 |
So, somebody had the bright idea to give us an alternative to the standard Latin filler text known as Lorum Ipsum. Somebody more than a little geeky. And somebody who's a Joss Whedon fan. Below is a 5 paragraph sample. Dig:
The brain is kept in a fear-induced, adrenaline-fueled overdrive state, like a problem you can't solve. You'll prove I can trust you when the day comes that you have to kill me. And you do. And now the one person who should be here is gone, and a waste like you gets to live. Better to cut you down to size, grandma. We're outlaws with hearts of gold. You can't open the book of my life and jump in the middle. Wash, we've got some local color happening. No, a bad day is when someone's yellin' spooks the cattle. Turns out I suddenly find myself needing to know the plural of apocalypse.
Someone else's loss is my chocolatey goodness. Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm. We attack the mayor with hummus. This distress call wouldn't be taking place in someone's pants, would it? Stay with me. Forever. That's the whole point. Welcome to the nancy tribe. I think calling him that is an insult to the psychotic lowlife community. Darn your sinister attraction! In the time of gods and monsters, what is the worth of a man?
It's my estimation that every man ever got a statue made of him was one kind of sommbitch or another. Why can't you just masturbate like the rest of us? I saw their production of 'Giselle' in 1890. I wept like a baby, and I was evil!
So, are we gonna sing army songs or something? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed? Can I start getting sexed already? In my world, we have people in chains, and we can ride them like ponies.
Looking in windows, knocking on doors. One of my personalities happens to be a multiple personality, but that doesn't make me a multiple personality. You can't spend the rest of your life waiting for Xander to wake up and smell the hottie. Hey I could whip up a love slave any day I wanted. No, Angel, it's not you. What do they need such good eyesight for anyway? From beneath you, it devours. I swallowed a bug. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. With any luck, he'll poke the wrong one and end up in an alternative dimension inhabited by a fifty-foot Giles that squishes annoying teeny pirates.
Nothing but quotes from various Whedon ventures, such as Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, Dollhouse and probably Avengers. All generated randomly (I assume) for the ultimate in geek filler text. You're welcome. Click here to bail on latin filler text.
 |
Jar Jar Binks. Hayden Christensen. Wooden acting. Predictable storyline.
All is forgiven.
January 24, 2013, we got the word. I didn't think it would happen. I thought it would be some up and coming director with "a vision" of where the Star Wars Universe was to go. Maybe a screenwriter or assistant to Joss Whedon on Avengers or something. You know, that same feeling you had when you heard that Chris Nolan was on board for the Batman reboot, until you saw The Dark Knight and were geeked for it again. No way Disney gets somebody like Nolan, Joss (OMFG if they got Joss), or JJ Abrams to lead the Star Wars franchise into territories we thought it would never go. Because George said it wouldn't.
BUT...
News broke today that Disney signed JJ Abrams to direct Star Wars Episode VII. I kinda dug Super 8. I really dug the Star Trek reboot, and am looking forward to the next Star Trek flick. Short of Disney signing Joss Whedon to direct a Star Wars movie, I probably couldn't be more geeked about it.
Actually, one other director would have me more geeked. If I could have two wishes, now that the JJ wish has been filled (as far as we know), here they are.
1. Joss Whedon directs Episode IX (what we assume to be the last of the trilogy of trilogies).
2. Kevin Smith directs the bridge of the final three, Episode VII.
So....is 44 too old for a midweek midnight showing? Nope. I'll be at the first showing of any and every Star Wars movie for the rest of my life. That wasn't an option, really, for Star Wars (nobody knew it would blow up like that in 1977), Empire or Jedi. But I was there for Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. I'll be there for the next three and beyond.
 |
...a future I've dreamed about for years. But what does that future hold?
We're well over twenty-four hours since the news broke that George has "passed on" the rights to the Star Wars universe to Disney for a paltry four BILLION dollars. As part of that announcement, Disney immediately said that Star Wars: Episode VII is in the works, and Episode's VIII and IX are not far behind. Exciting news for a lifelong geek like me.
For me, Revenge of the Sith was the end. I've seen Star Wars, Empire, and Jedi countless times. When word broke of Episode I being worked on, finally, I was among the masses who waited impatiently for it. Before the days of broadband internet being everywhere, the trailer for Episode I leaked to a few certain theaters three days before wide release. It was playing with Meet Joe Black and The Waterboy, and the nearest place to me (in Lexington, KY) showing the trailer was in Erlanger, just south of Cincinnati. A solid hour and a half away was playing a two minute clip that was a continuation of the movies I grew up on.
