Today we reveal something that we’ve been working on for a while now. The next animated series from the folks that brought you Celflux. It’s called The God of The Wilderness. More details on the project to follow. In the meantime, check out the poster and teaser trailer.

If you think it’s cool, please feel free to share.

Till next time.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

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The time is finally here when we can announce the release of the first episode of the Celflux Animated Series. This has been an ambitious project for us to take on and it has not been easy. We’ve had challenges and setbacks, but all in all, we have enjoyed the ride and we are happy about where we are and excited about the future. In this post, I want to tell you about what to expect in the first episode of Celflux and what the Celflux episodes will look like moving forward.

New Online Format

The Celflux journey is living, breathing, growing, changing. We do have a plan that we try to stick to for the most part, but we have also learned to adapt to changing circumstances and trends. We had previously stated that we plan to release three 20 minute episodes, and we still do, but we have also decided to start releasing shorter episodes online that we will later compile into our final longer episode series. This will help us shorten the spaces between each long episode and keep the momentum going so fans can see and follow our hero’s story. This is a format that many internet animators use for their animated series because it’s difficult to create long episodes in a short period. Especially if you’re just a small team or one person. So look out for shorter episodes of Celflux. Hopefully, it will leave folks wanting more. 

New Character Alert

This episode also introduces a new character. His name is Chima and he will play a pivotal role in the lives of Okira and her team. 

The Film:

Sreenshots

Credits

Now I have the pleasure of shouting out a few folks who made this short possible.

Special Thanks to FILMTT. 

Tony Black: Voice of Chima. Check him out here.

Matthew Curtis: Voice of the Creature. www.micthematt.com

Music: Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.com

Intro Music: Makai Symphony Soundcloud

Sound effects: Freesound

So here it is. Thanks to everyone who has supported, encouraged and kept us going with Celflux. Look forward to more in the coming months. 

Till next time.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

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At a hidden laboratory deep in the wastelands of Yoro, a lonely figure resigns himself to a fate he did not choose but one that he realizes is inevitable. Dr Louis De Planq, former Chief Scientist and head of research of the Keepers, reflects on his life and the choices he has made that have brought him to this place. In the face of great peril, he has done all that he can do and now must leave the rest up to the uncertainty of fate.

Let us know what you think. As always if you think it’s cool, feel free to share.

Dr. Louis DePlanq voiced by the legendary writer/actor Stephen Jared
Music by Kevin McLeod

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

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If you’re a creative person, the likelihood is that you have a creative dream that you would like to fulfil. There’s something you love to do that you wish you could do all the time. However, the reality is that the dream doesn’t pay the bills and you end up working a “regular job”. This is the experience of most creative people. Artists, singers, musicians, actors, you name it, can all tell stories of having to work in restaurants, factories, hotels and the like to survive while they pursue the thing that they really want to do. There is nothing wrong with these jobs but for creative people, it’s not what they want to be doing. My purpose with this blog post is twofold. To share my experience to encourage others in a similar position and to offer some tips on how to approach the idea of pursuing your dream while working a full-time job.

Dealing With The Negative

We’ve all heard that success story. You know the one about that person who quit their day job and took a chance at pursuing their dream only to become a huge success. People are always quick, and perhaps rightly so, to heap praise on such an individual. Not everyone who quit their job has that experience though. A lot of people, for a number of reasons, fail. People don’t talk about this group as much and if they do, they are called fools for taking that chance in the first place. Then there is another group.  Those who decide to stay in their day job and still pursue their dream at the same time. This group is even less spoken of and is often viewed negatively. Mostly, I should point out, by the people in the group.

I recently asked a question in the Facebook group Traditional Animation. I asked for a quick idea of how many animators in the group are working on substantial personal projects while working a full-time job. Here’s a look at the results.

I got over 100 reactions and comments. Quite a lot of creative people are working full-time jobs while at the same time trying to create their own project. All of the responses were positive. In the sense that people were excited to be working on their own projects. At the same time, most of the folks who responded said that it was an extremely difficult task. One user likened the experience to “Squeezing the last bit of toothpaste out of a tube.” Yet another likened the task to Sisyphus.

