Initial Discussion
An interesting concept came to me as I was working on the Layout for the Illustrated Storybook. I am planning on advancing into creating a Powerpoint version of the Storybook, which as you can understand, has numerous applications for marketing the over all project. However that leads me to want to create an edition of the storybook that will be designed for an iPad, or other hand-held devises of that nature. Essentially, that means creating an App that will access the storybook electronically. Well, since the plan is to move forward into an animated film, I think the interim stage of getting there will be to create an animated storybook. Of course the animations used for that storybook will be limited versions of what will be used in the animated film.
My plan has been to narrate the story, once the illustrated volume is completed. The text for this illustrated storybook is complete, however I am finding that I am altering the text to accommodate the variations on the illustrations, which I am creating in order that each page of the storybook has an illustration. As it turns out, in order to have that many illustrations, I am dividing them up and using close-up, middle & long shots. This really expands the usability of the illustrations. I am also finding that I can create assorted body positions of the characters with photoshop, so this is leading me into the foundations of the animation. I have a program called Poser, but have not yet learned how to use it, so at some point that may come into play as well.
Of course the narration of the existing text will be part of a companion CD with the music. I have had numerous requests to narrate this myself, being told that my voice inflection really brings it alive. So as soon as I am satisfied that the prepress publication mechanicals are right, then I will move into doing that narration.
As it stands now Volume One has sixty pages, of what I expect to be around ninety, that are finished. I may have said this before , however, Volume Two now has seventy-eight pages complete, which takes us up to scene five (of nineteen) in the Libretto. Act One of the Libretto has nine scenes, so those seventy eight pages seem to represent about one half of Act One/Volume One. However, scene seven in the Libretto is the longest scene in the play and that may take up a bit more pages in the Illustrated Storybook. I have found that in the storybook, I have expanded upon certain portions of the story which are not revealed in the Libretto, for reasons that have to do with the limitations present on stage.
The approach I've taken in layout out the storybook is to include the lyrics from the Libretto as part of the Storybook text. Since the story on the stage is told largely in song. For the storybook, I have built a larger story around the one presented on-stage, meaning that I've expanded upon aspects of the story that cannot be presented on-stage due to time and spacial limitations. So the storybook is more extensive in that regard.
Some Thoughts about Production
As you may be aware, building a show and gathering the resources necessary to succeed as a theatrical production can be a complex endeavor. Even with 40 years of experience in theatre, it is a daunting task to move forward to do this. So with that degree of complexity in coordinating the resources and personnel in mind, I have decided to continue with the development of other materials which will offer the greatest degree of support for the core product and keep us moving forward in the studio environment without excessive external outlay. My feeling is that I need to continue to move forward as much as possible internally before risking external activity which might cause undue strain to the overall operation and water down the market place impact.
Obviously, I need to get a product into the market place to develop a cash flow. But I want the most advantageous product that will require the least amount of outlay on my part. That leads me to consider the electronic medium.
What this is leading up to is this - We have a good amount of artwork, which is being adapted for a larger presentation of the story, there is more to be done in that regard, but the material we already have is sufficient to develop a solid structure for storytelling in various mediums. Although the hardcopy storybook is nearing completion, I would like to move into the digital medium - before I release the hardcopy storybook, or at the least simultaneous to that release. My feeling is that full revelation of the core material without deep saturation into an assortment of markets would be a mistake. So that is what I am striving for. Now I am completely willing to partner with other organizations to achieve that saturation, so long as those organizations are on-board with the overall marketing plan. That is yet to be seen, but for those who may be reading this and might be considering involvement, there is an overall game plan for market saturation that does not necessarily involve a flood of publicity to achieve that end. Certainly that kind of publicity is welcome at the appropriate time and as evidenced by other product that gained success by that method, but from my point of view, making those expenditures is most appropriate when the adjacent markets have sufficient inventory to meet the demand which will result from such publicity and marketing. So that being said, I am striving to set up those markets to meet that demand either internally or externally. Frankly I will continue to work internally in the absence of external impetus, but I am striving for a balance between the two.
The Electronic Medium
Now this Electronic Storybook could possibly be interactive with links and such. I have not thought this entirely out yet, because what has to happen is that: this needs to be income producing and not just a free ride on the internet. So with that in mind, I would like to discuss this with an internet savvy partner who can assist in setting up the App and the sale of this electronic book as an online purchase. I want the book to be isolated to one devise and not be able to be copied or transferred between parties. So the person who becomes involved as a programmer needs to be able to do this. I am not currently able to do this, mainly because I do not have the time to learn a new trade such as this.
The other aspect of this is that the electronic book will contain the music from the show and animated clips in each scene. So in essence this will be a merging of a limited animation of scenes with the illustrated storybook with narration, available on any hand held devise anywhere via the internet.
Any individuals or companies savvy to this who may like to be involved are invited to write to me to discuss this.
MORE LATER - AG
