Update on Pre-press

The second design run of the Gnome-sized books (which is actually comprised of numerous printings) has revealed a few more minor changes. An example is that the title GFX used in the first design of the "Gnomes in a Gnutshell" packaging is the best for easy reading at a glance. That is important. So all the titles got swapped. Other adjustments to spacing of various elements were made as well. Those adjusts needed to be made while conforming the Big People Book to match the Gnome-sized book. That matching process is underway.

The Gnome-sized book is back at the printer's being evaluated for production. The MSRP for that book has been raised to $8.95. I tried setting that price at $4.95 (and then $6.95), but with the increase in size, made to improve reading and the unique binding (which research has revealed is very important to retain), it is simply impossible to produce the book for less. Even that price is low, but I'm afraid that anything higher than that for the Gnome-sized book risks it not selling. So we're trying to make the price fit. Even then, production quantities will require significant sales right-out-of-the-box. That is another aspect of this project that needs to be addressed, but that cannot happen until the new edition of the Big People's Book is out of prototyping and locked into production as well.

Both books need to be released to the public at the same time, as a package, with Point-of-Purchase materials as well. That means that the Garden Gnomes need to be manufactured in quantities that match the retail outlets... another complexity!

More later.   AG

Discussions on Production

Here is a link to the IMS Virtual Studio post on the subject of Parade Activities and other subjects

Special Limited World Premeire Edition

The first release to the public will be a Hand-stitched version of the books.

Because the books must have the ISBN and pricing fixed, and those items need to be based on higher production methods, there will be little or no profit in those hand-stitched books. So they will be limited in number and used only to open the market. If I can discover production methods that allow for a reasonable profit, I may continue to offer the hand-stitched version. If there is enough demand and I can raise the price somewhat, I may assign that version a new ISBN. We'll see what happens.

There is also a Limited Edition of Signed & Numbered Books in both the Gnome-sized and Big People's Books. That series is priced significantly higher and is intended to fund additional artwork for the next book.

It is unlikely that the boxed-set will be hand-stitched, because the stitching interferes with the books fitting smoothly in the box, but we'll experiment with that and see what works best. I do think the special nature of the hand-stitching would make the boxed set extra special. Maybe I need to rethink the box to accommodate that.

More later, AG

Publishing Update

After nearly 10 months of work making corrections and adjustments to both the Gnome-sized and Big People's Books, I finally printed the next proof of the Gnome-sized. I'm very pleased with the results so far.

Along the way, a few months back, I printed what I thought was the finished product. Well, of course there were errors. On that version the spine was not correct, so I altered the gutter on the pages to accommodate the incorrect spine width. It was ok for a prototype. So I glued the cover on, as I had done on the last batch of books. Only this time the cover came off, after a time. Why? Right now the only answer seems to be that the paper on this cover has a different coating, which didn't allow the glue to soak into the fibers. Well, that's an issue to look at when it goes into production.

As I proceeded to correct the spine, I decided to increase the size of the Gnome-sized book. Now, I like the smaller book, but frankly, the bigger one is easier to read. I made other corrections and adjustments, which arose as a result of changing the size.

Now, with the new size conformed to a single book print file, I printed a batch of sample books. Of course, as usual, I have modification to make. Only this time the adjustments are not to the book, rather they are to the format. I'm satisfied that I have the files I need to print small quantity runs without any real issues, at least from a printing standpoint. Now I need to address issues pertaining to production.

There are a number of options, in terms of the layout. Firstly, there is my need to have files I can work with to put the material into multiple applications, without having the layout components shift around on me. That has been a big ongoing problem with the layout. I chalk that up, in large part, to computer anomolies. Secondly, I need a layout that conforms to what the printer wants to work with. That is yet to do, not that my main files don't conform, but that with all the adjustments that have been made, and all the revisions, I need to cross reference the material and craft new printing files that can be used to create the material required for high quantity printing. Those materials are conformed differently than small production runs (ie: if it goes to web).

So, now that I have what I need for small quantity printing, I have set-up a binding table in-house. I can bind using a number of methods, although my intention is only to do small quantities and after some experimentation and time studies, I'm leaning toward hand-stitching for some editions of the books. (I'll address those editions in another post)

I have found that the hand-stitched books immediately attract the most attention. Every single person I have show those hand-stitched versions to, loves it. I'd say that a pretty strong cue that I need to make that available. It has a very Gnomish feel to it. So, for the sake of grabbing a niche, the first books will be released with hand-stitched bindings. Doing this, not only, adds to the aesthetics of the book, but also eliminates the fear of the cover becoming unglued.

I'll continue this line of thought in the next post. AG

Update 10/20

Last winter, around February, I thought that Book One was ready for press. I moved forward only to find, after a fine-tooth comb inspection, that there were errors that needed to be corrected. So I pulled back from advancing into publication.

