Douglas Thigpen's Musings

As of March 2nd, 2010, the movie Crashing the Con has been re-released under the Creative Commons 3.0 license. What does this mean? If you already own a copy, you can copy it and share it with whomever you'd like, even over the internet - just make sure to link people back to http://www.crashingthecon.com when you do so. If you don't already own a copy and you'd like to see it, in the coming week I'll be seeding torrents of the original DVD iso file as well as versions of the movie in h264/aac mpeg-4 format, including the first 720p HD release of the movie ever.

If you like the movie and like to contribute to the creation of future movies to be released for free under the Creative Commons 3.0 license, a method of doing so will be in place on http://www.crashingthecon.com soon.

So I have a couple Acer Revo R3610 computers incoming today to test as dedicated HTPC clients. I'll be sticking with W7MC, adding on Media Browser, and streaming the same content currently being streamed via XBMC from the media server to the modified AppleTVs. These new clients should open up my options content-wise considerably, allowing vastly higher bitrates as well as high profile h264 encoding with smooth playback at 1080p. For once in a systems upgrade, I can see absolutely no drawbacks at all in using these. I'll be using them with Windows Media Center Remotes and possibly the best input device Microsoft has ever designed, the Microsoft Remote Keyboard for Windows Media Center. I'll also be able to run XBMC under Windows 7 on the new clients in case the wife wanted to use the old interface for some reason.

These will also allow me to stream live HDTV streams (Mpeg 2 Transport Streams) from a Silicondust HDHomeRun Dual with no problem at all, as well as being able to view the high bitrate HDTV recordings from the DVR software on the central media server in the house. At only $330 with Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit pre-installed on them, I think these may be pretty close to the perfect HTPC client machines one can get.

So I've finally taken to the task of converting all of my HD DVDs to h264 files and replacing the HD DVD player on the living room television with the AppleTV. I've found that even with the AppleTV running XBMC that it is a finicky beast when it comes to playing back high definition content encoded in h264 smoothly. Thus far I have tried two different encoding combinations (using Ripbot264 to encoding the HD DVDs, ripped with AnyDVD HD, to h264 files), 1080p Profile 4 @ ~7200kbps, which plays back at roughly ~5 fps on the AppleTV, and 720p Profile 4 @ 4750kbps, which while much better than the previous, still doesn't play back smoothly. The next attempt will be at 720p Profile 3.0 BASE @ 5000kbps (I've heard that the AppleTV likes Profile 3.0 sans CABAC encoded content the best), should that work and it look okay, I'll be ripping and queuing up 60 HD DVDs, which should take quite awhile at 4-5 Hours per. Audio is being encoded at 320kbps in 5.1 channel AAC format, which the AppleTV seems to like (as does the Playstation 3). Fun Fun.

If you happen to have an optimal h264 encoding setting that'll give the best quality 720p24 content and still play back smoothly using XBMC on the AppleTV (serving off a large NAS, drive space isn't a concern), please feel free to share it with me.

Update: Finally found the optimal setting for HD Content to the AppleTV to play smoothly it seems. 720p24 h264 Profile 3.0 BASE 2-Pass @ 5000kbps for the video, AAC 5.1 Channel 320kbps for the audio. For 480p content, I'm using the same settings, except for 2048kbps for the video bitrate. Now for the long process of ripping and converting them all. An average HD DVD takes 3 Hours on my primary machine for the transcoding and approximately an additional 1 hour (some less) for the rip itself using AnyDVD HD.

Outlined below is a 'diary' of my attempt to market "Crashing the Con" at San Diego Comic-Con 2009. Hopefully, at the very least, it'll help someone else in the future with their efforts at marketing their independent feature at a Convention and not repeat the mistakes I made...

07/23/2009-07/26/2009 - Pass out cards, shout at people from booth, pass out more cards, explain to people how to actually get to booth, pass out more cards, make a sale or two, pass out more cards, give copies to people like Bill Plympton / Lloyd Kaufman / Felicia Day / Roger Chang / Yada Yada Yada, collapse in exhaustion. Comic-Con was great and while the sales aren't what I hoped they'd be, I learned a lot of lessons about promoting a product at a convention when it isn't already well known that I'll be utilizing in the future.

Booth exposure is a must. Sell T-Shirts. Give out free copies to people who are likely to tell a massive amount of others about it if they like it. Be polite to everyone, but still keep your wit and don't be afraid to joke with strangers - self deprecating humor always helps at places like Comic-Con. Again, make sure people can find and identify your booth easily. Make new friends out of other hard working independents doing the same thing you are and help each other out. Don't spend more money on your booth, materials, and product inventory than you can afford to lose. Don't be disappointed when you only sell 10% of what you'd hope you would and let that disappointment show, just keep plugging away with a smile on your face and promoting the product to everyone you see, it'll pay off in the end, whether with sales or with the retainment of your sanity. And above all, one thing always holds true - Networking, Networking, Networking.

More on Comic-Con in 305 days or so. Time to take a long nap.

07/22/2009 - Con is upon us.

07/20/2009 - Everything is printed and ready to go. T-2 Days.

07/18/2009 - Put the final touches on and packaged the first fifty SDCC 2009 bonus DVDs to pair with copies of Crashing the Con at San Diego Comic-Con 2009, I dig how they turned out. Now I'm replicating another 200 or so and just lightscribing the label on them and putting them in paper sleeves to go with the rest of the copies (or until we run out, which would be awesome) that we sell at Comic-Con.

