Production Blog: 19/06/2018

These won't be frequent, but I thought it would be nice to update you all on progress of the relaunch and future episodes through this blog. I've covered previously the characters and drive for this, so this will focus more on what has actually happened in the lead up to each release.

Previous stories were mostly filmed in a day, basically because my sets were so bare I could actually achieve this. However, as I hope you have witnessed, the new stories will utilise much better (in a loose sense of the word) sets. Filming for episode one spanned about four days; I was quite lucky that this episode reused a few throughout its course which meant I could film a lot in one go.

As such, filming has wrapped and editing is very near completion. The clips have been edited into order to the rough dubbing track (I shall be rerecording (for the fifth time?) the dubbing to make it stand out over the score better), and sound effects are in place. The score is now being composed and things are looking very good indeed. I may not make the proposed end-of-June release, but at least I will be happy with what comes out.

I have more ideas taking shape to form episodes that follow this one, so it shall definitely not be a one-off.

The Characters

On my recent Teaser video, some asked about my original characters, and whether or not they would be returning. Some may be aware that a year or so ago, I had a bit of a clearout of my OO stock, having started an O gauge collection too. I had to seriously look at what I had in OO, and whether it would be in line with my plans for future layouts.

A lot of my original characters used 'cheap' Hornby 0-4-0 models, or models in my care that belonged to my uncle. At the time, I had no plans to reboot the series, and this lead to a lot of these models being sold off. As it happens, looking at it now, many of the characters never really had any defining features to them - many were introduced because when I started, I was lacking in a lot of character models from Hornby (and later Bachmann)'s Thomas range, and they were simply to 'boost the numbers' so there was at least some variety in who was on screen.

Not all of the models were sold - some were retained for sentimental value. But I think it is fair to say that not all of these will re-appear in the series. However, I do have a few old faces appearing in the reboot. I shan't reveal who these are yet, as I am still working these out and defining their personalities, but there will be some. There will be teasers, so keep an eye out.

Episode 1 is nearing completion, and I'm hoping to have some big news in relation to its production soon. No set release date yet, but if all goes well, it may be launched at the end of June. To separate the new stories from my old content, TTMA will move over to a new dedicated channel - so be sure to subscribe and watch there for episodes, deleted scenes and possibly more in the future.

The Return

So, as teased in my previous post / on my YouTube channel, my model series "Thomas The Model Adventures" is being rebooted this Summer.

For those who may be unaware, TTMA was my own Thomas-based web series, which also introduced a lot of own-creation characters; the sole reason for this was because, at the time, I didn't have most of the core Thomas characters and was keen to flood the stories with as many faces as possible.

The earliest episodes were filmed on a bedroom floor, with a pretty low-quality camera and next to no actual substance whatsoever - but what did I care? It was fun, I was young and had no real idea of what I was doing, I simply enjoyed it. I wasn't in the fortunate position to have stocks of buildings, stock, track etc. but I was content with simply creating adventures, with the visuals merely being second to that.

 Fast forward a few years and things hadn't really changed all that much. Sure, I had moved off of the bedroom floor and started building 'sets' rather than utilising a loop of track with sidings, but the stories were still lacking and the overall look wasn't much better. I had always wanted to make a film out of my series (mostly inspired by other series doing same, such as Thomas The Model Series (sound similar?)), and "When The Engines Split" was just that. But at release, the film used a script that was several years old, and full of countless plotholes and loose ends. It was around this time I was starting to look at my work more seriously, and wanted to produce work that I could genuinely be proud of. I had stopped enjoying my work and wanted to change that.

'Series 5' was meant to be that reboot, with better stories and sets planned, but ultimately it ended after 3 episodes. Life got in the way, time ran away from me, and I went through a patch of rough mental health that drained me of all enthusiasm. Quite frankly, I wanted rid of it all.

Some may be aware that I dabbled with animation for a little while, with 'Stick in the Mud' being completed during my time at college. I had (and still have) every intention of completing the other stories from 'Very Old Engines', along with some original ideas, but stop-motion takes a long time and requires sets to be left for a long time. Presently, I do not have the space to do this, and so these are more projects falling by the wayside.

So why suddenly relaunch a series I wanted rid of?

Because I found myself being inspired.

For the first time in years, I have ideas for decent stories, which I have sat down and structured and planned. With the TV series looking like it is heading for a drastic fall, it is the perfect time to jump back into the fray and produce the sort of stories that I would have liked to see the show tell. Seeing other content creators produce some excellent stories also made me miss my hobby.

