:: Dano's Production Journal ::

:: 12/31/2003 ::

Happy New World Order!





NAQOYQATSI: life at war
:: Dano 11:38 AM [+] ::
...

:: Dano 8:22 PM [+] ::
...

Have a good one, kiddos!

:: Dano 8:25 PM [+] ::
...

Just look at those handsome Vikings fans!
:: Dano 5:34 PM [+] ::
...

I wish I were in Great Barrington, MA right now. See below.
:: Dano 4:40 PM [+] ::
...

Some Massachusetts/New York City trip photos:





The John Dewey Academy in Great Barrington, MA.



Tuner chilling out.



A lot of snow accumulated while at Harrison House Bed & Breakfast!





The hilarious and wonderful Avenue Q.



Me and my chocolate Oscar. So serious...
:: Dano 4:37 PM [+] ::
...

Come see my friend Scott Rice's short film:

FRIDAY, Dec. 12, 9:30 pm
Studio 4D, Fourth Floor of CMB Building at the College of Communications
(Big brown building on corner of Guadalupe and Dean Keaton)
Note: it screen at the end of a program of graduate films that goes from 7 pm to 10 pm; the 9:30 time is an estimate

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 17, 7-8:30 pm
The Hideout (617 Congress between 6th and 7th)
Sponsored by Digital Filmmaking Resources Group
Note: The film "Pillowfight" (4 min.) and an excerpt from "The Adventures of Mad Matt" (5 min.) will also screen as a part of a Q/A that will be taped for cable access.




:: Dano 10:19 AM [+] ::
...

It's official! "White Blood Cell Saves Christmas" wins Judge's Pick Award at First Sundays Film Festival. Tate English and Dano Johnson were proud to accept the chocolate Oscar statuette, Cat in the Hat scarf, holiday pot holder, Stella Artois T-shirt, and complimentary copy of Arnold Schwarzeneggar's classic "Jingle All the Way." Thanks to our great friends at First Sundays, Jay Stern and Kevin Maher!

Thanks also go out to Mary Varn and Jon Holt for their hospitality. And Helene Miller for digging all things Puppet Show!

More from NYC and the Berkshires coming soon!
:: Dano 9:24 AM [+] ::
...

I hope everyone had a satisfactory holiday.

Check out www.danojohnson.com soon to see "White Blood Cell Saves Christmas" and "Richard."
:: Dano 12:03 AM [+] ::
...

Wouldn't you like to know how the White Blood Cell Christmas cartoon ends? I guess you'll have to wait until the First Sundays Film Festival in New York, December 7th.

See ya! Have some food now!

:: Dano 8:11 AM [+] ::
...

:: Dano 4:11 PM [+] ::
...

I can taste the gravy...
:: Dano 5:48 PM [+] ::
...

"Dr. Frosty to radiology. Dr. Frosty to radiology..."



"Is there ANYONE who can deliver presents to the good little boys and not-boys?"
:: Dano 12:36 AM [+] ::
...

Progress! Scene 1 - check!
:: Dano 2:05 PM [+] ::
...

Meet Naughty.
:: Dano 9:17 PM [+] ::
...

One more tyke to go...
:: Dano 7:05 PM [+] ::
...

"Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Gary! Shut up!"
- guest caption by Tate English
:: Dano 1:58 AM [+] ::
...

Awwwww....
:: Dano 11:25 PM [+] ::
...

Look who's working at Santa's Workshop!
:: Dano 7:04 PM [+] ::
...

Getting there...
:: Dano 12:10 PM [+] ::
...

Why doesn't this thing animate itself? Sheesh....
:: Dano 1:09 AM [+] ::
...

It's going to be a Very Merry White Blood Cell Christmas!
:: Dano 12:28 PM [+] ::
...

Have I mentioned how much I love my new plug-ins? Kelly Williams' short film, "Richard", is looking FINE!
:: Dano 2:39 PM [+] ::
...

I guess I'm back. Over the next week, witness the creation of an all new White Blood Cell Danomation:

White Blood Cell Saves Christmas!
:: Dano 10:17 AM [+] ::
...

Best news I've had all week so far:

Steven Spielberg just called Richard Attenborough about Jurassic Park 4. Perhaps there is a god... and she wants me to see dinosaurs on the movie screen.

Oh, yeah. When I reinstall all of my computer's software, maybe you'll get some pics from the Minnesota trip and the Austin City Limits Festival.
:: Dano 9:03 PM [+] ::
...

Is Elmo Bush's secret weapon?"

No.
:: Dano 11:49 PM [+] ::
...

