"Existing research gives no scientific evidence that..."

Do you know why I so hate this statement? Thousands could report side effects, problems or situations evolving out of use of some product, but until it's proven on a rat in some lab, I guess, it's not really true. Basically, reports are not scientific evidence.

You know, if you want to get technical, there's no "scientific evidence" that any episode of Pokemon can cause violent seizures.

There is still a great deal of work to be done on this page. If I don't at any point sit down and really do it, I am going to at least designate one day per week in which to work through completing one of the missing pages. It may not be the quickest route, but it will get done amid all the other things I have going on.

Today I will attempt to tackle one of the final gigs I have been working on for a time. After this, there will be only one.

There is something else I need to write. I will start that today. It has not yet been revealed on this blog. Because of this, I know that this page will undergo at least one more rev in the near future. I don't know when, or how long it will take, but it will happen if time permits. More on that will come as this page develops.

No comment.

According to Animation Magazine:

Disney, Square Forge Kingdom Hearts Sequels

Kingdom Hearts-Chain of Memories will be developed for Game Boy Advance, making it the first handheld game in the line. Kingdom Hearts II will be developed for the PlayStation 2 and the story will pick up where the original game ended. The developers promise that the mystery that has kept fans waiting will finally unfold as Sora, Kairi and Riku return.

To date, more than 3.3 million copies of Kingdom Hearts have sold worldwide, making it the top-selling RPG for 2002.

As I mentioned in the last post about how I went through all those old news items from the original Studio ArtFX site, now this time, while working on the revamp of this site, I went through all of the archives on this blog. I noticed an amazing amount of time occurring between when I say I am going to do something and when it happens.

Nothing like having a fairly detailed record of plans and actions to make it obvious how much time gets wasted here and there. The first mention of redoing this site was weeks ago. Only now did it happen. I started on my new project over a month ago. Very little is actually done. Not quite the "Chaos" spirit I have to say.

Time to examine a few things and get with the program!

The last remnants of the old ArtFX webpage have been swept away! Now it should be noted that many pages here, or almost all actually, are very much under construction. What we have now is basically the framework of the new streamlined site. It should be clear from what is available, though, how the new site will function and how one can navigate through it.

On another note, it should be said that due to the large amount of SPAM I receive daily, I have removed the direct "mailto" links from this page. If you wish to contact me, you can visit the contact page, but you will not be able to click anything that will prepare a mail to send. You will have to write out the address in your mail program. I have written it as "terrence "at" studioartfx.com". I think people will get the idea.

Finally, looking at the previous post, I went through all the old news posts from that old site last night. I also read through the blog posts from the now dead "Pixelsmack" team blog relating to my trip to China. Talk about memories! It has truly been a long road, but things are really just getting started!

So what are the goals? I will write about that next...

RECOLLECTIONS PART IV

Remember this old website? The caption, from August 14th, 2002, over a year ago now reads:

08-14-2002 - 06:45PM - (TERRENCE) - Revamp?

OK, I promised to post more regularly and look at me. I am still trying to settle in out here in L.A. and I am looking down that next path. Multiple next paths actually. Still I am not post enough right? As a result, I am thinking of giving the Studio ArtFX site a complete overhaul. Changing the look completely. It is old after all. I am even considering turning it into a blog for news. This way I could post easily and from anywhere in the world.

Well, I am thinking it is about that time again. I have said that many times in the past weeks, but I think tomorrow is the day. Yet another new dawning of this Studio ArtFX site, and a new direction for this animator.

This version of the site had it's time. Not nearly as long as the other site, which I believe started on July 11th, 2000, exactly two months before the September 11th release of Understanding Chaos on the net as a free download avi. That site had over two years, but just as its time came, so it has come for this one.

This blog will remain, though it's design will change. (remember the IFRAMES post a while back?) The rest of the site will see great alteration! Who knows, I may get jumpy and start tonight!

Now THIS is funny.

This is the type of thing that can be done with the new particle system now in Mirage from Bauhaus Software. This is why all of my particle work will move now from the 3D realm into the totally 2D realm for future productions.

