I'm on a production crew at an entertainment company. Over the past year, I've seen my company's stock decline, various perks reduced, and many friends and colleagues leave (and yes, "productivity" increase!). However, none of us have really seen a sharp increase in workload. Thing is, we're hired for a certain amount of time and once the production's over, we're gone (or "on hiatus" if it's an ongoing production). This way, the company can set a budget for talent at the very beginning, hire the best people for the job, and then let them go once their part is done. It sucks, but that's the way things run around here. All of us are well aware of it, and we all keep are portfolios updated and our skills sharpened in preparation for any future rounds of job hunting.
I once read something-- I think it was Seamus Blackley talking about the video game industry-- about why the movie/television production model wasn't followed more often (specialists hired for a short amount of time as opposed to generalists on staff). I think it's because people get into certain fields (such as tech) not expecting to be hired for the project but for the company. It's a different mode of thinking (for both employers and employees) but I think it could be one that would work for other professions, particularly project-oriented ones like programming. It would mean less layoffs as well, especially for those people who do the actual "work".
Don't think of it as "freelancing" either... I get full benefits despite being on a production crew.
This error message has been known to show up in Adobe After Effects 4.0 and higher. Note that one of the solutions given by Adobe is to use version 4.1-- but apparently, that doesn't really work. If I remember correctly, this bug has appeared on coworkers workstations while using AE 4.1 or AE 5.0. Also, none of us use bitmaps...
I've never gotten this error message myself, so I don't know exactly what sort of magic is running this program, or what topics are failing. o_O
Well, it's not like there's NO women who play first-person shooters. I've been playing FPS's on and off since Wolfenstein 3D; currently, I get on a LAN every Friday with some friends for a few rounds of Unreal Tournament. Admittedly, I'm the only female in the bunch, but that doesn't deter me; and I've built up my skills to be as good as the guys. I'm getting UT 2003 this weekend and I can't wait to play it:D Of course, I have to finish Return to Castle Wolfenstein, first;)
And games don't have to have plots to be good. There's many of them that don't, and are best-sellers and popular with people from both sexes; games like Tetris, for example.
I can actually see this. Cut his hair a little and he'd be a dead ringer for an older Kaneda. Plus if anyone could yell "TETSUO!", it would be our boy Keanu:)
This is the type of movie that wouldn't require any heavy acting (except for the Colonel and the super-aged kids, of course)-- that is, if they do follow the anime rather than the manga.
Still no good for me, as I use both Mac and PC. So I guess I'd be stuck with using one of those Mac-to-PC iPod programs. However, I'm holding off on getting an iPod until I can find such a program that has most, if not all of the features I want (iTunes notwithstanding).
Funny, I thought it was a GeForce 2. I mean, if it was a GeForce 4, then the XBox would've cost at least twice what it did on launch...
Re:Down with specialized pieces
on
Lego Addictions
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· Score: 1
I have to agree with this-- the Star Wars sets are some of the best things Lego has going. I think that the blockiness of the spaceships' designs have a lot to do with the prevalance of "regular" Lego pieces, thus the lack of specialized bricks.
Anyone remember this series? It was never very popular in the US, but Fantaland was kind of a midway point between Duplo and Lego. Anyway, I think it was one of the earliest Lego lines to predominantly use specialized pieces in its sets-- and this was waaay back in the 70s and early 80s. I noticed a few years ago that the newer Duplo sets were starting to look like the old Fantaland sets, in their lack of actual regular bricks...
Re:Down with specialized pieces
on
Lego Addictions
·
· Score: 1
You definately don't want to see the most recent castle sets then. I got one for my birthday last year and it came with a disproportionately small number of pieces-- and practically all of them were "specialized". This made it even more difficult to build something other than the set model than the castles from fifteen years ago.
Needless to say, I don't even look at the new castle-themed sets these days...
1) Working as a TA in an elementary school where I had to test out some Reader Rabbit games and an "Adventures of Lolo"-style puzzle game for use in the classroom.
2) Doing a science fair project back in middle school on video games and hand-eye coordination. The project won first place and went to county, where it won second place.
I'm all for more gaming in the classroom, as games can teach basic skills like critical thinking and logic.
I don't think games these days tend to suck. Sure, the same ideas pop up over and over again, but I think that's just another sign of the video game industry's maturity. After all, you don't hear people complain so much about one action movie being the same as all the rest, but with video games, people expect something new and different every time.
And I love Final Fantasy... but after playing Kingdom Hearts yesterday, I really think Square should consider making a platformer ^_^
I saw it at a special pre-screening this Wednesday. This was my second time seeing it (the first time was as a subtitled AVI), and I was really impressed both by the cinematic feel of the film and the quality of the adapted script and dubbing. Of course, Disney's done good dubs before (check out Kiki's Delivery Service, which has Phil Hartman as the cat Jiji!). This is definately my new favorite Miyazaki film (move over Totoro!), and although it's clearly a children's movie, I think that people of any age will enjoy it.
I read it, and although it was indeed well-written, there was a very large factual error. As even the most casual animation history buff would know, Steamboat Willie was NOT the first Mickey Mouse cartoon; rather, it was the first Mickey short-- and the first American cartoon ever-- with synchronized sound. Steamboat Willie is the third Mickey film; the two silent ones that came before it were Plane Crazy and Gallopin' Gaucho.
