Charlie the Unicorn 3
I want to like it. I really do. The song for the second one was good, too. I just don’t know why they made more then one…
Archive for April, 2009
Rhythm Heaven
This is an American remake of what is quite possibly my favorite game ever. Yes, it’s a bold statement but it’s that awesome.
Go here and click on “Rhythm Games” and look at all the demos… it’s amazing.
When it rains..
Big huge ups and grats to my awesome girlfriend for landing a radical job. She started today as a 3D artist on the Seven Haunted Seas game being developed by Titmouse Games. Titmouse is an amazing studio, the people there are a fantastic lot. I have no doubt she will make excessive amounts of awesome there.
As for myself, I have some awesome leads not only for doing Flash stuff, but also an opportunity to do some project management/production work with a fantastic company. I have the ability and flexibility to pursue some of more more lofty life goals at the moment, some of which are basically unattainable while having a 9-5 job, so I’m going to take this opportunity to make them happen.
Either way, I’ve been pretty thrilled as it turns out that my skillset is in pretty high demand at the moment; within a week of being let go at my former job, I’ve had four opportunities present themselves to me. With the economy being how it is, there are a lot of employers out there who would rather pay for fixed bid freelance/contract projects instead of hiring someone full time.
I’m also thrilled to finally dust off some old chores and bullet points on my to-do list that I just didn’t have time to do. I’m still adjusting to the little differences… not having to be accountable to anyone but myself, being able to go grocery shopping at four in the afternoon. Great power/great responsibility of course. I’m excited for the future!
Pittsburgh Pulse presents Dethlehem
My good buddy Urban, of Blood Dumpster fame on EndgameRadio, super hilarious dude who I have much bromance for has taken on the persona of Lord Bonecrush, and is visiting our realm with his band of heroes known as the “Adventure Metal” band Dethlehem. Here’s a 30 min video of them being interviewed for 15 min and then performing for 15 min. If you don’t have 30 min, take the time to at least skip to the middle and check out one of their songs.
Resumes & Characters & Games
I’m sitting here, really enjoying chopping up and smoothing over my resume and it just dawned on me: I actually really do enjoy working on this document. I’ve not had to do it often, but after some thought I realize now why I enjoy it so much.
Building a resume is very similar to developing a character for a story or a game. Very, very similar to building a character for a tabletop pen-and-paper RPG. Obviously, you aren’t (or shouldn’t be) fabricating aspects of yourself, but my mind wanders and finds many correlations.
Screenwriters and ‘professional storytellers’ often use character-defining exercises like writing back stories for their characters to help flesh them out and seem more real. They define the character’s idiosyncrasies, like what their favorite color or food is, what their parents names are, where they were born. Some/most of this information never sees the light of day, so to speak, but it helps the author see through the eyes of the character and help make more realistic decisions.
Character sheets for games serve many purposes. One of them is to allow the player to show the ‘game master’ what they want to do or be. If put points into strength, I want to be strong. What super powers I choose in this game dictates the tools I have at my disposal. It also serves as a record; once you establish the character, begin playing, and aquire experience and ‘grow,’ the sheet helps keep track of that growth and progress.
When working on a resume, it’s important to fine-tune it so that it represent the aspects of your ‘character’ that you think are relevant for the job you are trying to get. While I am very proud of my tenure as a professional baseball mascot, that may not help my chances landing a sweet job as a mercenary. You put your best, most relevant foot forward.
As I sit here and work on my resume, I can’t help but think, “Ok, I wonder what a stranger looking at this will think of me?” which is probably a good thing to think. In many cases, I have to hold back. I have a lot I would love to share and think to be totally appropiate, but I can’t fit it on a page or two. I understand that ultimately that’s what the interview is for, but still it makes me antsy.
For as formal, and sometimes archaic a process that the resume represents, it’s lucidly clear to me why it’s a ritual that’s stayed fairly simple since … however long resumes have been around for…
Learning to Make Your Own Reality – IGDA Education Keynote 2009
Insanely inspirational. I missed this live, but the slideshow gives a good jist of things.
Learning to Make Your Own Reality – IGDA Education Keynote 2009.
YouTube – You drive me oh oh oh by Juicy Panic
Wow, I wanna do this: