NuWerks began with "King of the Northern Lights," a a feature-length animation script
NuWerks began with "King of the Northern Lights," a a feature-length animation script
“I went to Bulgaria with a translator and an agreement from the largest film studio in the country. After two weeks of constant negotiations, I realized the studio couldn’t deliver what I wanted. In fact, no one in that country could. So with the help of an ex-KGB agent (true) I found young artist, Venelin Velchev, who had just finished working for Richard Williams in London. He said he could form an animation company and eventually I got a finished animated short. The result for that period in time was okay. Better animation can be done in a few months at much better quality, but that’s how technology works. Typically in animation, the voices are recorded first. Because the agreement with the original studio went South, I wrote and recorded the music with musicians from the Sofia Radio Orchestra before animation started and added other voices later.
NuWerks then began to produce more audiobooks and even television pilots. Sound IS the most immersive element in media other than haptics, but it can also steal attention if pushed too far. The NuWerks Logo to the left was drawn for me by the brilliant animator, writer, director, and producer, Butch Hartman.
The Fish Who had Fingers is a lovely fable with music and sound effects written for anyone who feels like they were born “different” from the crowd.
Invasion of the Belief Creatures was aimed at bringing attention to the importance of beliefs in our everyday lives. We think of beliefs in terms of large metacognitions, but almost everything we do in life is based on some belief. We believe that the asphalt won’t collapse under our feet when we walk across a parking lot. We believe that the sun will come up tomorrow and that lights will come on when we flip a switch. Beliefs determine our actions. So faulty beliefs can affect our life. Invasion of the Belief Creatures is aimed at finding faulty beliefs. The artwork again is by the amazing, Butch Hartman.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a musical audio drama written and composed by Gordon Goodman with a cast of 40 professional musical theatre performers from Los Angeles and New York from the Musical Theatre Guild, the co-producer with Nuwerks. This is a two-album set with a full musical score, sound effects, and some spectacular performances. The day I finished, Disney announced they were doing their own version. That’s the danger of writing for properties in the public domain. But what a great story from Victor Hugo. Amazingly touching.
Emma and the Gobbletygoos
A touching and fun story about a little girl, whose body is being attacked by creatures from another place and time, and how she conquers them with the help of the Gobbletygoos (our immune system). Actor, Matt Ashford, produced this album along with NuWerks, performing with his fellow TV stars from “Days of Our Lives;” Deidre Hall, Thaao Penghlis, and Melissa Reeves doing the voices. But the real star was 4-year-old Emma Ashford. Everything was donated to Retinoblastoma International. Emma is now a top-notch songwriter and performer. Click below to hear one of the themes.
The Knights of Royal Pond
The Knights of Royal Pond was another huge endeavor with a musical score and hundreds of sound effects. It was originally written for feature-length animation. The audio production was first produced and the book was published later. I often draw out characters as I’m writing, just to give myself an idea about the personality of the characters. The cover is comprised of my original pencil or charcoal drawings during the writing process.