Yes, I made the trip, and sat through a full Adam Sandler movie. I saw the trailer twice that day, once before the movie and once after. Then, several months later, I was in the theater for the opening night midnight shows of The Phantom Menace, and every opening night since for Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
But, as I mentioned, Sith was the end. We all knew George had said for years that Sith completely the story, and that was it. Kind of like knowing what day someone is going to die....and then it actually happens. You were prepared, and acted accordingly afterward. Sith was the end, and seeing whatever cartoons, Family Guy episodes, or Robot Chicken is like seeing home movies of the person who passed away. But it's never the same as sitting with them, having a chat.
But now...it's all coming back. And I, for one, couldn't be happier about it, and am greatly anticipating Episode VII, even though it's two and a half years away. More later on the Star Wars continuation, and speculation on who will helm the franchise going forward.
Life is good.
Don't wanna wait for the tape delay from NBC? And why do we still call it "tape delay"? I seriously doubt that the video we see ever touches a tape at this point. Welcome to the digital world.
Click the linkage below for LIVE coverage. Two notable Kentucky connections are Jenna Martin (running for her Canadian home team), and.....um.....something. Crap. What was the other one? I think there's a former UK basketball player or something there, too. Eh, we're only watchin' for Jenna anyway. Enjoy.
NBC Live CoverageJenna Martin finished third in her heat, and (I think) qualified for the semifinals on Saturday. The link here takes you to the morning Track & Field session; fast forward to about 2 hours, 15 minutes to see her race.Final Olympic Update: Jenna was stuck in an outside lane in her semi-final race, and couldn't quite get her groove going. Still, Jenna Martin is in a very, very select group of people who have been in the Olympics. Very proud to call her a friend of our family. Lookin' forward to her making her way back to the Bluegrass at some point.
Oh, she tweeted a pic of herself, a teammate, and the one and only Rosario Dawson. Is it possible to be proud and jealous of someone at the same time?
A Reboot Of Firefly?
The article below was found on July 14, 2012, the day after the Firefly 10th Anniversary Panel at San Diego Comicon. My guess is Joss was having fun with "What if?" scenarios, but wouldn't it be nice to see either another movie set in the 'verse or a new series on a network that is NOT FOX? Anyway...article below, linkage to original article at bottom. Oh, and that's the hour long panel up there. Enjoy.
In the course of writing the below report on the Firefly 10th Anniversary press conference from San Diego today I stated that Joss Whedon was seriously considering a reboot of the entire Firefly franchise, to air on the Science Channel, and following their upcoming reunion documentary.
I do honestly, personally believe that my report from this afternoon is accurate. Brendon disagrees and has cited his reasons for believing that Whedon was joking: remarks made by Joss Whedon in a further panel later this evening to the effect that he has no plans as yet to return to television; comments from Whedonesque, who have good access to Whedon, stating that there is definitely no reboot in the works.
I have continued to work to either confirm or disprove my assertion that a new series of this show, including the original cast, is imminent. I have reached out to both Joss Whedon and the Science Channel, asking to confirm my reading of Joss’ remarks and the conclusion I made in my article.
I am still waiting on a reply.
Kate Kotler writes for Bleeding Cool;
Out of the 10th Anniversary Firefly Reunion panel came a surprise announcement which will delight Browncoats the world over:
Bleeding Cool was on the scene when Joss Whedon and The Science Channel’s Debbie Myers confirmed to a packed room of journalists that if the planned Firefly reunion movie performs well that we can expect a full Firefly series reboot. And, it seems as if Whedon plans to wipe the slates clean and bring back the entire original cast.
“The opening sequence [of the Firefly reboot] is a conversation between Wash and Book,” said Whedon quite, quite seriously to the amazed Firefly cast and crew on the press panel with him Friday in San Diego.
“Have I never talked to you about this?” He asked Nathan Fillion, seated to his left.
To this point, Whedon has seldom discussed the decision to kill off the characters portrayed by Alan Tudyk and Ron Glass in the 2005 release, Serenity. To critics and fans, alike, this decision provided a finality which indicated that it would be unlikely that a reunion or reboot would ever be possible.
Now we know, that perception was incorrect.
Some are supposing that because Whedon followed the comment with an offhanded remark about rebooting the series with a younger cast (“Zac Effron as Simon…”) that bringing back Wash and Book is more of Whedon’s patented “snark” and are not taking the concept of a reboot seriously.
Not so; immediately upon confirming that, yes, he would like to head back to the ‘Verse again, The Science Channel’s General Manager, Debbie Myers, stated emphatically, “We can help you with that!”
