Download the entire ex-Wrox book here for free! Kindly donated by ex-Wrox and author Simon Cozens to http://learn.perl.org for your reading enjoyment.
Press Release
For Immediate Release
"The Fusion Project" - a global collaboration explorative
Toronto, Canada, March 21, 2003 - After three months of production, conception, caffeine and collaboration, the latest project from J Chesebrough of studio:cmd [activemedia] inc. is set for release.
This production fuses the work of multiple artists, designers, illustrators and multimedia composers on a thematic exploration in search of the process transcending the goal.
http://www.thefusionproject.org
About The Fusion Project
The Fusion Project is based on a concept of global participation in something larger than an individual's contribution to design, while maintaining the importance of individuality. Its main goal is the production of work that creates a part of a whole, and in doing so, concentrating on the passage from concept to completion. The end result is an individual work of art, but when combined with other works of art, the end result of the individual is secondary.
Created in conclaves, each exploration will be based around a thematic concept presented to participants at the outset. The concept is clear enough to form an image or notion, but vague enough to be open to interpretation. Interpretation from location, background and an individual experiences are brought to the table, and the eventuality is the creation of an "element" - a piece of work that stands on its own as a fully functional image, activity or application. When this element is placed with other works based upon the same theme - the conclusion is a "habitat" which becomes a collection of individual interpretations, and therefore a work of art in and of itself.
About those involved:
Motion designers, static designers, programmers, traditional artists, illustrators, coders... Anyone is welcome to contribute, regardless of platform, or style.
Short summary:
The Fusion Project, is an ongoing work of art developed through a multitudinous capacity using a thematic multimedia collaborative explorative, run on a global platform.
http://www.thefusionproject.org
About J Chesebrough
Jason Chesebrough, Creative Director for Nemesis Group Incorporated (www.nemesiscorporation.com), is a Canadian caffeine-fuelled demiurgic design powerhouse. With an artistic background spanning
from gallery artist to commercial muralist, then from the scaffold to the keyboard circa Flash 3, J eats, sleeps and breathes in the toasty-warm world of design. In addition to daily activities with
Nemesis Group, J cultivates creativity at studio:cmd [activemedia] inc. (www.studiocmd.com), an artistic experimentation aperture,collating a copasetic balance of self indulgent design with a small but loyal client base. He is the engineer of The Fusion Project,(www.thefusionproject.org) an ongoing work of art developed through a multitudinous capacity using a thematic multimedia collaborative explorative, run on a global platform. His mind numbing involvement
in both the new media industry and the Flash community is driven by his hell-bent mindset cultivated for immediate global domination
within the confines of design. J is an educator, advocate and a design activist, lending his support to organizations and causes across North America, Europe, Oceania and the Pacific Rim. A loving husband and a proud father, J looks great in bowling shirts, trousers and a cap.
===========
For additional information, please contact:
Jason Chesebrough
The Fusion Project
studio:cmd [activemedia] inc.
1.905.721.1336
jason@thefusionproject.org
You know what? There is a brand new kick ass site up now. The doom and gloom is over. Why you ask?
FLASHCOMPONENT.COM IS UP!
Keran McKenzie may seem like a nice guy, but in reality, he has made a bad-ass (that means good) site to upload and download components from. Together with the remarkable brothers Dura, this new site has to be seen.
So go there now:
And that bad boy is not pluralized.
Dear all,
As a natural consequence to my previous communications, I have received a
large number of queries regarding the rights to published or in-progress
works that are contracted with Peer Information (PI) companies. I would like
to clarify that the insolvency of PI does not mean implicitly or explicitly
that any contract you have with a PI company has been terminated. They are
still valid and legally binding, because PI as a legal entity still exists.
The fate of any contract will become clear in the next 2-3 weeks. These are
assets of the insolvent company which the liquidator is charged with
selling.
As your formal contact regarding the insolvency process, I will keep you
updated on any development. However, as a former Wrox employee, I worked
with a number of you in various capacities over the years. I enjoyed working
with such great authors, reviewers and developers. I would like, therefore,
to give you my personal view on the situation and offer some personal
advice.
The reputation that the PI books and brands have built over the years makes
it interesting to some buyers. I believe it is likely that someone will buy
the publication rights to some or all of the published and future works. The
buyer will then need to reach an agreement with you that works for you in
terms their side of the contractual obligations, that is payment and
publication. Therefore, I would advise you not to do anything that may
compromise your rights and jeopardize the strength of your position in such
negotiations. If after three weeks the company is wound up and your rights
are unsold, I assume they would revert to you. You could then do with them
what you wish. This would mean that your current royalties would be unpaid,
and that the value that attaches to existing PI relationships would be lost.
It is my personal view that the best thing to do at this point is to sit
tight and wait, and see how things develop in the next 2-3 weeks.
Thanks.
Louay
" ... One of the major factors behind the eventual demise (well, according
to what we were told on Friday) was the amount of returned books coming back
from bookstores from books that we'd printed too many of in the days when
the web book market was booming, and it's difficult to see anyone taking on
responsibility for those returns ... "
I just found out that WROX authors have not been notified that the company has gone bankrupt, and are actually finding out via. blogs and the like. That's pretty harsh. Please email me (jen@flash-mx.com), and we'll have you hooked up with the others.
Anyway, if you are WROX person, this is the email that we received:
================================
Dear author,
The Board of Peer Information has passed a resolution to place the company
into liquidation. The company is unable to meet its financial commitments,
and we have been unable to secure additional funding. The Directors are left
with no choice but to place the company into insolvency process.
Please stop work immediately on all contracted work from Peer Information.
Retain safe copies of all your work. The contract that you have with the
company remains valid. There will be a 3-4 week hiatus period until we are
able to discuss the future course of your project.
Louay Fatoohi is your point of contact for enquiries about editorial
contracts.
If you believe you are owed money for either submitted work against a
contract or for accrued royalties on existing titles, then you are a
creditor of the company. As such you will be contacted shortly by the
liquidator with information on pursuing your claims.
Please note that it is in your interest that you do not break the terms of
your contract. You will be worse off if that happens. Please wait until you
are contacted again.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Louay Fatoohi
=======followed up with========
Further to my communication regarding placing Peer Information into
liquidation, I would like to clarify that Peer Information includes the
following legal entities:
- Wrox Press Ltd
- Friends of Ed Ltd
Wrox Press Ltd also trades as: Glasshaus, Curlingstone, Active Path and
Tect.
Thank you.
Louay Fatoohi
And Wrox... and glasshaus. Peer Information group bit the dust today as they declared bankrupcy and sent their staff running for the hills.
And also left a lot of us authors without money. A lot. We had 2 books finished, ready for print, and were waiting for the advances to be put into the bank.
But they won't be. Nor will the books be printed in all likelihood. Nor will we see any royalties on any of the books already out (although, that isn't too much of anything to count on anyway).
Regardless, time to move on. A really really hard and huge blow to us today since we're fairly poor and FOED was a huge part of our income (but authoring for em usually nabbed about $4-$5 per hour). But I'm quittin the whining here, and getting back to work. We hope!!!
Best of luck to those who worked at friends of ED - you guys were so cool, friendly and a lot of fun to work with. Good luck in your future endeavors.
And tire? it's spelled with an "i" you guys!
Some valid points are raised in this blog entry
PNut's thought on new MM site design.
Send your comments to either area in support or rebuttal. Will be good to generate some discussion on good implementation of RIA's.
Definitely one of the more awesome developments lately, here you can draw in a Flash movie and have a PDF made of your creation at the click of a button. It was created by Gregg Wygonik.
Definitely check this one out here.