It's official. I am a tropical cyclone of amateur voice acting success. It's been almost a month since my last post, and in that time I have landed a slew of roles that will surely not become overwhelming in the least.
...
*cough*
Upon being cast in Naruto The Abridged Series Movie (and hookers!) my ego was inflated to beyond healthy proportions and I decided to investigate further roles. The fellow who kindly pointed me in the direction of the "Old Guy" audition mentioned that he was casting for Wild ARMS Abridged.
For those who don't know (namely my parents) an "Abridged Series" is a fan made series of videos often posted on YouTube where anime fans condense thirty minute episodes into eight or ten minutes, often lampshading confusing plot points, making fun of annoying characters, or completely changing a character's personality (or ethnicity, eh?) Often the resulting show becomes almost completely unrecognizable. There are many many bad ones, and even the more popular ones will make you want to lick a cheese grater to get your mind off of the pain, but they are altogether a somewhat humorous display of fandom.
For more information, consult the media entertainment equivalent of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: TV Tropes
After auditioning and receiving praise (and yea, even lending some requested script assistance) I got the role. I didn't know how many of the roles I got until now, but I'll get to that.
It was also from this source I learned of Voice Acting Alliance, which is a resource for amateur voice actors, directors, producers, etc who have all come together with a common goal: be awesome. It was here I decided to bite off more than I can chew, and why I continue to resemble a cow chewing cud.
For the record (and because my own memory is so terrible that I really need to write this crap down somewhere) here is the current list of projects I'm engaged in.
Wild ARMS Abridged (Abridged series based on Wild ARMS: Twilight Venom)
-Sheyanne Rainstorm (High normal voice. I didn't even audition for it! No kidding! I hate my voice...)
-Dr. Kiel Arronax (AKA "Doctor Captain Pirate Mullet". Brock Samson)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Black Nerv Project (Not sure what the final name is, but it's a parody of Evangelion. From the looks of the script, I don't think they actually shortened it, so I don't think it's "Abridged." Amazing script though.)
-Fuyutsuki (The Old Guy strikes again! Get off my lawn!)
-Male Announcers 1, 2, and 3, helicopter pilots, crew mamber (I haven't gotten a critique yet on my auditions, so I'm not sure what I'm doing here. For these I mostly used variations on my annoying normal voice, and Stu Brawny Johnson. (Think Coach Z from homestarrunner.com))
-Sachiel The Angel (They said "Go nuts!" I went nuts, throwing in every voice I can do. I don't know what one they chose, and may not know until the show is finished because they only needed that one line.)
By the way, they're still looking for actresses.
Mega Man X: Vile (A fan-made RPG based on the Mega Man X series.)
I auditioned for four roles, and didn't get any of them because my voices didn't fit the characters. Luckily, I still got parts.
-Metal Shark Player (Auditioned for Dr. Wily. High-pitched pirate. Yeah, I'm awesome.)
- Mattrex (KROGNOLON! I have to make him sound sly and not stupid though. We'll see how that goes.)
I also get to re-audition for the role of Dynamo after having heard more information, and a clip from another audition. (I think I gotta go somewhere between Brock Samson and my normal voice. Have I mentioned I hate my normal voice? Just recordings though. I can and do talk to myself incessantly.)
That's not a whole lot, right? Sure my social life is suffering, but that's because I've been reclusive and depressed! Now I'll be isolated from the people I care about because of my heavy workload, the way it's SUPPOSED to be. Just in time for the holidays. (That's okay, people can pick up their Snowflake Day presents next month.)
I have a lot of links scattered around in this post. I don't know if they'll transfer over to Facebook or not. If not, then tough luck.
(Quick Rant: I downloaded a Dragonball Raging Blast demo last night. Now, why the HELL would they put out a demo of a FIGHTING GAME and not make it TWO PLAYER? It's RIDICULOUS!)
Pathos and good will,
Lord V.
Showing posts with label animation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animation. Show all posts
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Ready? FIGHT!
"Is this for you?" the cashier said skeptically, looking at me out of the corner of his eye as he placed a copy of Scribblenauts into the plastic bag.
"Yes," I said with a nod and big smile on my face.
He shook his head. "I'm used to seeing people buying violent games. I don't even play. Games are too graphic for me. Pacman and Ms. Pacman. That's what I play. I can't handle much more than that."
His reaction amused me. Nobody expects a 6'3" 22 year-old fellow such as myself to purchase a game featuring a little boy with a weird rooster hat on the cover. I also thought it was funny he actually commented on my purchase. Last time I went to that store I was buying Repo: The Genetic Opera and the animated Wonder Woman movie, and nobody said anything about my double feature selection.
As I left the store I started thinking about my choice in game selection. I grew up with a Sega Genesis and Sonic The Hedgehog. The most violent game I'd ever played up until then was Batman for the Commodore 64. If you open up the box in my closet where my Genesis games reside you will pull out a mascot based platformer. Back in the day, that was the most popular genre. Everything from Lion King to Earthworm Jim fell in that category. Most of my PlayStation and PS2 games are also platformers like Crash Bandicoot and Ape Escape. To this day I still prefer to play games like Ratchet & Clank and Super Mario Galaxy, but when you look at my wish list it's quite obvious my tastes have changed. Fallout 3, Assassin's Creed, No More Heroes 2, BlazBlu. Fighting games, shooters, they're all there. I suck at fighting games, and I don't even particularly like shooters, but I will admit there's nothing more romantic than curling up on the couch with your girl and fragging Chimera Hybrids with an Auger. It's just odd bouncing between Resistance: Fall of Man and Boom Blox Bash Party on the Wii.
