Welles Baby In Progress

Starting a new short and it's starring a baby Orson Welles!

Haven't quite worked out all the beats of the story -- as of now, all I know is that it'll be a commercial/out-take type deal, based on the classic "Yes Always" recording -- but I figure I'll have it set by the time I finish making the puppet. 

Sculpting the head (which is about 3 inches high) out of plasticine -- using my original sketch and some pics of both young and old Orson as reference.

I'll have more on the way soon -- Next: mold making, and casting, as well as a second puppet.

Quick Test

Been trying to keep my skills up as I move forward on some new projects (FINALLY!)
In this case, 3 hours of work gets you 16 seconds of rough animation.

The Present and Future

So,
I've been stuck in a creative mud hole, spinning my wheels for a good while now -- actually, it's been since New Years! -- and its driving me crazy.
Anyway, the cause of all this nonsense can be traced to one thing: moving forward.
Or, at least the attempt at doing so.
I've been desperately trying to get 2 new projects off the ground and as it turns out, the thing that's keeping them there is.... LIVE ACTION. Trying, and apparently failing at making a move from miniatures to real life -- I do love animation, but it seems to be bogging down my goals.
The problem is, getting all the proper materials, locations, and people together at once, is proving to be quite the challenge.
I never knew how hard it would actually be. Even something as simple as lighting the scene, is now five times more difficult than in animation.
I'm going to stop there, because, it's just going to turn into a rant. Suffice to say, I'm not being lazy, I'm working on something (many things) and it's going SO SLOW!
But, I'm saying all this, to let you know there will be some action, and soon. As I move forward into preproduction, I'll be sure to post plenty of pics and tests, and other bits of goodness --

I'm  in the middle of writing a new short story, which I'm debating if I will make it available here. On that note, I'm also considering putting up a sister site (or maybe a second-step-cousin-in-law site) where I would post short stories, illustrations, and other musings on a regular basis... this is just a possibility, but I'm hoping to come to some conclusions very soon.
Also, I've got a new feature script currently in competition over at Slamdance.

I'll find out where I stand after the judging period in September -- and the wait is KILLING ME!

So, in conclusion, I have some decisions to make. All of my future endeavors will cost me time & money and I'm giving my self the deadline -- by the end of summer, I have to make a move. I'm getting my new Show Reel ready, putting together a portfolio, and if all my attempts at indie production fail, I'm gonna start looking for work in LA.
Goin' out west... etc.
Hopefully, whatever I do, I can still keep things up to date here.