My Film Succor Forlorn is BLOWING UP at Film Festivals GLOBALLY

 

Back in 2019, like definitely a year of mayhem, filmmaking, animation, Pokemon Go CRAZINESS. I had produced a number of TV shows that aired on local TV. Here's BLOG POST. Definately a nutty year. My Live Streaming was hacked, my iPhone was hacked, my Computer was hacked AND VERY BADLY.

But, I manged to complete my Film "Succor Forlorn"which I blogged about my process on in my "Lively OC Blog" a number of times in 2019. Not long after completing THAT FILM which was fraught with delays, hackings, setbacks, cyber bullying, and ALL the "new friends" I PRESUMED I had on a certain streaming platform, as well as my IRL Friends whom PROMISED to show up (WITH A LARGE AMOUNT OF ADVANCE NOTICE) to watch my world premiere stream LIVE BROADCAST of the film ALL BAILED ON ME. I EVEN REMINDED THEM. So, basically, I have a Live Stream of basically NO ONE.

I worked SO HARD on this film, and I ALMOST TOTALLY LOST IT FOREVER due to vicious hackers. They DESTROYED all of my hard drives. The drives were so slowed down, that any data recovery was mostly impossible. So on November 1st, 2019 it was TOTALLY RUINED. I was TRYING DESPERATELY to outrun the hackings, whom would also DDOS my Livestreams, and my MODEM. So, not long after that, a Pandemic ensued... so I was effectively WITHOUT a COMPUTER, and MY DATA (most of which was lost), UNTIL AUGUST of 2020! Frickin CRAZY!

I recalled all the great interest, when I 1st posted my Concept Art on Twitter for the film, and getting a HUGE response, but since the setbacks kept occurring, I guess it just died down the enthusiasm. 

I remembered working on the film and DREAMING, while FULLY INTENDING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN as any Filmmaker like myself ought, that I would put the film in a few Film festivals.

Back in 2019, my thought/idea/dream was to put the film into a few small festivals, like SciFi, Cult, Indie, Experimental, and Artsy Festivals. I'd been to a few Film Festivals in my life, so I knew what it was like in general, as well as Animation Festivals. Honestly, I just thought I'd do like 2-3 little niche festivals with the "weirdo" type stuff. I figured my films was just "odd" & unique enough for those, and had ZERO ambition for anything else. I figured, I could stick it into my Resume, just like everything else. Also, the film was intended as a sort of Demo Reel as well. To showcase ALL of my skills & talents. Produced ENTIRELY BY ME. Something I could be proud of.

In 2020-2021, I'd also submitted my photography to a few international competitions, which I was also invited to FERVENTLY, and I had to PAY for admission, BUT NOTHING EVER CAME OF IT. I honestly DO NOT EVEN REMEMBER WHICH ONES I DID, nor HOW MANY. After a while, I just didn't want to spend the money on those. I literally would get these invites, and they would build up the pressure form individuals on a specific platform, but I never won the To Prize, but my Followers would grow sometimes by the min. 

So, my attitude towards Film festivals was sort of like that. Like something to do. Something to try, like a ba-jillion other things I've tried. Since my friends didn't seem all that impressed or interested in my film, I also didn't think much of it as time passed, and I worked on other projects.

But, in 2020 I desperately wanted to put my film in Festivals, then COVID happened, so at 1st I had no money, then when I did, they were all postponed, canceled, or they changed the rules. What do I mean? Well, somewhere in there, they changed the rules & restrictions to ONLY FILMS COMPLETED DURRING the PANDEMIC LOCKDOWN of 2020-2021! WTF???

I worked SO HARD on THAT FILM. But, NO! NOT GOOD ENOUGH! That's UNHEARD OF! Usually, most Film Festivals accept films completed 1-3 years before the date of the Film Festival. But, they just erased 2019 as tho it NEVER HAPPENED! 

So, 2020 turned into 2021, and each time I found a Film Festival that MIGHT accept my film, I read the rules, and they were like: ONLY FILMS completed in 2020-2021! WTF???

