Well 2011 has been freakin' CRAZY!! Since January I've seen them cut off my cable, my internet, my phone AND now my electricity. It seems clients just don't like paying me the money they owe me. Aside from truant payments, things are going rather well. This has been the busiest year so far since completing college back in '06. Been continually self employed since then so it's impressive despite not making much $$$ . . . . but, it's coming. We're moving onto phase 2 with our business plan we started back in '04.
The documentary we are reworking and is about 50% complete. We went from about 95% complete back down to half because of new developments. It is all for the better though and will be a more solid project when completed.
I will also let you in on something personal that I am doing (for 2 years now) and hopefully will be launching in July. I am creating a couple web series that I can't discuss YET but will be more or less my personal home on the web (other than here of course!) I can't guarantee my style will appeal to all here on the board but everyone one is welcome to check out the site. I can't name it right now as I am not officially launched, despite it being up for a year, and haven't really done anything on it to warrant a visit. But when I launch it will be a compendium of everything I have ever done and will be doing. Think of the site as my personal portfolio, my brand as it were, except rigged for entertainment. I am setting it up so that if I get enough traffic it can hopefully supplement the cash that I don't have in between gigs. So when you visit, VISIT OFTEN, TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!
I am also going to be making an animated short film this summer based around the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonite" by the Tokens . . . hopefully, if I get copyright clearance. Again I can't really tell you what it is about without completely giving away the film but at least it's something. As with all my work it is completely self funded.
Work is going well, despite the "out of money experience". It's hard to make money off of stuff you love to do but it does come around. This is my 21st year at "living the dream" (I'm 33) so it is FINALLY starting to pay off. I have a termination date of 40 if I don't start making GOOD money at this, I'll have to give up and get a "real job." It's looking like it's finally starting to pay off though. NO WORRIES!
Now don't get me wrong, I could have gotten a job in the industry years ago but I didn't want to work for someone on "their" project, I want it to be MY project and that has been the stumbling block for so many years. Doing it my way has cost me a lot of time, money and potential money but it will all be worth it in the end. Not giving up on the dream is reward in itself. This is turning into a bit of a therapeutic post, but really I am curbing the boredom of sitting in a dark apartment waiting for the power to come back on. Hammered through 3 of the 4 books in the Arthur C. Clarke Space Odyssey series already.
I'm actually at the college right now stealing their internet and printing out Tex Murphy walkthroughs in colour for free. I made alterations to the walkthroughs over the years and prettied them up with screen shots. I can post the PDF's here if people really want 'em but I have a feeling that people still like to play through the old fashioned way, plus I am not the original author. I played through each of the games once without assistance long ago and that's good enough for me. My time is valuable so I can't really waste it trying to remember where the hell the thing is that I need to carry on. Hence the walkthroughs, used only when stuck. Ah adventure games.
Okay I'll wrap things up here. Things are both shitty and good right now, new developments happening in the near future (continuously actually) will keep all posted as time goes on. I'll stop rambling now and return you to your regularly scheduled web viewing experience.
PEACE!
The documentary we are reworking and is about 50% complete. We went from about 95% complete back down to half because of new developments. It is all for the better though and will be a more solid project when completed.
I will also let you in on something personal that I am doing (for 2 years now) and hopefully will be launching in July. I am creating a couple web series that I can't discuss YET but will be more or less my personal home on the web (other than here of course!) I can't guarantee my style will appeal to all here on the board but everyone one is welcome to check out the site. I can't name it right now as I am not officially launched, despite it being up for a year, and haven't really done anything on it to warrant a visit. But when I launch it will be a compendium of everything I have ever done and will be doing. Think of the site as my personal portfolio, my brand as it were, except rigged for entertainment. I am setting it up so that if I get enough traffic it can hopefully supplement the cash that I don't have in between gigs. So when you visit, VISIT OFTEN, TELL YOUR FRIENDS!!
I am also going to be making an animated short film this summer based around the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonite" by the Tokens . . . hopefully, if I get copyright clearance. Again I can't really tell you what it is about without completely giving away the film but at least it's something. As with all my work it is completely self funded.
