Yeah... I've kind of neglected this blog... But that's all about to change! I won't cover the episodes I've done since my last post (as there are too many!) but I'll start off with Smokescreen!
I'm quite pleased with how this episode turned out! I got some new and interesting angels in as well as being able to give BoCo a speaking role for the first time since Season 3! I missed him...We also got to see Vicarstown Station for the first time EVER in my series! Caroline and Bulgy got little cameos too! Easy to film, easy to edit, and a really enjoyable story! I'm also pleased with how the score turned out as well. And yes, just like in Out of Puff the ash was real ash. ;) So if you haven't already, check it out!
Here's a blog post about the last two episodes of my series, Bulldog and You Can't Win. Let's get going!
Heeeeeey Bulldog! Haha, if you want to get that obscure Beatles reference look here. I really enjoyed making this episode! I think it turned out really well and it wasn't all that hard. Believe it or not, the crash only took two tries, but I did end up cropping it to get my hand out of the shots... grrrr... Anyhoo, all and all, it turned out great! If you haven't, check it out!
Now we move on to You Can't Win!.
This ended up getting pushed back to Monday because of some weekend chaos. Thank goodness for Memorial Day! Again, I'm very proud of this one as well! I experimented with puffing sound effects in this episode and I think it turned out well! I'm not sure I'm going to keep it, but what do you lot think? Not too much was really hard here, but it did take a long time. Lots of hills...lots and lots of hills... Well check it out!
Stay tuned next week for Sleeping Beauty! That should be out this weekend. Farewell!
Another season is upon us! We're kicking off with the stories of Duke the Lost Engine.
Ah, Granpuff! This story has always been a favorite of mine, and I think I've done it justice. It wasn't super hard to create as it was all filmed on the set of the Mid Sodor engine sheds. That set is fast becoming one of my personal favorites! I also love how the derelict MSR turned out! I think it looks really unique compared to a lot of my other sets (the functioning and run-down versions). Stuart and Falcon's nameplates were just paper and pen. Simple, but sweet! Well I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I do! Here's to Season 5!
So here's what I'm thinking as of right now for my penultimate season:
Granpuff
Bulldog
You Can't Win
Sleeping Beauty
Thomas and the Evil Diesel
Scrambled Eggs
What a Picture!
Trevor Helps Out
Down the Drain
High-Speed Gordon
Smoke Screen
Fire Escape
Gordon Proves His Point
Oliver's Find
Mavis and the Lorry
Toby's Seaside Holiday
Bulstrode
Toby Takes the Road
Patience is a Virtue
Peter Sam and the Prickly
Problem
Pop-Special
Sir Handel Comes Home
Sir Topham Hatt's Engines
Post Early for Christmas (Will air as close to Christmas as I can get it)
Note that this is all subject to change! Don't get you're hearts set on anything yet, these are just my first thoughts. I still have some work to do with regards to getting the new engines I need. You can expect Season 5 to start sometime in May.
Well two weeks ago saw the final episode of Season 4, Paint Pots and Queens!
I think this is one of my strongest episodes yet! Everything just worked! Filming was not too hard, editing went smoothly, and I got it out on time (this blog post is another story...)! You'll notice I made no attempt to edit the story to make it make sense to have engines 8-11 there and this was intentional. I couldn't figure out a way that made sense. It was as simple as that. I thought about doing the TV Series intro, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So I just left it an took creative liberties with the engines in attendance. I'm glad I made a Elizabeth II mini-figure that actually looked like her! A note on the flags: THEY WERE SO TEDIOUS TO ATTACH! But once on they stuck and didn't fall off. I think they look really splendid! Also God Save the Queen at the end was a stroke of genius on Mike and Junior's part and I felt obligated to replicate it! So check it out, and watch this space for more updates on Season 5!
Gosh, I let myself fall behind on the old blog again... Sorry about that folks! Let's get caught up now shall we? Let's start in the only logical place, with Stick in the Mud!
Gosh, I loveVery Old Engines! This story in particular was a lot of fun! For everyone wondering, the mud was brown sugar. People always ask me that... and the answer never changes... Not too much really difficult here other than the rain effects. Just like in the TV Series, I used steam to make rain. I also imitated a Railway Series cover for the first time I can think of. All and all, I think it turned out great! Check it out!
Now on to Duck and Dukes!
This episode marked the first appearance of the Lakeside extension and marked the return of the television train. I'm telling you now, this isn't the last you've seen of the Duke of Sodor. ;) More on that in a later post. I also imitated Railway Series illustrations in this adaption in the form of the scenes with the Duke, Skarloey, Rheneas and Peter Sam. The only issue that arose with this episode is I ran out of time several times during editing, pushing the release back from Sunday to Wednesday. But it made a nice mid-week treat. I think this episode was a great way to say farewell to the Skarloey Railway in Season 4, but fear not! We'll be seeing lots of them in Season 5! Make sure you check out this awesome story now!
Next I took a break from all the oddball remakes to do a Christopher Awdry classic in the form of Thomas and Trevor.
First off, I used the text from the original annual to adapt for this remake rather than the TV Series episode. You know what set I hate? Knapford Harbor! Every time I need to use it, I find it really hard to work with and I always end up getting limited shots and angles. I might end up redesigning the harbor for Season 5 as I plan to tackle Toby, Trucks and Trouble next season. Not much else to say on this one, but check it out!
Stay tuned next week for the final episode of Season 4, Paint Pots and Queens!
