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| Two of the prototype 2D "Garden Gnomes" good for indoor plants and outdoor gardens. The Gnomette is "Meg" and the Gnoman is "Bubba" |
The book layout is nearing completion. I'm finding out that; saving the more complex illustrations for last is proving to be more taxing then I thought to complete. It's slow going when on illustration uses six to ten (or more) watercolor paintings to craft. A major issue right now is how to achieve consistency and accurate color rendition in the final printing. I am leaning toward installing a print shop in the studio, but that comes with a plethora of other details and expenses that need to be tended to. I am also doing research on engaging a fulfillment firm to oversee book publication and distribution.
It is important that I move away from the publishing aspect and move into the music and theatre aspect of this project. I can say that the signed Limited Editions will remain in-house at all times and I do believe that the hand-stitched edition may also be distributed directly from IMS. It all depends on how this pans out. My previous efforts are jobbing out the printing did not work out the way I had hoped, mainly because the firms I was dealing with wanted to produce the books they way they wanted to, not in accordance with my designs (mostly in terms of binding and production quantities).
The other activity that is beginning to take place is Animation. In order to keep Jency employed on this project, we will be engaging in classic animation. I'm having thoughts that I could use Ai to enhance some basic animation. (See the Ai sample below). So we are taking some basic scenes and drawing cells for the animation. My thinking is to do (for instance) 8:1 animation cells and let the Ai fill in the gaps. That's all up-in-the-air right now, but if another production compny wants to be involved in this process, contact me through the web page; www.imageofthemindstudios.org (I need to start using that page more often) or use the links on this blog.
ARCHIVE (edited)
The photos here represent a few of the work-stations that are currently dedicated to publishing and artwork. I'll add more photos later.
As I have repeatedly said "It's almost done". Well, relatively speaking that is true. I now have less than one binder of artwork that yet needs to be prepared and inserted into the layout, but the volume of those binders is largely due to the fact that there are multiple paintings that make up the illustrations for the few remaining pages requiring artwork.
It is most interesting that my prep work for making the paintings ready to be inserted into the books takes five times more work than actually creating the sketches and paintings. But that's just the way it is.
So now we are going back to "placeholder" artwork and redoing it. Some paintings were not of the caliber that I wanted, but we used it anyway so we could move on. My goal is to keep Jency working on other aspects (sculpting & animation in particular) so I am addressing redrawing/painting some of the artwork, mostly to make sure that the look of the character's faces is consistent. Sometime it is hard to keep the look "right" when one is drawing the characters from different angles and trying to express an assortment of emotions. So some of it needs to be redrawn.
But also, I inserted characters into the pages, in numerous instances, without backgrounds. So I am now crafting more backgrounds for the scenes. I figure we will need those backgrounds for the animation, but also, they will be used as backdrops for the stage show.
The two images above are photos of the first stage model that I used when I first started writing the Libretto. I used it to determine blocking as I was writing. It's very primitive, but it helped. The clay gnomes started out with the features you see here, but that changed when Jency started drawing the characters. I'll get into that process in another post.
In regard to the stage show; I have it in my mind to secure an LED (or digital) backdrop as part of the hard supplies for the stage show. My intention is to put a stage in my studio, wherever my final location ends up being. I started building the stage, but difficulties at my present location has prevented me from advancing with that. I will address the studio on the IMS Virtual Studio. This link takes you to my "main portal". Other links will be present there.
I am also crafting a more functional Business Plan. It is based on all the other elements that have been discussed, but now I have decided to sell options for the major markets. Ownership of "The Gnomes..." And other projects will always remain with IMS, but I do expect to sell the studio outright when I am too old to be effective. (That's creeping up on me, ugh)
So, the options will be for, production in the four primary arenas (Publishing, Theatre, Film, Television), distribution in those markets (contracted to a degree through production), and merchandizing individual Ancillary Markets. Marketing will be largely contracted, but supervised by The Elder Gnomes Joint Venture.
I will be turning over 40% of all rights (and management) to The Elder Gnomes Joint Venture, who will hold the rights for a set renewable term, but not ownership. Ownership remains with Image of the Mind Studios, ad infinum. To possess ownership, it is contingent upon buying IMS outright. As I have mentioned, I will be posting the details to this Business Plan on the IMS Management or Producing Partners blogs (after the publishing layout is done, done.)
In the meanwhile, I am open to discussing any of this with persons interested in these affairs. I do expect to secure a Literary and/or Theatrical Agent, once the books are ready for distribution to Industry Professionals.
The licensing of any rights will be contingent final upon negotiations through my agent, although we can set the groundwork ahead of time and I can discuss the terms of a straight-forward and simple Option. However, I will not engage in legal manipulation or rhetoric in this regard and any final agreements must be cleared with the appropriate legal or other representatives. (sad to say). I do expect that legitimate business dialogue can take place in an environment free from complexity, given the right circumstances.
AG