It still won't be perfect, but I'm happy with that. I hope you will all enjoy the stories that are to come. There won't be regular releases, as time is still not on my side, but things won't be quite so rushed.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy.

The Teaser

I return to YouTube Summer 2018...

The Polls (Part 2): Which Secondary Characters Would You Like To See LESS Of?

I must apologise to all for taking so long to getting this posts done. Home life has not been a barrel of laughs lately, with all manner of things happening. I shall hopefully be able to catch up on these reviews this week.

The second of my polls; I must say I wasn't sure who would top this one. The results were:

• Charlie - 554
• Spencer - 62
• Rocky - 57
• Duck - 47
• Cranky - 43
• Hiro - 27
• Bill and Ben - 26
• Stephen - 24
• Caitlin - 19
• Kevin - 16
• Victor - 15
• Salty - 13
• Oliver and Toad - 11
• Connor, Porter, and Millie - 10

Some surprises in there, some not so much.

1. Charlie (554 votes)

I had suspicions that Charlie would bag the top spot. I wasn't certain, as there are numerous other characters that people share a loathing for. However, the shear number of votes that he received during this poll happily puts to bed any doubts about my reservations.

Following his introduction, Charlie was perhaps the most hated character ever to be introduced to the TV series. This shared hatred, I feel, brought the community together for a short while.

His odd choice of colour scheme, his poor jokes - being introduced when he was made us all feel the series had no hope left whatsoever.

Since the show has moved on and improved ten fold in the last two years, Charlie has subdued a little. However, he really doesn't do anything that any other characters do; or at least, nothing that more refined other characters do.

He's a joker, but so are Bill and Ben (though the latter two are more tricksters I suppose.) 

He's a shunter, but so are Stanley, Stafford, Rosie...........

He's a jolly, upbeat soul, but so is almost every other character in the series at the moment.

To me, Charlie is just another face. He serves no purpose as an individual. He was merely introduced as a gimmick, and has stuck around since then. Perhaps it would be best  if he were given better jokes? Or just returned to the mainland...

2. Spencer (62 Votes)

Perhaps Spencer was in the wrong category; he was part of the CGI switchover (and has been with us ever since) and each series, you are almost guaranteed an episode starring him.

Evidently not despised as much as Charlie, to take second place does still indicate that he's boring us.

For an engine who resides on the mainland as a private locomotive, he certainly spends a lot of time on Sodor. And this is the problem.

Not just with Spencer, but ALL the mainlanders. They seem to spend less time there than on Sodor, contradicting their designation of "mainland engines." In a similar vein to that of Thomas in the previous poll, we see too much of them to fully appreciate them and their appearances.

If Spencer went to the mainland and vanished for a while, we'd more likely enjoy his first episode back much more than any other episode. It would also allow time for some personality refinement; every episode is still very much "pompous old Spencer brags and gets his comeuppance." It would be nice to see him grow as a character a small amount in some way. Perhaps he could tone down his boastfulness, choosing not to brag. Then when he helps someone out or does something that is suited to solely himself, that can bring out bis egotistical side once more?

3. Rocky (57 Votes)

Ahh Rocky. The "replacement of the breakdown crane!"

Over the last few years, we've seen more and more characters be made from the everyday objects on Sodor. Such crazy heights we have reached, that we now even have a boilerhouse with a face.

Rocky is an odd one. I can't help feel that this may be the classic fanatics holding a grudge for his alleged displacement of the breakdown train. To me, he's no big deal - there are worse characters out there.

All I can think is that he suffers like Spencer - too much pointless screentime.

Rolling stock characters are awkward to write for. Whilst the trucks are troublesome and play a role in the everyday workings, and Annie and Clarabell are Thomas' faithful companions on the branch, Rocky can't do much else other than lift things.

He's not anybody's personal item of stock, he doesn't get collected and taken for joyrides. As a character, he doesn't, nor can, do much. He merely exists to give a fresh voice to the scenes that require him - nobody stops to have a conversation with Rocky during the day.

It's awkward, as without him, some of his rescue scenes would have awkward silences, or the narrator talking over. But at the same time, does he really contribute anything major on his own?

4. Duck (47 Votes)

Now we get to the controversial one.

After so many years of people begging for a return, why is Duck being requested to have less of?

