Remember ‘Hell Week‘?
That was when I was up to my ears with storyboard work and barely had time to breath.
Ahh, the memories.
I would post some links to some other cool stuff because I had no time to write. It’s good to spread some link love once in a while (that’s from Blogging 101) so I think I’m due.
I’m still an unemployed bum at the moment, so there is no ‘Hell Week’. I am busy doing stuff for myself, not for money. In due time, in due time.
But read this first.
I’d like to inform you that someone emailed me about some potential STORYBOARD WORK. Here’s what it said:
I am looking for Storyboard artists in the Los Angeles area AND or a few great ones who can work from home and turn around boards fast and meet deadlines.
This project is a kids show. We will be making many 11 Minute episodes and will need many great storyboard artists.
Humor is a must to make the stories work. The age of viewers will be pre-school.
I have asked her permission to post up her email address, but in the meantime if anyone is interested, head to my contact page, send me a request and I’ll forward you her email address. (UPDATE: I will be responding to you with a different email address from the blog, so check your SPAM folders!)
I am assuming this is paid work (I’ve asked for confirmation…you know how I feel about that) but I have no other information at the moment.
I am also assuming they want some level of experience and if you are going to apply, make sure you have some real work to show and a resume.
Be professional. Always.
Hmm, I may have to start a job board or something.
– Next, the cool folks at Animation Mentor (no, they are not paying me) have a brand new website. Go check it out if you’re interested to learn 3D character animation from the pros.
– This was a couple of weeks ago, but Jaden over at Screenwriting for Hollywood wrote some nice things about me and reprinted one of my articles. If you’re into writing screenplays, reading movie reviews and other cool stuff, you can click over from the banner in my ‘Karma’ section (on the right).
– Need a good kick in the ass? Like the movie Fight Club? Head over to Lateral Action to read this great Brian Clark article. We really can learn a lot from movies.
– Beating yourself up? Think you’re a lazy bum that can’t get anything done? (I know I do sometimes.) Read the wonderful and calming Havi Brooks over at The Fluent Self.
She just rocks. Period.
Here’s some of the ‘other stuff’ I read.
I’ve been drawing silly pictures for some of these fellow bloggers that I like.
The first is for Naomi at IttyBiz. I drew it for her son’s birthday and it’s a little…um…nasty at first glance. If you knew Naomi, you’d know why she thought it rocked. She’s a bit of a potty mouth and knows lots about marketing and stuff.
And the drawing subject does have a meaning, but it’s too long to explain.
This one was for Alex at Someday Syndrome. He’s also a butt-kicker about ‘following your dreams already’ and stop saying you’ll do it “someday”. Nice stuff.
And another one I did was for blogging buddy Brett over at 6 Weeks. His whole blog is based around the Fight Club thing (what is it with guys and that movie?).
He does these ‘Viking Friday’ posts and usually his pal Friar does a cartoon for him. Friar was away one week so I offered.
All part of my devious plan of…uh…nothing really.
And lastly one of my newer blogging pals, Steph, has launched a new site EditQuest. It’s a copyediting service for writers in the fantasy fiction genre. It’s for novel writers looking to get published, but it’s also for short stories, blog posts, ezine material, journal and mag articles, gaming copy…any fantasy writing. If you love that sort of thing and are maybe writing the next ‘Lord of the Rings’, check EditQuest out.
She has also sparked the idea for my next post. Since I razzed ‘Igor’ so hard for the wrong things it did, I’ll tell you about some of my favorite animated flicks and what they did ‘right’.
Not just in general, but my favorite ‘moments’ from each. Because those moments are important.
So there is a real post on the horizon very soon.
You won’t have to wait a week either!
Read the Storyboard Blog by RSS Feed or by email to see what those movies will be.
Thank you Karen for the mention.
I just wrote a post about a storyboard competition that your readers might be interested in entering — only a few days left, but they have lots of other stuff going on as well and new things all the time.
That storyboard of mine I told you about is now linked to my current post if you want to have a look. Eek – it is my first storyboard and drawing is not my specialty.
Hey Karen – thanks for the shout-out!
I look forward to seeing your reviews. My favourite animated movies are Iron Giant, Lilo & Stitch, Finding Nemo, the Incredibles and WALL-E.
As for animated shorts I remember from Xmases past the most beautiful animated versions of:
The Selfish Giant – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBWURy1surI
The Little Mermaid (done so much better than Disney’s icky version) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntM0RipzEI8
The Happy Prince (I would always bawl my eyes out with this one): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI92hDyI2HY
Why, it’s part of your plan to take over the world, of course (I love Pinky & The Brain).
