Hello, I'm Robita owner of Ostrog Productions, and creator of "Deeds Of Yore". I created this blog to share my experience making the animated web series / feature film "Deeds Of Yore". You can watch it on our official website http://www.deedsofyore.com/.
What "Deeds Of Yore" is.
DOY is an animated feature film broken into twenty five episodes. We started releasing it every week on January 1st 2012. The story revolves around David Grigsby, a young man, who after a string of bad luck, is transported into a computer RPG (Role Playing Game). We wanted to take the audience with David into the world of "Yore" by making them feel as if they were actually playing the game and experiencing David's feelings of frustration, surprise, fear, disappointment, and joy. Growing up playing computer games in the 80's I remember feeling the entire gambit of emotions, once I even threw my Commodore 64 to the ground in a fit of rage, "Deeds Of Yore" was inspired by my many hours of computer game play in my early teens. It was also inspired by my love of books such as Alice In Wonderland, and The Wizard Of Oz , both stories that take the reader to complete fantasy lands yet mirror true life, in my opinion, as well as anything Hemingway ever wrote. I wanted "Yore" to be the same kind of world, one that is not Utopian, or distopian, but with all the ups, downs and so-so times of real life. "Deeds Of Yore" is a complete story, it is a feature film broken into twenty five parts and presented as a series on the web. While this may be an ambitious concept, I believe it gives DOY an originality and depth that most web entertainment today lacks. All that said, the story does take a turn in the middle of the series and becomes more action packed as David discovers more about the 8 bit world of Yore.
What "Deeds Of Yore" is not.
From day one Cameron (the writer) and myself set out to produce something original, that would set itself apart from the other animated entertainment available today. We wanted to tell an actual story, make a real cinematic experience, include dramatic pauses, and other mood inspired timing. Because of this, DOY is sometimes received with a raised eyebrow, or even a disappointed face. A few comments have been downright insulting or filled with rage against what the critical consider "too slow", "not funny enough". It's true "Deeds Of Yore" doesn't tap the over the top humor of "Southpark", or have the surreal comedy of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force". DOY doesn't incorporate the timeley pop-culture satire of "Family Guy", or try to feed the public's hunger for the frantic pace of so many popular pet videos on youtube. "Deeds Of Yore" is not not designed to be a laugh a minute "joke machine". We did not cut "Deeds Of Yore" with our eyes on the clock, or screen it to focus groups for feedback on how we might get the maximum audience. I know it's completely cliche, but we didn't color between the lines.
In the end I feel good about what we have been able to produce, and I believe that it will speak to a great many people. I think a big part of enjoying any art be it cinema, painting, or music, is to let go of what you want the work to be and let it be what it is. That's the best way to enjoy "Deeds Of Yore" and I think life in general.
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