BSA324, gif for Anna and an idea for the IW, 6 October, 2017

I'll do a warm up! I said.  It'll take an hour! I said.  Ha ha 6 hours later... but still, it's given me some ideas and will be a nice gift for Anna. I'll put her, Liv, and Libby into portraits or mirrors? in the IW.
I need to give Anna a few more expressions.  This could very easily turn into a singing animation.  Maybe we see it when the camera is wandering around the warehouse looking for the singing voice?  But the singing voice is coming from Girl.  So maybe this is just Anna playing the ukelele or singing the oooooos backup vocals.

BSA324, radio interview, 4 October, 2017

Anna's looking cool and I am looking like a chipmunk who is halfway through the best nut ever.  This shot was taken on recording day 2 at Flame Studios.

Day 3 of recording:  Anna and I went in for a Radio Southland interview with Darren Ludlow about our collaboration.  It went really well.  I got to learn so much more about Anna and her work processes, her feel for the project, and her love and understanding for the characters.  And she's got ideas for other things that could happen with the story like a live stage show with puppets!  That's an idea that's a blast from the past.  And I am not against it at all.  One idea, a million directions.  For now the focus is on getting a teaser trailer and opening for the show done.

I looked after Matilda and Oscar while Anna and Geoff carried on with putting the final strokes onto the four songs we recorded days 1 and 2.  She REALLY wanted to do Jellybean's song, but it was not to be.  The raw recording she did for me is good enough to show potential funders what's possible next to the four that were fully rendered. 

BSA306, Tom Petty and animation, 4 October, 2017

Tom Petty died this week.  There have been tributes to him all over the news and the internet.  This one from nofilmschool.com looks at his videos.
Runnin' Down a Dream is referencing Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay. Thank you, film and animation history classes! I like the greyscale palette and thick lines around the main part of the action.  Directed by Jim Lenahan with animation by someone who doesn't seem to be credited anywhere on the internet.  What's up with that?

This appears to be early 3D animation combined with 2D.  Great song, great video.  One of many.

BSA324, recording day 2, 3October, 207

Libby came in today to sing Goldie. Thanks to the song "I've gotta be Great" Goldie has a real Judy garland cabaret feeling,  but without the pill popping. Liv is singing Flash and she's making him sound exactly like he did in my head!  Very exciting.
Geoff finished up Today's the Day and gave me an mp3 for Darren to play (hopefully) as part of the interview we're doing tomorrow.
The Imagination Warehouse song sounds wonderful.  Geoff put the final touches on that and put in the cello Anna wanted. If there's time, Anna will lay down a few simple tracks for Jellybean's song.  That will be a good one!  They're ALL good.  I'm very happy.

To Do 2-9 October, 2017

This break isn't long enough because I still want a full night's sleep. ha ha.

Monday
9.30-4 recording studio with Anna and Geoff.  3 songs fleshed out and recorded
4.30  release a trapped Morgan Magnam McNamara from flat after nicking her keys that morning
5-10 SIT: presents for guest artists x3, 3D print 2 - 95.50mm Jellybeans, email Darren, APRA, Kevin re: peer tutoring, make to-do list, put together 1x doodlebug promos for instagram and figure out how to upload it

Tuesday
9-4 recording studio with Anna, Geoff, Liv, and Libby.  Finish songs in progress and do Flash and Goldie songs
4-7 hang out with Anna, Mathilda, and Oscar
7-10  SIT:   start giant Jellybean 3D print x1,  IW aisle decoration

Wednesday
10:30-11:20 interview with Darren Ludlow at Radio Southland
11:30-4 babysit Anna's kids while she finishes up with Geoff.  Geoff and Anna will work on finishing songs and maybe recording Jellybean's song
5pm-1am  SIT: 3D print giant Jellybean x1, IW aisle decoration
2x doodlebug promos for instagram

Thursday
1 pm-1am SIT: IW aisle decoration, 3D print giant Jellybean x1

Friday
1pm - 3.30am SIT: IW aisle decoration, 3D print large Jellybean x1 2D puppets as per animatic

Saturday
10pm-1.30am SIT: IW aisle decoration, 3D print large Jellybean x1

Sunday
12am to 3am SIT: IW aisle decoration
at home:  talking to family, sleeping, cooking, NOT working.  Had to be done. 

BSA306, good 3D prints! 2 October, 2017

I need two more 95.50 jellybeans, then I'll have 3 different styles of packaging and collectibles,
2 more 55.50 teenybeans for I don't know what, and 2 more gigantor Jellybeans to decorate and cover with fur.  I've been painting the ones I've got this weekend and they're looking good.  The nail varnish stinks forever and a day, though.  Not sure how that's going to go with the candy jellybeans.
I ran out of white and changed out the filament to black.  I'll need to prime it so the paint colours look like the other ones. 

BSA324, notes on recording work, 2 October, 2017

Anna is in town!  She and Geoff laid tracks for 3 songs (Today's the Day, Imagination Warehouse, and I've Gotta be Great) today with instruments and vocals where possible.  Liv and Libby will come in tomorrow to record Goldie and Flash's voices in Today's the Day, I've Gotta be Great, and Flash's Song.  Wednesday we will record an interview with Darren Ludlow, if the studio is free, and finish up anything that's been left undone on the songs.  Everything sounds WONDERFUL!  I am very excited. 

APRA membership is pending and I need to get the Imagination Warehouse recorded as a 70/30 split in favour of Anna after I accidentally entered it as 50/50.  Today's the Day will also be 70/30 and the rest of the songs will probably be 90/10 because I've only contributed a few of the lyrics and Anna has done everything else. 

Listening to the songs come together gave me lots of ideas for the animation and how to arrange the episode. 
Cold open:  Camera is focused on Girl in the midst of some sort of situation. 
Ex: Charlie Brown's teacher (mwa mwa wa wa wa voice) call on Girl, who is sure of her answer and throws her hand into the air. 
Girl:  The answer is: NORWAY!
The class around her laughs uproariously; this is obviously the wrong answer.  Girl freezes in her seat, eyes looking everywhere.  Her face starts to colour, her hands clench.  She's on the verge of an emotional reaction.  The camera zooms in on her eyes and we now see her in the hallway about to run away.  transition into Opening and Imagination Warehouse song as laid out in the animation.  Go into episode as planned. 
End of episode:  zoom back out through Girl's eye to the situation she's in and now she knows what to do. 
Ex: Girl looks around and laughs at her mistake.  She's able to roll with the embarrassment and not break down. 
This opening segment could be animated or live action with a real kid playing Girl. Using an actress has pros and cons, the greatest pro being it keeps the real world and the Imagination Warehouse world separated visually and makes Girl's retreat into her imagination to work things out clear.

New introduction to gang in the IW:
close up of pasta swirling around in a jar, eyes opening, Goldie's head popping up out of the jar.  Next shot, she's "pouring" herself out of the jar.  A pile of metal junk rattles and a teapot bottom busts out of the pile, franken-walking around in search of its head.  Close up of foot stepping on Teppy's crest (like the old rake gag) and causing it to flip up and over until it lands on top revealing Teppy.  An old leather bag unpacks itself and reassembles as Dr. Picklesniffer.
Cables coming snaking in from all directions and coil together to make Flash.  A ball of yarn shakes, needles extend and Prickles is revealed.