it's a really good day for episode 4, and so, I've got a long post.
Well, the animation's starting to look really nice! I've sequenced about 2 1/2 minutes of animation for episode 4 so far, which is about 10% of the completed film. The animation is in sync with the voices. It really looks like it's on another level. I still bump the furniture sometimes (though I'm improving there, too.) Mainly, the flickering is less frequent and less pronounced at the times it is present. The jumpiness is also much rarer and less jittery. And I owe it all to switching cameras. I did forget what settings I was using, though, and have to remember and experiment to recapture the crispness of the color.
There is one short panning cut, about 10 seconds in length, that was shot with the older camera. I tried to shoot it several times on the new one but it just never came out right after 3 sessions. So, you'll be able to easily spot it when episode 4 is released. The yellow of the Schneider home is now so much more asthetically appealing. It's brighter, almost like Lego's light yellow, found in Heartlake High and Stephanie's Beach House sets rom Lego Friends. But it's the same primary yellow it always was. You know, a lot of those bricks came from the famous (not Stephanie's) Beach House set from about 2009. I really wish I could, just for a while, disassemble the Schneider living room and rebuild that awesome set.
Next week, animation resumes again AGAIN! This time I hope to get 3 to 4 sessions in per week. It's fun to watch what I've got complete, as the only audio is the characters' dialogue. No sound effects or laugh track were added yet. Even the TV tracks (when the TV is on) are still silent. By the way, there's a scene where Melissa is watching "The King of Queens", and I'm trying to find a girl who can do Carrie's voice from the show. If you know of anyone who can do a voice at least moderately like hers, please send her to me!
Some of Bricks In Motion's best voice talents will have roles in episode 4! First up is Jay Silver AKA Jay. Anyone fortunate enough to have him voice for yuor films knows how he is both talented and dynamic. He has the role of the male municipal clerk.
Then there's BiM's own Rachel Dew, AKA Dew Films. Dew Films will portray the voice of the female municipal clerk. She will also play a semi-regular character, Bridgette Drexler, beginning with episode 5. While the female voices on BiM are few, every one of them is very talented.
Speaking of female BiM talent, Mary Charles AKA Brick 7 will be Angela again, and Allana Carnie (AKA AC Films) will reprise her semi-regular role as Melissa's best friend, Chay. Chay and Carleigh (voiced by Jakunen Neesan, a non-BiM member) will both reappear, as well as their mutual friends who are making their debut, Grisjahilde, Hedwig, Kikka and Perahta.
And since I'm praising everyone from BiM who is helping, let's not forget Brandon Fields, AKA DarthVincentPrice, as Johnny Strange. He deserves the praise as well! I have got to tell you: I just CAN'T WAIT UNTIL YOU HEAR HIM THIS TIME! He went beyond the call of duty, straining his vocal cords to the limit "singing" the Johnny Song of the episode. (You did notice that Johnny sings an improv song EVERY EPISODE, yes?) It must have been difficult to pull off, but the results were phonomenal (sp?)! And HILARIOUS! I still crack up with each listen! Words may seem mildly funny when they're read on the page, but it's the voice actors who really make them comedy! And Johnny delivers! It's in a scene with Johnny and Brent, sort of an acceptance of Johnny (a bit) by Brent. He realizes that Johnny's not going away and he is able, at least a little bit, to get along with him by building on something they have in common: finding Missy hard to deal with! For Johnny Strange fans, I'm pleased to say that starting with episode 5, his character is turning to the direction I had always wanted: the guy who influences Melissa toward things that drive Angela and Brent crazy! It's a balance here: Johnny is an influence on Melissa but Melissa is an independent thinker at the same time. So it's hard to pull off a balance because Missy is assertive and often it seems the other way around. Early in episode 2, for instance, Melissa seems to intimidate Johnny a bit. It shows her as strong, but Johnny is supposed to be strong too, not overly fearful of Melissa. By episode 5, I think there's the right balance, and both characters seem strong enough without overlapping. I'm saying this because Johnny in episode 4 has a crucial role in the plot near the end, but is still not fully at the potential I want him to have as an influence on the story. I really love Johnny in episodes 5 and 6, and hope you will too, but that's another story, literally. I think you'll love him in episode 4 too!
You also get to see the Schneider's basement! Hint: It looks a lot like the basement in "Everybody Loves Raymond." But if you see a pattern here, that's not a surprise. Anyway, with more free time expected to come my way, I intend to post a few pics onto the HOO Tumblr page, something that hasn't been done in months. Keep watching this space for Tumblr updates!
I have to build the Antwerp mall soon for the second part of the episode. Been having trouble on the style. I'm open to ideas. I like modern. Or if you see good photo ideas on the net, email them to me or post them on the thread.
Oh, yeah. I guess it's okay to give the name of the episode! Well, maybe next post. Hint: just like every episode, it's a joyfully bad pun.
I'd love your comments and questions about the series and the characters and Bremen and the rest of the world of HOO. Have you been losing sleep because you've been wondering when Melissa's birthday is, or what's Johnny's last name, or what Mark Manchester's endgame is, or if that blue bird that seemed to be eaten by a cat in episode 1 survived and is the same one that's been appearing in every other episode, or anything else like that? Just send a reply right here on this thread if you had anything on your mind about the series!
https://vimeo.com/channels/holdingourown http://holding-our-own.tumblr.com"None practice tolerance less frequently than those who most loudly preach it."