Several days,
hours really, the NOIR Indiegogo campaign will end and we need to raise
as much funds before it closes. We have seen a lot of viewers who have
discovered our videos and have responded, maybe even for a second time.
We are truly thankful for everyone who has supported this 3rd Indiegogo campaign.
We have been pushing this last campaign to the point where Greg even reached out to Kevin Smith and Mark Bernardin of the FatMan Beyond show. See Greg sweat!
The benefit to all backers of NOIR at the least, will be that they will have a copy of the film when its finally finished. Our only fear is that we haven't found enough people to help with the funding.
As of this post, NOIR has 19% of its fund raising goal and 48 backers so far. We hope if you have recently been following our posts, you will consider donating to the NOIR campaign. At this point, every pledge will help us finally finish this project and you will be apart of helping us to get it done. It all ends on Friday, June 14th. Pray Good triumphs over Evil.
Like this post? After your donation to NOIR, click on the ads to fill up our blog tip jar. Or subscribe to Animateducated.
Enjoying a NOIR moment and poster, Greg with Comicbook artist Neal Adams!
The Noir Indiegogo campaign is starting come to an end and we still need your help.This project has been funded through previous Indiegogo campaigns and is now seeking funds to finish the film's special effects and sound work.
Self Promotion is the key for getting anything in front of an audience. Greg got a chance to talk about NOIR on the FatMan Beyond show with Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin.
The above promo has been seen by 1035 viewers so far on the Animateducated channel to inform everyone about the Noir Indiegogo campaign. We have been pushing these videos to gain public interest in this film and seek the funds for post-production. From the very beginning, this has been a labor of love project with a small budget, showcasing a great cast of talent in front and behind the camera.
Here's the Indiegogo link to help us finish NOIR, so we finally complete the film and won't have to beg you anymore. This project started about 5 years ago and has taken longer to complete than anticipated. Making a low budget feature in 1940s Hollywood, combining it with classic horror Universal type monsters from that era and presenting it as a B&W Film Noir detective story was always ambitious from the start.
Lee and Greg knew what they lacked in production budget, they discovered a very talented cast to help bring their unique story to life. In a sense, they have been making a film in the same way Hollywood films were made during that time.
This is independent filmmaking at its finest and we hope as the days grow shorter for the NOIR indiegogo campaign that final donations will be made. Please show your support, share this post with a friend and help us finish it. Thank You, Orson Welles
Watchcat
started around the same time that NOIR was starting up. And so,
Watchcat Films will send an original Watchcat drawing to everyone who makes a pledge
to NOIR. Be sure to mention "Watchcat sent me".
This week, we also found out that Watchcat was accepted and will be screened as a part of the Florida Animation Festival on Saturday, June 15th @ 1pm. If anyone goes to this festival, please let us know what you thought of the show, below.
Show your support for this blog by clicking on the ads. Its our internet tip jar.
The Burbank Arts Festival was held on San Fernando road between Magnolia and E. Angeleno Ave or also known as beautiful Downtown Burbank. We set up our table as a part of the CTN Roadtrip to let people know we have a project on YouTube called Watchcat and attempt to build more of any audience. The weather was fine over the weekend and even though it rained over night, everything dried out by mid-morning when the event resumed on Sunday. We came to sell Watchcat T-Shirts, Coloring books, Pins and gave away a lot of Watchcat Postcards directing people to our Watchcat Films YouTube channel. We also handed out flyers for our NOIR Indiegogo champaign.
Welcome to the modern way of Self Promotion. Having a website is fine, however any event where you can actually meet your future audience is a very special place to be.
Oh sure, most of your audience is passing by your booth, walking their dogs or pushing their kids in strollers and often at the same time. They're looking around for something new and there were a lot of artists to see this weekend.
We learned a lot about displaying artwork to the audience passing by the booth. We need to invest in a large banner which will hang behind our table of wonders. The passersby often are looking up to see what is at the tent they are approaching. Any signage taped to the front of a table is often missed or only seen by small children, who can't read yet.
Walking around to see the other booths was a real education, some people used the wires above their tent to display artwork. Others created simple displays to hold prints or books they created.
We learned a lot about exhibiting artwork this time around and have a whole year to see if we want to do this again or not. We had great weather, met a lot of people, handed out postcards and even sold some T-shirts, Coloring books and pins as well.
And so, until the next Burbank Arts Festival. If we met you this year or enjoyed this post, please let us know. You can also visit and subscribe to Watchcat Films or learn more about animation at Animateducated. Or at least, click on the ads to show your support.
Eric James of Neal Adams Crusty Bunkers Comicbook shop in Burbank
The final Indiegogo campaign for NOIR began on Sunday, May 5th and has 38 days to go. A fund raising party occurred on the same day to kick off the campaign, premiere the new trailer and screen a rough cut of the film to invited cast, crew and friends.
The film has been completely shot and the funds received this time will be going toward special effects shots, finishing up the editing and sound process. Take a look at the new trailer below, without giving away any of the awesome story, enjoy.
Four years ago, two writers decided to take one of their scripts and make it into their own feature film project. Its been quite a journey up to this point, but now the end is in sight for an upcoming feature film known as Noir.