It's a shame that in most animations you never get to look at the loving care that went into the background. So here it is...

Will animate for paycheck or self-respect.

Oh, crap. Reno 911 is on.
:: Dano 11:46 PM [+] ::
...

We're in like Flynn! Check out the Austin Film Festival.

Oh and today Governor Rick Perry left a message on my answering machine. I guess the insurance companies that helped fund his election wanted him to tell me to vote YES on Proposition 12, an alleged attempt to mess with the Texas Bill of Rights in the name of tort reform. VOTE NO ON PROPOSITION 12!. Early voting is now through September 9th with the election on September 13th. Learn more.
:: Dano 12:51 AM [+] ::
...

A good friend recently said of me: " I like having a friend whose Muppet fandom makes mine seem so much less obsessive in comparison."

How obsessive is Dano about the Muppets, you ask? Well, I'll let you judge for yourself.

Dano's Muppety possessions:

1 large Dave & Buster's Kermit
3 Bean Bag Muppets (Kermit, Animal, Piggy)
1 Muppet Chess Set
5 1980 Muppet Show action figures (Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rowlf, Scooter... I lost Animal)
5 Sesame Street finger puppets (Big Bird, Ernie, Grover, Cookie, Oscar... I lost Bert)
20 Palisades Muppet Action figures (Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Daredevil Gonzo, Rowlf, Scooter, Rizzo, Crazy Harry, Lew Zealand, Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd, Zoot, Beaker, Bunsen, Sam the Eagle, Swedish Chef, Dr. Strangepork, Link Heartthrob, and Koozebane Kermit... coming soon: Janice, Muppet Newsman, Pepe, and a new Gonzo with Camilla)
2 Muppet Show records (the original cast albums)
4 Sesame Street records
1 Muppet Show 25th Anniversary CD
1 The Muppet Show on Tour flag (the equivalent of Sesame Street Live - man, do I wish I had the program!)
1 8x10 of Kermit and Jim Henson
1 8x10 of Jim Henson's Muppets 30 Anniversary special
1 8x10 of the Muppet Movie poster
1 8x10 of reporter Kermit from the Muppet Show fan club
1 Muppets from Space poster (gift of an indulgent ex-girlfriend)
6 Japanese/Korean Sesame Street posters (Elmo, Cookie, Oscar, Big Bird, Little Plum, Hu Hu Zhu)
1 Japanese Sesame Street puzzle (from SW internship)
6 movie muppet figurines (Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie, Animal, and Rowlf - gift of friend)
1 Kermit Muppet Treasure Island shampoo bottle (weird gift from ex-girlfriend)
1 Gustavo doll (Kermit's name in Spain - gift of ex-girlfriend)
1 Kermit bracelet (gift of ex-girlfriend)
1 Muppet Treasure Island Kermit doll (gift of friend)
1 Ernie & Bert PVC (from Sesame Workshop internship)
1 Big Bird Team Japan doll from the 2002 World Cup
1 Sesame Street Toy fare 2000 bag (from SW internship)
1 medium size Elmo bean bag (from SW internship)
8 Sesame Street beanie babies (Ernie, Bert, Cookie, Grover, Big Bird, Guy Smiley, Elmo, Tweedle Bug)
1 Kermit Pez dispenser (gift of friend)
1 handmade Kermit pillow (gift of relative)
1 Jim Henson: the Works book
1 Jim Henson: Designs and Doodles book
1 Sesame Street:Unpaved book
15 Muppet Show DVDs
14 additional Muppet related DVDs (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppet Xmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space, Kermit's Swamp Years, The Dark Crystal, Emmett Otter's Jugband Xmas, Elmo's World Xmas, Elmo Saves Xmas, Christmas on Sesame Street 1979, Muppet Magic from the Ed Sullivan Show, John Denver Rocky Mountain Holiday with the Muppets)
8 Muppet related VHS (The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets from Space, Follow That Bird, Elmo's Adventures in Grouchland, CinderElmo, The Life of Jim Henson)
1 Sesame Street shower cap from the United Arab Emirates (gift of friend)
1 Sesame Street Disco T-shirt (from SW internship)
1 Snuffalupagus baseball cap
1 Japanese Oscar the Grouch T-shirt ("Oscar the Grouch: He is known for his grouchiness.")
1 artistically enhanced Ernie & Bert placemat (gift of psychadelic filmmaker friend)
1 artistically enhanced "Elmo in Grouchland" children's book (ditto)
1 email from a Muppeteer/Emmy winning writer of Sesame Street (okay, not a possession, but have you ever gotten an email from someone who performs a Muppet? NO!)
and 1 Fisher Price "My First Elmo Guitar" (from ex-girlfriend)