When did my tastes change? Not that they've changed much, because I still play "kiddy" games. I always hated violence. Bloodshed made me nauseous. I don't believe in guns (they exist only IN YOUR MIND.) I think some of the blame can be placed on Marvel VS Capcom 2 for the Dreamcast. That was my fist fighting game. There was something oddly satisfying in beating the snot out of Akuma, Megaman, or Gambit without having any real reason to do so. It was kinetic and unpredictable. Unlike other games full of goomba stomping and crate bashing there was no opportunity to relax. It was you versus a Sentinal, Zangief, and a Servebot (most embarrassing loss ever. I managed to beat the two tanks only to fall before the menacing little Lego chef.) Instead of figuring out when to time your jumps and what order to flip switches, this was a true test of my skill as a gamer. It wasn't long after that I began my Stick Striker animation and started watching old black and white samurai movies. My interest in armed and unarmed combat was growing. I downloaded SNES roms of Street Fighter and Samurai Shodown. I still couldn't bring myself to play more graphic games like Mortal Kombat, but I'm more likely to test my might now.
I'm gonna sit back on the couch and pit God against an atheist in Scribblenauts to see what happens.
"Yes," I said with a nod and big smile on my face.
He shook his head. "I'm used to seeing people buying violent games. I don't even play. Games are too graphic for me. Pacman and Ms. Pacman. That's what I play. I can't handle much more than that."
His reaction amused me. Nobody expects a 6'3" 22 year-old fellow such as myself to purchase a game featuring a little boy with a weird rooster hat on the cover. I also thought it was funny he actually commented on my purchase. Last time I went to that store I was buying Repo: The Genetic Opera and the animated Wonder Woman movie, and nobody said anything about my double feature selection.
As I left the store I started thinking about my choice in game selection. I grew up with a Sega Genesis and Sonic The Hedgehog. The most violent game I'd ever played up until then was Batman for the Commodore 64. If you open up the box in my closet where my Genesis games reside you will pull out a mascot based platformer. Back in the day, that was the most popular genre. Everything from Lion King to Earthworm Jim fell in that category. Most of my PlayStation and PS2 games are also platformers like Crash Bandicoot and Ape Escape. To this day I still prefer to play games like Ratchet & Clank and Super Mario Galaxy, but when you look at my wish list it's quite obvious my tastes have changed. Fallout 3, Assassin's Creed, No More Heroes 2, BlazBlu. Fighting games, shooters, they're all there. I suck at fighting games, and I don't even particularly like shooters, but I will admit there's nothing more romantic than curling up on the couch with your girl and fragging Chimera Hybrids with an Auger. It's just odd bouncing between Resistance: Fall of Man and Boom Blox Bash Party on the Wii.
When did my tastes change? Not that they've changed much, because I still play "kiddy" games. I always hated violence. Bloodshed made me nauseous. I don't believe in guns (they exist only IN YOUR MIND.) I think some of the blame can be placed on Marvel VS Capcom 2 for the Dreamcast. That was my fist fighting game. There was something oddly satisfying in beating the snot out of Akuma, Megaman, or Gambit without having any real reason to do so. It was kinetic and unpredictable. Unlike other games full of goomba stomping and crate bashing there was no opportunity to relax. It was you versus a Sentinal, Zangief, and a Servebot (most embarrassing loss ever. I managed to beat the two tanks only to fall before the menacing little Lego chef.) Instead of figuring out when to time your jumps and what order to flip switches, this was a true test of my skill as a gamer. It wasn't long after that I began my Stick Striker animation and started watching old black and white samurai movies. My interest in armed and unarmed combat was growing. I downloaded SNES roms of Street Fighter and Samurai Shodown. I still couldn't bring myself to play more graphic games like Mortal Kombat, but I'm more likely to test my might now.
I'm gonna sit back on the couch and pit God against an atheist in Scribblenauts to see what happens.
Monday, August 3, 2009
The Treads on the Battle Tank Keep Spinning
Behold! Episode 1 of The Astonishing Dude (now referred to as TAD for short, 'cause I like that better then AD, and yes these things are important to me and you can't take away my freedom stop trying to control my life leave me alone I'm not hungry I'm going to my room and I'm never coming back OMG sugar rush!) has been completed!
All goes according to plan. As per standard production procedure I worked on that sucker 'til it was time to head out the door and abuse the auditory canals of those fortunate enough to hear our masterwork. Keeping the volume consistent throughout the piece was the biggest difficulty I had. No, finding sound effects was, but the volume came a close second (which reminds me that I need to do some more sound hunting if I'm going to pull off the upcoming commercial breaks. I should delegate this task to someone else. Any volunteers? Who wants to find me a bowling ball, a toaster, an agitated hamster, and an aerosol can full of doughnut batter? Think of it as a scavenger hunt.) The great thing is that no matter how many times I listened to this thing it never got boring. Animation gets old fast. Granted, it takes a hell of a lot longer too. This show though... this show is astonishing through and through. My only disappointment is that we didn't have the recorder going when we did our live cast commentary. Sad day. (I know most of what I said, so I could record my own commentary... but I think blogging is the full extent I'm willing to take my ego. It just wouldn't be the same without my outstanding comrades anyway.)
And Episode 2 is officially underway! Armed with previous experience, our intrepid hero (overlord) ventures not into the unknown wilderness of radio play production, but into the familiar lake of tepid and not on the whole unpleasant work that is exhausting, time consuming, but ultimately rewarding. The challenge this month will be to effectively emulate a panic stricken mob of limbless civilians, an overzealous arena of bloodsport fanatics, learn how to apply voice modulation in order to make my actors sound alien but understandable (I cannot understand most alien voices due to their modulation. The Vogons in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series especially, and most recently Emperor Tachyon's voice in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.) and play not one but TWO characters that are much too intense for my stomach to handle. I started getting sick during a run through of the script. I should be fine if I have lots of water handy. The show... must... go on... gasp... *MELODRAMATIC DEATH!*
I am also serving as Director Assistant/Script Master/Nagging Asshole in a film production called Nightbumpers. So far I've only screwed up once, if not twice, and all on our first day of shooting! The first error was when I started doing my job before the cinematographers said cut, and the second was when I might have been in the shot when the camera person did a pan of the set for extra coverage. I'm looking forward to the next day of shooting. I've never been a part of something like this. At the art school I was an animator, and wasn't involved in anything that required actual filming. I did write one screenplay and was there for shooting, but I dunno... that was different. I don't get that awkward feeling that I don't belong there though, which is good and quite surprising. I got a little nervous when I had to actually, you know, do my job, but I think that went alright. (I still need a copy of the script. I don't think I can keep hoarding the Director's. I may also bring some blue masking tape and a dry erase marker for the sake of taking blue masking tape and a dry erase marker.)
