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One down. Now to get it up...
2003-03-19 13:58:06
Finished the remaster of "The Inverse Music Video", as I've rather uninspiringly named it here. Given that all I really needed was to grab the vob off ths disc, set up the AVS scripts and sync it back up to the original audio track, I can't say I'm surprised I finished it in an evening. Most of the time, actually, was spent working up a 'Remastered No-Brand-Videos" logo/bumper. I do so love doing bumpers and the likes.
It should be up on the 'Carrot later tonight- I just had some problems with getting it uploaded (mainly my confusing the server by working on things both from my laptop and desktop). I'll start the scripting and conversion work for Eden 12/24 tonight. Unfortunately, given this will take some time, I probably won't have it finished and up any earlier than the end of the weekend.
I almost uploaded the original files of the videos that I will not be able to remaster for some time yet, but decided to hold off a bit and see if I can clean them up a bit first. I need to get rid of the overscan lines and feed them through a few filters to see if I can't get them to look a little less like they're the 6-7 years old that they actually are. With luck, I'll get that done with the stuff for Eden 12/24 is processing tonight. I really need to get started on the Otakon video no later than Monday. And I still haven't started my NES Project vid. EEEEEP!
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Dangling Particles
2003-03-18 08:54:23
Wow. It's a neat feeling knowing that from here out, a whole lot more people will be able to see my videos. With the Dangling Carrot now up, currently 78 (well, 78 + Phade and any site people who also have access that may not be included in the 78 'incentive member' count) people can download 4 of my newest videos- my Star Wars Trailer Project video (Samurai Windu), Dark Metropolis, and my two original Mission : Improbable Project segments (the Battle Athletess segment that was actually assigned and the Afro Ken ^o^ segment I did as a possible backup). I'll put up PPG:R in a couple of weeks (after it is premiered at Tekkoshocon).
That pretty much is it for current, completed vids. However, I have the means to remaster two of the older vids- The Inverse AMV and Eden 12/24. With my computer now souped up with the new XP1800+, my new CommandPost (http://www.focusinfo.com/products/commandpost/commandpost.htm) editing controller (that thing just rocks so much... though I can't argue with Vic- it would probalby make a kick ass MechWarrior controller. Ph33r my l33t Mechwarrior /1d30 3d1t1ng sk1ll0rz!
) and the fiendisly comfortable leather desk chair (all thanks to my birtrhday last week), I'm going to do my damndest to have the two videos remastered and up on the carrot by the end of the week.
I'm still up on the fence about the others at the moment. All I have are the original copies of the videos- now pushing 7 years old- that were made off of VHS, long before I learned nearly as much as I know now about encoding. But, given that two of them will likely be 6 months at the minimum before the sources for them are available (maybe less for Big Gun...), I may just put up the original versions and hope that I can work something out with Phade to replace the old versions with the new down the line.
As for the new videos, I hope to get started on my Otakon video soon. Hopefully I'll find out what's going on with the ACen contest soon so I can decide whether or not to try and have something ready for that.
As for things non-AMV related... after some things over the weekend, I have a strong feeling my life isn't going to be quite as laid back and cut and dry as I might have previously thought it was going to be, but there's no guarantees either way. And for as problematic as this could be... I find myself almost enjoying the uncertainty.
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Rainy Day
2003-03-05 07:15:54
Well, it's decided to be a nice, dreary, rainy day today, by the looks of it. Not that I'll see much of it either from work or home (well, unless I open the blinds, which I probably should do- the nekos like sitting on the heater cover, looking out the window and stalking squirrels from the safety of the house). Somewhat thankfully, as I have a number of errands to run today that require me being back home before most places close this afternoon, I drove instead of taking the trains/busses and having to walk a mile or so in the rain.
I was quite thrilled to have the first person other than those I normally chat with contact me to see about getting a copy of 'Dark Metropolis'. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that people want to see something you've made. I think that makes making videos far more worthwhile than the possibility of winning a contest. There are only so many awards to be given out at contets- but if you put your heart into making something, it's far more likely that at least one or two people will see it and enjoy it, and hopefully tell you so (yes, even Linkinball Z vides, I'd imagine). I unfortunately am not as good at giving feedback to people whose videos I've enjoyed as I would like to be. One of these days when I have a weekend with nothing to do (which will probably be sometime in October) I intend to go through all the videos I've downloaded and kept and leave at least some feedback.
I also have to thank Rastlin M (:/ I'm sorry, I'm truly terrible at remembering names... I forgot my future wife's name twice in the first conversation we had when we met) for giving me the link to the Cutethulu original animation from Katsucon. For anyone interested, it's http://cutethulhu.whiteradish.com/ It's damn funny, so check it out!
