Change is Nigh-ish

So I've been deciding how to go about better building a presence for Hoot'Nanny Productions. Though, I must say I have managed to generate a couple of bucks via ads between here and my website. So I'm still weighing the options of going the website/blog route.

I've been working on setting up Cartoon Syndicate It's far from finished but it's coming together and it's letting me see the potential I have for Hoot'Nanny Productions. As my site is right now I must always wrestle with the restrictions of my current hosting plan's templates. I would have a bit more design freedom with the website/blog combo with the price of getting used to Wordpress, but that is a bit of net design experience I can apply to other things in the future.

I'm also learning the ins and outs of web promotion/marketing to better my chances of generating passive income for additional funding and exsposure for my toons. As such in a bit of further unrelated news I've launched PanzerBanana.com. To have a general non-cartoon site/blog so my my official cartoon sites won't be cluttered with too many unrelated topics. Just follow the link for the full story.

Til next time, toonheads!

Basic Flash Things I Wish I Knew: Part One

Currently I am outlining the things I would like to cover in blogcasts/tutorials. Which might seem odd since I'm still learning my craft. However there are things that I've discovered that I've not found mentioned in books or other tutorials, at least not any of the ones I've found.

I'll touch on these things in the tutorials as well. Well, I guess I'll demonstrated these things in the tutorials. Right now I'm just going to start with one of the most basic things in flash....

SYMBOLS!

Symbols are the building blocks of flash, nearly everything that enters your project will be a symbol. There are three flavors. The two most fitting for animation, at least what I do. Are Graphic Symbols and Movie Clips, the third being Buttons.

You can also place symbols inside symbols, inside symbols. An awesome "feature" which can, and in my case did for sometime, lead to confusion. Organization is an important thing.

Graphic Symbols. Graphic Symbols, are the "least fancy" of the two. However, if you're simply doing frame-by-frame animation, and you don't need the object to do much else, Graphic Symbol is a good choice.

Graphic Symbols, unlike movie clips, have the advantage of playing any animation you do inside the symbol(examples to come) when you scrub or play the timeline. UNLESS! You've added animation to a Graphic Symbol inside that one, then you won't see that animation at all. Also you won't see the animation loop of a Movie Clip, but you will when you test your movie.

A SPECIAL NOTE ON GRAPHIC SYMBOLS

To see any animation inside a Graphic Symbol, you have to make sure your main timeline spans the same number of frames or more.

A SPECIAL NOTE ON SYMBOLS IN GENERAL

Any change you make to a symbol on the stage, will change it in your library, and any other symbol it is in. My book never told me that.

Movie Clips. Movie Clips are the symbol of choice when you need to do "fancy" things. Things such as, to loop continuously regardless of the number of frames in your timeline. The animation in a Movie clip loops independent of the main timeline. You can have one frame in your main timeline and 100 in your Movie Clip, it will still play. This is great for things that have persistent motion, such as a fire or a pulsing light.

Movie Clips, will not show animation when you scrub the timeline. So if you need to see how a symbol is animating in relation to the background or anything else in the scene, don't choose a Movie Clip.

Movie Clips do have the added benefit of being able to apply filter effects to a symbol. Such as glowing, blur, drop shadow. Depending on your needs filters can be a fun effect.

That's a good start for now. Next up will be tweens and comps. Stay Tuned!

Kinda Fighting

So long time, no post. I don't know how I neglected to post this when I finished it. Here is my most recent practice animation.

More simple characters. But it's mostly so I get a feel for the ideas I've had for my animations. I tried a few techniques out. Once I'm a bit more comfortable with my animation set up I'll put together some "tutorials". Or at least share the tricks I use.

Cartooning Baby Steps

At last something animated! Yes it isn't much but it's a start. The last few days, no this didn't take that long, I've been getting the creative juices flowing.

I've been in a bit of a creative slump, or rather an animating slump. Too many ideas, not enough time, and I've not found many good tips for putting characters together in flash. So at long last I've decided to just try out all the theories I have and decide what techniques best help my ability to work quickly.

Aside from practicing effects with the vampire, I was also trying some of my "theories" about symbol composition. I think I'm on to something. As i become more comfortable and confident in those abilities I'll be sure to share those tidbits.

Hoot'Nanny Productions is now on YouTube! Not much there yet though. But it's all part of getting your site out there.

This Cartoonist's Road to Self Publishing Thus Far

Well, I decided to share a little on how things are going so far with self publishing. I'm not anywhere near as close as I thought I was to getting a book into print. Primarily because my chosen printer requires in their application process for you to provide at least one ISBN. They didn't mention that anywhere prior to that step.

A little "hey before you apply make sure you have your ISBN(s)" would have been nice.

Now I'm sure most have an inkling of what an ISBN is. Those are those serial numbers with the barcodes on your books.

What you might not know, I didn't, is that pretty much anyone looking to publish a book can buy them. Just go here. http://www.isbn.org R.R Bowker is the company that handles ISBNs in the US. You can find out more about the whole deal there.

The catch is that they sell ISBNs in groups of 10 and they're a few hundred bucks. However, you're pretty much a publisher at that point. And it's up to you to find a printer.

Also you will need to purchase a barcode as well if you're looking for retail distribution. Good news is Barcodes are only about $25. Again, more information on Bowker's site. I'll touch on that more later myself as there are more artisty designy things associated with that.

I do have to say I have stumbled across self-publishing information way easier than I thought I would. Or perhaps the universe decided to cut me a break. Not break enough to have the $275 for my ISBNs right now, but it's a start.

Now there are options out there that might save you a few bucks, but as usual there are catches to them. And I will get to those soon enough. Not right now because, well I've had a full day and this evening is getting long.

My Web Debut!

At long last I finally decided to whip up a cartoony pic of myself. I figured it was time for the net to have a face to put with my works.

So there's cartoony me, and my cartoony "Geek Sheque" ensamble. Nothing says "I'm a proud geek and dig the 80's" like a Members Only jacket and a Thundercats T-shirt.

Yeah, I don't just draw cartoons I live 'em.