I hark back to the originals. Duck, from the off, was popular. He made himself known to take no nonsense, but a hard worker above all else. He had his own way of doing things, which the others all accepted. Duck was not a constant on-screen presence. He cropped up for a few episodes, all spread out across the series, and then waited patiently for the next batch before returning to the limelight. This, to me, simulates the stories moving around the island. You visit each individual place which has its own set of characters, and return to favourites in their place again later on.

It is, perhaps, exactly this spacing out of his appearances, coupled with the fact he got maybe two or three lead roles, that made him such a popular character. I appreciate the current team bringing him back and including him to appease us.

At the same time, I don't want him to lose his appeal. Like Thomas, he has his own branch line. But also like Thomas, he seems to be everywhere. If he could be featured occasionally, and appear when necessary, I think people would be much more comfortable. (And perhaps less "Great Western Way" - it gets a bit repetitive.)

At the same time, people need to be much less picky - we have him back, which, above all else, is Great!

6. Cranky (43 Votes)

The first structure without wheels to don a personality perhaps?

Whenever we see the docks, you will inevitably get Cranky. But perhaps it would be nice to get some scenes away from the dock front?

I can't write much here, as I've never encountered much (or any!) negativity for this character, so seems a little odd him being voted to fifth place. Perhaps we just need less of the docks full stop and explore some of the other locations on the Island?

Other thoughts...

I would have thought Hiro would be higher up; he left at the end of Hero Of The Rails for the want to return to his homeland, and returned almost instantly. Did he not like it back home after all? He seems to be included in the background more these days, but could really benefit from some "away time" to make us miss him... or not.

Bill and Ben, I refer to Duck. They make great characters for a bit of true comic relief (unlike Charlie). If they do have so many appearances though, it will become increasingly hard to write fresh jokes, tricks etc for them.

I think with Stephen, people are still thinking about series 17, where he was a constant presence. Series 18, he appeared once (I believe?) I very much enjoyed seeing him in "Marion and the Dinosaur", and this is a perfect example of what I refer to previously; having been off-screen for a while, I really enjoyed the time he spent on screen, however short it may have been.

That's all for this one - next up, it's the supporting characters.

ORIGINAL PROP-MODEL ACQUISITIONS

It is with great excitement that I can announce to you all today, that Christopher Blower and I are the new owners of several props as used in the "Thomas & Friends" AND "Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends" era of the iconic show.

A few weeks ago, the website "The Prop Gallery" listed three items for sale on the website. These were:

• A large-scale Sir Topham Hatt figure;
• A small-scale workman figure; missing one arm;
• A Sodor Shilling crew gift coin.

Having seen the success of the James appeal, and the interest circulating the missed opportunity with the Peter Sam and Trevor models, we mutually agreed that these items would be worth investing in for the interest of the community.

We, like the new owners of James' model, see an opportunity to do something big - preserve these important artefacts, but give the fans a chance to see them up close and personal.

But that's not all.

 The Prop Gallery informed us straight away of two more props they had in storage:

• A small-scale Sir Topham Hatt figure (used in Series 11);
• An ORIGINAL SERIES 1 figure - unlike the others, this is solid lead.

Obviously, we were delighted to be offered this chance, and opted to purchase these too. We have, at time of writing, been notified of two further items - one of these is the hand-knitted scarf worn by Mr Perkins in some of his early segments. 

The gang's all here!

Given the close nature to James' crowd-funding appeal, we have made the decision to purchase these props off our own back. Should any other models become available in the future, we will look at Kickstarter / Indegogo backing, with suitable rewards for those who contribute. We understand that to ask the fans to back the purchase of everything is not financially viable, so will contribute as much as we personally can, when we personally can.

At the current time, options are being discussed for the displaying of these items. We hope, however, that we will be debuting them NEXT WEEKEND (November 22nd and 23rd) at the Shoeburyness Model Railway Exhibition (www.shoeburynessmrc.co.uk), at which my personal layout, Thomas-On-Sea, is already booked to appear. This will be confirmed within the next few days.

Current considerations include displaying them at Day Out With Thomas events, railways with Thomas connections or hobby fairs / exhibitions, occasionally touring with my Thomas-On-Sea layout. We will update you of developments on a dedicated blog, which we will set up and launch at some point soon.

The picture everyone wants to see...

