Jessica Chase "He is looking to create a quality storybook application with innovative artwork, narrators, animation, and programming"

Kids today spend their days with violent video games, non-thought provoking TV programs, and borrowing your cell phone.  It's not their fault, developers made games more fun. At the same time books came to tablets, but no one really improved them. That's what we are going to change with this project.. Make stories fun again.

Do you remember the stories you were read as a child, stories with characters that invoked that sense of wonder and awe? Those are the stories you can help tell to the world.

It's about the storyteller experience, and being a active part of the story that will make this different.  Kids start by listening to the voice of a seasoned story teller as they read together, they interact with the vivid moving art, games and animation inside the book.  Soon the kids will be acting aloud the parts with or without the sound of the storyteller.  The Mother Goose Project is all about a new kind of book, we start with the classic stories, and bring them to life, re-imagined with sound, voice narration and animation, without changing the intent of the stories.

The look and feel of the app will be based on a fairy tail story book.  Think of a old leather bound book, with live moving vivid pictures and the words of the classic story with beautiful old world calligraphy.  Were going to re-create a new style of book that is more than just words on a digital page. The app will draw them in and away to a world filled with classic characters brought to life as only an iPad app could.

Narrator demos

The stories as they are meant to be told

Great stories need to be told using seasoned story tellers acting out the parts as they tell the story. They need interactive props to bring kids into the story they are telling.  The iPad really lends itself to this job perfectly, it allows us to take all of the pieces that make a great storytelling experience and put those into an app.

Every story we tell will have.

• Live moving vivid original artwork
• Storyteller voice narration
• Original sound effects
• Interactive elements
• Easy to use, kid friendly interface

Why we need your help.  Apps cost a great deal of money to create.  To get this app into your hands quickly, requires dedicating a team full time to the project. 

I love to program, the structured creativity of it, the way all these pieces come together to create a great experience.  I chose IOS programming a few years back because I could hold what i created in my hand either through iPad or my iPhone.

Unfortunately just because I understand programming does not mean that creating stunning graphics comes naturally to me.  I have however learned a great deal about Photoshop, and other great tools.  This project need better graphics, both animated and static and this is best done through A Great Team...

The Team

• IOS programmer - Brian Nelson
• Graphic artist - In talks, email me if interested
• Animator - In talks, email me if interested
• Voice actors - Watch narrator demo video above

Who we are.  Small group headed by Brian Nelson, a self taught programmer who has created and released more than 15 unique apps on the app store.    This project will require the talented skills of a narrator, artist and animator.  These roles are crucial and will be filled with quality people, and with the Kickstarter backer community input.

A few of the apps i have developed in the past.

• Yah-Write - Add unlimited words, learn to write
• Color Max - 900 drawings to color
• SI Education Math Pro - Wild west themed math game
• Whiteboard X2 - Doodle app for basic drawing
• Chalkboard+ - Old school chalkboard look

Looking at the apps that i have developed over the years, there is a progression from simple applications to more complex applications.  Each application that I have published is like a stepping stone to the next. 

With the app Yah-Write kids around the world could trace letters to write complete words.  SI Education Math Pro showed kids that a wild west math game could be fun.  Coloring Shelf allowed kids to download complete coloring books and keep those on a cool looking wooden shelf.

With each app I pushed ahead farther, learning new skills that enabled me to create the next app.  Mother Goose Project is really the next step in that progression.  Experience has taught me the value of creating a great product, by pledging your support, you can come with me and my team on this new journey.

Inspiration and History of the Mother Goose Project

Rewards

* Update, all tiers $8+ will also receive a digital download DRM free copy of the narrator audio, plus a download code to the app and everything at their tier level *

Show your support and get great rewards like Kickerstarter exclusive signed art, digital downloads, backer exclusive T-Shirt, CD version of the voice narration, or even the complete source code for IOS developers to create your own storybook.

All of our reward levels ($10+, and early birds $8+) include a digital copy of the app for your IOS device (iPad, iPhone, iPod), downloaded from the app store with a code we will give you.

Preliminary design for backer exclusive T-Shirt. Pledge $49

Where is the project at?

Since I am a programmer I have really focused on the programming area.  Past applications have shown me the proper way to setup the server so the stories can be downloaded to the app, easily, quickly, and reliably.  I have built and tested the part of the app that connects and downloads these stories. 

Programming is really about creating a structure for the amazing stories to be shown through.  I am still in talks with animators, and graphic artists, and have people that are willing to start on this project as soon as the funding goal is met.

Once the project is funded we can start on created the look and feel of the app, which is going to be amazingly beautiful.  I am eager to see what this will look like when it is complete, and i know that it will be storybook that seems almost real, and captures both you and your child.

The Journey

Creating an app is a difficult process that will take a few months.  Throughout this process backers will have access to screenshots, and videos of the app being developed.  These will be posted to kickstarter updates area, and will only be available to backers. 

You will get to see the successes, difficulties, and problems that are bound to arise with any application.  I will also be posting video updates, with screen casts of the app regularly.  You will be able to comment, and influence the development of the app at a number of stages.

The kickstarter community is based on free flowing communication in both directions between developers and backers, and i can't wait to start the dialog with the community.

Become a backer today!

For IOS developers and those wishing to learn

We are offering as one of our rewards, the complete source code used to create the application, and the 2 hour screen-cast explaining the code.  The only way to see how all the pieces fit together is to see the final project before its compiled.

When i was learning how to program for IOS (iPad,iPhone,iPod) i found it amazing at the absolute lack of fully functional applications available for free or purchase.  This makes it difficult to really see how all of the pieces fit together in a working and complete application.  The source code is like the blueprints, you can see the house, but without the blueprints its difficult to understand the pieces.

Part of this application is about developing the structure that this type of content can be distributed in, and then read by the application.  This same structure can be used by other developers to create their own storybook apps.

Understanding the code for this project will give you a solid basis in

• Cocos 2d game development,
• Using sprites,
• Playing background audio and sound effects,
• Small and large animation,
• Using in-app purchase,
• Downloadable content,
• Parsing JSON feeds,
• And much more. 

And were going to spend the time (2 hours) in a screen-cast to explain everything, and walk you through the code, so you can actually use it in your own projects.

We pledge to give 5% of the profits back to the Kickstarter community. More information on Kicking it Forward This is on app store revenue not kickstarter funds.

Importance Of Apps Like This

The app store has become cluttered with lower quality apps and with your support we can change that.  Apps like this help to raise literacy, and show the world that quality exists on the app store.  Without your support this app will not be built, I simply cant afford it.

Show your support and back this project.... Share us with your friends.... Thank You...

100% of the funds raised for this campaign will be used to support the creation of this app.

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