According to Animation Magazine, it's:

PENCILS DOWN AT DISNEY JAPAN

Walt Disney Co. is shutting down Tokyo-based Walt Disney Animation (Japan). The animation studio produced many direct-to-video titles and theatrical releases like The Tigger Movie and this summer’s Piglet’s Big Movie for DisneyToon Studios.

AT THE MOMENT.

So where do I stand at the moment? Well, I have not yet started book 2 of World of Hartz with TOKYOPOP. It does appear that book one is officially in the can after a last bout of minor corrections. Things seem to be on the smooth track with the upcoming releases.

I am nearing completion on two gigs which have been ongoing for some time. I haven't wrote much about either as I am not allowed. One is in the anime style, the other is live action (about which I did post an image or two in the past). I am happy with what I learned and the new skills gained on each project. In fact, thanks to one of them, I see doing a feature length live action project as a real possibility one day.

Both projects have the potential to continue for a time if all goes well. Either way, these shall very likely be the last such projects that I undertake. As this page is totally redesigned in the coming month, the "services" page will be going away, along with another or page or two. With the exception of being a part of these last two projects, I believe it is time to re-focus on original creation. I want my Chaos again.

Storyboarding has begun on my next original creation. I am getting back into the groove by first storyboarding a trailer, similar to what Shinkai-San did for his latest production. He has since that time been working diligently to finish the animation for a release this year. By doing the same, I will be getting all of the elements in place for a full production up front,making the rest an easier task. I expect to have the trailer done in a matter of weeks.

The music situation has not yet been resolved. I have a general idea what is needed, and there are many levels from which I can attack it. If I want to just get up and running, at a level of quality similar to what I had on Chaos, that's easy and cheap. If I choose to go for more, or even go for broke with the Vienna Symphonic Library, things get more expensive. No decision has yet been made. I will need new music for this trailer though. I started cutting it to temp music yesterday. A decision will be made and executed within a month or so.

In life? Well, I've been taking some natural health classes and even learning how to cook. That's right. Well, one cannot sit at the computer all day, right? My point is that things are going smoothly at the moment. As many of you know, I am now approaching TWO FULL YEARS since having my last real job at a studio. Round of applause please. That is an accomplishment. There have been ups and there have been downs. There have been successes and there have been mistakes.

I had to learn to make the transition to a different mode of living and spending, from a huge studio salary to the unpredictable indie life. This seemed impossible at first, but became easy over time. You don't eat out as much. You don't buy every DVD and PS2 game that comes out. You simplify. After all, I didn't have that salary at my very first job, and I make more now than I did then. It just has to all be reconciled.

SO WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?

A house out in the country. Children playing at my feet... OK maybe not any of that, but what are the true goals of this indie life?

IT HAS BEGUN!

as of last night the storyboarding on my new project has officially begun. As you may remember from posts a long time ago, the process is being done very differently than on Chaos and Shadowskin.

For the first time ever, I am using Mirage, my 2D animation software, to do the storyboards at screen resolution, timed and ready to insert into my NLE for editing the final project. That's right, the final. You see the storyboard simply becomes the bottom layer of an intricate composite that will eventually become the final scene. The storyboard images can be immediately taken into NLE and cut with sound FX and temp music to really start building a template for the show. This way, as the edit is completed, the elements are simply replaced each time with a newer version. This version need not necessarily be called final at anytime.

Different elements such as a near final background, character tweaks, 2D particle and volumetric effects, can be continually added to any shot and the next time you watch the full edit, it's in there!

I will post more on how well the process works out in the future. I think it is the next step for the indie process, as I talked about on the Chaos DVD concerning the need to combine many of the steps often necessary in huge studio productions.

Time is of the greatest importance. Last week, I wasted a lot of time and eventually the thought came to me, "If I took all those wasted hours and added them up, and spent that time working on my new show, attempting to achieve visual quality such as Wonderful Days, How much would I have done?"

It is this question which drives me to do things differently this week.

87 MINUTES OF PURE JOY!

Well I just watched the film Wonderful Days on DVD, and I can scarcely imagine why such a film could possibly fail, except for the same reasons Iron Giant was not well received. The movie was incredibly well written, with powerful dialogue in some scenes and great emotional pushes. The comic relief was done well and fitting. They could easily have fell into Disney style comic relief or thought to put in the "Orco" character. The story is full of biblical and mythological references, if you're into that sort of thing, and the characters have great subtle depth to them. Unlike most anime, it's actually in the drawings and not just the dialogue. This is no Final Fantasy.

