Some Thought About Cinema

Here is a link to a post, which I meant to put here.

The Gnomes of New Hope; Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure

It addresses the larger game plan for assorted productions.  AG

Required Work

As a means of providing an update to this page, I am wanting to discuss the work that is required in order to bring the floor space under control in the Studio and also some of the other work that is calling for my attention.

When I began setting up at my present location, it was more a matter of storage than full intent. The buildings I am in were built by my grandfather, some sixty-two years ago. There are four building in the complex. I am occupying the two rear buildings, while RCK, Inc., originally a Swiss Automatic machine shop, now a CNC shop, resides in the front two buildings.

Here was an early set of floor plans for the way I intended to layout the studio, in the back buildings.  Of course, it didn't really end up that way. Because I included a gallery and a sound stage.

Before I took over the rear buildings, they were rental spaces and for many years, I was in charge of maintenance on the property. Another person did maintenance for many years before me, and some of his methods were, questionable. Leaving me with other issues that need to be resolved. 

The experiences of renting the 20k sq ft of space in the rear buildings was less than stellar. Numerous tenants came and went over the years, leaving behind them unpaid bills, rent, and a litinany of assorted damage to the buildings. In fact, I ended up in the buildings, for the most part, because they were no longer rentable, due to the outlay for the cost of repairs, when weighed against the rental income.

 

We are in the process of reaching a conclusion on these matters, so I can not say definitively what the scenario will be, but it is moving in the direction of keeping the operation intact and developing a new modus operandi. I will discuss that when the resolution is concluded in that regard.

June 19th is fast approaching. I am beginning to effect repairs on the Dragon puppet and will be clear-coating it this year to make it water repellent in the event we get caught in the rain during the pagent. I noticed that a good coating of glossy clear really makes the colors pop. It will be great. Come see it at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral on June 19th at around 7:00 pm. The cathedral is also illuminated when it gets dark and classical music is played to enhance the experience.

This isn't mine, but I'd love to have one of these 1909 Buick Speedsters to drive around. That would be fun, assuming it worked well.

In the meanwhile, as I have most likely said before, I am returning to focus on my machinery and vehicles that have been neglected, in lieu of working on The Gnomes of New Hope. You can check that blog for discussions on how that project is advancing. For the sake of  clarity on the rebuilding of the vehicles, I am going to begin another blog. 

A portion of my service bay, with a chassis and body from a 1931 Ford Model A Roadster being restored.

Years ago, I had a business called "Just Vairs" rebuilt Corvairs, did repairs and restorations. I used to imagine buying an "art deco" service station and setting up Just Vairs. Who knows, someday that may happen. In any event, I am returning to my work with Corvairs for very practical reasons. My main work truck, when I ran around doing Theatre Tech work, was a 1961 Corvair Rampside truck.

 Of course, I have spent the better part of, at the least, ten years, working on publishing the Gnomes books, and not engaging in hands on tech or acting. In fact, I used to engage in, or at least pursue producing film and video projects and that has gone into status as well.

But to return to the subject at hand, my vehicles. My 1961 Corvair Rampside sits in the shop and is taking up space in my service bay. It is up on blocks and awaits my installing a new engine. My other Corvair, a highly modified 1966 Monza Convertible, is taking up space in the other bay, which I intend on turning into a spray booth, for both automotive and set/drop paint work. 

A few of my custom design modifications. Flared fenders and air-scoops provide forced air for the air-cooled Corvair engine. This car is my lifelong project car. I consider it my metal canvas. I bought it in 1970, when I was fifteen, from my newspaper money. That too, needs an engine that has yet to have been rebuilt. It sits on jackstands with the suspension removed.

So, on just those two vehicles alone, I have a great deal of work to be done. And still, I have other vehicles, including an International Loadstar CO1600, that needs a new motor, which sits in my shop awaiting a rebuild. That is the big work truck which is under construction as a mobile workshop, but it also has a dumping stakebed, a crane arm, and a snow plow. I intend for that to also have the capacity to carry a water supply. 

Then there a Dodge/Fargo RV that I use as a mobile office. The RV is currently being restored, after sitting unused for a number of years. 

That will also be a pull vehicle for at least two trailers, one of which is a 1944 Star House Trailer, which I have owned for about twenty-five years and at one time lived in for three and a half years. That too, now needs restoration.

On top of this, I just bought another 1961 Corvair Van, which needs some restoration and which, is stored in a remote location an which, I intend on turning into a delivery van for the studio.

As you can see, I have much to do.

 I will be building a blog for Just Vairs, so that I can post the progress on the Corvair work. I may just pursue the Deco Garage concept and transfer all the Corvair activity there, if it becomes possible.

All of this remains secondary to the work on The Gnomes of New Hope, but clearly, how I manage these other items will affect my work on The Gnomes.

Stage Facilities

As I may have mentioned, it has been my intention to set up a stage in the studio. Not a stage for public presentation, but a sound stage for production purposes. 

I have the space delineated, but for other reasons I have not been able to set that stage up yet. I now have another piece of that puzzle- stage curtains and drops.