So if that's obsessive to some people, maybe I am. I'd like to think of myself as a compulsive supporter of most things Henson (note the absence of Fraggle Rock memorabilia). Is that so wrong? I never collected anything in my childhood, so now as a young adult I feel it appropriate to defy market stereotypes. I will not purchase Vin Diesel films on DVD. I will however buy "The John Denver Muppet Rocky Mountain Special DVD". I will not be seeing 'My Boss' Daughter' this holiday weekend. I will be seeing 'The Dark Crystal" Monday at the Alamo Drafthouse. And when my sweatshop job, confused career aspirations, or dwindling creative output get me down, hearing "It's Not Easy Being Green" will always make me feel better. I don't need commercials telling me to get the 'Axe Effect'; I've got the Rainbow Connection, assholes!

"At some point in my life I decided, rightly or wrongly, that there are many situations in this life that I can't do much about - acts of terrorism, feelings of nationalistic prejudice, cold war, etc. - so what I should do is concentrate on the situations that my energy can affect. I believe that we can use television and film to be an influence for good; that we can help to shape the thoughts of children and adults in a positive way. As it has turned out, I'm very proud of some of the work we've done, and I think we can do many more good things.

When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope still is to leave the world a little bit better for my having been here. It's a wonderful life and I love it."
- Jim Henson, 1986

If it's obsessive to have a hero who speaks words so true, I'm guilty as charged!


:: Dano 1:46 PM [+] ::
...

It's official. We're AFF trailer competition winners! Just a tweak here and there and the next time you see the trailer, it will be on 35 mm in front of a movie!

On an unrelated note, check this out.

:: Dano 7:38 PM [+] ::
...

Oh, and last night I looked at a planet with my own eyes for the first time, well with the help of a lens and 2 mirrors. Can you imagine being the first person to see something like this in the first days of astronomy?



Oh, and remember.
:: Dano 11:18 PM [+] ::
...

Still no answer to the mysterious trailer dilemma. But it may have something to do with Sundance...

And now, may this brighten your day like two pristine, glistening paychecks.

Marshimaro
:: Dano 11:12 PM [+] ::
...

Coming soon to the Austin Film Festival... almost... maybe...



So I got a call saying our trailer is one step closer to being selected for the competition, except there's someting that needs changing 'in the voiceover.' So I don't know what that means, but I'll find out soon. Maybe the guy who wrote "The Fugitive" will be there and maybe he hated "Roots"... But it would be pretty ironic if they missed the whole point of the trailer, that when people interfere with a good script the end product is always laughably sucky.

Check out the trailer at danojohnson.com.
:: Dano 12:19 AM [+] ::
...

Clearly, I'm up to no good...
:: Dano 2:13 AM [+] ::
...

Happy Birthday, Booger-face! Uncle Dano will remember the exact date next year. It's the thought that matters really...
:: Dano 8:36 PM [+] ::
...

I have returned...
:: Dano 6:27 PM [+] ::
...

New clips up at danojohnson.com under projects and elearning.

So here was the order of events at work today:
1) We get an email saying we will get our bonus checks Wednesday (since we hit our deadline)
2) I receive an email from the CEO/CFO telling me I am the epitome of the team player
3) A fire alarm goes off, signalling us to go downstairs and eat fajitas
4) Fiesta Day commences, with mariachis and all the fixins
5) We get an email saying we probably won't get our regular paychecks on Friday
6) I finish a rock and roll psychadelic video about how Greece was a bunch of city-states built around Acropolises (Acropoli?), which I'm not sure if that's even right. Isn't there only one Acropolis? I'll post the clip soon probably, just for fun.
7) I start working on an Austin Film Festival Trailer at home so I can get in free.

How was your day?
:: Dano 2:21 AM [+] ::
...

This is the best movie I've seen all year (and I've seen a lot, people). Do not miss it! Remember your tissues, though.
:: Dano 11:15 PM [+] ::
...

I'll admit it - I'm a Potter fan. But not in the same way as your usual Potter-head. My apartment complex manager said that he'd never had such a busy day of people calling in to see if their amazon.com packages had arrived. And my uncle, who is usually a gruff, aggressive mid-western pee-wee football coach, enjoyed a night on the town at the local "Harry Potter Book 5 Premiere Party." Pretty silly, huh?

Now when's the next Muppetfest going to be? And where are my Series 4 Muppet Show action figures, damnit!


:: Dano 2:50 PM [+] ::
...