Greg and Tony set up their first Indiegogo campaign and were able to raise enough money to begin the production. Being a very low budget film, they knew they had to have a good cast to help flush out all the characters in the film. A lot of time was well spent in the casting process to find the right actors with the most patience during the production process.
Here's a short interview with Greg Bradley and Lee Anthony Smith about Noir and how you can help them finish the film.
The Indiegogo campaign is up and running, please visit it here. You can also learn more about the film by visiting @noirthefilm on Instagram and Facebook,
Was that worth a few ad clicks for the price of admission? Let us know with a like or subscribe to either Animateducated or Watchcat films on Youtube, maybe even both at the same time.
It has been some time since our last Watchcat Wednesday, but we have a few events happening in May that you might be interested in attending. Beginning on May 5th, you can be apart of an Indiegogo campaign for NOIR, an independent feature film. Take a look at the preview below to learn more about this new film.
Coming up May 18/19: Burbank Arts Festival Watch for our Watchcat table full of official Watchcat merch!
Watchcat Films, our Youtube channel began the year with 121 subscribers and has gained 63 new subscribers, we begin 2019 with 184 subscribers.
Our Watchcat files blog views have also increased in size. We began with 20,250 views and grew to 46,891 views or 26,641 new views in 2018. I guess some people like what we are doing?
We started 2018 with this New Year's Greeting...
Posted several Watchcat Reviews of different films that we enjoyed this year.
Also started a new segment called "Jim Draws" where Jim drew stuff and talked about it.
Time was hard to come by to work on episodes this year, but we managed to turn out two. The Halloween episode was boarded like this, https://youtu.be/wGP6iDWodrQ, but it was a lot of work to produce and so, creative editing was used to tell a different shorter story.
My thanks to Joel Brinkerhoff for helping me animate Mikey. And we finished 2018, by finishing the Holiday episode this time, playing around with black and white.
What about 2019? Its time to concentrate on writing a complete Watchcat story which could be turned into a graphic novel or a series of shorts. Greg will be writing it this year, complete with a Backstory, Character flaws and development, a 3 act story structure to tell more of a complete story, if one exists as a graphic novel, screenplay or TV series? Planning to get a table at this year's Burbank Art Festival , May 18 & 19, to help promote Watchcat to the public and hopefully sell some merch. We were there in 2017 and had a great weekend. In 2018, we donated to $200 to Big Cat Rescue. With your ad clicks, we reached our first Google $100 goal and are continuing to do so. As always, please click on the ads to help us get to the next $100 goal. We are now only at $9.57 with $1.03 this month so far. I haven't been pushing the ad clicks, because I feel like a broken record or CD, but every click on the ads does add to the fund and shows your support!
Click now to wish us a Happy New Year! Love to hear from you in the comments section below... Here's hoping you have a great 2019 in the New Year and thank you for your continued support! Become a Follower to this blog or Subscribe to Watchcat Films. If you want to listen to a new podcast about animation, check out Animateducated.
I'm working on a new radio show that hit the ear waves last week called "The Ambassador Goodtime Ear Tango Radio Hour" on WU Radio. Take a listen every night at 10pm PDT, with new shows premiering on Monday night. Here's a link to the show. Upcoming shows Show 01: Animation: Author Mindy Johnson and Animator/producer Jane Baer. Show 02: Superheroes: "The Helm", author J.R.R.R. (jim) Hardison. (now playing until 10/14) 10/15 Show 03: Hands: Author David Hale Hand's new book about his dad, who was Walt Disney's right hand man. 10/22 Show 04: Hollywood: Actor, Writer and Director, Jeremy Foley talks about life in front and behind the camera. 10/29 Show 05: This is Halloween: Stop by WU Radio in costume on 10/30 between 2pm - 3:30pm and get a treat. All interviews will be posted to YouTube channel, Animateducated. Subscribe now and listen in later.
Every beginning of October, the 24 hour animation contest rolls around and animation school across the world participate in this event which grows larger every year.
Woodbury University this year, participated with 8 teams taking on the 24 hour challenge and here's more about those teams and their films.
And here's the announcement of this year's Winning teams...
And what about Watchcat??? Check in next Watchcat Wednesday and find out!
Sept 26th:On this Watchcat Wednesday, Windsor McCay was born in 1869. Considered the Father of Animation, this American cartoonist and animation pioneer created the first true animated character in the form of Gertie the Dinosaur. McCay premiered the film at the Palace in Chicago
on February 2, 1914.
Gertie was drawn by hand and that includes drawing the entire background as well. This was way before cel animation was invented.
And speaking of a modern day cartoonist
Happy 60th to cartoonist and illustratorBob Staake!
And back in 1888, T. S. Eliot was born. Most famous for his writing and it seemed that he fancied cats as well.
In 1939, T.S. Eliot also wrote his most whimsical masterwork called Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.
This book was later adapted by the British musical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and became the longest running musical in history, simply known as "Cats".