A theatre associate, Tony Cantore, who owns the largest collection of costumes in Bucks County and probably the general region, has lent me his collection of curtains and drops. 

I have been keeping him abreast of the progress of "The Gnomes of New Hope" since we first met around twenty years ago. His shop originated on New York, and Tony was associated with Arthur Gerold, who owned Brooks/Van Horn Costumes.  Tony's Collection includes the Cardell Costume Collection from Broadway.

My buddy Arthur as a younger dude.

So, I'm happy to have a collection of stage curtains and drops, which initially, I thought to use only for my sound stage. But the truth is, that these curtains will accommodate a forty foot proscenium. Well, not only a full set of blacks, but a number of sky drops and greens (which might be forest). Luckily for me, Tony is ok with me repainting the drops, which means that the forests for the center of Gnomeville will probably end up on at least one drop.

I'm thinking through how to best use these drops. Unfortunately, my shop only has a fourteen foot ceiling and the stage space I have delineated is (at most) 20' for the proscenium, 8' in the wings and 18' deep. That's pushing it, I originally set the depth at 16', figuring it would match a "Little Theatre" scenario. This size configuration will also work in prepping the Show for houses like The Bucks County Playhouse. In that instance, we need to cut the stage in half and playstage down on a thrust, because we need to avail ourselves of the turntable for set changes.

I'm not sure how the Bucks County Playhouse will come into play, but we have a long process to go through before we will be ready to open a show.

In the meanwhile, I am focusing on in-house activities that will take advantage of the sound stage, puppetry, parade float, and film/video/animation. Putting the stage musical up will depend largely on getting "The Elder Gnomes Joint Venture" up and running with a Vested Board of Directors and initiating the Ancillary Markets to support production. If we can create a cash flow from Ancillaries, then we will be better off then begging money in a Limited Partnership. That may come into play, but not until it can be managed under another organization, such as the Elder Gnomes or IMS Management. 

Further along those lines, "The Gnomes of New Hope Productions" needs to be formed.

More later.  AG

Studio Facilities; design, construction and relocation

Although IMS is currently in a 10,000 sq ft space, there really is not enough space to grow. At this point, it appears that, certain growth potential will require either adding another location or relocating entirely. Cost factors indicate relocating to a less expensive locale with reduced overhead may be advisable.

 As you may know, Image of the Mind Studios is a proprietorship. This poses difficulties for production activities. There are certain things that cannot be done under that business model. This is, in large part, why IMS remains in the design, development and pre-production end of things.

 One significant concern is the longevity of IMS. If IMS remains a proprietorship, it will die when I do and that is becoming more a probability than not. Unless, of course, I build a Board of Directors. That will only happen if Board members buy into IMS with a significant buy-in, basically somewhere around seven.

This is one reason that I have been seeking to change the business structure. For me, the difficulty in that lies in the amount of other work that I need to tend to. Simply put, I cannot get away from finishing the work that is before me. The managerial work of shifting the business model cannot interfere with the creative work that is under way and demanding attention. Otherwise, those creative details will wither under the pressure and never reach fruition.

Some History

That leads me to the current facilities. The building I am in, (Image of the Mind Studios and I are one in the same under the proprietorship model) is a building that was built by my grandfather. IMS is using half of the 20k sqft building. The other half is the machine shop, which he founded and my father, followed by my brother, ran. Of course, I worked in that business too, for a large part of my life, before my brother became involved, but Image of the Mind Studios has been my mission since I formed it in 1977.

I discovered by trial and error, that it was best for me to focus on pre-production. I have always been very involved in theatrical production and I would say, what has become (relatively speaking) nominally involved in film production. I was heavily involved in photography for most of my life. I transferred my technical capabilities, gained by my background in the machine shop and automotive work, over to technical theatre. Early on I began studying film, acquiring equipment and making films. It was my dream, to make movies. However, I fell into theatre, rather by accident.

I went to college to study photography and was led into studying film and television. My studies resulted in an Associates Degree is in Mass Media/Cinema, but that finishing work of that degree was exclusively in theatre. 

However, that degree did not come easily. Every step along the way, I was being directed back into the machining business. When the pressure became too much for me, at 21, I fled to California and sought to pursue a career in film. I returned to Bucks County years later to finish that degree, with an emphasize on theatre.

 "The Gnomes of New Hope;

 Zach and Zebby's Grand Adventure"  

has been designed & developed to account for the variances required for primary market saturation. The writing takes into account Theatre, Cinema, Television, Audio Book, e-Storybook, Animation, Illustration, a Companion Graphic Novel format and a particularly new product line/business model that incorporates all of the above.

The development of this project takes into account aspects of the storyline components, designed specifically for use in simultaneous exploitation of numerous Ancillary Merchandizing markets. Not a blatant insertion of Merchandizing from an opportunistic perspective, but the use of storyline aspects that blend well with expanding the awareness of the storyline into additional arenas, as a means to support the overall immersion into the story, culture and history of The Gnomes of New Hope. This is a key to giving this project legs.

