I Thought You Were Dead

All right, NOW I'm going to do it! I 'm going to get back onto daily entries, I just need to get back into the habit! I think the main reason I've been slipping lately is because Jess is still gone and the woman is pretty much my muse and motivation for pretty much everything in my life. With out her I'm pretty much uninspired and bored about nearly everything. It's a side effect of a happy marriage I didn't even realise was there until now. I guess I'm glad she took the break for that reason, It'll probably help me a good father.

However, there was one experience that helped. Jess has owned a copy of Final Fantasy IV for the DS for a long time, and now that I'm quite bored with her gone, I decided to give it a try. After I got past the opening hour, I suddenly got a really heady feeling of nostalgia. It took me back to the days of the PSX and FFVII. The story was okay, maybe it gets more complex later on, but it was worth picking up just for that brief sojourn into my younger life.

I have to work hard on my final project for school, so I may not have time for a full review this month. maybe a couple of Nancy Drews or something.

Movie of the day: Escape From New York. I knew I had to see this one at some point, just because I'm becoming a fan of John Carpenter and I've always loved Metal Gear Solid (which takes several massive and incredibly obvious cues from it.) It is pretty awesome, and what they did on a low budget and old technology is phenomenal (you know the part where Snake sees a wire frame image of the city through the screen of his glider? That ain't CG! It was a scale model of New York painted with luminescent paint and tape!), but it still shows it's age with how slow it's pace is and how aimless it can get, despite a simple premise. I also felt they wasted that psycho henchman, too. I do love the music, though! Carpenter was pretty darn talented when it came to composing, and this score really shows off how synth can still work without sounding goofy (along with Blade Runner and The Thing).

Song of the day: The Streets Of Whiterun by Jeremy Soule. those who have played Skyrim may think, "Man, I know this one by heart, it's like the third most recognizable song in the game (after Dovahkiin and the Battle Theme)!" Wrong. You have heard it in the background, so low that I bet you don't even know that it has a piano section! This is actually a fantastic piece, sad and wrenching, perfectly capturing a city struggling to get by. There's a lot to it that you can really miss on a casual listen, so give it a real try.

Remember, Boys And Girls: Don't Be A Dimwit!

Yes, don't be a dimwit and leave your blog for ages so you have all the more to catch up on when you do! Well, it certainly has been a busy week, but at least I have something to show for it! two things, even! Check it out!

Well, I'm On My Way

My stars, it certainly is going to be a busy week for me. Not only am I editing the Mewtwo Returns review but I need to put together a compositing project and get the preproduction on my BIG project to at least a decent standard by Monday! It always seems to be that way with work for me, feast or famine...

As for Jess, she's done great, and we just found out it's going to be a boy! Still not sure how I feel about that, we were kind of hoping for a girl, but it's still very exciting and it's not going to make us care for him any less. Still freakin' weird, though...

Movie of the day: The Sword In The Stone. I'd really almost hesitate to call this a "movie", it's only 75 minutes long and to be honest, there's really no scope to it despite the lofty setting and main characters. I'd prefer to call it a beautifully animated Disney TV special. The jokes and pacing are... okay for the time period but oh my, the character animation in particular is just stellar. Worth watching twice over for any student of the animation craft, and a nice little distraction for the rest of us.

Song of the day: Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard by Paul Simon. When most people think of Paul they usually think of maudlin folk songs with depressing messages, but what they tend to forget is that he also sang some pretty catchy and upbeat tunes! ...With depressing messages. Still a fun song, though.

Sketchbook Sunday, Part The Eleventh

Someone commented last time that maybe I should just do the Movie and Song of the day if I can't think of something to write. I guess that would help you to know that I'm still here, so I'll give it a try. That said, I actually do have some things to say today.

We've been on an efficiency kick after we finished cleaning up the bomb site that was left after the in-laws evacuated, so I decided to really get down to it and work on my end-of-month review. After eight straight hours I finally finished up the script! It's probably my most negative review so far (aside from FFVII:AC if course), but I'm still quite pleased with it, so I'll hype it up a bit. It's a  solo review of Mewtwo Returns. I'll give a release date when the titlecard is done, but it should be interesting!

Now, for some sketches.

