Insimenator.org

Part two (or rather three, but known as two because there is a part zero) is available for your viewing pleasure, enjoy!

Thank you all for posting your videos, which I have been enjoying.  In fact, you've inspired me to join in the fun and begin creating movies of my own.  Thank you as well to the moderators of this fine community.  Your hard work is appreciated far more than words can express.

Here are the links and a brief synopsis:

Strangetown Conspiracy-0 (The Prologue)-Following alien terrorist attacks in SIMNation's Capital City, the President proposes a preemptive sweep against aliens residing illegally throughout SIMNation. This action puts the residents in Strangetown directly in the line of fire. General Buzz Grunt must make a terrible decision: his position as General, or saving the lives of his neighbours.  

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/conspiracy2.jpg)
Having been bullied by General Buzz Grunt since childhood, can Pascal Curious  truly trust his old adversary? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyTx9a3z9bw)


Strangetown Conspiracy I- Gathering Storm-As the preemptive strike against the alien terrorist groups believed to reside in Strangetown draws nearer, Nervous Subject's attempts at sleep are thwarted by foreboding images.  Are they mere nightmares, or have the years of scientific experimentation on his body yielded unintentional side effects?

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/conspiracy3.jpg)
Nervous tells Loki and Circe about his strange visions.  Are they mere dreams or visions of a dark future?  Will Circe and Loki even believe their test subject's words? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_VJ9OKWIME)

 If some of you in the Harry Potter community recognize my co-writer Avatar Arkmage, it is because he is one of the guys who wrote one of my favourite fanfics!  And he agreed to help me with the writing for this series.  Hope you enjoy it!

Edit: 11/9/2007, added part two.  I sincerely hope you enjoy it!

Strangetown Conspiracy II- A Violent Legacy-The Beakers begin to suspect that Nervous Subject has developed unusual capabilities of foresight; while the price of General Grunt's imminent treason against SIMNation is paid by the entire family.

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/tank_ripp.jpg)
In a rare, fleeting moment of solidarity, Tank and Ripp lean on one another for support after enduring a beating from their father. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA6qxHd4XBM)

Strangetown Conspiracy 3A- Time of Hate-Part One of Two. The attacks perpetrated by alien terrorist cells have led to an all time high of suspicion against all aliens residing on Earth. Johnny Smith and Ophelia Nigmos fall victim to a zealous street gang who are particularly hateful toward aliens and humans with alien blood.
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/strangetown4a.jpg) A street gang, who believes aliens have no place on Earth, chases Johnny Smith through the deserted streets of Strangetown Downtown. (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=f_C6gPYYug8)


Strangetown Conspiracy 3B- A Time of Hate-Part Two of Two. Nervous's odd abilities strengthen, and all are distressed by the fact that he has indirectly witnessed the assault of Ophelia and Johnny; General Buzz feels remorse over the stout beating he had subjected his sons to, but with his responsibilities toward SIMNation's military, he doesn't chance any further interactions with his sons for fear that he will harm them even more
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/strangetown4b.jpg)
Loki, Nervous and a battered Ophelia search for Johnny Smith, who they believe to have been beaten and dumped in the desert.  (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LJA_wRjgvwA)


Strangetown Conspiracy 4- Deeper Than By The Blood That Binds Us. Strangetown is in mourning over the murder of Johnny Smith, but they can little afford to grieve, as the pre-emptive strike draws nearer. What connection do Olive, Ophelia and Nervous share, and how much do the Beakers know about this? General Buzz turns up at the hospital as well, but is it to offer his condolences or for another reason entirely?
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/nervous_ophelia.jpg)

Nervous ponders the kinship he feels toward Ophelia.  Does she cling to him merely because she had been traumatised, or because she may know more about Nervous's true identity than Nervous himself does?  (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=SyGwuk6-e_Q)


Strangetown Conspiracy 5: Death of Innocence
Part 1 of 2. The HMS Wright closes in on Outolaakso, a Northern Province of SIMNation, where alien terrorist activities have been strongly indicated, but what is closing in on the HMS Wright?  Pascal asks Buzz what is the reason for the hatred Buzz seems to have felt toward Pascal since their youth, but Buzz is less than forthcoming.(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/strangetown6a.jpg)
 Disturbed that anyone can be so callous when human lives are concerned, Pascal lets his feelings be known. (http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=NKSNUa8LAkQ)


