Vid: Desert Music Compilation

This was an unusual project, and a really fun one to make. Inspired by such YouTube videos as this Tavern Music Compilation, I really wanted to make an online music compilation of my favorite desert songs. Desert settings have always been my favorite genre of fantasy. Arbiter's Grounds on Twilight Princess and the Spirit Temple were my favorite dungeons on Zelda; whatever the desert quest on Runescape is was the funnest quest on the game, and Aladdin has always been one of my favorite Disney movies.

Anyway, rather than showing scenes from the games like the aforementioned tavern one does (no way I can do that much work, FRAPS is finnicky anyway, and some of the games I don't own anymore), I wanted something one-of-a-kind for my compilation. I commissioned my brother to make some artwork for it with some basic suggestions, and after he drew it, we decided that it would look even cooler if it was "golden"; that is, faux-animated like the golden cards on Hearthstone. He made the cape flap in the wind, and I did everything else. It was a ton of fun to tweak it and make it work, and I'm really pleased with the final product. The desert music along with the animations of the mirages and dusty wind make for just the mesmerizing experience that I had hoped to create. I feel like it really embodies the mystical, mysterious, dangerous feel that deserts have. Enjoy!

Austin's Thoughts #1

I went through my old status updates on Facebook and, not to brag, but I seem to be my wittiest when communicating in that form! Some of the statuses I found were borderline Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy. I'll be sharing them in droves here now and then, showcasing my favorites. Some of them might not make sense unless you know me or the time I was going through when I updated, but others will hopefully be universally enjoyed.

On Food:

• Dang, I'm hungry. You know that sucking sound toilets make the second all the water stops spinning and rushes down? I think that's what my stomach just did.
• I nearly fried my eyelid this morning... but the sausage omelet was totally worth it.
• If anything edible wants an upgrade, just add a flavor made of any combination of cheddar, jalapeño, bacon, and/or ranch.
• For lunch today I took two microwave burritos and wrapped them together in a tortilla. It was a Double Burrito Burrito.
• The only thing that would make me like Spitz® Sunflower Seeds more is if I had hamster cheek pouches.
• My dream has always been to go to a restaurant and get a drink, appetizer, entree, and dessert. (sigh) But I'm being ridiculous.
• Sometimes I like to read cookbooks just for fun.
• I am never Google image-searching "Steak dinner" on an empty stomach again.

Disney Droppings: Kuzco Does Something

Another Disney Droppings YTP short. For some reason this one had been popping into my head for weeks. I'm glad I had the footage to make it. I was in the process of making an Emperor's New Groove "The Reward" tribute, but it may be over my head. Still, glad I could at least make this in the meantime!

Vid: Turbo-tastic!

The helmet was a deal breaker when I saw it.

In Memorium Canum

Last month, my brother and I were able to work on a project together, which is always a pleasure. What's even better, it was a concrete, physical, tangible project that we made with our own hands. I had been craving manual labor for a worthwhile cause, and this one was the perfect chance.

Vid: A Country Drive

More fun with green screening, and this time starring my adorable daughter! This time my brother and I made some breakthroughs with lighting, which is truly a key factor in whether a green screened video looks any good.

Tristan's Diary

This started out as an idea I had for my first child, and then I completely forgot to do it. I didn't do it for my second child because of his birth defect that ended up taking his life, so I dug up the idea for our third child, Tristan, who was born a month ago. I thought it would be fun to see the world through a child's eyes—to think about how an outsider who comes to earth and learns about things like physics, bodily functions, communication, etc. would react. I was especially looking forward to writing about kid logic from a kid's point of view—for example, "I think I have made a breakthrough speaking with the giants who care for me. I realize that they seem to communicate using mouth noises. I attempted to communicate in this fashion today, but they did not seem to understand. Apparently, there are some rules involved with the types of mouth sounds made."

Unfortunately, as I soon found out, the very nature of this project makes it too hard to keep up. There are simply too many things a new baby experiences to write down. Besides simple things like light, sound, and dry air, there are things like sensations, pain, color, gravity, smell, and all kinds of other crazy things we take for granted every second of our existence.