Marketing is key for something like this. It's not what people will probably expect. It certainly is not for younger audiences, which I have read was, unfortunately, the target in the their ad campaigns. As I mentioned on this subject before, I talked to someone on the inside a while back and heard tales of the usual management and money issues, but they certainly don't seem to have affected the production itself. I was amazed at every step.

Visually the film is absolutely gorgeous. As an anime fan, the heavy CG is a bit offputting at first, but they are more like Blood: The Last Vampire, than say Titan A.E. They are consistent in the level of realism and detail so I got used to it very quickly and it dropped beyond notice. I can't write enough about the quality of image, the drawings, the action choreography, the CG everything. To be able to see such visuals combined with story and characters that are worthy of them is a treat after so many
recent failures in this end. I am certain this film will see a DVD release in North America. Because of its violence, biblical imagery (a no-no in American animation) and the type of story, theatrical is very unlikely.

If you can play any region DVDs this is more than worth the purchase. Korean DVDs are cheap too. If you can't play them, mod your player.

Today I realized that I need to be much more diligent in my studies and in my research for this new show. It's not going to get made for me. I have to make it. I find it is all too easy, even when jumping on the web with good intentions, to get caught up in foolishness and waste hours on things that are not getting my film made.

I need to renew my conviction to the written schedule which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. It's actually pretty amazing how much even a little bit a day can do for a film. Look at Chaos! That is the perfect example. It's time to return.

Q just sent me the link of all links! This is an incredible short film showing some real skill and the power of Lightwave 3D. Download the high quality DivX file and prepare to take a ride you won't soon forget!

WONDERFUL NEWS!

You may remember that I wrote sometime ago that the Korean anime epic Wonderful Days failed at the box office. This was due much more to mistargeted marketing than any flaw with the film itself. Well all is not lost.

Apparently Wonderful Days is already on DVD. How do I know? I just ordered it.

For some reason, my site logs don't render out stats for my page anymore. (Ok, not for some reason. I did accidentally delete something possibly important a few months ago.) I need to find an offline log reader or something. I heard once that such things exist.

SOLVED! A quick trip to download.com and I found a little tool called "Weblog Expert Lite 2.0". I can view my stats in great detail and accuracy.

The slight rewrite on the new show is complete. As I said it was no big deal right? Being that I am doing a supernatural thriller, I needed more supernatural and more thrills. So the rewrite was more of a polish really, to take it to the next level. Next, the storyboarding begins.

I while ago I mentioned that I didn't find any production blogs out there from other artists doing their indie films. Someone, in response to that, sent me this link.

Aside from being a pretty detailed report of the production, it also contains interesting little tidbits like this:

"Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."

Interesting isn't it.

I should have mentioned that, while not a blog, there is also Rustboy.

I've had a few new ideas which will prompt some slight rewriting on my basic story for the new project. Not a big thing, but something that will put a lot more power into it. I also want to put more research into it. Nothing is a powerful as watching a story that could truly be real, that could be happening right now.

I am really about ready to totally change this site. There are a number of reasons...

For some reason I am bored and have been running around checking out all manner of other blogs. It's pretty interesting what people blog about. Haven't found many artist or filmmaker blogs out there. Maybe I am just not looking in the right place. There should be some kind of great blog directory which sorts all blogs by genre or category.

New ideas can come at any time. In some cases this can necessitate a rewrite. Some ideas are so powerful that hey have to be incorporated right then and there. If you have a show storyboarded and well into production, it can be best to say, 'Not this time around. Save it for the sequel.' But in the early stages of development, new ideas should be counted as a blessing.

In my current show, all I really have is a fairly detailed outline and a number of character drawings. In this case, new ideas are very welcome as they only raise the level of the show on the whole.

I saw something very cool today...

Today, aside from doing a bit of drawing in an attempt to lock down a character, I am going to spend some time reading. Research is sometimes the most important aspect of any project.

