Post by Pete on Aug 30, 2006 2:51:45 GMT -5
This is a project that I've been working on for a few months couple of years now. Though it's far from done, I think I've figured out enough to give a pretty accurate idea of what I intend for the show to be It was on hiatus but is now back in progress. So, ladies and gentlemen, I offer:
The VHS Hole
(VHS: Video Hostage Situation)
Premise: In the sub-sub-basement theater below the home of Dot Ironmacher, Pete O'Brien and "pals" are forced to watch old VHS tapes and report on their contents to Dot via webcam as she travels across America.
Backstory:
When her eccentric, videophile husband dies (finally!) Dot gets a pretty decent wad from the old man's life insurance policy, but it's pocket change compared to what she knows he had squirreled away over the years. She's informed that he made a video will years before and kept it in his personal collection at home. If she can find that tape, boy, she'll be riding a gravy train with biscuit wheels.
Unfortunately his huge collection (more of a heap really) consists of thousands of cryptically labeled, or totally unlabeled, VHS cassettes that he'd been accumulating for nearly 30 years. Naturally, she hasn't the time nor the desire to sit through god-knows-what on those tapes.
The solution? Force somebody else to do it, natch. Luckily for her, those somebodies are pretty easy to find, and even easier to dupe.
Characters:
Dorothy "Dot" Ironmacher - a matron you would not want to patronize.
Pete O'Brien - the everyman host who is lured into this situation with the too-good-to-be-true offer of free room and board in exchange for "house-sitting" for Dot. A smart guy who makes dumb choices.
Dennis Ironmacher - Dot's dorky nephew with a confident-bordering-on-arrogant personality, an unwavering opinion on everything and a dark sense of humor. But you might really like him, if you don't get to know him.
Traci Roz - A worldly and world-weary cat with a biting, sarcastic wit. Spent a majority of her 7 year life (that's about 45 in human years) as a stray before being taken in by Dot. She's definitely been around the block, literally and figuratively.
Barnaby Grady - A talking, monocular cactus who knows only what he's seen on TV. Having watched close to 20 hours of television programming a day for almost 30 years has made him a virtual font of pop culture trivia. Despite all this "knowledge" and his gruff, grouchy old man exterior, he is still extremely naive.
Well, there you have it. That's the basic concept, as it is now. If you've made it this far (Thanks!) you may be wondering what these characters look like. So here they are, in the "Hole":
(left to right:Traci Roz, Dennis, Pete and Barnaby Grady)
And yes, the final animation will be much better, this is just a test.
For more related and unrelated artwork please visit my DeviantArt page: petebl.deviantart.com
My first goal is to produce a pilot episode using a riffworthy short (under 10 minutes) with very short host segment wraparounds. (To attempt a feature length film is, at this point, too ambitious, I think.)
Any and all opinions, criticisms, suggestions, etc. are very welcome. As stated, this is a work in progress, still in the planning stages, really. Of course, I know I'm going to need some help with this project (I've had none yet), so if there's anyone interested in helping me write the show (host segs, riffs), voicing a character, or assisting in other technical issues (of which I do not excel), let me know.
What do you think sirs (and ma'ams)?
~Pete
Edit: changed to infinite .gif
Edit again: plot elements based on suggestions
The VHS Hole
(VHS: Video Hostage Situation)
Premise: In the sub-sub-basement theater below the home of Dot Ironmacher, Pete O'Brien and "pals" are forced to watch old VHS tapes and report on their contents to Dot via webcam as she travels across America.
Backstory:
When her eccentric, videophile husband dies (finally!) Dot gets a pretty decent wad from the old man's life insurance policy, but it's pocket change compared to what she knows he had squirreled away over the years. She's informed that he made a video will years before and kept it in his personal collection at home. If she can find that tape, boy, she'll be riding a gravy train with biscuit wheels.
Unfortunately his huge collection (more of a heap really) consists of thousands of cryptically labeled, or totally unlabeled, VHS cassettes that he'd been accumulating for nearly 30 years. Naturally, she hasn't the time nor the desire to sit through god-knows-what on those tapes.
The solution? Force somebody else to do it, natch. Luckily for her, those somebodies are pretty easy to find, and even easier to dupe.
Characters:
Dorothy "Dot" Ironmacher - a matron you would not want to patronize.
Pete O'Brien - the everyman host who is lured into this situation with the too-good-to-be-true offer of free room and board in exchange for "house-sitting" for Dot. A smart guy who makes dumb choices.
Dennis Ironmacher - Dot's dorky nephew with a confident-bordering-on-arrogant personality, an unwavering opinion on everything and a dark sense of humor. But you might really like him, if you don't get to know him.
Well, there you have it. That's the basic concept, as it is now. If you've made it this far (Thanks!) you may be wondering what these characters look like. So here they are, in the "Hole":
(left to right:
And yes, the final animation will be much better, this is just a test.
For more related and unrelated artwork please visit my DeviantArt page: petebl.deviantart.com
My first goal is to produce a pilot episode using a riffworthy short (under 10 minutes) with very short host segment wraparounds. (To attempt a feature length film is, at this point, too ambitious, I think.)
Any and all opinions, criticisms, suggestions, etc. are very welcome. As stated, this is a work in progress, still in the planning stages, really. Of course, I know I'm going to need some help with this project (I've had none yet), so if there's anyone interested in helping me write the show (host segs, riffs), voicing a character, or assisting in other technical issues (of which I do not excel), let me know.
What do you think sirs (and ma'ams)?
~Pete
Edit: changed to infinite .gif
Edit again: plot elements based on suggestions