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Buddy World is go?
About Truespace Archives
These pages are a copy of the official truespace forums prior to their removal somewhere around 2011.
They are retained here for archive purposes only.
Buddy World is go? // Roundtable
Post by splinters // Sep 5, 2007, 12:02pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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I've been quiet around here lately (busy at work) but thought I would chip in with a bit of news.
Anyone who has been around here for long enough may know that I write and illustrate children's books (in my spare time) which have evolved a great deal over the years, even taking in the pepepig spoof movie posters.
Anyway, all this stuff is unpublished but I recently heard from a producer in Asia who want to buy the IP (intellectual property I guess) for the series. His name is Titus Ho and he had produced some fairly well known asian films (well known in asia I guess!) and I believe he produced Shangai Suprise (Madonna Movie) in the 80's but I wouldn't brag about that...;)
This has happened before with another Singapore based production company which then fell through so I don't get over excited anymore but this guy wants to develop the characters into a range of digital media.
Not sure what exactly that means at the moment but I guess mobile content. animation etc.
We shall have to see where this goes but I thought that anyone with a passing interest in pepe, Harold, Doris etc. (if they ring a bell, then that's probably you) might be interested in knowing that something commercial might actually happen with them.
And the only reason I am not writing this off as pure speculation is he asked for permission to produce a marketing trailer and offered to discuss the advance which is 2-5% of the estimated project budget....let's hope they have lots of money.
This forum has hosted many, many images from these books with all the illustrations made in trueSpace (many of which are gallery or promo images)so I thought it only fitting to share my news here first.
Wish me luck.....:o |
Post by jayr // Sep 5, 2007, 12:29pm
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jayr
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Nice one, hope it works out for you! |
Post by Jack Edwards // Sep 5, 2007, 2:50pm
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Jack Edwards
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Good luck Splinters! :D |
Post by frootee // Sep 5, 2007, 2:56pm
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frootee
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Well it's been a long time coming Splinters. I'm hoping you have paid your dues and now it's payday for you!
Froo |
Post by splinters // Sep 5, 2007, 9:06pm
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splinters
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Cheers guys...I will believe it when I see the cheque...:D |
Post by W!ZARD // Sep 6, 2007, 12:46am
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W!ZARD
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It's about time someone with some development ability picked up on your work Paul. I just think of that irritating Crazy Frog thing and how that took off - I see your work as way more sophisticated and equally, if not more, worthy.
Fingers crossed for you Mate - here's hoping something great develops out of this for you. |
Post by Shike // Sep 6, 2007, 2:21am
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Shike
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Hope you score the big one! :D
And that they don't make mobile content which is as annoying as the CrazyFrog.
(can't be fun to be the creator of that frog....if he accidentially mentions that he made it...people might attack him ;) ) |
Post by Paul Boland // Sep 6, 2007, 10:40am
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Paul Boland
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Splinters, you probably know what I'm going to ask, but is your truly wonderfully touching book, about that poor child (sorry, I can't recall it's name), is that going to be pubished? The emotion you have captured in that books artwork is out of this world and I would love to see it all. If it's going to be published, I'll be buying a copy for sure.
Oh, and congratulations. |
Post by splinters // Sep 6, 2007, 11:07am
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splinters
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Paul I have no idea at the moment exactly what they intend to do but I imagine it will be digital/video/merchandise only so no printed books as far as I can see.
Then again, if they do not license these 'stand alone' books I could still get them printed even if I do them myself through something like Lulu.com just to have them for prosperity. If that happens then you can certainly buy one...:) |
Post by Délé // Sep 6, 2007, 3:53pm
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Délé
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That's great news Splinters! I hope it pans out this time. I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya. :) |
Post by Dragneye // Sep 6, 2007, 8:02pm
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Dragneye
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All the best of luck to you Splinters!! All the best!!! |
Post by Paul Boland // Sep 7, 2007, 8:39am
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Paul Boland
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Paul I have no idea at the moment exactly what they intend to do but I imagine it will be digital/video/merchandise only so no printed books as far as I can see.
Then again, if they do not license these 'stand alone' books I could still get them printed even if I do them myself through something like Lulu.com just to have them for prosperity. If that happens then you can certainly buy one...:)
Thanks!!!!! |
Post by MadMouse // Sep 7, 2007, 8:47am
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MadMouse
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Great News Paul. When your a multi millionaire can I borrow a few quid ;) |
Post by splinters // Sep 7, 2007, 9:21am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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What?...just a few quid?
;) |
Post by 3dvisuals dude // Sep 7, 2007, 10:19pm
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3dvisuals dude
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Wow! This sounds great Splinters!
I'm sure if the offer wasn't legit they would have just run with it without contacting you, so it looks like you may have just bumped into one of the few honest guys left in the business!:p
Congratulations guy, I wish you all the best on it all!
- 3dvisuals dude |
Post by SiW // Sep 8, 2007, 5:52pm
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SiW
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That's great to hear. I'll keep my extremities crossed for you! |
Post by splinters // Sep 8, 2007, 11:40pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Blimey Simon, that was an early post...do you sleep or are you not based in the UK as I thought?
Anyway, if it does come off...expect me to invest in your pro version renderer at least...:D
And thanks to everyone else for the kind words of support. CD of Buddyworld is getting posted tomorrow so maybe I will hear something later in the week but it will probably go quiet for some time. This guy has his fingers in many media pies and movies so this will probably have to take less priority than those. As long as these get developed I would be happy for now... |
Post by jayr // Sep 9, 2007, 3:57am
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Splinters, this may be a stupid question but have you approched publishers your self with the buddy world books? |
Post by splinters // Sep 9, 2007, 5:32am
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splinters
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Splinters, this may be a stupid question but have you approched publishers your self with the buddy world books?
