I just got automatically billed to renew my domain and I thought, oh yeah, I have a website, I should probably update that. So here is my first post for 2009. My very own Google Calendar page.
My stang is on Google's Street View :)
Check out the new 302 project site for Advanced Applications in 3D Interactivity.
Heads up! New can coming in!
It's over! The stress is lifted, the presentation went great, and I feel like my team really stepped up in their research, creative ideas, and commitment.
The Dab-A-Dew presentation was great, the ENT Presentation was even better. I just felt more comfortable. Maybe it was our research on pricing, or the creative freedom (as far as artwork), or maybe it was simply easier to talk to a younger client. Basically I left the table feeling good.
This is probably the first time EVER I worked with such a talented group of people. From high school to PCT I dreaded group projects because of incompetent team members. But what I've learned in the last year is that Drexel not only has a couple of talented professors, they also have really talented students. After this class I realized that's a hidden plus in the Drexel package.
Over all I really enjoyed this class for all the reasons Ted hated this class. Working with a couple of noobs taught me a lot about the business side of digital media. From poor communication to "I can do it myself" egos, I can see why most companies stay far away from new names. However I also picked up on the ethical solution for those not-so-appealing clients: Talk with them, educate them, and finally steer them onto the best path for their project.
This is tentatively what each group member is doing for the proposal:
- Paul
- Research Pricing for Animation
- animaticmedia.com
- Saxby
- DVD Pricing, sources
- DVD duplication costs (by the 1000)
- Story details of scene 1
- 3D Modeling
- Chris
- Doctor Design
- Audio Recording Pricing/ Multi language
- Score music for animation
- Justin
- DVD Menu design
- Vine animation/ audio cables
- Proposal Document
None
Tonight's class was packed. First we presented our proposals to Alan and Deb, said good-bye, had a 15 min debrief, and then moved right along to the ENT. I felt like it was a great learning experience seeing how one moment you're totally focused and dedicated to helping one client, then the next, you've forgotten all about them and are thinking about all of the possibilities for the new client. I guess thats the way it goes.
Everyone did a great job with their presentations. I was really glad that each team had different ideas so the client stayed interested. I think it happened like this because Alan and Deb told us they had no idea of the possibilities for their company in the digital media area. My final thought on Dab-A-Dew Corp. is that Alan and Deb were great to work with and I wish them the best of luck.
The ENT presentation was interesting. I was really excited at first when Venu showed the youtube clips of the style he was going for. It look like something I'd really be interested in creating. From the motion graphics animation to the hip-hop music, this project could get really artistic and creative. Then toward the end of his pitch, he made it clear that he wanted the animation to appeal to both the hip-hop scene and the more conservative opera scene. Thats the real challenge and I think it's almost an impossibility. We'll see, after brainstorming in the class and discussing the issue with Venu, maybe we can come up with a solution. If it was up to me, I would have one area just focused on the hip-hop singers and a totally separate area for the opera singers. I also think he was being a little stubborn on the DVD distribution method. I'm hoping this isn't a foreshadow to his negotiation characteristiscs. He thinks he knows what he wants, but he'll have to learn to listen from the experts.
No class!
It was really interesting listening to all the development and research that went into Ted's Kid and Piggy project. I was amazed at some of the renders from 98, 99, 00, and 01. It reminded me of one of the first photo-realistic animations, "Bingo the Clowno", which I think was made in 98. Ted did a nice job relating his proposal project to the proposal we are all about to give to Dab-A-Dew.
This is tentatively what each group member is doing for the proposal:
- Paul
- Create a gantt chart that illustrates how long it will take to finish this project
- Create a screen shot of what the home page of their web site will look like
- Saxby
- DVD authoring costs
- Industry standard examples of different kinds of animation and their costs
- Chris
- Story board art
- 2 or 3 games written out for the characters
- Justin
- I'll make a sample moving story board animation using the given assets and voice over
- I'll be putting this all together and making a really nice presentation
I don't know if it was just me feel this, but I really had a hard time keeping with it tonight. Felt like we kept stressing the same thing over and over again. I don't know, could have been just because we didn't get a break, or there was just too much back and forth conversation without a lot of structure. Or maybe I'm getting too anxious will all this talk of ideas and concepts but no plans to implement in sight. I might just be going through productivity-withdrawal.
As far as the team goes, everyone did a great job communicating our ideas via group email conversations. The only technical typo was the fact that Paul was left out of the loop due to the wrong email address. Some other paul in my contact list was getting all the emails. The wrong Paul emailed me tonight and said, "Hey, ummm, I don't think I'm in your group." Oops!
Other than that we are still solid. Great response time, good communication, and creative ideas, our team is floating along nicely.
