1/8/13 Update
Script - Work is proceeding very nicely with completion of the Climax and Finale of the Primary Script for The Gnomes of New Hope. This will lead us into beginning the Audio Book , which I am thinking about starting, now that I've upgraded my remote digital recording capabilities with a Zoom M1. I'd like to experiment with that recorder as a tool for this audio book.
Music - I am now using the Zoom recorder, instead of a Mini-Disk, for recording my flute music at The Bryn Athyn Cathedral, where I rehearsal a few times a week. The music I record there is often applied in some way to the music we are writing for the Gnomes, maybe not directly, but I do create new rifts that sometimes have shown up in the Gnome music.
We have been composing new music for the last few weeks (as opposed to orchestrating some of the unfinished pieces), while prior to that Shawn has been going back to do a remix of the previous work. He is separating off the percussion tracks so that we can derive a better mix using a wave file. I have been writing script and lyrics while he was doing that. My focus of attention is on merging numerous story elements into a final sequence for the conclusion of the play. This has been required because of new elements which have arisen during our music composition sessions and also as a result of the work we are doing on Illustrations.
We have 30 finished compositions and approximately another six which are in various stages of development. I expect that the total number of songs for this show may reach as many as 45, which includes the bridges, instrumental backdrops and the prelude, interlude and postlude (which have not been composed yet).
We have a few the piano reductions completed and are discussing bringing in two other musicians to work on creating a piano/guitar arrangement of the score. Of course our primary need is to create the piano reductions for the rehearsals. We made a few attempts to bring artists in to do the vocals on a few songs but our focus of attention had to return to the concluding numbers of the show.
Illustrations - We have a very large portfolio of Illustrations, after working consistently on them for over two years, and on and off for five years. The focus of attention is to complete the backgrounds, as we have a good number of the scenes illustrated. These backdrops will be translated into the drops for the show and because of this we are focusing on completing the backgrounds for the nineteen scenes of the show.
My approach to gathering the illustrations has been to do so in small pieces. The characters are not integrated into the backgrounds. This allows me to compose the scene as needed and to use the illustrations for a wide array of applications. Just yesterday we started painting one of the 3 foot display panels of our Mayor of Gnomeville. I expect to do this with our major characters as part of the lobby display and other marketing efforts.
Traveling Gallery Exhibition - I have determined to build the exhibition panels as per my design and to use this to promote the show to investors and other participants. Ultimately this will also become an exhibition to the public, particularly in association with the release of the Illustrated Storybook. I am anticipating creating nineteen cycloramas, at first using the illustrations, but then going into three dimensional models, which will eventually incorporate animatronics (controlled with our MIDI programs). I do hope to open a storefront in New Hope for this Animatronic Show. I think such a show would be very successful. Of course this will lead toward our hope to be included in a theme park environment.
Shop Facilities - I have been working on setting up shop facilities. We have a 10 thousand square foot building which I am working to set up. There is a floor plan posted below, but the difficulty right now is funding. The space require $5oK per year to maintain the basic, without staff or other overhead items. My plan is to replicate the 20x40 stage space with a green screen in one portion of building 4. Also included in that building will be a gallery for our product lines with a sales office and an additional 20x 40 area for our Traveling Gallery Exhibition work. That building will also contain design and construction areas for our puppetry. In building 3, I am working on setting up metal & wood working shops, production management offices, properties & set construction areas, along with equipment maintenance and inventory of supplies and finished product. So this is progressing, but it is under duress due to a great need to finance this operation. Adding the elements of personnel into the mix greatly increases this need.
IMS Producing Partners - the web presence that has been started for IMS Producing Partners has not been attended to in the degree that I hope to. The primary reason for this is that this information needs to be resident on an internal server with a secure portal. I am currently publishing the Production Approach Summary as a bound edition intended to provide our partners with the raw materials of our modus operandi, samples of the script & the musical score, and contract materials. I may post some of that information on IMS Producing Partners if I feel that it would be prudent. I do expect to work toward converting Image of the Mind Studios into a larger Corporate modus operandi, and for that purpose I am seeking to build a Board of Directors comprised of Active Vested individuals. I am seeking first Active Vested Partners, Passive Vested Partners are still most welcomed, but their investment must be limited at this stage to the 250K that I am seeking as Front Money. That Front Money is intended to solidify the budget, advance some of the pre-production materials and review all the production and management contracts. Until that happens, I am not able to accept larger amounts of Passive Investment, primarily because I have put a cap on the Front Money due to the 300% return on the investment. The Front Money Agreement may be posted on IMS Producing Partners in the near future, but access to it will require a password which may be requested by serious investors.
Production Approach Summary - is available to potential industry and investment partners, to individuals who are or may become creative partners or employees. Distribution of the PAS requires a Restrictive Covenant Agreement, which will be posted on IMS Producing Partners in the near future. This agreement is required due to the extent to which the story-line and other creative materials are revealed in the PAS . I will likely set it up so that the RC Agreement is part of the password access to the IMS Producing Partners site. These elements are still being considered in the context of our internal server.
More to follow. AG