Didn't Know What I Had To Do

I'm losing it. I really wanted to hold onto the daily blog thing, but it's surprisingly hard to come up with something interesting that I did every day. I guess I'm just a boring kind of guy. That plus the fact that I'm scripting two major projects means that I'm going to have to shift how often I post to every other day, and then just to update with something interesting I found. I'll still try to post daily, just no promises anymore.

That said, check out this freaking thing!



If I owned this, I would grind it to powder with how often I would use it. It is my absolute dream equipment, and it rekindles the excitement of filmmaking within me all over again. The instant I have a large enough budget for a $15,000 steadicam, this will arrive on my doorstep the day before it happens. It's the most beautiful piece of filmmaking perfection I have ever seen, and one day, it will be mine.

Movie of the day: Overboard. I could almost call this a guilty pleasure, but decent writing, a heartwarming yet sufficiently cynical story, Goldie Hawn at her prime and Kurt Freakin' Russell elevate it sufficiently into Watchable Chick Flick for me. I think Goldie is like Hugh Grant: at their best when playing complete jerks (at least at the beginning).

Song of the day: Stronger by The Sugababes. I have a real love/hate relationship with this group. Their first single, 'overload', was a really smart and different song that stood out amongst the manufactured stuff. "Freak Like Me" was also amazing, but I'll talk about that one later. Then, they started losing members and started producing the manufactured crap that they originally stood out from. Now I don't even think they have any of the same members. I do really love this song, downbeat and engrossing, yet with an optimistic message. I think it was their last good one.

When The Morning Comes

I keep forgetting that I don't have to write a long post every day. Short post, ho!

Today we mainly just entered into recovery mode after we saw the family-in-law off at 4 in the morning (lots of napping was involved in the afternoon). We have to sort out all the stuff they left us including two scooters and three bikes. I guess it'll eventually lead to some extra scratch but ugh, it's just tiresome.

Got some great ideas for my end-of-month review, hopefully I'll have a script done by the end of the week. I've been having no end of trouble with streaming, so I'll have to put the first impressions series and AMV heaven on the backburner until further notice once again. I'll figure something out...

Movie of the day: Second Hand Lions. There comes a time when you just want a nice little heartwarmer of a film to relax and enjoy in the good old-fashioned lazy afternoon kind of way. It's pretty harmless, but it maintains interest very well (especially in the fantasy sequences) and you can't go wrong with Robert Duvall and Michael Caine. The story behind the screenplay is quite intriguing too, check it out in the extras.

Song of the day: All Alone by Gorillaz. I love Gorillaz, they were the first band I ever bought an album from, and this song exemplifies one of the best things about them: how unconventional they can be especially for a pop band. I love how it seems like a dirty little headbobber and then suddenly just blooms into a sublime orchestral splash of sunshine for a second. I just wish that bridge could be a song on it's own.

Keep Believing, Keep Pretending

I apologise for not putting up my usual 'sketchbook sunday' post yesterday. It wasn't because I hadn't drawn anything, it's just that I haven't been able to reach the scanner for all the people in this ludicrously small apartment! It's not too bad, though, they're leaving tomorrow and it's really going to be quite sad, especially for Jess. They were a little piece of home and family that she always had around. Sure, we'll always have skype, but it's just a shame things didn't work out.

Two recent developments: my writer's block has been smashed with extreme prejudice when it comes to my independent end-of-year project (the one that counts for a ludicrous amount of my grade and is basically a self-financed short film). I'm working on the concept and a rough draft of the script, and soon I'll be filming a teaser for potential backers. That's right, this sucker's gonna be crowdfunded! More details as they come, but the ideas are coming at an awesome rate. Stay tuned and don't worry: I'm also working on a great video for the end of the month.

The other development? I think I'm getting a cold. Crap.

Movie of the day: The Muppet Movie. Yes, it's dated and corny, but it's so incomprehensibly charming and sincere that it's easier to bite your own finger off than to hate it. Most of the songs are actually really good, even today, and some of the jokes are just awesome (Steve Martin is a surprise scream). The ending song still gets me a little choked up. I'm not sure how a modern kid would handle it, but for those who remember the Muppets, it's pure childhood.

Song of the day: D.A.N.C.E by Justice. Catchy and mind-blowingly dancey, this is one of those you can't help bobbing your head to, and the production is just deliriously enthusiastic. Play it on a good day to make you feel even better. I love the funky retro vibe it gives without pandering or losing it's originality.