A HAPPY CAMPER

Okay so ... it's been awhile.

Health issuses overflow. And it's led to some reavaluations. This is the second day of my vacation week. Yoko has been sick with the flu and I got a late start today. Neither of us got much sleep last night. I had planned to work on my first Dulci-Toon and hopefully complete it. That has been put on hold. I have 2 freelance projects to get under way. Yoko reminded me that last year's disaster of a Christmas card and my promise to get an earlier start.

Every year for 5 years, I have done an audio/visual Christmas card ... all with a dulcimer theme. Last year, I tried Flash using found images of angels ... primarily statues ... with the tune "Angels We Have Heard on High." I was using the paramiters given me in the book "How to Cheat in Flash." (540x720) This is larger than the largest standard size offered by the program. That and other factors created a monster of a file size that would barely load. Not good.

So this year I am doing a version of "Thank You Santa Claus." I have already done the title piece for Nothing But Coal Productions. Will start the drawings this week. The sound track I've already figured out on the dulcimer but want to see if I can lift it from the movie "Miracle on 34th Street." You may remember it. Santa sings a song with a foriegn orphan girl. Will have to see what key it is. in.

Also I have picked up some reference material ... got a lot of it today ... hence the happy camper. Got a new program that is supose to be better than Flash. It s called Anime. If the program is anything like the help file ... it sucks. Got the official guide today this might help. Also got documentaries on Chuck Jones and Walt Disney. Earlier I got some silent Felix cartoons to study and a really good book. Character Animation Crash Course was written by Eric Goldberg. Dynamite book! Disney animator who also worked for Richard Williams. Has given material to test and things to consider. Also compled a wish list of more resources ... Richard Williams' Animation Survival Guide, the Preston Blair book and a book on timing. Will make a concerted effort to get up to speed.

I'm thinking of getting a tattoo ... Tweety Bird with a skull as a head with the words "Animation aint easy!"