Category Archives: real life
Clearing Cobwebs
I’m actually not allowed to blog, there’s too much else in the queue, priority one, hurry the fuck up and get it done sort of stuff. So let’s just keep this a secret, just you and me… k? Where have … Continue reading
Almost and update
Well Howdy do? Been a long lick since I’ve checked in and offered an update on my cini-state. Standby for bullet points. Clambored onto Vine today. Posted ~10 videos, perhaps a dollop or two of genius among the lot. Tighter … Continue reading
Radiance
Ha well trying to use WordPress plug-in, with mixed results.
A Dogged Determination
I thought I’d already begun a post on the almost obsolete topic of unfinished projects. It’s been on my list to finish that post, but I guess I never started it. Well, here we are anyway. Since posting Illustrated Revelations … Continue reading
Income approach
Movies are a collaborative art. Struggling for years to post a visual effects short solo made this crystal clear. Also, as a gregarious guy I like having comrades and co-conspirators. I don’t want to stare at screens alone – for … Continue reading
Illustrated Revelations on an Art of Self
The outcome for 1/1 – 1/2 is to publish a clear and fun compendium and quick reference for the driving objectives of 2013. Let’s begin with thinking about thinking. How do introspective sessions connect and coalese, how do I bind … Continue reading
How to finish DOG, step by step
October 18, 2012 Time for yet another revision. 1. update the current status for a subset of shots, let’s shoot for Red Hallway and Essentials, Act 1. We’ve committed to Red Hallway so it’s effectively Essentials. Cabin Window is already … Continue reading
Appropriate the super organism
October 13, 2012 ~ 7:30 AM After DOG then what? What do I want to do? FXPHD and widening my horizons, knowing what i don’t know VFX supervisor course, turns out I am naturally doing what the big kids do … Continue reading
Holy something!
My dog, have I done a lot of work on this project or what?! In three words, yes, yes and yes. You know things are getting interesting when you wake up and have to babble ideas into your recorder because … Continue reading
December 2012
Specifically, December 15, 2012. What I want to have accomplished, that is. What I want to experience. DOG is done. Pretty much good enough, 80% of awesome. Doesn’t suck, watchable, fun through out, even stellar at times. Screeners going out … Continue reading
What I want to be when I grow up…
That’s a question for little kids, right? I’ll be 50 next May! So what’s the point of asking this question now, isn’t it too late? Didn’t I squander my youth and if I haven’t grown up by now then chances … Continue reading
Assembling a VFX crew
As VFX director for DOG I continue to learn how to assembling and managing a remote roto crew. Here I review past lessons and my vision for the now. My first attempt was in May and after several false starts … Continue reading
Roto artist reference 2012
October 2, 2012, 6:15 pm Introduction x Daughter of God is a narrative short originally shot in 2006, now moving steadily through VFX towards a completion by the end of 2012. Though roto artists will be repairing some continuity and … Continue reading
Have a nice day…
In Stamford, Connecticutt around the late 70’s there was a slightly shabby theater we used to drive by on our way downtown, the Art Cine. They never advertised the features, the kiosk remained unchanged for years. In big bold letters … Continue reading
Toyota Prius Repair – Press release
For immediate release Contact: Reagan and Camille Frixen 231 352-7899 Tim McKay 231 651-9295 Dan Kelly 231 882-0460 Ben Woody 231 383-1866 Micro Movie is a Benzie County Collaboration What do Precision Collision of Frankfort, Fauxgrass’s Tim McKay of Benzonia, … Continue reading
Projects in Progress Chapter 2
The current push is to get the to do list to a manageable size. This means the plans for any given day are actually achievable. Obligations are being consistently met, no new obligations are taken on unless they are strategically … Continue reading
Projects in Progress Chapter 1
Here’s my instant review of Blue Planet with David Attenborough – things want to eat and breed and not get eaten. The ocean is big and mysterious, underwater photographers experience some serious beauty. What struck me in the tub at … Continue reading
Music to repair cars by
Ben Woody rocks. As a summer intern for Trickster Pictures, Ben rotoscoped for DOG with zen-like concentration and produced a slew of personal bliss projects for YouTube. Towards the end of July, he proposed making a time lapse of his … Continue reading
Queue for Fall 2012, v.9
How to wrap DOG when there are some significant items in the queue? I don’t want to get distracted by other projects, especially other people’s projects. Diverting energy risks the completion of DOG. There are a few objectives to handle … Continue reading
As you May Know
I’m proud of my FBI record. To clarify, I’ve never worked for the FBI. What I mean is that the FBI has a file on me. Not only do they have a file on me, but it’s secret. That’s why … Continue reading
Asad 8-30
Having safely landed his ship on the surface of the strange planet, Micro Mizako secures the bridge with a flick of his mighty gauntleted wrist. All systems spin down in a satisfying whirr of mysterious technology. Not mysterious to Micro … Continue reading
Airplane! dubbed in Spanish
Here’s my story a day for yesterday, written in the whee of this morn. This is a true story. A man lies in a vaporous clawfoot bathtub watching the movie Airplane! – dubbed in Spanish. He doesn’t speak Spanish, but … Continue reading
Crazy talk
For proper ambiance, play this video while reading… If you’ve been paying attention, you might have noticed that there’s a police state coming online under Obama’s watch. Whistle blowers jailed, militarization of the police, prosecution of journalists, on and on. … Continue reading
Fukushima butterfies
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19245818
Mental Spaghetti Festival 2012
Last night in the deep wilderness of Weldon Township, skipping along a narrow gravel meander, I located our local electronic and experimental music festival, Mental Spaghetti, No. 3. Got the days mixed up, Saturday was the second and last day, … Continue reading
Liz Vision
I got an actual letter from Liz Paladino on June 25, freshly recovered from the archives.