Work is going well, despite the "out of money experience". It's hard to make money off of stuff you love to do but it does come around. This is my 21st year at "living the dream" (I'm 33) so it is FINALLY starting to pay off. I have a termination date of 40 if I don't start making GOOD money at this, I'll have to give up and get a "real job." It's looking like it's finally starting to pay off though. NO WORRIES!
Now don't get me wrong, I could have gotten a job in the industry years ago but I didn't want to work for someone on "their" project, I want it to be MY project and that has been the stumbling block for so many years. Doing it my way has cost me a lot of time, money and potential money but it will all be worth it in the end. Not giving up on the dream is reward in itself. This is turning into a bit of a therapeutic post, but really I am curbing the boredom of sitting in a dark apartment waiting for the power to come back on. Hammered through 3 of the 4 books in the Arthur C. Clarke Space Odyssey series already.
I'm actually at the college right now stealing their internet and printing out Tex Murphy walkthroughs in colour for free. I made alterations to the walkthroughs over the years and prettied them up with screen shots. I can post the PDF's here if people really want 'em but I have a feeling that people still like to play through the old fashioned way, plus I am not the original author. I played through each of the games once without assistance long ago and that's good enough for me. My time is valuable so I can't really waste it trying to remember where the hell the thing is that I need to carry on. Hence the walkthroughs, used only when stuck. Ah adventure games.
Okay I'll wrap things up here. Things are both shitty and good right now, new developments happening in the near future (continuously actually) will keep all posted as time goes on. I'll stop rambling now and return you to your regularly scheduled web viewing experience.
PEACE!
thanks for the update Stu. You are definitely doing the path that a lot of people in the industry take before reaching their goals. Keep at it man, as I always say: if the passion is there it will always be a matter of 'when' and not 'if'. 40 is still young though, so I would not treat that as a be-all-to-end-all deadline. Just keep up the good work.
the projects you are working on sound interesting. Indeed as developments are made I am sure you will have the full support of everyone here to get those hits you need! I think we have seen so many people here move on through their careers we always owe it to each other to help out in any way, and have countless times in the past... it's one of the great things about everyone here.
Interesting you mention about breaking into the industry and how you wanted to work on your own projects instead of someone else's. Networking is probably one of the most important things to get a foot in the door so perhaps it may be of benefit to work of a few of other people's projects just to get to know some contact, and then when you are working on your own you can call on their expertise as an industry friend?
Anyway mate, glad to hear you are still going strong.
-Cub. =o)
the projects you are working on sound interesting. Indeed as developments are made I am sure you will have the full support of everyone here to get those hits you need! I think we have seen so many people here move on through their careers we always owe it to each other to help out in any way, and have countless times in the past... it's one of the great things about everyone here.
Interesting you mention about breaking into the industry and how you wanted to work on your own projects instead of someone else's. Networking is probably one of the most important things to get a foot in the door so perhaps it may be of benefit to work of a few of other people's projects just to get to know some contact, and then when you are working on your own you can call on their expertise as an industry friend?
Anyway mate, glad to hear you are still going strong.
-Cub. =o)
I HAVE POWER AGAIN!! It's amazing how many cinder-blocks through a living room window it takes to jog a persons memory that they owe someone money. Just astounding. Anyway my bills are caught up and I am once again out of the dark ages, ready to once again take over the world! Oh right I'm supposed to keep that on the down low.
Anyway I was reading some of the comments and I guess I gave the impression that I was a bit of a self absorbed jerk who didn't wanna work with anyone but on my stuff. That's just not the case. I help people ALL the time. There's a film school/TV broadcasting/multimedia course here and I am always helping people out. I've been on countless projects that other people are working on. I love helping out and networking. Hell networking was pretty much the only reason I went to college, it wasn't the education. It was for the piece of paper, the networking, hands on experience with professional gear and to finally shut my parents up. In terms of learning I pretty much knew what I was doing when I went in there so it was a cakewalk. The first week of school I had to excuse myself to go win a film festival which is a little odd to explain to faculty. You get a few raised eyebrows in disbelief and that you must be full of it or full of yourself. Anyway the friends I made and colleagues are absolutely priceless. There is a close family mentality there and it is VERY beneficial in this industry. I'm just not relying on it.
