Aug 21, 2009:
Okay, I'm making things easy and putting the info for the broadcast here. So far we have the ustream setup. There will be video of my work, and audio, but I do not guarantee it'll be perfect on either end. the stream window is a fair bit smaller than my comic, so some things will be a bit blurry as I work. Also, the audio will have my chatting with other people, and the other people may not carry over... we shall see.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cvrpg-live
Join the fun, starting at 12:00 Noon EST August 22nd!
To join the voice chat room:
1) Download Teamspeak (http://www.teamspeak.com/)
2) Connection Menu, under Connect, you will get a new window. Setup:
- Server Address: llearch.net
- Connection: Anonymous
- Server Password: Amber
3) Join the CVRPG room (double click on it)
4) Make sure your microphone is in, and you should be broadcasting.
Please note: Darkmoon swears. A lot. Please be aware.
Goals:
1) Set up Broadcast
2) Maintain a rate of 2.08 comics per hour.
Quote from: Darkmoon Firelyte on July 19, 2009, 07:52:13 PM
I honestly hadn't even thought about it. I do have a mic and could, theoretically, broadcast my screen to all who want to see...
I guess it's really just a matter of if people wanted to see it -- if there was enough for it to warrant the effort involved.
So... how many multiple accounts and aliases would I have to open clamoring for a live cast before you would say 'ok'? :U
Do you really want to spend 24 hours watching me put together sprite comics?
It sounds like it would be fun.
Quote from: proeliator bradypodidae on July 20, 2009, 11:42:14 PM
So... how many multiple accounts and aliases would I have to open clamoring for a live cast before you would say 'ok'? :U
None. After the first one, we'd catch you for multiple accounts and ban both of them. If you opened another one, then all of them would become permabans, rather than temporary bans...
Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on July 21, 2009, 03:39:47 AM
Quote from: proeliator bradypodidae on July 20, 2009, 11:42:14 PM
So... how many multiple accounts and aliases would I have to open clamoring for a live cast before you would say 'ok'? :U
None. After the first one, we'd catch you for multiple accounts and ban both of them. If you opened another one, then all of them would become permabans, rather than temporary bans...
Fully known and understood, Sir Box! :)
That was just another failed attempt at humor on my part. :<
Quote from: Darkmoon Firelyte on July 21, 2009, 12:41:16 AM
Do you really want to spend 24 hours watching me put together sprite comics?
Okay, this next part is probably preaching to the choir, but...
Well... you could invite a few of your friends to heckle using skype or some such voice application. And if you used an application that had an associated chat room everyone could join in on the sniping. Its been my observation of other webcasts with chat that the audiences are sometimes self entertaining...
Are you sure you want to field endless questions from the audience? >:3
Okay, let's say I'm halfway interested in the concept, find me the program/site to use. I do my work in photoshop, FileZilla, and Firefox, so I need something that can basically broadcast my entire desktop. it should have the voice chat capability, and having a little text chat for those people not in on the "call" would be ideal.
Also, preferably, free.
You find it, and we'll discuss.
A friend of mine uses Webcam Max (http://www.webcammax.com/), which can capture your screen or your webcam (if you've got one). The trial version has a watermark across the top, while the full version does not (and costs $50). To broadcast, you can use http://www.livestream.com/ (http://www.livestream.com/) or http://www.justin.tv/ (http://www.justin.tv/). Both are free to use.
Webcam Max does not include an interface for text chatting, so you may need to have notepad or something open, but both of the broadcast sites include a chatroom alongside the video stream.
Hope this helps.
I will admit a temptation to do this...
I spoke to PinkKittyRose and Balade about this - since those are the two folks I know doing casts.
Balade also suggests Webcam Max - he also mentioned you can purchase it for shorter lengths of time, like a few weeks. That might be somewhat cheaper, unless you intend to run more casts later. He says it's the best he's found, but he's mostly looking under a 64bit OS, so YMMV. BTW, it's a large watermark; that might impact on your decision.
PKR says she uses Camtasia Studio 5's Live Output feature to do screen recording. However, that's very definitely another pay option - I get the impression it's not cheap, either.