So, when 2022 hit, I just presumed: Oh well! I guess its OVER! Like, I GOT SICK working on that film. 

I had to delay working on it FOR OTHER PERSONS' PROJECTS because THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO VFX Composites, or how to use Low Level lighting, or A PRIME LENS, or whisked a way on film shooting locations WHILE I'M IN SEVERE BACK PAIN, N DID NOT WANT TO BE THERE in ANOTHER STATE, while people are playing ego trip head games on me. I also GOT PAID NOTHING TO HELP THEM. NONE OF THEM. And I had a TV station play "musical chairs" with our time slots, and have the gall to get ANGRY AT US, while gaslighting us BECAUSE THEY CHANGED THE TIME SLOTS, NOT US. It was like LIFE had just SCREWED me that year. No matter HOW NICE I was. NONE OF THAT MATTERED. I even GOT BANNED 3 times (2019) in Pokemon Go by HATERS, plus while playing PVP on the highway! I also had a CREEPY frickin stalker problem when I went outside. (ANOTHER LONG STORY.) Bad enough there's a deadly frickin plague on the loose! 

But, in March this year (2022) I saw this email in my inbox, and it was suggesting I check out a certain Film Festival (I'd already peeked at maybe 5-6 in the winter already) which was a SciFi Festival. It caught my eye. And, it bugged me. I'll bet they have a STOOPID rule about NO films before 2020, or 2021, or something like that... right? Or some ridiculous COVID restriction EVEN THO its all done online. 

Right???

Nope!

So, I read through the rules, the categories.... and NO STUPID rules like that at all!

Then, I decided to just do it! 

They just required the Film, A Trailer, A Movie Poster, A Director's Bio, Synopsis, some stills from the film, some links, and A Headshot of the Director (me). That's it??? 

OK! So, I started that! Spent the WHOLE NIGHT setting that up, went to bed long after 4AM, then when I woke up, I cut my Trailer in Adobe Premiere, Rendered it out, Did my Movie Poster, and submitted everything.

Then I thought about a few other ones. But which ones?

I searched through the Film Festivals, found 2 more I liked, and I Tweeted it out that I was submitting my films to some Festivals this year.

I figured THAT WOULD BE IT, I had ZERO ambitions of winning ANYTHING. Just hoping my Film would be CHOSEN and approved. That was it.

But, then I GOT SCOUTED!

Some Film Connoisseurs started chatting with me, asking me about my film. Next thing I knew, they were inviting me to submit my film to specific festivals, and advising me what to do. Next thing I knew, THE BUZZ WAS ON! And I kept getting more & more invitations! 

They were SO NICE!

Then, at the end of April I started WINNING EACH FESTIVAL that had started their events! 

Then, I had to do marketing, PR, and I got on THE HOT LIST at least 3 times already!

My Film WON at the Hollywood Blvd Film Festival! WHAT???

 

Next thing I knew, even tho I'd ONLY intended to do the small niche weirdo festivals, THE BIGGER ONES WERE NOTICING ME!

I GOT a PERSONAL INVITATION to CANNES AWARDS FESTIVAL! I almost HAD A HEART ATTACK! I was hyper Ventilating, and almost blacked out! I NEVER thought I was ever even GOOD ENOUGH for CANNES!

 Anyways, my film will also be screened in Art Hub cities in Italy like Florence, Milan, Malta, Rome, also Paris, London, Vienna, Casablanca, NYC, and lots more. I'm booked up in more than 60+ Festivals now until 2023. I've signed 2 Contract deals.

My Film will be streaming soon on the Paus app from England INTERNATIONALLY!

I had to do my IMDb Profile stuff, for myself AND my Film which requires data entry style programming, and its tedious AF! There's a flashback from the 90s! Remember back in the day when IMDb was just a movie buff site for nerds? I DO.

My INBOX is NUTS! Just NUTS! HOW does ANYONE handle this much attention???