Part 2 of 2

(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/strangetown6b.jpg)

Although the HMS Wright was one of the ships slated to carry out the pre-emptive strike, is this really the case? (http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=5YyPt5MLmI8)


Strangetown Conspiracy Chapter Six: Prisoners of war
WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS BRIEF, THOUGH NON-SEXUAL NUDITY.  Cover the upper part of the screen and only read the dialogue at the bottom if you do not wish to see that part.  You can safely watch the movie after approximately 0:16. Having been abducted by the very aliens they had been sent to attack, the surviving members of the HMS Wright do their best to survive the ordeal. Ripp Grunt, who was also captured, fares somewhat better, but what do the aliens truly want from him?
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/strangetown7b.jpg)
Ripp's alien abductors inquire about the wounds on his face and body, and not wishing to disclose the true cause, Ripp fabricates an elaborate lie. (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vcRmz-POt_E)

Strangetown Conspiracy 7- Brothers and Adversaries. Some of you have called to my attention the fact that there is a lot of dialogue, and that it sometimes goes along too quickly, especially for those who like to read at a more leisurely pace, or for those whose native tongue is not English. It may help to watch the film with your mouse pointer on the pause button in the YOUTube player. Simply pause as needed to read the dialogue, then resume. Synopsis: The aliens who have abducted Ripp have no understanding of Ripp's entreaties toward his father, and inquire further on the matter. Things become worse for the survivors of the HMS Wright, when an act of sedition is revealed. General Buzz Grunt invites Pascal to his home, but what is his intent?
(http://[IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/strangetown8.jpg)[/IMG]
Feeling the weight of all that has transpired far more than he lets on, General Buzz falls to his knees, his thoughts on Ripp. (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yeYNIeSxgmk)[/B]

Nervous once again has frightening visions, only this time, he's fully awake. General Buzz and Pascal begin to settle a score a few decades old.
(http://[IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/joe_mulcahy/strangetown9.jpg)[/IMG]
A memory buried by time and the pressures of his career, tears its way back following a confrontation by Pascal (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MxBp7QvQLdE)[/B]

This is great so far. Hope to see more soon!

Thank you very much for the feedback, Kattan.  The next part will be uploaded shortly.

I bow to you!

great story

Thank you very much for your comments, Mask316 and Pierreandreply4, it was a pleasure to work on this, and I'm glad you've both enjoyed it.

You're really good!  :thumblef:  :thumbrig:  I love how you captured all of the sims' expressions.  The storyline is great, and I'll definitely be looking forward to seeing more of it.  :smile bi:

Are you using default Camera or zooming in edit ?

WOW! i love it!

Thank you very much for the feedback, Tenshi Akari.  Capturing their expressions is trickly, but certain characters, i.e. Ripp Grunt and Pascal Curious, wear their hearts on their sleeves, so it is actually quite easy to film emotions when the camera is trained upon them.

 I've hacked the settings on the in game camera rather often, sometimes several times for the same shot, but there are still things it won't do properly.  Likewise, if you do all your zooming in the post-production, it looks rather odd, so in many scenes I'll actually combine both zooms and pans to make a well rounded camera motion.  Tricky at first to do, but the effect of the final film is worth the bother.




Why thank you, hearing that does a writer good!

that's a really good referance! (or whatever you call it!) i like how u used the tatoos in the end of the second ep.!

Thank you!

Being that Buzz Grunt is actually a General, and therefore not normally on the battlefield, I've often wondered why he would bother to wear facepaint at all.  In thinking on it, I came to the conclusion that the markings may not have been paint at all, and perhaps he could otherwise not remove them. Hence the darker idea of hiding scars was used in the final storyline.

In case you missed it in the header, this chapter carries a warning about violence which may be somewhat upsetting to some of you.  Those that do watch, I hope you enjoy the show.

You've managed to turn the most boring sims neighborhood into something exciting and great!  Amazing work, keep it up!!  I subscribed to your channel.

Okay, damn it, part three has me wanting to kill pixels. Grrrr.... *sits and waits for more soon*

Whaaa-at?  You find the Strangetown boring?  As for me, they are the only EAxis made neighbourhood I found interesting.   Each character comes with a backstory that begs for further exploration, and that is how I decided to do this series.  