The other option I was wondering about was ustream, since that name appears a bit; they may or may not have some suggestions on their site.
Ustream certainly appears like an option.However, I do have to admit the fascination with being able to have others chat with me while I broadcast... Maybe I should look at setting up a skype with it...
There's a teamspeak server. Feel free to use that.
Hey, that could be cool. That's your teamspeak server, right?
Correct. test.llearch.net with a password of Amber (hey, it's not like I'm going to forget that, now, is it?)
If you find yourself having more than about 15 people chatting at once, it'll have to move, though - upstream from my DSL link is only so much... less if I'm actively using the link...
Perhaps you can have people sign up if they want to actually talk instead of just chat?
... Are you suggesting that it's usually pretty quiet on there, VSMIT? ;-]
I don't know. I'm just guessing. Perhaps incorrectly, now that I think about it.
Okay, then... sign up here if you want to join. If we get more than 12 (to be on the safe side), we'll find an alternate solution.
Broadcast will be over ustream. Details on both will be posted in the coming weeks (once a deadline for the broadcast is set).
Do I need to put my name here, or can I just, by virtue of running the server, turn up? ;-]
I'll watch, probably talk.
I'll definitely watch and participate in a chat, if there is one. Not sure I have the equipment on this laptop to be part of a cast.
The audio cast would require a microphone and the installation of teamspeak.
What day will this be? It would be interesting to join, at least for a while.
I'll show up as long as the date/time doesn't conflict with anything else I've got going on.
Date TBA.
Ah, so we have to install this software on our computers? Hmm...
Yeah, but it's simple freeware.
I wouldn't mind getting use out of my headset... but I 'd need to know when or if.
I wouldn't mind. Chatting with others over the internet? Might be entertaining. But yet, summer break ends in less than a week, then I might not have as much time.
50+ comics in 24 hours? How much bloody time do you need to make a single comic? I could make almost two hundred frames of animation in 24 hours, and I use friggen MS paint. It's just too bad that I don't have that kind of time to spend on my project every day.
It's a touch more complicated than just putting together frames of animation...
Quote from: Castle Pokemetroid on July 29, 2009, 07:01:44 PM
I wouldn't mind. Chatting with others over the internet? Might be entertaining. But yet, summer break ends in less than a week, then I might not have as much time.
50+ comics in 24 hours? How much bloody time do you need to make a single comic? I could make almost two hundred frames of animation in 24 hours, and I use friggen MS paint. It's just too bad that I don't have that kind of time to spend on my project every day.
I envy you. It took over 24 hours of work for me just to make my new sprite icon. In fact, recently I tried to edit an unrelated animation and it took me five hours to RECOLOR one frame. I quit after that.
Quote from: Darkmoon Firelyte on February 28, 2011, 02:54:52 PM
It's a touch more complicated than just putting together frames of animation...
That just may be true. I kinda slap around sprites when I make that sort of thing. One hundred frames in four hours is nothing for me (I have indeed done it before, and a single scene out of eight is useally nearly a hundred frames of length), dispite useing only MS paint. I don't even have photoshop. I just put sprites anywere and hope it looks like it's been animated. That process has been working quite well so far.
But anyways, I don't know your process, but it might be too overly complicated. It's just a bloody webcomic, chap. It's not like animation where perfection and sprite positioning is key for making a smooth motion. But anyways, I was just stating how I'd do something like that. We each have our own styles, after all.
Also, so that we're on the same page, I use paint. Do you know wallence and grummet? Were they have clay figures, and they move the figure a fraction of an inch, then take a picture, then move a fraction of an inch, then take a picture, so on an so forth?
That is simular to what I do. I take a background, then copy it fifty times, then I place a sprite on. I go back to the sprite sheet, select the sprite's next animation frame, copy, then paste it on the second copy of the said background. I repeat until the guy walks off screen, or until it gets to were I want it to, which can easily take up fourty frames. In my next episode, episode six, there will be one point were almost twelve people are moving at the same time.
