October News #2 for Reston, Virginia.
Hometown of the-school.org!

A big salute and hurrah for Patricia Greenberg; seen here on Reston Association TV!
Patricia is the Environmental Supervisor for the Reston Association and, of course, Head Narrator for The-School.org!

Volume I: The Circle - Widescreen

Running Time - 27:51

2 years in the making, The-School.org's first DVD Volume I:Circle is the complete one-man project devised to unify music, poetry, design and education. This short film is designed to inspire you to create, learn and smile. From outer space to the ocean, to computer chips to inside the human body, we give you the tip of the iceberg so that you will be drawn in and motivated to pursue each topic further. Unique poems in many styles for each subject are accompanied by a completely original score wrapped up in imagery that is sure to hold the attention of adults and children alike. For the classroom or for the home!

This film features the poetry of Children's poet Polonius Ficklebottom, a revolutionary in the "Educational Poetry" Genre.

"I'm tired of seeing the same themes and projects re-organized and re-structured over and over again. I'm trying to do something different. My hope is to bring poetry back into the spotlight with modern ideas that can enlighten, entertain and inspire. I promise, you have never seen anything like what the-school.org does before. Not on this scale."
-David Dowling

Runtime:28 Minutes
Format:NTSC Widescreen
Language: English

Buy The-School.org DVD on Amazon.com
Buy The-School.org DVD on CreateSpace.com
Own the complete original Soundtrack.

Welcome to The-School.Org!

Leave a comment here or ask how you can learn more about the-school.org!
So here it is, the-school.org's new home. A free blogging site.
why? Well, simply because I can't afford anything else.

-for now, this is the temp home of the-school.org, so you can write me, David Dowling, here, add comments, etc.

I will continue to make films and post them here, so follow this blog!

Here are links to my vids and areas you can help the-school.org!

Watch the-school.org on YouTube!
Buy the-school.org DVD!
Visit the-school.org store!
Listen to the-school.org Soundtrack Album!
Join the-school.org on FaceBook!

Writing The Music.

Writing music for the films is probably my favorite part pf the process, and that's saying alot because I thoroughly enjoy all aspects of the journey! I took a couple years of piano when i was in gradeschool, but other than that, I have had no formal music training. I also don't posses any kind of training in editing, serious writing or recording technology. [hardware or software] Everything was kind of hammered out by trial, error and time. I would not deem myself as brilliant, however, I am glad to be able to have control over every department in making these short films. I admit, it is hard sometimes and I am at the mercy of time and the man hours get long, but the freedom to be creative is there. I love to be able to sit down and sculpt out what I believe the Ocean or Space would sound like. I hope you enjoy the music and I hope that one day I can bring these little to more ears around the world one day.

-David Dowling

Support the-school.org by buying the soundtracks!

We need your support!

I'm sitting here at work and I just saw my bank statement. It's been a rough month and I'm going to be short on my rent, so everyone that enjoys the the-school.org films, please support the cause! If anything I would love it if you'd just tell a friend about the-school.org. I have dedicated all of my time to bringing you these 100% original films without pre-rolling ads or spam for your enjoyment. I am not a company, nor recevive any help from any subsidiaries or outside orgs. I am just a 28 year old guy with a computer who lives alone in his one bedroom apartment, scraping by. I want these films to be useful to you and give you something you've never sen before. The man hours and dedication I put into these are all I have available. I feel this is what I was put on Earth to do and it is my upmost passion! I hope they can give you a smile and persuade you to pursue the topics further. Please support the-school.org! Tell a friend or visit my cafepress store, or buy the-school.org DVD! Every day is yours to create!

-Dave

here are some more great films!
Enjoy!


Zvezda - Learn about the Sun of our Solar System!


La Luna - Learn about the Moon of our Solar System!


Mars - Learn about the Planet Mars!

Films from the "Circle" Series!

NEW FILM! - 7/10/2009
D.N.A. - Learn about D.N.A.

------------------------------------------------
Films from the "Circle" Series!

8 Planets - Learn about the Planets of our Solar System!


Eden - Learn about Flowering Plants!


Insecta - Learn about Insects!


Chip - Learn about Computer Chips!


Ocean Blue - Learn about the Ocean!


