for ebooks //wip Mieze Meyer

[Klaus Hoefs]

I am currently working on "Mieze Meyer", a sketchy short story which is public free and was written by German writer Alfred Lichtenstein around 1910.
Here is a link to the original text (English, pdf 130 kb): http://www.inf.fh-flensburg.de/hoefs/1_ ... eMaier.pdf

I am trying to do this like an animated comic-book with text and pages which shall be delivered for the ibook-store. This is an early wip with the first scene starting in his bathroom and his preparings for meeting her.
Quicktime:
First I made an interactive (programmed) Quicktime-movie. You can watch it here:(100MB)
http://www.inf.fh-flensburg.de/hoefs/1_ ... aierGL.mov
Unfortunately Apple didn't include QuickTime programming language with the new QuickTime X (which is a truly 1.0-release) - format yet, but that may come in future. By now we have the older QT 7 on Mac and Win, so this should work on your computer, but it doesn't for iPad and iPhone etc. (because, as mentioned, of the QuickTime X structure in formats of mp4 and mv4 ).

It is also difficult to implement a suite of movies in one document for the ePub-format of ebooks by now. I am still testing it.
The pdf-format works on ebooks, so here is an interactive pdf (best to view with the free Acrobat Reader X from Adobe):
http://www.inf.fh-flensburg.de/hoefs/1_ ... eMeyer.pdf


As an alternative, here is the html-version (which should also be viewable for all tablets which can play mp4.
http://www.inf.fh-flensburg.de/hoefs/1_ ... eite1.html

[malcooning]

Looks interesting Klaus.
With your style and kind of soundtrack, this might offer better readability for your work.
With proper interactivity this might result in a very attractive product.
iPad development is not easy (all interactive books need to be compiled in a very particular way, with properties used in 3D graphics technology), but solutions are popping up everywhere so keep your eyes peeled.
Looking forward o see the results.

[slowtiger]

How did you do the coloring on the first pic? Completely in TVP?

[Klaus Hoefs]

...but solutions are popping up everywhere so keep your eyes peeled

And it is (finally) also starting in Germany, not with true animation yet, but several publishers (e.g. Oettinger) are porting their fantastic illustrated children-books to the ibook-store. So the first steps are made. Indeed I think this is a new field for illustrators and for quality comic artists (Belgium and France have a good tradition in this field).
I think a mix of text, still illustrations and animations (and as an alternative interactive content which may lead to s.th. game-like) will make it. This in mind, on the creator side, there are three advantages at least:
- it is not so much time consuming as doing a whole animation film.
- it is possible to do with small teams or even for solo independents
- there are already distribution systems (iBook stores, amazon-stores...). And more will come soon.

On the technical side there are some limitations at the moment - but I agree, this all will be fixed in no time.

[Klaus Hoefs]

How did you do the coloring on the first pic? Completely in TVP?

It was done in TVP, then applying and batch processing Photoshop with filters, then batching all back in TVP with filters (Toon Shading, Add Border, Erode, Grain, Stamps).

[Paul Fierlinger]

I preferred your work prior to this filtering process, frankly. But I have questions about the storytelling flow -- it seems you are telling forever what seems like an interesting beginning of an interesting people story with none of them in sight. It becomes a bit boring to stare at an easy to read site of an empty landscape while having to listen about all these people. Why aren't you showing them, I had to keep asking for myself.

[Sierra Rose]

Klaus,

Since you are already a distinctive artistic voice (to me anyway) and I am a big fan, I am thrilled that you continue to get your work out "there".

I appreciate your pioneering around this new technology. I have been investigating this too as I am also developing stories that only have some inter-active animated parts and using illustrations for the rest. The time-saving is a big part of it but also my drawing is improving so I am feeling more satisfied with stills and intrigued to be able to put in more detail than I can with movement.

[Klaus Hoefs]

it seems you are telling forever what seems like an interesting beginning of an interesting people story with none of them in sight

Paul, I tried not to illustrate the words with drawings of the mentioned people but to give the audience a feel for them via the mood of the landscapes and environment. But it seems with less success: either the style/intensity of the landscape-drawing/painting is poor or this concept didn't work here at all. I think it is both. The long landscape part is boring and popping up milk pails and floret plates doesn't help it (this time). So I have to work and think it over.

[Klaus Hoefs]

Sierra, I think the issues with epub software with implemnetation of audio and video as also the confusion about the proper formats ( the usual battle between Adobe and Apple, as Google, Amazon and iTunes ...) will be fixed this year. Apple will come out with a new version of "Pages" (part of iWork-suite and also available solo) very soon, it was promised already for January. The eReader from Adobe lacks of the ability to play video by now and this will also change - and Amazon's Kindle has now a plugin for epub-format, as I heard.
So I think it is the right time now to drop in. You made me curious, maybe you're willing to show some work or some clips here, that would be nice.

[Sierra Rose]

I love the new possibilities for self-publishing. I am so looking forward to developments. Your work looks so good to me but I do agree with Paul about the missing people....I want to see them through your eyes.

As for my drawing... I am still pregnant...in gestation.... I hold my breath sometimes when I find the forms I am seeking. If I look cross-eyed, maybe the ability will melt away, heh heh. Instead of showing others, I keep realizing new lines of thought. I just practice all the time really.

I just learned, for instance, that there are very few concave lines in the human body...almost all are convex. Where the convex lines meet, it does look concave, yes, but I have been mostly drawing "backwards". After a good laugh, this understanding has already made a huge difference. It has changed entirely the "flow" of my hand.

Anatomy, proportion, perspective....learning these is like having a little Masarati to travel to new places. And as I practice, my ideas are changing about how to use such skills...some drawings want to be more complex while others lend themselves to movement. You who having been drawing forever, may have forgotten the beginning of mastering your skills. I am into my 7th year now can't remember what it was like when I started anymore.

My family is after me to write down some kind of autobiography because my life has happened in times and places in which were noteworthy changes in the world. (Not that I am so interesting myself, as just where I was and what I saw). Besides they want it for the grandchildren (six so far). So I have been thinking that I could write about some incidents from my life with illustrations/animation to depict some essences of these times. Many autobiographies I have read are actually boring...would an illustrated/animated autobiography be interesting? I have love's Paul's films about his life so much...but then he is a master storyteller.