OSNAP for 2012

What's happening everyone!

I am excited to finally update this blog!

Last year O.S.N.A.P. had some great gatherings. We were able to help each other work out some kinks in our stories and we shared a lot of ideas, practices and stories with each other. Our meetings were fairly small and I'm happy that we have a decent group of people that are serious about moving their projects forward.

There have also been drink and draw meet ups, 2nd Saturday Sketching outings, a barbeque and other social gatherings. All of which were fun, especially when there was an impromptu fireworks display that was easily seen from my window as we were all hanging out, talking and chowing down!

So, it was good, but it was small.

This year I'm hoping to make our meet ups more productive. I'm thinking along the lines of specific topics with professionals who are experts in those specific areas to present and answer questions. I also want more focused story sessions, pitch meetings where people pitch their stories to the group to elicit help from others, and I want to help push at least one of those stories through production and help get it into festivals. On top of that, I'm looking into a wiki site that we can upload our animation info to. On the wiki I'd love to see people post their best practices, animation techniques, software insight, festival submissions... basically anything that we can share to help each other out.

I've heard from a number of you that the meeting times have been difficult to make so I'd like to switch it up more and make the meetings more accessible. Please voice your needs for scheduling whenever it comes up and I'll try and make the meet ups easier for you all to attend.

I've also been bad about asking for help and getting out there to really reach out to you for input, questions... The whole idea of O.S.N.A.P. is that we're helping each other and I've been too quiet over here. So, if anyone wants to help make this bigger and badder, please let me know. I can use help planning our meet ups, gathering info, setting up the wiki and so forth. To those of you who already have offered to help, lets talk and outline the details. I apologize for dragging my feet and I'd like to stop it. So, lets get together and make this thing POP this year!

I know we can accomplish a lot and I can't wait to get it under way.

When would y'all like to have the first meeting?

Hit me up :)

Gary