One of the things that jumped out to me in the last generation burn of our DVD was the VO Quality......we had a SUPER HIGH QUALITY score.....we had a Pretty high quality film...and we had totally SUB PAR dialog quality. This was very obvious to me and It was absolutly necessary to bring up the quality to match the others.
In my reading online about people - BIZ people- who watch short films.....the first thing they do is put your production quality into classes . The easiest way to drop in status is CRAPPY VO. -or CRAPPY lighting - or CRAPPY MUSIC - THIS is with out even seeing the animation quality or story. I didnt want this to hurt our chances for success in the festival circuits with somthing we could fix. Im sure a great story could TRUMP almost all of these other shortcomeings but I dont wana risk it.
....We actually recorded 90% of our dialog at professional studios but there were some pikups that were recorded on home devices....I - not being a sound guy didnt know how to make them match.... so....My first step was to re record the low quality VO in a nice studio.In my reading online about people - BIZ people- who watch short films.....the first thing they do is put your production quality into classes . The easiest way to drop in status is CRAPPY VO. -or CRAPPY lighting - or CRAPPY MUSIC - THIS is with out even seeing the animation quality or story. I didnt want this to hurt our chances for success in the festival circuits with somthing we could fix. Im sure a great story could TRUMP almost all of these other shortcomeings but I dont wana risk it.
Luckily ....at my Workplace we have acess to a recording studio and a friendly soundguy to help. ......We re recorded the offending sounds and hired him for a general mixing of the VO. We now have Quality VO....that matches as good as is possible.
This makes me very happy!! QUALITY
onto other things.....I am done with all of the 2d cleanup and coloring....it looks very nice and brings up the quality all over again. We also took out some of the 2d elements and replaced them with small props which add that much more home made quality. Shel made a Sculpy heart - 1rst place ribbon - and a question mark that keep things that much more human....POLISH...
We also are submitting to 10 more festivals this week....which will bring us up to about 18 or so.....thats A BUNCH.....We should here back by dec. if we are accepted?? FINGER CROSSED.This is super exciteing!!! and I hope to share with you guys the entire experiance....I know Ron Cole over at http://wobblytripod.blogspot.com/.....is now a veteran with his film and in fact won {BEST animated short in the New York Film Festival}CONGRATS MAN!!!....... I cant wait to even feel the thrill of an acceptance.....let alone an award..... We will hear before Dec if we are accepted and my normally very patient self is painfully short on that virtue at the moment.
I did a small showing to some of my animators at work......and they seemed to Genuinely like it. I got some notes and am trying to implement them into the next BURN we create. I when watching it am starting to believe I have somthing pretty cool here {This has been along time comeing}
I can also tell you that this post production on a film takes way longer than I was ready for.....but it really is worth it for the FINAL Product. Its going to be forever right.....so I should make it as good as we possibly can.Jriggity