Jayr, as you don't know the history of this project like me and my family/close friends do, I will overlook the innocence of that question.
I only had an agent for a few years (who was pretty rubbish) so every submission I have done has been to a literary agent or publisher. I always make contact in advance to find out if anyone is accepting new submissions and find a contact name. |
Post by jayr // Sep 9, 2007, 7:41am
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I only had an agent for a few years (who was pretty rubbish)
Yeah, a friend of mine had an agent once, he thought once he got one his career would take off but in the end he was a bit useless. He ended up getting his own work by going to conventions all the time. |
Post by splinters // Sep 9, 2007, 7:59am
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splinters
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Yup, despite how hard it is to actually find one who doesn't have a 'full client list', it is amazing just how useless they can be sometimes...nevermind. |
Post by brianalldridge // Sep 9, 2007, 5:28pm
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Great news, I hope it does well, though I don't see why you guys are hating on the crazy frog... |
Post by SiW // Sep 11, 2007, 6:13am
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Blimey Simon, that was an early post...do you sleep or are you not based in the UK as I thought?
I don't sleep, but I'm not in the UK - moved to the US in '94.
The agent comment reminds me of just one thing - http://youtube.com/watch?v=sze-17M0Swk
Again though, congrats on the breakthrough. I have friends who have gone through the same slog with publishers and it's so tiring.
(edited to say '94 in case my wife reads this and complains I can't remember our anniversary..) |
Post by splinters // Sep 11, 2007, 7:50am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Very funny stuff...I am pretty sure that I resigned to never, ever having an agent again after watching that. Real comedy; very near to reality.
Genius. |
Post by TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb // Sep 11, 2007, 2:02pm
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TheWickedWitchOfTheWeb
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The stories I could tell you about my ex agent! Just don't ever ask me about the boats! |
Post by TomG // Sep 11, 2007, 3:20pm
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TomG
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What about the boats?
(Come on, you knew that was going to be the next post in this thread....)
Tom |
Post by splinters // Apr 20, 2008, 9:26pm
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Wow, I forgot about this thread.
Well, things never did happen the way I wanted with the buddyworld project, well, not when it involves other people of course.
Which is why I am going it alone from now on. It makes perfect sense really; for years I have been making these books for print but struggling to get them published in the 'traditional' sense.
To promote the books I started making an interactive CD which grew and grew to the point where it takes a few hours to see it's contents.
I kept pushing the books and using the CD to showcase them. I set up a small part of my website to show them off etc.
At no point did I see that the CD was becoming quite popular yet no one wanted the books...they just did not...fit in.
This week I had the epiphany I needed. I scratched my head over distribution, format, price etc. and then it hit me.
The only way of getting these out around the world...to everyone, no matter what hardware they have is...THE INTERNET.
How I didn't see this before is beyond me. I was sat in my living room only the other week, reading my latest effort to my daughter on a 42" LCD screen. Not as cosy as a book at bedtime but a damn sight clearer and brighter.
So, good folks...that is the way I am going. I will post all to this thread from now on but thanks for all the help so far. |
Post by jayr // Apr 21, 2008, 12:26am
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does little cloud take place in the buddy world universe? if it does, where does it go on your globe? |
Post by Ambrose // Apr 21, 2008, 12:39am
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Nice for you Splinters!
Even Microsoft missed Internet once ;)
they're only a bit quicker than you... :p
I'm very curious of what you've on those cd's so when done let us know and we start buying :D
and keep up all the goodie work!
SeYa/Ambrose... |
Post by splinters // Apr 21, 2008, 2:18am
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splinters
Total Posts: 4148
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Well guys, I was just starting to 'detach' books from the Universe as I did not want to intimidate publishers with so much stuff. However, that is all behind me now. I may make nothing out of this but I will certainly have given it my best shot. If I got a million subscribers in it's lifetime at £20 a subscription (very cheap for so many books, activities etc.) then I would make £20 Million and I could live with that...:D
Maybe it will cost more, maybe it will be episodic but these are not getting picked up by publishers for a reason...they just don't get it.
So, this way I can publish what I like, when I like, sat in front of my PC with software and an FTP link.
I am very excited today as I look through the existing CD and imagine how it transfer into the new site.
Many things need to change but Little Cloud is on the latest CD: just left of sandcastle beach.
I am adding in new stuff all the time and have several books in development. Anyone joining at first phase would have access to 24 books alone, not to mention pepe pig posters, activitiy sheets, quizzes etc.
All books have a theme of 'citizenship' so would be suitable for schools as well as homes. A different aspect of the site could be developed there with a school so kids can have it as part of their studies, then revisit for fun at home.
Pepe is all about dreams and aspirations, cococow loves to try different foods (healthy eating), didi travels the world (geography). Mimi mouse is musical (music), Bully Bull is a 'Bully' (go figure). Perfect stuff to weave into child education.
I guess Harold and DSD, Bob etc will be for fun (can't all be work)....
Why did I not think of this sooner? perhaps subconsciously I did but it never made sense before broadband..:D
Ambrose, the CD is the Buddy World site but in a CD version. I will develop them in Parallel then sell the CD on as well as books and merchandise. That way the world can be experienced off-line too. I put a few books on my PSP last night and they read great. Another market there too.
I am even considering doing this in realtime as a VE experience; maybe using truePlay too.
Did I mention I was excited?.......:jumpy: |
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