(Im always weary when it comes to updates..)
First of all, Id like to thank Saint for being there for me. Whenever Im about to loose my footing he's there to lend me a crutch. So thank you! Much love!
As you may have noticed *insert lots of sarcasm here*, Lilium got quite delayed. I could loiter most of this post with sad explanations of why's and because's, but Id rather not. Things just went left instead of right and down instead of up. And here we are.
But the title of this post is not called "Recap" for naught.
Ive had some trouble since mid-august last year with my wrist and thumb. Most probably work related. Any slight movement is very painful. Somedays I cant even open a package of milk. Ive been to the hospital and Im currently waiting to have it X-rayed... Its been 4 months now. I guess Im very low on the priority list.
On top of that, I lost my job January 1st, 2007, so Im currently unemployed. It gives me the opportunity to work on Lilium 24/7, but so far Lilium havnt put a single dime on my dinner-table. (not counting the Awards both Lilium and the Lilium Teaser won... Im not going to comment on what my feelings are about a teaser winning a prize. Im just happy to get my budget patched.)
So. Im twisting in my sleep about what to do, really. There are other factors to count in, but they are irrelevant to this blog. And like Saint told you. Ive been out of commission for a while. Not dead. Just "not there".
Additionally, about 3-4 weeks ago, my PC crashed. At first, my backup-disk died. One week later, the whole thing just went dead. At the time I was to pessimistic to even care. I just shook my head and went to bed. It wasnt until the morning after I actually gave it a thought. "What if... What if the hard-drive crashed? All my work!? Holy Sh*t!" -Panic soon ensured-
Ive always hated PCs. Always.
I bought a new Mac. And now Im happy.
In any case... I had one of my more PC-friendly friends come over and do his magic. The hard-drive was indeed intact, and Ive transferred all my work over to my Mac for further nurturing in a healthier environment. All's good... 'Cept for my wallet.
Being without a computer for a week surely felt healthy. I really recommend it.
Back when I was finishing up the Teaser, I decided to keep any info about it, out of it. Such as the name of the Voice Actors and the Music I used. Basically, because I was so optimistic that Id release the full thing just 2 months later. But now I feel pretty ashamed about it.
The Voice Actors did a terrific job. And I feel like I should give them some credit for it.
The Voice of Lilium is by, as some of you actually guessed,
Rina-Chan. Her take of Lilium's voice is just as I pictured it. Some of you commented that you thought of her as more... Mature and unstable? She's not. Lilium is quite young (somewhere between 11 and 13). And incredibly stable. All in line with her flawless and pure innocence. I feel that Rina-Chan captured it perfectly, and I really hope she's still there for the next 5 Episodes. Being the very popular Voice Artist that she is, I really hope she can find some additional time for my project. Id hate to loose Lilium's voice due to neglect on my side.
The Voice of the Old Lady is by
Michelle Dunphy. I dont want to say too much about the Old Lady by the well. But I can, without a doubt, say that Michelle is very professional when it comes to her acting. Im very glad that I found her and that she accepted my plea. The perfect voice of a mature woman is very hard to come by. I dont think I could have found anyone better for this part.
The Voice of The Shadow... He wasnt in the teaser, but he WILL be in the complete episode.
Phillip Sacramento's sample-audio had me blown away. I immediately contacted him, asking if he was interested. Which, to my relief, he was. The line I sent him to try out, came back. And it sent shivers down my spine. Shivers of awe that is. To put it in internet terms: A definite Win.
I will, with no doubt, contact these Voice Actors again for whatever roles I may offer in any project in the future. I highly recommend them. Their voice and acting-range is wide and highly professional.
And while we're on the subject of the Teasers Audio...
Since the teaser came out, there's been one question topping the charts: What music did I use?
First of all, Im glad that you approve of my choice in music.
Secondly, I hope you dont get too attached. (I know I am)
When the last and final episode is released, I will have had all the music replaced with original work, written for Lilium specifically. This information might scare some of you, but hopefully you'll have enough faith in my sense of quality to actually feel enticed about it.
In any case:
During the Menu and Dialogue: Hitori Setsunaku - by Hirano Yoshihisa, from the Anime "Strawberry Panic".
During the Teaser: Cry Bitterly - by Koh Otani, from the Anime "Haibane Renmei".
I don't want to comment on anything regarding the current state of the episode. I will not give out an ETA, but I will feed you with screenshots and other goodies as I see fit. I try to work on Lilium in a healthy manner, but please remember: I dont make any money out of this. Atleast not yet. My budget is getting very scarce and Im still not sure what to do.
I would like to point some things out about the series though.
It will be exactly 6 episodes long. Each Episode will be around 10 minutes long. It will be Frame-by-Frame animated. It will be tweened where tweening is suitable. Each episode will have a hidden children's-storybook theme in them (the small passage of flashing text in the teaser is bluntly one of them). The series will be more commercially aligned with its way of storytelling. There will be twists and turns and character evolvements. There will be more poetry-ish dialogue (atleast once per episode). And it will stay true to the darkly themed atmosphere of the original Lilium.
The story takes place just a few days or weeks after the events in the original Lilium and will follow her journey to achieve (or not achieve) what the Shadow had promised.
I feel kind of poofed at the moment, but Id like to finish it off with some info regarding the merchandise.
Like Ive said earlier, Ive been looking into starting a web-shop with Lilium merchandise. Such as T-Shirts, Hoodies, Tank-Tops, Coffe-cups and Underwear etc etc. There's alot of hassle to go through though and I dont feel overly confident in the legal stuff that comes with it. And like Saint told me: You cant do everything at the same time.
I might post an opportunity for you to buy some limited edition stuff through regular email in a near future though. All depending on my state of financial emergency.
And lastly. Ive arranged an Email for you to use if you have any personal questions about my work.
E-mail: petite_symphony at mac dot com (sorry... But I just hate those email harvester-bots)
Emi out.
P.S
Did anyone catch the movie "Pan's Labyrinth"? I found it very awesome and very appealing. But is it just me or ***slight spoiler warning*** did anyone else react to the whole "Shady creature wants cute little girl to bring him the baby brother" thingy? I know its not the most original idea in the world, but I still cant shake the habit of looking over my shoulder as I work. *laughs*