Sisyphus, king of Corinth, climbs the mountain carrying a boulder, as he was condemned to do for eternity by Pluto, the god of the underworld. Courtesy of www.Titian.org

He was a king in Greek mythology who, as punishment for his craftiness, was condemned to roll a giant boulder up a hill only for it to roll down when it nears the top. A task he had to repeat for all eternity. To this day his experience is used to describe tasks that are both arduous and pointless. This is how most people who embark upon this journey describe how they feel about it. It’s a very difficult thing to do and at times seems pointless.

Yet, all those who described pursuing your dream with a full-time job as difficult, also acknowledged that they were doing it anyway. Not because it made any sense, but because of their passion to create. One person even said they would go crazy if they were not creating their own project. I’ve said it before.

When you have a burning desire to create, you find a way to make it happen.

This is how we initially overcome the negative. With passion. Without it, anyone trying to work on their personal creation and be committed to a full-time job would before long throw in the towel. The passion drives us. I say us because I am also a part of this group.

My Experience

Those who have been following us for some time know that my wife Dixie Ann and I have been working on Celflux for about six years. We started in 2013 with the publication of Celflux issue no. 1. The project has since grown to include an Animated short/series. In  2018 we launched an Indiegogo Campaign to help fund the animated short. The funds would have helped us get more people on board and finish the project quicker.

We only got 10 backers. We love our backers and we’re grateful to them but our campaign was unsuccessful. Did that mean that we should cancel our plans to make the animated series? No. We could not. So I decided to go the other route. I was able to get myself a job and I continued working on the project alongside 8.00-4.30 commitment. I was fortunate enough to get a good job in the field of design. So I am not far removed from exercising my creativity.

I’ll say this much. It’s a challenge. It is not easy. Your time is not your own and your project takes second place to all your other commitments. I can sum it up in one word. “Frustration”. You feel a sense of frustration not being able to create as you would like. Therefore, your project moves slowly and other projects are completed ahead of yours. Despite all this, you work when you can and do what you can. Let me share with you a few things that I try to do to help me pursue my dream while working full time.

5 Tips To Help You Pursue Your Dream While Working A Full-Time Job

These tips are meant as a guide. They are not a formula. They do not guarantee success. They are not hard and fast rules. I myself do not follow all of them all the time. These tips, if practised, can help improve your chances of success.

1. Picture Your Boss as A Backer.

Because your job takes up most of your time and keeps you from working on your personal project, it’s easy to start resenting your job. However, it helps to remember without your job you would not be able to pursue your dream in the first place. It’s a matter of adopting the right mindset. Gratitude rather than grievance. Others have Kickstarter and Indiegogo backers. You have your job. It’s a lot less sexy but just as important. The income you gain from your job helps you take care of your commitments so you can work on your dream.

2. Manage Your Time.

It goes without saying that time management is fundamentally important when trying to pursue your dream. With your job and other responsibilities taking up most of your time you will have less of it to dedicate to your project. So you will have to manage your time effectively. This might mean less Netflix, fewer parties, or as in my case less gaming. Basically, you may have to give up something that you enjoy regularly and reallocate that time to your project. Dedicate the time and stick to it.

3. Manage Your Money.

The same thing applies to your money. You have to ensure that you manage your money in such a way that the pursuit of your dream does not affect your other commitments. Again, this may mean you have to give up a few things. What’s more important to you, that guilty pleasure or your project? If you are not that good with money, like me, they learn. Or find someone who can help you manage your money. I’m lucky that Dixie Ann is an accountant by profession. So she is the one that does the budget and lets me know what I can spend on Celflux. Or if I need something for Celflux she knows what we can cut back on to make it happen.

