VENTURE BROS SEASON 4.2 FINALE!

I've no real idea how this episode of Venture Bros turned out as we've no cable TV but I do know how tough this show was to produce.

Mid-way thru the original final episode, Mr Publick told us that he'd actually got the green light for a one hour finale... WHOO HOO!!! We were beyond thrilled. I've always felt that this show needed more minutes and and hour seemed like a perfect starting point (actually, what I'd really love is something more along the lines of 90 mins!).

Anyway, production on the original season closer had to stop to allow for Doc and Jackson to write the new ending. Five weeks later, we're back cranking out the revisions like there's no tomorrow. We had three weeks to complete everything, which I always knew was going to be an impossible task (normally on a half hour show we have two weeks for revision). This was an hour long episode and we only had three weeks, did I mention it was also the season finale?!

And it was impossible, for the storyboard revision team anyway. Due to going well over the original three weeks schedule and what with the subsequent budget restrictions, we weren't even allowed to finish the episode. So poor Jackson Publick had the momentous task of completing any unfinished notes (and I can tell you there were many) on the last few scenes from the prom and whatever else popped up.

And fair play to him... from the few clips I've been watching online, he did a mighty fine job. He's definitely the most hard working, dedicated creator/directors I've ever worked with.

So I'd just thought I'd post the following sequence. This was before heading back for the three weeks revision. JP asked if I could help out by cleaning up his thumbnail drawings. And the following is just one tiny sequence I did for him. I haven't seen this sequence online anywhere but I presume it's still in the final episode. I may post some of the others in the days to come.

Huge thanks goes out to my revision team. Tom Connor, who was also heavily involved in storyboarding an episode or two of this season and Abigail Nesbitt. And from the design team, Danny Hynes who gave s a massive dig out. And from the awesome Robotomy crew, assistant director, Todd Myers.

That is all!

x Shivers

Stephen's Graphic Novel.

Hi all,

So just thought I'd post a link to my website where you can now buy some framed pages from Stephen's graphic novel. All prices include shipping within the USA.

Just click "LOLA'S STORE". And all proceeds go will towards Lola's bill.

And there's an update to our eBay auctions... because we're newbies to eBay, they've limited the amount we can post. So what we have up there is all we can put up for this month.

We do have some more choice Venture Bros merchandise and artwork so please keep checking back and I'll let you know when we can upload some more items.

Thanks so much, everyone.

x Shivers

UNBELIEVABLE VENTURE BROS ART FOR SALE!

From "storyboard guru", Stephen DeStefano's private collection comes one hell of a sequence!

This is a rare, one of a kind, storyboard sequence from season 3, The "ORB" where Brock visits Hunter Gathers, who is working as an exotic dancer after his sex change.

Stephen bumped up this sequence with 34 original Post-it drawings.

It's sexy hot, don't ya think?! Man, I just love Hunter :D

Anyway, its up now on eBay, please take a look and place a bid if you can. All funds will go towards our Lola's vet bills which are getting higher and higher by the day.

So, many many thanks if you can bid. x

That is all!

x Shivers

MORE VENTURE STORYBOARDS FOR SALE!

To continue our benefit for Lola, our kitty cat, we're offering up more Venture Bros storyboard pages from our collection (see preview above).

In this season 3 sequence, Dean Venture is being seduced by the Quymn twins while Dr Quymn seduces Dr Venture.

A total of 9, 11 x 8.5in xeroxed storyboard pages and 29 ORIGINAL, beautifully drawn Post-it notes by "storyboard guru", Stephen DeStefano!!

Link to auction can be found here!

Please bid and know that your money is going to help our Lola recover.

That is all!

x Shivers

Venture Bros art for sale for Lola

Our poor little Lola is in the hospital at the moment with what looks like pancreatic cancer :(

The fees for which are becoming enormous and we're not sure what to do other than sell what art work we own. Maybe it will generate some extra income that we badly need right now so if you are interested in some Venture Bros merch, please take a look. We'll be posting more in the days to come.

This one in particular is a Venture Bros Crew Poster that Jackson Publick/Christopher McCulloch kindly gave me upon completion of season 2. I hate to part with it but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

That is all.

x Shivers

VENTURE BROS Animation Auction, UP NOW!!

Get your bids in, folks!

There's some really interesting Venture Bros related stuff!

That is all.

x Shivers

Original Venture Bros artwork for sale...

At bargain prices for a great cause!