It gets quite tedious, as I don't have anything even close to photoshop. Just paint, which is why I was saying that I sometimes slap sprites around, and hope the wankers do as what I wish them to. There's a link in my sig that leads to a SoS movie that demenstrates my most earliest work. In that movie is the first animation video I had done (I might of done one second animations before, but I don't remember), and it is really what I call "Slapping them around". When Soma walks across the screen, you can really notice how much the screen shakes. It was before I knew that each frame should be the same size as the other for a smooth animation.
But yet, even now, I slap things around. The screen just shakes less than it did before and I can now animate more things at once that I would be able to before.
I wonder how you're able to do it so fast, though...or maybe I'm just slow...
It's all about memorization. Know were the sprite was previously, then you can just slap the next frame on without thinking.
If you're really good at that, a person can just fly by the windows.
I've also been doing it since the past three years. I don't know how long you've been doing it, but I had plenty of practice. That first vid I made took me 11 months to finish. I completed episode six in four and episode five in two and a half months. Episode four has more animation ever made myself (and it still holds that record), but I don't remember how long it took me.
Episode seven is mostly recorded stuff, so I'm half way through it, even though it's only a week and a half after I finished six. Episode seven is also a three part episode.
Anyways, to get back on topic, I revive my previous question in asking Dmoon how long it may take for him to finish a single comic. 24 hours for fifty sounds like a tad bit much to me. If he spends 20 mins on a single comic, then he could finish 72 comics in 24 hours.
I could, but remember I set the challenge so that there had to be 4 comics with action (which always takes longer), and that the story had to be completed in that amount of time, allowing for the fact that I never can tell when a story will be done until it's done. If it taks 100 comics, then I have to do 100 comics.
You also have to consider, cp, that he rarely scripts out what he's doing ahead of time. Sure, he might have an idea as to where the story is going, but the individual comics themselves, with the dialouge and such, happen in roughly the same time frame.
Additionally, there's locating the sprites (beyond the normal ones), backgrounds, etc. And let me tell you from experience - his collection is huge, and takes a while to dig through if you're looking for something in particular.
And heaven help him if he decides partway through the story that he needs more or different sprites.
Yeah, if I have to actually make sprites, it could set me back hours. That's why I delayed doing this as long as I could. I wanted to get most of my collection together for this project ahead of time.
Ah, I see. When I do my projects, I always spend at the least an hour or so fleshing out a script. With a script, I can copy/paste when I'm in the flow of making frames.
Also, with the sprites, I always make sure they're in folders easily found. I have file branches that sometimes reach twenty folders I have to go through, but I always know were everything I need is.
With my project, it is also not a custom sprite comic, meaning anything that I use comes with it's own sheet of complete animation. I don't have the need to use up time making custom sprites.
With backgrounds, I don't peice. I just cut out the proper size, then copy many times. With your comics, there are mutiple frames in a single strip. You need to piece stuff together as well.
With my set up, the only thing that really takes a large amount of time is the side scrolling. That is so very difficult, also seeing that each frame must be the same size as the last for a truely proper and smooth animation. In episode seven, I tackle on sideways scrolling. What murder that was for only two frames.
I have them organize, sure, but when you consider the several gigs worth of spritework I have saved, trying to remember where a particular sprite sheet or background I want is can sometimes take a while.
Out of interest, do you have a backup of that?
Quote from: llearch n'n'daCorna on August 05, 2009, 05:36:02 AM
Out of interest, do you have a backup of that?
QFT.
"There are two kinds of people: those who make backups and those who will." - or, alternatively
"There are two kinds of people: those who make backups and those who never suffered from a hard disk failure."
//h
To be honest, I have everything backed up myself. I have all my data on both my computer and a Jump Drive.
Also helps, since I can do my project on ANY windows computer, since they all have MS paint.
I did. My portable HDD died recently, and is on an RMA. I'll re-backup everything onto the new one when it shows up.