So, for anyone who might be interested in seeing any of my videos (with the unfortunate exception of 'Love is on the Way' at the moment... I still don't have a digital copy of it yet. Baka Plum codec) please don't hesitate to IM me and ask me to send the file(s) to you. During the day, I'm usually at work and won't be able to send it to you then, but I'll be happy to once I get home in the evening.
On the video front, I'm slowly getting closer to being done with the Star Wars trailer video. Far too much time has been taken up with the scene that needed Obi-Wan in it- the only place I could find a suitable scene of Utena from was the movie, and it required rotoscoping her, in the movie duelling outfit, out of the scene. Unfortunately, with as complex as the design is (especially her hair and the ornaments on the uniform), it took me something like 25 minutes per frame. Thankfully, it is effectively animated at 12fps. But, now it's finally done, and I can get down to putting together the scene. Unfortunately, I'm likely going to have to cut back a bit on how fancy I make the scene. -
Wow
2003-02-21 12:55:13
That pretty much describes last weekend as succinctly as I can. It's been a long time since I've had as much fun as I did at Katsucon 9 last weekend, even taking into account the massive delays my train experienced getting home Sunday night.
The con was just a blast, almost entirely because of getting to spend the time there with a bunch of the other guys from here. I can't thank the lot of them enough, and I'm looking forward to seeing them again soon, even if that 'soon' may not be until AWA this fall. The events at the con were a lot of fun. Playing DDR at 3am in the morning with it projected up onto the wall was a blast, even if I sucked at it :p I got lots of confused looks at my Afro Ken hat/wig and lots of smiles at my Otosan Boshi. The Cosplay was a lot of fun to watch, with some really inventive costumes and skits, and I need to try and track down a copy of the winning original animation contest video- I know people back at school with Plushie Kthulus....
As for the video contest- that was the biggest 'wow' ever. Very seriously, I was just tickled pink that Dark Metropolis had actually made it into the finals at the con and was going to be shown to a large audience on the big screens. I thoroughly expected it to get spanked all the way back up here to CT by the other videos that were actually intended to be action videos (which, all told, I still believe it did, especially by Vic's Cowboy Bebop 007). The last thing I was expecting was for it to win anything, much less Best Action video. Mind you, I'm quite proud of Dark Metropolis- and in my (obviously somewhat biased :p) opinion, it's one of the best 'trailer' AMVs I've seen, but I never really expected it to be able to compete with more conventional videos. I'm extremely honored that people apparently think that it can. Hearing my name and the video announced as having won was one of the biggest rushes I've ever known. I think I'd like to find someone who does cocaine or the likes and tell them they have no idea what they're missing.
Probably the best thing about winning the award was getting copies of the DVDs with all the entries into the contest. I love having all the videos in a format I can play almost anywhere so I can show people all the cool videos that were at the contest.
But, I don't have time to really dwell on it- the deadline for Tekkoshocon is rapidly approaching, and I've got a lot of AE and LightWave work to be done to have PPGR done in time to get into the contest... -
T-minus less than one day
2003-02-13 14:17:36
This time tomorrow, I should be walking into the Katsucon hotel, and out of reality for a couple of days. With high terror alerts and immenint war, I'm looking forward to it far more than I was expecting I would be. It will be nice to spend a few days mostly insulated against such things- although ironically in one of the places where anxiety is highest about them, Washington D.C. From what I hear from my wife though, NYC isn't too far behind, having closed off a whole block completely surrouding Grand Central Station. I expect I'll see a much higher security presence when I head in to meet her for a nice dinner tonight. Even she has taken to riding the less-crowded (and, theoretically, lower probability of being bombed) busses instead of the subways. I almost miss the days when I was a kid and there was only the vaguely distant threat of being instantly wiped off the planet in a nuclear holocost.
Great, now I'm depressed. I knew I should have tried to get more sleep last night. Eeep. It's a damn good thing there weren't any meetings today, I would have been doing an Osaka impression through the entire thing.
But, I'm all but ready to go to Katsu tomorrow. All of my remaining chibi-CDRs have been burned off with all my videos (save the one I can't convert due to a hardware codec it requires), my suitcase is packed full with the Appletree Ken wig and my bedroll stuff (with a few clothes thrown in as an afterthought). The only things really left to do are to finish the Otosan Boshi and pigtails, pack up my backpack and hop on the train tomorrow morning.
JOURNAL: Ashyukun (Robert Babcock)
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