The many other projects I have worked on, written, designed, or otherwise attempted to produce have all led up to and affected the extent of the Core Creative Materials for this project. Because of what I have learned over the years, it has taken me over twenty years to create and develop this project to this degree and to include the widest practical range of critical components, developed as fully as possible, so that this project may succeed in the greatest possible degree. 

California back in 1974, was an eye-opening experience for me. I won't go into it here (check my bio) but let me say;  my starry eyes were tainted by the realities of seeing all the dead bodies on the side of the road to stardom and worldly success. 

Well... I departed my first visit to Hollywood with a strong dose of reality. Although I have to say, Gene Roddenberry reading and liking the first draft of my screenplay "I Am Alpha & Omega" is a very good and encouraging memory, I made some other pretty significant advances on that leg of my journey as well.

 None-the-less, I departed Hollywood with some very important bits of information; besides 1) "watch your back" and 2) don't present your raw ideas to strangers; make sure that - 3) what you present is ready to act on immediately 4) you are prepared to act immediately 5) your creative material is legally protected in multiple ways, under the terms that are acceptable to you as an artist. 6) don't sign ANY agreements without legal representation and review 7) don't let your ego get in the way.

Soon after obtaining my Associates Degree, I began to pursue and interview a plethora of colleges to advance my to a Bachelor's Degree and move towards a Master's Degree. When they discovered my proclivities and my technical background, surprisingly, virtually every one hired me, or offered to hire, to work on their stage. The exceptions being NYU, Julliard, and Emerson. I was hired by Bucks County, Harvard, MIT, Boston University, Boston Ballet, Boston Opera as well Joe Papp, Lorne Micheal, Camera Mart, Beverly Hills Playhouse, MGM/Gerber, A&E, The Bucks County Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse, The New Hope Arts Commission and many more. 

I won't go on, because; when I stopped keeping track, after I began working on The Gnomes, I had 350 shows under my belt, and more since then.

So, back to the subject at hand; facilities. I set up IMS in it's present location for a few reasons 1) the building was owned by my family and I had an office there for forty + years. This was in exchange for helping my father with his business, while he also helped me with mine. 

The back buildings were rental properties and they had become emptied because the latest tenant was perturbed that we would not sell him the buildings, so they vacated the premises. The problem was - that they left the property unrentable. The damages imposed by them (and previous tenants) were severe.

It came to be that I was in charge of much of the maintenance on the buildings and we began using the empty building for maintenance supplies and tools. That led me to begin setting up various workstations and such. At first those workstations pertained exclusively to building maintenance procedures and the assorted supplies needed for such.  Because, simply put; the building were unrentable without a large outlay that would not be recouped for twenty years worth of rentals. So having me implement the maintenance was less costly. The space started to be used for storage as well.

As it turned out, my folks, being in their 80's were less and less concerned with the details of the business and the buildings, which rather left me holding the bag in certain ways. While my brother was running the business and excluding me from participating, I needed to bring The Gnomes of New Hope up to par to create sufficient income to support the building operation and maintenance in the long term, since only nominal support was coming from elsewhere to do that and I had no knowledge of their finances.

I was informed that I would inherit the building, in particular, at the very least, the portion I was using.

Hence, I buckled down and began using the empty back buildings for my work as well. The buildings did not need to be renovated for me to use them. So it became an exchange. I continued to use the buildings in exchange for maintenance and other assistance to my folks, under the understanding I was to inherit the building.

So now my folks have died and I am embroiled in a Will Probate that mostly ignores what I was promised and is involved in legal battles between my siblings. Once again I am at the short end of the stick. I will not go into it, but the circumstances are unacceptable for me to create a productive work environment. 

Therefore, I must relocate IMS again, for the twelfth time. This will not be an easy nor an inexpensive task. If I remain in Bucks County, it will cost millions to build another facility and a significant amount to maintain that operation. I will not rent. If I am forced into it, I will pack my gear into semi-trailers and shut down. If that happens, it may be for good, because it takes a massive amount of energy to set this deal up again and get things going. 

I'm two years away from seventy, so I hope you see that dilemma.

I am looking at relocating to the Pocono Mountains in upper Pennsylvania. If that is to happen, I will be building "The Theatrical Development Centre" there. I like that idea and I have multiple designs that I have developed over the years for just that goal. But I have to find the right land, build a shop space, and move six semi-trailers worth of gear. It's a major endeavor. I'm willing to do it. I have some capital to work with, but really, not enough.  I need to sell the movie rights to The Gnomes of New Hope to secure additional funds.

I have some basic designs, but to do it right I need proper architectural drawings and a contractor to oversee construction of a facility. That facility needs to include a substantial legit theatre. So, you can imagine that I would drop ten million to pull this off correctly, at the very least.

I don't have that much to work with yet, but that's the goal.

If you're onboard with that. Let me know via email.

AG

Animation, Sculpting & Publication

As I've said before, I intend for us to create animated skits, almost GIFs, to insert into the e-Storybook, almond side of, and in some instances instead of, the illustration panels. In this vein, I would like to associate with another producing organization who will implement the feature film presentations. In terms of the feature films, there will be two films; one animated and one live action. Now, these films will include the music from the show, because the show is a musical. So, that being the case, I am looking for a partner to license those rights. 

