I really do hate this, because this seems to happen far more often than it really should, and I get so frustrated when I have to frequently inform people that a project that I've been working on and they've been looking forward to will not see the light of day after all - but what's especially bothersome is that this wasn't just any project I was working on, this was a
huge project that's already been over
three years in the making, and one that I was hoping would achieve more beyond its expectations . . . I'm speaking of, of course, MORON LEAGUE 4: the biggest, most elaborate, and most spectacular entry in the series to date.
What was supposed to be so spectacular about MORON LEAGUE 4? Well, if you've seen the previous MORON LEAGUE entries, you'll note how incredibly shoddy and cheesy they were . . . now, don't get me wrong, of course MORON LEAGUE 4 was still going to be incredibly cheesy - after all, this isn't exactly cinematic gold or anything (not to mention the inspirational material that MORON LEAGUE pays homage to), but part of the reason why the previous entries were cheesy and shoddy was because of such limited tools I had to work with at the time. The first two were shot in a linear manner on videotape with hardly much editing involved in post-production at all, since it's not entirely easy to edit videotape footage on a computer with only a less-than-basic program like Windows Movie Maker to work with; MORON LEAGUE 3 was shot digitally, albeit with a basic consumer digital camera that had a function for shooting video in standard definition. Since then, I have been able to obtain much better tools to work with, namely an HD camera for filming, and Adobe Premiere for editing, so technically speaking, MORON LEAGUE 4 was certainly going to be a step up from previous entries; I had every intention of making MORON LEAGUE 4 as visually interesting as possible.
The unfortunate thing is MORON LEAGUE 4 was a troubled production from the start, and for a multitude of different reasons. . . .
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Archive photo of partial set for the "new" Moron
Headquarters inside an old, abandoned
convenience store.
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For starters, unlike previous entries which only had some incredibly simplistic sets (or, in the case of the original, no sets whatsoever), MORON LEAGUE 4 had some rather elaborate and intricate sets . . . and therein laid one of the problems. The sets had to be constructed in such a way that they could be dismantled into pieces to allow for changes in camera positions and set-ups as dictated by the script - that wasn't the problem so much as it was that these sets were small scale, which made it incredible difficult to adequately and efficiently puppeteer the figures and characters within the confines of these tiny little sets - not to mention the smallness of the sets were also incredibly challenging to frame in ways to make them look good on camera - this is where the cheesy factor was coming into play, regardless of how well the sets looked to the human eye, somehow the HD camera only emphasized how cheesy they looked. This is also another reason why canceling MORON LEAGUE 4 is hurting so much . . . believe it or not, I ended up spending a
lot of money out of pocket on constructing these sets: over $200! Yes, between materials needed to actually construct the sets, as well as procuring necessary items and props for set decorating, it all ended up running over $200, making this, without a doubt, my most expensive production to date . . . so, to cancel it feels essentially like I just threw that money out the window. It also didn't help that because of how poorly the economy had been doing for the past several years, I would keep running out of money at various points during pre-production, so that accounts for one of the reasons why the entire process of the production was being prolonged, delayed, and interrupted.
Delays and interruptions also brings us to another reason why this seemed to be a doomed production from the start: because this particular entry had a number of characters appearing within, this one was going to require the addition of other voice actors to play the characters . . . and certain voice actors I'd bring on would eventually drop out of the project altogether, putting me in the difficult position of having to find replacements; at least some would have the courtesy of providing me with notice as to why they would be bowing out the project, but others not so much. This was, perhaps, one of the biggest headaches of this production - it's not that I couldn't do all of the voices myself like I had previously, it's just that after a while, all of my voices start sounding the same, so I really wanted to avoid it again this time around . . . I would still be voicing each of the Nerdlucks, but the other characters would be voiced by other actors.
There were also other complications that arose making this such a troubling production, including what has been, perhaps, the most perplexing problem, and that was location scouting for exterior filming. Again, with this being an HD production, and this being the biggest MORON LEAGUE entry yet, I really wanted this to be such a visual improvement over previous entries, and since the script called for certain scenes to take place outdoors, I would go location scouting to try to find a most adequate spot where such filming could take place . . . unfortunately, this is where Google Maps would fail me. I would use Google Maps to scout out certain locations that looked as though they would provide the perfect backdrop for the exterior shooting, and then I would physically visit these locations to figure out where I could set the stage, so-to-speak, how I could position it within the location to look good on camera, and even figure out what would be the best time to film based on the position of the sun in the sky for adequate lighting. Alas, because Google Maps would not have recent updates for these locations in their Street View, I would be unaware that the locations I would scout would turn out to have been fenced off, have new structures added, or be inundated with Private Property and No Trespassing signs since Google Maps had last photographed these locations until I physically visited the locations myself. You're probably thinking if I had already spent so much time, effort, and money constructing miniature interior sets for the production, why couldn't I just construct such an exterior set that would suit my needs for filming? Well, I could have . . . but again, with this being an HD production and a step above previous MORON LEAGUE entries, I wanted to bring a certain amount of cinematic scope to the production.