CRAZY!

I need to probably get an Agent, Manager, Talent Attorney, and I might have to join a Guild, like The Writers' Guild. I'm trying to figure out WHAT TO DO WITH ALL OF THIS MOVING FORWARD.

So, I GUESS this is kind of my life right now! EVERY DAY something new happens! My email INBOX is just NUTS! 

I can't get ANYTHING DONE lately! And, I started up my Twitch streaming again.

So, I STILL have dreams to fulfill, or at least make a TRY for it!

It's STILL so strange to me! Like, in my head, it's like IMPOSTER SYNDROME. I've been SO SHIT ON, TRASHED, ABUSED, SCREWED OVER, MISTREATED, and undermined for my ENTIRE ADULT LIFE, that I'm just thinking: Am I actually GOOD? Like, is it ACTUALLY GOOD???

Are people just being NICE or KINDLY TO ME??? Are the just HUMORING ME?

Then I look at my INBOX, and I'm STILL SHOCKED! Like: WOW!

SO MANY PEOPLE LOVE MY FILM! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN???

Like, I WON BEST SHORT EXPERIMENTAL Film at Hollywood Blvd! 

And, THEY INVITED ME AT THE CANNES AWARDS FILM FESTIVAL! CANNES!!! FRICKIN CANNES!!!! OMFG!!!

Djehkaujaa OC Motion Graphics LoFi Video Art

 

 [SCROLL DOWN TO BOTTOM OF BLOG FOR THE VIDEOS]

I've been feeling my OC's (Original Character) a lot lately in the past 2-3 months. She's actually a dragon, but her humanoid form looks like this, and her eyes can change colors. 

I usually depict Djehkäujaa in mid 1990s European Raver clothing, or in a variety of clothing typical of Mongolian tribes, usually with pants. However, I've recently found myself drawn to depicting her in a blend of tribal inspired clothing from the Asian Steppes, including everything from Russian to Mongolian, to Kazakh, but also Turkmen, Turkoman, Sakha, Yakutia, Siberian, and several others. These cultures always fill me with a strong, strange feeling of Déjà vu, but even further beyond that. So, I've meditated on it a lot since I was 18. In fact, that's exactly around the time when I came up with Djehkäujaa when I was a teenager. 

I've also bee drawing a lot of inspiration various old novels lately, and Clip Studio Paint.   

My newest work which features Djehkäujaa is inspired by the cover artwork by "Brom" on the novel "The Unicorn" from "Legend of The Five Rings". 

I feel pretty happy with my growth & progress in implementing "design layout" which is so much better than 5 years ago, let alone 10. I'm glad I decided to stop being so narrow-minded about it, and I feel I've improved a lot. 

I actually hadn't intended to start this one yet, even tho I prepped for it since December. I used a mixture of different Software for this project including: Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, FlamePainter, and Rebelle 3. 

You can find FlamePainter & Rebelle at Escape Motions' website. 

I also HIGHLY recommend Clip Studio Paint! If you own a WACOM tablet or CINTIQ but you don't have Clip Studio Paint yet, if you login to the WACOM site in your account, they often give out a free 1 year license code that you can redeem. I personally bought a permanent during a Black Friday/Cyber Monday deal in 2020.Some thing with Escape Motion, I bought software bundles from them during those Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals. 

Clip Studio Paint is not 100% perfect, and even with an expensive video card (like I have) it will frequently crash. However, the up-sides of this software keep me hooked! It's 1 of my FAVORITE software to actually hand paint with on my CINTIQ. I like the feeling of it. 

If you like experimentation art, I also recommend Rebelle by Escape Motions, but I also recommend Krita, WHICH IS FREE. I like Krita for fine details and its also intuitive with your strokes on a tablet, even if the drivers are an outdated tablet with pressure sensitive functions don't work anymore.

This piece was a reworked version of a Clip Studio Paint "Asset" which you can get HERE. 