5 Litres - Learn about Blood!


Zenith - Learn about Mountains & Volcanoes!


Cloud - Learn about Clouds!

See More films at our youtube site!
http://www.youtube.com/TheSchoolWorld

Speech by Polonius Ficklebottom to the class of 2009 [excerpt]

I believe in a lot of things. Some things that are, some things I'm not sure ever existed and some things that are right before my eyes as we speak. Some people believe in God, others believe in themselves and it is not my place to tell them otherwise. -But what I do believe in, strongly and 100%, is Good.
Yes, I believe in the Good in people. As should you. Believe in Good! These are words that must stick clear and true so as to command their ascent within your hearts, lives and surroundings. They must be known and they must be there for you to move forward. -Today, it is you who move forward, and you who must maintain this belief. No matter your race, ethnicity, gender, views, God, or lack thereof, I only ask that you keep this one. Yes, life isn't going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time. Yes, you will seek reasons, evidence and conjure up the wildest of explanations as to why life acts as it does towards you. When it goes well, or ill, you might say "luck", when you see others affected by it, you may think "karma", and your mind will do its best to provide answers when none are given. When friends become foes and the souls you thought would always be there to accompany you on this journey depart. Sometimes it takes the building to collapse before you can discover how to fix the foundation really was. Amongst the iron, steel and concrete of your greatest creations and accomplishments, they all turn to paper without good.
And how long can you truly be happy in a house of paper?
There was a period of time in my life, where I spent every night wondering what I was here for. I spent every moment trying to justify life and why it mattered. And as I stand up here, addressing a sea of minds, each one, more brilliant and accomplished then I was in my college career, *chuckles*, I can safely say that if just one of you heeds my words and believes in your fellow man, it was all worth it. You should be proud and you should be congratulated. This is your day. Not mine. Just remember, before all other things, believe in yourself. And believe in Good. I promise you, the rest will follow.

11th Hour...

In a sense, i feel as though it is the 11th hour for the-school.org.
I'm litteraly stuck in place.
i have no means to move this project forward.
I hate to send bitter, because I'm not. My dream is noo less magnificant then it ever was.
I'm just tired.
I either work in an office or work at home on the computer.
I live from paycheck to paycheck and these organizations i want to meet with require a talent agent and lawyers, which i can't afford. I can't even afford new contact lenses right now.
I have to do it though.
-and i will.

-David

Shopping

Shopping the idea of the-school.org to studios, companies and larger entities is a daunting and arduous task. I've found the problem to be that many mainstream bodies are connected and own smaller bodies, which require you to contact the bigger body, even if your project only asks for the help of the smaller one. You need lawyers, agents, and above all, time and money. Of those things, I believe I can get the time. So the-school.org remains in the shadows for now. The advantage to being a one-person show is that you can always be rest assured that all the performers will show up and the deadlines will be met accordingly. The DIS-advantage to being a one-person show, is that you're only one person.
Also, you need conections. You can go to just about any celebrity wikipedia page and find that the celeb is related, or grew up knowing, or is related to someone else in the business. Trust me, it's true. Some people just inherit greatness these days. To get it from nowhere is another ordeal. But I'll do what I have to to get the-school.org into the spotlight. Once that happens, I will give you films 100 times better then what I have now. I plan on being the next Walt Disney. I have ideas and I can do something for this Earth. And i Will.
-David

Baba Yaga House Episode 0.5 Finished!

A new Age of Diplomacy begins!!!

Forward!

So, despite some setbacks, I am still moving forward with Baba Yaga House!
So far, two episodes are in the works, as well as a small introductory piece.
The first two episodes, "Perspective" and "Talent" are in the writing and shooting stages while the introduction is in post-production and rendering. I am not sure how they will be received. I feel that the target audience may be small, but my hopes are that more people will come to realize that this is not just some foreign-designed kid's show, but rather and act of diplomacy and a learning experience. I plan to expand to more countries one day.
-David

educationalrap.com

So I was browsing youtube, and came across this site. I'm kind of speechless, but apparently, they are living my dream. They are producing educational "rap" films on a similar platform as mine. Although theirs are technically "songs" rather then poems, which I utilize, it is kind of daunting nonetheless. -And they are good, I have no shame in saying that. So I decided to check out who the brains behind this were.