I'm working on learning to draw. Oddly, whenever I try to draw the way I'm taught I fail. I can't get beyond the two-dimensional wire frame model I've created. It should be a simple matter of cleaning up lines, really no different from my normal process, but something feels wrong. Winging it seems to be providing better and better results. Characters aren't especially detailed, there's no shading, texture, or color to speak of. Hands, feet, and faces continue to be my eternal adversaries. On the positive side, I have two tolerable sketches of myself: the infamous Lord Veltha. Other more pressing matters have taken time away from my pencil practice, but I feel that with the progress I've been making it will only be a few years until I become what artists refer to as "okay."
The world is in my hands. It's only a matter of time.
(And if you haven't already, check out www.imeem.com/astonishingdude for great justice!)
All goes according to plan. As per standard production procedure I worked on that sucker 'til it was time to head out the door and abuse the auditory canals of those fortunate enough to hear our masterwork. Keeping the volume consistent throughout the piece was the biggest difficulty I had. No, finding sound effects was, but the volume came a close second (which reminds me that I need to do some more sound hunting if I'm going to pull off the upcoming commercial breaks. I should delegate this task to someone else. Any volunteers? Who wants to find me a bowling ball, a toaster, an agitated hamster, and an aerosol can full of doughnut batter? Think of it as a scavenger hunt.) The great thing is that no matter how many times I listened to this thing it never got boring. Animation gets old fast. Granted, it takes a hell of a lot longer too. This show though... this show is astonishing through and through. My only disappointment is that we didn't have the recorder going when we did our live cast commentary. Sad day. (I know most of what I said, so I could record my own commentary... but I think blogging is the full extent I'm willing to take my ego. It just wouldn't be the same without my outstanding comrades anyway.)
And Episode 2 is officially underway! Armed with previous experience, our intrepid hero (overlord) ventures not into the unknown wilderness of radio play production, but into the familiar lake of tepid and not on the whole unpleasant work that is exhausting, time consuming, but ultimately rewarding. The challenge this month will be to effectively emulate a panic stricken mob of limbless civilians, an overzealous arena of bloodsport fanatics, learn how to apply voice modulation in order to make my actors sound alien but understandable (I cannot understand most alien voices due to their modulation. The Vogons in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series especially, and most recently Emperor Tachyon's voice in Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.) and play not one but TWO characters that are much too intense for my stomach to handle. I started getting sick during a run through of the script. I should be fine if I have lots of water handy. The show... must... go on... gasp... *MELODRAMATIC DEATH!*
I am also serving as Director Assistant/Script Master/Nagging Asshole in a film production called Nightbumpers. So far I've only screwed up once, if not twice, and all on our first day of shooting! The first error was when I started doing my job before the cinematographers said cut, and the second was when I might have been in the shot when the camera person did a pan of the set for extra coverage. I'm looking forward to the next day of shooting. I've never been a part of something like this. At the art school I was an animator, and wasn't involved in anything that required actual filming. I did write one screenplay and was there for shooting, but I dunno... that was different. I don't get that awkward feeling that I don't belong there though, which is good and quite surprising. I got a little nervous when I had to actually, you know, do my job, but I think that went alright. (I still need a copy of the script. I don't think I can keep hoarding the Director's. I may also bring some blue masking tape and a dry erase marker for the sake of taking blue masking tape and a dry erase marker.)
I'm working on learning to draw. Oddly, whenever I try to draw the way I'm taught I fail. I can't get beyond the two-dimensional wire frame model I've created. It should be a simple matter of cleaning up lines, really no different from my normal process, but something feels wrong. Winging it seems to be providing better and better results. Characters aren't especially detailed, there's no shading, texture, or color to speak of. Hands, feet, and faces continue to be my eternal adversaries. On the positive side, I have two tolerable sketches of myself: the infamous Lord Veltha. Other more pressing matters have taken time away from my pencil practice, but I feel that with the progress I've been making it will only be a few years until I become what artists refer to as "okay."
The world is in my hands. It's only a matter of time.
(And if you haven't already, check out www.imeem.com/astonishingdude for great justice!)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Radio Killed the Literary Star
At long last my battle with animation has come to an end, and it has been praised. It’s odd that it took me so long to complete, but this is no time to dwell on the past. Those were turbulent times, filled with tears and great strife. Now the final element linking me to that past has been vanquished and I will be able to move forward into the promising future beyond the horizon. A future in radio.
Today I began my fifth script for The Astonishing Dude and remote-recorded one of my actors before they ship overseas to Japan (She’s a robot and requires yearly maintenance. Allying myself with a robot goes against all of my better judgment and experience with science fiction movies, but she plays a mighty fine diseased pull string doll, and for that I am grateful.) Next week I will be able to record the rest of my cast as an ensemble. I expect the utmost professionalism from them. Not a single line will be flubbed, and at absolutely no point during the recording session will they break out into fits of uncontrollable laughter. I place all of my faith in their capable vocal chords.
Once the series begins my free time will become limited, assuming we’re attempting to maintain a weekly deadline. I’ll have to write one script a week, organize rehearsals, schedule recording sessions, edit and mix the show, then play it at KOUG Radio for all to enjoy. This isn’t impossible. Shows like SNL prove that. It may not be entertaining, but weekly deadlines can be met. I am a male Virgo, and quite incapable of multitasking. I can do one thing at a time, and that one thing must be perfect. The primary concerns are my poor writing habits and unifying everyone else’s schedule. With paint and canvas you can almost always guarantee that you’ll have everything you need to create your art. When your artistic medium requires people things become difficult. Paint brushes don’t have lives of their own. This isn’t a professional production. People are going to be scrambling for jobs and going to school, if not both. They may not be available on my easel when I need them. Meanwhile I will be so consumed by this production that I won’t have time for anything else. I’m fortunate that my comrades are involved in this project. Being the overlord is lonely work, but at least in this endeavor I won’t be alone. These people I am working with are more important to me than anything. They are the reason I continue to fight (I mean, yes, I am human, and as such I am inherently selfish. It would be more accurate to say that I fight for my own happiness and being able to associate with my comrades makes me happy and as such it is in my best interest to persevere through my madness so that I may spend time with them, but people reading this blog may not have the time to read through such a long winded explanation of my motivations. I have no desire to inconvenience anyone by going on and on about something that could easily be summed up in a short sentence. I dare say I’m being ironic. Imagine that.)
