I’ve been teasing a big update for a few months now. And finally, it’s time to reveal all. There’s lots of stuff, so I’ll briefly give the rundown of the big news and what it all means. Most of it is good news, but there’s a bit of bad news.
Let’s start with the bad news.
I applied for an Epic Megagrant several months ago, and I received word a couple weeks ago that Thera had not been selected as a Megagrant recipient. That was kind of a bummer, yet at the same time, it didn’t come as a huge surprise. Work on Thera had somewhat stalled as I focused on more pressing matters (like a day job so I could pay my bills!). I knew I didn’t really have as much ready as I would have liked when I submitted my application. But I also knew if I waited until I was “ready”, it might be years before I submitted an application! I made the decision to go with what I had, and hope to be able to continue adding enough to the website to impress the folks at Epic when they reviewed Thera. Didn’t work out as planned, though. However, it’s not a total loss. Hopefully lots of progress will be made in the coming weeks/month. After which, we can always apply again with the updated work we’ve done.
Now the good news!
I’ve officially registered BPD productions as an LLC. So now I have an official “company”. It’s not really news regarding Thera, but it’s more long term planning that will be relevant to Thera, but also in future projects. (Fingers crossed!)
Thera’s production crew has doubled! That’s right, there are now TWO people working on Thera! For the past few years, I’ve been developing the idea, the concept art, the story, etc… all by myself. I’m lucky enough to have someone joining the team to help make Thera a reality. Brian P. Dean (me) of BPD Productions has teamed up with Kevin Koperski and Street Lamp Media to create a joint LLC: Amulet Studios. Amulet Studios is now the official entity under which Thera will be produced. The ultimate goal of Amulet Studios is to not only produce Thera, but to thrive as a lasting production studio, allowing us to continue to produce future projects. As a writer, Koperski will be a big help in plugging some of the holes in the story, and getting a more solid pilot and outline together for season one. Also, having started several successful businesses, Koperski brings much needed business experience, and more importantly: funding! Funding will allow for...
We’re hiring! Amulet Studios recently placed an ad on Art Station looking for some short term freelance character design and modeling artists. We received a tremendous response and are currently reviewing candidates to help us design and create the characters and the world of Thera. We’re looking to lock in designs for two characters who will appear in a test sequence which will serve as a proof of concept.
Big purchases! The funding has been put to immediate use, as two Xsens Awinda suits along with two pairs of Manus gloves have been purchased. If you’re following Thera and or Amulet Studios on Facebook, you may have already seen some posts. (If you’re not...why not? What’s wrong with you?) These motion capture suits will allow us to get over one of the biggest hurdles to creating content: animation. While I have worked in the animation industry for 18 years, actual animation is one thing I am totally useless at. Mocap won’t replace animators, but will greatly streamline the process.
So, that about covers it. Lots of stuff. Companies being formed, motion capture suits being bought, artists being hired… It feels like things are starting to build some momentum.
More posts/media/blogs etc are being planned. With things starting to pick up, there should be lots to talk about.