Just wanted to drop in and leave an update, since it has been a while.  I’ve been busy with Animation Mentor since June, and that took up most of my time.  Life has changed, as it has a way of doing, and I decided to take a leave of absence until next Summer — maybe permanently.  We’ll see.

I took a gig helping out local artist Carl Knickerbocker, founder of the Suburban Primitive Art movement, with his first short film, A Dog Goes From Here to There.  It was a ton of fun to shoot, and I’ve met some great people too.  Doing some additional special FX for him now, and also helping to create the final version of the film.  Laying in audio tracks, making the DVD, etc.  Should be premiering in New York City first weekend in December.

With all this going on, I haven’t had too much time to work on the Pitch Reel.  Kevin McGuire and I toiled in the miniatures studio and got some shots of the triplane and the pirate ship that we like.  I’ve stabalized Pupsock’s footage, keyed him out, and got a really nice key on the triplane.  I’m pretty sure I’ve got the virtual camera move locked down, and a fairly nice sky.  Had to do digital clouds unfortunately, but they look nice enough.  I want to add some more clouds, and get the magic hour colors in the sky to be bolder.  Still need to get Pupsock locked into place on the wing of the plane, then I can start working on the pirate ship footage.  Once I get all the elements I have working, then I need to make/film/key/place propellors for the triplane and pirate ship (it’s an air ship!), film/key/place Anastasia in the pilot’s seat, and see if I can create a wake in the digital clouds as the pirate ship sails on top of them.  All this for 1 shot!  To be fair, though, we did film the footage of the triplane for all the shots in the film, and most of the pirate ship shots.

That’s all for now.  Take care!