Thanks again for the awesome drawing and for the pingback here – you’re one heck of an artist!
-Brett
@Karen
Technical question. How do you make the grey shades in your cartoons (Like you did with “Life’s Not Fair”)?
PS. I think you’re a natural-born cartoonist!
Hey Scully!
Thanks for the link and the mini plug here! Awesome. And I’m so glad I sparked an idea for you. I look forward to that post!
I hope this isn’t icky to do but I just wanted to add that EQ isn’t just for novelists. I do short stories, blog posts, ezine material, journal and mag articles, gaming copy, any fantasy writing, pretty much! But for more details, they can always check the pages and the first blog post.
PS. I totally love that I know everyone you linked, except one. 🙂 I’ll check him out!
@ Steph – I gave it a little tweak. Hope that’s better. Animation Mentor isn’t really a blog, it’s a site for the online school. More for the animation types reading. (“Scully”…I’m having flashbacks to the 90’s. Yay!)
@ Friar – Actually I’m still trying to figure that out myself. I’m not happy with the way I’m doing it. I haven’t done the Photoshop thing for a while but I’ll get back to you on that one. 🙂
@ Brett – ‘Pinky & the Brain’ was a good one. I don’t watch much TV animation anymore (occupational hazard). And you’re too kind. I still think the drawings suck, of course (another occupational hazard). 😉
@ Alex – No, thank YOU. I love all your faves too. I can see you’ve caught the Pixar bug (and Brad Bird bug). Thanks for those links!
@ Screenwriting – Thank you too. I went over there but had some problems viewing it. But it was late (brain not working). I’ll try again. After my Aniboom fiasco, I’m very leary of recommending contests now. But go vote for Jaden folks!
K
Thanks Karen. Yeah, it seems Massify has several glitches still. It is new. The storyboards take a little bit to load, so just open the page, and go do something else, then come back.
Yes, I dislike and distrust contests as well, as they are mostly bogus, fixed, or bunk. This one is definitely to get attention for the band and for the Massify website, no doubt, but it looks pretty legit. One can only tell as we watch it unfold. 2 more days until the top 5 are selected! We shall see. There are not very many entries and they are not that good.
This is supposed to be more about vision/concept than drawing talent, or I sure would not have entered my stick figures.
Like your Aniboom fiasco, there is room for true storyboard artists to be irritated, as in this contest, they do not specify storyboard guidelines either; I have seen some submissions that are way off the mark, like collages of actors photos?! In a few days, we shall see what the “professionals” choose.
Kay Nender: “It doesn’t matter how good an animator is. If he didn’t work with a writer, or spend as much time studying good writing as he did studying animation, he will bore everyone to death!”
I have seen this problem at the Massify contest — amazing storyboard artists with very boring ideas. That garage video that won on Aniboom is terribly boring tho too.
Rowdower: “when aniboom decided it would be a great idea to forgo their earlier deadlines and begin the contest a week before it was scheduled”
Massify also changed its deadline, extended another 20 days. There were zero good entries by that point.
Now there are some ok entries, but nothing even close to the fine quality submitted in that Radiohead competition. Personally, I don’t have the time, money, or skills to make anything like those in the Aniboom competition. Also, this band is relatively unknown compared to Radiohead. ….we shall see.
Thanks karen for the links … Enough food for this week.
And I wish very often you shouldn’t get time to write..So tht we get such post too.
@ Screenwriting – Entering contests is a personal thing. If someone feels the potential outcome of it is worth it to them, then go for it. You like that band and have a vision for the video, so why not, if that’s what you want to do. Hope you kick ass. 🙂
@ Kasana – Thanks. Glad you liked them. 🙂
K
Hi Karen,
I just wanted to give you the update on that competition… They changed their deciding deadline of the top 5, adding 2 more weeks! That’s the second change of a major deadline in their competition. People are also starting to get nasty and leave unnecessarily rude comments that you can’t delete. People who have high tech equipment, ie money, and submitted full videos, as opposed to storyboards, are — like in Aniboom — moving to the winning front. Disappointing. Similar problems.
Thanks for the update Jaden.
Wow, that stinks (and sounds familiar!). It’s really too bad for the people who are doing it for the love of the band or the project (like you).
Like I said about the Aniboom thing, the only people who really ‘win’ in these things are the folks running it and the ‘prize’ people who are getting a video concept for basically nothing.
Only seem to happen in creative fields, huh?
*sigh*
K