Back to the Show

One more day of animation work (Monday) and then I can focus solely on the show- much needed. There's so many peripheral tasks that are keeping me from the actual creative work that needs to be done. This week, I got very aggressive about my agent search. Now is the time.

In the act of telling this story of "How I went from Amy Henkel to Amy Zuch" there's a lot of actual growth happening on the Amy Zuch end. I'm feeling more and more like a performer and learning a ton. Crossing a lot of fear thresholds.

Anyways, I am on the creative today... working on the script. And by working, I mean staring into space and hoping I kick into gear soon. In other news, I was aimlessly walking down the street today and came upon a set sale from the Jon Dore Show. I got a bunch of sketch comedy props- knives, a gun, bowling shirts, cop uniform, hot pants... if I still had my sketch troupe, I'd have been a hero. I got a bit wistful.

But I have this show. So now I guess I'll work all these props and costumes into a super extraneous scene?

Scheds

Something very serendipitous has happened. As is the norm in animation, my contract is ending... which means I'm being laid off on the 31st. I'd be worried, except that I now know I'm going back on June 21st to start on a new show. This gives me 3 weeks to focus on Key to Key exclusively... I don't know what I would have done otherwise. Put on a very rocky Fringe show I guess :p

I see it as this VAST amount of time with endless possibilities, but then I remember that some actors don't have day jobs, and this is the norm. So I still have to be smart about how much I take on, and delegate.

Right now I'm desperate to get keytokey.ca up and looking slick. I want to get the promo machine running hard but I don't want to direct anyone's attention to anything half done.

It's the long weekend... feels like a VAST amount of time, but really, I have to be smart...

Picture Process Work

Here's a glimpse of the original shots I used to make the "Before and After" mashups. I have more that I can do, and hopefully will have time to get to it.

Stage Manager!

After spending a couple of weeks freaking out, and feeling behind, I finally feel ahead of the game on something- we have our stage manager. What a nice relief.

I'm really happy with the photos(Photographer Will O'Hare) and spent Tuesday night doing some serious photoshopping- matching "Old" Amy pics to "New Amy" pics. It was a challenge! The lighting was completely different, but the dress was exactly the same, so some serious colour correction magic was necessary.
I'll post the photoshop process pics soon.

...Hard at work, bit feeling like we're getting somewhere.

Photos

About an hour and a half until I leave to get promotional photos taken.
One of the concepts is to match some poses I have of "old Amy" in a princess dress. I had found 3 of these old photos, and came up with the concept, and then got very antsy... I KNEW there was a cd kicking around somewhere with TONS of poses.

It took an overnight sleep and some thought. No scrambling... just thinking.
It was in a basket where I keep all my old diaries from childhood. NOT with the other cds. I remembered.

Next I need to find my original tape reels of my first animation projects- and get them transferred to digital format.

Deadlines

I guess I have 3 modes:
"I feel like I should be doing something"
"Busy"
"Crazy Busy"

Right now- Crazy Busy. This week the volume of work coming my way hit me... we've had a string of Fringe deadlines that caused me to get out there and start asking questions about my progress. Suddenly I'm making lists and realizing I have a LOT to take care of. And since the graphics and visuals- my style- are part of the show... I kind of have to have my hand in everything.

This is a project that means a lot to me, and my first Fringe experience. I mean REALLY: Apart from appearing in a video, I've done NOTHING with Fringe so far. I kind of wish I was cutting my teeth on a less personal project. I don't want to blow this.

The main advice I've been getting is to have fun with it. I guess people can see the stress shooting out of me in every direction.

But... I am an animator at heart. I love "busy." I love "never good enough." All nighters? HOW ROMANTIC. THAT IS FUN TO ME. I know. The whole point of the show is to illustrate that I'm not LIKE THAT anymore... but I'm calling on those workaholic resources to get the power to take charge and get things done.

I am excited. I want the show to be great, and I know that all I can do is my best.