Believe it, or not, the fur on the final versions in these uses brushes from FlamePainter, and Clip Studio Paint. I customized the settings to colors I wanted, painted them on layers, then exported them to Photoshop where I did my clean-up editing. 

Also, if you haven't noticed, I have an obsession with Chinese Chengyun which is hard to explain in English and takes forever, ironically. It's sort of like a language arts/poetry style, sometimes its translated as an "idiom" which I disagree with as a translation. Chengyun is just 1 of this style of poetic language arts, and is probably THE MOST clever of all language arts in all of humanity, potentially even older than "ancient" but in fact prehistoric... maybe. The human beings whom came up with this were incredibly clever. There were even people whom could talk like this. 

It's like jive in some ways, but metaphors often within metaphors. In just a few words you can communicate things that are massive ideas. Not that Ancient Greek or Latin couldn't do this, but the Chinese way of doing this uses the writing system, and it involves a complex usage of more parts of the human brain that Western languages lack, or is totally void. So, it's very difficult for me. But, I enjoy messing with it. 

It's called Wen Yan, Gu Wen, or Wen Yan Wen. It's nearly impossible to effectively even translate what this is in English. The closest one could get to it is a lengthy explanation or lecture. From my perspective, I view it as a kind of advanced Poetry language Art. Making art with words, ideas, concepts, and feelings, but it relies heavily on structure, and numbers, or numerology. In a Chengyun, there's only 4 words, but this same style could also be applied to other numbers, including a persons name, or names. There are, however, other languages in the far East that have a functional understanding & appreciation of this even tho' they don't speak Chinese, but incorporate it into their own. But, its just something in the West that we will have no concept of. 

So, I often enjoy messing with these ideas myself. It's meant to be light-hearted on my end, since I'm an outsider.... like a small monkey that broke into a garage, messing with tools, trying to build something. 

If you notice a group of 4 Chinese characters in my work, those are Chengyun, or faux Chengyun (meaning I made them up based on either the structure, or I messed with a word play of a real one.) Chinese has a unique kind of grammar, so I can mess with it within a a certain margin even tho it's not my native tongue. I also can't help but incorporate so much Chinese substance into my work because my life is heavily Chinese even tho I am not Chinese. Even in my interests in Philosophy frequently return me to Chinese "thought" or "philosophers", especially Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching).

Djehkäujaa, in her humanoid form is generally meat to be depicted in PURPLE, which is a major plot point in her story, and back story. Djehkäujaa is very UNLIKE my other OC, Lively. 

I don't know why Djehkäujaa has shown up so frequently in my drawings in the past few months, but she has.

The LoFi Videos:

 The Short Versions:

The Full Length Versions:

I do have another composition I will also be doing a VFX/Motion Graphics Edit/LoFi/Relaxation peice as well:

I'm hoping, eventually, to record some of my own Jaw Harp music. But, I'm still learning. I got this one from Siberia in Russia:

My new #JawHarp #Mouth Harp from #Siberia #Russia!!!!
I've been practicing for a few weeks now! #music #musicalinstrument @BlackUniGryphon #HandMade 😁 pic.twitter.com/pvyrqdgMQj

— Black UniGryphon Arts 烏獨角獸 (@GryphonUni) January 23, 2022

Terry Brooks Fan Art Project: Inked Unicorns 'Books of Magic' via 'The Black Unicorn' novel [Magical Kingdom]

 FINALLY!!! 

I'm MAKING THIS PROJECT HAPPEN!

 In the 1987 novel "The Black Unicorn" (remember the "The" so as to distinguish it from "Black Unicorn" [no "The"] by Tanith Lee in the 1990s, which is ALSO GOOD.) Brooks writes about "The Books of Magic" which were a crucial plot point in the narrative of this specific novel, which comes from his "Magical Kingdom" series of Fantasy Novels from the 1980s. 

 You can READ the excerpts from the novel which I posted HERE that describe The Unicorns in the Books of Magic.

