Obviously, I'm Taking an Extended Break...

Hey guys,

It's looking like 2015 is not going to be a good year for Xam and Power Dog.  :(

I have a ton of stuff going on right now.  I've got a new job that I love but it is taking a lot of my time which doesn't leave me with much time to work on the movie.

On top of that, we're coming up on August, which is when we officially start working on Hollinger Hollow!

Frequent viewers of this blog, if I have any left after such little activity, will know that Halloween is a very big deal in my family and I never have any free time to work on my movie.  Plus, November and December offer very little time due to the importance of the holidays.

So, I wouldn't expect too many more updates here at Xam and Power Dog this year.  I genuinely feel terrible about that.  That said, I'm really kicking around some great ideas for my favorite fuzzy super heroes so when I finally am able to spend some time on the project I should be ready to work!

That's all for now.

Talk to you later!

Rough Opening for Movie!

Hey guys,

Okay, so, it's been a while since I posted anything.  It has been a real long time.  I'm sorry for that.  Work has been keeping me very buys, sending me all over the world.

But, I haven't been completely idle.  I have been working some on the movie, specifically, the very beginning of it, the opening titles.

Now, this is still very much a work in progress, but I wanted to post something since it's been months since my last post.

So, here it is, a rough cut of the opening sequence...





And there you have it.

I know, not terribly exciting.  But that's because I'm not remotely close to finishing it.  I still have a lot of sound to add.

So, hang around.  Who knows when the next post is coming.

Later!

Building The Solar System!

Hey guys,

I know, yesterday I said I'd be pretty busy and that updates may not be coming in as regularly, but I had some free time today and started working on building a model of our solar system.

Why?  Well, the opening credits follow the meteor that gives everyone their powers as it travels along it's path to Earth.  So, thinking this would be easy, I started working on it.

Although the process is easy, I spent most of the day researching how far apart the planets are and their size when compared to their moon.  Then I had to decide which moons to even make (Jupiter has 69 moons).  Then I started modeling.

Long story short, I ended up spending several hours on this.

Here's a quick pic!

This is a shot of the Earth as seen from the sun.  I think it's hilarious!  In the pic, you can clearly see the Earth and the Moon, along with Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.  Believe it or not, Uranus and Neptune are in this shot as well.  Heck, I know where they are and I still can't see them.  That's how far apart everything is!  You can see the planets that are easily visible with the naked eye (with the exception of Venus which is behind the camera) on a clear night and you can't see Uranus and Neptune, which I have never been able to see with the naked eye.  I love it! (and I hope that last sentence made sense)

Anyway.  Just a quick update.  Now back to work!

Later!

Finished New T-Boom Animation Test!

Hey guys,

It's been a very busy week since my last post.  Unfortunately, work is taking a lot of my time lately.  I can't really complain.  I love my job.

At any rate, I finally got around to running a test on the new T-Boom model.  Since he's a modified version of Thomas, all I really need to do is test out his hoodie and make sure it moves properly.

This new test doesn't exactly do that, but I've worked enough with this new rig behind the scenes to know it will work for my movie.

So, here it is, the new T-Boom test!





And there you have it!

I also updated the All Character Animation Test to include the new Thomas and T-Boom models.

And here that is!





And there you go. So, now what?

I need to start animating this movie. The only problem I have is I don't have the sets complete and I want to go over the script again. I know, I know. I've done the script review a dozen times. What can I say? I really want to make sure it is film ready. I have no intention of doing any rewrites. I simply want to tighten up the dialogue wherever needed and make sure it flows well.

I also am going to be very busy the next couple of weeks on work related issues. The only reason I mention that here is to explain why there may be a lack of updates this next month. I haven't given up on my movie. I just won't be able to focus on it as much as I would like until the work project is done.

So, keep checking back from time to time. I may surprise you and have an update or two.

Later!

Updated Banner Page!

Hey guys,

Was able to work on the hoodie over the weekend and it is now good to go.

I need to make a test video to ensure everything works properly but I was able to update the banner page with an updated T-Boom image. At first I thought I'd just do a new one altogether but I really like that banner image so, since I keep all my work files, I just removed the old image and added the new, did a few updates and BLAM! Only took me minutes to complete.