4. Set Realistic Goals.

We have a saying in Trinidad. “Don’t hang yuh hat where yuh hand cyah reach”. It speaks about living above your means or trying to do something beyond your ability. In pursuing your dream be realistic. Don’t set goals that you know you won’t be able to accomplish. If you do you will become frustrated when you don’t reach those goals. Assess yourself honestly, know your limitations, recognize your capabilities and set goals accordingly. They can be short term or long term but they must be realistic.

5. Get Rest.

Finally, rest is the most important thing. You are not superhuman. Don’t try to burn the candle at both ends. Burnout is a real thing. Working on a project while working a full-time job can sometimes seem like working two jobs. Sleep deprivation can lead to serious health issues like depression and heart disease. Some of them irreversible. As great as your dream is, it’s not worth your health. Sure you might sleep less, but be sure to get enough sleep. Balance your hard work with sufficient rest.

Conclusion

So it’s not only possible to pursue your dream while working a full-time job, it’s possible to do it without it killing you in the process. Don’t let anyone look down on you and more importantly believe in yourself. When you complete your project that would be a reward in itself and who knows what doors it will open up for you. Wishing all the folks out there pursuing their dream much success.

Till next time.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

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When we decided to create the Celflux Animated Short, a few folks asked, some in a rather patronizing way, “Why did you choose to use 2d animation?” One person went so far as to say “Don’t you know that no one is using 2d anymore.” Yeah. They actually said that. Now to be fair, the last feature-length film released by Dinsey with any hand-drawn elements was Princess and The Frog in 2009. Paperman was released in 2011 but was just a short. Someone also pointed out to me that there was also Winnie The Pooh which was also released in 2011. It had a smaller budget but was indeed feature-length. It’s poor performance at the box office, along with that of Princess and The Frog, caused Disney Exects to rethink their 2D department. Most people cite the reason for this to be an issue of cost. Traditional animation, they say, was getting too costly to create without any guarantee that it would give a return. 3D films such as Frozen, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo, cost less and rake in millions at the Box Office. So there’s been no major theatrical release of a traditionally animated film in years. So perhaps it’s safe to say 2d is dead… but only on the big screen.

Does 2D animation have a future?

Blizzard is a company known for developing some of the best games around. Classics such as Starcraft and Warcraft. One of their latest games has already become a hit and powered its way into pop culture. Of course, I’m speaking about Overwatch. Apart from creating great games, Blizzard for years has been known for creating some of the most breathtaking 3D shorts known to man. This was no different when it came to Overwatch. Marvelous 3D work was done on the various shorts that told the character’s backstories. Recently, however, for the release of their character Doomfist, Blizzard shocked everyone by releasing Doomfist’s origin story as a 2D animated short.

The release quickly racked up about 11 million views online with many fans commenting that they would definitely watch a 2d animated series if Blizzard made it.

John Lasseter, former head of Pixar, once said:

“I love the medium of hand-drawn animation. I think it’s fantastic. I never quite understood why animation studios… were deciding that audiences weren’t interested in watching hand-drawn animation anymore. What an audience doesn’t want to watch are bad movies. They want to watch good movies.”

So what he’s saying is that 2D and 3D are just mediums. It’s what the creator does with the medium and how they use it to tell a good story, that makes the difference.

So there’s definitely a future for 2D animation because there’s still an audience out there who appreciates a good story. Also, with the closing of one door, the big screen, many other opportunities have arisen for 2D animation.

The Future of Independent Animation Lies With Independent Creators.

There was a time when comic books were created by teams. Writers, artists, Inkers, Colorists and Letterers. Times have changed. There are now independent creators who do everything themselves. There was a time when animation was done by an entire studio. But again, times have changed. Just as in the comic book industry, more and more individuals are creating independent 2D animated projects. 2d animation is thriving online, in Europe and in Asia. Here are the reasons why I believe the future of 2d animation lies with independent creators.

The Availability of Technology

With the development of various accessible animation programs such as Toon Boom, TV Paint, and Adobe Animate, the ability for independent creators to develop their own projects has come within reach. Phenomenally talented animators are rising up all over the internet and producing quality work. Such a thing would not be possible if the software and technology did not exist.

