I have started pre-production on two new, original shorts, “Pain of a Complete Breakfast” and “Presenting Gus”, to get me back into the swing of animating. I have spent so much time building, sculpting, calling, emailing, and beating my chest while wailing into the void (who’s being dramatic?) that I have not had time to do any actual animation. I did, recently, do a 13 second short for the end credits of Bear City 3 entitled Hey There, Honey. That just made me want to do even more animatin’ to knock the rust off. That is what I am going to do. This was just a quick post to update what is going on and whatnot.

Oh, also I have taught myself needle felting so I can use some plushy looking puppets. These are my first 2 attempts at needle felting. First try, I made Klaus Nomi, like ya do. Second try, I made Burt Reynolds. I am currently working on try number three. We will see how that one turns out.

~Preston

1st Attempt at Needle Felting: Klaus Nomi

1st Attempt at Needle Felting: Klaus Nomi

2nd Needle Felting Attempt: Burt Reynolds

2nd Needle Felt Attempt: Burt Reynolds Booty

I have struggled to get this gay history project off the ground for a couple of years now. I started out not just optimistic, but thrilled to be working on a project I believed in. The upmountain fight that this project has been from the beginning coupled with personal life stuff that I have been dealing with has helped me reach the decision to shelf LGBTQueerstory until I have the time, resources, manpower, and will to finish it. I would rather finish the project the way it can and should be done than shove out a garbage sack of animated shorts that I don’t want my name on. That is the bottom line. Right now, it is just not an option. I will update when there is more news, but I will not be mentioning it again here until that time. I am going to take a break now to regroup and figure out what next steps are. Thanks to everyone who initially contributed to the project. I apologize for how things have turned out. I will let you know, like I said, when there is new news.

So long for now,
Preston

Long time no post. I am terrible when it comes to social media. It is a combination of being too busy to remember to update everything, too old to keep up with which outlets are currently relevant, and a firm belief that no one cares (and no one should) if I cut strips of foam for hours on end or bought a new tiny paintbrush. So instead of updating that I spent several days trimming and sanding the flashing off of an army of tiny molded liquor bottles, I prefer to wait until I get some meat and tators to serve you up. So here is a tiny helping.

I have been getting a TON of stuff wrapped up on LGBTQueerstory. Major fabrication is basically done. Now, the focus is on creating the cast of historical and influential people that each episode will be focusing on. For all the episodes, that is a total of about 70 character puppets. I become equally excited and lightheaded every time I see that number. It’ll be fine though. I love the challenge. Everything is still on schedule for a summer release. I am so ready for the shooting to get underway.

In other Hairless Bufford news, I will be putting the Queerstory gang aside this month to work on an animated micro film for part of the end credits of Bear City 3. Big thanks to Vincent Snyder for setting me up with that! It could not have come at a better time. I love the LGBTQueerstory project, don’t get me wrong, but I have been staring at the same stuff for over a year now. I could use a slight breather from the history project to get the creative pot stirred back up. This bear animation will be fun and simple. Who doesn’t love fun and simple? So yea, check back later this month for new additions to the LGBTQueerstory photo gallery and a few shots from the BC3 mini, “Hey There, Honey!”

Preston

Before I started this project, I had never sought out music licenses. The only project I have worked on where it was needed, someone else handled it. Part of how I am making this series on such a small budget is doing most of it myself. I’ve personally taken on everything from concept and character design, script and storyboard, set and puppet building, and lighting and animation. Now I have added the task of obtaining music licenses. Exhaustion, thy name is Preston.

The past couple of months I have been going through the grueling process of trying to obtain the proper music licenses for the handful of songs I want to use for LGBTQueerstory. I won’t lie, it has been nightmarish. Several are impossibly out of my price range. I knew that would be the case from the beginning, so I was prepared for that. Others are affordable, but they are exclusively for internet videos. I need to send out dvds, so that’s out. The majority of the songs that I need were originally produced in the 1950’s-1970’s, have had their copyright bought and sold repeatedly over the years, and are, at least so far, impossible to track down ownership on. I followed one song through six ownership swaps until it disappeared at Universal Music. Universal said they do not own the track. The search continues.

