affinity designer eejits

[peter]

Mike: I've heard of the "22 rules for good storytelling" mentioned before. I'll look into that as well. Sounds like a great resource.

 

Yeah, that's what happened with the previous author. It all just withered away and, in fact, she gave up writing after that!! Me and my silly wee characters must have put her right off! Oops! Thanks again for all the tips and resources Mike, appreciate it. I'm about to dive into reading Show Your work! by Austin Kleon. But that's more to do with promoting eejits as they stand now, not my future project.

 

peter: I'll be aiming for the top end of Primary School (9-12yr olds) but I'd like to manage to get the humour right that adults can enjoy it too and it's not too contrived. That'll be the hard part I guess. That's where the magic lies and I know many have tried (and probably failed) at that sort of thing before. But they haven't got eejits!!

 

 I live in the faaaaaaar north of the Highlands of Scotland (Caithness). Not many conventions going on here but if I'm going to make a success of this and promote it I'm going to have to get out from behind the screen and meet people face to face (eeeeek). That was one of the things Stephen Silver said to me.

 

Haven't thought about voices....hmmm? Who would I have?!? Stephen Fry would be a good one (and I know what character he would be ideal for too), I liked his voice work on LittleBig Planet.

 

Thanks for the conversation guys,

 

George

Regarding the junior school age group. Perfect! Go visit the local schools and talk to them for an assembly. This is an instant captive audience, as Mum and Dad have Facebook et al accounts...

 

This is prime target for Charlie Says... posters, adverts, messages. I have the complete collection of the Public Information Films from the B&W era right up to the 1990s, on DVD. 30 seconds is all it takes to tell that story. If you are interested in the DVD then let me know. It's really quite a trip down Memory Lane.

 

Why choose PIF? Well, the need to educate the next generation of children need to be brought up to speed on how to get on in life. It's a tough old world out there and they need the right tools in order to stand on their own two feet. 

 

The other reasons to go down this path are...

• The faces of the Eejits can easily represent a wide gamut of characters, that they might meet in real life.
• The scripts are more or less written for you...web safety, road safety, stranger danger, water safety, hazards in the home, hazards outside the home, the list is endless.
• If one school likes it, then it might get passed around others in the same town: then maybe the same council/region/county and finally go viral
• There is a magazine called Termtimes, passed around primary schools in my part of England. Why not contact them? First prize an eejit of your very own perhaps? :D
• Councils and the DoE, love anything that makes them look good.

Don't forget to go back to Scouts and Guides they are much more hands on to being practical. Get on the front cover of their magazine if you can. Bear Grylls would be a great face to add to your fanbase.

 

You can do it George. HTH. Get ready to feel old :P

 

peter

 

Ps when the Apub and Aphoto come out, the reinforcements should arrive here in the forums.

http://termtimes.ltd.uk/magazine/christmas-new-year-2014-2015http://www.coverdude.com/tv-covers/8370-charlie-says-public-information-films-r2.html

[eejits]

Cheers Peter,

 

I'm actually going to a local primary school at the end of this month to show them how I draw mt eejits and help them with their art projects (based on creating your own weird pet). Equally excited and terrified by the prospect, but I hope to learn as much from the experience as I can. It'll be very informing for my project and getting the feel right as well as hopefully having fun with the kids drawing.

 

PIFs might be something to look at in the future. Another great suggestion that I would have never thought of. (I'm definitely saving the contents of this thread for future reference.) God I just remember those Charlie Says films, that seems like a lifetime ago, those were on telly. But they were very rememberable, they defintley got it right with those. Who knows maybe eejits could be the next?

 

Time (and hard work) will tell.......

 

The Scouts and Guides are another good suggestion. It means diddly squat without anything to show them, so I need to get my finger out and get crackin'. It's a shame I have a day job that gets in the way. Goddamn bills, responsibilities and real life.....! Haha!

 

George

 

P.S Looking forward to Photo for all my image manipulation needs. Hopefully the Beta arrives soon.

[peter]

Glad you like my ideas, so with your approval allow me to introduce, your first posters. Instant impact, things look better on paper.

 

So to quote a bloke called Wallace: Get a move on lad! :P 

 

Hope you don't mind, but there's only 9 months to go.

 

peter

[eejits]

Haha! Excellent work there. I'm getting crackin'

 

A couple of things popped up today: A poster at work from our Chamber of Commerce saying they'd like to help small businesses with things like Market Research, Marketing and Sales, Intellectual Property Rights and Trademarks, etc. Email just popped off to them about what I'm planning. 

 

2nd thing: There's a local course being run on Creative Writing at the end of the month. Never seen anything like that before up here, so I'm gonna sign up for that too!

 

Looks like the universe is pulling in my direction to make sure I achieve this! Onwards and upwards.......

 

George

 

P.S I am working on an eejits Poster (A2 in size) in AD just now and then it's onto the books! Woo! Can't wait!

[peter]

Thanks George and good luck.

 

Want any more?

[peter]

I meant ideas...not drinks! :unsure:  :wacko:  :blink:   :(

 

[eejits]

Nice choice! I'd love another drink too (pity about the hangovers though!!)