As I proceeded to make corrections, I also decided to make design modifications. The work, greatly improved, both in the design and clarity. I found that adjustments had to be made to the "Gnome-sized Book" to make certain sections easier to read. I printed a prototype to check the layout and I found more errors, once I saw the printed sample. One such error was the realization that  although the Gnome-sized book is a  reduction of The Big People Book, the thickness of the pages remains the same, hence, the design of the spine is unique to each book.

As I proceeded with corrections and adjustments, I  then determined to increase the overall size by 10%, mainly because there was more room on the paper than I had previously used. That also changed the ratio of the page and cover design, which likewise changed the position of the text and the artwork. It's like throwing a pebble into a calm pond, there is a ripple effect. On the Gnome-sized books, the layout is set up with 6-up on standard 11x17 paper. So all this work on the smaller edition took months to achieve.

Add to the design complexities the fact that; the layout has exceeded the processing power of the Mac computer I had been using. I did buy another computer, and a Raid Array, but the operating system is different and it takes time to set that up and adjust everything to that. So I determined to use the new machine after the first book is completely done and in distribution.

Unfortunately, I found out the hard way, that for some reason, the files I was working on would not open again once I closed them. There were instances where I had to do the same work over six or eight times in order to effect corrections. It sounds insane and it was making me insane. I had gotten to the point where, not only did I need to save the page files in pieces, meaning smaller sections, but I also needed to exclude certain components and insert them after I opened the file, saved the file as a PDF, then removed those components and the save the file again before closing the file. Even then, the file size was so close to being too big that it would not open again. I found it odd that the auto-recovery files would open, even with the artwork, but the main DOCX would not.

I have made an attempt to use InDesign, but so far I've not been able to implement the layout the way I want using that program. As it stands, I am using three basic programs to implement the design, each program serving a different function, which together creates the overall look while giving me wider latitude with each function. I've made quite a few discoveries about how these programs need to be used together, finding that there are deficiencies which must be averted in a particular order, otherwise the design and layout is impaired and a great deal of additional work is imposed on the process and making corrections.

Now that I have gone through years of pain and struggle, I'm relieved to believe that the remaining six books will be much easier to produce and that the consistency of design and quality will be maintained.

Once the Gnome-sized book was satisfactorally reedited and ready to print, I moved to adjust the Big People Book to match. There are differences between the books, which initially, I hadn't expected to incur. But I am in the process of making those adjustments and almost ready for another printing of, what I hope will be, the final proof. Hopefully proving that the book is ready to be released to the public.

This latest version of the book is head and shoulders above all other test runs and makes all the other printings look primitive. It's hard to believe that could have happened, because the earlier edition looked great and still does. But this final design definitely hits the bulls eye!

AG

OctoberGnomefest

That sound good. Maybe we'll hold Gnome Fest in October and sell Gnome Gnog (the adult beverage version).

Well, all these plans are great, but they involve actually doing it! For now I'm still held hostage by the publishing end if things. I'm beginning to think I need to delegate the production activities sooner rather than later.

   I'm acquiring the building at 1325 and there are numerous building maintenance items that are distracting me
In addition, I have equipment maintenance work that is also a big distraction. Add to that setting up the various work stations and by the time I get all this done, I'll be too old and tired to get much of what I have intended for this done. So, I need to fall more heavily into the role of Director and less heavily into the role of Producer.  I say this because the facilities, equipment, and prototype activites are taking away my ability to follow thru with upper level producing. Not to mention the massive energy required in the publishing end of things.

So I think that after this first book is finished and released, I will start pitching this project from another angle. I have managed to build a 10k sq ft shop that gives us what we need to produce numerous aspects of this, but the reality is that we need to aquire sufficient funds to maintain our overhead before we can actually become functional. That means licensing and even though I have a grip on that, I don't have the time to manage that properly. So, I will need to locate an agent who is on board with my existing business plan and no other.

The existing Business Plan make accommodations for a variety of scenarios, so that does not post a problem, but I need players who are playing on our team, not their own or someone else's.

This project is large enough to accommodate a dedicated Sales rep, Theatrical Agent and or Business Manager. I'm required on the Creative end of things and addressing Facilities management. It seems like those aspects have pushed me to the brink of my time, resources, and mental comfort zone.

So, I expect that very shortly, this project will be put forth to larger players in the industry. The first book makes a very good argument in a pitch. That means, when combined with the Business Plan, the right agent will have a rather easy time of cutting a good deal.

That's all for now.

AG

Distribution of the Book Products

The layout corrections are almost finished, making the book products ready for press. With that in mind, I'm beginning to address distribution management. From my point of view, I am unwilling to provide product on credit or consignment. I am not in a position to inventory retail shelving, so I will be looking for a Distributor with sufficient buying outlets to satisfy around 100k units. I'm guessing that I will need a minimum of 25k in each category to meet pricing objectives.

We are looking at soft & hard cover in both the Gnome-sized and Big People Books. I was hoping for the price points to land at $4.95 & $6.95 for the Gnome-Sized and $16.95 & $21.95 for the Big People Books. That would be MSRP.  I believe that achieving that price point will depend on quantity, so I will need one or more Distributors who can satisfy those quantity objectives.

