I love conference calls

So, I made a video for the Bandit contest (and won! woo hoo!!), finished a wedding video, and THEN I completed my Lord of the Rings Sketch Card set. I drew sketches on 106 trading cards. Having never done the card sets before I had big plans that never came to light. I ended up getting comfortable with a couple of characters and then redrawing them. So, when I was in a conference call today, I sat down and started to draw the characters.

I WON THE BANDIT!!!

So, I've been avoiding my blog because I didn't want to jinx the competition or to give anything away, but I WON!!!! I'll be working on getting some photos and videos uploaded of the whole process. I'm also planning to make some short videos about the process that I went through to make my "Winning" video. HEHEEHEHHE. I wonder how much insurance is going to be?

Then there were FIVE...

I just got a press release from DIY Network (included below) that I am one of the 5 finalist to win the Trans Am pictured.

Mr. Brinkerhoff,

Congratulations on your selection as a finalist in the Burt Builds a Bandit contest on DIY Network and Heavy.com! As you are probably already aware, on Friday, December 14 at 8 pm Mountain, DIY Network will reveal the winner of a Burt Reynolds Edition Trans Am, selected by the legendary actor himself, during a one-hour special, Celebrity Rides: Burt Builds a Bandit. Tune in to watch for your name and see a portion of your video, or go to Heavy.com the following day to see if your video was selected. DIY is available in your area on Cox Cable on channel 133 or nationwide on DISH Network Ch. 111 and DIRECTV Ch. 230. For additional cable channel designations, you can check local listings or visit www.DIYnetwork.com/tv.

Also, if you want to check out your competition, starting Monday, December 10th, Heavy.com will feature a different finalist's video each day leading up to the selection of the winner on Friday.

If you are selected as the winner next Friday, the following Monday, December 17, you will be contacted from a representative of the DIY Network to begin discussions on the logistics for delivery of the Trans Am. In the event that you are contacted by the media in the interim, please refer calls to myself or Brandii Toby at DIY Network or our public relations agency FerenComm in New York. We're happy to coordinate any media interviews or appearances that may come your way as a result of your being a finalist for the car, or if you are selected as the winner.

Congratulations again and thanks for submitting your video.

Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA
Director of Public Relations
Scripps Emerging Networks

DIY Network - FINE LIVING TV NETWORK

*edit*
I've been asked to take the phone numbers out of the post because people have been calling them up to chat!

THIS JUST IN!

...Blog to be updated Soon! In the mean time here's some vehicle illustrations that I did at work. MOVE OUT!

S'more sketch tests

I think that I'm ready to tackle the 106 sketch cards now...maybe.

Semi-Finalist Trans AMbition

and now a word from out sponsor...

Hi Spencer,

The Burt Builds a Bandit contest is winding down, so we’re in the process of identifying the top video entries. Yours is being adding to a select list of a semi-finalist. Please reply with your full contact info (as outlined below) for us to pass along to DIY Network, the contest sponsor, so that if your video is selected for the grand prize they can reach you immediately to have you confirm your identity and fill out the necessary documentation.

As a bonus, your video may be chosen to air on the DIY Network! In order to assure the highest possible quality of footage, please be prepared to mail or digitally upload (to a provided FTP address) your high-res source file by 12pm, December 7th. You will be contacted next week with further instructions if this is necessary.

Congratulations and good luck!

Another sketch test

I'm going to have to be brave and just start sketching on the cards.

Sketch Test

I've finished up the video, and now it's time to focus on my other 8 deadlines! The idea of the sketch cards scares me a little. It's been awhile since I did any traditional art work. I got excited about the project and I rushed out and bought some art markers to make it look cool, but then I realized I've never really worked much with markers.

This is not a sketch card illustration, it's just a practice. It's actually the 4th sketch that I did last night and I'm not going to show the other three! :D

This is a video entry to explain why I deserve to win the TRANS AM from Smokey and the Bandit.

Still frames from the video

The aspect ratio on the video is a little off. Here are a few stills. These are low resolution, but I can make some larger ones later.

Oh no!!...YEEESSSS!!!

I'm right in the middle of all this prep work for the Bandit Video and then I see this on my door. I missed the FedEx guy. I was home too! Lame-oh door bell not workin'!! I'm sure the FedEx guy just knocked and ran.

Heheheeh, but he came back.

This is Phase One of the opening process.