That said, some of my followers from Twitter may recall that I have proposed the idea of a big Thomas-fan gathering sometime next year, celebrating 70 years of all things Thomas. Should this go ahead, then the models will be brought along to the venue for all and sundry to see up close. Details on this will follow at a later date.

These are indeed exciting times, and we hope that we will have more good news in the future.

Owen Hayward; @RailInspector

Christopher Blower; @cbanimator

Preserving by fans, for fans.

We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to The Prop Gallery for their assistance with these acquisitions.

The Polls (Part 1): Which Core Charatcer Would You Like To See LESS Of?

As some may well be aware, I am presently running a sequence of polls in conjunction with the TTTE Wikia site, based on gaining some insight into what the fans all would like to see in (or out of!) the series.

I was going to run a much larger set of polls, but another well-known site beat me to a whole set of questions I had planned. (I had been discussing this for a few weeks prior to the launch of the first poll before the other site made the announcement regarding theirs.)

So, the first question went live and it was clear within the first few days that there was only to be one winner. The results are as such:

Thomas - 478

Diesel - 153

Emily - 94

Sir Topham Hatt - 82

The Narrow Gauge Engines - 46

James - 34

Percy - 26

Mavis - 16

Henry and Gordon - 13

Edward - 12

Let me first off apologise. Yes, Toby is missing. No, it was not deliberate. In all the sorting of characters and questions, he completely slipped the net. (Surprisingly, nobody made any comment about this! Or at least, nothing myself of Wikia staff picked up on.) When I spotted this error, it was too late to do anything - to add him in would have completely reset the poll responses.

Nevertheless, we do have results. Now for my thoughts on them...

1. Thomas (478 votes)

I think, when I planned this particular question, I knew deep down that there would be one leader in this. The little blue engine is the frontrunner of the show; so it's only fair that he has a fair chunk of screen time yes? So why do people feel like this particularly?

 I have counted the CGI era episodes, which currently stand at a released total of 126 (one hundred and twenty six) (not including those yet to be released on the Dino and Discoveries DVD, obviously.) I could have counted EVERY episode, but I don't have that much time, so I'm working to the current era for the purpose of these polls.

Of the 126 episodes, Thomas has appeared a collective 122 times! That is including all major roles, non-speaking cameos, one-line appearances and supporting/secondary roles. Breaking it down, we get this:

• Lead Roles (The main character): 48 episodes
• Silent Cameo: 5 episodes
• Other minor speaking roles: 69 episodes

To have a mere 4 episodes that do not feature him is mind boggling. He appeared in EVERY episode in Series 13 - Series 16 (80 episodes), 24 out of 26 in Series 17 and so far, 17 out of 20 in Series 18.

The character is renowned for being given single, pointless lines, which make it feel he is being crowbarred in for the sake of an appearance. Take, for example, his recent part in "Duncan The Humbug." Was Thomas absolutely crucial to the story? His role didn't need to be included. Any of the little engines could have said that all the small engines were being treated to a new coat of paint and the story would have continued exactly the same.

The consensus from the fans, it would seem, is that there is too much Thomas. Whilst he is the "star" of the show, he shouldn't be forced into (almost) every episode.  His minor roles could, perhaps, be best suited to other minor characters. Make his own appearances more special by spacing them out and having less of them.

Is the show not called "Thomas & FRIENDS"? Let's see more of the friends, and less of Thomas I think.

2. Diesel (153 votes)

The stark contrast between first and second place voting total just shows how strongly people feel about Thomas' overuse at the moment. Second place, however, was taken by someone I was not expecting.

Diesel made a few recurring appearances as a visiting engine up to series 7. From series 8 onwards, he has become a regular appearer as the show's main protagonist and, it seems, absorbed into the list of Sodor residents.

To say his taking second place in this poll was not a surprise would be a complete lie. I was honestly expecting Percy, for example, to take this spot. However, I think I can see why Diesel is here in stead.

Over the recent years - since "Day Of The Diesels" I think - we have been seeing more diesel engines appear on the Island. Whilst Diesel is, and probably always will be, the most recognisable diesel character, his character is used very much the same as Thomas. If a "bad guy" is needed in a storyline, Diesel is the default choice, as witnessed recently with Paxton in "Disappearing Diesels." Whilst Diesel is being used in a way best suited to his character, it is taking opportunities away from some of these new faces. Why is it Diesel is the only "bad" engine? (Diesel 10 may have seemed bad in DOTD and "The Missing Christmas Decorations", but he was acting more out of jealousy that spite towards the steam engines. Diesel, on the other hand, is genuinely out to cause trouble.)