It will be necessary for the buyers to provide a letter of credit that is accepted by my bank in order to fulfill any order, or payment can be made on the basis of 50/50, but I will still need a letter of credit for the balance, in the event the C.O.D. balance is not paid. The letter of credit will provide production funding. I am unwilling to extend credit, since that has caused me problems in the past. I do expect to set up a PayPal page for this project, so that will be in place when the product enters release.

Point of Purchase support materials will be available at additional cost. Details on all of this will be available once the Shopping Cart page is set up.

There are some recent thoughts.

If anyone is interested in discussing being involved (at any level) send me an email; image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com

Cyclorama and other related thoughts

I've been planning the components required for the parade float, but I've realized that; sized properly, the cycs can also serve as a presentation in both the parades and in Gnomefest (which is subject for other posts), but for some time I have had it in mind to open a storefront in New Hope that serves as a walkthrough display of both Volume One, an introduction to The Gnomes of New Hope and scenes from "Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure".

Today, I had a discussion about this with a friend and the idea seems even more viable. Partly because, in addition to the cyclorama aspect, I have been building a traveling exhibition containing art panels, samples of the production & publishing materials and displays showing what is involved in producing a project like this. So a storefront gallery presenting The Gnomes of New Hope, seems like a good idea. Of course, the cost of set & operation hadn't been determined yet, although I am certain it will not be inexpensive. The potential return seems to imply that it could be viable, but there is also the publicity value for a number of markets. But add to that the range of product, which are already developed or are in process. So a gift shop would certainly be added to the walk through cyclorama. Now, animatronics are part of our puppetry work, so that may be included. As it stands now, we can build those cycs in the existing studio. So the plan is to make the cycs multi-purpose, in other words, parades, museum displays, walk-through scenario (as described) and other possibilities not yet considered.

One other application of the cycs is for claymation. I have spent a fair amount of time considering this aspect of the project. A 100% claymation effort, including both the characters and the setting is very interesting to imagine, but it is a massive amount of work. I did a stop action film in college, but nothing that even comes close to attempting the entire "Gnomes of New Hope; Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure". That would take years to accomplish and only if I can find enough talented sculptors. My plan has been to create articulating figurines instead of using clay. One reason for that is the fact that the surface of clay changes when you attempt to articulate the figures. Things like fingerprints and such show up, whereas with costumed articulating figurines, the variables in positioning the characters no longer pose difficulty, or rather the difficulties are reduced. The other advantage of using articulating figurines, is that another ancillary market will be developed.

So, there are some thoughts on that subject. I'd post an image but attempts to do so always seem to cause problem from my phone.

AG

Link to Facebook posts

Since I post in a number of places...

Here is a link to a post on the Image of the Mind Studio page. Here I talk (somewhat) about how the first book will be released. Some of the details are important.

AG

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156715620640337&id=322835550336

Industry Activity

It's not an easy haul to be advancing a project like The Gnomes of New Hope. My philosophy has been to hold my cards close to my chest. As you may have been able to conclude if you've read any of these posts, this project has been developed to consider the markets across the board.

It's clear to me that, given the right circumstances and in the hands of an organization with a far reaching ability to saturate the markets in a timely manner, this project could fly very high indeed. It was designed to be so, yet there is much more that needs to be done to make that happen. Frankly, it is a phenominal and increasing burden to advance this project on the limited resources I am working with.

When one arena begins to demand a greater degree influx, it becomes very important indeed to correctly evaluate the consumption of resources in the context of the broader advancement of other critical arenas. This can lead to a greater challenge across the board, for the clarity and justification of actions are brought into a position of being required to maintain and support the value of those actions in the overall context.

Now I know that sounds obscure, but it is all a question of balancing the resources with the most viable means to advance the overall cause.

From my perspective, working from very limited resources, it is critical that providing a sound foundation for the full scope of the project be maintained. Entering into the assorted arenas needs to be done in such a way as to lead one into the other, in a specific order that is based on the resources developed. If it were the case that, any number of arenas, were already broached, then applying a greater degree of resources would result in rapid success. As it is, those markets are not established with the IMS  organizational structure, so  resources are required for both internal and external operations. "Therein lies the rub". But that's just the way it is, unless a partnership arises.

So onward and upward, as they say. I'm working on a presentation package, because this has reached the stage where aligning multiple major arenas is, if not required, most certainly, is advisable. Thusfar, the entire package is based primarily on content, with some very significant work done on markets. If I had my choice, my work would continue in that vein. But of course, in the context of First-Class/First-Run theatre/film; other elements, such as significant principles, need to be attached. But in terms of the work I need to do, moving to secure those principles is too much of a burden on my resources and abilities. So I leave those details to a future time, either under my own or someone else's purview.

I still need to shift over from book publishing to music scoring/recording, so even contending with distribution of the published product is a strain.

