The Audio Book

As part of the pre-production process, I have been recording a sample version of the audio book. This will be available through our agent to industry professionals. It sounds fabulous! Almost ready for retail. I have been doing the voices of the characters just as a way to give it diversity. I can imagine how much better it will sound when we use more individuals doing the voices (like an actual female instead of my rather... different sounding Ferny)

So, the audio book is being set-up as a companion to the Illustrated e-Storybook. I'm not sure how to present those two items together. Clearly, the best economic approach is to sell the two items separately. but that poses a problem of complicating the product, requiring downloads or integration by the customer. I do think it would be much better to design the layout so the customer does not have to do anything in that regard. But the reality is that the expense of setting the products up and then integrating them, ought to be recouped. If the e-Storybook and the Audio Book are integrated, then the cost of the product should be higher. The issue there is that the market will only bear so much. I may offer the integrated version at a discounted price of what it would cost to buy the two separately, but by that time what's the point? Nobody is going to want the e-Storybook without the Audio book attached. In all likelihood, the conjoined product will be a better product for parents to use to keep their kids busy, because the reading will already be there, in the event that the folks don't have the time to sit down and read it, or if the kids want to hear it read later on after their folks read it to them.

We will be doing coloring books so I may publish a version of the coloring book that matches the e-Storybook, although I have to admit that the wide scenes might be more fun to color. I do think that the coloring book layout should also match the audio book, because then the kids can listen as they color.

So these are some thoughts about what we are doing. I still have the goal of setting up the production lines for manufacturing, the only thing that will stop that from happening is if someone ends up buying the whole magillia.

Well, since I happened to be online today I though I'd offer some thoughts. The Audio Book is great, but that's not any easier than the rest of it. AG

Update

Some thoughts on this project were posted on The Image of the Mind Studios Virtual Studio. Check there for the update. I am still using image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com as my primary email, but I only check that occasionally. Use snail mail if it is important and involves any kind of real industry activity or funding. AG

Communications

I expect to be discontinuing my internet service with Verizon due to a billing dispute. Keep an eye on the IMS Virtual Studio for other notes in this regard. If you need to communicate via email use;

image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com or Facebook

or preferably back up your communications by sending it to:

Image of the Mind Studios
1325 Industrial Boulevard, Southampton, Pennsylavania 18966

It is not clear how this will be resolved.
I'm sorry for this inconvenience.

AG

Cover to The Gnomes of New Hope

I thought I'd post some of Volume One

as a way of exemplifying the layout of the e-Storybook.

 The image ratio is matched to an e-pad
and it looks great on it.

the front cover

a credit page

(this page reads easier than it appears at first glance)

inside front cover

inside front flap, side one

(in actuality there will likely be in excess of 800 pages

inside front flap, side two

Rear cover

Look for the Introduction to Volume One
which provides samples of the
page layout.

Portions of Volume Two/Act One
will appear when it is ready for purchase.

AG

Introduction to Volume One

    Well, here is the Introduction to The Gnomes of New Hope: Volume One. 

The page layout is is very similar to the rest of the Storybook. 

The difference being that the text in the Storybook
does not have color highlighting the wording.
I think that would be too distracting over the span of 850 plus pages. 

   Also the Storybook has many illustration panels which depict a scene,
 in addition to the sort of clips you see here.
I may yet include the first scene here when
the entire e-Storybook is ready for purchase.
However, there are still numerous programming aspects
which need to be properly implemented, before this can be released, 

So I am no certain how long that will take.

Well, I think this pretty much explains it.

I am looking for Representation for this project

as well as financing for the various  larger aspects

of what we can do with it.

As I mention here we have a good amount of additional

 Illustration work to do and when we do develop t

he funding to proceed with that, 

we will be moving into animation. 

It is my position that I can build the Illustrations 

from the animation artwork almost easier than doing illustrations 

without the goal of making animation. 

Certainly using animation artwork would be more flexible 

than simply illustrating the book.

If you are a television or film professional, or distribution outlet, 

now would be a good time to talk about getting in on the animated products.

I have a puppet job on-line, so I might be shifting over 

to spending some time on puppetry again,

as the green screen on our stage is also moving forward.

The Three Volume Set will be made available to Industry Professionals

upon a written request and submission of 

a Restrictive Convenance Agreement

which I will provide upon request along with some basic terms,

many of which have already been posted here on this blog. 

AG

Some images

Here's an illustration of the Finale from the Storybook

just to break up the text in this blog.

This is the Gnomeville
The Centre of All Gnomanity!

You can see the assortment of characters we have in this layout.
It looks rather dark and contrasty as it is posted here
but it's just a sample.