On my end, I am looking at buying a church and renovating it to serve the dual purpose of a church and a theatre. That conceptual project also involves another property to serve as the administrative offices and assorted studio spaces, like a recording studio. I will discuss this project elsewhere when the time is right.

So the licensing, including merchandising, needs to provide sufficient fund for me to implement that plan. As I've said before, I will post the business plan on IMS Producing Partners, which will outlines the business structure and some budget and funding stats. That blog site is closed to the public, so if you are interested in engaging at that level, you need to tell me so I can set you up to sign into that blog site.

I have had recent discussions regarding the CG 3D work that needs to be done on our characters. As it stands now, we will be pursuing both CG and classic drawing/sculpting methods to create the animations, figurines, and puppets (both manual and animatronic). The manual puppets will be both stick and marionettes. These represent two shows in themselves. The animatronic puppets will first be applied to the Parade Float, followed by a walkthrough cyclorama, and ultimately, a theme park application.

So this is a very wide ranges of activities, which in truth, extends even further when you consider that "Zach & Zebby's Grand Adventure" is one story of seven that comprise "The Gnomic Tales". But that's "another story".

Normally this subject is reserved for The Gnomes of New Hope blog, but it ended up here.

In regard to publishing. We have started the process of completing the remaining illustrations. All told we need 345 illustration panels. After all, the book collection is nearly 800 pages in seven books or three volumes. The first step will be to fill in the pages with sketches. The work I have done, has been to complete all the technical layout for the books so that they can be published without any snags. In the instance where I did not have artwork for any given page, I inserted description panels of what the illustration needed to represent. That allowed me to move forward with the printing layout. Well, we have now started developing the remaining illustrations.

So, the final prototype is nearly ready to print. I will be printing the entire collection of books, focusing on the Gnome-sized books as the first items to inventory. Where appropriate I can give the Gnome-sized books away as samples. I will not be giving any Big People books away, they are too costly. I have other details regard the books sales and distribution, which I will discuss elsewhere. Suffice it to say that the books will be available via The Gnomes of New Hope blog, which will provide a link to the shopping cart page. There, you will be able to buy both retail and wholesale. In that regard, the hand-stitched books will be exclusive sold by IMS Publishing, by special order. Retailers can also order hand-stitched books for resale, but quantities will be limited due to more complex assembly processes and slower production capabilities. Pricing for the hand-stitched books is higher than machine bound books. So those details will be provided elsewhere once the production lines are fully established. As it stands now, we are set up to produce prototype materials. The production line needs to be restructured to accommodate higher quantity orders. Also, the packaging/shipping/recieving area is also being organized and constructed, as that is critical to delivering product.

That's all for now.  AG

The Gnomes of New Hope

I recently did a Google search of The Gnomes of New Hope. One of the results was a post on this blog. A post created in 2013. Gadzooks! I forgot I had even written that post. I scanned it briefly and it does appear to touch all the bases, of course, the thinking in that post may be outdated... But then again, it may not. I had no idea that preparing the books for publication would take so many years to achieve. I am about ready to print the final prototype run. Part of that process has also included setting up the production line requirements for in-house publication. So that has added to the time frame. In any event, I can recommend that any of what I have, or will say on these pages is valid, if even somewhat dated. In regard to this older post, from what I saw, it was a good overview. Maybe I'll transfer it over to www.thegnomesofnewhope.blogspot.com and then update it. AG

Santa and his Elves

I've moved this post up, since it is the Christmas Season.

I may work on this project some more, because interestingly, 

I'm looking at doing The Garden Gnomes in much the same manner.

This is a Christmas Project that I never got around to pursuing. I had investors lined up to foot the fifty grand I needed to publish as 4' x 8' sheets and distribute these as Lawn Displays to lawn centers, either as a "Do-It-Yourself" kit or Turnkey finished product. I found a very high degree of interest from numerous Lawn Centers, but when it came down to push vs shove, the investors chickened out. 

So that, and other changing circumstances, put the kabash on my effort at the time.  

But I am still very interested in pursuing the entire line of designs.

   This was put on hold when I got wrapped up in The Gnomes of New Hope. Now I'm thinking of doing the Gnome characters as lawn displays. I did move forward to do Garden Gnomes, 18" cultures cast in cement, but I think that doing this flat lawn displays would work well, so I'll be constructing some prototypes. 

   Certainly I'd be interested to hear from anyone with a marketing/sales/partnership interest. Now that Image of the Mind Studios is more stabilized and set up in an excellent facility, this Lawn Display project could be readdressed, but to do so, I would need a Project Manager, funding and guaranteed sales. I am simply too busy with The Gnomes of New Hope producing activities.

  I'm posting this image here so anyone who wants to can print it out and use it for a Christmas Card. I will produce them (cards, table or lawn displays ) if you want to give me an order for quantities more than 100. Just let me know. I think I have an email link in the sidebar of this blog.  AG

Telephone Calls

For those of you calling me via the number ending in 87, that number is my personal cell phone. I simply answer it with "Hello". I do not answer " Image of the Mind Studios". I realize that a number of people expect otherwise, because I get a lot of hangups or no responses. That is either my fault, or it is because people are ignorant. If I get a robo call or an aggressive solicitation I do hang up.