As it stands, IMS is the publisher with direct supervision over manufacturing, so there is a degree of management for distribution which is encroaching upon completion of the Core Creative Materials. This is something that needs serious consideration, because the strain effects the outcome of the process.

So at this stage, I'm inclined to think that introducing the right Literary/Theatrical Agent into the scenario might be advisable.

Anyway you look at it, I intend to pursue the Parade Float, because that is the simplest and most effective form of staging to advance the cause. Other than that, getting the books into wide distribution is the primary goal. Add to that the refinement of the studio space (10k sq ft) for production and you can see, my plate is full.

I welcome participation, particularly from fellow producers and finnanciers.

AG

Various Editions

As I've said, there are a number of editions of The Gnomes of New Hope. Initially, I published the prototype editions of both the Big People's and the Gnome-sized books. These prototypes looked really good at the time, but as I moved closer to spending the big bucks required for a public release, it became clear that - once the layout goes to press (and by that I mean high production) the product is (more or less) "set in stone". Of course, it's paper, but nonetheless, the expenses involved across the board, require that all the elements be as correct as humanly possible. Otherwise it is wasted money and the potential of it's success would be impaired.

Now that the books, as a whole, have been thoroughly reviewed, proofed, and sampled out in all formats, one would think it is time to move into Production and Distribution. That is true. But what is also true is that; other minutiae which was only lightly considered has become increasingly important.

As it turns out, any attempt to initiate the market without deep saturation is inadvisable at this point. This series of stories is founded in the theatre. It was designed as a stage show and that remains at it's core.

The Illustrated Storybook has always been intended to support the stage production, even though the storybooks stand on their own. In fact, the storybooks provide more character information than the stage show does, well different information.

The Digital e-Storybook version will offer the best blending of the two, in fact, three markets; Publishing, Music, and Cinema.

The truth is that - Theatre rather stands independent in terms of the aesthetics of the art. The fact of it's three dimensional and live action nature does make it unique and separates the experience. It is much more transitory... and more difficult to produce. That also means that it is more difficult to sustain because the elements are always in a state of flux.

This would be the reason for approaching Publishing first. As you can imagine, music publication follows the printed books. By that I mean; the refinement of the music into it's final printed form. The music is in fact written, but it needs to be refined so as to be presentable to a Maestro and Orchestra. Once again there are countless minutiae in preparing the Score. Much of that work has been done, but not sufficiently for final publication. That's a discussion for another time.

So I have returned to the Gnome-sized Edition and determined to publish a limited run of that book first. The larger publication of all four basic editions (not to mention the Boxed set or Gnomes in a Gnutshell e-Storybook) involves a substantial outlay of capital. Production quantities need to be in the tens of thousands, at a minimum. Publishing two versions of Volume One in both soft & hard cover editions puts us into the hundreds of thousands of dollars range. Obviously, that outlay cannot happen without distribution channels in place and the support marketing aligned for simultaneous implementation.

So as you see, it is a very complex endeavor, whose success lies in impeccable timing. I do not say that lightly. The timing extends beyond the mere production & distribution of the published goods. The critical factor here is the span of attention of the target audience. Considering the scope of the markets for which this endeavor has been created, it is critical that the potential expansion of each of the markets be carefully considered. The most advantageous timing is to cause the collective markets to reach their Apex within a defined parallel. That means calculating the extent of the work involved in bringing each arena into a fully active state and assuring that by so doing, the resources for each of those arenas, most of which are proceeding simultaneously, be sufficient for continuing advancement. It is critical that the momentum be maintained and controlled in a calculated way. That is the real secret to producing a product that has such a wide latitude as;
The Gnomes of New Hope; Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure.

Pop-up Book

Within the last day or so, the idea of a pop-up came back into the picture. I was thinking that the hard-cover book might have a single pop-up in the center as a bonus. But doing that will cause further delays in releasing the books. At this point I am convinced we need to release four versions of the book simultaneously; the Gnome-sized and the Big People's, in both soft & hard cover editions. For both of those releases, there will be both unlimited general release and the signed & numbered collectable editions.

Well, now it is clear to me that a pop-up edition is also quite appropriate. After some thought on the subject, I've concluded that the pop-up will be a companion to the full collection of Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure. That means that the pop-up will essentially be a cyclorama of points in the story. I like that because one aspect of the larger show is to create a cyclorama with animatronic puppets. The pop-up book will be like a mini-version/test run.

Golly, with all this I hope we actually get around to producing the stage musical !

I welcome partnering with anyone interested in being involved, especially financial and production management persons. We do need to fund all this and manage the affairs.

AG

Promotional materials

  I've decided to concentrate on publishing the promotional materials before taking The Big People's Edition of Volume One to press.

  I had an epiphany regarding the presentation of the materials. When I published The Gnome-sized Edition, it was  (essentially) because it was cheaper to do so. But, it was also in order to provide an alternative to the person who wants to buy a book. There is The Big People's Book, with an MSRP of $19.95 and the Gnome-sized Book, with MSRP of $7.95.