I do have one musician lined up to compose 3 original pieces. I also have a singer on board to be the singing voice of one of the characters. I also found music that I can use if my first and second choices fall through. I promise it will not be me with a kazoo. I really want to secure some music by more artists in the LGBTQ community. I am, right now, focused on seeking out music not by gay men. Part of the point of this project is to highlight diversity in our community. I’m not not looking for or accepting music from gay guys, but it is not what has my attention right now. So if you are a musician who wants to be part of this, email me at HairlessBuffordFilms@gmail.com. If you are an artist that I have already emailed directly, thanks for taking the time to come check out what I am trying to do.

Thanks for letting me whine for a minute.

Positive note, I recently got engaged to my boyfriend.

Tired and happy,
Preston

UPDATE: After searching the internet from one end to the other, I think I FINALLY found an actual, workable, affordable, Plan B for most of the musical gaps I’ve been trying to fill. Still trying to license a couple of specific tracks and am still getting the ones I mentioned before, but now I at least have a Plan B for the rest of the needed music. Mountain of confusing stress begone!

I finally got a lot of the photos together in one place so you all can see some of what is happening over here so far. I won’t show everything (I’m a lady), but I will show what I can. Hope you all enjoy as much as I enjoy doing this!

~Preston

I had the good fortune some years ago to be an intern for an animated stop-motion project entitled T.P. about a roll of toilet paper who doesn’t accept his life in a dirty gas station bathroom. I was given the title assistant puppet fabricator (thanks for that guys) by the time it was all over. It is one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life and a project that will forever hold a special place in my heart.

It took 5 years to make this 10 minute short film. It is currently making it’s rounds in the film festivals. If you get a chance to watch it by April 9, it is available through the Viewster Online Film Festival. I couldn’t be more proud of it. Watch through the credits for the easter egg.

Congrats Bradly and Bob!

Hi everyone. Just a super quick post to let ya know I am still around. I have been busy knocking out sculptures for kickstarter backers. These are the last of the incentives that I will need to make besides things that will be directly in or related to episodes. Once these figurines are done (2 left), I will be shipping out everything to everyone and will get back to working directly on stuff for LGBTQueerstory episodes. Expect shipment by the last week of April.

I am giving up on looking for help with the project. I think, at this point, the best thing to do is to just focus on the project itself and do it all solo (minus some final editing, music, and voicework). I have been spending too much time seeking out help and it has slowed down actual production. Doing it solo, I have had to make some difficult decisions. The biggest one being the decision to push back the release by a full year. I have been kicking myself for this because kickstarter projects are notorious for delays and I hoped I would be the exception, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I don’t want to rush out anything. I want this to be something I am proud to show and that people will want to watch and learn from. So that is where things stand. The project is still a go. It is still being made. It will just be released later than originally anticipated. For that I apologize. Thanks for the patience. I promise I will do everything in my power to make the wait worthwhile. Thank you!

Preston

Hey everyone! Just wanted to send out a quick update before getting sucked back into the whir of my new day job (graveyard actually), life stuff, holiday festivities, artist soliciting, and clay slingin’. I thought the help I had wrangled for this project would have stuck it out longer, but that has not been the case so far. I try to explain that you MUST have a love of stop motion to be able to handle the volume of tedious, monotony that goes into making one of these things happen. For example, I can spend four hours doing nothing but cutting up quarter inch wide strips of fabric that the puppets are built up from. Sort of like layering strips of newspaper when doing paper mâché. It isn’t instant gratification and one puppet can take weeks to make, but that’s why the end can be so amazing. A TON of time goes into all the prep work. Having said that, things have slowed a bit on production while I am working it solo. I am still shooting for the same spring/summer 2015 release date and am confident that once the holidays are done, I will have an easier time finding help. I have two weeks off from my day job and am whipping out as much stuff as I can in this time and replying to back logged emails. I have been, up to this point, working under the optimistic assumption that some help would spring up and stick. Going forward, I will have to treat this as though I am doing it alone if I am gonna stay on schedule. Again, I’m hopeful that once the holidays pass, help will be easier to find. Having said all of that, I am happy with what I am churning out and will post some pictures by the end of next week.

I hope you all have a pleasant holiday season, be safe, and take care until next time!

Preston

The website is currently undergoing cosmetic surgery. It will take some time to heal up before looking nice and put together again. Look away if it is too unbearable to look at directly. That is all.

~HB