The Celtx Blog

Celtx Against Malaria- Make Your Donation Today!

Hey Gang!

Over the years we have received countless emails from Celtx users, new and old, offering to make a donation toward the development of the software. While we have graciously declined these offers in the past, we recently decided to accept your kind gestures, but with a bit of a twist....

Rather than put the money toward development, we'd like to direct your funds toward our new fundraising effort to help purchase bed nets for the Against Malaria Foundation. It's an important social cause we're sure you'll find worthy of your generosity.

If you'd like to join us in this fight to help save lives, we strongly encourage you to head to the Donate -Against Malaria page (located in the website's Download section) and follow the link to where you can truly make a difference in the world.

On behalf of the Celtx Development and Against Malaria Teams, we THANK YOU in advance for your generous contributions.

Sheila, Laurie, Steve, Tony, Greg, Chad, Mark, Rob and Andrew

'Bite Club' Sucks up the Celtx POW!

It's been awhile since we've laughed this much reading a script... Written and created by Charles (Chucky) Kenway of Sydney, Australia, 'Bite Club' is an animated work about group therapy for monsters. Specifically, a motley crew of undead characters seeking guidance in overcoming addictions like, you know,... blood lust for example!

Chucky works primarily in story art and production illustration, but also enjoys project development and art direction. In this project, his astute imagination has conjured up some intentionally stereotypical characters with a few twists and quirks like Larry Gumstein, the 'The Fiend and geeky Vampire of high birth' who plays the role of the therapy group's secretary.

The script itself is an entertaining read injected with quick wit and clever play on words. Chucky said the inspiration for Bite Club "came from a joke a with a friend about these stereotypical movie monsters needing group therapy and I just wrote  through the scenario and the stories just grew from a logical extension of the joke so it only took a few hours to get it down, luckily."

A look at the project's storyboard quickly reveals Chucky's 16 years of professional experience as a storyboard artist. The Professional Summary in his resume reads:

With over sixteen years experience as a storyboard artist, illustrator animator and occasional director Charles has worked in many roles with various film, interactive and advertising companies. He has helped solve many creative issues involved with visualisation and storytelling, indeed his duties have often spread into the realms of script editing and writing, as well as various concept and design duties. He has a good understanding of traditional photographic techniques that often are misunderstood or unconsidered and has worked with both masters of visual mediums (like Dr. George Miller)and newcomers alike.  He  has also seen budgets for creative projects triple as a result of the burgeoning confidence arising from the reception of his storyboards, concept art and animatics.

To experience more of Charles Kenway's art and expertise, or maybe even inquire about hiring him for your next production ;)...  check out his web site here.

Thanks for the laughs, Chucky... Wonderful job!

Sheila and The C-Team

Celtx Users Against Malaria

Did you know ...

... that up to 3 million people die each year from Malaria?

... that 70% are children under 5?

... and that the single most effective means of prevention is a $5 mosquito bednet?

Well unfortunately it's all very true and the Celtx Development Team felt compelled to help do something about it. So,... we teamed up with the fine crowd who operate Against Malaria, a UK relief agency that was started by one man and his friends in 2004. Through word-of mouth and little publicity this initiative has since grown to become the world’s largest malaria advocacy group whose current goal is to empower 3 million people to take responsibility for eradicating malaria.

We'd like to show the world that the Celtx Community's creativity is matched only by its generosity and are therefore challenging Celtx users across the planet to get involved in the fight against malaria by creating media that will inspire others to donate, and by making a small but meaningful $5 personal donation to buy a malaria bednet.

And, to give you some more incentive, the creator of one selected project will be able to determine, liaising with Against Malaria, the country of distribution of 5,000 malaria bed nets, plus a $1000.(CDN) honorarium for project production from Celtx..

To get things started, each member of the Celtx Development Team has already made a personal $5 donation. So, come on Gang! We know you have it in you so please, check out the details and FAQs below, then jump in,... create,... and donate!! If you have any questions just email us at partners@celtx.com.

TO MAKE YOUR DONATION TODAY, PLEASE GO HERE...