Business

I found that I posted a rather thorough update on the IMS Virtual Studio which turned out to be about the Gnomes. Check it out. AG

Preliminary Sales Flyer

Here's a View of "Gnomes in a Gnutshell"

The OFFICIAL RELEASE of the product
will not take place 

until I have orders for 

100,000 units placed Nationally.

This is the criteria necessary
to bring the product on line
for various reasons.

This image needs to be revised because it does not include
the lanyard which will be part of the package

We are currently setting up the production line

and are beginning to build our supply inventory
and equipment for manufacturing.

these products will be
MADE IN AMERICA
by
 IMAGE OF THE MIND STUDIOS
and our Associated Partners

If you care to be involved in
The Manufacturing Process
for ANY of our Ancillary Markets,
Please contact me.

More details and images will be posted here
on an ongoing basis. 

A Point-of-Purchase Display
 which presents 18 units
and contains storage space
 for 100 units

is available at additional cost.

Minimum purchase for wholesale pricing is 50 units.

Orders will be filled
on a first come first served basis
in the order they are received.

I am taking Pending Orders
from retailers via e-mail.
A sample package will be available upon request
and submission of a Purchase Order and Deposit.
(Contact me for details)

This e-Storybook is based on the Stage Musical.
It may be appropriate to delay
the release of the Storybook
until we have sufficient vocal renditions
of the music recorded 

so that the album of music can be available
as a companion to this e-Storybook.

Also, it would be most advantageous for us
to release the hard copy
of this Illustrated Storybook
simultaneous to the release of the e-Storybook,
along with some more of the video animation
for marketing support.

These aspects are under consideration
and may require partnering with
other organizations to achieve.
If this is a subject of interest to you
please contact me in this regard.

"The Gnomes of New Hope: 
Zach & Zebby's Grand Adventure"

will be available from this web site
 (after the Official release to retail outlets)

at the retail price of $37.50 

for the three volume set.

Some shots of the Puppetry work

Here's some shots of the work being done

An Early view of the work area, things have changed
quite a bit since this shot was taken!

An earlier version of Zebby's face in clay
with remnants of Constable Warren's features
before it got moved onto a skull
and the mold was made.

Note that the size of the faces allows us
to manufacture Halloween masks when the time is right.

The slightly modified edition of Zebby's face
more in alignment with the illustrations
 after it was taken out of the mold
 and developed fingerprint-face

A side view showing where the seam for the back half of the head is.

 Zebby's face skin being formed with latex.
I'm looking at other materials for this.

A view of work being done on the skulls for Constable Warren and Zebby.

To the left is an early test of Zach's face which got rejected
because ofan inferior quality Plastina and use of an incorrect skull.

The Human skulls are modified in various ways
 for the shape of the assorted Gnomes heads.

 Note also the skeleton/chassis hanging on the rear wall.

These are being modified for use with both
the manual and animatronic puppets.

Never Been So Near, animated video

An Updated Version with comments

I reset the date so this is closer to the top
but I have not changed the comments 

Here's a sample animation.
Sorry it is rather low definition
I'll try to replace it with an uncompressed version
that looks much better!

This is the first song that opens the  stage musical.

There are seventy songs composed & arranged for this musical.
A three movement Symphony is in the works

There are multiple versions of the show
designed for different venues
which run
 1.50, 2.00, 2.25, 2.50, 2.75 and 3.00 hours

 But the full version Is The Best
and includes a dance sequence

Most recent thoughts 
regarding insertion of film and music into the e-storybook

The issue right now is Digital Rights Management

and the format of the files

required to include music and video.

Distribution via the internet as an e-storybook 

may be effected by the size of the files

due in part to the artwork.

Inclusion of the music and video

as well as 

the artwork for illustration

may require the product to be distributed as a DVD.

We are reviewing what might be possible in this regard.

It is possible that there will be more than three volumes

due in part to an expanded back-story

which is not included in the stage musical. 

Previous considerations

regarding layout of the e-storybook

Volume One 

An Introduction to the Gnomes of New Hope

 Volume One is complete and  consists of the artwork
which we have been creating over the last five years,
along with a Narrative text,
 which introduces people to aspects of life in Gnomeville.
This is intended to prepare the reader to understand the events in

 Volumes Two & Three
Zach & Zebby's Grand Adventure
A Narrative Edition of the Libretto

  Volume Two is complete  with the exception of
scenes eight & nine not being illustrated

All the instrumental music for Act One/Volume Two
has been converted to MP3 and included in the e-storybook.

However, the music for Act Two
has not yet been converted to MP3
and has not been inserted into  the e-storybook.

The instrumental music is intended to be replaced
by video such as the animation, exemplified above.

The intention is that each of the lyrical songs will be
accompanied by a Sing-a-long  as part of the e-storybook
because the storybook contains all of the lyrics.

Since producing these animations will take quite some time,
 the eBook will be able to updated as the films are completed.