Then again, perhaps I found Strangetown interesting because it is the only original neighbourhood where affairs and romance weren't at the forefront of their neighbourhood story, I couldn't play Veronaville for more than a few weeks,  and I grew tired after about a month of Don Lothario and Daniel Pleasant wanting to bounce their beds with anything having a pulse. But then, that's just me, I'd rather actively participate in romantic interactions than watch  others do it and face consequences for it (i.e. Mary Sue catching Daniel in the act, or Consort kicking the bins of the rival family.)

Thank you for the feedback and for subscribing to my channel!  Thanks for posting your "Don't Walk Away Renee" music videos as well.  It makes me wish I knew more girls named Renee.  Oh well, perhaps someday I'll have a daughter, I think Renee is a fine name for a lovely girl.



Thank you for the feedback!  Yes, it's sad how mob mentality can lead even otherwise decent humans to do such violent acts.

:bawl:  So sad!  Poor, poor Johnny... :crybaby:  

You know it's sad, because things like this actually happen in real life.  It really kind of hits home to a point.  Great job on the newer installments.  :clap:

i just got my keyboard wet with tears!!

Couldn't agree more. That's partly why I found it so moving too :crybaby:

Just found this, but it's great work :) In fact I'm taking mental notes 'cause I've got this video project to do for Uni :smt120 What do you use?

Oh yeah, I can imagine Strangetown being boring, only because there are no braindead soap-opera storylines. Riiiight...

Actually, it's my favourite Maxis hood, since it houses the most memorable characters and has quite a few offbeat stories attached to it, more so than any other Maxis hood. (Last time I played a game in Pleasantview I ended up killing at least half the population off. Yes, I think a great deal of its inhabitants are that dull.)

Anyhoo, back on topic - you've done a stellar job on those videos, Joe. It did break my heart seeing Ripp Grunt being pummelled by Buzz, though...:(

Thank you very much for the feedback, Tenshii.  Yes, unfortunately that kind of thing could very well happen, hence even our beloved Strangetown is not immune to such violence.



Thank you for the feedback, Terris!  Yes, how sad even our beloved Strangetown is not immune to such a tragedy.



Thank you for the feedback, Sadie79.  Great to hear that you're working on a project for Uni.  What do I use?  You mean what hacks?  Well I've hacked my own camera (start off with GunMod's camera hacks, for it is great for most shots, but when you want certain effects for a particular shot, then hacking the camera further is what I like to do).  I use weapons from Vampcat and Palidin. I make ample use of Paul's Reaction Tester, as well as the Insimenator, and posing hacks from Decorgal and animation boxes from JD.  I made hacks of my own, but I'm no where near as good as Hackers on this site, Maty and MTS2 are, so I won't be releasing them until I know they won't cause people's games to explode.    Oh yes, and don't us Windows Movie Maker,  I mean I used it for the first movie, but found that just about any movie editing software(Pinnacle, Adobe, Sony)  is better than movie maker.  Have I answered your question?  If you need help, I'll be happy to share what little I know.

Amen, Cynarablade! The lack of braindead soap-opera storylines was precisely why Strangetown became my favourite hood from the first time I played them, and why I'm making a movie series there.  If General Buzz constantly rolled wants to sleep with anything with a pulse, I would have been bored with it, but thankfully Buzz would rather do more interesting things than bounce beds.

Thank you very much for the feedback.  Yes, unfortunately General Buzz's (and Tank's) treatment  of Ripp prompted me to drop satellites on them more than once.  Good job in the actual game family members can't pummel one another, for that would make the SIMs game too hard to play.  I wouldn't mind seeing Don Lothario get his though.

Well, I meant what movie editor/s you use. I tend to use Premiere - ironically I'm getting on better with my video project, which I thought I was worse at, but no.  Haven't played much with After Effects, but I've been taught Motion, which I love despite it being for the Mac :P Took a look at Movie Maker and looked away again :lol: I'll most likely be sharing my finished work on YouTube fairly soon, just for some feedback since I'm just starting out. I can imagine something like this would take ages to get done though.

ETA: Just seen the update - I nearly cried during the first part, it touched a raw nerve since I've been through grief myself :sad5:

Believe it or not, in the earlier episodes, I used Windows Movie Maker, but when I heard people saying how bad it is as an editor, I switched to Sony Vegas.  I tried Adobe Premiere, and one of my co-authors animated a few sequences for me in Flash, but I must say,  Sony Vegas is my favourite.

