New Idea Hatched: Public Producer

Update: I pushed heavily today and finished the curtains and their cafe rings, the cast brass acorn brackets, and the branch rod with green leaves. Whew. Photos in the morning after the install. Collapsing into bed exhausted, which is a weird situation considering I thought making the curtains was only half an hour's worth of work!

Next Public Producer Item: • Finish working on walking the mechanism for the line of marching ants!

The other day in the comments Jessica Koppe and I cooked up an interesting experiment. We thought we'd initiate a sort of online public open-source producer website for our individual film projects. Self-enforced deadlines, et al, hadn't been effective for us because as lone productions there aren't really any consequences if we keep changing them.

Simple plan, we'd each formally announce each Monday the specific items on our pre-production lists and report the results each Sunday night. This was our first test week. Later on we hope to have "Produce It!" widgets on our sidebars flowing in from the new site.

The results already this week were excellent for Jessica. She made superb shadow puppets for her project.

My results were a total bonk. BUT I'm undeterred. I think I see where I went wrong and how to do better this week.

My task, at least the top item on my list, was to finish the kitchen curtains Cirelle and I stared 2 weeks ago. After I was spurred on by Jessica's success, I forced myself to work on them tonight until I went cross-eyed from exhaustion after a long day. I was annoyed at having to try to be creative on demand but really sometimes that's the only way to make progress. The acorn brackets are now drying overnight and I plan to paint them in the morning.

Let's roll on>>>>

Comments

  1. Shelley, what you are doing with Jessica here sounds great. I wish I could join you girls. But, I know I would not be able to meet any deadline. My film is like a do whenever I have time thing with my daughter being so small at the moment. No way to plan things for my film in between Zeynep and graphic works. Maybe in the future.

    Great to hear that you were able to work even after a long exhausting day. So, your "Produce It" project works great even if you missed the first deadline.

    Good luck! I will be watching you both.

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  2. excellent idea. Your almost done!

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  3. Thanks, Yaz, Completely understood, we allreally grab the production time where we can. You are doing great! making fantastic and quick progress! And I fully agree that Zeynep should take priority. She's only little a short while whereas Adem will be there!


    Yeah, I actually hoping that after the site is up and smoothed out, that everyone who wants to try it can put there tasks up publicly for everyone to see and help pressurize a bit. Maybe even offer real support where they can. This could be very good for many indeed.

    Thanks, Rich! Your rooting really got me going today! w00t!

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  4. Making that site open to anyone doing stop motion could be great. Definetely a wonderful idea!

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  5. HORRAY!!! Shelley, now that's what they call "keeping the pressure high", hm? Well done! But are you pleased with the results or was it stress only?

    Sleep well!

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  6. Totally pleased! I couldn't leave certain things merely ok and had to go all out, as I do. So, in the end I'm very glad.

    This Public Producer is working already!

    Thanks Jessica!

    Thanks, Yaz, yes, I think this website could be very simple yet useful!

    night!

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  7. funny. here. about finding producers in a company town:
    you'll know why I'm placing my bets here:

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


    (^ still working on this link for you

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  8. HA! Hi Brian, That film was hilarious! What a great parody. If it wasn't intended as one it sure made a better satire than a sincere mini/doc epi HA! LOL. If it was made to deliberately sound like an inane LA industry mock-u-mentary, possibly produced by "Nick Silver" himself, then it is pure GENIUS!

    "Do the math" HA! That's exactly the truth of the web. No one needs to look to anyone anymore to get their art produced and seen by its audience. Haleullah!

    That's what I love about using these blogs as a means of direct interaction with those interested. This Public Producer idea Jessica and I are starting has the potential to provide butt-kicking and useful ideas for actual tasks on private projects. This can take the beneficial "blog effect" to the next level.

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  9. (^uhhhmmn.. hee hee. you should see episode #1.
    and be aware. this is real. no faked up deal.
    mrthinks the tales of lalaland is already in the midst of getting aired on some cable station

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  10. Great concept Shelly!!

    Im rooting for ya with every step.

    jriggity

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  11. Great idea, go for it!

    I get mixed results with enforced deadlines, whether set by a client or self-imposed. It means I do get stuff done, which is a big plus; but it means very little is the absolute best I can do, it's what I could get done in time. But if it's not a way-too-short deadline, I think it's mostly a good thing. It sometimes means dumping a few ideas that were cute, but not essential to the storyline, in order to put my time into what is most important.
    (right now I should be animating as if it had to be done for tomorrow...)

    Anyway, Whooot, woot, full steam ahead to Halfland!

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  12. Thanks, Justin!

    Thanks, Nick, yeah, so far for me it's working about the same as without it. I'm recovering from severe cramps today and wasn't able to install the curtains or work on the ants.

    And we are very aware of the point you make about quality vs. deadline. I feel it's a razor's edge, allowing creativity its bloom and yet also getting something actually made.

    We're trying to allow for both types of process. The Public Producer items are those that are already thought out and just need to be built.

    We'll see....

    One of my challenges is that I get into the shop to work and then get REALLY EXCITED to work on about 12 things at once. And that doesn't work.

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  13. Anonymous2:07 AM

    What a great resource!

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  14. Anonymous, if you mean the Public Producer site, yes, I think it will be.

    If you are fishing for places to spam? I'll delete you forever the moment you do.

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  15. (^ crackers! and her I was thinking BANK was something to shore off!

    (^ does make shoring up a bank to keep the tide at bay seem oddly put, but there it is.

    (^:goes back to musing over half cracked shematics and thinking deadlines was onece the name of a sculpture I made showing what happens when one rushes the chicken out of the egg..
    hmmn.. I wonder if I still have a link to that old thing...
    OH! tHERE it is!

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  16. Good one, Brian. Perhaps I am a bit cracked prematurely!

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  17. (^ this straight from stopmonick had me thinking of sharing that "deaedlines" piece with you: >"
    I get mixed results with enforced deadlines, whether set by a client or self-imposed. It means I do get stuff done, which is a big plus; but it means very little is the absolute best I can do, it's what I could get done in time. But if it's not a way-too-short deadline, I think it's mostly a good thing. It sometimes means dumping a few ideas that were cute, but not essential to the storyline, in order to put my time into what is most important."

    (^ but note:
    in terms of materials:
    the head.. is stoneware . ceramic. rolled treally thin, and placed over my actual face:
    hairdryered to leather hard, and GINGERLY removed from my face.
    it took having a helper to do:
    (^ and the time to get it fired and mounted and sharpy markered etc was exorbitant.
    the hands were more expensieve: more toxic, and faster:
    made by wrapping hands in plastic/supersculpy.. then stuccoing on JB Weld and some fiberglass matting to strengthen..
    the egges are sraight up leggs panty hose conatainers: hotglue for the drippings:
    and then the premature baby chic:
    raw supersculpy .
    the poin t of the piece was to study permanence vs. "good enough for camera"

    that head will exist in some form be it busted to shards or whatever till the end of days.


    the intricately sculpted never made it to life poltry?

    ..not so much.

    (^ ends rant.

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  18. Not sure of the tale's tail. Wait, knowing you I do know. You are against "good enough for camera" so, are probably suggesting that I not rush for deadline's sake alone?

    I am all over that. Definitely. I agree.

    At the same time, there is a knack for actually making things in the world that I see other people using. And it seems to involve forcing the issue, as it were, ideally without too much creative compromise to be happy with it.

    Look how well Jessica is making out!

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