I found a back up disk of old art from 2002... there's no amount of retro scripting can make sense out of it, it's just a jumbled mess of non linear storytelling... and the artwork is surprisingly good, but it sill doesn't meet my current standards :mwaha
but for backups of old backgrounds in a sprite comic I'm half expecting you'd have flat 4 color backgrounds with circles and triangles representing shrubbery and your regular sprites in the foreground. A green rectangle representing the ground would be a change of pace for CVRPG
My archive consists of a variety of sprite maps I've found through my various trolling missions on the net. There's a few sources I have, and I steal everything I can from those sites (anything i think might be of use). I also gather all kinds of random sprites, for similar reasons.
Currently, the CVRPG images folder (which has a backup of every comic, in PSD format, since #60, as well as all my sprites) is 3.6 GB. Not too small, certainly.
The date is set.
It's on the 22nd?
Good day to choose.
I am only able to go on the computer once every other day. I share this computer with my sister.
The 22nd just so happens to be a day were I get the computer. I just may be able to be with you for the chat thing for a few hours.
I'll have to steal my mom's headset, of course, and my sister might try to scream into the set.
She really seems to like doing that, for some reason.
Quote from: Castle Pokemetroid on August 11, 2009, 01:36:52 AM
I'll have to steal my mom's headset, of course, and my sister might try to scream into the set.
She really seems to like doing that, for some reason.
Ah, sibling bonding, I know it well as the middle kid of five...
22nd is a good date barring RL's nasty habit of teaming up with Murphy and his Gremlins. I guess it's off to Radio Shack to find the necessary equipment to join the voice chat, although i hope there is a regular chat as well.
Oh well. The 29th would have been better for me, but no matter what day you chose would have been limited on my end.
Sorry to hear that. :(
There is a way to get a chat linked up to the UStream I plan to run... that is if I can get the UStream to work. I have to reg a program and pay some cash out... but I'm hoping it's not a lot, or that I can at least do a limited registration. I'll have to look into that.
Either that, or we find a way to run an irc while it's going on.
Might want to ask llearch about that, he's still running the comicfrenzy channel on llearch net, might be able to get him to set up a temporary channel for you as well.
When it's time, yeah. He's also the one that helped me setup the teamspeak for it.
hmm... this has me interested, i'd be up for chatting a little bit as well... mind you, i'll probably be in and out a bit, but either way, best of luck Darkmoon
Okay, for the idiots in the audience like me. What do we have to do once Teamspeak is installed?
The information to link up to the chat server will be provided on Friday. Probably I'll post something in here, as I don't want to overload the chat server.
Since the chat server is on my DSL link, this is a good decision. ;-]
(at least, in my opinion...)
when august 22... I have to read through the thread.
I'm aiming for Noon EST on Saturday. (nods)
Since there's like a four hour difference with me all the way out here in Hawaii, might be a bit later for me. Might equal less time for me to be on, but most likely no less than an hour and two at best.
See ya til.
In case my previous bid for entry was annulled, I'll be there, both to watch and speak.
Okay, I have the room on ustream setup: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cvrpg-live
I'm going to repurpose this topic for it, so if it looks a little funky for a few, that's why...
Added info for voice chat.
I just tried to connect, but all I got was "Error."
The password is case-sensitive. That may be part of the issue.
The headset to my mom's computer is actually attached in the back of the PC, were many many wires dwell. My mom is currently using her computer, so I'll just wait a while before trying to connect to the stream.
Also, just so I know, will there be visuals to the live stream stuff? You know, like a live vid of Darkmoon making the comics?
If not, I'll be working on my own series while on the chat thing.
The live stream should be broadcasting a feed of my desktop as I work.
Horay, I have the headset.
I shall now be attempting to connect to the live feed.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l229/C-P_06/error.jpg
The thing's not working for me. I try to download, but yet it rejects.
I understand not of what it's problem may be.
Install as admin?
Are you on an administrator's account on your operating system? If you have a limited account on your operating system, that could be the source of your issues - you may not have the rights to install the program.
Oh . . .
I guess I won't be joining the live feed thing after all.
Oh well.
You can watch, since that just requires an internet connection. That's separate from Teamspeak.
that, or get your parents to sign you in as an admin so you can download the program.
I don't want to bother my parents.
Saturday is their rest day, they can get pissed off and throw stuff across the room.
I also rather not miss out.
I'll be on later, I'll find a way.
welcome to the chat!