Glad you enjoyed the chapters, and yes, I had help writing those especially tear-jerking sequences, as my co-author Avatar Arkmage habitually made grown men cry in the Harry Potter universe (Remembrance and Renewal is the name of the fanfic), I knew he was just the man to approach when writing Strangetown Conspiracy.  Hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

I certainly did! Great stuff! :D ... and a few chapters ago you inspired me to rescue Strangetown from the depths of my own program files, check out the characters myself and consequently get a load of my own ideas! :laughing: Not as thrilling or intense as yours, just different... Ripp's fast become a favourite of mine, I have to say - he's adorable! :love2: One look through his memories and relationships (and those of involved sims), and I was left wanting to give the poor guy a big hug, I felt so sorry for him :(

Good god, I wonder what will become of poor Ripp?

:smile bi:  Great updates, joe!  As always, I'm eager to see what happens next.  :angel:  Looks like Ripp is in for his own little adventure.  ;)

Wouldn't it be ironic if, after the way his folks have treated him, he turns out to be a hero in some way ;)

I can hardly wait to see your production, after all, the more Strangetown receives the noteriety it so richly deserves, the better for it!  Oh yes, Ripp and indeed the whole Grunt family weren't originally going to have such a big role, but in developing the characters for the script, General Buzz and Ripp commanded a larger share of the writing.

By the way, if you like, have a look through the deleted scenes.

There is a possible spoiler at the end, that is if I decide to reintegrate the scene into the series or just leave it out.  

By the way, about your idealised plantsim you uploaded, does it go in downloads like everything else, or do I put it elsewhere?

[QUOTE="Cyanara Blade]Good god, I wonder what will become of poor Ripp?
[/QUOTE]

Believe it or not, even I'm not 100% sure at this point.  You can watch one of the possible scenes in the closing credits, which features deleted scenes.




Quite possibly he is, but as we've got three possible versions of the sequence, Avvie and I haven't decided yet.  Watch the closing credits to see one of the ones I may or may not delete.



As different as Ripp might be from Buzz and Tank, he is his father's son, and his brother's brother, so anything could happen.

Thanks for all the feedback folks, I appreciate it!

I'd rather keep it as a surprise, so I'll save the deleted scenes for later ;) Mine won't be a production like yours though, just a regular story that'll be in the story section rather than here - I'm focusing more on the feud between the Grunts and Smiths, with some twists and turns thrown in - there's plenty of scope for story just with those two, and that's without my imagination throwing other goodies at them all! :twisted: ... In fact there's good story material with the Grunts alone... ;)

In answer to your question, just plop him into downloads :)

The feud between the Smiths and the Grunts?!  Wow ! I love that storyline! I can hardly wait to see your interpretation of that.  Be sure to tell me when you've posted the first chapter!

Hope you enjoy this next chapter of Strangetown Conspiracy by the way!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw, that was so sad :( I did enjoy it, looking forward to the next :)

And thanks for your interest in my story! :) Chapter 2's posted, link's in my siggy :) I have managed to weave some romance in there (not yet, but it will happen), but in the main it tends to swing between that and the civil war in the Grunt household :angel: Hope you enjoy mine as much as I'm enjoying yours ;)

ETA: I just have to ask, about Ripp's bruises - are they a nude clothing, did you apply them to the skin, or if other, how did you get them? They're liable to come in handy - I'll say no more for now ;)

I'm so glad you've enjoyed it, sad, though it was.  Ripp is the kind of character that just takes hold of your heart and won't let go sometimes, isn't he?  I see he does that even in Xenophobia, albeit in a more mature method.

The bruises and abraded flesh?  I had them made especially for the scene, as I couldn't find any that looked as hammered as I needed them, but if you think you could use them as well, I'll be happy to pack them for you.  Do you want them?

Yes please! Thanks so much for the offer :D

Won't let go sometimes? He never lets go of me, hehe, I love him to bits :love2: He's so expressive too, one of those who wears his heart on his sleeve :) Gonna make some scenes harder than usual to set up, but we just have to go with it sometimes, huh?

Very well, then I'll pack up the battered skins for you, watch for them shortly.  I just hope they match Oepu's skintones as well, for I use Louis's skins in Strangetown Conspiracy.

You're too right about certain characters wearing their hearts on their sleeves!  I've noticed this most strongly with Ripp Grunt, Pascal Curious, and oddly enough, General Buzz Grunt.  I'm most surprised that Buzz is that way, for he comes from EAxis as one of the most stoic characters they've created.
It was their natures, particularly in those times when I film with free-will on, that altered the script somewhat.  It is as though Ripp and Buzz are constantly playing capture the flag with my heart, with Pascal Curious making it into a three way game at times. The next chapter will be posted soon.

Ah, they're skins - I wondered about that. I'll see if I can't find a way to blend the two in some way, since I'm getting better at Photoshop :D Gonna have to export the concerned sim, but it'll be worth it ;) Thanks again! :D

Yeah, Pascal strikes me as that kind (even though I haven't played the Curious lot lately). Buzz is an interesting one, as I said in reply on my own thread, and he's definitely expressive - when I got him screaming, for instance :( It's gonna get worse too, I know that, but oh well. Tank's another, funnily enough - you don't notice until you take off that bloomin' face paint of his. He's another interesting one to work with, mainly due to his character - I actually had a number of ways my story could go, but I couldn't keep him nasty for long :love2:

Looking forward to the next installment :)

A great series!  Keep up the great work!

Okay, this is the first Sims movie i've ever watched, and it rocks. Great characterization, great story. I'm impressed by the attack on the battleship, too, considering this game isn't really set up for combat scenes.

You are terrific at photoshop, I'm so impressed every time I see what you've done, and I'm sure with the beat-up skins, you'll pull off even more impressive work!

Oh yes, I wonder if EAxis intended for Tank to be such a delightful mystery of a character, hence they cloaked him in facepaint?  He's great fun to write!  And General Buzz, well as much as he tries to conceal his heart, I notice that sometimes during filming his heart finds its way to his sleeve.  You'll see more of that very shortly, as I had to cut a certain scene out of this particular episode to comply with YouTube's strict ten minutes rule.


Thank you, Charlemagne!  I'm glad you're enjoying the series, and the best is yet to come!


Thank you very much for the feedback, Steelguy!  I'm glad you think this sereies rocks, and yes that battleship scene took a long time and a lot of doing to pull off.  The characterisation was something I've been working on  for about two years, and my co-author has helped me flesh every single character out so that they are convincing on film.  Hope you enjoy this latest episode!

I'm at Uni right now, so I'll have to hold off watching for the moment. I will say that the best I wound up doing with the skin was eyedropping the colour and applying my own bruises - tried using the existing ones, didn't work :dontknow: I needed other ones anyway, but still, thanks for all the packages you sent, they'll come in handy in other ways :)

Had a look through them, in fact - how on earth do you use these guys for the videos? :oogle: Are they animated or something? Very clever, whatever it is you do! :)

Thanks for your compliments on my Photoshopping skills too :D

ETA: Okay, now I've seen it - I wanted to give Ripp such a big hug at the start :( Very curious to know what Buzz wants out of Pascal - wonder if the penny will drop... Surprised Buzz's staff didn't get it after all that. Oh well... are you gonna post the deleted scene? :D Great stuff though :)

How on Earth do I use these guys for movies?  Well, thanks to Echo and other great modders within the community, I've learned to extract animations  with SIM PE, and make objects to place in the game to easily call upon those animations.  Combining two or three of the animations in short succession makes for interesting effects, but sometimes not.  I'd love to share these objects, but they crash even my game, and I sometimes can only film one or two takes of one or more scenes  before the game explodes in a BFBVFS!  I guess I'm more of a HACK than a true hacker at this time.  I'm working on custom animations as well, but those are even less stable, as some look horrible in game.

One of my reviewers said that taking pictures of SIMs sometimes makes him want to pull all of his hair out, and I told him that's why bowling ball polish is a good investment, as SIMS storytellers and filmakers will likely be bald in the near future.  

Ripp has a way to making people want to hug him, or at least treat him kindly(i.e. the aliens are cruel to the HMS Wright captives, but go out of their way to try and make Ripp comfortable).  Yes, I shall release the deleted scenes soon, the problem is, I had so much leftover from this episode, I'll have trouble selecting which ones to use for the closing credits.

:laughing: Bowling ball polish... good one! That is very true though. Sometimes my sims are darlings and do everything they're told, even more so occasionally, but other times I want to slap them for not behaving - even my favourites ¬_¬ Newer hacks like the fourth wall and overlay boxes on MTS2 make it so much easier, even getting effects you couldn't before, but it's not much help if they're standing near a friend of theirs and decide to smile at them instead.

I did notice that about the aliens being nice to him. I can see him preferring to stay on the ship 'cause they treat him better than his own Dad :( I guess he's got that kind of face - that and he's such a sweetie :love2:

Interesting about your hacks (also a little scary! :pale). I did like the effect you had with Ripp's face paint running, when he started crying after hearing from "Philly" as I've been calling her.

Looking forward to the next chapter (and any deleted scenes you wish to release ;))

Thank you so much for the kind words.  I'm enjoying your series immensely as well!  So have you got free time installed yet?  I do, but I'm still playing with the hacks for the game, so I might just try the Animation boxes and Fourth Wall hack.

Hope you enjoy the next chapter, I've just released it.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaawww!! :sad5: I did enjoy it, but nearly cried too... yep, we've definitely got the same Ripp and Buzz in our stories, huh?

Thanks for your kind words too :) I have indeed got FT installed, been playing it for a bit... and finding it very strange that Johnny's not getting music enthusiasm from his guitar practice :oogle: Came online to see if there was a fix or something, actually.

ETA: I really didn't comment enough before - the effects you used are brilliant! Great imagination regarding Nervous's predicament too, and when Johnny appeared - the scene switch to the Grunts was what got me, but you can probably guess why :angel: Buzz really does know how to hold onto your heart, doesn't he? At least he can cry in yours ;)

Awesome stuff, keep up the good work! :thumbup:

This is just great stuff and I look forward to every new episode.

Oh my... excuse me for a moment while I go attempt to wipe away there tears without screwing up my makeup too badly (ah, the perils of viewing at work!). I am utterly in love with this series, and definitely looking forward to future chapters. I hope everything works out in the end, but considering there's already been death.... it's like that old saying, things always get worse before they can get better. I think we've yet to see the worse.

Please say there's more soon?

I'm well aware of what the worse is likely to entail, too... :sad5:

*clings tightly to Xenophobia's Ripp and eyes boxes of tissues*

I seem to spend half my time online here just looking for updates on all the stuff I'm reading/watching.

Oh? They do custom content downloads here too? :)

edit: On that note, due to reading stories all the time, I forgot that here, you check the beginning of the thread for new updates. *facepalm*

Half an hour of loading, two restarts due to interrupts, halfway there... damn my slow connection.

Looking good, so far though.

Loading...loading...loading...

I shall begin posting any updates or other special films at the end of the threads, as Steelguy said, many people look for updates at the end, not the beginning of threads, silly me, eh?  Hope you enjoy this!

*dying of laughter* Oh. My. GOD. That was brilliant, hilarious, and wrong-on-so-many-levels all at the same time. I love it!!!

:rofl: I'll never see Buzz in the same light ever again! :laugh: Love the last scene! It's been a while since I laughed that much :D

Hope you're feeling better, BTW :)

First time I tried to watch that, my connection was so slow it just locked up.

I'm so glad I tried again.

Think I hurt myself laughing so hard, though...

That was wonderful!!! LOL.

Katt

Thank you very much, Katt, Steelguy, Sadie and Kattan, I'm so glad you enjoyed my first attempt at writing a comedy.

Here is the next episode of Strangetown Conspiracy.

Synopsis: Not even General Buzz Grunt can keep his composure at the prospect of sentencing his own son to death, but Pascal attempts to comfort him, and perhaps persuade him to choose his son over his sense of duty.

In doing so, Buzz's mind wanders through the mental shelves of thirty years as he questions his own decision.

Note: This special episode is narrated by me, and was done as a challenge between myself and a few other movie makers, for we wondered how the character General Buzz Grunt would sound coming from different cultural backgrounds. This then is Glaswegian General Grunt, and before any of you remark on how weak my accent is, let me just say that I've been making every effort to tone it down so most people can understand me. My wife laughed at me for many hours whilst filming this, as she said that my viewers would be saying "come again?" "what did he say?" So I've tried not to roll my tongue and use the hard-edged vowels I ordinarily employ, but hope I've preserved the cadence of my normal manner of speaking.

If you would like to hear what American North-Eastern Buzz Grunt sounds like, be sure to watch Swordsmasterguy's movie here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DGGaShXQuA...

If all goes well, you may soon hear the Norwegian and American South Central versions as well, so as much as some of you may wish to laugh at my accent, exercise some restraint (if commenting in the comments section of the movie), as doing so could potentially scare other directors off of the challenge. In private mail though, feel free to knock my accent into the next street!