The other problem is that I am unable to stretch out a storyline beyond half an hour. The station manager suggested a one-hour time slot. I understand the need for nice even numbers (I'm a Virgo.) If we are given an hour to fill the best thing to do would be to see about getting cast members together at the station and talking about the process (or whatever comes up. There's really no telling sometimes.) It would be like episode commentary on DVD, but live. I for one would find that to be most enjoyable, and I'm sure my cast would love it as well. It would also be a great opportunity for my talented composer to discuss his work if he was in the area at the time of the broadcast. Another bonus for me is that if I assemble people together in a small room to talk about the show ideas may pop up that could be utilized in a future script. At present I am wholly dependent on my own imagination to provide interesting plot lines. My imagination and Netflix (Ah, I do love me some Justice League.)
For some time I have had the desire to return to the piece I was writing prior to my work on The Astonishing Dude. However, any time spent writing must, for the sake of great justice, be spent writing scripts for my radio series. I’m trying to compromise by drawing my characters (and myself. I’m not looking so good.) before I retire to my chaimbers in the evening. I am not a visual artist, and I do not claim to be a visual artist, but I will say that I’ve improved ever so slightly since the last time I attempted to draw human figures. For the sake of good taste I may have to stick to drawing machines, beasts, and plush kitties. If people begin gouging out their eyes due my atrocious sketching there will be no one left to gaze upon my handsome visage (Someone told me I had a pretty smile yesterday. They actually used the word pretty to describe my smile. I wasn’t sure whether to smite them or not, so I hired a former serial killer to decide for me. His judgment was swift.) My dream for this novel… is to write it. Actually finishing it would be a huge step, and despite how obvious it may seem to the future of the work it is something that quite escapes my mind. I would like key points of the story to be illustrated by various comic book artists. The idea is to have each character be drawn in a different art style (For example, I would be illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. I have high aspirations.) Before I am able to have prestigious artists create work based on my story I must create something great that piques their interest in me. No matter. We will find a way.
Until then we shall continue to draw horribly disfigured people whose parents were clearly involved in substance abuse.
Today I began my fifth script for The Astonishing Dude and remote-recorded one of my actors before they ship overseas to Japan (She’s a robot and requires yearly maintenance. Allying myself with a robot goes against all of my better judgment and experience with science fiction movies, but she plays a mighty fine diseased pull string doll, and for that I am grateful.) Next week I will be able to record the rest of my cast as an ensemble. I expect the utmost professionalism from them. Not a single line will be flubbed, and at absolutely no point during the recording session will they break out into fits of uncontrollable laughter. I place all of my faith in their capable vocal chords.
Once the series begins my free time will become limited, assuming we’re attempting to maintain a weekly deadline. I’ll have to write one script a week, organize rehearsals, schedule recording sessions, edit and mix the show, then play it at KOUG Radio for all to enjoy. This isn’t impossible. Shows like SNL prove that. It may not be entertaining, but weekly deadlines can be met. I am a male Virgo, and quite incapable of multitasking. I can do one thing at a time, and that one thing must be perfect. The primary concerns are my poor writing habits and unifying everyone else’s schedule. With paint and canvas you can almost always guarantee that you’ll have everything you need to create your art. When your artistic medium requires people things become difficult. Paint brushes don’t have lives of their own. This isn’t a professional production. People are going to be scrambling for jobs and going to school, if not both. They may not be available on my easel when I need them. Meanwhile I will be so consumed by this production that I won’t have time for anything else. I’m fortunate that my comrades are involved in this project. Being the overlord is lonely work, but at least in this endeavor I won’t be alone. These people I am working with are more important to me than anything. They are the reason I continue to fight (I mean, yes, I am human, and as such I am inherently selfish. It would be more accurate to say that I fight for my own happiness and being able to associate with my comrades makes me happy and as such it is in my best interest to persevere through my madness so that I may spend time with them, but people reading this blog may not have the time to read through such a long winded explanation of my motivations. I have no desire to inconvenience anyone by going on and on about something that could easily be summed up in a short sentence. I dare say I’m being ironic. Imagine that.)
The other problem is that I am unable to stretch out a storyline beyond half an hour. The station manager suggested a one-hour time slot. I understand the need for nice even numbers (I'm a Virgo.) If we are given an hour to fill the best thing to do would be to see about getting cast members together at the station and talking about the process (or whatever comes up. There's really no telling sometimes.) It would be like episode commentary on DVD, but live. I for one would find that to be most enjoyable, and I'm sure my cast would love it as well. It would also be a great opportunity for my talented composer to discuss his work if he was in the area at the time of the broadcast. Another bonus for me is that if I assemble people together in a small room to talk about the show ideas may pop up that could be utilized in a future script. At present I am wholly dependent on my own imagination to provide interesting plot lines. My imagination and Netflix (Ah, I do love me some Justice League.)
For some time I have had the desire to return to the piece I was writing prior to my work on The Astonishing Dude. However, any time spent writing must, for the sake of great justice, be spent writing scripts for my radio series. I’m trying to compromise by drawing my characters (and myself. I’m not looking so good.) before I retire to my chaimbers in the evening. I am not a visual artist, and I do not claim to be a visual artist, but I will say that I’ve improved ever so slightly since the last time I attempted to draw human figures. For the sake of good taste I may have to stick to drawing machines, beasts, and plush kitties. If people begin gouging out their eyes due my atrocious sketching there will be no one left to gaze upon my handsome visage (Someone told me I had a pretty smile yesterday. They actually used the word pretty to describe my smile. I wasn’t sure whether to smite them or not, so I hired a former serial killer to decide for me. His judgment was swift.) My dream for this novel… is to write it. Actually finishing it would be a huge step, and despite how obvious it may seem to the future of the work it is something that quite escapes my mind. I would like key points of the story to be illustrated by various comic book artists. The idea is to have each character be drawn in a different art style (For example, I would be illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. I have high aspirations.) Before I am able to have prestigious artists create work based on my story I must create something great that piques their interest in me. No matter. We will find a way.