  I wish I could sell the books for less, but there is so much artwork on every page, that it is more expensive to produce the books. The only way I can possibly bring the price down is is my initial printing quantities are over 100k units. That means I need to presell those quantities before we go to press. I haven't yet priced those quantities, because at those numbers, the books need to go to a web printer. That also means significant more pre-press layout work. As it stands now, the layout has been set-up for digital printing, but can also be used for off-set.

    I've decided to reserve the digital editions for the Signed & Numbered Limited Editions, while the off-set & web are for the unlimited books. Now there is a difference in the look of the books, between digital and press. The saturation and resolution is crisper with digital, but it is too expensive to produce for general release. I'd have to get fifty bucks per book. So, the Signed & Numbered Editions are priced higher, because they are used to fund the remaining artwork for the rest of the book series.

   So, the promotional materials contain an abrieviated sample of the book, along with other sample materials and pricing for other products that are being manufactured.

    I will be selectively sending those materials out in an attempt to secure pre-press orders. If we can kick the production numbers over 100k we may be able to bring the MSRP down, but that has to happen before printing, otherwise the barcodes will be set.

   If you are a distributor and you'd like to talk, let me know.

You can use my email; image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com or send a communique via mail to; Image of the Mind Studios, 1325 Industrial Boulevard, Building #3, Southampton PA 18966

If you're on the road, stop in (m-f 9-5).

Release of Volume One

The book is at the printer's. This First Edition is going to be the digital version and will comprise the Signed & Numbered Limited Edition.

The Limited Editions are intended to fund the remaining artwork and the subsequent publishing costs. Therefore, the pricing for the First Edition is higher than the general release edition.

There are three categories of Limited Edition, priced at $75, $150 and $250. The total number of Limited Editions is 250 units.

A collector or investor may purchase a series number so that their boxed set will have matching numbers.

There are seven books in the set, which comprise three volumes. It is uncertain whether or not the series will be bound into one volume, since there are approximately eight hundred pages in this collection.

In the future, I will post the Preface for your review, but I believe that those pages may have already been posted, both here and on Facebook.

As it stands now, the Release of the mass produced book will be contingent upon IMS Publishing receiving one or more orders equalling no less than five thousand books.

If you are a buyer for books of this nature, do contact me. The digital product is reserved for Limited Editions and a few binding samples. The off-set product will be released to the book stores and online outlets.

We are prepared to deliver the finished product, both at wholesale and retail pricing.

Individual books may be purchased directly from Image of the Mind Studios, at MSRP using PayPal once our web page is set-up.

Wholesale purchases will use the same method, priced at a full keystone when the price bottoms out. Smaller quantities are available.

All sales are prepaid.

No credit is offered because we are attempting to both fund and engage in our production activities and we do not want to incur the distraction and expense of maintaining billing and collection activities.

I think you will agree that completing the remaining books in the series and producing the support materials for this project is an important activity to focus on.

Exclusive distribution is available given minimum quantity guarantees.

More information to follow.

Contact Arthur Greisiger at image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com for detail or to request a sales package.

Release of Volume One

I have, all too often, thought the book was about to be released, but now, after, still another, edit and proof review, it is actually on the brink of publication. The book was, in fact, given to the printer, when I discovered a few errors. Of course, I put a hold on publication until I made those corrections. As it turned out, I made discoveries about the layout and the limitations I was faced with in terms of computer processing. You see, this series of books are heavily laden with artwork (on every page) which requires working with uncompressed files in order to retain high resolution and the most accurate color redition. Well, this has caused extremely frustrating delays, but that all seems to be in the past now. I'm currently rebuilding the covers of the book. All of the work being done on Book One applies directly to the remaining six books and beyond.

There is much more to be done in regard to distribution and sales, but that is another discussion.

So that's it for this report.

AG

Puppetry and the Parade Float

  This time of the year I am engaged in a Pageant for the celebration of New Church Day. The Pageant honors the founding of the church by conveying theatrically portions of the Book of Revelations. In particular we have a 30' seven headed dragon puppet, which I am in charge of and I also perform the role of the disciple John who was exiled to the Isle of Patmos and there had visions which were written down and became the Book of Revelations. It's becoming quite an event and the dragon puppet is awesome.

My point being that puppetry is an ongoing activity. As you may have seen in other posts (that contain photos) I have a puppet shop where I am developing a series of puppets for use with The Gnomes of New Hope.

Although those activities are on again off again because of publishing efforts, the intention is to create a generic chassis for the puppets, which can be used for Marionettes, stick puppets, and animatronic characters.

I am proceeding to set up two staging areas, one for the "little theatre" production work, which includes the parade float scenario, and the other for set construction, configured for an assortment of larger stages, most particularly for the 25' turntable present in the Bucks County Playhouse.

But the work on the parade float will be the first order of business in terms of performance venues.