This weekend I'm going to finish designing a 13x19" poster and mount them on Foam Core as well as put a glossy finish on them to put up at a couple of the booths that will be selling Crashing the Con so hopefully it'll help draw in people to look at it further from across the aisle. Also going to create a sell sheet with wholesale pricing/ordering info to pass out to distributors and retailers at Comic-Con along with a watermarked screener of Crashing the Con in hopes that some of them might pick it up for their inventory.

07/17/2009 - Got in another 100 copies of the retail shrink-wrapicated version of Crashing the Con today. That makes 200 on hand to sell at Comic-Con (and if we run out, we'll be selling our own bootlegs!). Also finished replicating / printing the ultra super special limited edition San Diego Comic-Con International 2009 Exclusive Bonus DVD that will go along with every copy of Crashing the Con sold at SDCC 2009 and hand numbered each and every one, well, the first fifty at least, which are actually a little different than the rest, in a good way; if you get one, you'll see what I mean. Aside from that, got in my shipment of 5,000 Double Sided Full Color Glossy Post Card Ads for CTC with $3.00 off coupon codes printed on them to be passed out en masse at Comic-Con.

Other than that stuff, I've been working with fellow indepedent artists to cross-promote their products with ours (and hopefully vice versa). Independents got to stick together.

07/15/2009 - Scored two four day passes to SDCC 2009 tonight finally (one for me and one for Jason Stout, the other individual involved with Crashing the Con). Now to focus on material prep.

07/14/2009 - Still no Comic-Con Badge for myself at the moment. Didn't think I'd be making it this year and was too stupid to register last year regardless, just in case something changed. I have some potential leads, but nothing definite at this point (If anyone has a lead for me on one, please email me asap with it and I'll be eternally grateful). The upside is that I have a couple booths so far who have commited to selling and even playing the "Crashing the Con" at their booths. Worst case scenario, I can deliver the content to them right outside of the convention center, but that'd lower my probability of selling if I can't directly pitch to people.

I have roughly 200 shrink wrapped retail copies of the DVDs + SDCC 2009 Exclusive Bonus DVD (which contains a 96 Minute Feature comprised of cut footage from Crashing the Con, a couple Trailers, a Short or two, and 1-2 Comics from Independent Artists that you'll be able to click through the pages via the DVD menu system) that we're planning on selling for $15/per, tax included. I also have 5,000 double sided glossy post cards ads with a coupon code on them for $3.00 off when you order online at the URL on the card. (See Graphic Below) Addionally, we're creating roughly 150 large bumper stickers, each one with a unique phrase / drawing on it and the Crashing the Con web site URL on the bottom; relying on the catchy/funny/shocking phrase/drawing on the sticker to get people's attention and go to the site.

I have a couple other things in the works, but I'm holding off on them until I have a definite badge at my disposal for the entire Con.

No, I'm not moving to Eureka/McKinleyville and competing with the local. I've decided to start a Non-Profit Co-Op to help independent artists who attend and exhibit at San Diego Comic-Con every year, San Diego Comic-Con Marketing Cooperative.

Basically, long story short, it'll be an effort to bring together independent exhibitors and give them a collective voice, and, more importantly, collective buying power. The aim is to provide members with resources to lower cost (local to San Diego) printing of their comics, replication of their DVDs, and reproduction of their art so that ultimately independent artists can afford to make some money off of the goods that they sell at the Con every year instead of just hoping to break even - small run printing does NOT have to be expensive. Additionally, it would offer collective advertising for members who opt-in (no fees to join, but obviously nominal fees to cover costs if you want someone else to advertise for you), from high quality flyers blanketing inside and outside the Con to online advertising campaigns and whatever other media opens up for us. Additional services such as basic legal consultatation sans charge, etc will be offered.

The goal is to get indepedents to stick together and stay independent and instead of competing against each other, to collectively compete against the larger publishing houses on (well, a little more, at least) even ground during Comic-Con. Independent art is the breeding ground of true creativity and it's sad to see it get pushed to the side more and more every year as major studios and publishers take over the industry, so let's take it back, a little at a time, and show that being an independent artist, scraping by month to month doing what they love, is something to be proud of.

If you'd like to help with organization of this new Co-Op, please contact me directly via email with your phone number and I'll be happy to make the time to meet up with you at Comic-Con this year.

Otherwise, keep an eye out on http://www.sdccmc.org for more information in the near future. I've also setup a forum there which you're welcome to join and share ideas in, or advertise your pop art goods in the interim.

(Full Disclaimer: I do have a relatively extensive background in Non-Profit work / coordination / setup, as well as being a part owner of a Graphic Design firm in San Diego, CA but primarily I'm an active Videographer)

Crashing the Con is a documentary on San Diego Comic-Con 2008, and more importantly, a profile on the various types of people whom attend and exhibit at it every year.

Told through a series of humorous stories and interviews, we explore what makes these individuals tick and why they travel from around the globe to attend this convention every year.

Featuring industry veterans such as Lloyd Kaufman, Bill Plympton, Frank Kozik and many others!

Includes Full Length Feature as well as over 30 Minutes of Bonus Material, including an "Outside the Con" featurette and a look at San Diego Comic-Con 2007.

Contains language which may be inappropriate for children, Parental Discretion Is Advised.

Click "Read More" to view the Trailer!

Crashing the Con is currently being proofed and should be available for sale later this month on DVD as well as for Purchase & Rental via online distribution. Once it's available, I'll post a link to where you can purchase it here. Crashing the Con is a documentary exploring the personalities of the individuals who exhibit and attend San Diego Comic-Con International every year and why they do it.

I'm currently in production on my next documentary, Vertical Fever, exploring some of the more extreme personalities in the rock climbing community. More to come on that in the future...