Until then we shall continue to draw horribly disfigured people whose parents were clearly involved in substance abuse.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Accomplishment: ANIMATION!
At long last my animation project, "What Are You Waiting For?" has been completed! Rejoice in the glory of Lord Veltha!
Okay... maybe it's not... technically... done yet, but it is virtually done. Even as we speak my computer is in the midst of the ever important rendering process, which seems to take about two hours for every minute of film. I must also find a way to get a copy to my producer for approval and organize a premiere party at the lair. Oh, the partying that shall ensue.
Three years ago I graduated from High School. After a brief college enrollment where I learned that really wide rolling backpacks are incredibly ill-designed, how to insert headers in Microsoft Word, how to grow efficiantly despise vector imaging programs (I made my fancy logo in college as a school project dealing with advertising. While other students were promoting products and bands I was developing my image as an evil overlord. Yes, I am awesome.), and that Portland is a horrible horrible place to go to school when you have to bus everywhere, I began working on a project entitled "Ninja Among Us" (a public service announcement that explained the encroaching ninja threat and how to defend yourself. This was back when the Ninja VS Pirates craze was at its peak.) Not long into that I was approached by my animation pimp who got an email from a friend who got an email from a friend about a guy from New York who was looking for a stick figure animator to... animate stick figures... and insert them into one of his old films. I was given the job and I've been working on it almost ever since.
This thing has been taking forever! When I started out I alternated days similar to how my High School schedule was organized. Monday and Wednesday I would write comics, Tuesday and Thursday I would animate, and Friday I would work on my novel. This continued on for a year or so. I was fortunate enough to be allowed sanction in my neighbor's house. They allowed me to use one of their spare rooms to set up my stuff. While I was thankful for this opportunity to have my own little studio, that was really the only place I went. Back and forth through the neighborhood every day. I had nowhere else to go and nobody to talk to. The isolation took its toll. When I finished drawing I was so terrified of the project that I refused to resume work on it. Even when I was allowed to use the animation equipment at my former High School there were several times I wanted to quit. I was watching my work in motion for the first time and did not like seeing how all those months of emotional labor amounted to total crap. Most of my fear stemmed from the knowledge that I would have to go back and re-animate certain scenes, and I had associated many horrible emotions with that activity. It wasn't until I began editing against the original film that I felt things were coming together. I did go back to the drawing board, as they say, and for the first two days it was okay and I laughed at my fears of becoming lost to extreme negativity. By the third day I had no patience for anything and had to keep myself from biting people's faces off.
But it's totally okay now! Now I am done. Now I am driven to ensure that such an experience never befalls me again. I have friends, I have goals, I have passions. I am pushing myself harder than I've ever thought possible to overcome my anxiety and break the cycle of despair. Global domination is at hand! With this animation completed I can focus on other projects what will hopefully allow for collaboration with others. I can start writing again! I would like to focus on my novel, but I am most interested in collaborating with people to produce comic books and short live action films. Tomorrow I get to attend a meeting at the radio station and discuss radio matters... with actual people!
I think most of the meeting will pertain to organizational matters, but I will be introduced to people who are interested in producing a radio drama. I've already emailed the new station manager a couple proposals that I think should be fairly easy to work on. When we find our stride we can pursue stories with more... I dunno... "scope." I'm interested in hearing other ideas. I would be more than happy to do grunt work at the station and provide voice talent. This is a great opportunity for shameless self-promotion since one of the goals of the studio is to make Vancouver more awesome by uniting artists. The station itself is volunteer work, but it is fun volunteer work! This is what I want to do. I may not be the most organized person, but I am committed.
When the animation is, for all intents and purposes, DONE, I must find a way to post it here. I don't want to bother with film festivals. I really don't. If Mr. Guy-In-New-York wants to do that stuff then great. It would be nice to see something done with all of this work, but I am more than happy to see it go away. I must work to accomplish my next mission, whatever that may be.
Pathos and Good Will.
Okay... maybe it's not... technically... done yet, but it is virtually done. Even as we speak my computer is in the midst of the ever important rendering process, which seems to take about two hours for every minute of film. I must also find a way to get a copy to my producer for approval and organize a premiere party at the lair. Oh, the partying that shall ensue.
Three years ago I graduated from High School. After a brief college enrollment where I learned that really wide rolling backpacks are incredibly ill-designed, how to insert headers in Microsoft Word, how to grow efficiantly despise vector imaging programs (I made my fancy logo in college as a school project dealing with advertising. While other students were promoting products and bands I was developing my image as an evil overlord. Yes, I am awesome.), and that Portland is a horrible horrible place to go to school when you have to bus everywhere, I began working on a project entitled "Ninja Among Us" (a public service announcement that explained the encroaching ninja threat and how to defend yourself. This was back when the Ninja VS Pirates craze was at its peak.) Not long into that I was approached by my animation pimp who got an email from a friend who got an email from a friend about a guy from New York who was looking for a stick figure animator to... animate stick figures... and insert them into one of his old films. I was given the job and I've been working on it almost ever since.
This thing has been taking forever! When I started out I alternated days similar to how my High School schedule was organized. Monday and Wednesday I would write comics, Tuesday and Thursday I would animate, and Friday I would work on my novel. This continued on for a year or so. I was fortunate enough to be allowed sanction in my neighbor's house. They allowed me to use one of their spare rooms to set up my stuff. While I was thankful for this opportunity to have my own little studio, that was really the only place I went. Back and forth through the neighborhood every day. I had nowhere else to go and nobody to talk to. The isolation took its toll. When I finished drawing I was so terrified of the project that I refused to resume work on it. Even when I was allowed to use the animation equipment at my former High School there were several times I wanted to quit. I was watching my work in motion for the first time and did not like seeing how all those months of emotional labor amounted to total crap. Most of my fear stemmed from the knowledge that I would have to go back and re-animate certain scenes, and I had associated many horrible emotions with that activity. It wasn't until I began editing against the original film that I felt things were coming together. I did go back to the drawing board, as they say, and for the first two days it was okay and I laughed at my fears of becoming lost to extreme negativity. By the third day I had no patience for anything and had to keep myself from biting people's faces off.