In terms of the actual puppets, we are developing the first three puppets; Constable Warren (who has become the mascot) Zach, and Zebby. With these three puppets completed, we will be able to film a few scenes up against a green screen and use the artwork from the storybooks as the backdrops.

On another front; I am building a Raid Array so I can finally set up the editing station with Final Cut Pro, but along with that, once the array is functioning and the new (old) storage and processor is up and running, then work will begin on 3D rendering of the characters. The primary purpose of 3D at this point is figurines, for which there are numerous applications, one of which is claymation.

So, even mentioning these few arenas, you can see how extensive this project has become.

It is somewhat unclear how everything will turn out, but my focus of attention is refining the studio to accommodate all the necessary components of various production activities and to continue to produce as much product in-house as possible. It is my estimation that utilizing the facilities and resources to produce the primary support items before attempting to take the show to outside venues is the most practical approach to developing a long term operation and achieving stability in a highly speculative market.

Of course, other options are always on the table, under the right circumstances, but for now, release and distribution of Volume One of the Storybook is the first order of business.

The Tony Awards

It saddens me to see some of the behaviors that are, not only allowed, but encouraged by these theatre professionals.

Our work with the Gnomes will proceed without regard to any recognition such as this being the end objective.

I say this because I want partners who care about the work and not any expectation of  some degree of notariety gained by setting our sights on any Tony or Academy Awards.

I don't believe we will ever be recognized in this way for our work.

I wish it were different, but I am afraid it is not.

AG

Publishing Volume One

I was convinced that by now Volume One would have been released. In fact, I gave it to the printers like two months ago. But the delay is not their doing. I put a hold on printing, when one last look revealed an error. But the real clincher is that 1) my work-station computer began to fail, no longer saving the files properly and also failing to open the work files and 2) I discovered that the material used for the layout could not contain compressed files. I'll explain that later.

Well, I did buy another computer in anticipation of needing more power, but even that did not result in an improvement. The machine I bought was a Mac Pro with plenty of processing power and RAM. Unfortunately, being a used machine, it was sold to me with OSX 10.13 and the proper system, in fact the last system that machine will run properly on is OSX 10.11. So it runs, but not properly and that also interfered with getting the job done. It's very frustrating nudging this through to get the final files. I have done certain operations over again 20 times or more because of this.

I'd like to convey something to those of you doing GFX design for publishing. It took me a long time to discover this. If you have original artwork which you are placing in a document, don't convert it to PDF first. There are inconsistencies that impair the final press layout. One is the likelihood that the PDF will obtain graphic artifacts. When you are trying to merge multiple files with the expectation of consistency, it is impossible to achieve when using compressed files, such as a PDF.

In my instance, I've discovered that I need to use the PSD files in all components where the art was edited in Photoshop. (I use Photoshop instead of Illustrator to edit my artwork, let's just say I prefer it). I can absolutely say that resolution, color balance and other aspects of the files are vastly superior in an uncompressed PSD file. But the truth is - the files are huge. This is in large part the bulk of my problems with accessing the files. The end result is that I have to break the files into multiple smaller files in order to be able to use the uncompressed artwork and that results in alignment issues. But the fact of the matter is that it is impossible to maintain consistency (in many aspects of the layout) with compressed files. They do not all compress the same and the result is a great variation in resolution, color balance, and alignment, not to mention those inevitable artifacts.

It is without a doubt an extremely complex endeavor when you are dealing with, literally, hundreds of layers and multiple settings within an assortment of functions that span the compass of dozens of files. So this is the culprit in terms of the continuing delays with releasing this series of books. This is a situation that one does not run into when printing words, but when you add extensive art into the mix it becomes very complex in many ways.

The Core Creative Materials have been, for the most part, finished for years. Of course, as I have mentioned elsewhere, more artwork needs to be done, but the real focus, as of now, is to assure that the technical structure of the layout (as far as publishing is concerned) is not only fully correct for Volume One, but directly and easily applicable and transferable to all other Volumes in the series.

"Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure" takes up Volumes Two & Three, but there are other stories as well which may avail themselves (so to speak) of the technical and graphic layout. So perfecting this is the most important goal, but serious delays have been thrust upon the process by computer issues.

I post this explanation so those Partners and others observing, who are waiting for the product to hit the marketplace, might understand the trials and tribulations of making this happen. And this is only the Storybook, can you imagine the complexities of the stage show, the animated film and all the ancillary markets? This project is no small task, anyway you look at it.

The first expenditure from the proceeds of selling Volume One will most certainly be new computers with sufficient capabilities to avoid these maddening issues. It really is driving me insane.

AG

Posts on this blog

Lately, I have been posting from my smartphone and as I have said, posting images seems more often than not to fail. So, I apologize if there are posts where the artwork referred to seems to be missing. Be certain to check for links to the artwork or other sample materials, since "the Cloud" has now come into play. Also search the archive for older posts, because there are samples that were posted before I started to depend on the smartphone, including a video.