I have told the story before of Makoto Shinkai. He was the creator of 5 Centimeters Per Second. A movie that he created all on his own over a period of seven months. He did this because he had access to the programs that the company that employed him used. Programs such as Photoshop. Which is what I use to animate by the way. His story to me is most inspirational because it proves that independent animation is possible. He was one of the first to do it and many other creators have followed in his footsteps.

The Ability to Reach an Audience

The internet has changed the world in so many ways. It has made the world accessible. Before a creator had to be in a studio in order to get his work out to the public. The studios and production houses were the gatekeepers. Independent animators can now reach out on their own and find an audience to support their projects. Through social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter creators can communicate directly with their fans. Through video hosting websites like YouTube and Vimeo, creators have a place where fans can access their creations. Through crowdfunding, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, thousands of independent shorts and series have been successfully funded.

The Opportunity For Diversity

When the big name studios were the only ones creating the animation all the stories and the characters, for the most part, looked the same. Now that there is a diverse group of creators at work the animated projects themselves are diverse and made up of diverse characters. LeSean Thomas is the creator, writer and director of Cannon Busters. An animated adventure featuring diverse characters. He worked for years on several popular animated series. One of the most popular is The Boondocks. The pilot for Cannon Busters was successfully funded on Kickstarter to the tune of USD $156,535 and has recently been picked up by Netflix.

Read about it on Forbes.

And yes. Cannon Busters is 2d animation.

There’s also Urbance. Urbance is a 26-minutes animated action series for a 16+ audience. Written and Directed by Joel Dos Reis Viegas and Sébastien Larroudé. A topic that hits with stunning visuals and blasting tunes; Urbance brings you into a post-modern story world, made of hip-hop vibes and electronic influences. It successfully raised CA$ 229,300 on Kickstarter.

Urbance is also 2d animation.

These diverse animated projects would most likely have been turned down by a large studio but independent creators are able to bypass those conventional routes and bring their work directly to the public.

Conclusion.

So is 2D animation dead? No. Not really. This is why when we decided to create our own animated short, I made the choice to do it with 2D and taught myself how to animate. 2D animation is very much alive and well in the hands of independent creators. So we encourage everyone who loves 2D animation to support the indie creators that do it.

We are also throwing our hat into the ring with our own animated short. We are currently working on Celflux Reluctant Heroes The Secret Weapon and will be releasing the first 20-minute chapter online in April 2018 for everyone to see. Watch the trailer:

We will also be launching an Indiegogo campaign to help fund two more 20-minute chapters.

Early Bird Sign up Here!

Help us spread the word so that ours can be another successful independent animation project. We encourage every to continue to create because like animation the only limit is your imagination.

Till next time

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

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Due to the overwhelming success of the Black Panther movie and because Marvel recently announced that they have moved up the release of Avengers Infinity War to April 27th (our launch date), we have decided to push back the launch date of our crowdfunding campaign. It is believed that much of Avengers Infinity War takes place in Wakanda and we acknowledge that nothing else will be happening on April 27th. Our new launch date is May 25th, 2018. This means you have more time to sign up early and grab the early bird bonuses. Thanks to all those who have already signed up. Mark the date and spread the word. Are you excited about the Celflux Animated Short?

Greetings Celflux fans.

What a ride this Celflux journey has been. Those who have been with us from the beginning know that it’s a labour of love. The late nights, the sacrifices, all worth it because we are passionate about this little project of ours. It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years since we started working on issue number one. We’ve learned a lot and our little project has grown quite a bit. Today, we are three issues down and also working on an animated short. So we believe the time has come for us to take a leap of faith to the next step of our journey.