Here it is, just in case you want to download the image.

So, I have a very busy week ahead of me. I hope I can find time to work on the test video.

Check back from time to time. Hopefully, I have it here soon.

Later!

Got T-Boom's Hoodie Added!

Hey guys,

I've added T-Boom's hoodie and he is moving right along.

I need to rig his hoodie to move with his body and then I'll do a quick animation test.

I'm not planning on doing a test nearly as complicated as the one I did for Thomas. The point of this test will be to make sure his clothes move properly. Since this model is a modified Thomas model I know his phonemes are good.

I'm going into my weekend so it may be a few days until I get to all this.

I'll keep you updated!

Later!

Holidays Are Over! Back To Work!

Hey everyone,

Well, as the title says, the holidays are over and I'm thinking 2015 is gonna be a great year for the movie.

I've already started working on the T-Boom 4.0 model.

Now, this is just a work in progress. I've already started making some changes I'm not sure are gonna stick, but it's fun to mess around. As you can see, I've made his glasses red and given him new camouflage pants, one that incorporates all the colors of his costume. As I said, I don't know if I'm gonna keep them but I won't be making that decision until I've added his hoodie.

So, keep checking in. I plan on doing a lot this year.

Hopefully, by years end, I'll even be making this movie.

Later!

Final Posting for 2014!

Hey Guys,

One last post for the year.  I've updated the blog with a holiday banner and I thought I'd add it here so you can download a copy if you want.

And may you have a Wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year!

See you in 2015!

Thomas 4.0 Character Test!

Hey everyone,

Well, I'm gonna say I'm finished with the new Thomas model's animation test. There are a few things that could be better, but as far as a test goes, this did that. His lip sync could be better, especially in the beginning of the clip, but his speech controls work as does his rigging for his body movements. Everything, as far as that goes, looks good.

So, here is the test.  Enjoy!





And there you go.

So, now I need to build the T-Boom model, which won't take as long since he will be a modified Thomas. Still, I don't see me getting that done before the new year.

So, if this is my last post for 2014, have a great holiday season and I'll see you in 2015!

Later!

Thomas Now Completely Rigged!

Hey guys,

So, I finally found some time to finish rigging Thomas' eyes and I can now turn his head and have his eyes follow, as well as target where his eyes are looking.

That means the Thomas model is done (baring some fine tuning that is always discovered during animation).

Speaking of animation.  It's time to start doing a test animation on Thomas and make sure he is good to go.

I have no idea how long that will take since I'm not sure how much time I will have.  This is the most unproductive time of the movie, sadly.

I'll certainly post it when it's done.

Later!

Got Thomas' Shape Keys and Phonemes Done!

Hey everyone!

So, I have Thomas' expressions and speech patterns completed.

I would have turned his head a little but I forgot that I'm not completely done rigging him yet and when I turned his head his eyes didn't follow!

As you can see, that's pretty creepy!

No worries, though. His eyes are the only thing I have left to rig and that won't take very long, but I'm calling it a day so I will get to it later.

Right now, I say he's 99.5% done!

Once complete, I'll do a character test.  Then I have to create T-Boom.

I'll keep you posted.

Later!

Haven't Been Completely Idle!

Hey guys,

So, it's that time of the year where very little gets done on the movie.  Still, I have been doing some work.

First off, as you can tell by the home page banner, I've done a new Xam and Power Dog Thanksgiving 2014 pic. I've even added it so you can download it if you like.

I know, it's not that different from last years pic but there is only so much you can do for Thanksgiving. Beside, I like the little turkey I made last year and I love the idea of Xam and Power Dog protecting him every Thanksgiving so this will probably become a new tradition.

I also have been working on the new Thomas model. I've got his body 90% rigged and I've started doing shape keys for his facial expressions and speech. So far, all I have is the eyes done. Next comes the phonemes, which is what shapes his lips, teeth and tongue when he speaks.

But, just to show I've been working, I thought I'd add an updated pic of the new Thomas model. I've even worked on his hair some more and I like this much better.