But it's totally okay now! Now I am done. Now I am driven to ensure that such an experience never befalls me again. I have friends, I have goals, I have passions. I am pushing myself harder than I've ever thought possible to overcome my anxiety and break the cycle of despair. Global domination is at hand! With this animation completed I can focus on other projects what will hopefully allow for collaboration with others. I can start writing again! I would like to focus on my novel, but I am most interested in collaborating with people to produce comic books and short live action films. Tomorrow I get to attend a meeting at the radio station and discuss radio matters... with actual people!
I think most of the meeting will pertain to organizational matters, but I will be introduced to people who are interested in producing a radio drama. I've already emailed the new station manager a couple proposals that I think should be fairly easy to work on. When we find our stride we can pursue stories with more... I dunno... "scope." I'm interested in hearing other ideas. I would be more than happy to do grunt work at the station and provide voice talent. This is a great opportunity for shameless self-promotion since one of the goals of the studio is to make Vancouver more awesome by uniting artists. The station itself is volunteer work, but it is fun volunteer work! This is what I want to do. I may not be the most organized person, but I am committed.
When the animation is, for all intents and purposes, DONE, I must find a way to post it here. I don't want to bother with film festivals. I really don't. If Mr. Guy-In-New-York wants to do that stuff then great. It would be nice to see something done with all of this work, but I am more than happy to see it go away. I must work to accomplish my next mission, whatever that may be.
Pathos and Good Will.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Accomplishment: Job Application
It's been a while since I've written of my accomplishments, mostly 'cause I haven't accomplished anything. I'm not used to doing anything with my life other than write all day and hope that someone other than myself will get a chance to read it, so this sudden activity towards trying to make my way in the world is taking a toll. I've been taking a break, but it's about time I hopped back on the lampalugua (coolest monster name ever) and get to work.
My first job application was almost three months ago, and was quite an astonishing feat at the time. Before that any mention of getting a job would send me panicking. Things have changed recently, and I'm much more confident in my ability to not suck at things. The job wasn't even scouted out for me, but I decided to give it a shot. I found out about it pretty last minute. I told myself that I wasn't going to apply for the job, because there was no way I could get the application in on time. I was just going to fill out the application for the experience of it, because I'd never done it before. Then as I went along it seemed like it could have been possible to complete the form on time. I was able to organize and problem solve on my own, or at least more independently than usual, and got it turned in right at the deadline. I looked for employment at a couple other places before getting completely sidetracked by other matters. One of my new minions is an Employment Specialty Coordinator. She's the one who managed to convince people I was safe to keep around kids. She's still looking for jobs that suit me, and in the meantime I'll do some volunteer work to get out of the house. The form I did yesterday was online, so there's really no harrowing tale of awesomeness to accompany it. In fact, I should really take the time to flesh out the story of my first application, but there are other matters that require my attention.
I've been so focused on entering the real world that I've neglected my duties in the fictional world. I managed to jot down a couple short poems I'm planning to read at the next open mic. I've got everything set up to edit my animation except for my patience, attention apan, and relaxed demeanor. All three completely go down the incinerator whenever I try to work on this thing, but I'm almost done. Once I'm done I never have to look at it again. I need to tweak a few things in my graphic novel script. It's been a while since I've written anything in my novel. I also have something very important to draw.
Busy busy busy
My first job application was almost three months ago, and was quite an astonishing feat at the time. Before that any mention of getting a job would send me panicking. Things have changed recently, and I'm much more confident in my ability to not suck at things. The job wasn't even scouted out for me, but I decided to give it a shot. I found out about it pretty last minute. I told myself that I wasn't going to apply for the job, because there was no way I could get the application in on time. I was just going to fill out the application for the experience of it, because I'd never done it before. Then as I went along it seemed like it could have been possible to complete the form on time. I was able to organize and problem solve on my own, or at least more independently than usual, and got it turned in right at the deadline. I looked for employment at a couple other places before getting completely sidetracked by other matters. One of my new minions is an Employment Specialty Coordinator. She's the one who managed to convince people I was safe to keep around kids. She's still looking for jobs that suit me, and in the meantime I'll do some volunteer work to get out of the house. The form I did yesterday was online, so there's really no harrowing tale of awesomeness to accompany it. In fact, I should really take the time to flesh out the story of my first application, but there are other matters that require my attention.
I've been so focused on entering the real world that I've neglected my duties in the fictional world. I managed to jot down a couple short poems I'm planning to read at the next open mic. I've got everything set up to edit my animation except for my patience, attention apan, and relaxed demeanor. All three completely go down the incinerator whenever I try to work on this thing, but I'm almost done. Once I'm done I never have to look at it again. I need to tweak a few things in my graphic novel script. It's been a while since I've written anything in my novel. I also have something very important to draw.
Busy busy busy
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Triple Accomplishment Super Thursday!
Today worked out great. I accomplished something today that's been nagging me for what seems like years, and possibly has been. The fact that I managed to circumvent my usual tedious thought process that invariably results in me chickening out and pouting about how much of a coward I am and instead do the un... well not really the un-thinkable, 'cause I've thought about it, but that's more or less the point. The fact is I actually did it rather than just think about it. This is an amazing feat of super greatness that goes beyond my normal capabilities. If I can continue down this path it will change who I am as a person for the better, and make all of the trials to come that much easier. It's a stunning example of my newfound perseverance and tenacity.
But first I rescued a dog.
It was a round little chihuahua by name of Gizmo. It was wandering around claiming the neighborhood as his own and I made him nervous enough with my menacing countenance that he eventually ambled home. Then he ambled through the bushes and around his home. I eventually managed to cut off his escape route and deliver him to his girl across the fence. Just another day in the life of an Evil Overlord.
