Bear Town

[Buck-Beaver]

Hi all,

For most of the summer I've been slowly putting together a Web comic that mixes puppetry/animation/computer graphics called Bear Town. Basically it's a collage of computer-rendered art, photos of puppets and digitized video of puppet performance. I'm planning to launch the web comic September 1st and I've been experimenting with different styles of art that I could use. Right now I am stuck between a sort "painterly" look and a more rendered polished CG look.

I've posted a preview of two chapters of the web comic, each done in one of those different styles. If you can, take a quick look at bear-town.com (http://www.bear-town.com/main.htm) and vote in the web poll I put up tonight. You can also post comments in the Bear Town Forum (http://beartown.proboards18.com) where I've opened a discussion thread.

Thanks for your help! I'm looking forward to getting a little feedback.

[scarylarrywolf]

Um, I know this is a stressful week for you, so I'm hoping the "851 days" counter on the cover page of your site is just a sarcasting venting of your frustration. Is that true?

[Buck-Beaver]

I hope not...I mean I'd like some extra time but two and a half years is rediculous!

I think the problem might be the date/time settings on the computer you're using. The countdown is calculated by a javascript that relies on the time/date on your computer to generate the countdown. When I checked it said 10 days, but I could vary it by changing the date on my computer. Plan is to post the first webisode May 4th.

[scarylarrywolf]

Ahh... that makes sense, especially now that I notice that the time said 6:30 AM when it was in fact 3 in the afternoon. I came home from school for the weekend and our family computer here is screwed up a bit. Sorry for the mistake, but thanks for the info!

[Beebers]

Buck, I'm trying to look and vote but it keeps saying it's either broken or down or being worked on. I'll keep trying. The painterly look of things sounds nice, can't wait to see both.

:cool: :cool: :cool:

[zoetrope]

I tried it and got this error page: http://templates.doteasy.com/ErrorPages/error404/ :concern:

[Buck-Beaver]

Both the URLs at the top of this thread are no longer active. The "main.htm" URL is now http://www.bear-town.com/index.php

This is an old thread. I was toying with doing Bear Town as a web comic but decided to go with video after realizing that it was going to be as much work either way.

The site is online at http://www.bear-town.com (just checked two minutes ago).

Sorry for the confusion! :)

[Beebers]

Oh jeez. I should really learn to look at thread dates. I've seen your regular/current site many times. Oy vey. *smacks forehead*

:o :rolleyes: :o

[scarylarrywolf]

Yay! It's almost here!

[Fozzie Bear]

Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what's all going on up there!

[froggiegirl18]

awww...I wanted to watch some clips...but that's ok I am sure it will be great to see them once they are there again. :)

[Buck-Beaver]

Had some trouble with my ISP over the weekend. I think I've got it sorted out (I am typing online after all ;) ) but the lost time means I'm going to have delay the first episode. It will still be up sometime Tuesday, but not midnight like I had originally planned.

Back to editing...

[scarylarrywolf]

My ISP never fails to screw up something impor

[Fozzie Bear]

My ISP never fails to screw up something impor

HAA!! I get it! Mine doesn't eith

[Buck-Beaver]

So 22 Windows updates and several anti-virus scans later I think I resolved my computer problems at last - I'm done the first episode and plan to post it on Monday.

The BT Community (http://forum.bear-town.com) is back online. If you were a member before unfortunately you have reregister because the old database was damaged when the forum went offline late last year.

[scarylarrywolf]

Wow! Thanks for posting the stills. That did a lot to satisfy my curiousity. Tumbles looks amazing!!! He looks a lot better now that I can see him to scale with some other puppets (not to mention with fur, eyes, and a mouth). It's looking good! I'm rootin' for ya!

[Buck-Beaver]

I'm starting to think this first episode is cursed...still not done but I'm *almost* there. In the meantime I've posted the first stills from the episode as a sort of "sneak peek" at blog.bear-town.com (http://blog.bear-town.com) (look under today's date) for anyone who's interested.

[Buck-Beaver]

Wow, that was quick. I posted those like five minutes ago. Thanks. Yeah, I still have to do a little more work on Tumbles but he's cute. I always hate it when puppets get rebuilt and you have to get used to a slightly different look. I have rebuild Omle's head too before we shoot the third episode in a few weeks because it doesn't work very well. Thankfully I don't have too many lines in the first two episodes.

[zoetrope]

Looks good, I can't wait to see the show.

[Fozzie Bear]

Seeing the stills makes me even more excited about seeing the final productions, man! I hope all things work out for you so you can get the episodes online soon! I'm about to burst at the seams waiting for the good stuff!!

[Buck-Beaver]

Still battling some problems with my PC, but if anyone is eager to get an idea of what this thing is starting to look then you like might want to check out my blog (hit the link in my sig) under today's date.

;)

[scarylarrywolf]

Woo-hoo! That's awesome, even just the rough cut. Tumbles looks great. I think staging the puppets in a fairly immobile shot (sitting on the couch) puts more focus on the quality of the puppetry -- I'm working on a filmette that involves quite a bit of moving around (with live hands puppets) and it's not working as well as I'd hoped.