Tada! 

And there you go.

Keep checking back.  They may be few and far between, but I will be posting updates this holiday season.

Later!

Thomas Character Update!

Hey Everyone,

Well, I've been working on the movie the last couple of days.

Specifically, the Thomas character.

Now, this is one of the biggest changes in the new script.  Thomas, in the new script, isn't 10.  He's 16!

There are all kinds of reasons for the change but the main reason is that in the original script, Thomas joins the good guys at the end of the film.  The problem I had with that was as I was writing the new script, the new Thomas was a real jerk.  I mean to say, he does some really terrible things and the more I wrote him the more it made it difficult to believe this new version would ever turn to out to become a good guy.

After much consideration, I decided not to have him switch sides at the end of the film and because of that, I didn't want him to be a 10 year old boy.  That just seemed wrong.  As I said, this new Thomas is a real, genuine bad guy.  He's never going to change and he's going to always be Xam and Power Dog's biggest enemy.

So, I had to make a new Thomas. Thomas 4.0. And here he is, standing next to Thomas 3.0.

I think I'm gonna actually miss the little guy. :(

Now, Thomas 4.0 isn't done. The colors on him are just basic colors.  I haven't color mapped him yet. I also need to rig him and set up his phoneme shape keys for lip syncing.  So, I still have quite a bit to do.

I just wanted to let you know I'm working hard on the movie.

Talk to you later!

Done With the First Draft of the New Script!

Hey guys,

I am finally done with the first draft of the new script!  I am so very sorry for how long it has taken. Unlike the first time I wrote the script, this time I was coming up with a brand new story and although I knew what I wanted to do, I had no idea how I was going to do it.

I still have a lot of work to do though. This is the first draft.  I need to go over it in its entirety and iron out as many wrinkles as I can, but the good news is that I truly feel that won't take very long. I worked on this very slowly, not writing a scene until I was certain I was taking it in the right direction. So, if done properly, there won't be a lot that I need to polish. Hopefully, just some dialogue here and there.

So, what comes after that?

Once the script is done I will need to build the new sets and new characters. This new script is not a re-telling of the old. It is completely new story. Originally, the final battle between Xam, Power Dog and T-Boom took place on a deserted island. In the new script, it takes place at a Hydroelectric Dam. The bridge fight is also not in the new script. I also have a new idea for the city layout.  There are also several new characters and even a couple of henchmen for T-Boom.

Basically, I have a lot build.

Add that to the fact that we are approaching October and my focus turns to our annual Halloween display.  Check out my other blog if you want to know how that's coming along (Hollinger Hollow). I've already started posting over there. And the movie inevitably sees little activity during the holidays.

That said, I feel as though I have a lot to make up for. I spent a very long time working on the new script, trying to get it as perfect as I can. Still, that is a behind the scenes kind of thing and I really want to work on creating my new sets and characters.

Keep in mind, I say this every year around this time, but I am really going to try to make sure the movie doesn't get completely brushed aside during the last three months of the year. Expect to see some updates, kinda like I have for the last six months. Not a steady flow of updates, but at least one a month.

Of course, when I have something to post, I will post it!

Later!

Still Writing!

Wow, with as hard as I'm working on the movie you wouldn't know it from my lack of updates.

That's because, well, it's not really worth updating that I'm still writing the script.  But if I'm really working that hard, why am I not done?  It is a shorter movie, isn't it?

Yes.  This movie is way shorter.  At this rate, I'm thinking it will be around 40 to 45 minutes where the first script was an hour and a half.  So, why is this script taking so long when I finished the first one in a couple of weeks?

Well, I'd like to think its because this script is better.  I am working very hard to ensure this is a proper script, which I've never really tried to do before.  I want this to stand on it's own a a solid piece of writing.  Therefore, I am writing an re-writing every scene to ensure it is a good as I can make it.  In the end, it may still seem "amateur", which in all fairness is exactly what it will be, but at least I will know it is the best movie I can make.

So, I'm still writing the script.  The third act is the most difficult and I want to get it right.

Hopefully, the next post will be that I am done with the script.