I have not had such problems posting to Facebook, so do check there if you like. I have pages there for both "The Gnomes of New Hope" and "Image of the Mind Studios".

When I manage to get my new computer systems up and running at the studio, which involves rewiring the building, I will review the blogs and try to rectify these posting issues.

AG

Gnomefication

I had an enjoyable conversation yesterday about Gnomefication. You may have come across the term in some other posts or documents.

I have often thought about letting people become "Gnomefied".  Essentially this is akin to a characture, except that; those people who contribute to our production expenses (via an undetermined investment) would not only be Gnomified, but would also appear in the animated film.

In the discussion yesterday, my friends were very excited about being Gnomified and wanted me to make puppets of people who were Gnomified. Interestingly enough, this is not out of the realm of possibility.

Since I'm posting this from my smartphone, I cannot easily post photos (the last ten attempts failed) but if you go to the Facebook page, you will see some discussions and photos about puppetry.

Let me just say that I am investigating 3D printing for various projects, including it's application to puppetry, figurines of our characters, animation, and other product prototyping. So, Gnomifying a person and printing out a puppet head seems like something that could be done. It's not cheap, but it could be done.

We'll see what happens. AG

Discussion on Signed & Numbered Limited Editions

Volume One of The Gnomes of New Hope, an Introduction is about to be released.

It is being released as a Signed & Numbered Limited Edition. There are some discussions on the IMS Facebook page here;

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156346742865337&id=322835550336

I am crafting the parameters of the Limited Editions and discuss it in numerous places, but our investors gain the most advantage in this regard.

To address the subject of investment...

The Illustrated Storybook consists of Three Volumes which likewise consists of Seven Books. Each of the Books are being released individually as a Collector's Signed & Numbered Limited Edition prior to the public release. The purpose of the Limited Editions is to fund the remaining artwork and publication of the series. The editions are limited to 250 units and each issue is divided into three segments, the first being the most costly and so on. I am crafting the specifications for this Limited Edition Series, so that it meets the budget requirements to complete the entire series.

If you care to avail yourself of the opportunity to secure a portion of this collection, contact me either personally or via email. The value of the Collector Series is sure to increase when the show is successfully mounted and makes it to Broadway or becomes a finished film.

Front Money Investors automatically have an entire series number assigned to them. The higher the investment, the lower the number. Front Money investment has a three hundred percent return. So if you can afford to wait until we turn a profit, it's a phenominal opportunity.

We still need 345 panels to complete the illustrations and a low estimate is approximately $500 per panel, by the time it is usable for publication. Realistically, it's probably more than that, but I've managed to streamline the process. So you can do the math and see that I still need a chunk of change to finish this publishing project.

The theatre end of things is in low gear until publishing all three volumes is complete. I will say that the animation aspect will proceed in conjunction with the illustration work, since they are so closely connected. Oh, and I am working on building the puppets, because they will be part of the book and concert tours.

Do send me an email if you are interested in being involved as an investor or a creative/technical contributor.

Check out the Facebook pages, since I post there as well.

AG

Music Artwork

I have repeated tried to post the artwork without success. So now, I am resorting to posting a link.

"Gnomespheres, Instrumental Selections from The Gnomes of New Hope

While I'm at it, here is a link to one of the songs.

S.7g "You're The One"

This song has the entire village of Gnomeville sending Zach & Zebby's off on their Grand Adventure. It is one of my favorite songs in the show.

As it stands now all but one of the songs are instrumental. We have only recorded one song with vocalists. I will post that song later.

Enjoy.

AG

Final Proof-read

I've been getting Volume One ready for the printers. I can hardly believe how many little details and mistakes find their way into a book. I have read this book over, literally hundreds, if not thousands, of times, with an eye to refinement of both the content and design. I think the Error Gnome is following me around and when I turn my back, he sneaks in and does his dirty work. It's almost ready.

I'll be printing a Limited Edition of 250 signed & numbered books. Each edition is being used for finance the next stage in production. In this instance, Volume One will finance the remaining art needed to illustrate Volume Two.

I will post the pricing one those numbered editions after the books go to press.

If you would like to reserve an edition, contact me via email at; image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.

You will also be able to reserve all future Limited Edition Releases with matching numbers. I will provide details in the near future. AG

Act One, Scene One of the Libretto

Since I am about to release Volume One of the Illustrated Storybook, I thought it appropriate to provide some samples of the Stage Musical upon which the Storybook is based.

As a means of providing a sample of the Libretto, here is a link to:

Act One, Scene One

(This is an older version, but for the most part it is correct.)

You will find that I have chosen to illustrate the Libretto and you will also see that I have included staging instructions. I anticipate that the Technical Operations Manual will be an expansion of the Libretto by including an assortment of drawings, such as renderings and costume specifications, stage plots for lighting, set movements and blocking, instrument schedules and cue sheets, supply lists and operation instructions for stage crew. Other management guidelines will also be included.