Next up I went to work on my animation, 'cause I'm an animator and that's what animators do: they work. I'm about ready to edit and hopefully fix as many mistakes as I can so I don't have to re-animate everything by hand. It's always reassuring listening to DVD commentary and hearing producers complain about how bad the animation was on certain episodes they got shipped back from Korea, and how they managed to fix everything in the edit. Which reminds me: I need a Korean workforce. Maybe I can find one on Craig's List.
I couldn't edit today for technical reasons (I'm an ill-prepared idiot) and decided to proceed to Cover To Cover Books where I was to face off against the beatnik hippie open mic poetry readers of DOOM when something unexpected happened. (I'm a pretty simple-minded person. Gravity is unexpected.)
Something happens when I see certain strangers. They stand out, like there's an eerie glow about them. It's kind of like how in the animated series Batman Beyond (Ironically intended for a younger audience than the original Batman: TAS, but is way more mature in my opinion... despite the laser guns) all of the background characters are painted in the same color scheme so that the main characters pop out more by contrast. Some people don't blend in like other people do, and it's not because of the way they're dressed. Something in the back of my mind urges me to talk to these people, but I never do. I get shy and self-conscious, so I walk away. Then there's the guilt and shame over how I don't take an active role in pursuing my happiness and blah blah blah angst. Today wasn't much different, with the exception that I was awesome. By "awesome," I mean fatalistically sarcastic with myself.
Whatever happens is the only thing that could possibly happen, and I have no control over it, so why panic? What's the worst that could happen?
"What's the worst that could happen?" is a favorite game of mine, and one that should only be played in good humor. Usually when I play it goes something like, "If I do this, then tornadoes will come down and send giant turtles hurtling though the air like comets, cracking the planet in half and causing gravity to pull the fragments inside out. So, basically I have nothing to be embarrassed about, 'cause if that were to happen I wouldn't be around long enough to feel embarrassed." It's not the most logical conclusion, but it gets the job done. It manages to break the will-I-won't-I cycle that involves me pacing back and forth, growing courageous, turning around and wussing out, telling myself not to be a coward, telling myself it's too scary, and just giving up. This time I managed to actually talk to the glowing person. I was slightly more articulate than a drunk with a mouth full of wasabi. Only slightly.
I used this line to initiate the conversation: "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm trying some exposure therapy. I'm not used to talking to people, and I thought I'd try talking to you."
I shit you not, good sir. I am the smoothest cat in the 'couve. Next I'm gonna walk into a bar, find a hot girl at the counter and say, "Hey, do you drink glow-sticks... 'cause you're really pretty," in my best mouth-breather stalker voice.
Regardless of how stupid I must have sounded they were very nice to me. I'd like to thank them for putting up with my social awkwardness, but I never got their name. Thanks anyway. It meant a lot to me. Maybe now it'll be easier to talk to strangers with "the glow." I just need a much better way to begin a conversation. It's hard, 'cause most people are perfectly content in their day-to-day lives. They have their circles of friends and family. They don't need me. The only way I can meet people is if I actively try to engage their attention. What better way than to say, "Hey, we're going to have a conversation now," you know? Subtle suggestion that I would like to talk doesn't seem to work on people.
I have to keep reminding myself that this is supposed to be the optimistic blog and I'm not allowed to badmouth my ineptitude. I just need experience. Then maybe I'll learn that all I need to do to hold a conversation is ask small-talky meaningless questions and hope they don't think I'm creepy and nosy. (I can't win.)
I still had three hours to kill before the open mic started. The website said it began after closing. I didn't read where it said an hour after closing. I walked to the library, wasted time, whatever. When the doors opened up I came in and sat around. Actually, I started writing about my experience out of boredom since I had already been sitting around doing nothing for long enough Dad's giant saguaro cactus might have blossomed. Feel free to skip this crap. It's only here 'cause I feel like wasting more time.
"So, I'm here. Sitting in the most uncomfortable chair I can find. The room is empty. No reason I should sit here. Maybe I won't. It's funny how my thoughts finish seconds before I write them. Can't do anything 'til I write everything down, even find a more comfortable chair. Maybe if I moved to a more comfortable chair I wouldn't have gone back to writing about the uncomfortable chair. Perhaps I would have. We'll never know. I now sit in the second most comfortable chair. How would I know that? I've only sat in one other chair. There's a chair that looks like it could possibly be more comfortable. It's sitting in the back row right in the center of the aisle. I'd be too embarrassed to sit in the middle of the room. Not sure why. The room is empty. The vacancies would mock me. I'll never know. There are people in the room. They've been there for about seven sentences. Funny how that works. Writing about emptiness as the vacuum is filling. I write too slow. My hands are cold. I've been outside since 4:30. I talked to a stranger. Go me. Then there was the library and here I am. So... here I am. I'm still here. Why was I here so early? My firewire, or lack thereof. Can't work without a firewire. I also thought the mic opened at six. How did I come across that assumption? Lack of observation. I thought the website said after closing, and I assumed that meant right after closing. I have a habit of doing that. I think so. I can't think of when I've made that mistake before. That means either I've never made that mistake before or I have no memory of it. However, if I've never made that mistake that would also explain why I have no memory of it. It doesn't necessarily mean I have a poor memory. So, here I am. Head count: 18 heads. There are more. Some heads are hidden behind others. Some are behind the wall. I see no heads lost and rolling on the floor. That would be unfortunate. Ah, here we are. It begins."
There was some good stuff. There was a song I really liked. When the musician kept forgetting the words it actually improved the quality of the song. No, I mean it. Not in a bad way like his singing was crap, but I mean, with the whole, I dunno, subject, I guess, it, um... worked. The guest reader had an awesome two-minute speed poem too. I'd like a copy of that. Over all it probably would have been a better experience if I wasn't all brain-dead and tired.
Speaking of which, it's stupid late. I gotta get me some beauty sleep. Maybe I could take a more passive approach to meeting people if I were prettier.
But first I rescued a dog.
