HAPPY LAND update

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:54 pm

latest update. sound needs mega work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1zFMUCpKLY

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:46 pm

I really enjoyed that! The beginning move through all the hills was very well done. Even though clearly aimed at a younger audience, I'd watch it. I liked the story!

BunyanFilms · Post by **BunyanFilms** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:27 am

It's really coming together very well Mikdog. The only thing that distracted me was the difficulty in reading the "Happy Land" title. The top of the word were difficult to discern from the background.
The music and opening sequence was great.

I love the character at the end with the long legs... It reminds me of something from War of the Worlds, I just keep expecting it to start melting the countryside around it... Probably just me.

AngryMonster · Post by **AngryMonster** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:18 am

I love it Mikdog ... GREAT music!

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:41 am

Thank you.

I've been having nightmares about the music. Will have to redo much of it.

Thanks re: info on title. Will do something about that

For the music I'm using the 'Magical 8-bit plug' from electro-band YMCK It's a freeware VST instrument. I really grooved on the old 8-bit samples for video-games. This path also makes it a bit easier for me to create sound effects.

http://www.ymck.net/english/download/index.html

Also, there's a Nintendo drum machine from TWEAKBENCH called TOAD that's also a freeware VST plug:

http://www.tweakbench.com/toad

Nice. Then, mastering the music is a bit of a black art, I've heard. I've got the awesome freeware Audacity and soon to get Fruity Loops when I can afford it. Compressors, limiters, envelopes and normalisers are all new to me.

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:37 pm

Uff.

This - is - so - great!

Really. The richness of visual detail, athough done in that simplifying style. The flawless animation everwhere. The clever transition from title to story.

The only flaw I see so fare is the sound ... the music just doesn't connect to the image - for me. And I'm missing the sound FX, but you plan to add them, I know.

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:26 pm

Cool.

Thanks slow.

I know you're an animation expert, and you've been like a godsend on this project. I also remember reading you were thinking about making some music for happyland had you not go so much work. Now, I'm not going to ask you to make the music, but perhaps could you suggest a music style, or if any references of music you're heard which you think might be suitable, I'll find them and check it out.

There's a thought at the back of my mind that says 8-bit music was at the frontier of computer music a while ago, but now there's so much more possible. Maybe with proper music, recorded live, and as you say, foley sounds with all the right equipment.

I'd be super interested to pick your brain on this one. Hope your other animation project is going well.

Thanks

Mike

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:50 pm

Hm, it's not because of the 8bit-sound - that's a nice choice. But I stumbled over the song being continuously from beginning to end. I think film music should have a broader range of tempi and dynamics.

For example, the music accompanying Heavy during his walk seems a bit too loud to me. The piece with the song should be a bit "richer" in instrumentation than the bits which are just background.

Anyway, I still would like to contribute, but since my schedule is really crowded, I shouldn't promise anything. I send you a PM, anyway.

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 12:28 pm

Thanks.

I'll post some more stuff when I have another computer. My PC drowned in a flood. Backed some stuff up before.

Meh. Thinking of a macbook pro. hopefully my moho 5.4 pc files will work on an apple.

Jeronimus · Post by **Jeronimus** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 7:17 pm

Mikdog, I love this so very much. I always have, you know that.

I thought though, that the intro music would stop from the moment the story would start. I'd probably have the intro music come to a 'climax' when the title appears, and then have some sort of sparkly sound to transition to the story, or something.
There's nothing wrong with using music in it, it was just too loud.

I still love it.

Squeakydave · Post by **Squeakydave** » Fri Dec 07, 2007 11:40 pm

Excellent work! I love the designs and animation. I even like the music!

Keep on doing what you are doing

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 9:01 am

Latest update:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQJsaa-s54w

Please let me know if there's anything I might change or add.

Ta

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 11:42 am

Perfect animation!

Only one minor point: when paper demonstrates the sailing, she hovers down in 2 movements - this should be 4 (a bit longer) to make the movement readable.

bonvivant · Post by **bonvivant** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 1:14 pm

Your style here ridiculously charming. Other than what slowtiger pointed out I think this is close to perfect. I don't know what your marketing plan is, but I could certainly see this on TV up here in North America.

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Tue Jan 08, 2008 2:21 pm

Thanks guys.

Took the video down. Was causing trouble with my father who thought I was mad to post the video up as someone could steal it. I assured him it was fine, but I've been spending so much time on this thing, and he's ben supporting me, I kind of see his point.

Think I'm gonna start pitching this thing next month.

I have no idea how to go about this. I live in South Africa.

Either I can:

a) sell the idea to a TV station, who will probably pay for me to develop another 9 episodes, but then want ownership of the episodes.

b) sell the idea to a TV station, but be clear that the episodes remain my own property, and that I plan to license completed episodes to other stations once complete.

c) pitch to cartoon network, who, if they decide to take the project on, will probably pay me a fee for the idea and then produce the series in-house with their own team

d) speak to a producer who I know who (Firdaus Kharas from Canada). If he decided to take the project on, will set up a team to animate and script it, and I'll probably get some nice cash, but not the experience of pitching my idea or keeping my original team.

I've spent a year on this animation. I'd love to show it to you, but I've been advised by my kind father not to put it up publicly. Basically, it's 2:30 minutes of cutesy-happy-characters who live in a happy world and things always are dandy in happy land. Each episode focuses on a positive moral. (Environment, Trust, Love etc...)

I want to get as much money out of this thing as i can. Previous attempts with another project ended up getting me some cash (R12,000 South African Rand per month) and I was animating about 10 minutes of animation myself per month (not writing the scripts or doing the music, just animating) and the thing was RUSHED. I'd like to take a year to animate these other 9 episodes.

I've seen that generally, $50.00 per second is a good going rate for animation. As such, I should be getting paid around R50,000.00 South African Rand ($6,000) per episode, for 2 and a half minutes.

Now, our local broadcasters, I have heard, do not pay well for animation, even though I have never dealt with them directly. Only through studios.

My original plan was to create an animation where it is easy to animate (done) and the characters and world objects can be reusable (done) keep the team size down as much as possible (done. 3 people worked on this episode) and then cut out any middle-men in terms of selling the animation (still have to do)

If anyone's had experience with this kind of thing, I'm all ears.