Issue 203: Sameness, Storyboards, Cancer & Free Audiobooks

Ahoy, newsletter readers! How are you? I just got back from a trip to Ireland and London and we're moving into a new place in LA, so there's a lot going on. Photos of our trip are on my Instagram, but for now, it's newsletter time...

Image via SalesForce

                        
                            Gamify Utility Bills. I've been using a nutrition management and weight loss app called Nom that gamifies keeping track of what you eat and how much you exercise. It got me thinking, why hasn't the gamification of everything reached water and power conservation?

What if there was an App that logs your power and water consumption in real time and helps you save money? It would have a WiFi enabled device you hook up to your water, power, and gas meters. You could add friends to compete with, get rewards for saving a certain amount – maybe the utility companies would even partner with the app to give refunds to people who can switch their usage to off-peak times.

As a new homeowner, I'm going to be tracking the heck out of our water, gas, and power usage – I wish I had this app! Whadya think?

                        
                            Some of the most interesting articles I read since the last newsletter.
                        

                        Why Everything Is Starting To Look The Same

A great piece on 'sameness' in design and why everything (from apps to restaurants to subway maps) is starting to look interchangeable.

                        NYT: One Day At A Time, And Why Netflix Is Not Your Friend

Hard truths about everyone's favorite content giant and a great companion piece to Fast Company's 'death of Hollywood's middle class'

                        Inc: Amazon Almost Killed Best Buy. Then, Best Buy Did Something Completely Brilliant

Eyeroll at the clickbait headline, but an interesting piece on how a big box store took on Amazon.

                        
                            Kyle Smith is an incredible human being and amazing production designer who I am privileged to have worked with over the years. He's also a cancer survivor and creator of Check15.org, a group that makes very funny videos each month to promote awareness and information about self-exams.

Kyle's been nominated to be the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Man Of The Year and he's asked me to help join his team of 'cancer avengers' to raise money for LLS.

You can help us out by making a donation in any amount at this fundraising page. 100% of donations go toward The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. When you're done, check out Kyle's videos at Check15.org – they should really just be his production design portfolio because they're insane.

                        
                            Storyboarding is an integral part of the videomaking process. For me, it's where ideas really take shape and whenever possible I like to hire boarders with a background in animation because they work fast and add lots of visual ideas (more, IMO, than live action boarders).

But, with budgets shrinking and especially on my own passion projects it's harder and harder to afford hiring a storyboarder. I've been trying to do my own boards as a stop gap and two very different resources have helped me out a TON.

                        
                            The Storyboard Notebook from Plot Devices is exactly what it sounds like. A small, Moleskine-esque notebook, with storyboard templates on each page. Great for sketching out a scene.

Of course, you'll want to put all those boards together (or create new ones digitally) using a free(!) app called Storyboarder:

                        
                            Wonder Unit's Storyboarder software was created as a response to pricey previs software and is defiantly free to all. (There's a lot of delightful snark in the FAQ and About sections that give a peek into why the passionate programmer created the software).

It can scan and parse your hand-drawn boards OR you can generate shots by placing objects, people (in dozens of poses) and cameras in 3D space – very convenient for planning coverage.

                        
                            Do you already know about Libby? The Library App? If not, HOLY SHIT. It has changed my life.

All you need is a library card, and you can use Libby to digitally borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and graphic novels. Of course, you can also use it to put a hold on books at your local library.

I'm an avid audiobook listener, and I've traded in my costly Audible subscription for Libby. There are only a certain number of copies of each audiobook (remember, it is a library) so you may have to join a waiting list, but it's all 100% FREE.

I used Libby to listen to Amy Poehler read Yes, Please while on our road trip in Ireland. Highly recommend!

                        
                            We bought a house! It still doesn't seem real and I feel excited, overwhelmed, and guilty. Yes, guilty! Home-owning is such a struggle and it feels uncomfortable to me to brag about it. My wife, Heather, who is smarter and more measured than me in every way possible, wrote something about the experience I think is worth reading.
                        

Thanks for reading! I'd love to get your feedback. Favorite segment? What's working? What's not working? What do you want to see more of?