See when I said that I wanted to do things my way I just meant as a job. Wouldn't you rather be the president of a company rather than the cashier making them money? Well that's what I am doing in regards to film/TV. When I work for others, that's just my job. When it's my stuff, that is living the dream. The 2 go hand in hand. Eventually however one will overtake the other and hopefully it is the stuff that I like doing.
As it stands, I am very well connected right now. I have a bunch of friends in high places that could get me somewhere if I just ask. But that's the thing, I'm not going to ask. To me, I want to make it based on what I do, not who I know. It is a hell of a lot more gratifying if people are coming to you because of something you've done and this is starting to happen now. We have never advertised or pimped ourselves out. With the exception of business cards we have nothing even stating who we are, just our body of work and word of mouth. Because of this strategy we are developing an aura of mystery and intrigue. Not your average starving artist (starving yes, but they don't know that!)
Now as for the 40 age limit, in recent years I've modified that commitment. See at some point I do want to have a family and all that crap. If I am 40 and still living like I am now. Then I'm just gonna get a job and start building for when I am old. If I am 40 and I am on the crest of making something of myself, I will still commit to it. If I am 40 having already made it . . . well why the hell would I stop? Attach having a family to all of those points. The long and the short is, not a jerk, and not giving up. That's pretty much all I have for now.
Anyway I was reading some of the comments and I guess I gave the impression that I was a bit of a self absorbed jerk who didn't wanna work with anyone but on my stuff. That's just not the case. I help people ALL the time. There's a film school/TV broadcasting/multimedia course here and I am always helping people out. I've been on countless projects that other people are working on. I love helping out and networking. Hell networking was pretty much the only reason I went to college, it wasn't the education. It was for the piece of paper, the networking, hands on experience with professional gear and to finally shut my parents up. In terms of learning I pretty much knew what I was doing when I went in there so it was a cakewalk. The first week of school I had to excuse myself to go win a film festival which is a little odd to explain to faculty. You get a few raised eyebrows in disbelief and that you must be full of it or full of yourself. Anyway the friends I made and colleagues are absolutely priceless. There is a close family mentality there and it is VERY beneficial in this industry. I'm just not relying on it.
See when I said that I wanted to do things my way I just meant as a job. Wouldn't you rather be the president of a company rather than the cashier making them money? Well that's what I am doing in regards to film/TV. When I work for others, that's just my job. When it's my stuff, that is living the dream. The 2 go hand in hand. Eventually however one will overtake the other and hopefully it is the stuff that I like doing.
As it stands, I am very well connected right now. I have a bunch of friends in high places that could get me somewhere if I just ask. But that's the thing, I'm not going to ask. To me, I want to make it based on what I do, not who I know. It is a hell of a lot more gratifying if people are coming to you because of something you've done and this is starting to happen now. We have never advertised or pimped ourselves out. With the exception of business cards we have nothing even stating who we are, just our body of work and word of mouth. Because of this strategy we are developing an aura of mystery and intrigue. Not your average starving artist (starving yes, but they don't know that!)
Now as for the 40 age limit, in recent years I've modified that commitment. See at some point I do want to have a family and all that crap. If I am 40 and still living like I am now. Then I'm just gonna get a job and start building for when I am old. If I am 40 and I am on the crest of making something of myself, I will still commit to it. If I am 40 having already made it . . . well why the hell would I stop? Attach having a family to all of those points. The long and the short is, not a jerk, and not giving up. That's pretty much all I have for now.
Hey Stu, you do realize this makes you the guy, right?
As in "I know a guy who knows a guy!"..?
-Fred
As in "I know a guy who knows a guy!"..?
-Fred
Pirates, vampires, zombies, ninjas, ghouls, aliens, goblins, monsters, robots, sorcerers, undead, werewolves, demons, mutated dinosaur-cyborgs and those pesky phone salesmen! The shotgun is a one-size-fits-all solution!