@blackunigryphon #FanArt #inkdrawing #unicorns #TerryBrooks #FanArt #book #sketchbook #BooksOfMagic #MagicalKingdomOfLandover #FantasyArt #Fantasy #FantasyNovel #WIP ♬ original sound BlackUniGryphon

I am SO IRKED that I misplaced my original vintage copy of the novel. I literally had the dang thing, highlights withe notes & ALL in my hands in early December, but our Condo had a new electrical system installed in December, which means the entire place was topsy-tervy, and everything moved around. So, even tho I found ALL of my other novels from my teenagehood that were always kept together I CANNOT FIND THAT ONE! 

So, I had to find a digital copy online, and THANK YOU SO MUCH TO FANTASY NOVEL FANS ON THE INTERNET!!!!

I've actually made a number of art pieces since I was a teenager in the 1990s depicting a number scenes from this novel. This novel really showcased a lot of the sweetness of Brooks' heart, and sentimental side. His also uses interesting narrative devices which for its time (1980s) were refreshing, altho today might seem cliche. It reminds me of an Classical Ancient Greek style which involves the mind of the audience (or reader) like in Peter Pan, you need to BELIEVE IN FAIRIES & clap your hands otherwise Tinkerbell will die,  or if you believe in Jesus you become Deliverance & Salvation so you can go to Heaven in the Gospels. These are things the audience that hears or reads the story does INSIDE THEIR MIND by thinking and also FEELING which works very effectively, especially in a play or fairy-tales. 

In Brooks' story, he uses this concept of "The Books of Magic" in a similar manner. So without giving out too many spoilers, these Unicorns which appear to be inked drawing on white parchment paper are actually trapped unicorns. They need to be set free so that the people in other realms (like our own) can "believe in magic" which also gives Magic it's own power. This is a very ancient classical narrative style that was perfected in Ancient Greece. 

I don't want to SPOIL the story, but its connected to The Black Unicorn, which turns out to be NOT WHAT YOU THINK. 

Let's just say, The Black Unicorn IS NOT EVIL, and IS NOT A DEMON. 

YOU NEED TO LOOK PAST it's DARKER EXTERIOR AND SEE THE BEAUTY OF WHOM THEY TRULY ARE. 

The Black Unicorn is INNOCENT. 

Imagine being misjudge JUST BY HOW YOU LOOKED ON THE OUTSIDE! 

But INSIDE there is SO MUCH MORE!

This is ALSO why THOSE 2 BOOKS OF MAGIC MATTER SO MUCH IN THE PLOT! 

Actually, when I was a teenager in the 1990s I made my own makeshift, hand made, version of the 2nd Book of magic with the Inked Unicorn Drawings! But, after I graduated college in 2001, I was snobby at my old high school art work, AND I THREW IT AWAY! 

OH, HOW I REGRET THAT I DID THIS!!!!! SO STUPID! Me & my STUPID EGO! WHAT WAS I THINKING??? 

I'd made a Painting that had depicted a scene from the book with the fairies Dancing over a Lake at night to summon the Black Unicorn, which I was in high school. I didn't think much of it, but my family found that painting and framed it. I was honestly shocked since they never seemed to give a care about my art, ever. Also, no matter which house they lived in, they ALWAYS took THAT painting with them and HUNG in a room that ALL PEOPLE COULD SEE IT usually when they entered the house. 

The kinds of things people would say to me about that painting were so sweet. So many people would tell me just how much they LOVED that painting! So, I guess I must've tapped into whatever Brooks wrote, because I LOVED that scene in the novel SO MUCH that I went out of my way to make a painting depicting it. I thought I wasn't any good when I made the painting, and felt disappointed that it wasn't better. But, when so many people kept telling me how much they LOVED it, I guess I did it right after all. I guess that's the problem with ego, huh? 

So, by the Pandemic Quarantine Lockdown of 2020, I actually found my novel. Then I thought about "The Books of Magic" with the Inked Unicorns. 