As you guys know Celflux is a totally independent project by Dixie Ann and I. For three years it’s been a team of two. Everything you see in the pages of Celflux was put together by just us two. Both of us write the story and I’m responsible for all the visuals. When we decided to work on the animated short it was the same. We both came up with the story and I taught myself how to animate to deliver the visuals. At this point, we needed some help. We needed to bring our characters to life by giving them voices. We were extremely lucky to find an awesome group of voice actors who came on board and lent their voices to our characters. Our team went from two to fifteen. This included a talented musician who also came on board to give the short an original score. We are totally indebted to them all because each person that came on board did so because they saw our vision and fell in love with Celflux. They all lent of their time, talent, energy and equipment to help us make the short a reality. We’ve released our first trailer check it out below:

The Next Step

Ever since day one we’ve have avoided crowdfunding. There are a few reasons for this.

Firstly, as we said Celflux has been a labour of love. Making money from it has never been our motivation. Those who follow us on social media know that we don’t push sales because it’s not our priority. Anyone who is passionate about what they are creating can identify with this. You just want to create and you find a way to do it. You don’t concentrate on monetizing it. Many might say that’s not a good thing. They might be right, but it’s the reality. Don’t get me wrong money has its place. However, historically, the desire to make money has never been a good motivator for anything. We’ve got enough of that in the world.

Secondly, Crowdfunding is somewhat of a litmus test to determine who are your real supporters. Most projects have a lot of followers, but you are not sure how many of those are loyal fans. Crowdfunding helps give you a clear picture, really quickly, about how much real support you have. Not too long ago I was introduced to the 1% rule of internet culture. It’s the philosophy that states that 90% of the participants of any internet community only view content (they are called lurkers), 9% of the participants actually participate by commenting, liking, sharing etc., and 1% of the participants are actually invested, emotionally and otherwise, in seeing you succeed. I’ve seen quite a few crowdfunding campaigns fail that had large numbers following them. Large following numbers does not necessarily translate to a large amount of support. So we’ve stayed away from crowdfunding because we really did not know if we had enough real support. But I guess the only way to know is to make that leap.

Thirdly, fear of failure. This is basic. No one wants to fail. No one wants to be seen failing. But most can tell you that if you never try, you will never know. Better to try and fail, than to fail to try.

Fourthly, not having a good enough track record. When we started out in 2013 we came out of nowhere. Nobody knew us from Adam. We were just a couple working on a book. Who would support newcomers and strangers? Not many folks would. So we had to take the time and build the awareness of the Celflux brand so to speak. Make people aware of Okira and her team. Let people get to know about the project and the folks behind it. While Celflux is far from being a household name, we believe that Celflux is a lot more known now than when we first started. People can also see that we’re dedicated to this project for the long haul otherwise we would have let it go a long time ago. Folks can see our progress and are aware of the quality of the characters and project as a whole.

So these are the reasons we’ve avoided crowdfunding in the past. Today we are overcoming all those fears and taking Celflux to the next step. We’re talking the Celflux Animated Short to Indiegogo.

Sign up and see the first of three chapters for FREE!

Release Date & Breakdown

The Celflux Animated Short will be one hour long. It will be made up of three twenty minute chapters/episodes. The episode titles are; I. Assault II. Alone III. Awakened.

We will be releasing the first twenty-minute chapter “Assault” on 25.05.18. At the same time, we will be launching our first ever crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Everyone who signs up early will get to see the first chapter for free. You can sign up on our Indiegogo pre-launch page.

Sign up and see the first of three chapters for FREE!

For our crowdfunding campaign, we’ll be offering all three chapters on one DVD or digital download along with lots of other perks. We’ve got comics, posters and more. We’ll be giving more details in the coming weeks. Help us spread the word by sharing the news with your friends. With your help, we’ll be able to make the Celflux project a success. Thanks to all who have supported Celflux thus far and we’re looking forward to great things in the future.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

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One of the first things we wanted to do when we began production on the Celflux Animated Short, was to create a trailer to help spread the word and give our fans a glimpse of what they can expect. We’re happy to let you guys know that today we are releasing our very first trailer for Celflux Reluctant Heroes The Secret Weapon.