 For unrecognizable numbers, I most often let it go to voice mail. If you want me to answer your call, you will need to give me a heads up via messenger. 

I generally avoid solicitations and cannot afford the time with salesman pitching me, so don't waste your time. I seek what I need, not what someone wants to sell me.

I prefer communicatimg via email, text, or Messenger. 

That's the way it is for now. I'm considering hiring a receptionist, but that isn't an immediate priority, simply because the work taking place is mostly internal and IMS is not a service agency. The focus of attention is on building IMS Publishing and setting up numerous other operations.

AG

Vested Partners

I thought I'd broach the subject of shifting IMS away from a Proprietorship and into a Corporate structure. I have designed multiple divisions of IMS Management, to accommodate varying degrees of operations, in order to allow for expansion into higher levels of activity. Those divisions are discussed in the Business Plan, which I will be posting on the IMS Producing Partners and IMS Management pages, but my current thought is to sell Image of the Mind Studios outright. The only reason I am considering this is that I need to plan an exit strategy. My approach to doing this will be to take on Vested Partners and build a Board of Directors and shift IMS away from me over time.

 Of course, there are numerous levels of Vested Partners who sit on various independent boards, before getting to Image of the Mind Studios, Incorporated.

They are;

1) The Elder Gnomes Joint Venture

     (funding)

2) IMS Management, Inc.     

     (logistics)

3) The Gnomes of New Hope Productions 

     (production)

4) RCK Technologies, Inc.   

     (manufacturing)

5) Image of the Mind Studios

     (design & development)

I'll discuss this more later. AG

Update 7/21; Regarding Communications and Other Business.

I just looked at my last post and was surprised to find the absurdity of how auto correct changed what I wrote. Egads! I fixed it.

This is my front office, which, some time ago, I started turning into the art department, with a video editing suite. I have been in this office for forty years, albeit, on the road alot doing theatre and film. This is in Building Two.  I have expanded into Buildings Three and Four and moved my production office into Building Three. So if you come looking for me, the front office is closed. I am in the back buildings and for now the front Buildings One and Two, which contain the machine shop, are shut down, including my front office.

I have been deeply occupied with the writing/publishing activities of The Gnomes of New Hope, so I have not been very attentive to the other matters pertaining to Studio structure. Yes, I have been reorganizing the shop, in order that I can, not only, be more efficient with the ongoing projects "under roof", but also in order to make it possible to hire people to work there. You see, the work stations must be under control, tools in their place, the building up to code, and other like matters, before I can effectively allow activities to step up to the required production level. I also need to get the account office under control before and of course, sufficient funds, before I can start hiring personnel. Nothing would be worse than starting the engine, heading out on the highway at 120 mph, only to find that the bridge over the river isn't finished, if you get my drift.

Further, for those of you who choose to use the telephone to communicate with me; the line I have posted as the contact for Image of the Mind Studios is my personal cell phone. I answer with hello. Don't let that throw you off. I can't seem it bring myself to respond to answering the phone any other way, I've tried and I always revert to hello. I say this because I get a lot of calls where there is no response on the other end of the line and if I get no immediate response, I hang up. I don't have time for robo calls or idiots.  Your best bet is a text, but you need to identify yourself. I don't respond to solicitations or unknown links. Generally, I'm pretty busy and often don't get to the phone before it goes to voicemail. So if you do leave a message, I will get back to you, if you are talking business and not just trying to sell me something. Eventually, I will set up a receptionist, in which event those communications will take a more standard form. For now, all those resources are directed toward building other aspects of studio operations. Keep in mind that my primary modus operandi is design, development and production (mostly prototype materials). Manufacturing, marketing and distribution are developing under specific parameters, which are not yet active. 

My history in manufacturing goes back to my grandfather and father running our family machine shop, so I do have a history of working in that arena and an understanding of the depth required for those activities. In fact, the machine shop is still intact, although shut down right now. If it goes this way, I will be looking to build a board of directors to take over operations of the shop. It started out with Swiss Automatic and all the necessary secondary operations, but it's set up now for CNC. Ask me if you are interested. The company was RC Kletzing Inc. If I restructure it, it will become RCK Technologies, specializing in design, development, production of robotics and animatronics... and, of course portions of the business activity that it has always been a part of; a job shop.

 We're also engaged in platform medical technology as well. That is a cutting edge new application of known technology, which has already had six million invested in it. It needs to be brought to market. Another project you might inquire about.

So that's all for now. AG

Operations

Here's a Photoshop version of my RV. The paint may end up different, but the "Woody" aspect will remain, when I get around to doing the vehicle over again. This RV made a great mobile office, and I used it for that purpose for a few years.

Well, overall work in the shop is proceeding slowly, primarily because the priority has to be on completing the publishing layout for The Gnomes of New Hope Illustrated Storybook Collection. I have been setting up a production line for producing the Hand-Stitched Edition of the books. That also involves inventory management and shipping/receiving. Sales will be wholesale only, with the Hand-Stitched books being primarily part of the investment strategy. If it turns out that retailers are willing to pay the extra cost and wait for delivery of the Hand-Stitched Edition of the books, then they will go out to retail as well, but for now hand-stitched bindings will apply to investment in the Theatrical production work.

