to porn sites. Instead of emailing me and letting me know I was just banned. I wasn't even told I was banned. I found out when I tried to sign back in to post a new comic and got the You Are Banned For Being Flagged As Porn notice.

But again, I digress. My point is that I still have all those comics and all of those ideas written down. I am busy sifting through them to decide which ones I want to develop and which ones are just plain stupid and development is a non option. Some new ideas are sparking too.

So...my plan is to get several scripts written then to produce one of them a week. I can do that. They are simple ideas. I will have to work hard not to wander into Robot Chicken territory though. That was originally what I wanted to do when I started learning stop motion. Then I saw Robot Chicken and shook my fist and yelled "I hate you Seth Green!" though I really don't. He's awesome. He just stole my idea. Who knew he had a brain ray that can steal your ideas from 1,000 miles away. When he doesn't even know who you are. *that's amazing*

Ok, enough with the silliness. Back to working on scripts then this afternoon working at the part time contract job. It is sleeting out there. In Eugene, OR at the end of February, without really having ANY snow this year, it is sleeting. Eugene drivers do not know how to drive in this stuff. I will have to be extra careful walking to work.

OH WAIT!! I forgot to remind you to go to my video at the Douglas Adams Video Tribute Contest and vote for it. At this point I am #1. Yeay! But that may not last long. We have until April 15th. Every vote between now and then counts. Vote as many times as you want. Did I mention Stephen Fry is one of the judges?

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Accountability, responsibility, and other things ending in -ility

Busy as a beav...er, bee

Scripty script is scripted

Off the Cuff Stuff

Sleet. Nice.

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