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Promotional poster noting
MORON LEAGUE 4's release date
as being July 23, 2021 - a week
after the release of SPACE JAM 2:
A NEW LEGACY
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MORON LEAGUE 4 was, perhaps, going to be my first production that was almost like an actual movie . . . and in hindsight, I think I may have bitten off more than I could chew with it. I first began the project in 2017 when it was announced that the SPACE JAM sequel, which was previously rumored to only be an elaborate hoax (which MORON LEAGUE 3 was taking a jab at), was indeed real and happening, and when it was announced that it would be released in 2021, that's when I had planned of having MORON LEAGUE 4 completed and ready to release - preferably at least within a week of the release of SPACE JAM 2: A NEW LEGACY, because I just knew that the timing of the release would help generate a much-needed boost in traffic to my YouTube channel (and I can see, based on my current channel analytics that previous MORON LEAGUE entries have seen spikes in clicks and views). That's a period of time spanning over three years, so surely I would have been able to actually complete the project within that amount of time with a lot of breathing room, wouldn't I? Well, you'd think. I first wrote the script sometime in 2017, and the fragmented production first began in the fall of 2018 . . . during that time, MORON LEAGUE 4 gradually dropped down my priority list, mostly due to the above-mentioned complications (running out of money, losing voice actors, location scouting difficulties, the challenges in camera set-ups, etc.), but also partly due to the fact that given the expansive window of time, other projects would crop up that would divert my attention away from the production of MORON LEAGUE 4 . . . and, if I'm being perfectly honestly, whenever these new projects would crop up, my interest in MORON LEAGUE 4 would drop considerably.
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Meme imitating art
imitating life
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What can I say? I have commitment issues with my own work: I find I can't work on the same project for too long because I eventually lose interest altogether in the project because of the extended length of time it ends up taking to try to complete the project . . . so much work with very little results over a long period of time - this is exactly why, after I dabbled in animation for a couple of years, I realized it was a medium that was not for me (which is why I also maintain the highest respect for animators who have the willpower and patience to stick with it out their very passion for it). All of this and more is what lead to my final decision to cancel the production altogether: I ended up finally suffering from a complete creative breakdown . . . after working on this one single project for over three years, producing minimal results each time, and just how frustrating, complicated, and difficult the actual filming process was, I just finally broke down - I just couldn't go on with it any longer. I actually trashed the specific set I was still filming in at the time of my breakdown (which, admittedly, wasn't a total loss, because the script called for this particular set to be trashed anyway with Blanko flying the Moron Airship directly into it). As I said, in hindsight, I believe I ended up biting off way more than I could chew . . . this was probably going to be an entire half-hour production produced from a 30-page script with well over 140 different shots and cuts . . . I know that doesn't seem like much from a major production perspective, but for just one person, it was overwhelming, and I just didn't have the drive, stamina, or energy to go on any further - especially after I had already missed my July 23, 2021 deadline anyway.
Now, that's not to say that I'm just throwing out all that I have already accomplished with MORON LEAGUE 4 altogether (especially not the sets that I spent so much time, energy, and money on constructing); everything is being meticulously archived for safekeeping, from the sets that were constructed, to the actual camera footage that's been shot (nearly half of the script had been filmed), and even a blooper reel that was being compiled. Does this mean there may be a glimmer of hope that maybe, one day, I may change my mind and try to resume completing the project one day in the future? Sure, there's hope, but I would not hold my breath . . . still, that doesn't necessarily mean my mind may not be changed. After all, once upon a time, I was enthusiastic about the project, and wanted to see it towards its completion - even in spite of my breakdown, I felt compelled to pick myself up, dust myself off, and get back up on the horse and try to push through and still finish this thing before the year is over . . . unfortunately, that enthusiasm fizzled out over the period of time it was taking to produce this, thanks largely in part to all of the complications and stumbling blocks that arose. What can I say? I certainly suffer for my art.
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Spoiler alert: Bupkus got a promotion in
MORON LEAGUE 4
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