MEETING THREE || and that is really going to exacerbate things for all of us
heh well as jase said below, things didn't really go to plan last night. with two of us not being able to make it, it
did seem like a bit of a waste of time to go down to our usual meeting spot in glen waverly to explain to each other what we already knew.
i knew jase was pretty heart-broken over it, but i thought since there were 'new' people coming along, it'd give as a good opportunity to get them up to speed as to waht we're doing etc.. turns out none of those guys were coming too and our only newcomer was good ol' chow.
as jase mentioned, we did eventually have the meeting and attempted to clear up some ambiguities and plotholes in the 'framework' story. we were able to think up some key scenes, as well as different ways characters would interact with each other. for example, how would one character affect the other, and what kind of themes or info could be revealed in dialogue exhanged between different combinations of characters.
and that's when rupert j. hollingsworth (a.k.a. "rafe") and bridget came into existence. i dunno if i should go into the details as to who these characters are, but i will say that with these two guys around, things in the cave get a little more interesting. i wrote up rafe's character and immediately found myself attached to him; his personality and demeanour are just things that came naturally to me and after writing it down, rafe became real.
the character of bridget is developing as i type, and with the addition of her and one more character, we have a complete cast. i think, as jase said, now that we've come up with solid characters, it looks as though the story will flow from them. things are in motion now, woohoo.
umm yeah it was a bit of a bummer that vito and brendan couldn't make it but i assure you guys that they had good reason. while brendan is working on the story/plot as lead writer, vito had done come concept sketches of some of the character profiles we gave him. after we all have a look at them and make suggestions or comments, vito will draw them in the way they'd appear in the final comic. but more news on that when the time comes.
furthermore, chow seems to be somewhat interested in what we're doing and was pretty inquisities as to comic style/direction we were taking. he also mentioned the idea of doing short comic strips, like three-pannel stories just for fun. i had this idea in my head for a while, and already had some comic stories in mind. it's something we might do once the website is up and running, and of course, chow will be a keen contributor.
the night started out pretty negatively, but in the end we've gotten something pretty cool out of it. i know that shit happens which we don't want, but we always have to make the best of it. especially in a group situation; one can't fall apart just because shit hits the fan, you have to look at what else can be done.
and i'm certianly glad that we were able to do that.. and all it took was a huge pepper steak, a bit of chicken parmagiana, some cheese and bacon cabonara, and some pancakes and ice-cream. brisk, indeed!
oh btw,
foolscap sucks.
-LOki
Currently working on:
[]6 Month outline for next week
[]Weekly schedules
[]Secondary draft framework
[]Offsite references
-Jay
Third Impressions...
Well, nothing certainly turned out the way it seems did so tonight i'm afraid.
Gapper called in at about 6... and i knew it when i picked up the phone.
GREAT!
Oh well so i thought, i guess we could continue the meeting and give him the info later on in the week... about 8pm Monin yells "Jase, i have really bad news..."
.."what?"
"Vito isn't coming either."
Oh ... fuck!
Then came to the decision, do i carry on with the meeting as planned or... just throw in the towel tonight and go home all sooking and heart broken.
I knew i was kid of putting Monin on the spot and he really tried to get me 'going' but i knew that Monin knows everything i do already... what's the point?
After about 10 minutes of mopping around, i gathering my things and was serious bummed out. Everything i had worked for, everything i planned just went to the shits. Not to mention the guests that i invited to come down... I made the calls out and nobody picked up. I resorted to sending SMS' and felt like shit.
Sat in my car, and had a little think to myself... i asked "what is my role?"
A voice said, "You're the project leader". And immediately i knew i can't just quit when it got tough or when i just felt like it. Another voice now is Chow and he said "Stop being a little bitch nigga Chung!"
Whatever that meant, but all i know is... i didn't want to be one.
I called up Chow and Monin who were already on their way to eat and i tagged along, got some grub in me belly and went to chaddy for pancakes (that was awesome).
