Updating from my dinky little internship computer while I wait for my next assignment. I just finished editing a big ol' pack of storyboards, so my thumb's a little numb from a lot of erasing.

Well, that and playing FFX for waaay longer than I should have yesterday. It was fun having an unproductive day, although I'd better not get back into the habit of it. I'm nearly done with that game itself...I've gotten all of the extra aeons (Anima kicks SERIOUS ass when he's not kicking mine...) And I'm trying to find as many ultimate weapons as I can. I've gotten everything for Yuna's, and I'm close to getting Auron's I think. I'd also like to get Tidus's, but that requires winning the chocobo race, which I spent two hours alone tackling yesterday. Problem is, the ultimate weapons for some of the other characters require completing even harder minigames. I may just go into the final boss battle with all of my aeons fully charged and hope I don't get creamed. In any case, I need to finish this game fairly soon.

Also, Rei-chan and I went to see 'Madagascar' yesterday. It was quite funny, the voice actors they picked were great, the story was solid, and the characters were expressive and fun. It looks like the kind of movie I would have enjoyed animating. However, while there was definitely nothing wrong with the movie per se, there was something about Dreamworks' choice of comedy that struck a chord with me. While the movie was hilarious, the comedy was all *very* dated, or else parodying other stories. While we're laughing now, five or ten years down the line, the audience isn't going to get a lot of the jokes in that movie...and it won't be nearly as enjoyable.

Problem is, most comedies these days (especially animated comedies) follow this trend. Dreamworks in particular does it a lot with their animated movies, and I think they picked it up from 'Shrek's success. The problem with this thinking is that Shrek was not successful so much because of its "hip and adult comedy," but for the same reason Pixar's movies are so successful...it had a good story with great characters. And if you keep making animated movies solely to sell "hip" jokes, you're going to lose in the long run. It seems that the basics of what makes a good story is something that needs to be learned over and over...and I am more convinced that *really* good comedy that can stand the test of time is *very* difficult to create. Heck, I know I still need a lot of work in it.

Speaking of, I'm going to work more on the puppet show script for a bit...at least until a new job comes up. ;)

Operator status: Ummm...does not apply?

SW: Episode III puppet show completion status: 10% Going to work more on that now.

Drawing: Whelp, I finished the Hollow Bastion map and compiled it together...only to discover, much to my horror, that the file was too big for DeviantART. I didn't even know megapixels *existed* until I tried to post the dang thing. Geez.
I could try posting it in pieces, but that'll end up being some 20-odd files, and I'm not sure I want to spam peoples' DA inboxes with so much map-like junk. Maybe I'll post it on LJ, though...that'll be significantly easier.
Otherwise, still working on KH fanart. I have ideas for a Tidus fanart (which I may work on today) plus a short KH animation. I've ordered more animation paper since I was out, and may start working on it whenever I get the paper. However, this would be a significantly longer animation than the first one I did (with the Dusk Heartless) and I'm slightly reluctant to spend so much time and effort on what is still essentially a fanart.
Also need to email TP with comic page examples today, since they asked...and find a blank DVD so I can burn my reel onto disc and share it with some of the kind persons that work here. ;)

Writing: Still on the puppet show script.