Regardless, it is clear that even after a decade, the impact of the short-lived sci fi series is still being felt by both fans and the cast.
“[Doing Firefly] taught me how to act,” said Nathan Fillion of his involvement with the show, “Out of [the show] I got some of the best work I’ve ever done and a movie, I really couldn’t ask for more.”
“I have much more perspective,” said Alan Tuydk of watching the series again for the first time, “Everything is a discovery again after ten years.”
Bleeding Cool will continue to work to confirm the exact details of the promised reboot and the confirmed movie. Stay tuned!
Story here
Follow Kate Kotler on Twitter
Kate Kotler's website
Excellent article by Jacob Cass.Click here for the full article.Pricing Your Work Right as a Designer
I was recently asked by Computer Arts magazine to answer a series of short questions on pricing yourself as a designer. You can find my answers in Issue 200 of Computer Arts or below.
How should designers determine an hourly wage?
There are a number of factors to keep in mind when figuring out what your worth such as what you think your worth, what you can get away with, your experience, the amount of work you currently have on, how badly you want an individual project and the terms of the project, as well how long you think each project will take. There are many other factors to consider, but this is a start. See here for more info on how much to charge for design work.
What are the pros and cons of fixed pricing versus and hourly rate?
Pricing hourly has its benefits at times and you should always be flexible in which way you choose, however, I would personally recommend pricing per project as it demonstrates that you will give results, not just X number hours of work.
How can designers ensure they price competitively?
Ask your friends in the industry and also do some competitive researching. How do your competitors charge, and what do they charge? Once you know this valuable information, you will have better judgement on how to price your work, as well as how to position yourself. Learn how to negotiate budgets also.
Should designers take a lower wage for a cut of future project earnings or shares?
This should be judged on a project to project basis. Always be wary when taking on these types of partnerships as it really is a gamble. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t. Be wary of people who offer this as it could be a scam and make sure you have everything in writing with a signature.
How protective of copyright and IP should a designer be?
As someone who gets notified of a copyright infringement of my work every week (yes, every week!) I will tell you that it is a lot of effort to resolve these issues. You should be protective of your work, but don’t let it bog you down. I usually send a polite email at first and in most cases, they remove the work straight away with their tail between their legs. A few times I’ve threatened with a a DMCA take down notice but fortunately, I’ve never had to go further.
On this topic, be sure to read ‘how not to write a personal biography‘.
Do you recommend a designer has a legal eagle check a contract?
At the very least you should read over anything you sign, at least once or twice. If you’re work and fees are getting high profile, then yes it may be worth getting an ‘eagle’.
Can a designer ever charge more than they originally quoted?
If a project is going out of the original scope, known as scope creep, then yes of course.
I so wish Lego would get on board with this. But...they won't. I understand their rationale in saying no, but by that logic, shouldn't they stop producing Star Wars Lego sets as well? Unless I'm mistaken, Anakin killed everything in the Jedi Temple in Revenge of the Sith, including children. But....there's more money in Star Wars than that little Joss Whedon 'Verse. So screw 'em.
Now, somebody put out the plans to build Firefly related stuff, and we'll do it ourselves.Congratulations to the Firefly Serenity playset reaching 10,000 supporters! Here's our decision on fit with the LEGO brand.
First and foremost, huge congratulations to tbone_tbl for reaching 10,000 supporters on LEGO CUUSOO, and toward everyone for all of the support of the Firefly Serenity Playset project!
LEGO CUUSOO gives the opportunity for adult LEGO fans to submit product ideas. You submit some incredible things, and we’re huge fans of all of your work. This is a beautiful model and a skilled rendition of the beloved Serenity from Firefly built with LEGO bricks.
When reviewing projects for production, the LEGO Jury first looks at how the concept fits the LEGO brand. We learned the IP was questionable regarding a brand fit, and since we anticipated this project reaching 10,000 the team got a head start and reviewed the project on these criteria.
LEGO produces toys for children. Therefore all LEGO products, regardless of age target, must be content-appropriate for this core audience. With this in mind we have decided that as cool as the Serenity model is, the Firefly TV show and Serenity film contain content that is not appropriate for our core target audience of children ages 6-11. While we know this news will disappoint those who supported the project, we will not be producing this as a LEGO product.
Opening ourselves to new product suggestions invites popular ideas that don’t always fit our brand. We are grateful for the spirit behind projects like the Firefly Serenity and for the opportunity to be challenged. It keeps us sharp and looking toward the future of the LEGO brick.