I like it, and can't wait to see the end result! Thanks for satisfying hungry puppet nerds like me.

[Fozzie Bear]

Cool man, cool!!

Maybe you should just go to the local computer store and grab-and-run and get a new computer?

Looking forward to much more!

[ScrapsFlippy]

Excellent work!

I can't wait to see more!

--SF

[Super Scooter]

Maybe you should just go to the local computer store and grab-and-run and get a new computer?
four fingered discount.

[Buck-Beaver]

You guys.... :p

[Fozzie Bear]

four fingered discount.

...and a thumb...

[Buck-Beaver]

Well, it's done...the first episode is online here (http://www.bear-town.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=37).

There will be two versions available - one DSL/Broadband and pretty big (43 mb) and one for dial-up users that is a little more sane (13 mb). The high-speed version may not be available until sometime mid-morning but the dial-up version is up and running right now.

Barring any serious technical problems (and I seem to be having a streak of those) the next episode should be up around June 1st.

[Fozzie Bear]

Yay, it's downloading now!

[scarylarrywolf]

All right! Well done. Did you make that preacher puppet? He looks great! Wndorful job with the church set too.

[Buck-Beaver]

Thanks! The Preacher was actually built by Marlene Reimer's company Puppets For Goodness Sake. At the risk of “ruining the magic” and say that the church is actually just a series of pictures I digitally manipulated to create background plates - the Preacher was shot against a green screen in my kitchen.

I included your message with a bunch of the feedback I've been getting on the episode so far and posted pics of the background plate and the puppet against greenscreen in my blog this morning.

[Fozzie Bear]

This was very very very funny!! I really enjoyed it. Voting for God! HA! Can't wait til the next installment!

Muley luvs Bear Town! :)

[The Narrator]

Loved the first installment, Buck! Funny stuff and puppets eating popcorn! :D

And now for the bad news... :(
There seemed to be a few sound issues in terms of character volume levels and through the entire episode (at least, the high bandwidth version) I was only getting sound through the left channel, rather than equal amounts in the left and right channels.

Looking forward to the next sketch! Where are the cockroaches? :)

[zoetrope]

This is an ambitious project. Volume level issues aside, I'm looking forward to the next installment.

[Super Scooter]

...and a thumb...
Puppets usually only have four fingers. :p

Yeah, yeah, you caught me.

Everything looks great, Buck! I dunno if I can watch it or not, though.

[Fozzie Bear]

Puppets usually only have four fingers. :p

Yeah, yeah, you caught me.

Everything looks great, Buck! I dunno if I can watch it or not, though.

Oh, I thought we were talking about Andrew. You're talking about the puppets?!

In that case, you're right. 4 fingered discount.

Unless you're the Swedish Chef...

[Buck-Beaver]

OK, I lied. No new episode this week, largely because I have to go out of town for my brother's wedding and before that I have a bunch of non-puppet freelance stuff that has piled up.

I did however post a picture of one of the cockroaches from the second episode in my blog (hit the link in my sig to see it - it's listed under the June 1st entry). I should have some "preview" pics from the episode up later today.

Also working on better compression of the episodes so they're not so huge and easier to download.

[ScrapsFlippy]

Adorable cockroach, Buck!

Is the mouth practical?

- SF

[Buck-Beaver]

No, not on that particular puppet. Three of them do have practical mouths, but the rest (like the one in the picture) just have heads that pivot using a rod control.

[Fozzie Bear]

If the roaches in my apartment looked like that, then I wouldn't need to call the exterminator. I bet I could have a conversation with your roaches!

Come to think of it, I have conversations with the ones in my apartment now; stuff like, "DIE YOU SCUM!" and stuff...

Your's looks much more fun!

[Puppetplanet]

Foz, hun..... you know I love ya. But please, for your own safety, try to lay off the meds okay? :concern: :p

[Show and Tell]

I was thinking he might need to change to Ridlin. Mello the bear out a bit. Before :crazy: After :cool:

[Fozzie Bear]

Nah, I'm just being silly. Nothing like that goes on around my apartment.

Now, the Apartment downstairs is a different story...

Hey, BuckBeaver! Congratulations on getting Bear Town in "The Puppetry Journal!" If you don't get it and want me to email a copy, I have a scanner!! Lemme know. :)

[Buck-Beaver]

Did it make it in to the Puppetry Journal? I haven't seen it (note to self: mail PofA membership form one of these days). I heard that The Lady from Sockholm was mentioned. I think I'm getting a copy sent to me in the mail, but if I don't get one I may take you up on that offer.

[Fozzie Bear]

Heck, I should email it anyhow. At least then it'll be digital already for you to put online! Yup, I'll try to do that tonight.

[OOLAGIRL]

ummmmmmmm :confused: :confused:

[Fozzie Bear]

Heck, I should email it anyhow. At least then it'll be digital already for you to put online! Yup, I'll try to do that tonight.

Did you ever get that, Buck?

[Buck-Beaver]

Oh yeah, I did - thanks! I sent you a private email but I guess you didn't get it.

Sorry!

[Fozzie Bear]

Or, I may have and, being the idiot I am, forgot I got it.