Final…

Just did the final presentation today, so thought that I would write an update on what has happened up till now.

I did write the news post, and unfortunately I have only gotten one reply. This, I discovered, is due to the fact that news is also rated via popularity, as well as separated into categories, so the only people who actually saw the news was the same small group of watchers on my profile.

I also decided to email the “Hello-SA” group on deviantART, to get my deviantART accounts added to the list of SA deviants. I also asked if they could help me promote my project, by perhaps mentioning it in their journal, which would immediately attract many more SA artists to Project Terra. Unfortunately, the SA group is run by four people, who also have their own personal accounts, and it seems like they hardly ever check the SA account, as it has been a week without any word, and still no names have been added to the list.

So, the project is moving really slowly, and the only thing I can really think to do is to keep getting involved with the small community I have become involved in, and to keep updating my page (which I suppose means lots of drawing and commenting ahead), and to keep trying to get through to the SA community.

Finally! We Are Subscribers!

After about two weeks waiting for a reply from deviantART, and almost a whole week of being extremely sick and practically bedridden from the most awful stomache bug I got from the berg, I finally managed to get a subscription last night. Now Project Terra’s page is officially ready to be viewed.

Because of the subscription, I have the option to add on extra features, as well as brand my journal with the Project Terra look and feel. And, because it is finally looking more significant, I have also written the news article as well.

Sighs, I really wanted to do all of this by Monday, but I guess it is done now. Can’t really do much about it.

Berg

I have been away in the berg since Wednesday, and only got back thbis afternoon, so I haven’t had a chance to give any updates on the subscription status for deviantART. I got a reply from them, and they said that they are trying new payment methods, and therefore some options that were there before (e.g. 3 month pre-paid subscription) is no longer available.

I have a plan to work around this though, I will use my personal deviantART account and buy a 3 month gift subscription for my Project Terra account. This way, I am not stuck paying every month. I will try buy one this week, let’s hope that my credit card will go through this time.

Subscribe… not now…

Still trying to get the subscription for deviantART. I tried to buy one again last night, but suddenly the option of a pre-paid three month subscription had dissappeared, and I was left only with a subscription that gets billed every three months, which I definately do not want. I have emailed them, and am waiting for a reply from their accounts department.

On another note, I gained two comments on Project Terra from a guy in the U.S. Unfortunately, I he hasn’t joined up, but hopefully I can get him to join as soon as I get my subscription *sobs*.

Fail!

Argh, I tried to buy a subscription from deviantART so that I could have access to the extra features and change the design of my journal, etc, but unfortunately I am having a few peoblems. I think that it is with my card, and not with deviantART, so I am going to have to phone up Nedbank and sort it all out.

On the plus side, I got a reply from deviantART about posting a news article about Project Terra, and they said it was ok, so hopefully I can get that up soon. I would prefer to write the article after I buy a subscription and make the page look nice, to brand it as Project Terra and to impress people a bit more than the page does now, however, I may need to write it sooner

COMPLETE!!!

I seriously underestimated just how long it takes to draw comics! I have basically been working non-stop, except for about two days, these holidays to get this comic done! This means waking up at about 9am and immediately working on my comic, all the way through to early morning. But, finally, today at approximately 13:30, I successfully completed it, and loaded it onto Project Terra’s site (http://projectterra.deviantart.com for those who don’t know). I have also posted up the rules and info about the project.

Since the devMEET, I have gained some people who are keeping an eye on Project Terra, and have begun to comment and email, both at Project Terra as well as my personal deviantART account as well. Although I have only attracted a handful of people, the devMEET definately helped me gain a much better understanding of the workings of deviantART.

I was introduced to the idea of posing a news article about my Project Terra in the deviantART News section, a place I was previously oblivious to. I have sent an email to first ask if it would be alright to do so, and I am just waiting for a reply.

Now would be the next step in my project, which is attracting people to the project, and getting people to submit comics. I will focus on using the news section as well as inviting some people to join by emailing them. I have a very short amount of time to do this in, but hopefully I can generate some interest within that time, even if people don’t submit, I can still prove that people will by looking at how many people sign up.

devMEET!

Yay, I went to the devMEET on Saturday. I was hoping there would be a bigger turnout, but I did get a few people showing interest, which is better than where I was before. I am now at about 5 and a half pages of my comic (unshaded as of yet), bearing in mind that I was unable to do anything this weekend. I was thinking of stopping drawing the comics for a bit, and shading what I have done already and putting it up. I want people to see how it all starts, and even though I haven’t finished the whole beginning of the story, I am at a point where people can get the gist of what is going on. Only once this is done, will I carry on drawing the rest of the comic. It just seems a bit more practical… no? Hehe, I will post the scans as soon as I have scanned them O_o.

Comic…..

Well, I have sketched up about three pages worth of my comic. Still a lot more will come come, and then I still need to shade them and add text. I really have made things difficult for myself, but I am enjoying it anyway. I shall be taking a friend of mine, Shane, along to the devMEET. He will also be drawing comics for me, as soon as I debrief him.

Here’s hoping everything will fall into place… and I still haven’t done any more work on my portfolio O_o. Hehe, one of my classmates also want me to design some characters for him, as he is putting together a 10min 3D film. So it looks like my whole holiday will be spent drawing comics, designing characters and doing walk cycles! Well, can’t say I’m complaining… but it does get a bit tiring…

I am shocked and amazed!

Oh my great goodley moodley!!! I had no idea that there was a whole group of Durban deviantART members! They are holding a devMEET at the Pavillion this Saturday! I can’t wait! I will hopefully be able to recruit some members, as well as talk to them one on one about Project Terra instead of via email.

This is amazing, and thank you very much to Kim Bussiahn (aka Kitty-cat-angel) for telling me about this. Go visit her gallery, she is extremely talented (http://kitty-cat-angel.deviantart.com).

Sighs…

I haven’t been able to post anything for about a week, as the internet has been down in Dawncliffe. I was going to go into college this weekend, but as Murphey’s Law has it, Vega decided to close for the weekend, and lock the students out… joy!

Well, things have been moving much slower than expected, and I am beginning to stress big time! I wasn’t able to do hardly anything during exams, as I was to preoccupied with studying, and was hoping to finish of my side of the project in the four days following. It seems, however, that when you are on holidy, people automatically think that you have free time, and so the first few days were met with me making promises to go out with people and being unable to escape it (this being my parents and sibling for the most part). And so, I have cracked the whip, and sorted out some of what I have to do, the only things remaining will be the CSS for the deviantart journal, and the rough storyboard for what I plan to draw (so that the Durbaners can start drawing their parts while I draw the neat version). I am hopefully going to contact all the people who seem interested tomorrow, considering I have finally coloured in the character sketches!

Sighs, somehow I expected this going a bit faster… but lets hope I can get some artists to participate. Even if I don’t get many by the deadline, if I can show that I have generated some interest, and that Project Terra will keep growing even after the deadline, than I feel that I would have completed my task (I hope). After all, this is something that I want to continue to run even after the project is finished.

Here are the coloured characters on the standard Project Terra reference sheets.

As you can see, I have created a visual identity of sorts, with a look and feel and a logo. Nt the best, I admit, but it gets the job done, and I don’t really have enough time to fiddle. I will brand my deviantART journal in the same way… when I figure out how.