Meeting # 2 Overview

A decision has been reached on the basic story outline, and now its time to move into rough storyboards. Brad will be posting the treatment for the story on here later, but its essentially a turtle crossing the road story.

So by next Wednesday, we're hoping to have everyone interested and available throw together some rough boards. These can be thumbnails, but it'd be nice to see some well thought out gags, character designs, and environment designs. Another important thing to have would be an overhead view of your envisioned environment. Keep in mind that the story should lead to the development of the environment, not the other way around, and we can really have a fitting setting.

But for now, here's what we need you to do (post this information in the replies of the blog here):

1. What are you planning to contribute to this project?
This should be a realistic estimate of what you think you'll be able to put in. I know everyone's schedule is different, and we want you to be up front about that now. But if you want to animate on it, say so. If you want to build some models or do some texturing, say so and you'll do it. This is an opportunity to build your own portfolio, so concentrate on what you like. At the same time, though, since we are a small time, you're welcome to wear a few different proverbial production hats. Just say what you expect to do.

2. We need a team name. What do you suggest?
Basically, if we intend to operate as a semi-professional production team here, we might as well come up with an interesting moniker for ourselves. It would be good to google your suggestion, too, so we don't think of a nice name and end up having it taken ("Pixar" is probably taken, "Count Chocula" sounds awesome, but there might be copyright issues).

3. The short itself needs a name. Suggestions?
After reading Brad's story treatment - and maybe tweaking it to fit your own vision - try to think up an interesting name for the short. Something reasonable. This doesn't have to be decided upon now, but it would be nice to get some ideas out there.

4. Our protagonist, the turtle, needs a name.
Probably not necessary, but it would be nice to have a name to call it. Male/Female decisions to be made at this point to, but it seems most of us are envisioning male. No sexist turtle agendas or anything, though.

5. Post any suggestions or ideas you might have to improve our means of communication.
Since we're just starting this going now, here's where you might want to put in your two cents on how we can communicate and deliver information most efficiently. Tonight we discussed chats (like maybe Skype?), forums, and places to dump images and inspiration stuff (Flickr, Photobucket, etc). If you know of a nifty tool or website, let everyone know.

And I'm sending this information out in an email, but its more widely available if its posted here. I may post a contact list with everyone's email on here later on, but for now you should also be able to just reply to our emails. I really hope everyone can do this, and I really want to see some boards from everyone possible so we can get the best stuff.