Yesterday I went back to basics for a bit. I remembered running across a website for artistic anatomy and found a number of pictures from a book I actually own. It's called Figure Drawing for All It's Worth, by Andrew Loomis, and has to be the best artistic anatomy book ever done. The artist has such an understanding of the human figure as to not be opposed. The book has been out of print for ages, to the point that I paid $200.00 for it at a used bookstore in Phoenix back in 1996 or so. I hear that it will be returning to the market this month!

Anyway, all this got me thinking about one of my favorite manga artists, by name of Ryoichi Ikegami. I would say that if anybody is right up there in drawing the human figure as Loomis, this is the man. I remember being fascinated by his incredible drawings in Crying Freeman many years ago. I had a look through another title Offered yesterday.

For my future manga works, as I plan to do some very different styled titles, I definitely want to greatly improve my natural figure drawing!

The fun never stops as my first couple of projects with TOKYOPOP near completion. It's amazing how many things pop up that you would never have thought about. I will say that I am learning more about "the biz" than I ever would have in any other event.

Since I had a bit of morning shopping to do, I decided to pick up Bowling For Columbine, the controversial Michael Moore, who also made Roger and Me and wrote the book Stupid White Men. Now I did see this film when it played for a bit in theatres. Seems like a year ago at this point. Still, there are aspects of it which need a second viewing. Plus, it has, on the DVD, over four hours of extras including an interview about his Oscar win and acceptance speech, which caused yet another stir.

In today's modern world, a man cannot sit in the middle of the desert and have a revelation of a large winged dragon, nor can a bird drink all of the water from his eye...

...Thus we have the UFO movement.

I am often left to wonder just how much fiction there is in some science fiction, at least as much as I wonder how much science there is in it. Is historical fiction usually based more on history or fiction? How much in a supernatural thriller is natural as opposed to super?

Consider the bombing of Ninevah, though there were no worthy targets there. The archaeological discoveries there, from the ancient of days, were probably priceless. Consider the occult ties to secret societies of Hirohito, Mussolini and Hitler, who himself specifically wanted to take over those ancient areas. Consider the recent boom in occultism, spiritualism and the UFO movement.

Do you see a script forming?

Looks like I am up early again. Jumping around from project to project has its ups and downs. On the one hand, you wont get bored and that can be very important. On the other hand, if you get really excited about aspects of a certain project, you have to give equal time to the other projects.

This is particularly important when a project can only be done at a specific time, based on the schedules of others. Imagine you are deep into doing some 3D. You are learning a lot and really getting excited about seeing the next phase, then suddenly you have to go out into the field and work on a live action project. This is not to say that you like one project and hate the other, or even prefer one to the other. It's about closure.

Have you ever been so close to finishing a scene, or image and knew that it was on the verge of being right, and then had to go somewhere? You may really want to go to this place. You may have been planning it for weeks, but now the closure of seeing the end of that painting is put off for a time, and that time is excruciating.

There are advantages and disadvantages to every working methodology. After having worked in and studied the studio way for so long, I still find myself getting caught up in the assumption that things must be done their way.

As I mentioned in Chaos: From Dream to Reality, the question must always be asked, "Who do I need to convey this information to?" Even working with TOKYOPOP there is often a need to convey information to people there that I do not need for myself. Why? I already know it.

As I work on my new project, I find myself getting caught up in those old ways, very different from what was done on Chaos. In Chaos, many of the "traditional" steps were most certainly skipped due to the fact that I only need to convey information to myself. I see a need to return to those ways. I have been slowing myself down, moreso bogging myself down in conventions that sometimes are simply not necessary.

There is a different path for the indie.

As I wrote on Friday there were some minor corrections which have popped on my manga. I a doing those now. As I thought, it shouldn't be a huge amount of work, and I'll be getting back to my original production before the day is out.

I have but a few sketches to go with my current "step outline" for the new show. There is a process by which I will put this one together. I have learned a considerable amount about how these things are handled by the larger publishers over the years and though, on the production side, I do not agree with many of their practices, on the marketing and selling side, it could be important to follow a few conventions.

More on that as it develops...

Today was a day of much studying and great strategizing. The power of the story for my next anime has increased considerably. In fact, a new element has been added. More on that later...

Aside from having read a very good book, I actually did some drawing today. I was able to design another character for my upcoming production.