As you can see in the above film, the lyrics are revealed
where in the melody line they occur.

All of the music is designed for use with the stage musical
and some of it is intended to bridge the scenes or be background music
All the music is are intended to accompany stage action
and therefore is specialized for that purpose.
This means that, in some instances, the music will not stand on it's own
or make sense without the context of the stage show.

Nonetheless, the bridges are included in the e-storybook.

Eventually, the use of puppetry and animation in the films
will make the instrumental bridges clearer
when they are used in the proper context.

Production activity: Composition and Arrangement

Shawn and I have gotten together to discuss this after a six month hiatus.
While I focused on other business, preparation of the storybook,
experimenting with film, work on building animatronic puppets
and laying out the e-storybook,

he has been involved in a number of stage productions.

We have discussed what we need to do about advancing the music,
continue with finishing the arrangements,  compositional work
on the Overture/Symphony and more importantly,
bouncing the instrumental music that is already finished 

 for Act Two, which is needed for Volume Three of the e-storybook.

I have moved deeply into  Act Two/Volume Three of the e-storybook,
and am focusing on the text layout, without illustrations.

For those portions of the storybook that reflect the Libretto directly
the illustrations are complete, since the Libretto is fully illustrated.

For those portions of the storybook that have been expanded with
more detailed back-story and embellished text
more illustration work will need to be done.

Our current status is that we are at a standstill 
in terms of music production.

The computer equipment in my studio is failing
for the burden on processing the artwork and music production
 is too much for the equipment that I have
and I've burned out more than one computer.

So I will need to upgrade completely before we can advance very far.

Fortunately I have enough machinery to continue in the
work which does not require so much processing power
and so I am moving forward without working on illustrations.

Once I upgrade the machinery,
will be proceeding to review the musical materials needed
 for Volume Three, return to illustration work,
move back into studio recording and work on scoring.

At that time I will be able to move back into animation.


Older thoughts previously posted

This film represents the proposed animated films
to be inserted in the eBook
along with the instrumental music.

This style of animation will be the first stage in moving forward
toward full animation and when the puppets
are completed for the first scene,
we will film that and either integrate that into the animation
such as you see here or do another version.

Our goal is to proceed with both the animation and puppetry work,
 as you see here, and leave the live performance for the future.

I am continuing to build the exhibition and now have a 1" scale model
which we are using as part of the cyclorama aspect
of the walk thru exhibition/show.

The legit stage design will vary from what you see in the animation,
 but the backdrops and characters will be used in the cycloramas.

My expectation is that the characters used in the cycloramas
 will also be used for the toy figurines and  these figurines
will be available for licensing, when I complete the patent work
on a special articulating joint I have designed for this purpose.

I can discuss this or other licensing at any time.

The Love song Completely (linked above)
is the next subject for an animation
and the illustrations for that are half-way complete.

I will be releasing the Preface to the e-storybook with animations
as a free download and further discussions of the e-storyook
will take place in the near future.

As you might imagine, this is intended to spur further interest
and involvement with our business partners.

If you find this interesting
and would like to help us move forward
by becoming a Vested Partner
 do contact me.

AG

Posting

Since work is now proceeding on items which are more oriented to the studio facilities than this project, I will be posting on the IMS Virtual Studio. Use the link to the right for the ALPHA & OMEGA symbol to get there. AG

Viewing on an e-pad

I've been examining how the e-Storybook looks on an e-pad and I am quite pleased with the results. Since the Storybook is moving forward without the illustrations in Volume III, I have decided to prepare the Libretto as part of that e-pad presentation. That means that the Libretto and the Score will both be made available for review by Industry professionals:  in that format.  I will not be delivering the materials via the internet however.  I will put up Act I, Scene I here as a sample of the layout and design of the Libretto.  So if anyone wants to review the complete Libretto or Storybook I will make those available to Producers, Publishers or Agents. You will need to submit a request, on company letterhead either to me directly or to the law firm referenced below.  As I stated there, a Restrictive Covenant Agreement will also be required. I will post that here and link it to the sidebar in the near future.

In terms of the score; that will not be readily available, since it is still in process and since it is gigantic, being for a 24 piece orchestra, but I will be including the MP3/MIDI versions of the instrumental music. The lyrical versions are in process and will not be included, with the possible exception of a few samples.

Further, as it pertains to releasing the Storybook. I may release Volume I as a way to finance the illustrations for Volume III, although I would rather not do that, as I want to preserve the release for the entire set and to make that happen in conjunction with other ancillary markets. Doing that will be more advantageous for marketing purposes, but, I do need to finance the remaining illustrations, probably to the tune of 50 grand or thereabouts. I am funding those illustrations under the Front Money Agreement if anyone is interested. That means a 300% return (on the back end). Let me know, I could use the bucks. AG