It would seem that, like Thomas, people would prefer to see less of this particular character, paving way for the development of other characters. Perhaps such characters could, in future episodes, work well alongside Diesel, keeping things fresh and vibrant...

3. Emily (94 votes)

Again, the difference in votes between second place and third place shows how strongly the fans feel about certain characters. Taking third place is the resident female representative of the "Steam Team."

I can't help but wonder if she is here solely for the "She replaced Duck" argument? Nevertheless, the fans have voted, and so I must convey my thoughts.

Looking back on the CGI series, none of the characters, in the early days, were really unique. The stories were all the same three-strike formula, so none of the engines were really "unique." Emily has undergone several personality changes in her time on the show though. When introduced, she was a timid yet cheery soul who had the best intentions at heart. After being accepted, she learnt to stand up for herself and those around her she felt were being ridiculed (e.g. Salty, Henry.) She then became very cocky and full of herself, bossing her fellow engines around. Now, she seems to have become the voice of reason - a sensible, level-headed engine who once again sticks up for those she sees being victimised. 

It is perhaps just this constant change of character that is putting viewers off of her. Perhaps a little time needs to be taken to fully define her character; decide who she is, what she stands for; what are her strengths, what are her weaknesses? Maybe then, when she is her own character, people will warm to her once more.

Another contributing factor could be that she seems to be the only used female steam engine presently in the series. Rosie is rendered in CGI, yet hasn't said a word since Series 15's "Stuck On You." Whilst there is a divide between those who like Rosie and those who do not, she is a character in her own right. Perhaps more of both of these engines will benefit the show greatly by balancing out the female presence.

I'm not saying Thomas is sexist, but I do feel the female engines - steam particularly - need a bigger presence on the show in some form.

4. Sir Topham Hatt (82 Votes)

The Fat Controller has always been the authority figure, be it dishing out work orders or punishment. In the more recent stories, he's provided a fair few amusing moments (Duck In The Water, Tale Of The Brave.) I haven't counted his appearances in the CGI era, but I know he appears quite a lot, mainly dishing out work orders and attending incidents.

His key phrase, "Confusion and Delay", has been rather overused as of late. Every incident leads to " Confusion and Delay" and I think it's getting a little repetitive. Whilst it's good to see he is taking charge of his railway, it would perhaps be nice to let the engines figure things out on their own, or indeed receive their work orders off-screen. Sir Topham doesn't need to be at the top of every situation, his role perhaps being delegated to someone more key to the area of work, such as the docks manager when at Brendam, or a stationmaster at one of the stations for example. Mr Percival was victim to this, and indeed one praise of the episode "The Switch" from Series 17 was that conversation between the Earl and Percival was only mentioned and not shown.

People are loving the "show don't tell" aspect of the show at the moment, where the narrator lets the action play out on screen without describing every small detail. This could be taken a step further by the reverse; "tell don't show." It works, as we saw in "The Switch," so why doesn't it get used more?

5. The Narrow Gauge Engines (46 votes)

Very few votes in comparison, but nevertheless still baffling. I would have thought people would like to see more of the little engines. Since their return in BMM/Season 16, they have only been the focus/key of 6 episodes (if you include "The Christmas Tree Express".) Unlike other characters, they've hardly been overused. To get a clearer insight on whether this is the little railway as a whole, or just particular characters, there will hopefully be a separate poll later on. 

The Rest...

Edward had the least votes, which I'm quite pleased by. I would imagine Toby would be somewhere similar, these two being perhaps two of the least used characters as of late. Toby needs some personality restored to his character. Edward, it would seem, is perfect. He's not overused, but when he does appear, his contribution is meaningful.

Gordon and Henry were tied with just one vote more than Edward, so they too seem to be enjoyed at the moment. The balance is just right for these characters.

Mavis is becoming somewhat of a series regular again, gaining several small cameos or an episode where she features heavily, which takes us back to the classic era of the show where she did much the same. Her persona has been fairly consistent in the years since her début; she's matured and stayed that way, which is nice.

James and Percy filled 6th and 7th position respectively. They're not the most hated of characters, nor the most loved. They could benefit from slightly less focus, but either way, people aren't too fussed.

The next poll is now live - vote now on the Wikia home page and check back next month for the results and review.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the TTTE Wikia for their co-operation in hosting and organising these polls.