2012

2012? Heck, that was just last year. This shouldn't be too hard...

Well, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend got finished up. And I'm Fast! largely got done in 2012, since we were only beginning it at the end of 2011.

For the SSMAF DVD, we did a special feature, The Making of Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend. It was great to be able to "play Walt Disney" and demonstrate exactly how the films get made!

The same day we shot that special feature, I also shot some bits for the NPT 50th Anniversary Special. It was an honor to be asked to contribute to that, since the shows on NPT were a huge influence on my childhood.

Another nice puppetry gig: For Everywhere Fun Fair, I performed a beautiful bird puppet, built by Scotty Shoemaker. Great to work again with the good folks at Gemini Production Group.

We got another dog, named Missy.

We saw Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band's concert on July 7th, Ringo's birthday! Our "live Beatle" count was now up to 2, which is where it is going to have to stay.

I turned 49. Burton turned 12. And Laura turned into a flower farmer! The prep work for Whites Creek Flower Farm began this year.

I went to the Chicago International Children's Film Festival, where I got to actually meet Laurie Keller and Ralph Covert in person! Our My Magic Trick video screened there, as did All the World, so it was great to hang out with Ralph and Laurie and Scott Mack. Good times.

Immediately after that, I met Jon Klassen here in Nashville, as I was starting production on a film of I Want My Hat Back with Weston Woods. It was great to have so much input from the author/illustrator at this early stage of the game.

The app idea I began at the end of 2011 turned into Cosmo Kimball and the Perfect Hat. I found a fantastic illustrator named David Vordtriede to do the art, and we were able to begin to figure out what the world of Cosmo Kimball would look like.

On December 14th, I was able to throw Laura a surprise birthday party! It was a very nice affair, and many who couldn't make it were able to send video greetings to Laura, which I edited together for her.

It was a calmer year than the last few. But that's not so bad.

2012.