Here's the thing, i always wanted to fill the framework for the pilot and i know Monin and Brendan needs it. During pancakes Monin and i developed our remaining characters and now the story feels 'complete' with them in it.
I'm now determined to come back need week with a new sense of direction. Funny how a negative thing kinda opened the door to something i was missing on. I now dread the thought that had i not have gone for pancakes, Rupert J Hollingsworth (name after you Mark) and Bridget may not have come into being.
Brisk.
I've gain a positive from a negative because i didn't wuss out... harsh and important lesson learnt today. I've also taken it upon myself to lose something in the process, my foolscap folder. A kind gesture for a man in war with paper... you know who you are and thanks for making it great man. Don't know where i'd be without you. Awesome... truly fucken awesome...
"GAY!" -Ed
-Jay
Second impressions...
Thing's seem to be surreal at the moment and I’m have difficulty grasping the idea of how 'perfect' things could be. The pilot is underway, spirits seems high and optimistic and thing's have started to crystalize.
This has easily surpassed any optimistic vision i even had originally.
Monin made a 'late appearance' to the first meeting which i thought was a big success and could we all give a big round of applause for Mr. Spell (toy story ref.)
Let's just say things turned for the better since my first post and find that Monin is side-by-side with me when i now plan and organise not just the group but on the side of business too. His advice and just being there takes makes me feel like i can achieve anything. Since i didn't write anything about our now 'head writer' i feel inclined to do so... it's only fair ;)
Monin; a figure-head in writing. His ideas are raw and combined with his personal touch it becomes flawless. His insatiable quest for perfection and his outstanding ability to narrate is second to none. Monin has this ability to understand complex procedures and give his opinion made him the ultimate and first candidate. We have Batman.
Oddly enough the idea that has now turned into a working reality started off as a simple walk in the park (or in this case, the local industrial strip).
I had envisioned a career that everyday at work i would fire up my creativity and do what i love doing; draw and write. Monin and i stayed up pretty late dicussing the simple format of it and i went home with the biggest smile on my face thinking "hey, this could really work!".
It's funny that this is happening... a dream come true really!
A quick summary of issues tackled in the second meeting:
1. Pilot ideas.
2. Project structure.
3. Short term objectives.
4. Medium term goals.
Like Monin has noted, we have chosen a pilot and we are definately off the mark. I have proposed the idea of a special event that will be held a secret until for the medium term and everyone has their sights on this. :)
IT's gonna be big!
The first meeting i covered:
1. Personal goals and objectives.
2. Pilot idea
3. Technical issues
4. Business strategy and marketing (overview)
5. Rough guidelines
6. The importance of honesty and critism.
I thank the team for being so patient with me thus far. Thanks to Trucey, tuyet and Mark for attending. A special thanks to my cousin Sunny who came all the way from Sydney and my cousin Avon in New York for ALWAYS believing me.
I'm currently planning the third meeting and we'll see where we go from there...
Until next time...
-Jay
MEETING TWO
after the first meeting, which did go very well, i realised that there were issues that we needed to deal with - particularly when it came to the formal roles we would each hold. i voiced this concern to jase who actively took it on board and brought it up at the second meeting.
a few other guys came along as observers to the meeting; mark, tyuet, and trucy. i hto ught at first that i'd feel uncomfortable expressing my views and opinions around them, but they were cool and things went really smoothly.
also at the second meeting, vito and myself had brought along samples of our work to show jase. i brought along some stuff which showed off my formatting skills, and vito brought some samples of his photoshop colouring work. jase was blown away by vito's work, and said that it had greatly exceeded his expectations - and i was inclined to agree.
furthermore, brendan had fleshed out his post-martian revolution story and provided the group with key events, characters, and possible storylines that the concept could follow. it was good, i thought, that all our ideas were starting to become more than just bits of loose thought and actually started to become something tangible. i also presented my "Nathaniel" idea but at the same time told them that it wouldn't be a smart idea to take it on board just yet since it was quite complex and detailed. they agreed, thankfully.
what really was a bolt from the blue was jase's concept, temporarily titled "The Cave of Wonders" (thank god). he came up with this concept while half-conscious and it turned out to be what we chose for out pilot. i won't go into the details of it since that'll give it away, but i think this comic will capture what we're all about in this group - substance over style.
whoa shit, it's 4am and i'd best be heading off - especially since i've got class in just under 5 hours. woohoo.
