Research : Don't #$%^ with an elephant.

As Jeff Corwin once learned, something that is 10-20 thousand times stronger than a human doesn't always know its strength.  Or always let you know when enough is enough.



Skip to 3:30 for the frightening incident, or watch the whole thing if you wish.  It's not too bad.

Bull fight:



Close call, vehicle damage:



Smart Driver:



Horrifying attack.  NSFW- DO NOT WATCH if you are afraid to watch someone and/or an elephant get killed:



When the elephant bursts through the gates, and a human actually tries to stop it- that is when you really get a sense of how powerful these animals are.  Don't do what that guy did.  He's very lucky to have only been knocked back several feet and then rolled around.  Unfortunately a human, the circus trainer, died in the initial attack.  In this case, the animal killed its trainer.  In another case, it killed someone (who got close) in front of its trainer, while being chained up.

Again. NSFW- DO NOT VIEW if you can't handle scenes of real violence.  Skip to the end.



This person most likely died in this attack.  I hope people are reminded that elephants in particular are feeling animals, and mistreating one can lead to disaster.  Or maybe we just shouldn't use them to do things like this:



Yeah.  Somehow I don't think training an elephant to do that is going to help it get along with humans later in life.

Modest Milestone IV: The 400 Blows

Passed shot 400 in the boards yesterday. I'd be further (farther?) along but I picked up a nasty bug last week, it took me down for a few days.  Either that or I've been harboring the same sinus infection since March and it finally caught up with me.  In my mind this is entirely probable.  

This film keeps getting bigger.  Paperwork now fills some of my time instead of a little. Storyboards/Animatic completion imminent.  Then breakdowns and style frames.  Perhaps a color test or two.  Then animation and onward to victory.

In many ways, my own story begins to parallel that of my protagonist. Perhaps such things are bound to occur when you dive into something so deeply.  Or perhaps I'm meant to be tested and tried at every turn.  I know, I know.  Don't tempt the gods, right?  Could always be worse...

"Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh."  -  Al Swearengen

Power through.

Persistence is all.