Phase 3 Is In Full Affect

     It's official, I'm on Phase 3 of the secret project. That means that I can now tell you about it, but it's going to have to wait just a bit longer. I have a few other things that we need to discuss first.

     I did not hear from the tattoo artist that I have now messaged twice. I was going to call tomorrow to set things up, but I think now I'm just going to wait until next week. I have a few things I have to do this week now, and I don't want that to get in the way. I am a little disappointed about all of this. Either they don't check their email, or they just are ignoring it, either way, it's not a very good way to run a business.

     The cough is not gone. In fact, it got stronger today. The other symptoms that I had have left, but the cough is lingering like an unwanted guest. I am over it, and I'm ready for it to be gone, but I guess it is just going to have to run it's course. Cough drops don't help, but I've been using them anyway. I think my body has built up an immunity to them at this point. They may be holding it off for a few minutes at the very least, but it doesn't seem like it. I was coughing while sucking on one earlier tonight. I'm just going to go with positive thought, and say that I'm going to go to sleep in a little while, and I'm simply going to wake up and it will be gone. If the mind believes the body will achieve, right? I'll let you know how that goes.

     I found out a little earlier this evening, that someone I know, or have met before was arrested for vehicular manslaughter. The event took place 4 years ago, and I met this person maybe a year or two ago. They were very nice and I had a wonderful conversation with them. You would not have any thought that they were capable of something like that, but you never know a person do you. I can't say that I could fully judge someone's character from a 30 minute conversation at a party, but they seemed very nice. Goes to show you, people can have the most terrible things in their closets.

    You've waited long enough, it is now time to tell you about the secret project. A little over a month ago, I was made aware of National Pepperoni Pizza Day. My partner and I have been wanting to through a special up on the old TPR, but didn't really have an formal idea of what we wanted to do yet, then came NPPD. It is also very luck that it falls right within our normal schedule. It lands on September 20th this year, which is when we would have a normal release. What we had planned for specials, is that they could fall on off weeks, to give you more content to enjoy, but with this falling right on the day, we had to go with it. We got an idea in our heads, and went to work. We went around to some of the restaurants that got our highest reviews, and asked them if we could sit down and film a short and fun interview with them. All the ones we selected said yes. Once we had the owners in we had to go around and actually film these interviews. It's just fun goofy pizza related questions, but done in a way that really allows you to know these owners and why they are doing what they are doing.

     Filming was phase 1. It took two weeks to get all of that done, and I still didn't get some things shot that I originally wanted to, but after putting the video together, it was completely unnecessary. Phase 1 left me with over an hours worth of footage, that I had to cut down to a reasonable amount of time that people would want to watch. People now have the attention span of a gnat, so it's really tough to take over an hour and shrink it down to show what we did, and who these people are, into something that is consumable by the public. With all of that filming done last Thursday, Phase 2 was in full affect. I was able to begin on that a little early one my partner and I filmed the intro and outtro for the whole thing ( I got more on that in a second ).

     Phase 2 was cutting all the footage up and putting it together, with title breaks, and overlays and music (the music was important because it had to cover up other music that we don't have rights to) Phase 2 started right when I was coming down with this cold, or whatever it is. I had to stop after getting only half way through the project, and that took me over 5 hours of work. I say half way, but it was only half way through the first cut. I still had a lot to put in after the first cut, but the first cut was the bones of the piece for me to work around. I had to take two days off from working on it, because I just couldn't focus with my body feeling miserable. Once I felt good enough to start working on it again, I took off and did it. I'm not completely sure of the hours I put in, but it took me the best part of 3 days to finish the whole thing, and that isn't including the rendering and uploading times. I really like the way it came out. It is longer than all of our other videos, but it moves around pretty fast, and you don't feel like you are watching something that is 16 minutes long. Yes, I managed to cut over an hours worth of footage into 16 meaningful minutes, and I'm pretty proud of myself.

     That brings us to Phase 3, which is releasing the video. Now, the video won't be released until Thursday at noon New York time, but I can now give you the behind the scenes scoop on it, so that you can keep an eye out for it. This also brings me to the part where, everything is done and I worry about how it will be received. This is no like anything else we have released before. It's longer, and in a similar but different format, and it was three weeks of my life to get it from start to finish. We are coming off our most successful post yet, and I can't expect things to go that well every time, but this is something I have spent a great deal of time with, and I want it to go well, but I'm worried that people are going to see the time stamp on how long it is, and just simply ignore it. We get more views on our blog than we do on our videos, and this is very much videocentric. I did right a very short blog piece surrounding it, but it does detail what is going on in the video, so you have to watch it, if you want to know what is going on. On our reviews, we have to do a written piece to go along with the video piece, so that it makes sense to have the blog, which as I said earlier does much better than the videos.

     This has the potential to be a make or break it video for us. I think the piece is that good, but if no one watches it, it's all for nothing, so this is the part where I beg you to watch it. You don't have to go see it right when it comes out, I will post the video on her Thursday night, but please take the time to sit and watch the whole thing. It is only 16:30 of your life, and I promise you that it won't feel like it. Before you know it, it will be done and I really do think you will enjoy it. I've watched it probably 10 times now, through the whole process of getting it ready and sitting down to clear it before I render, and then watching it again once it is uploaded to make sure nothing changed in the upload process, and then previewing for my partner. It may be because it is my work, but I enjoyed it every time I watched it, and I could honestly watch it again, and I'm sure I will on Thursday. I'm not too proud to beg, so I'm going to do it one more time. Please take the time to watch this video, there is a little something special at the end, that is kind of a must see.

     Briefly before we get to FSOTW. Tonight was the finals for AGT, and it was good. There was only one act I wasn't too keen on, and that act was one that I really didn't like from the first audition. Anyway, all the other acts were outstanding, and even though I had my favorite, I don't think she will win. I think I saw the winner as it happened on the stage. There is one final dance troop on the show, and their performance was so good, that I actually said outlaid, "They just won the show." If they don't win, it will be a surprise. Others could come form behind and take it, but I'm dead set confident that they won it with that performance. The other acts, will surely go on the AGT tour for a year or so, but I really think that people should sign them right away. The two comedians could headline at clubs right now. If the trapeze act doesn't sign on with Cirque de Soleil, there is something wrong with the producers of that show. The multiple singers should get deals right away, and the magician should easily get his own show in Vegas. Oh yeah, there is the violinist, as well. That guy could get his own record deal or maybe even sign with Cirque as well. I think he would definitely fit in with that type of show. I think I covered everyone now. The results are tomorrow, so I'll tell you if I was right on Thursday.

     Favorite Song of the Week time. I could look up all the information on this amazing band from the 60's and 70's, but I'm tired and Sly was as eccentric as they come. You just want the song anyway, so here is Sly and the Family Stone with "Everyday People".



     Take the sentiment of that song and let it sink in. It seems like, everyday we all drift a little further apart from one another. I know it's hard right now, but we are all on this spinning blue and green ball together, so try just a little to be kind to one another. Peace in and goodnight.