The work has not stopped! Hence me rushing to the keyboard this morning, just in time to wrap up my thoughts of 2017 before wiping the annual slate clean for new things to come.
2017 has been a tremendously productive year. That also means stressful, but in this case, productivity almost justifies the hardships; and most importantly I began with a lack of confidence in my skills (which I have acquired along the way, hands on, with no formal training) to producing a 6-part comedy TV series for Amazon!!! [UPDATE: We have migrated to YouTube for our global audience, and continued filming the series! CLICK HERE for the comedy!)
I’m no good at improv. I’m a planner, an organiser, and this TV show, ‘Project FIA’ was designed to be IMPROVISED. That meant no script, no pre-planning more than a week in advance (often only hours before filming), and having very few takes. It redefines the word stressful. Try calling up a company and asking to rent an inflatable bouncy castle THAT AFTERNOON (delivery and all) and try to find someone who’ll say yes. And if all the companies say no, what do you do? Does the narrative change? What are the alternatives? Time is ticking! This is where production gets interesting (you can check out the behind-the-scenes filming adventures on the podcast HERE; filming starts at episode 4) – and you REALLY have to think out of the box. Oh, also, all but one of the performers are NOT actors! (I have a small on-screen part; due to the workload, I decided to sit this one out and stay behind the camera.)
It’s been a long journey that feels so short – and the most intense part of it was actually not the production but the post production. I’ve gained confidence not only as an animator, but also a sound editor (which was a surprise to me).
Alongside the TV show, as if that wasn’t enough work already, are two side projects – the podcast ‘Project FIA goes PC‘ I mentioned earlier (yes, PC has a double meaning), and to introduce the topics in each TV episode we’ve also created a YouTube supplement ‘Project FIA gets Tube’d‘ where there are no spoilers, just honest discussion (basically a pre-podcast special, as the conversation continues into that week’s podcast episode).
So, 3 projects on 3 different platforms… Definitely not what I had imagined 2017 would offer! Right now I’m uploading the latest New Year podcast episode (though the show’s done for now, we decided to continue for our international listeners from all over the world): Ep 26: Happy ‘world rotation day’ 2018 is here! Flashbacks to Millennium bugs & Roman Lizard Pizza. Yes, all podcast episodes have a rather wacky name, but it will all make sense if you listen to it!! I think my favourite TITLE has to be Episode 16: Mega Sonic Bomber Man and his thesis of working with an idiot, although Episode 5: The French part of France, with shopping trolleys and rabbit skulls is a close second!
Moving away from all things FIA, I am also very proud to say that my first poem was officially published in a poetry collection… but I’d rather not tell you where, you’ll find it if you’re determined! Poetry has always been one of my favourite forms of expression, and although not many people have had the chance to read my work… I continue to write. As Ani DiFranco sings in Here For Now,
“You know you need your instrument
But does your instrument need to be miked?”
If you’re a true artist, then whether you’re heard or not won’t stop you from creating. Here’s to all the artists out there still finding their way, still trying to understand and explore life through their vision – only you can do what you can do. So just do it – your validation for yourself is most important, even before anyone else appreciates you. Even if your microphone is not miked up, sing your heart out. Grow, feel and be brave. And have a wonderfully expressive, productive and heart warming 2018! ❤️
Joe Optimistik's Parallel Dimension 