We’re doing the last bits on the dvd set… encoding and authoring a video DVD and collecting and testing all files for the DVD-ROM is just a bit too much work to be really fun… especially for people suffering post-BBB fatigue! :)
Even after about 6-8 manweeks of work on this DVD we could easily add another four or so. Nevertheless, we should now finish! Here’s a quick shortlist of what you can expect, at least:
DVD Video:
- PAL and NTSC discs
- High quality encoded film
- Medium quality versions of film with 5 commentary tracks
- 20+ minute Making Of documentary with interviews
- 4 Split view of entire movie as animatic + anim test + Blender UI + final render
- Outtakes and deleted scenes
DVD-ROM:
- HD versions of movie and extras, 1080p and 720p, in avi and ogg
- All the .blend files and textures that will render the entire movie
- Original script and breakdown
- All storyboard images, test animatic versions
- The famous “Live edit” blend file, a sequencer setup with audio and animatics, testrenders, finals. Great toy!
- Test renders, animation tests
- Gallery with preliminary artwork, over 50 final frames, also in OpenExr
- Tutorials, html as well as video
- Documentation about how to re-use blend files
- Easy-to-use stripped down blender files for quick tests (or for people with humble computers!)
- 2.46 Blender release
- Videos with interviews, tours, weeklies…
- The entire peach.blender.org website
- Etcetera!
Later more…
-Ton-
The day after the BBB premiere Ton was a member of a panel at a conference called ‘Economies of the Commons’, where topics as ‘financing open source and open content projects’ were discussed. Before the panel started Ton gave a presentation during which he also showed material from BBB. During the panel discussion there was a question from an audience member for Ton.
Yesterday morning, the talkshow producer from “De Wereld Draait Door” (DWDD, or “The world revolves”) phoned me if we were interested to be guest in the monday show. Surprise!
It especially was good news for our project and for Blender because the show is very well known in the Netherlands. It’s prime-time from 19.30 and 20.30, broadcasted on the quality public TV channel. Usually it hosts a varied mix of entertainment and information. Items typically don’t last more than 5-10 minutes. About half to a million people watch it daily.
The nice thing was also that the studio is literally around the corner, a few minutes walk away from the Blender Institute. So, we were there in time, got our make-up, drinks as much you wanted and excellent dinner. As groupies we could get Margreet, Campbell and William in.
Apart from getting surrounded by the obligatory Dutch tv celebs (the show host, a famous radio DJ, a political commentator, some actors), it was interesting to see how smooth and well organized it all went. For a daily show that already runs a couple of years quite logical though!
On the moment supreme it all went so fast that I’m still surprised a bit… it was overwhelming to suddenly have the talkshow host and cameras turning to you, and firing the first question to Sacha while you expected a movie fragment to be shown. You also clearly feel that the program makers are in extremely tight control, you’re merely a puppet that acts when they want you to say something… and please don’t be boring!
If you click on the image above you can watch the interview with subtitles on BlenderNation.
Thanks!
-Ton-
Here’s the first major newspaper article about the premiere. It’s the #1 newspaper here in Amsterdam, with mostly Amsterdam related topics. You can find most of this also on their website here:
“Big Buck schudt filmwereld op”
(”Big Buck shakes the movie world”)
The images:
First clipping is from page 8, right-bottom corner.
Second clipping is in the weekend supplement.
Note that they consider the “gratis” aspect most interesting! But, the “free software” concept is pretty well covered in the text.
Other news: currently the dvds are being authored… end of april it should be at the printer’s still. Expected release is May 15. But… you know how it goes when you announce dates! Let’s try at least. ;)
-Ton-
In the past years I’ve been asked a couple of times by companies to make the original renders if Elephants Dream available. They sent me a usb hard disk, and I just copied all of the OpenEXR files over. That made us think (great idea Campbell!) to just put a entire copy of our studio backup in the e-shop, on a 250 GB usb disk. Everything! All Creative Commons of course.
Now the first reports from the premiere get posted (check videos on Blendernation) almost everyone now is banging on o
ur doors to get the film as well! So… here’s some answers about what do now and what the intended schedule is.
- People who pre-ordered the DVD were our investors!
This is an important aspect we should never forget. We were able to make BBB thanks to the generosity and confidence we received from people who ordered and paid for the DVD set. The deal we made was that they would get the dvds first, and only after that the files get released (which will go automatic, because the dvds are “CC-by”, open content).
- You can still help us by purchasing a DVD!
To be able to wrap up the project and continue work in the Blender Institute and get ready for a new open films we depend on DVD sales still. This is a special hint for everyone who’s screaming for the downloads btw! :)
Nothing news really… apart from that all goes fine now. It’s even going to be awesome weather here today, great start of spring season.
The three film copies have arrived safely. We even had a chance to sneak preview it yesterday in the theatre of Amsterdam Film Academy (wich turned out in a sneak preview event for the students of the vfx department!). So yes, we can confirm the film has images in it! Today in the premiere cinema of “Studio K” composer Jan Morgenstern will do a final sound check, and make sure the volume knobs are precisely as he intended it!
Work on the dvd also progresses steadily. We have this time excellent goodies to share, of which we’ll give a preview tonight as well.
Hopefully we can post here soon images and videos of the event, but for hot news you better check blendernation.com or blenderartists.org.
Laters (and wish us luck!)
-Ton-
Momento; no worries! The master film+sound disks are ready, packed, sealed and were picked up by the courier. (All will be OK, airplane personnel strikes, bad weather alarms and Norway sliding into the Atlantic notwithstanding).
For your pleasure and probably to learn from (do we ever!) here’s the disaster list of all that went wrong last night, causing Andy + Sacha + Campbell + Brecht to skip sleep… Read the rest of this entry »
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