All is not entirely well in manga land. Due to a few issues which have popped up at the last minute, there will be a need for a few more corrections. If all goes well, it will be no more than a day's work; however, if some unforeseen printing issues crop up, which may be the case, there will be more work than previously thought. Otherwise, everyone is very happy with the result and we can see the product looking really good. I personally can't wait.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, BLOGGER seems to have been down for most of last night and this morning. Searching around their page I now find they have been sold off to GOOGLE. Trouble already?

Sadly, I had a number of incredible things I wanted to tell all of you during that period, but now I have forgotten them all... :)

RECOLLECTIONS PART III

Up until about 1990, my experience with anime was that which was seen on American TV. Robotech, Voltron, StarBlazers and the like. (I don't think I knew G-Force and Speed Racer were anime as a kid) Nearing the end of the 80's, a friend of mine stationed in Japan in the Air Force, sent me some video tapes of a pretty wide sampling of Japanese TV. Not just anime, but live action shows like Kamen Rider (Masked Rider: a show I once saw butchered by Saban on American TV for about two minutes before turning it off, not too long ago.) and Sekai Ninja Jiraiya, a superhero ninja show.

While at University shortly after, I found out there was such a thing as an anime club. My anime club actually contained such notable names as Charles McCarter, now a big wig at Bandai, Bill Flanagan and Pam Ferdie (now Pamela Parks), who have done many professional translations. In fact, they did most of the translating for the club as there wasn't any anime sold in American stores or anywhere else back then. Interesting how many people from that one club went on to get into the industry at large. (I wonder what happened to Patti Duffield?)

That time period was the heyday of the Japanese OVA. (Original Video Animation) Back then it was a real market and full of originality and innovation. Today you rarely see them at all and the few you see are really just glorified, short TV series. In those days, however, the OVA meant something. I remember seeing the true power and potential of anime when I watched an OVA called TOKYO VICE.

Now I don't remember much of the story of this one. (moments ago I found it is released in America now to pretty poor reviews) I probably wasn't paying attention to the story because I was transfixed by the visuals. After years of only seeing fairly low budget TV anime, which I still loved, seeing this was a huge eye opener. I was amazed that anime could even look this good. (heh I hadn't even heard of Akira yet) I almost want to see it again for nostalgia's sake, but I am sure the magic will be long gone.

I truly miss those days of the Japanese OVA. It wasn't just OVA series but one shot short films as well. They could be any length! Creators saw the home video market as a chance to create without limits. Those were glory days, now unfortunately gone.

There's an interesting thread going on at CGTalk on the nature of "paint-over" artwork and copyright etc.

Personally I think a bigger deal is being made of it than necessary. A lot of fan favorite fantasy artists such as Luis Royo, Boris and others, use this technique. It is assumed, of course, that they are using photos of their own for said reference, but apparently this is not always the case. I guess things change when doing commercial work for a deadline.

Personally I believe the total work should be greater than the sum of its parts.

Well, so much for that good schedule. I got some really powerful videos and a couple of books, which will most certainly stand as research for my next anime concept, and they kept me up pretty late last night. As I can scarcely imagine getting though them all today I will probably be up late again. But, hey, this is important, right?!

I just talked with TOKYOPOP and things are going well on our projects. Of course that's not the only thing on my plate. I also have a couple of other projects to get in the can. Unfortunately I can't post images of them just yet, but hopefully I will be able to divulge more of them soon.

I have heard from more people that I am on the right track with my music plans, which is good to know. Now all that remains there is to start acquiring.

As for my own anime, the research is coming in and the concept art is beginning.

I am getting closer and closer to being back on that early schedule again. Let me tell you this can be really important for me. Those morning hours almost seem double productive. The most important thing, however, is consistency.

As you know, I wrote a schedule last week and it is on the wall. You see, when I did Understanding Chaos, I followed a very specific schedule. I had to make a lot of sacrifices as well. The show wouldn't be done if I was out partying. Since I worked a day job, I needed a very specific schedule to manage the hours that existed around that job.

What I am doing now should be treated no differently. A good solid schedule is how things get done. Planning things in advance is a huge help. I used to write that with all that's going on, even if I work on my new show for one hour each day, that's a start. Moreover, it is something to build on.