It was a round little chihuahua by name of Gizmo. It was wandering around claiming the neighborhood as his own and I made him nervous enough with my menacing countenance that he eventually ambled home. Then he ambled through the bushes and around his home. I eventually managed to cut off his escape route and deliver him to his girl across the fence. Just another day in the life of an Evil Overlord.
Next up I went to work on my animation, 'cause I'm an animator and that's what animators do: they work. I'm about ready to edit and hopefully fix as many mistakes as I can so I don't have to re-animate everything by hand. It's always reassuring listening to DVD commentary and hearing producers complain about how bad the animation was on certain episodes they got shipped back from Korea, and how they managed to fix everything in the edit. Which reminds me: I need a Korean workforce. Maybe I can find one on Craig's List.
I couldn't edit today for technical reasons (I'm an ill-prepared idiot) and decided to proceed to Cover To Cover Books where I was to face off against the beatnik hippie open mic poetry readers of DOOM when something unexpected happened. (I'm a pretty simple-minded person. Gravity is unexpected.)
Something happens when I see certain strangers. They stand out, like there's an eerie glow about them. It's kind of like how in the animated series Batman Beyond (Ironically intended for a younger audience than the original Batman: TAS, but is way more mature in my opinion... despite the laser guns) all of the background characters are painted in the same color scheme so that the main characters pop out more by contrast. Some people don't blend in like other people do, and it's not because of the way they're dressed. Something in the back of my mind urges me to talk to these people, but I never do. I get shy and self-conscious, so I walk away. Then there's the guilt and shame over how I don't take an active role in pursuing my happiness and blah blah blah angst. Today wasn't much different, with the exception that I was awesome. By "awesome," I mean fatalistically sarcastic with myself.
Whatever happens is the only thing that could possibly happen, and I have no control over it, so why panic? What's the worst that could happen?
"What's the worst that could happen?" is a favorite game of mine, and one that should only be played in good humor. Usually when I play it goes something like, "If I do this, then tornadoes will come down and send giant turtles hurtling though the air like comets, cracking the planet in half and causing gravity to pull the fragments inside out. So, basically I have nothing to be embarrassed about, 'cause if that were to happen I wouldn't be around long enough to feel embarrassed." It's not the most logical conclusion, but it gets the job done. It manages to break the will-I-won't-I cycle that involves me pacing back and forth, growing courageous, turning around and wussing out, telling myself not to be a coward, telling myself it's too scary, and just giving up. This time I managed to actually talk to the glowing person. I was slightly more articulate than a drunk with a mouth full of wasabi. Only slightly.
I used this line to initiate the conversation: "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm trying some exposure therapy. I'm not used to talking to people, and I thought I'd try talking to you."
I shit you not, good sir. I am the smoothest cat in the 'couve. Next I'm gonna walk into a bar, find a hot girl at the counter and say, "Hey, do you drink glow-sticks... 'cause you're really pretty," in my best mouth-breather stalker voice.
Regardless of how stupid I must have sounded they were very nice to me. I'd like to thank them for putting up with my social awkwardness, but I never got their name. Thanks anyway. It meant a lot to me. Maybe now it'll be easier to talk to strangers with "the glow." I just need a much better way to begin a conversation. It's hard, 'cause most people are perfectly content in their day-to-day lives. They have their circles of friends and family. They don't need me. The only way I can meet people is if I actively try to engage their attention. What better way than to say, "Hey, we're going to have a conversation now," you know? Subtle suggestion that I would like to talk doesn't seem to work on people.
I have to keep reminding myself that this is supposed to be the optimistic blog and I'm not allowed to badmouth my ineptitude. I just need experience. Then maybe I'll learn that all I need to do to hold a conversation is ask small-talky meaningless questions and hope they don't think I'm creepy and nosy. (I can't win.)
I still had three hours to kill before the open mic started. The website said it began after closing. I didn't read where it said an hour after closing. I walked to the library, wasted time, whatever. When the doors opened up I came in and sat around. Actually, I started writing about my experience out of boredom since I had already been sitting around doing nothing for long enough Dad's giant saguaro cactus might have blossomed. Feel free to skip this crap. It's only here 'cause I feel like wasting more time.
"So, I'm here. Sitting in the most uncomfortable chair I can find. The room is empty. No reason I should sit here. Maybe I won't. It's funny how my thoughts finish seconds before I write them. Can't do anything 'til I write everything down, even find a more comfortable chair. Maybe if I moved to a more comfortable chair I wouldn't have gone back to writing about the uncomfortable chair. Perhaps I would have. We'll never know. I now sit in the second most comfortable chair. How would I know that? I've only sat in one other chair. There's a chair that looks like it could possibly be more comfortable. It's sitting in the back row right in the center of the aisle. I'd be too embarrassed to sit in the middle of the room. Not sure why. The room is empty. The vacancies would mock me. I'll never know. There are people in the room. They've been there for about seven sentences. Funny how that works. Writing about emptiness as the vacuum is filling. I write too slow. My hands are cold. I've been outside since 4:30. I talked to a stranger. Go me. Then there was the library and here I am. So... here I am. I'm still here. Why was I here so early? My firewire, or lack thereof. Can't work without a firewire. I also thought the mic opened at six. How did I come across that assumption? Lack of observation. I thought the website said after closing, and I assumed that meant right after closing. I have a habit of doing that. I think so. I can't think of when I've made that mistake before. That means either I've never made that mistake before or I have no memory of it. However, if I've never made that mistake that would also explain why I have no memory of it. It doesn't necessarily mean I have a poor memory. So, here I am. Head count: 18 heads. There are more. Some heads are hidden behind others. Some are behind the wall. I see no heads lost and rolling on the floor. That would be unfortunate. Ah, here we are. It begins."
There was some good stuff. There was a song I really liked. When the musician kept forgetting the words it actually improved the quality of the song. No, I mean it. Not in a bad way like his singing was crap, but I mean, with the whole, I dunno, subject, I guess, it, um... worked. The guest reader had an awesome two-minute speed poem too. I'd like a copy of that. Over all it probably would have been a better experience if I wasn't all brain-dead and tired.
Speaking of which, it's stupid late. I gotta get me some beauty sleep. Maybe I could take a more passive approach to meeting people if I were prettier.
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