Check out Tom Bayne's page for the last remaining, absolutely awesome, completely original, actually seen in the show, animation key poses and inbteweens from Venture Bros TV series.

That is all.

x Shivers

Venture Bros Episode 40

For all those interested,
here's another section of storyboards that I revised for episode 40, with one of my favourite characters from season 4.1, Captain Sunshine.
I really enjoyed drawing this section.



That is all!
x Shivers

Venture Bros Season 4 storyboard.

Well, now that The Venture Bros season 4.1 is off and running...
here is a sample of the latest episode's storyboard that went through our
revision process and spit out the other side.



While your here, please check out Ian Jones-Quartey's blog for
info on this scene and more, from an animation director's point of view.


That is all!
x Shivers

Pennsylvania Blue

Tom Bayne.

(Venture Bros. editor)
on Nov 5th. 2008.
Fishtown, Philadeliphia.
One of the most exciting times of my life.
Thanks Tom!

That is all.
x Shivers

More JP postit note revisions from Season 4

I guess you won't know what episodes these are from, nor will they tell you anything about the storyline from this season of Venture Bros... and that's the way I want it!

But should I even bother to post these?

Whatever... I think they're cool.

That is all.
x Shivers

The Invisible Hand of Fate

Well, now that this season of Venture Bros is well under way and especially since "The Invisible Hand of Fate" has already aired, I can now post some work that I've done on the show.

Even though this wasn't the first episode to be aired, this was the first episode to be written and storyboarded. Reasons being, you'll find on Mr Jackson Publick's blog.

Anyway, it is unusual for us not to have some sort of problem with our first episode of the season, especially if we're working with a new storyboard artist. The problem with this episode is that time ran out for this storyboard artist so as great as the rest of his work was we were left with an unfinished board. This is where I had to step in and brush off my own artistic cobwebs and complete the final sequence.

I have to say I wasn't looking forward to it too much as there was more than a few perspective shots to work out, some with camera moves and some without but I had a lot of fun doing it and was happy with the end result.

Storyboard Guru, Stephen DeStefano also added some beautiful expressions to Billy and Professor Fantomas and are marked with a red asterisk where relevant.

Oh and yellow post-its are from the direction team, who get the storyboard after I'm done with it. They add any extra poses that they feel are needed for acting purposes.

Hope you like them!

That is all.
x Shivers

Jackson Publick Storyboard Notes

Just thought I'd post a set of
Jackson 'the hardest working man in animation' Publick
revision notes.

My job on The Venture Bros is to supervise an in-house storyboard revision team*.
We get the storyboard. We make notes**.

During this time we're allocated 2 weeks to complete revisions for each episode.
Act 1, the first week and act 2, the second.
Notes for an episode can be extremely heavy and tough on the revision team so we, more often than not, will spill over onto the following week.
This actual information we desperately try to keep from our lovely producer, Rachel Simon. Alas, we usually fail and she eventually busts my imaginary and Jackson Publick's actual set of balls when she finds out.

Moving swiftly on... at the end of each week I have to conform the revised act to a final animatic provided by our genius editor, Mr Tom Bayne AKA T-Bone.
What this really means that I have to watch the animatic closely and make final revisions from any last minute Jackson Publick notes.
I also have to listen closely to the dialogue track and paste dialogue and include direction notes to match the picture.
I then print off a copy of the storyboard so as to write in scene numbers, panel numbers and to make sure the final storyboard is clearly labeled when there's a cut or hook up (H.U.) between each scene.

Still with me? Good.

All in all it can be a pain in the ass but I truly love it and wouldn't change my job for the world.

So anyway, this is one of Mr Publick's notes from the season opener and is one of many, many notes that I get during the course of a season.

And I don't think this one has aired yet but this was my favourite note of season 3 from Mr Publick. And not because of the front side of the storyboard page...

but because of the back, where he sometimes doodles. This one is particularly cool, methinks!

BROCK F***ING SAMSON indeed!

That is all.
x Shivers

*The talented revision team for season 3 was Jon Roscetti,
Danny Hynes, (who's now a character designer on season 4) Rick Lacy, who left us half way through season 3 and was replaced by Lauren Monardo.

**By 'We' here, I really mean its mainly Jackson Publick who makes changes and provides us with notes. During those two weeks I'll spot other technical problems and draw extra panels, whilst also adding all of the amazing panels that our storyboard guru, Stephen DeStefano kindly provides. It can get especially tasking when conforming at the end of each week.