I will need to actively start pursuing the establishment of The Elder Gnomes Joint Venture, not only for the production of The Gnomes of New Hope, but because I need to build another Board of Directors for The Alpha and Omega Society. Part of the larger plan is to build IMS Management as well, but I'm slowing down considerably, so all that will depend on who chooses to be involved. Any of those board positions will require investment in both time and money. It would be nice to establish those boards and see them advance without my impetous. I mean generally speaking. I'm at the age where people usually retire, and although I don't see that happening, it would be nice if I could do so without damaging the growth and operation of Image of the Mind Studios, et al. 

So, that being said, I will be looking to reorganize with a mind to realize that I need to implement an exit plan. If that is of interest to anyone, let me know.

I still have a lot of writing to do, so establishing another modus operandi for IMS is a good idea, in order to give me time to do that. It seems that everything I do these days takes a lot more time than it used to. Oh well.

AG

1/21 Update

Of course, I posted on The Gnomes of New Hope blog, so check that out. I also changed the title of my Tumblr blog to Image of the Mind Studios, so I guess I'll be restructuring that to reflect the studio more than my own interests (cars and other cool stuff). I do have another Tumblr blog titled "Arturo de Magnifico" (a joke from my acting days) which has a few posts about "The Gnomes of New Hope". With all this talk of censorship I get the feeling that the web presence is at risk, so I will be diversifying somewhat. I use Facebook and I have a number of pages, including one for The Gnomes, but those days may be numbered if they keep censoring free speech. I don't use Twitter, I tried but that didn't work out too well, they blocked my account after only one post, when I couldn't remember my password. I was never able to resolve that. I tried, but I got no response. So... I use Pinterest and I have a board for The Gnomes of New Hope, but it's not a primary business communications tool. I use Linkedin, but I find that service far too intrusive, so I limit my use of that. I started to look at Paler, but we all know what has happened there. So, now I'm looking into GAB and I expect to use Tumblr a bit more. Overall, I have to say, I like eBlogger the best, since I can set it up for strictly posting my updates, without any interaction from anyone else. I like to just post updates of my activity without any comments. I figure if someone wants to communicate, email is the best option. Although, that system is a bit overwhelmed and I never know if something went to spam. So, if you do want to communicate with me, don't hesitate to do so more than once and don't get insulted if your email disappears in the mire of electronic documents. I try to stay on top of it, but it's not easy with the flood of material that descends on me.

Also, I use Messenger and that works well, if you are in my system.

Well, back to the intention of this Update; as always, I am advancing my shop capabilities. I have been concentrating on getting the scene shop set up. So I have been juggling between that and publishing the books, with the books being the priority. I will be seeking a Distribution deal for the books, in order to increase cash flow and allow me to concentrate on the studio. So if you are a book distributor, keep that in mind. I will also be working to license other ancillary markets, which are numerous. If you are engaged in merchandizing or production, and you think the Gnomes fits in with your business, let me know and we can talk. I expect to be switching over to working on the music again, after the publishing layout is locked in as to the technicalities of the design. In that regard, all that is now needed is to insert new artwork for the incomplete illustration panels. I will be bringing in artists to finish that work, while I continue with scoring the music. With the scene shop set up, we may also be able to begin some construction in regard to production. My first objective is to construct the parade float, which also involves animatronic puppetry. That will also require getting my metal working and fabrication work stations properly set up.  Attending more seriously to that will be happening after the wood-working is satisfactorily set up. In terms of the metal working , I'm looking for another lathe and a decent milling machine. Since I don't currently have access to the family machine shop (don't ask) I need to acquire my own machines. I have most of what I need, but even if I do take over the machine shop, I will need a metal working shop in my studio that meets my prototype construction needs.

Well, that's all for now.

Check the other blogs. 

AG

Shop Activities

Well, the concentration is still publishing The Gnomes of New Hope, and in that regard, I am setting up the book binding aspect of that project. I am gathering the tooling for being able to punch binding holes, one full book at a time. If my punch press tooling designs work to do that, it will be a big plus to the production line. I want to be certain we can do that before the product lines are released, since the uniqueness of the books is important for it's overall appeal.

 I have endeavored to rearrange the floor plan of the shop, something I was putting off because of the magnitude of doing that, but it had to be done. I was thinking it through for some time and finally determined to go ahead with that.  I installed shelving to delineate the work areas and get supplies, tools and such off the floor space. Initially, the space was mostly for storage, but since I rather intend on dying here, I concluded that I might as well set it up right. I've set up, an ongoing process, a wood shop (for set construction and furniture restoration), a metal shop with welding (for general fabrication, prototype & animatronic work). I'm still needing a good lathe and milling machine, since I don't have access to our family's machine shop (for reasons I won't go into). But I have been delineating the space for these functions. I have been a Corvair enthusiast since 1970 so I have two work bays with  a '61 Corvair Rampside and a '66 Monza Convertable resident in those work areas. One bay will become a paint booth, for both the cars and the theatre work, the other is for mechanical and other vehicle and other restoration work. I also have a '64 Greenbrier, which I will be converting into a parade float for The Gnomes of New Hope. In addition to the service bays, I am setting up a third bay area that is dedicated to my 1931 Model A Roadster, which right now is in pieces.