Rhythm, Rhyme, Results, LLC (RRR, pronounced “Triple R”) is a production house and online media company founded in 2006 in Cambridge, MA. We currently focus on producing the most entertaining and effective educational music on the planet.
RRR’s in-house team leads a collaborative network of over 25 creative professionals, including lyricists, composers, vocalists, and producers. Many are graduates of Harvard University and the Berklee College of Music and reside in New York, Boston, Atlanta, and beyond.

Their lineup is pretty legit. It is laid out in greater detail on their site. They've done their homework and it's not even worth it to look at them as competition, because I am none, by comparison. It's like a mom & pop store trying to hang with Wal-mart. These are college educated professionals with resources, a budget, and powerful staff of contributors looking down on a guy who barely graduated high school, does this with every spare momment he has yet has nothing but a home computer. I feel like King Leonidas of Sparta. They have succesfully executed my vision down to the lesson plans and project ideas for kids. Their production quality is better, their audio is better, their website is better, everything is better. Whereas I write, research, edit, compose music and compile everything, they have someone [maybe more] for each step. -And multiple brains of that calibre working together always conquer one. And they have been everywhere I wanted to be. The New York Times, NPR, and more. The-School.org cannot compete with this.
The bottom line is, I'm glad this method of teaching is blossoming. It appears, however, it is blossoming without me near the front. I wrote the people of this website asking if they needed help or were hiring, and that's about all I can do for now. I don't know what my future is, but I wish them luck. If their films continue to make people smile, I'll be glad that people are smiling. Sadly, I am not sure how long I can continue making mine now. I have $300 to my name and there isn't any time for me to spend on these. I have been toiling over 6 films at the same time for a while now. Alone. I lost my girlfriend who I thought would stand behind me through this, and I've foresaken many friends, swapping "hang out" time for "making films" time. I even see my parents less. I'm sure there are many who have been in my shoes. It's not a great feeling, but I can't complain. I'll just have to see what tomorrow brings.

7 Months Later, "Baba Yaga House" Begins Taping!

With 7 months of writing/planning, a 1 person cast, a $0 budget, absolutely no training in film, and a dream I have had for a looong time now, Baba Yaga House is finally ready for its first day of taping.
What you see are pics of the stage, and the supporting characters.
It will be a kids show designed to teach, while uniting and bringing together the nations of Russia and America.
The "stage" is basically just a green screen which is later taken out via a chroma keying technique that turns the green transparent, allowing for a background to be added in post production.
One of the first things you learn about filming live action is that there is NEVER ENOUGH LIGHT. What you see in the picture is only 3 of the lights pointed at the green screen. The near impossible ideal scenario to achieve is to illuminate the green screen and your face while keeping shadows to a minimum. There's light coming from the front, above and below. Since I don't have a budget, there isn't any professional lighting, just lamps.
The supporting characters are Fred, the Woolly Mouse, and Aleksander, the Duck of Straw. Each has their own quirks and personalities to accompany me on set.



To be honest, the script isn't done, and never will be.
I have an outline, and plan to ad-lib the whole thing.
It should be interesting.












The show will include cuts to animated segments which will correspond to the theme of the show.
I hope for it to premiere March 7th.


And here is the opening Credits!

Lesson Plans and a Revamped DVD

I'm proud to say that I have hired a new teacher to pen the lesson plans that will ultimately accompany the films. On top of this, the DVD had been remastered in widescreen and in a higher resolution. I think it will be great!

more to come!

-D

Some things in life just have to be lived to be learned.

I sometimes wish I had a studio [or a budget, for that matter] behind me. I would love to take a camera into outer space or underwater. Anything to expose the average joe to a world he might not otherwise be able to see. I have many ideas that I am forced to subdue and push to the back burner for the time being. It irritates me when I see children of famous people inheriting fame without technicaly having any kind of discernable talent. Its not that I want the fame, it's more that I want the voice and the eager ears. I have something worth saying and I say it with each film I make. But right now the voice is just a whisper. I suppose, in some cases, a whisper is just as powerful. I'm taking that and running with it.