-LOki
meeting one
well, i actually went to the meeting one hour late. honestly, i wasn't sure if i wanted to be in the group to begin with. jase asked me to join the group as a writer and i was fine with that, but then i thought to myself - for who would i be writing for?
i had a backlog of story ideas, and even completed stories and i wasn't sure if i brought them to the group they would cease to be my own and have the authenticity of it diluted further down the track. so, initially, i didn't want to be apart of it.
but at the same time, my curiosity was boiling over. i wanted to jump on the wagon, but at the same time i was reluctant. that, and Law and Order SVU was on. but seriously, i knew that i would regret not going to the first meeting, and if i did miss it, i wouldn't have been able to catch up later one when i would (i knew it) inevitably join.
so i went to the first meeting, and i'm pretty sure jase and vito knew that i would give in and turn up. it was good that jase had prepared before the meeting with certain issues he wanted to voice to the group to get both an idea of why each of us wanted to be part of it, and how we would work together on a professional level.
also at the meeting we discussed possible storylines for out pilot comic - the comic that would say to the world "check this out you bastards, it's fucken awesome." it would also be a testament to what we were all about, and that is it is always substance over style, and that above all else, the final product would be as close as possible to the original idea. of course it would have to be marketable, but at the same time, it would have to be ours.
we threw a few ideas around; jase mentioned his Epic, and brendan talked about his post-martian revolution story. at this point, i wasn't sure if i should have pitched the idea of my "Nathaniel" story to them, since i thought it would be way to difficult to handle as the first ever project for our yet to be named comic firm.
so as the meeting drew to a close, we had discovered a few things:
a) jase was in it cos he had always wanted to do it;
b) brendan wanted to do something with his awesome writing skills and wanted a motorbike;
c) vito wanted to finally do something with his drawing, and this was a chance to do it and do it well - and get the recognition that his art deserved; and
d) that i was the batman of the group, coming in when they needed help but still being allowed to be on my own.
it was great that we could understand what each of us wanted, and better still, that we repspected each other. let's hope that the next meeting goes just as well.
-LOki
First impressions...
I keep thinking back to the quote:
"and, when you want something, all the universe comspires in your favour" - Paulo Chelho
Incidentally, all the pieces moved together like a dream... eager to get my idea out i sought after the people who might be curious to hop on board.
Fast forward 6 months and i've got this team of dedicated and euthusiastic individuals whose talents are beyond anything i can imagine.
Vito is a natural choice; a drawing talent that is far superior to my own and a great visionary to transform words into living picture. It has been years since Vito and i worked together and our personal vendetta's divided us. I feel priviledged just having him sign on. Welcome aboard Superboy.
Brendan's ability to break paradime thinking is something that i feel honored to be a part of. His ideas are hard hitting and ground breaking. In high school i felt like i was walking in a big mans shadow in comparison to him. I made the mistake of letting him proofread my work and i remember him saying "yeh, not bad Jason" in the most polite manner of saying "whoa, what a piece of shit" and the "D-" i got really shows. I read it over again and compared it to the work of Brendan and realised he was holding a 24 carat nugget and i had poodle crap, not even deserving of a german shepherd shit.
The meeting is taking place this Thurday, i feel like im about to plunge into an ocean of the unknown. The back of my mind is exploding with all types of scenarios what can go wrong. I hate that Murphy guy.
My bestfriend, confidant and one of the world's greatest writers Monin dropped out last night and i felt like the group would feel extremly discouraged hearing this news and felt like everything i was planning is falling to pieces!
I stood tall and called up everyone cofirming their attendence and i was lucky to be relieved they still wanted to check it out. Fingers crossed, for my sake.
-Jay
