Project 1 - Everyday Joe

Before I begin on the history of this project, I have a little music for you. A theme, that even before Everyday Joe was to become a film in any sense, was always the theme for Everyday Joe.



Everyday Joe takes me back to my time at Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College.

If I remember correctly, it specifically takes me back to the summer after Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College. To fill the time between College and University I decided to start working on a comic based on what I knew. Me!

Anyway, looking back at these comics, the writing was pretty basic, as was the character design but I always thought there was something there, it was worth something more than a random little comic where I wrote about finishing college and moaning about life.

So I wrote a feature!

The feature was better, became more fictionalised but still incorporated my musings on life. Originally it took the shape of a portmanteau film in which Joe and his friends got together for a film fest with each new dvd being a complete short film which loosely tied in to one of the main characters story arcs.

I developed this a little more in subsequent drafts, and then, like all great projects, I shelved it.

Time moved on, I completed an Animation degree, then time continued to move on...and on...and on!

Then a short film competition came about with Screen West Midlands and I had built up a whole load more stuff to moan about. So I took the characters and basic plot, whittled it down to a 20 minute script and submitted my entry.

Eventually I received my inspirational feedback from Screen West Midlands -

"[Everyday Joe] was visually, stylistically and narratively a mess"

I'm happy to say that I was not defeated by this positive response. I continued to work on the short trying to get it made on my own, but with little interest in and around the Stoke area, I did what we all do with our greatest ideas. I shelved it.

But it stayed with me.


I knew it was awesome. I knew other like minded folk would also think it was awesome, just like the people from the film competition. In short I wouldn't let it lie.

However I now find myself in Worthing via Brighton. There are no Stoke accents down here (apart from my own and Brothers Chris and Tim) and the heart of the film was it's Stoke setting.

I did consider making it as a Brighton film, but no. It's Stoke or nothing.

So I shelved it.


Then I had a crazy idea based on a short I made at University. We had a project based around sound for which I decided to create a old timey radio serial entitled Crime City.




So my amazing idea? I will animate a 20 minute film.


I finalised the script and started designs for characters. I then secured my cast. To get the proper Stoke feeling meant getting proper Stoke voices. So I hopped on a train and called on my good friends Mat Kelly and Dave Johnson. Roping in my non-Stoke girlfriend Charlotte Cameron-Webb, we began our first recording of Everyday Joe.


Now this went reasonably well. Sound quality was the best I could hope for with the equipment I was using but I was confident we we're heading in the right direction.

We had arranged to meet a second night...but alas the fates we're against me and the second recording never happened.

I spent the next few monthe working on the soundtrack and storyboarding. Along the way I did get sidetracked. Working on another ESting, a music video for Flogging Molly, helping out with Brother Chris on an awesome feature script, and also with the making of Jenny Ringo 2.

I also started to get ideas for other films I wanted to work on (such as Project 2 in Project 30) so I decided to wise up. I was never going to get a full 20 animated film off the ground with all these distractions, especially with a Xbox staring me down each day.

So I "temporarily" shelved the animation, but wanted, if only for the cast members, to finish the soundtrack, creating a Radio Play. As we only had the one night recording, with a few re-records when back in Worthing, there were a few issues with the sound quality. Also as it came from an animation script, there were a lot of visual gags that I had to sacrifice, as they simply wouldn't translate.

But enough from me. Without further ado, I present completed Project Number 1 from Project 30. I hope you enjoy, Everyday Joe!

What the hell have you been doing?

Hi,

So yeah, what the hell have I been doing?

I'll give you an updated

Mass Effect 2 - not much. Should really at least get this finished by my birthday.

Project 3: Bonkers adventure film set in Victorian England.

I have completed exactly none of this. I've thought about it but haven't sat done to actually write anything. Which isn't entirely true as I did have some thing written earlier.

Anyway, at this early stage this is the one that looks likely to be my downfall. Which means...


Project 2: Complete my first, "professional" short film.

I do feel the need to clarify, that by "professional" I don't mean I'm being paid to make this film. I just mean that I'm not going up to Knypersley Lake with a camcorder and "mucking about with mates"

This is coming along, slowly, but I'm getting there. I did get stuck looking for a doll. Thinking I needed a load, then I realised I'm making a film. Therefore I don't need fifty dolls, I need one, and a shit load of creative ways to shoot around this.

Oops, spoilers. There's a doll in it.

Anyway, trying to get effects stuff sorted to get the to test stage. Very long winded this process, especially when you're having to bui....

I'm saying too much. In short lots to do, but we're getting there.

So that leaves us with...


Project 1: Complete the "Radio Play" Everyday Joe.

This requires it's own post...

...and I'll leave that to you to decide what that means.


So everything's coming along. I've got loads of time left, it's not like it August?

Right?

HOLY CRAP IT'S AUGUST NEXT WEEK!!!!

