Something New, Just in Time for Halloween

Hi!

For all concerned parties, AXES is still alive and kicking/swinging/whatever. With production essentially done, it's been a continuous matter of mapping out its future. I am optimistic that, if you are reading this, you're probably interested in seeing the darn thing. To that end, I'm working on the best way to make it happen.

In the meantime, though, I also have a new project very early in the works. Stylistically, it's going to be a nice departure from AXES. This is a stand-alone short, hopefully under five minutes, so it's a bit less daunting than, y'know, a TV show. That's all there is to say, really, but how about a teaser image?

Enticed? Hope so.

Hey, animation is done.

In the spirit of keeping people up-to-date, animation for the the quarter-hour pilot was finished about two weeks ago. Can't really say why there wasn't an immediate update littered with exclamation points, but we assure you, this is most exciting news. There's still a fair amount of audio to be done, but I feel comfortable revealing the final image from the pilot to a deserving public.

Spoiler Alert: We fade to black.

In other news, I also managed to put together my animation reel between then and now. This actually does contain some AXES footage (and a bunch of other cool stuff), so to those who haven't seen it, please check it out.

 

 That's all for now. Keep your eyes and ears open, because there will be some sort of screening/viewing opportunity of the completed show in the near future.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Act Nearly Compl- WHAT IS THAT?!

It's true. After nearly 18 months of work, Episode 1: Act 1 is very, very close to being done. A few little animation tweaks need to be made, and there's still some sound and music left to bring in, but we've pretty much got a watchable little piece of entertainment.

Now because animation is a pretty solitary process, I occasionally go insane. These bouts of madness manifest themselves in many different ways: unintelligible babbling, self-flagellation, conspicuously smelling people, baking cookies for the wrong holiday...the list goes on.

And sometimes I just do this:

This is an animation frame exported directly from Flash, and there is indeed something off about our good friend the Slumberjack. Every time I see this drawing, it becomes more odd and a unsettling, but I will not be changing it for the final animation.

That is because the camera will not capture any of this tomfoolery, cutting the frame off at the beefy Trogdor arm. Sometimes it's just fun to do stupid drawings to let off steam, and I wanted to share one.

There are actually a lot of little Easter eggs that will be on screen the final version, but in the meantime, this will be our little secret...

Silly Human Sounds

  Well, it's been over a year since production started on AXES, and we're about to meet a major milestone: The halfway point! That is, the first act of two is very nearly done, and I don't think I find that disheartening. The good news is, this 15-minute chunk works nicely on it's own, perhaps even as a standalone pilot. More on that as it develops, but in the meantime, who wants to read a lil' filmmaking lesson?

  For those unfamiliar with the dialogue recording process for animation, there is an odd yet necessary practice of recording various grunts, groans, and screams for each character. On top of sounding like bizarre pornography outtakes, these miscellaneous exclamations do serve a greater purpose.

  Without these noises, our fight scenes would be awkwardly stoic, smaller moments would seem empty, and our characters would lose some of their personality. Without them, AXES wouldn't feel right, and you, our devoted audience, would notice. Also, I wouldn't have been able to make the following embarrassing little compilation featuring our talented cast. What good sports, I assume. Enjoy.

Biggest Update Ever! (So Far!)

Get excited! As promised, an actual, fully-animated preview, in living color! Yes, this is the first cut of the  first scene of the first episode of the first... animated series starring a time-travelling King Solomon, at least as far as I know.

So, yes, without any more messing about, the video!

Don't forget, you can click the youtube icon for additional viewing options, like fullscreen n' stuff.

Someone please let me know if I can change the viewing settings here.

Keep in mind that this is not the ultimate final version, as there are a few little technical glitches and timing issues, as well as a lack of any sound effects or music. Nonetheless, it functions as a wonderful little preview for the madness and hilarity ahead.

Thanks for sticking around so far, and don't forget to tell all your friends, acquaintances, and co-workers!