Then I thought: 

Hey that would be a good project! (Then I remembered, I DID do that project as a kid, BUT THREW IT AWAY! DOH!)

So, I'd been meaning to re-create it myself.

I wasn't sure if there was still a Fandom for Terry Brooks. So, I checked! 

Oh! THERE IS!

Bored with this trashy novel I'm reading at the moment. Think it's time for a return to the #MagicKingdomofLandover, not read those for ages

— Dan Jackson (@danj2k) March 18, 2016

Brainstorming for #PitMad. Have I found my comps? I read using #HarryPotter is pretentious, but it fits for my setting, tone & MC's arc. As does #MagicKingdomofLandover. Whaddya think? Too ballsy? Too dated? I've looked at the more current titles & nothing else fits. #amquerying pic.twitter.com/AGwK0WCEB6

— OJ Barré (Olivia) is writing Awen Tide🐉 (@ojbarreauthor) February 13, 2018

So, I went to Michael's Art Supplies & bought a new hardcover sketchbook for the project.

 

The 1st 2 Inked Unicorn Drawings/Pages are described in the novel as the first one is standing still, and the 2nd is in motion. 

So, I depicted it this way on the 1st 2 pages:

After that, in mentions the 3rd & 4th as all different, ans all of them after that. (you can read the excerpt here)

If you would like to see my ENTIRE Photography Gallery for this Project as it unfolds go HERE.

 

The 1st #unicorn 🦄 #InkedDrawing as depicted as standing still in the #TerryBooks #novel #TheBlackUnicorn 1987 #MagicKingdomOfLandover #Landover #inked #ink #Sketchbook #FanArt #Fantasy #FantasyArt @BlackUniGryphon #HandDrawn #HandInked #ArtistOnTwitter pic.twitter.com/8xrevfbdCe

— Black UniGryphon Arts 烏獨角獸 (@GryphonUni) December 30, 2021

1st #unicorn in the #TerryBrooks novel #BlackUnicorn mentions it's standing still in the 2nd of #BooksOfMagic #MagicKingdomOfLandover #Landover #Fantasy #graphite
I will ink it. @BlackUniGryphon pic.twitter.com/K2x6KVVnVf

— Black UniGryphon Arts 烏獨角獸 (@GryphonUni) December 30, 2021

1st #unicorn in the #TerryBrooks novel #BlackUnicorn mentions it's standing still in the 2nd of #BooksOfMagic #MagicKingdomOfLandover #Landover #Fantasy #graphite
I will ink it. @BlackUniGryphon pic.twitter.com/K2x6KVVnVf

— Black UniGryphon Arts 烏獨角獸 (@GryphonUni) December 30, 2021

 

2nd Page #inked #Unicorn 🦄 #Drawing #sketchbook #FanArt #TerryBrooks #TheBlackUnicorn #novel #MagicKingdomOfLandover #Landover #HandDrawn #cartoon @BlackUniGryphon #TheBooksOfMagic pic.twitter.com/b1w87u45t2

— Black UniGryphon Arts 烏獨角獸 (@GryphonUni) December 30, 2021

A project to make an entire sketchbook full of unicorns!
A project I actually did but in a smaller scale in high school in the 90s!
I'm hoping to film some of it n publish to YouTube. #TerryBrooks #FanArt #fantasyart #MagicKingdomOfLandover @BlackUniGryphon pic.twitter.com/EXLPKDYHJl

— Black UniGryphon Arts 烏獨角獸 (@GryphonUni) December 30, 2021

The 2nd #unicorn 🦄 on the page of #TheBooksOfMagic in #TerryBrooks #novel #TheBlackUnicorn describes it as being in motion.#WIP #sketchbook #FanArt #fantasy #FantasyArt #inking #handdrawn #penciler #inker @BlackUniGryphon #ArtistOnTwitter #cartoon pic.twitter.com/yUdpBLwIM9

— Black UniGryphon Arts 烏獨角獸 (@GryphonUni) December 30, 2021

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