The Story of Brother Iz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Kamakawiwo'ole

The idea came while the little lady and I were choosing a song for our upcoming wedding (scary =). We both agreed on Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". There is just something about his version "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", that never fails to make me emotional. I can't get through the entire song without tearing up. There, I said it =)
Anyway, this led me to read more about Israel (Brother Iz) and his fascinating life.. My first thought was, "man if I ever become a director, this is the animated feature I want to make". A fantastical version of his life in Hawaii, complete with fat jokes and of course Hawaiian spirits.
After thinking a bit more (obsessing), I began to think of ways to get this story across in 3-5 minutes and still make it my own.
The task won't be an easy one, as I plan on doing everything myself (rigging, animation, ack!). But, I am up for the challenge. As of writing this, I have completed the story (a narrated poem), 2 of the 3 environments (this includes modeling, texturing, and lighting), the main character (a young Israel, who is textured and 90% rigged), as well as many compositing and fx test.
I figured a blog of my progress (whether anyone reads it or not), would be a great way to keep me motivated to finish this bad boy.