I anticipate building this show as a rental package, both for the live presentation and the puppet show.

I invite other producers to inquire and consider being involved.

Look for more discussions to follow.

AG

Music Score

Now that The Core Creative Materials are sufficiently completed, I need to focus again on Scoring the remaining music. This is a monumental task, but it needs to be done.

Volume One "An Introduction to The Gnomes of New" is about to be released to the public so it is time to concentrate on making sure our music documentation is properly assembled so we can move into production.

Here is a link to the Artwork for the Music Score DVD

Link to Music & Artwork

I have repeated tried to post the artwork without success. So now I am trying to post it using a link.

"Gnomespheres, Instrumental Selections from The Gnomes of New Hope

While I'm at it, here is a link to one of the songs.

S.7g "You're The One"

This song has the entire village of Gnomeville sending Zach & Zebby's off on their Grand Adventure. It is one of my favorite songs in the show.

As it stands now all but one of the songs are instrumental. We have only recorded one song with vocalists. I will post that song later.

Enjoy.

AG

Posting images from a smartphone

I seem to be having trouble posting images to the blogs from a smartphone, whereas there isn't the same problems posting to Facebook. So until I solve that problem, images will end up on the Facebook page for The Gnomes of New Hope. AG

Some Music Samples

Here's a link to The Gnomes Facebook page.

The Gnomes of New Hope

If the Facebook link fails to function try this one to hear this song. But, for now, the cover art is on Facebook.

Act One, Scene 7

Song # S.7g "You're The One"

Volume One; An Introduction to The Gnomes of New Hope

Here is the cover to Volume One. The book is about to be released to the public. I'm working on planning a book tour and expect to release a Signed Limited Edition. The signed editions will only be available to persons who attend the signing sessions or who become investors in the production. There will also be a silent auction with bidding on the signed Limited Editions of the Constable Warren Garden Gnomes. More on this later. Check the Facebook page and IMS Producing Partners. AG

Marionette chassis

Here's a shot of a test chassis. You can see the relationship between the head and the body. This head is one of the modified "Gnome-skulls". On this one the neck has not been properly sized for length. This chassis has specially designed joints, which are not going to be used on the Marionettes, but rather on the articulating figurines and the animatronic puppets. The animatronic puppets will be used on the parade float, in the stage sets, and in the cyclorama presentation. I expect to be using mirco-neumatics or hydraulics. More on this later. AG

Parades

After watching The Rose Parade and The Mummers yesterday (New Year's Day) I've been thinking about the parade presentation for The Gnomes of New Hope.

Initially, I was thinking about strictly a puppetry presentation on the float, but now I'm thinking of something more.

When we did the parade in Southampton with The Shakespeareans of Tamenend Park, we had different themes each year. Basically, the Shakespeareans worked the crowd, rather than perform a specific show. I thought that would also be the case with The Gnomes. But now I'm thinking that we should make a presentation taken from the Libretto.

So with that in mind, I'm inclined to take a few pages out of Gnome Fest, which rather leads into the festival theatre presentation as well. I was not planning on producing Gnome Fest before we mount the stage musical, but I suppose it might be possible as a precursor to the Grand Openning/Premeire of the musical.

This would required a massive effort, but it might be advantageous to design those elements to integrate as a conjoined effort, yet still maintain the ability to function fully as separate events.

In any event, the first venue/platform is the parade. I have been tossing around the float platform, having designed numerous staging scenarios under which this format might take place. I keep returning to a self propelled parade float. There seems to be a certain size which has a nice presence in a parade.

In my initial effort I had acquired a haywagon that I intended on building into a float.  Along with that haywagon, there was a medium-sized truck which I redesigned as a mobile stage. I actually had more than one customer lined up to by the stage if I built it, but it became clear that if I were to sell the modified trucks as a four-unit stage, I would need to use new chassis. So far I have not looked into acquiring new chassis and making the units available for resale. That would have been too distracting from completing the Core Creative Materials of The Gnomes of New Hope.

Unfortunately I lost that haywagon and the flatbed truck when the farm got sold and a lot of my other equipment in storage there got scrapped. I was busy writing the music for The Gnomes and was not informed about the sale in the clean-out. Writing the music was so all encompassing, that I failed to check in for almost a year, during which time the farm got sold and cleaned out. I knew I ran the risk of something happening, but finishing the music was too important to let that stuff get in the way. I tried to locate the equipment, but the farmer departed the area and we could not locate the equipment. Oh well.

So now I have a four-wheel drive Dodge truck I'm considering using as a donor for the parade float. The size of the wheel-base may be an issue. I'm also considering using a Corvair truck as the foundation, but the issue there is the gross vehicle weight. But the beauty of using Corvair is the flexibility of the drivetrain. I might be able to adjust the wheelbase without much difficulty using Corvair. The other alternative to use an International Loadstar. They are plentifully and my big truck is a cab over Loadstar, so I could use the extra parts.

Well, so much to consider.

That's all for now. AG