I have been asked to participate in the TK Project.  The Star Wars costuming group the 501st Stormtooper Legion is inviting Honorary Members, Friends Of the Legion and a few 501st troopers to create one of a kind Stormtrooper helmets to auction off in a charity event to benefit the Make A Wish Foundation. This project is similar to the Vader Project that Sarah Jo Marks and Dov Kelemer completed.  The auction will take place at the Star Wars Celebration on Sunday August 15th from 2-5 PM in Orlando Florida.  Be sure to check out the site to see the other helmets in the series and become a friend on Facebook.  I’ll be posting a new video everyday this week to document the build of my helmet leading up to the final images.

Computing in the cloud is not a new concept, but it seems to be more relevant today then ever before.  Cloud computing is internet based computing.  So instead of having a single computer filled with all of you files, you store things remote servers and access them through the internet.  When I transitioned from a IBM to a Mac computer, I started to use Google documents to replace my WORD and EXCEL documents.

Another common way that we a using cloud computing is through uploading and sharing videos.  I recently submitted an audition video to be a host on Oprah Winfrey’s network.  I didn’t get the forms all turned in before the deadline, so I didn’t even make it to round one.  (Watch the video below and then call Oprah and tell her to put me on the show).  As I was finishing my audition video, I noticed that the contest submission site had an online video editor.  You could upload your videos, trim them up, combine them and then submit.  Instead of simply uploading your videos to the cloud, you could now do something with them.  It’s not as fancy as other video editing tools, but its free and it’s pretty easy to use.  Shortly after I DIDN’T make it into the contest, I heard that YouTube had introduced on online video editor.  YouTube.com/editor   It will pull all of your uploaded videos and let you trim and combine them and make an new video.  Pretty cool stuff. Here’s the audition video…

Here’s an overview of the new video editor on YouTube…

So I’m thinking that it would be a great idea to set up a user name to share with some of the other dad’s in the neighborhood. That way, when we are all standing around video taping our kids at their concert or other school functions, we can upload to a common area and then we can edit the videos down to one new video.

I was first introduced to the band through their video for “Here we go again” where they were Dancing on treadmills. The video has been viewed over 51 million times. After it was released and started to gain in popularity, the band’s record label, EMI, disabled YouTube’s embedding feature for the video. I suppose they were trying to regain some sort of control over their property. It used to be a big deal to get your song onto the radio station. Having a super creative video is the new radio airtime.

They broke ties with EMI over this issue and formed their own label called Paracadute Recordings. Under this new label and with the sponsorship of State Farm Insurance, they created a gigantic rube goldberg machine for their video “This Too Shall Pass“.

Well they’re at it again for their new video “End Love” that I have EMBEDDED below!  If you really like the video, you can even go and download it. So creative videos + the internet = independence.

When I jump into making a new print I really LOVE to study out the characters, the location and the scene.  Shortly I’ll be making a video that describes the the depth of research and obsession that over took me when I was making my “Lost Shakespearian Ballads” prints.  Until then, let us bask in the art of Obsession as explained by Adam Savage from the Mythbusters.  This video comes from the Entertainment Gathering conference curated by MIT’s Michael Hawley and takes a broad look at entertainment, technology, and ideas.  It’s a pretty cool video, and I really relate to his process.

Well, maybe not “Starring” but I make an appearance (can you say that about audio?).  Back at the San Diego Comic Con I met Harris Toser from Non-Sport Update. Non-Sport Update is THE magazine for collectors of non-sport trading cards (cards that focus on movies, television, sci-fi, comics, music, etc.–anything other than sports). The magazine is published bi-monthly in January, March, May, July, September, and November.  He stopped by to get a signature in his copy of the White Album and was asking about the work that I did in the book.  I started to explain the deeper meaning behind my 3 illustrations and he stopped me, took out his recorder, and had me start over.  You can read his article here and then listen to the podcast below and check out the UK Cast here.

Thanks!

If you weren’t sure, I’d like to come right on out and say I’m a Star Wars fan.  That being said, my fandom pales in comparison to Stacy Davidson.  You see, Stacy is a Super fan and a collector of home game systems and arcade machines. Some of his favorite games of all time include Space Quest III and IV, King’s Quest VI, Fate of Atlantis, Full Throttle and The Dig.  He took his love of adventure titles like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and combined it with his love of Star Wars to make his own game.

He developed the game using the Adventure Game Studio software and of course HOURS and DAYS and WEEKS of his own time and he’s giving it away. According to his progress page, he is currently about 20% done with the game, but Stacy has announced on today that the game is fully playable through the first major section. This section encompasses a hand full of screens, characters and puzzles.  You can follow his progress at his website.

I personally enjoyed this YouTube video of the game play because it reminded me of this print that I made….

I’m not sure why, but the video uploaded to the Atom.com site doesn’t play all the way to the end.  I hope that this won’t negatively impact my chances at winning the contest.  Here’s the video posted on to YouTube.

Atom.com has teamed up with G4 Co-Host Olivia Munn to create Operation Olivia. Star Wars Fan boys are giving the opportunity to pitch an idea for a short Star Wars Fan film. Olivia with be a judge awarding the winner $5,000.00 and six hours of her time to make the fan film a reality.

I worked over the weekend setting up a green screen, filmed on Monday, and edited it Tuesday and Wednesday night only to have it look like the video did work on the Atom site.  So in a mad dash, I created a new pitch and then uploaded it, only to find out that the original one WAS working.  *sigh*  Now we wait and see what happens next.

video 01

Livi A’Munn, True Hero of the Rebel Alliance

video 02

Livi A’Munn: True Hero of the Rebel Alliance

So here I am, hamming it up in front of the camera, again.  I spent the weekend running around gathering supplies so that I could get some test shots done and then start shooting footage today for a contest that ends, um Wednesday-ish.  So I better get crackin’.

I love it when a plan comes together!  When I was working in the online training field I helped to create a course on entrepreneurism.  In this course, the key to success was to find that thing that you love to do and find a way to get paid for it.  If you love Legos, and you love making ships and having battles with them, but you’re frustrated with their lack of proper weaponry MAKE YOUR OWN!  That’s the key to Brickarms.  Go over to their site and check out some of the wonder weapons and accessories for you Lego adventures.  Here’s a few of my favorites.

prototype “sci-fi” guns.  ;]

spy brief case

This same principle was applied by my friend Mark with his company making accessories for action figures and dioramas.  You can see his work at Build-A-Rama.