 

George

[peter]

Pinned 'em.

[eejits]

Thanks for sharing these Peter, really do appreciate it.

 

George

[peter]

For you to watch and finish off your very own eejit casting session.

There's enough film roles/film rolls to go round :P

 

and if you've got more time.

 

Get used to being terrified every time you use your seat belt: it's not Grayson perry but Jimmy Saville...Aaggh!  :wacko:

[peter]

Keep them coming. Love them.

That's what the eejit said!

[peter]

Here's another one George..

[eejits]

Peter: Would never of thought of using that as a Be Safe Online Campaign. Another great pick!

 

George

[eejits]

Here's the eejits Poster I have been working on (on and off). Gonna send off for some proofs and see how they turn out. Using the Pen tool with the Cintiq has been a godsend. I can flip the stylus over to erase the ends of lines where they cross (okay it applies a mask to the object). Brilliant feature, that has helped me no end with this poster and all the creatures crammed together.....!

 

:)

 

George

[peter]

I think this thing has got legs. Do you want to watch the PIF collection on Youtube and see what I can do for you and your little tribe? Should we team up on this one? I think the time is right to put Eeejits on Facebook (Can't believe I said that!). What say you?

 

This comes from the world of advertising, match a great brain for images (you) with a great wordsmith (me ;)) and produce a couple of gems...have a think, have a beer, have a good laugh at the PIF vids.

 

peter

[MEB]

And here's the family's photo! Should look amazing at real size. Lots of cute expressions and tasty detail there :)

It has been great to follow you developing the project and characters here. It helps to understand the whole context and  what you are trying to achieve. Amazing job :)

[eejits]

Cheers guys!

 

Peter: I've already got an eejits Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/eejits ), I use it mainly for my commissions which are of people rather than my creature drawings. I try and segregate my social media for different things: Facebook for commissions, Twitter for general chit chat and promotion, Instagram for behind the scenes photos and sketches. Each one giving you a different piece of me and my eejits. Funnily enough, I'm not very good at updating the blog on the main eejits site!

 

I'm wanting to have control over all the aspects for the new eejits world/project I'm going to be creating but I'd definitely like to work with you in the future. When I have something to show, I'd love for you to take a look over it and give me any pointers. Hope that is okay......

 

MEB: Thanks. I was trying to go for the big (stupid) group photo. Thanks for the compliments, not normally a sharing type but I'm trying to change my tact this year.

 

George

[peter]

I'm going to be creating but I'd definitely like to work with you in the future. When I have something to show, I'd love for you to take a look over it and give me any pointers. Hope that is okay......

 

 

Of course it's OK; it's very flattering. Did you see any PIFs this weekend? If so which ones did you like?

 

peter 

 

Ps I did a "Je suis Charlie" pic this weekend, using a certain boy and his tabby cat :P ...well, it was someone else's badge and all I did was place the text on top, play with the noise and blending levels. (I need text on a path!).

 

Also I'm probably the only one here not on Twitter, Facebook or Youtube.

[eejits]

Cheers Peter. I haven't had time to look yet. It was my birthday on Saturday and went out for a few drinks. Needless to say I wasn't much use for anything on Sunday. I'm about to finish off another creature just now, then I'll have a butchers....

 

George

 

P.S. Nice pic. Brings back a bit o' nostalgia that one. Absolutely shocking what happened in Paris. Disgusting really, that human beings can do this to each other. We really are destroying each other and this planet. We'll keep creating and spreading a little joy where we can.

 

I agree that Text on a Path is a must (plus options for Kerning)!!

[peter]

Better late than never...

 

[eejits]

Thanks Peter!! Drink is an evil thing, but it's fun at the time!

 

George

[eejits]

Here's the newest eejit to the gallery: eejitus concernedus flabberis. A creature that will always warn you of impending danger, regardless if it's true or not. Check out the full pic and description at http://www.eejits-online.co.uk

 

George

[peter]

Just seen your Facebook page and The Big Draw event. Wow, you're in print as Ronnie said, in the Derwent Brass post, things look soooo much better in print. You should be so proud to get that far.

[ronniemcbride]

Thanks for the compliments, not normally a sharing type but I'm trying to change my tact this year.

 

George

 

George, thank you for changing your tact. I am really enjoying your work and your ideas! You really have something unique here. I wish all the good luck and fortune with it.

[eejits]

Thanks Peter. The Big Draw event was a long time ago now (2011 I think). It was a lot of fun drawing with the kids and showing them how to create eejits!

 

I self published a wee eejits book at that time as well. It was an extension of the website really, with a bunch of new creatures that have never been seen on the interwebs (and still haven't)! It was expensive but well recieved (and a definite learning curve). I have also done a couple of colouring-in/activity books with equal success (i.e. pretty poor sales but, again, well received).

 

Ronnie: Thanks man, appreciate it! I do hope that this year I make something of eejits. I feel that by now using Affinity Designer I have upped my quality and produced some better stuff. Here's hoping..........

 

George