Talk to you later!

Script, Script, Script!

Hey guys,

It's way past time for another update.  I am glad to report that I am making serious progress on the script. At the same time, I'm sad to report that it is taking me forever!

So, where am I? I just finished act 2 and I am starting act 3.  That's right, I'm about the start the final third of the movie.  And, I'm actually on pace to keep it around 45 pages, which should bring in about a 30 minute movie!

The reason for it taking so long is that I am really sticking to my guns about making it a great script, and I think I am doing just that. The people that have read it really love it, and believe me, they would tell me if they thought it sucked.

So, keep checking back from time to time. Once the script is done I have a feeling this ball is really gonna start rolling!

Later!

Wow! Has It Really Been That Long?!

Hey everyone,

I can't believe it's been nearly two months since I last posted anything. 

I am really sorry for that.  All I can say is that it's been a really interesting couple of months.  I've been writing, then getting stuck, and writing, then getting stuck, and, heck, you get the idea.

I've decided to start the script completely over and write a 30 minute movie that jumps right into the middle of the story and not the beginning.  This will absolutely quicken the pace of the film and get right into the action.

The problem with the script is that it just isn't that good and at times too cliched.  I know.  I'm not a real film maker.  Still, I'm trying to make a 30 minute movie and I don't want it to suck.  Chances are, in the end, it probably will, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try to make a good movie.

So, what I have learned is that I'm already going to make a few more character models.  One scene has Xam and Power Dog taking out four baddies and I need to make the baddies.  I also have to make a news reporter.  There are two in the script but I'm going to use the Rocky model as one of the anchors. 

As far as sets, I have Thomas' room and the city which for the moment I'm calling Prosper or Prosper City.  I'm not stuck on the name so it's probably going to change.  It sounds too Old West.

OK, so that's where I am.  Still writing. 

Sorry.

Talk to you later (hopefully not in another two months).

Ugh! Script Smash!

Hey guys,

Man, I'm having a terrible time writing the 2nd draft of the script!

Even editing it down I'm still running longer than I want. I want to make a 30 minute move and every thing I do is about an hour long.

I'm going to take some time and really re-think what type of story I want to tell.

Truth is, I probably already know what I need to do, and I am resisting it.  I wanted to tell an origin story but that is really what is bogging down the movie.  I'm really thinking I need to go the way of the '89 Batman movie. In that movie, the beginning of the movie introduced us to a world where Batman already existed. I now think that is what I need to do.

The problem is that a meteorite is what gives everyone in Xam and Power Dog's world their powers. This means that when the camera fades in, there is no origin story for anyone.  Batman '89 at least got to tell the origin of the Joker.

That said, I really think it is what I need to do.  I am putting way too much time into the telling of the origin of each character and how they learned to use their powers.  Although that may be interesting (I think it is but I can't imagine anyone else cares) it isn't what this movie needs.


So, I am going to spend the next week or so seeing if I make my new approach to my movie work.

I will let you know how that goes.

Later!

 

Still Writing!

Hey everyone,

Well, as you can see, I haven't been doing a whole lot of updates.  We're halfway through February and this is my first post this month!

That sucks, but I haven't been idle.  I've been writing.

The problem I'm running in to is that this new script is going to be longer than the old one.  That defeats the purpose of what I'm trying to do, which is write a better, shorter script.  Right now, I'm 58 pages into the script and Max and Gibson still haven't appeared as Xam and Power Dog!

This is a problem because that means my new script could easily bee over 100 pages. That is not what I wanted to do.

So, I have to reign this script in.  I'm not exactly sure how long that is going to take.

I will let you know.

Later!

Fell A Little Behind!

Hey guys,

Well, I've been sick this last week and I'm afraid the script has really taken a hit.

That said, the script is at 40 pages and I'm just slightly half way through. It's funny, because the idea to the re-write was to re-work the story on the page to fit more with the story in my head since writing the first script, but it was also to trim the running time down.  I'm starting to get the feeling this script will be just as long if not a little longer.  UGH!

Anyway, I just wanted to post something to let you know I'm still working. 

More updates to come.

Later!