CELTX USERS AGAINST MALARIA - How Does It Work?

• We want people to create media that will bring attention to malaria bednets and inspire others to visit againstmalaria.com to make a donation.
• Starting 05 August through to 30 September, 2008 use Celtx to write any type of media that you think will make a difference.  It can be an idea for a short video, an ad, a comic book, a stageplay, a podcast, a feature film, a video game, a music video, machinima - anything that you think will draw attention to malaria bednets.
• You can submit as many projects as you like, and there are no restrictions on length or size.
• Projects may be submitted in any language Celtx supports, with the provision that you must include an English summary that explains your concept. Summaries can be created in the Text Editor.
• Once you're ready, tag your project as 'againstmalaria' and publish your pre-production files and any produced materials (as a work in process or completed project) to the dedicated Against Malaria page on Celtx Project Central for all the world to see.
• On 01 October, Against Malaria will select 1 project and it's creator to receive the honor of determining the country of distribution of 5,000 malaria bed nets and a $1,000.(CDN) honorarium from Celtx for project production.
• 10 projects will also be selected at random for a Celtx swag pack (Jacket & 1GB USB).
• Plus, one or more of the projects posted on the Against Malaria page may be linked to and promoted on the Against Malaria site.

MAKING A DONATION:

We're asking as many Celtx users as we can to buy 1 bednet each - a small $5 contribution to help save a life.  We've set up a dedicated Celtx donations page on Against Malaria in hope that thousands of Celtx users will get involved and do us all proud.  And remember, for each $100 raised, 20 nets will end up over heads and beds and save 1 child's life. 

To contribute visit: www.againstmalaria/CeltxNets

GENERAL FAQs

1. What Are We Doing?
We're calling on Celtx Media Creators around the world to get involved in the fight against malaria.

2. Why?
Because between 1 and 3 million people die each year from Malaria.  Because 70% of those who will die are children under 5.  And because the single most effective means of prevention is a mosquito bednet.

3. What Do We Want You To Do?
a) Create media that will bring attention to malaria bednets and promote others to visit againstmalaria.com to make a contribution.
b) Make a personal $5 donation to Against Malaria to buy a malaria bednet, and help save a life.

4. What's Your Incentive?
Feeling good for doing good, knowing that your actions will help save another's life.

5. What Type Of Media Do We Want You To Create?
Any type imaginable - videos, short movies, feature films, comic books, machinima, stageplays, music videos, podcasts - whatever you think will bring attention to malaria bednets and inspire others to make a donation.  It can be of any length and you can create it in any language that you choose.

6. Submission Requirements
You can submit as many projects as you like, any length, and in any language that Celtx supports with the provision that you must include an English summary that explains your concept. Summaries can be created in the Text Editor.

7. What Happens To Your Media?
We're asking you to post it to the Celtx Project Central website for others to see.  We hope some of you will be able to produce your ideas and seed them on the web or wherever is appropriate.  One project creator will be selected to receive special recognition and a $1,000.(CDN) production honorarium.  And some media may end up on the Against Malaria site to assist in the promotion of malaria bednets.

8. Why 'Against Malaria'?
Because 100% of the money raised goes to buy insecticidal mosquito nets.  Every penny you donate goes to relief.

9. Where Can You Go To Learn More About Bednets?
- www.againstmalaria.com

10. Where Do You Go To Donate Your $5?
- http://www.againstmalaria.com/CeltxNets

POSTING A PROJECT ON PROJECT CENTRAL

To get a project posted to the dedicated Against Malaria page on Project Central requires 5 minutes and a few simple steps:



1.  Use Celtx to write your Against Malaria project.


2.  Click the 'Web Services' button in the top toolbar.

3.  Click 'Upload Project' button to upload your project to the Celtx server.

4.  Click 'Publish-->Configure Publishing'


5.  Select 'Public-everyone can view the project' and tag your project 'againstmalaria'.

6.  Click 'Update'.

Voila!  Your project is published to the dedicated 'Against Malaria' page on Project Central.  Now you can go and explore everything else Celtx and Project Central have to offer!