It features the amazing voice work of Demetria Bridges, Matthew Curtis, Manuel Benavidez, Chasity Conner, Sarah Brown, Tony Black, Kate Sample, Tracy Pfau, Hector Chavez, William Harmar, Stephen Jared, and George Sharperson. It also features a fantastic original bit of music composed by Gwenaël Mario Grisi. All the artwork, animation, video and sound editing was done in-house by me. It was a lot of hard work and involved many all nighters but I had the encouragement of Dixie Ann and the members of the Celflux film team. So let us know what you think of the trailer. Does it get you excited to see the Celflux Animated Short? Is this something you would watch?

Special thanks to the Trinidad & Tobago Creative Industries Company Limited: http://www.creative.co.tt/

As usual, if you think it’s cool please help spread the word and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up to date with the film’s production and development. Be sure to like and share.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

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Our recently released animated trailer has risen to 13K views on Facebook. This is more than I ever thought possible when I was making it. Because of that response and some really positive feedback from our fans, we have decided to embark upon an even more ambitious journey. We’ll be making a Celflux animated short film.

UPDATE: Celflux Animated Short First Trailer Completed.

As I’ve said on more than one occasion, I’m a child of the 80s and my early Saturday morning cartoon addiction was the inspiration for me spending nine months creating the Celflux animated trailer. You can have a look at the trailer:

Or check the 13k views on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2fbd82D

I had to learn most of it from scratch and there was a learning curve. Through it all, I’ve learned a lot and we received som really good feedback. So Dixie Ann and I were talking about the possibility of us doing an animated short. Was it possible? Could I do it? It would be a lot of work. But I thought to myself it wasn’t necessarily about my ability but more about “What have I got to loose?” So as is our custom we began to do our research. We also had to decide if we were going to do a short with voices for the characters. I did everything for the trailer. But I couldn’t do voices. We decided that we had to have voices. But who would want to be a part of this little project? So we took a leap of faith and sent out requests. To our surprise, we were inundated with auditions of extremely talented individuals who wanted to portray the characters of Celflux. So much so, that it was really difficult to choose the voices because of so much talent.

What helped us decide was not how well someone could deliver a line, because as we said all the auditions were awesome. No, the deciding factor was if the individual could capture the spirit that we had in mind for the character. This was really important to us because the voices had to be believable. So today we are happy to introduce you to the talented voice artists who will be lending their awesome talent to bring the characters of Celflux to life. We want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of these individuals who not only have committed their time to help us, but they have really expressed a confidence in the project that really encouraged us. We encourage everyone to show these guys all the love and support possible.

Demetria Bridges – Okira: Her tagline is “The voice with the velvet touch.” Believe me, when I tell you, that’s a perfect description. Demetria has accepted the awesome task of being the voice of our leading lady Okira. She is an extremely talented and experienced voice actor with a long and impressive resume. She is also a fan of 80s cartoons. We are very lucky to have her as part of this project. You can find out more about her work and connect with her via her
Website: www.demetriabridges.com
LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/in/demetriabridges

Kate Sample – Samantha: You would remember Kate as the voice at the beginning of the trailer. She did a really good job for us and was excited to learn that we wanted to do a short. She is also highly talented and a really cool individual. It means a lot to us to have her on board. Visit her links to show her some love and support.
Website: www.BostonBritVoice.com
Voices 123: http://voice123.com/katesample
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kate-Sample-BostonBrit-Voice-1488146798064029/

Matt Curtis – High Councilor: When we heard Matt’s audition for the High Councilor, we were immediately sold. The guy is a vocal wizard. If someone can make you see facial expressions by just hearing their voice, that person is talented. He also has a long and impressive resume and a lot of experience doing character voices. To have him as part of the Cleflux project is invaluable. You can connect with him at these links:
Website: www.MicTheMatt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MictheMatt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MictheMatt

