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    Tuesday, April 7, 2009

    Love Your Pet Expo FINISHED.

    Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

    The toon is finished! You can view it directly from my site. It requires Flash Player, so if you don't have it, make sure you pick it up!

    Leave your comments on the toon here! You can do it annonymously, or use your Google/Blogger login! Hook me up with some feedback, folks!

    In other news, be sure to check out the first ever Smirk Studios radio show episode, Cartoons Happen, at 10 pm EST (7 pm AZ time). I'm going to try and get Jeff Short to co-host, but no word on that just yet. It will be a show about what's coming up on Smirk Studios, and also talk about the most anticipated cartoonists the web has to offer. Tune in to Talk Shoe and see what happens!

    Love Your Pet Expo Backgrounds

    Dear Smirk Studios Fans,



    Here is another post for you. It should be the last one. I'm working on backgrounds today until 1:00 pm Arizona time (PACIFIC), so I can make it to work on time at 2.

    Monday, April 6, 2009

    Love Your Pet Expo Lip Sync

    Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

    *Update - 4/6 4:30 pm - Scene 5 of 6 fully lip synced. Awaiting backgrounds
    *Update - 4/6 6:40 pm - All scenes fully lip synced. Background work is the last step! Nothin' to it!

    The toon is still scheduled to be posted on the LYPE website. Here is a frequently updated post for you!

    4/6 - 4:30 pm
    Final scene finished for lip syncing. Here is Expo barking!


    4/6 - 4:30 pm
    One more scene left! Here's a pic of Gertie the goat telling us about the information table.

    Saturday, April 4, 2009

    Love Your Pet Expo Deadline

    Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

    *Update - 4/4 - 4:40 pm - Scene 4 fully lip synced, waiting backgrounds.

    Hey fans! I'm afraid I have a spot of bad news for you. I missed the deadline to have my toon I've been working so hard on featured at the Love Your Pet Expo. I let them down, my fans down, and myself down. I openly apologize, and it seems that the amount of dialog in this toon was longer than I originally anticipated. At the rate of 20 frames a second for a roughly five minute cartoon, you can fully understand my struggle. I really thought I could do it, but I put my goal just out of my own reach.
    On the other hand, this is only my second animation for someone else, and therefore was a huge learning experience. I learned how to construct my cartoon better, and I also learned how to gauge the period of time I can get an animation done based on the length and amount of dialog. I'd like to thank Suz Molthop and Katie Ball at the LYPE personally for their support through this learning experience. Thanks you guys!
    On one more note, I have enabled anonymous commentary on this blog, so feel free to comment without having a blogger account! Please include your name and email if I don't already have it. Thanks everyone! I wont let you down again!


    4/4 - 4:40
    Ok, here is scene 5 with Lennie the llama all fully lip synced. 2 more scenes to go! Here you see him telling you about the Charity Auction.

    Friday, April 3, 2009

    Love Your Pet Expo Lip Sync

    Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

    *Update - 4/3 - 3:10 pm - Scene 2 complications fixed, lip syncing now.
    *Update - 4/3 - 4:20 pm - Scene 2 fully lip synced. Awaiting backgrounds.
    *Update - 4/3 - 5:50 pm - Scene 3 fully lip synced. Awaiting backgrounds.

    The final hour is upon us, and this SHOULD be the last day of work. I know it's due today, but due to unique complications with scene 2, it will be either the end of the day or early in the morning. Stay patient!!!
    A special thanks to Jeff Short for commenting on a previous post regarding the LYPE toon, and another thanks to him and his team of voice actors for their amazing work. Thanks guys!


    4/3 - 5:50 pm
    Ok, Gizmo now has moving lips in Scene 3. 3 more to go! In this pic, he is showing an example of what toys and crafts are made at the Kidz Korner.


    4/3 - 4:20 pm
    The Dora the donkey scene (Scene 2) is fully lip synced. Here we see Dora informing us that she might win the costume contest this year.

    Thursday, April 2, 2009

    Love Your Pet Expo Color

    Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

    *Update - 4/2 - 1:00 pm - Scenes 1 through 6 fully colored. Lip syncing now. Background work AFTER lip sync.
    *Update - 4/2 - 3:10 pm - Scene 1 of 6 fully lip synced. Awaiting backgrounds.

    Yet another frequently updated post. There were some issues with the client about Gertie the goat looking like a cow, so take a look at this post for the updated Gertie, and compare with the last post and tell me what you think! (dorian@smirkstudios.com)

    4/2 - 3:10 pm
    Scene 1 has full lip sync after 3 hours of work. Here is Ronnie the rat pointing out a dog dressed up as a cow.


    4/2 - 1:00 pm
    Here is Expo with the LYPE logo I made. The background is temporarily green so that I know what is white and what is see-through.


    4/2 - 11:00 am
    Gertie the goat updated to look less cow like.


    4/1 - 8:00 pm
    Here is the first frame of the toon in full color minus backgrounds.

    Wednesday, April 1, 2009

    Love Your Pet Expo Screen Shots

    Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

    *Update - 4/1 - 1:15 pm - Scene 4 of 6 completely outlined. Ready for color and lip sync.
    *Update - 4/1 - 2:30 pm - Scene 5 of 6 completely outlined. Ready for color and lip sync.
    *Update - 4/1 - 3:30 pm - Scene 6 of 6 completely outlined. Ready for color and lip sync.

    Here is another post that will be updated throughout the course of the day. Keep checking back!

    4/1 - 3:30 pm
    Ok, the scenes are all outlined and ready to be lip synced. Here is Expo in the very last frame of the animation. Can you guess what word he says? LOL


    4/1 - 2:30 pm
    Here is the final character in the toon. Gertie the goat is a comic relief styled character who we meet while she eats a one-dollar-off coupon for Dog food and the Information Table. She tells us what other things she will be eating, which ends up being pretty cute.


    4/1 - 1:15 pm
    This is Lennie the llama. He doesn't really move that much, but does have a loveable expression as he tells you very calmly about the "Charity Auction."


    4/1 - 11:30 am
    Here is a pose from one of the more elaborate scenes. The action in this picture represents Expo as he calls over Lennie the llama. "Come over here and talk to us!" I've been working on this scene for an hour and a half, and I'm only about half way. That should give you an idea of how awesome it will be!