There are many other work areas in the shop that are in stasis. The product showroom, the exhibition gallery, the puppet design & fabrication area, a sound stage and sound booth, paint area, lighting and electrical closet, a future control booth for the stage, a peanut gallery with around 80 1930's deco theatre seats (needing restoration). Add to that two motorcycles, both of which are disassemble and need attention. 

So as you see, I've got my hands full and the primary objective above all this (and more) is to generate enough capital to get this done and hire people to work on these projects. In addition to The Gnomes of New Hope, I have other projects that need to be worked on, but everything is pushed aside in lieu of completing The Gnomes and getting that into the marketplace.

One very important goal is to create a remote location for The Theatrical Development Centre and Spiritual Retreat.

 I will likely post more about other work areas, like the back lot and some of the projects taking place there too.

That's all for now. AG

AG

Exhibition of The Gnomes of New Hope

The Gnomes of New Hope was originally designed as a Legit Stage Musical, but I'm beginning to think that the stage production in a theatre may not be our primary market. 

I have begun the process of constructing a Parade Float which will include animatronic puppetry, although I am still heavily engaged in publishing and crafting an online presence for the e-Storybook. I'm thinking along the lines of moving from the Parade environment into the Feastival and Environmental theatre arenas, before approaching any theatre. Stepping into the Legit environment brings a debt load that makes it questionable, uless you know the audience had been developed to support those expenses. I'm not willing to fund that operation via traditional methods without the audience to back it up. So I'm taking a more gradual approach to building the audience, starting with publishing. I am open to other options offered by participants, so long as those opinions bring with them significant funding. I have a significant overhead for the studio which needs to be satisfied and that is the priority.

More later. AG

The Substance of The Studio

For some time, I off-handedly referred to The Lord as the Executive Producer and true owner of Image of the Mind Studios. I do believe that to be true, while I perform the principle role of Artistic Director. In a way, I serve as Executive Producer as His agent in this world. 

All that being said, the work I am doing is to setup and structure the Studio so that other delegates who have the same perspective can join the team, working for the Lord in the creative environment that is Image of the Mind Studios.

As I have said before, the larger objective is to construct a compound; The Theatrical Development Centre and Spiritual Retreat. That concept has come into greater clarity and is moving toward becoming a reality, although it is very far off.

But the idea of delegating the personnel structure is one that needs to be addressed, particularly in the arena of establishing a Board of Directors. I take the position that for my role I must continue to work on refining the Studio's working space and leave the Board of Directors up to Providence. Having said that, it should be know that the circumstances are ripe for implementing the larger management structure, which is defined in my Business Plan for The Gnomes of New Hope, with only minor adjustments needed to accommodate the epithany regarding the Executive perspective I just outlined here.

In Providence, I leave the impedus up to the individuals who wish to participate and contribute to creating the environment I describe. I for one, realize that my lifespan is limited and I want to see Image of the Mind Studios grow into the entity I envision, understanding full well that it is not in my power to do so, on my own, without others becoming involved in the vision or without all persons involved giving deference to the Lord alone. 

I remain open to discussion in this regard. 🎭🎶🎬📚🙏

Thanks to; "Off-the-Left Eye" for the photo/text panel above.

Partnering

Now that I am finishing g up the e-Storybook, discussions have picked up about presenting the music. This is a good thing, since once the delivery of the e-Storybook is established, I will be focusing in finishing the score to the music.

 But that brings us to gathering resources. With a number of people anxious to work on the stage musical, I need to secure the funds to advance. I prefer to do that in ways that do not require me to pay any of that money back or manage the investment parameters. Licensing the rights is one way, but that too requires management. I am engaged in crafting the materials, so I will be looking to job out or license the management functions. I can build those functions in-house, but that will take time and distract me from other creative work, which must be done. 

So, I'm just posting this to state that I am open to discussing management and funding. My primary goal is to fund the overhead of my studio facility first and foremost, for the long term, meaning the rest of my life (30 years at most). I want that burden gone.

Once that is achieved, then other activities can proceed. I continue to advance with internal operations, but introducing external forces, such as management, on a contract basis, requires satisfaction of long term facilities overhead as a prerequisite​. I will discuss those numbers in person, but a clue is that it costs $100k per year minimum, not including other studio management and facilities maintenance expenses.

Let me know if you want to be I involved. I need to focus more on the funding end of things. We're working off of Front Money, leading into a Joint Venture, and possibly a Limited Partnership. I have a Business Plan available.

I am willing to contract for representation, so long as it's understood that I control the creative content and my economics are met. 

