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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…

In a dystopian future, where organ failure runs rampant. A company emerges that creates organs and saves humanity. However, if you miss a payment, they come to collect the organ back. Sounds rad, right? Well it’s also a musical. Think Moulin Rouge meets Sin City.

Mark my words, this will be cult. Everyone and their mother is going to cosplay this stuff. Probably myself included.

Repo! The Genetic Opera Trailer HD from Sinemaestro on Vimeo.

My buddies are working on the greatest web series ever. I actually helped run boom mic for the back alley deal scene, it was amazing.

BRAWL – Episode 1 : Twilight Ruin from There Will Be BRAWL on Vimeo.

http://www.therewillbebrawl.com/

Please spread this around!

So Saturday night, I had a really awesome evening, for many, many reasons. It really shook me to the bone. I wanted to tell this story both to document it and to share it with you all. This story is about people, connections, synchronicity and serendipity.

So since the story is about the people, it’s important that I introduce the cast of characters involved.

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My buddy Matt wrote this with my hetero life mate, Jack, who I love like a brother from another mother and spoon whenever I get the chance, and it’s now coming to life. Check out the trailer, it’s short. It is what it sounds like, a good-old slasher flick that takes place in a LAN party set in a slaughterhouse. Everyone involved is a gamer in some capacity, so they aren’t just exploiting the demographic. The script is awesome, it’s going to be great.

http://www.lanpartymassacre.com/lan_party_massacre_teaser.html

I don’t want to be that guy that says “I liked this show before you,” but I liked this show like five years ago. A few of my friends are from England, and they imported this over here for us to watch. We literally watched an episode or three whenever we hung out. Over and over, it was ritual.

This show, I say this with the utmost sincerity, is my favorite television show in all of creation. It’s masterfully crafted, hilarious, but also ‘real,’ it has it’s share of drama, and some of the messages it has are very valid. The show is ‘only’ two seasons long, but each individual season has it’s own amazing conclusion, as well as both seasons tie together wonderfully. The characters are amazing as well. I want to tell stories like this.

Turns out they are finally putting out on DVD July 22nd. American release, previously it was a different region or whatever, you could watch it if your player could handle it. One of my favorite things about the DVD release is that it has a special feature called the Homage-O-Meter, which is basically a set of subtitles that point out ANY references made in the show. Both pop culture, and to other episodes.

I could rant about it for hours, and I often do. If you’ve not seen it, do yourself a favor and get it and watch it.

http://www.google.com/search?q=spaced+dvd+july+22&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS224US226

Wall-E was soooo very good.  It’s honestly masterful storytelling.  No spoilers but just in case:

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So I go to youtube to watch/listen to one of my favorite music ids, Knights of Cydonia.

In the comments, I see:
“MUSE + Joseph Kahn = GREATNESS”

I look up Joseph Kahn on google, and find his IMDB, then I see:

“Neuromancer (2009) (pre-production)”

OMG. /dies

Edit: Wow, look at all the videos he’s made. Jeeeez…

This is a very, very legendary statement:

The games industry has not historically paid royalties and residuals for voice acting and motion capture work because, according to entertainment company lawyer Ezra J. Doner, “What drives video games is not Tracy and Hepburn; what drives it is the conception of the creative director. The actor whose appearance or voice is used is more analogous to a session music for a band. The session musicians don’t get residuals on the sales of the CD. They get paid a session fee.” There is also concern among gaming executives that offering royalties to actors will lead to all individual developers and artists working in games to request similar treatment.

Games aren’t driven by the talent…………. YET. This is a perfect example of the clash of Hollywood vs. Games, they are still figuring out how to play with each other. Saying a voice actor is just a ’session musician’ or ’session actor’ is a bit insulting. Especially if these voice actors become known as a result of these games.

It is completely reasonable for me to say that at some point I may get a game because of the voice acting. I do agree that other people involved with game creation will want residuals but… wait.. what’s that? They DO get them! They are called roaylties!

I’m also amused at all the comments of people saying “WTF 100,000$ and they are asking for more? What babies! I get paid 8 dollars an hour and I make due with my life!” That’s not the point people.

Also having just purchased GTA (:3!) I can say that the voice actors deserve a little something-something.

GTA Voice Actors Upset Over Poor Pay : Next Generation – Interactive Entertainment Today, Video Game and Industry News – Home of Edge Online