If you still can't understand me, say so in your comments, and I will post the text.

Aww, you have a cute voice ;) Nice back-story - sounds like we also have the same Chips to a degree, although my version of events is gonna be quite a bit more sinister...

I'm still clinging to my versions of Johnny and Ripp, by the way :tongue3:

Well, I had no problems understanding the accent, but I have Scottish relatives, so I've had practice. :)  Got a bit harder when you put the echo effect on, though, but it still worked.
And for the rest of it, damn it man, first you make me laugh, now you're getting me all weepy.
Keep it up. :)

Hi folks, sorry for the long wait, but here is the latest episode of Strangetown Conspiracy.



Synopsis: Colony Drone 47, although benevolent toward his captives, expresses outright hatred toward one in particular; his biological brother, Lt. Frantisek Shiroyama. In an act proving that Ripp is truly a father's son, he boldly defends the lieutenant, without fully considering the consequences of his actions.
Oh yes, how to say Hanaiakamalama,the name of Lt. Shiroyama's dad? Say each syllable Hah-nah-ee-ah-kah-mah-la-ma. I thought it a very fitting name for a Hawaiian astronomer, as the name means "Adopted Child of the Moon." My Hawaiian friends also told me that it is the name of the Southern Cross also, a constellation that Hawaiian and Polynesian navigators used to travel about islands in the South Pacific.

And now, here are some replies.



Jolly good, I can't wait to see your take on Chip.  It's fun to see how the same character can be interpretted with similarities and differences.

As far as clinging to your versions of Johnny and Ripp, by all means do so!  I think if we all had the same takes on the characters, it would put the readers/audience to sleep.  This way, it keeps them interested. I enjoy seeing the various interpretations, so long as they are portrayed believably (seeing Buzz as a romantic guy with three lovers who plays base and sings "Is you Is, or is you ain't my baybeh" would be an example of something that is not belivable unless the author/moviemaker were going for comedy or an episode of Believe it or Not).   Your versions of the character, whilst different from mine are all believable.  So keep up the good work!



Thank very much for the feedback!  Good job you could understand the accent, as I tried turning it down drastically. Yes, this show is a bit sad, but fear not, it will have a happy ending.



Hope you enjoy it!

Aaaaww... bless his heart :love2: When you said "proving he's his father's son", I was half-expecting some epic display of bravery with tragic consequences or something like that, but no... Ripp just keeps being Ripp :D He's such a big softy isn't he? I love him to bits :love2: Mind you, I say that, but I'm so mean to my favourite characters! He's gonna have such a hard time a little later... :(

Keep up the good work :thumbup:

Awww... nice update.

Interesting to see the aliens can be a bit bigoted too.

A family reunion. Can just see it now: UFO lands in the back yard and "Hey mom, guess who I met at work today? Can they stay for dinner?" *snicker*

the emotion......its so great that it can only be expressed in a 3 lettered word that means so much.....wow.:worship:
keep up the great work and make us all cry.

love this series :)

Hello everyone!  Here is the latest episode of Strangetown Conspiracy. Sorry for the very long hiatus, but I can only seem to write in the dead of night, so because it never gets fully dark during the Summer months here, I couldn't get into the figurative zone, or the correct mindset to write. However, now that the sun is in the Southern Hemisphere once more, and the nights are longer and darker, look to see more episodes in the near future.  Hope you enjoy this one.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSZvbX_XLb8

Summary:Still recovering from both the assault and Johnny's murder, Ophelia is plagued in the hospital by strange nightmares involving the enigmatic Nervous Subject and his uncanny resemblance to the grim reaper; Captain Vincent describes the events aboard the mothership, and fears for the lives of his crew as well as Ripp Grunt; General Buzz still agonises over his decision to put the safety of SimNation above that of his own son Ripp, and his relationship with Pascal, who seems determined to save Ripp at all costs.

I would like to thank Swordsmasterguy, who lent his voice and inspiration for this episode. I think he makes a fine Captain Vincent. Thanks also to my friends Tim, Malla, Sasuke, Fan and Simer, your inspiration makes these films possible.

You're back! :toothy7: Great update too, I've missed my fixes ;) Like the bit where Tank and Buck are listening in on their dad's little chat :)

Hooray! I am so glad to see an update. Fantastic! Thank you.

Welcome back! Love the update! And Pascal as a hyper-talkative kid! :D