Protected: Festival of Nightmares
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Posts to post
I’ve been blogging in my mind for the last couple of months, here’s a sample of the topics I’d like elaborate on soonish. First, a crisis of confidence. Gosh, why blog at all? With the explosion of FB, a personal … Continue reading
Summer priorities
Before Lena Maude headed west, she grabbed the full set of Tony Robbins Personal Power. I have taken the course about 10 times since the early 90s and suggested she give it a whirl. Admittedly Tony is a little over … Continue reading
Cutting glass
Ben and I do DOG daily (have you met Ben Woody?) but my early evenings and weekends are dedicated to acquiring old Hobie 16s cheap – usually with soft decks and other structural issues. This is long range planning for … Continue reading
Deserving to live
You know, I haven’t yet reproduced. There’s been some opportunity and perhaps even motive, but my unique DNA remains proprietary. Cool people should breed and all that. Am I cool? Do I or any of you deserve to even survive, … Continue reading
Artist reference May 2012
Introduction x Daughter of God is a narrative short originally shot in 2006, now moving steadily through VFX towards a completion by summer of 2012. Though roto artists will be repairing some continuity and production gaffs, we are mostly adding … Continue reading
Snip snip here…
04/29 Wow! In assembling the definitive essentials, I am finding more bits of fat to trim away… incredible! Beyond essentials, if we do flashbacks perhaps Uncle Joe could be making Christina tea when she comes in with the PKD book. … Continue reading
Today is the first day…
…of the rest of your life, Geritol. Use only as directed. Welcome back to the DOG progress report. Editorial on the first and second act is (dare I say it?) done. There are some weld edits which require a deeper … Continue reading
Gender based test screening
It occurs that separate test screenings for men and women would be good. I am especially interested in what women think about the Christina character, if they relate to her as a more elegant cut emerges. Is she despised by … Continue reading
Interns and the last test of Version 1.0 2012
Trickster Pictures has two interns through the TBAISD Career-Tech Center’s Film and New Media Program – Cameron and Micah. They’ve been learning how to rotoscope using both After Effects and Mocha and will hopefully be able to contribute to DOG’s … Continue reading
Go Go Go Again
Budgeting for the completion of DOG distills down to a simple formula… Tasks / Team = Duration Each task describes a specific change to some shot, a shot defined as the IN point to OUT point of any edit. A … Continue reading
Roto ramping up
April 2, 2012 I’ve identified the Essential tasks and have assembled a core roto team – this week is the shakedown cruise. I’ve got two interns and two contractors and am interested to see how much progress we make this … Continue reading
Artist reference version 1.1
Introduction DOG was originally shot in 2006 and was revived in the summer of 2011. The objective is to have a festival launch by summer of 2012. If you’re inclined to read this blog, you’ll notice that I have an … Continue reading
Artist reference
Introduction DOG was originally shot in 2006 and was revived in the summer of 2011. It’s a quirky first project which I’ve decided to see through to the completion and thus here we are. If you’re inclined to read this … Continue reading
What’s essential?
In theory, we could loose the intro to Joe, though that fucks up the ending with the surveillance of C and G, unless we introduce the interface on laptop with G, which has to stay anyway. Then the inference is … Continue reading
Here we go again
That’s a delightfully ambigious post title for a critical topic – the schedule for completion. Am I reluctant to jinx myself with another prediction of imminent closure? Indeed I am! No more optimistic announcements, just the facts, ma’am. Last night … Continue reading
And so, New York
I got back from a 10 day NYC expedition last Monday. Here are some quick commemorative pix. On the way out I stopped at Cabelas near Ann Arbor seeking alcohol for my stove (they didn’t have). Snapped this iconic camo … Continue reading
DOG – script revisions
The plan is to revise the DOG script based around existing live action and VFX elements, adding new elements only when absolutely needed. It’s faster to rewrite than it is to edit. Unfortunately, Final Draft doesn’t have a very robust … Continue reading
Tech – FCPX file management
There’s all sorts of voodoo to reconnect files in FCPX. I am reminding myself that an AVCHD camera archive has to be mounted for FCPX to find the media. Also, there’s a protocol for moving events and having them be … Continue reading
How I became a genius!
I had a conversation with Curtis the other day. He’d like to direct – he’s written scads of lots screenplays and lately has been exploring editorial. Now I want him to learn how to do roto. Is that a digression, … Continue reading
Internship – a symbiotic alliance for dream manifestation
Version 1.1 February 01, 2012 Version 1.0 January 31, 2012 I have to evaluate interns at the end of the semester using CTC’s form, so let’s look at the categories that are most important to Trickster Pictures. Read everything, there … Continue reading
And so, DOG
Recent posts explore the motivations behind finishing / not finishing Daughter of God. Dedicating an hour to daily introspection makes sense, meanwhile the urge to edit builds. If finishing is really so important, why don’t I just finish? Rather than … Continue reading
2012 year in creation
Heal back/pelvic basin stiffness, reveal cause and discover / implement protocol for repair. physically robust, feeling/looking svelte and yummy. Daughter of God is finished. Ultimate Around Lake Michigan Expedition. Science Fiction Musical script and score/lyrics. 6 new feature scripts. Feature … Continue reading