And now more about Noir
Here's Jimmy McCammon's LAaf pocast featuring a talk with screenwriter/directors Lee Anthony Smith and Gregory J. Bradley, who's credits include the action thriller WAR and their upcoming horror crossover NOIR. Click this Link to Listen to Part 1 and Part 2.
News about Watchcat is in the works. Click on the ads to help support this feline adventure. Every little click helps.
Watchcat's creator and head writer, Greg J. Bradley is currently working on finishing an independent feature called " Noir". Here's the second part to an interview from our last post."
Last month, my family and I fostered kittens to help out our local Animal Shelter. We kept a few kittens, fed them and got them use to living with us (people). A lot of the kittens are found on the streets and are given to other fosters who help raise them in their homes.
The hardest part of the program is taking your kittens to the Animal Shelter's kitten adoption fair and saying good bye. You meet a lot of people and families who want a kitten or to add a kitten as a friend to their other home pet. This is where the Foster parent must decide if the person, family or household would be a good fit. They usually find out what the other pet is which could be a younger cat, an older cat or a dog, who has lived with a cat before. I always want related kittens, to be adopted together. Its the best of both worlds, the kittens are siblings, they play together and are never alone. Adopting a single cat is possible, but it all depends on the cat itself or the person who adopts it.
We met a woman who wanted only one kitten and not the kitten's brother it was playing with in the cage. I did my best car (cat) salesman pitch, however she ended up taking only that one kitten.
As things turned out, she picked up the single kitten and took it to her house. All she had was a single scratching post and she called me the next day to ask why the kitten wasn't responding to her.
It was obvious to me, the kitten was now all alone in a new place and probably was depressed. The woman was disappointed and ended up returning the kitten to the shelter a few days later for a full refund. Luckily, this story has a happy ending since the kitten ended up in a better home.
Cats can be fickle felines, but sometimes people are too. Here's a link to an article about dealing and living with a cat. Do you have any cat tales to share? Let us know below.
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Watchcat Films celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Enter The Dragon. by Gregory J. Bradley
This
Sunday, August 19, was the 45th anniversary of the release of the best martial
arts film in history, “Enter The Dragon.” Debuted in August 19, 1973, the movie
introduced America and the World to the greatest martial artists of all time,
Bruce Lee. This movie was to finally showcase the amazing talent and charisma
of the first chinese lead in an American-made action movie.
It was a bona fide hit, making Bruce Lee an international
superstar!
Unfortunately, Bruce Lee died on July 20th, 1973, a little less
then a month before the movie’s premier. He never got a chance to see the
finished film.
Even more shocking, 20 years later in 1993, his only son,
Brandon Bruce Lee, was killed on the set of his breakout feature film “The
Crow.”
He too never got the chance to see his finished film. How sad it is for such a tragedy to hit a
talented family at such young ages.
There has been talk in Hollywood about remaking “Enter The
Dragon,” and I say to those who do, DON’T DO IT!!!
“Enter The Dragon” should be recognized as an American
classic just like “Citizen Kane,” “Casablanca,” and “The Godfather.” The film
was ahead of its time, and should stay there and it only works because of one
major ingredient, Bruce Lee.
I based a lot of Watchcat off of Bruce Lee.
Bruce’s amazing martial arts abilities and speed, mixed with
his incredible command of the screen, is on display in this movie. And since
you can’t bring Bruce back, there’s no reason to remake a classic. If you want
to see “Enter The Dragon,” just re-release it in theaters and call it a day!
Watchcat’s
very own creator, Gregory J. Bradley, was interviewed with his co-producing
partner, Lee Anthony Smith, by Vikki Thomas of The Mighty Dragon to discuss the
process of writing the action film, “War” (starring Jet Li and Jason Statham)
as well as their directorial debut feature film, “Noir.”
I had
the privilege of meeting Wesley Snipes last Saturday with a good friend of
mine, Duke. Wesley was a very nice guy, however, I think people forget what a
incredible actor he is. He was one of the two top African-American actors of
his time, him and Denzel Washington. He has done some great work in the 90s
such as “Mo Better Blues,” “New Jack City,” “Jungle Fever,” and two of my
personal favorites, “White Men Can’t Jump” and “Blade.”
Blade was so successful, it help put Marvel on the map, which
had previously been struggling. Blade proved that the comic book movie could be
taken seriously and was not just for kids.
It open the door for Marvel’s comic books film like “X-Men”
and “Spider-Man.” It was the gateway to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from
“Iron Man” to “The Avengers.” And, contrary to popular belief, “Deadpool” and
“Logan” were not the first successful rated R superhero films, “Blade” was.
There would be no “Black Panther” without “Blade” setting the
path that a superhero movie could be just as successful with a black superhero.
We have Wesley Snipes to thank for that.
Thanks Wesley!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please share the link, click on the blog ads or leave a comment below to show your support. Next Wednesday; The Mighty Dragon "Noir" interview part 2.
Several days,
hours really, the NOIR Indiegogo campaign will end and we need to raise
as much funds before it closes. We have seen a lot of viewers who have
discovered our videos and have responded, maybe even for a second time.
We are truly thankful for everyone who has supported this 3rd Indiegogo campaign. 