There they are, sandwiched between the fluffy Styrofoam. I'm sure you're asking yourself what they are right?

Lord of the Rings BLANK sketch cards. I'm going to be sketching on these 106 cards that will then be inserted into the sets.

I'm a Rhinestone Cowboy

I saw a link to a video contest to win Burt Reynolds Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit. I thought that would be fun. I got online and I bought a mustache and a cowboy hat (the after Halloween sales were pretty good). I paid extra on shipping to make sure it came before Thanksgiving. The contest deadline is the end of November, so I wanted to take advantage of the long weekend.

Well this is what I got. I think I look just like the Bandit!

After getting off the phone with customer service and discovering that there was nothing I could do to get a new hat in time I cut off the sequins and then spray painted it tan. The close up shot shows how poorly the hat took the paint.

So I tried some sandpaper and then some dirt to smooth things out a bit.

I used the c clamp to stretch it to fit bit better.

I then I took the band that I made for my Indiana Jones hat and there we have it! I posted the video to the contest site this morning and am waiting on approval to be able to share it with the world.

Well, I got older...Again

The check engine light came on and I had it evaluated at Auto Zone. They said that the fuel was running lean, but that it was alright to drive. So we went to Serrano's for my birthday dinner. As we were sitting there, this old guy walks by, looks at all the kids and asks if we were babysitting or something. He looked completely shocked when I said they were all mine, and then he said, "Cute little farts aren't they?"

After dinner the car wouldn't start. We got a hold of some friends from church that have a vehicle large enough to take us home. heh :D memories...

Lucky for me we didn't need to put ALL the candles on the cake.

Um, earlier in the day I found Jackson eating dirt. Maybe he thought it was cake?

Boba Fett? Boba Fett! WHERE?

I thought that it would be cool to see Young Boba Fett in the clone wars cartoons.

Ode to Chuck Norris

I don't know when or how it happened, but Chuck Norris is the toughest man alive! Today my friend Jess posted the link to Chuck Norris Facts and I was AMAZED at the knowledge contained on the site.

Here's a few gems;

Some people wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas.
Chuck Norris will never have a heart attack. His heart isn't nearly foolish enough to attack him.
Guns don't kill people. Chuck Norris kills People.
The chief export of Chuck Norris is Pain.

I decided to make a poster in honor of his toughness.


Edit** I just saw the headline on MSN "What really killed the Dinosaurs?" DON'T THEY KNOW? It was the Chuck Norrisaurus!!!

Book Cover

I told Spencer to hold up his book cover and smile and this is what I got!

A few years back I went to the San Diego Comic Con. While I was there I ran into my friend from college Jess Hickman. She's a wonderful artist and I've always been a bit jealous of her talents. Anyway, I haven't been in regular contact with her but she always remembers my birthday. I told her that Spencer and I saw the book covers that her boyfriend Grant had made and that we printed them out for his school folder. I think they're great!

The real Dr. Jones

Well, I had the hat, so I went about gathering the other supplies to finish off my Indiana Jones costume. I'm pretty happy with how the costume turned out. If you can't tell I did a bit of photoshop work to the first image, but only a little.

Jackson didn't seem too impressed with the costume.

Halloween Nite

There's a Cul de sac in our neighborhood that blocks off access and they all set up chairs an pass out candy. One guy sets up a few tables and his BBQ grill and makes hot dogs. We had gone out to my parents house to show off the kids costumes and then went back to our own neighborhood. It was getting a bit late and we hadn't fed the kids anything yet so Jenna dropped us off for hot dogs and then went home to pass out candy at our house.


Jackson on the bat cycle.

Halloween Costumes

Spencer convinced Nicole that he should be Darth Vader. I had fun making the shoulder armor and the belt for this costume.

Talley goes to sewing lessons with my Mom and they worked on making her Indian costume.

I'm not sure where the idea came from, but Megan wanted to be an Angel.

Nicole decided on Snow White.

Jackson seemed pretty happy to settle for a Batman costume that Jenna made for one of the kids a few years back.

Pumpkin Carving

I think that the pictures say it all.

Little devils

Susan came over and showed us what her costume was going to be for Halloween. The kids had fun trying it on.

Pre-Halloween fitting

We got down the Halloween box and started to go through the costumes. Talley grabbed the Mulan costume that Jenna had made when Spencer was a baby.

Colee couldn't decided which costume that she liked best. Tinkerbell...

...or Darth Vader.