Manuel Benavidez – Ahoteh: Manuel describes himself as a newbie to voice acting. Well, we couldn’t tell. Because his audition was exactly what we had in mind for Ahoteh. Ahoteh is one of the main characters of Celflux and we needed someone to properly deliever him. The intensity and spirit were perfect so we immediately let him know that. He’s also shown us a great deal of encouragement and is really excited about the project. We are excited to have him as well. You can reach out to him on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/manuel.benavidez.9

Tony Black – Raymond: We’ve always pictured Raymond played by Michael Jai White in a live action version of Celflux. So for the animation, we said we wanted a voice “similar” to Michael Jai White. When Tony sent his audition, we thought the real Michael Jai White was auditioning for the part. The guy did a perfect impression. We are really lucky to have this guy as part of the project. We have no doubt that Raymond will become one of the most memorable characters of Celflux because of Tony’s portrayal. You can check out his many other impressions and extensive demo talent via his Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/user-69124635

Chasity Conner – Shandrita: How can you demonstrate an introverted person using a voice? That’s what we had in mind as Shandrita’s personality. Chasity was able to capture that. She has extensive experience doing voices for anime and said Celflux was a project she really liked the first time she saw it. She, like the other voice actors, is very talented. We are really blessed to have her on board. You can check out her work via her Social Links:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CeeCeeVA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceeceeva/
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ceeceeva
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CeeCeeVA

William Harmar – Stephen: William has a strong English narrator’s voice. His YouTube channel has some really powerful readings of short stories that reminded us of those radio dramas that we used to listen to long ago. The guy is a vocal performer. To play Stephen would be a walk in the park for him, in our opinion. He sounds like he belongs on Broadway. The guy is that good. His audition for Stephen sold us immediately. We still can’t believe he is on board. You can check him out on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/GentlemanWalrus

Hector Chavez – Indigo: Versatile. That’s the word that comes to mind in listening to the work done by Hector. We needed a crazy, unhinged portrayal for Indigo. We wanted it believable. Hector delivered it spot on. His YouTube channel shows his wide range of work. His talent speaks for itself and we really appreciate the fact that he is part of this project. Follow him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HectorChavezVO
Or YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmAyESqajZTY37-sRFXB6Q

Sarah Brown – Genocyde: The interesting thing about Sarah’s audition, is we weren’t sold at her portrayal of Gencyde, but on her introduction of the audition. She started out by saying. “Hello my name is Sarah Brown and I’ll be auditioning for the role of Genocyde”. The way she spoke saying that, sounded like Genocyde to us and it was enough for us. But even more than that, she captured Genocyde’s rage perfectly. In our minds, we saw Genocyde’s rant while we listened to her voice. It was perfect. As with the other talents, we cannot believe how lucky we are to have her as part of the project. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synaes

Tracy Pfau – Sarah: So we’ve saved Tracy for last. But believe me when I tell you she is by no means the least. Tracy is not just a voice actor, but an accomplished movie and TV actor. As her IMDB page will tell you, (yeah, she has an IMDB page) she’s had roles in Touched by an Angel, Vampire Diaries, Chuck, Married with Children and Dragnet to name a few. To say her resume is extensive is a drastic understatement. She is an excellent actor. We still are in disbelief that she sent us an audition and wanted to be a part of the project. You can check out her work at her website http://www.tracypfau.com/ and on IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0679336/

So here you have it. The amazing voice cast of our Celflux animated short film. It will be titled “The Secret Weapon”. So here’s the thing. With this level of talent being on board, I’m challenged to bring my work up to the level that will be worthy of this kind of talent. As with the trailer, I’ll be doing everything myself. Yes, all of it. I have my work cut out for me. But I’m excited about it because not only is the team talented, they seem to really believe in Celflux and that’s a huge, huge encouragement to me.

We won’t be doing any form of crowdfunding for the Celflux Animated Short. The only support we’re asking of our fans, is to help us spread the word. Share the news with your friends using the hashtag #CelfluxFilm. So stay tuned for updates as we begin this journey, and we look forward to creating something we hope fans can watch and enjoy.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

ww.gemgfx.com

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