Alrighty, for those just joining in, we're over halfway through the 50/24 challenge, and still have more than enough time to go. Anyone that stays awake through this (or are late nighters) can join in on the rest of the festivities as we will be doing random comics from the fans after the main arc is finished.
Start thinking of ideas as we'll be looking for your suggestions!
Darkmoon & Angel remake of the Who's on First Classic.
Gilligan's Island parody.
Dating Game.
A team sport activity.
Iron Chef. Turkey Day 5
At a heavy metal concert. St. Patty's Day 3
Darkmoon in Boot Camp
Stand-up routine at the Comedy Club
Dracula trying to file an Insurance claim on his crumbled castle
Bunny getting ticked after not getting due credit... again.
Shaft getting captured by Ghostbusters.
Shaft's spirit getting stuck in an animal.
Shaft gaining a new body abnormally fast, but also loses it abnormally fast.
(Man, I'm really hating on this guy...)
Oooh, I know!
Darkmoon as Sledge Hammer!
(Blamed wholeheartedly on llearch)
Silent movie slapstick?
The Raisin Brahms commercial. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKgBdrsqvjs)
God duking it out with the Internet Oracle for rights to the Universe.
If anyone is interested, Darkmoon made his 50 in under 15 hours, 45 minutes. Good show, ole boy!
Someone counting to Pi.
Princess practising her martial arts.
Someone lacking sleep. Shaft, perhaps.
Far too much lack of sleep.
Edit:
Angel playing Mafia Wars...
God's Forum Adventures
Childhood horrors (i.e Bloody Mary)
Batman
Moogles trying to take over the world with their dancing
What would happen where all of us to meet?
More to come.
And thus the webcast draws to a close. 66 comics in approx. 19 hours. Quite an impressive feat.
I thought it was supposed to last 24 hours. Where's my last hour?
I read up until 37 or 38...before that I remember a conversation a bout George Lucas and Kitten being a general term for all of Darkmoon's cats. Oh and DM's vision was going burry. by the way 38 pages in 12hrs is pretty impressive. I didn't sign in for chat, because it wouldn't let me. in total I followed for about 3hrs. gave me something to listen to... while I was reading other web comics.
He ran out of work to do.
And then the slacker went to sleep. I mean, pfft, what was he thinking? ;-]
Eh...I was only kidding about the whole 24 hours thing. I couldn't get the chat to work anyway, but I saw about five minutes of the broadcast, which was depressing enough for me. Depressing, in that the man can do in five minutes what it takes me five hours. Seeing his efficiency makes me realize I'll never be a part of his world. And that part I'm not kidding about.
He's lucky enough to have the tools to do it quickly, though, and a lot of practical experience on them through is day job. You use Paint, don't you? That, in and of itself, is a feat for comic things - you can't make a mistake, otherwise you're rebuilding sections.
He's still slacking off in bed, isn't he?
If nothing else, I am now fairly certain that the Box NEVER sleeps...
It was fun, entertaining, and believe it or not, fascinating watching Darkmoon's process in creating CVRPG. I swear, he never slowed down. As efficient as Darkmoon is at assembling the components of his comic on the page, what struck me most was his ability to create a cohesive, and more often then not, humorous page and arc on the fly. I would have run out of ideas by page three.
Thanks to Darkmoon, llearch, and the rest for putting up with me on the voice chat. That was a first for me. Although I'm not sure being a member of a Cast is my true calling...
Darkmoon, I hope you go through with your idea about a monthly jam session; should be a lot of fun.
Nope, I think he was up by the time I posted last, llearch.
Argh! This is typical. I wait for an event to get a set date, and I find out what the date is the day after it happened. This is the third time that's happened to me this year. -_-
oh, no! He will likely be doing jam session every now and again. We'll try to set the next one with plenty of warning.
Make sure to hit the main page for CVRPG. I announced the webcast a week ahead of time there, and likely I will do so for future casts.
won't be a 16 hour saga, though.
Darkmoon is such a slacker... ;-]
Probably not, no. Were I to do that again, it'd be to build up a backlog...
But why would I bother doing that?