I *WANT* to do Another IZ:TDM! Vlog Soon!

Hey, guys! So, just to get you up to speed, I want to do another IZ:TDM! Vlog soon discussing a few things:

• The whole "Teaser Trailer vs. Viacom" issue and how I've remedied the situation.
• Alternate animation options for IZ:TDM!
• How things are going with "Dragonchist" (a short film I'm helping animate)
• Progress Update for IZ:TDM! (of course)
• What I'm expecting for storyboard artists and plans in the near future to make preproduction more efficient.

"Stanley," you ask, "why not just record a video right now?"

Well, because Summer vacation just struck, and - as a result - all my siblings are home the whole day instead of school taking them away for a good chunk of time. Basically, I don't feel comfortable recording vlogs in front of them, even though everyone knows what IZ:TDM! is (and the fact that my brother even recorded Smoots's obnoxiously bad voice - big thanks for him again for temporarily ruining his throat for my cause)

So, I'll be with you shortly. I want to do another Vlog to lay everything out on the table, but this sudden (yet expected) schedule shift is making it a bit weird for me to work with. :b That's all.

''The Questioning'' - Some Disclaimers

In two days, I will be posting "The Questioning" online for all the smelly Zim fans of the world to listen and cry in disappointment over. That being said, there are a few things you need to know about it, so that your expectations aren't wrong and so you don't get the wrong impression from watching it.

1. This will be audio-only

There will not be animations to match the audio of the characters; it's strictly audio (with maybe some stupid backgrounds and small effects, but the focus isn't the visuals - the focus is the audio)

2. The mic quality will vary between characters.

I had my Voice Actors and Actresses record on whatever mics they wanted for this, since the focus isn't mic quality so much as how these people sound as the characters. As a result, some will be recorded on cruddier microphones, others on better ones. I want to emphasize: the mic quality does not reflect the quality you'll hear in IZ:TDM! - it is just for the purposes of getting the audio out on time that I had the VA's record on whatever mic was handy and accessible to them.

3. You're hearing the VA's at their worst.

This isn't to say they sound bad! They actually sound fantastic! I just want you to know that for "The Questioning" I lowered my standards so that the audio could be recorded in time. As a result, there might be some mix-ups, some stumbles, and some moments where they're not 100% perfect. Trust me, I'm a ton more picky (as I need to be!) with the actual movie's audio. What you hear in "The Questioning?" Yeah, it's nothing compared to the efforts we're putting into the fan film itself.

4. Some questions were grammatically corrected.

I tried my best to leave the questions completely in-tact as asked, but - on occasion - it was hard to understand due to the asker using incorrect (or no) punctuation. For this reason, rather than make fun of them or anything like that, I just corrected most of what I saw so it could be easy to understand.

5. Professor Membrane's Voice Actor was swapped at the last minute.

For reasons that are mostly my fault, but also because the Voice Actor for Membrane had a lot of responsibilities he needed to take care of, the voice actor who was originally going to do that voice has since left the project. I hold no ill will to him for this, but - of course - this made me scramble to find a replacement in time for "The Questioning." As things currently stand, if I cannot find a replacement in time, rather than delay "The Questioning" or cut out Membrane's parts, I simply recorded my own temporary substitute takes. So, if it turns out that I - Stanley Orr - voice Membrane for "The Questioning," please know that it's only temporary, as I am still looking for a replacement Voice Actor, and I myself shall not do his voice in IZ:TDM! proper.

I Feel Good About How Today Went.

Seriously, today was fantastic! I got done with everything I set out to do at the start and then some!

The Concept Art department is running terrifically, and the manager's computer is almost finished being updated, so she can use it again. This means that I will soon be able to see what progress has been made concept art wise. Additionally, I got wind that one of our concept artists is improving his skills so that he's prepped for storyboards come 2016. If you're reading this, keep up the good work! I've heard about how you've been improving, and I can only say that I'm thrilled. Also in the Concept Art side of things, the department is getting an assistant manager. The best part? It turns out that the manager and assistant manager know each other! This will, obviously, save time on introductions.

Also, I'm finally ready to commence background roughs. I know I keep saying that, but I keep getting delayed. No longer! I have a checklist printed out featuring each and every single background that I need to rough out for our artists. I also found a long-lost list that details what each character and prop should be described as for our Concept Art department - that should be very helpful for our Concept Art manager.

Coming up soon, I'll be having another Skype session with all of our VA's so we can schedule a timeframe to record sequences in. Once that's running, voice takes should be churned out very quickly. I'm looking forward to how wonderful the progress will be, like a perfectly-oiled machine!

So, to sum up, my checklist for tomorrow is:

• Send my Concept Art manager the list of descriptions.
• Email my Voice Acting department and begin scheduling a Skype session.
• Find someone to create a background for a demonstration on my Background overview video.
  OR
• Recreate one of the normal Invader Zim backgrounds to use as a demonstration.
• Begin creating rough backgrounds of every Background Key, thereby laying the foundation work for my artists.
• Go into a Skype session with one of my VA's regarding some microphone issues.
• Record more of Smoots's lines with my brother.
• (non-IZ:TDM!) Sketch out the torso of one of the characters for that short film, to test my skills and send in some more drawings I did today.
• (optional) Create a Storyboard Tutorial video.
• (optional and non-IZ:TDM!) Submit another Fanfic just for fun.

So, that's it! :) I'm so happy!

Behold: Checklist.

☑ Critique Skoodge Audio
☑ Critique Tak Audio
☑ Rerecord Toll Guard Mockup Lines
☑ Contact ToonBoom with software questions
☑ Compile Prop Concept Art List
☑ Post Prop Concept List
☑ Post BG Concept List
☑ Critique Irken Pilot Lines (Take One)
☑ Create Mockup lines for extras
☑ Adjust BG Concept Art List
☑ Adjust Prop Concept Art List
☑ Critique Gaz's VA's First Takes
☐ Upload BG Concept Art Video
☐ Upload Prop Concept Art Video
☑ Complete Smoots's Concept Art☑ Revise Concept Art of Zim's Stilts
☑ Record Bob and Larry Audio
☐ Complete Robotic Substitute Concept Art
☑ Approve Tallest's servants Concept Art
☑ Critique Tallest Purple Audition
☑ Skype Call with 3 of the VA's

You best behold it.

You beholdin' it?

Good.

Checklists, Checklists, and More Checklists

Here I am; it's Sunday, I just woke up, and I have to wrap up my checklist for last week...

...so I can make a new one for this week.

It's not bad, though. I'm cool with checklists. They help keep things organized, make it easy to streamline the production process. They are essential. And - oddly enough - rewarding. It feels good to just check those boxes off, you know?

There's something rewarding about getting work done.

Well, me sitting here blogging isn't getting work done. So, I'll get right to work.