This project has very high potential, but I only need very little in comparison. So this is a peach ripe for the pick'in.  AG🎭🎬🎶🇺🇸

IMS Producing Partners

I have been posting on IMS Producing Partners. It is a site for Classified information intended for our investors, but it is also (supposedly) a restricted site. If the link above takes you into that site, I'd appreciate your letting me know. Here is my email; image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com

 If you find that you need to register, you  can send me your email to the same address and request access if you want to read what is there. I will be focusing more on this site and giving limited access to Industry Professionals who request to see the information posted there, as I will be posting contracts and management documents in due time. I will also be posting the Business Plan, which outlines The Elder Gnomes Joint Venture and the Front Money Agreement. I expect that there will be multiple layers of security on that site.

I am still working on the basis of Front Money and the returns under that agreement are substantial. As it stands now, I will be working to raise around $100K to support the Illustration work that needs to be done. I am also pursuing Licensing, as I need to support the Studio Facilities and get the show on the road.

IMS Producing Partners will be THE place for business documents, so anyone considering involvement will need to request access. Now that other matters are coming to a close, I will be focusing more on those business aspects of producing this show. AG

IMS, Shop Space

Here's a cool shot of a stage, just because it's cool.

Well, even though almost all of my time is taken up with finishing the layout for The Gnomes of New Hope, I am still gradually getting the shop set up. I currently have two 5k sq ft buildings and maintaining that space is costly in a number of ways. Hence completion of The Gnomes and getting it out there producing income is the priority, but I still need to tend to other matters. The property has 4 buildings, my goal is to wholely own and maintain the building and the business in the front two buildings. Buildings 1&2 contain a CNC machine shop, which is closed down right now. My goal is to oped that shop again as a division of IMS, so that's going to require a couple of million to do. But in terms of the two back buildings, in bldg 3 in setting of a scene shop, with wood & metal working areas, a paint booth, a work area that matches the stage turntable in The Bucks County Playhouse, a conference room, refinishing area for furniture, an assembly line for bookbinding, and dhipping/receiving, and of course storage areas for supplies. Also, I have the paint booth area serving as a service bay for vehicles and I have an area set aside for rebuilding a 1931 Model A Roadster. I work in the offices of Bldg 3 and my workstation has three Macs set up for GFX, publishing, FCP, DP/Mach Five, Poser and around at least a dozen other programs. What I can and am striving to achieve has been posted elsewhere, but all of my facilities and resources are dedicated to The Gnomes of New Hope and other projects I already have going. I do not take in outside work, only upon occasion, because my studio rate has to be $250/hr plus expenses that rate covers only the overhead no production expenses or personnel. I've not come across too many people willing to pay that rate, so I don't bother. I'll discuss that in the page IMS Management, which I will embellish after I finished the layout work on The Gnomes of New Hope.

That's all for now. AG 🎭 🇺🇸

Recent Activities​

  It's sometimes difficult to keep all the various blog site active and up-to-date. So, I'm just going to touch base here.

   Work on the e-Storybook is continuing. It feels like a never-ending project, but it is advancing and it is moving along nicely. It is a far far bigger project then I imagined. An example here is that the most recent edition is a result of discovering 153 pages that were eliminated from the previous version. Apparently, in an effort to expedite the matter, I removed the pages that were drawn from "The Gnomic Tales".

    Of course, doing that changed the page numbers as well as expanding Volume Three. But the end result has been redoing the page numbers and making sure the right and left gutters are correct. I'm finishing up the page numbering and will need to build a new PowerPoint presentation.

I mentioned elsewhere that I discovered iMovie will import a .PPTX file, thus making it possible to export that .MOV file into Final Cut Studio. So, I have also been busy setting up the multiple xServe arrays I have and rebuilding my Mac workstations. I recently bought a G4 Mirror Door to replace the Quicksilver that we used to compose the music and will use that as a server for the older files. The Quicksilver seems to be working now, so I will reestablish that workstation. It's still good for many things, incLuding arranging music. Of course, I have the most recent programs on my Mac Pro, but I need another  I workstation for  a someone else  a to use. I still have the G4 Audio Mac that I used for some time and I am using the dual boot function to connect to both the Quicksilver and the older 6400. I use the 6400 and older machines for OS9 and a number of the programs I used in those operating systems. I have an affection for programs like Graphic works and Hypercard.  Used them very effectively, but of course they don't run on the newer systems, so I have kept all my older machines and am putting them to use for things like inventory, scheduling, and some project management.

    Little by little I am setting up the Sales & Accounting Office. That is connected to the showroom and gallery exhibition area. I haven't worked much on the gallery exhibition, mostly because I'm tied to finishing g up the e-Storybook and getting that to produce income. Once that happens a lot of other projects can be attended to.

Little by little I am refining the floor space and setting up multiple work stations. I'm designing and setting up woodworking and metalworking areas, as well as a staging area for set construction and a soundstage with a green screen. I expect to be acquiring a set of borders and legs... and so much more.

AG

Facebook Pages

Here are some links.

Arthur Greisiger
Artistic Director/Proprietor
Image of the Mind Studios

There are also pages for;
Image of the Mind Studios
and
The Gnomes of New Hope

I'm trying to learn how to effectively manage these pages to the best advantage and link everything together.

AG