The week prior I was brainstorming of all the possibilities for an interactive web site where kids can see an extension of Dab-A-Dew's board games. Based on a flash environment full of the beautiful artwork from the books and games, our team could propose a winning design that could really give Dab-A-Dew a great web presence that would stand them far above the rest of.
-Today was our first meeting with Dab-A-Dew Corp-
Animation, They want an animation and didn’t say one thing about having us create a web site. Wow, I was caught off guard for a minute but I got right back on track as Alan was showing us all of the prototypes and artwork. I remembered the “Reading Rainbow” moving pictures animations or visual storytelling. I though this could work for Dab-A-Dew and I was confident our team could do it. I felt a bit better after I briefly ran the idea by Alan and Debra. They agreed that could work, but I will feel a lot better when our team puts together a sample and then see if their approval changes.
Another week, another fun little project. I LOVE THIS CLASS!
Saxby came up with this great idea to create a campaign that consists of a series of print ads that portray an iconic "space-man" doing common day "earth" things on the moon. Such as mowing the lawn with a giant space suit on when there is no lawn. We came up with a great list of creative ideas that play off of current or historical print ads. Here is the list that everyone contributed to:
- Astronaut Mowing lawn
- Astronaut cooking at a BBQ
- Pumping gas into space ship
- Beach chair looking at earth
- Astronaut Santa
- Family Trip in a shuttle
- Drive in movie (with "Aliens Attack" playing)
- Faking a mars landing on the moon
Once the campaign is launched, a series of collectable postcards will be released one at a time to spark an archival/collectors feel to the artwork.
I thought our group worked GREAT tonight. We bounced ideas off one another, everyone was communicating/contributing, and I love the final list of ideas we came up with. I'd call it a successful exercise.
This Dice thing so much fun to make (well, script really, the assets were already made)
Today "Team Wilcott" formed for the first time and completed an in-class activity. The objective was to find as many items on a list through research in 60 min. I felt like our team worked great together. Everyone participated, contributed, and communicated throughout the 60 mins with minimal effort on my part. I look forward to more involved tasks that will test our team's dedication to the class.
FYI: Team Wilcott is made up of Paul, Chirs, Saxby, and myself
Aaron, Dan, Leigh, and I meet with Ted this morning to pick group members for the duration of the class. Everything went smooth and I look forward to meeting my group.
Creation was awesome this weekend. Nice weather, great bands, and lots of dead cow (Yummy). Pics coming soon.
Our first studio session consisted of pizza, habaneros, and laying down three tracks. It'll take a few weeks to master the tracks and we'll post them when ready.
Well, if you can remember of a time or place where you felt like you just didn't fit in, then you'll know how I felt center stage playing for an audience who stayed up past its bed time. For me, that night was frustrating due to the fact that I was given this rare opportunity to collaborate with three very talented individuals and not once during our 60 min set did I feel anything. A disappointment that has to be walked off before it takes me down. On another note, the groupies were awesome as usual :)
With this show we set a new record for "longest distance to travel for a show". Yippie! Anyway, the show was pretty fun to say the least. I got to play drums and special guest Mark Shellenberger brought everything together with lead guitar/vocals. A great experience and nice change to the usual set up.
A great local show where I feel like the musicians and staff had a great time playing/listening to some good music. Judging by the verbal (screams) and non-verbal (jumping/dancing) communication of the crowd, I'd have to say they were into it. Always a special thanks to Kelly for mixing a super-blend batch of sweet vibrations, in other words, the sound was great.
Let's talk about the good: good practice, experience of playing in cold weather, the groupies were there and supportive, well mixed sound in the barn, and I had fun building a stage out of a bunch of wood from the barn even though it closely resembled my summer job, it still was fun. All in all, it was nice to come home for the weekend (thanks to Sluss and Cherry for driving down to Philly to pick me up).
Two boys, two songs, our first fully acoustic show featuring Aaron's new acoustic bass guitar. The bodacious set list kicked off with "Chasing Chariots" followed by our phenomenal finalé "Whistle Blowing".
A few quotes I heard that night from the listeners:
- "Best night of my college life"
- "Are you guys interested in a record label?"
- "Encore, Encore, Encore"
- "When can you guys come back, because you have to come back"
Lots of good times at this show.
Well, if you can't say anything nice, just tell yourself you learned something. Rain scare, power failures, time changes, and sound men, Saturday night taught us patience. Wasn't my favorite show, but experience outlives memories.
Sluss and I pulled off a pretty decent performance for a audience of three. I definitely would like to do more shows like this.
The beginning of what was to be the best weekend of my '06 summer vacation. Our first show/that night, could not have been any better.
