I have some animation done for a project (since a while now) that I wanted to show off. It's from the first short I had planned in relation to my larger project - a wrestling comedy series.

This one - entitled "Introducing - Disco" introduces a wrestler with the stage name Disco. The idea is that I can be a bit more experimental with formats, and thus be more creative than if it was based around a standard wrestling television show. In this case, this first one will be in the style of a "Where are they now?" documentary, set several years into the future.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I've drafted a script, begun storyboarding, then got impatient and started animating it anyway.

The clip is essentially complete (I need to draw up a scrolling background for the logo at the end, hence the jarring, out of place text).

https://www.newgrounds.com/dump/item/9e2af634fc79fb66dd3cf2307b5de441

Transcript:

[feet stamping - no music]

[CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP]

"I love dancing so much..."

"BOOGIE!" ( I may cut this bit - though it might seem less jarring with sound)

"...I changed my name to 'Disco'"

This clip demonstrates the animation techniques I'll be using in regards to action (lo-def) and dialogue (hi-def)

There's no ETA for when the whole project will be done, but I'll strive to post more updates, and perhaps art in the future. I'm in full time employment now, and while I have very little time on any given working day, I should really try and make time during my days off.

It's been well over two years since I made my last blog post and three years since I last submitted any form of animation to Newgrounds.

It's really getting me down.

I think the problem is I'm just not confident enough in my abilties, and fall into excessive gaming (w00t, I've just bought Civ V recently, a very addictive game).

I'm going to make a concerted effort to get on with my animations because I've got so many good ideas and they're all going to waste if I'm not doing nything with them.

That FTL wrestling series I mentioned in my previous post - that's my passion, and I really want to see me put out some great, fully featured episodes of that, and as such, that is one of my priorities. It'll be suffering its third name change of course - it's now to be known as FTLW (so as not to be confused with the term "Faster than Light"(as if it were some space opera) or indeed the indie game "FTL".

By the way - whenever people ask me my hobby, apart from TV, cycling and Video Gaming, I always say animation.

Well, over the years, I haven't done ANY animation, but I've been obsessing over this project. As such, I feel the best way to remedy this is to get some small projects going. I decided the best way to tie it in with this wrestling series was create a series of introductions to some of the characters. It will include a bio section with the wrestler's vital statistics, moves and logo, "photos" or still images, their entry video and clips of both signature and finisher moves.
Furthermore, it will feature an animated story introducing the character in a more varied setting (one more varied than the wrestling arena).
At the moment, I am currently working on the intro for a wrestler called Fat Cat. for a taste of what the basic bio section should look like (and a bit of an idea on where my skill in animating is currently at), I've submitted a BETA to the dumping grounds.

Play around with the buttons at the bottom, but bear in mind the others buttons are not linked up to anything. Also, it's a bit bigger than it should be, so you my have to zoom your browser out a bit.

The finished project will then be released on Newgrounds (I've got no desire to submit anything without some animation behind it, you'll be glad to hear).

By the way, I've got some character designs and a single piece of music (and of course, the pilot, episode zero, non-canon, prototype FTLW episode) in my respective user pages which are related to this wrestling project, so be sure to check them out if you haven't already.

================================================

Another project that I hope to work on in between animations is simply titled "Fzwd Gxjnm' Bzixzx".

Here's a pic

This idea originated several years ago when I was tinkering with an RPG maker (OHRRPGCE), and wanted to make something that wasn't a fantasy "swords and elves" RPG.

The main idea was that it would mostly be in a completely alien language (I wanted to call it ("Fzwd Gxjnm' Bzixzx", not, say, "Space Quest"). I got about as far as programming in a cutscene and drawing out a containment bay (the original alien protagonist would be imprisoned on an enemy battleship), but lost interest.

Of course, at this time, I was still desperately trying to finish my last project (UWF).

A few years later, I took the title (Fzwd Gxjnm' Bzixzx) and applied it to a new project - an animation. Unlike the ill-fated game, this shall be set on a space station and shall feature several alien characters (including the ones in the image). Unlike the game, I plan for the dialogue to be completely alien - as opposed to mainly alien.

The project is in planning phase.

The aliens don't have a name at the moment (I'm not calling them Fzwd Gxjnm' or Bzixzx because I wanted it to be completely nonsensical). I mean, if two aliens are speaking to each other in their completely alien languages, how are you to know if "jhrghx" or "tyxksd" is a given name or some sort of alien verb?

Anyway, the first alien is a diplomat, the second alien is an engineer and the third is an enforcement officer.

I'll be taking some liberties in their attire and behaviour - it's obviously easier to relate to trousers, pockets and wrenches than, say, tyxksd or pthswop or gdghfee.

Other characters may include a bureaucrat, fighter pilot (or part of the crew of a battleship) and an entertainer.

As such, I may try to write a quick pilot episode - I don't want to give myself too much to do.

================================================

Those are my current plans. Two things that I haven't mentioned is that I am in part time employment (although I've had no work since December 31st) and that I have a WiiU and 3DS and the released dates for 4 long awaited games are drawing near. I'll try my hardest to manage my time more reasonably, and be more productive.

With any luck, I may have somethingelse for Newgrounds before I'm thirty. Wish me luck.

I'm in the process of creating a follow up to the massively popular (3.44/5 with 232 votes and 1127 views) UWF animation I submitted last year.

I've learned a few lessons from my previous efforts, and so I'm planning to follow the script more closely this time.

Speaking of the script (and subsequent ones too), it's much stronger this time. There will be more wrestlers, referees (hardly the most important thing to consider in a well balanced plot), storylines behind the scenes (introducing the commissioner) - both staged and "real" (exploring characters in their respective personae and their real life personae), mock adverts, and hopefully a series length story arc. The script is in its final stages (pending a few final scenes and then a few edits), but even I am entitled to say it's a stronger story than a weird masked, moustachioed wrestler with a vendetta against a similarly moustachioed disco dancing wrestler (who will probably disco dance a bit more in the proper iteration that I am currently producing).

I want to get on and do some animation (I've set the Framerate to 25 fps, although I will probably lower it to something more reasonable, as I won't be doing a lot of tweening), but I'm not entirely sure how long it would take in all.

Incidentally, I chose the name FTL, partly because every other conceivable acronym was taken - either by a bona-fide professional organisation, a college wrestling society or an amateur group of hairy criminals wrestling in a Tennessee backyard.

Additionally, if it turns out to be a massive failure, the new acronym may turn out to be quite apt.