I'm getting there...

Just wanted to do a quick update whilst the system is down at work.


1. Everyday Joe - I managed to get things sorted editing the voice work only to come back to mix it properly and find that there are a number of holes. Back to re-editing, trying to mix as I go. It is nearly there, but I do keep falling out of favour with it. I never realised how moany it is. However, hopefully, with a proper mix and a few songs here and there it should be a pretty enjoyable listen.

2. After rewriting the script, and then getting stuck looking at dolls (it is related, I'm not mental) I seem to be finally making some progress. The next stage I'm working on is to get the shot list sorted. This may seem too early, seeing as though I have no cast or crew, but it's the best way to get a layout of locations and which scenes need to be animated! (spoiler).

3. I have done nothing for the bonkers adventure film set in Victorian England.


Regarding Mass Effect 2, I'm still plugging away but nothing too great to announce on that front. I'm not sure it's an improvement on the first game. Seems a hell of a lot more linear. "Recruit crew mate, get mission from crew mate, they become loyal...and repeat"

I'm still enjoying it, just trying to find time to squeeze it in.

Along with all the above, I've now been tasked to look after MovieBar whilst Brother Chris looks after his son, Nephew Eric. (Obviously Brother Chris won't refer to him as Nephew Eric as that would be ridiculous)
For now, that's my update.

Next time, I may be able to provide a few more details.

Cheers!!

Going out on my own...

... although I actually think I'll have help from someone? Anyone? Maybe for a hour or so?

"What are you talking about?" you'll now be asking your good selves. I shall explain.

After helping out on two Jenny Ringo films with Brother Chris (and many other awesome folk) I decided to take a look at how my own list of projects had progressed.

I had a couple of treatments, a few half ideas, even more complete ideas, an unedited recorded voice over track, with bonus half finished storyboard and to finish off a handful of old scripts collecting dust.

So I decided I need to actually get some of this stuff completed. Now I need a deadline, otherwise I'm not going to get anything finished. Well I know, I have a birthday at the end of November, and after then it's Christmas and nothing ever gets done until the following January. This will be my target.

By my birthday I will complete every half finished project on my PC to start afresh in the new year...

Wait a minute, that is ridiculous. If I didn't have to waste the best part of each day at work, then maybe this task would be completed. Unfortunately I do no live in this idyllic Shangri La world. I must work. Phooey!

Ok, so I'll finish as much as I can. Let's just pick a handful of projects and I'll get those completed.

*atmospheric lightning strike* (and it;s cool as it's the Empire State Building)

I declare that by my birthday in late November, marking my 30 years upon this here Earth, I will have completed the following:

1. Complete the "Radio Play" Everyday Joe.

2. Complete my first, "professional" short film.

3. Complete the super secret script for a bonkers adventure film set in Victorian England.


If I do not fully complete the above I at least hope to:

1a. Complete the "Radio Play" Everyday Joe. (It's nearly finsihed now so I'm cheating a bit)

2a. Complete the filming for my first, "professional" short film.

3a. Complete the treatment for a bonkers adventure film set in Victorian England.



If I do not pass the above checkpoints then I will give up, I guess.

Ok, so I'd better get started. I'll try to give a little more back story to the above choices as I go. I can't honestly say I will, and I'm bound to get grumpy along the way.

I'll try to update.

As for now, I'm going to play Mass Effect 2.

It's all been done...

So I really should have blogged about this whilst it was all going on. I just couldn't find the time.

But I'm still not ready. See it's the end of my long Easter break, and I don't fancy spending my time blogging when I need to really find a distraction from the fact that I now have to go back to work tomorrow. Unfortunately I can access my emails at home, and thinking I could lessen the blow if I check now rather than starting blind tomorrow. This blew up in my face as I now find I have an extremely stupid amount of emails to contend with on the morrow.

So now I'm depressed. So I'm going to play games instead.

I'll blog properly about the Jenny Ringo making of, about the status of Everyday Joe, and about any writing projects I may be working on.

Bye...

I think it's best if I hide...

I've finally started editing the behind the scenes footage of Jenny Ringo. It's cool how it's taking me back to the time spent making the film, and all the memories connected with it. Also how hot it was over those few weeks. Granted, it also helps that it's rather warm outside today. Strange for April.

It's good to see how we all worked together and I was wondering if I am missing out on a lot of experiences by making a animated short, on my own, using my friends for voice cast (a conscious production decision).

I was thinking that, until I see the footage when the camera was turned on me. The uncomfortable mumbles I make when answering questions; the long stares at nothing in particular as I avoid the camera eye contact. Nope, it isn't for me. I'm purely a behind the scenes guy.

And so, with the doubts I had about animation cast aside, I continue to set forth on a journey to finish something I started 6 years ago...that is if I can actually get the cast recording done.

So what was this blog actually about?