The article does point out-- correctly-- that Disney's lobbying for copyright extentions has a lot to do with the Steamboat Willie and a many other early shorts. Willie stands out because of it's historical signifigance (all the more reason for it to enter public domain, IMHO), but it's often misquoted as being the first "Mickey". I hope Lessig doesn't use this misquote in his case against the Supreme Court. I'm all for the idea of copyright, but the lengthening of copyright extentions to protect such documents has gotten way out of hand. Obviously, this issue has been discussed in the animation industry for years, and there are many animators-- both working and retired, corporate and indie-- who are against the Copyright Term Extention Act, simply because it is detrimental to the cause of film preservation. Disney is supposed to have an incredibly well-maintained archive, but there are many, many non-Disney motion pictures that are deteriorating due to their owners' negligence.
If Pixar's contract with Disney hasn't expired by that time, how cool would it be to have them animate the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation robots?
"All the doors in this spaceship have a cheerful and sunny disposition." Pixar's bright, plastic style of character modeling would fit like a glove:)
Also, since Zaphod Beeblebrox has two heads, are they going to get two actors to play him? And if so, who's body are they going to use? And what about the arms?:P
I've had my own little issues with the airports and the INS since "nine-eleven", but sometimes the most profound changes are the subtle, everyday ones.
I get into Penn Station, and there are National Guardsmen scattered here and there. Walking to work, I pass souvenir stores with "FDNY" shirts and WTC postcards prominently displayed. Lots of people on the streets are wearing "FDNY" and "NYPD" clothing too. I pass by the bronze fireman statue on 44th (I think) and 8th, which is now no longer on a flatbed and has been permanently installed. A few more blocks up, and I pass the local fire station. Much of the stuff that's been sent to them from all over the country can be seen whenever the large doors are open. On the outside of the building as well. I get to work. "Can I see your ID, please?" Work like normal. During lunch, the Fox News channel blares paranoia. More work. Decide to hit the comic book store tonight-- they've got the new books in a day early this week due to "nine-eleven". Penn Station, more national guardsmen. Get home, feeling sick of this whole thing.
Oh yeah, and tiny little American flags are everywhere.
One thing I like to do: take the downtown E train. The cars still say "World Trade Center" as a destination. The conductors even announce it as a stop. Makes things feel a bit more sane, in a strange way.
I'm going in to work tomorrow, but I'm dreading it. I want it to be a normal day, which it should be, but I already know it won't be.
Yes, but I think the "stranglehold" has worked to Apple's benefit-- I mean, it's like comparing an original lithograph to a mass-produced print. The more slapped-together nature of PC hardware has resulted in a shoddier product with greater potential for conflicts between hardware, programs, drivers, and so on. Mac's zealous control over its hardware means a more stable, reliable machine, period. And yes, I have had hardware problems with Macs, but they've been nowhere near as bad as those that I've had with PCs.
The site that had the Chu Chu Rocket commercial was probably Gamespot. I remember seeing a really hilarious Japanese ad for Samba De Amigo on there once. I believe you need a subscription to access their media files, nowadays...
I knew Plympton did commercials, but I don't remember seeing one for a video game... some gig he got through Acme Filmworks, maybe?
BTW, here's the scoop on his latest indie project
How about a pop-up ad that promises to remove pop-ups forever?! I forgot the software's name (it wasn't one that I was familiar with, either), but I've seen the ad for it-- in pop-up form-- at least twice this week...
Slashdot Mirror
I once read something-- I think it was Seamus Blackley talking about the video game industry-- about why the movie/television production model wasn't followed more often (specialists hired for a short amount of time as opposed to generalists on staff). I think it's because people get into certain fields (such as tech) not expecting to be hired for the project but for the company. It's a different mode of thinking (for both employers and employees) but I think it could be one that would work for other professions, particularly project-oriented ones like programming. It would mean less layoffs as well, especially for those people who do the actual "work".
Don't think of it as "freelancing" either... I get full benefits despite being on a production crew.
This error message has been known to show up in Adobe After Effects 4.0 and higher. Note that one of the solutions given by Adobe is to use version 4.1-- but apparently, that doesn't really work. If I remember correctly, this bug has appeared on coworkers workstations while using AE 4.1 or AE 5.0. Also, none of us use bitmaps...
I've never gotten this error message myself, so I don't know exactly what sort of magic is running this program, or what topics are failing. o_O
The Video Game Girl Webring
And games don't have to have plots to be good. There's many of them that don't, and are best-sellers and popular with people from both sexes; games like Tetris, for example.
I can actually see this. Cut his hair a little and he'd be a dead ringer for an older Kaneda. Plus if anyone could yell "TETSUO!", it would be our boy Keanu :)
This is the type of movie that wouldn't require any heavy acting (except for the Colonel and the super-aged kids, of course)-- that is, if they do follow the anime rather than the manga.
I submitted a story to /. last week about the Doom movie, when I found out about it via Animation Magazine... ahh well.
Still no good for me, as I use both Mac and PC. So I guess I'd be stuck with using one of those Mac-to-PC iPod programs. However, I'm holding off on getting an iPod until I can find such a program that has most, if not all of the features I want (iTunes notwithstanding).
Funny, I thought it was a GeForce 2. I mean, if it was a GeForce 4, then the XBox would've cost at least twice what it did on launch...
I have to agree with this-- the Star Wars sets are some of the best things Lego has going. I think that the blockiness of the spaceships' designs have a lot to do with the prevalance of "regular" Lego pieces, thus the lack of specialized bricks.
Anyone remember this series? It was never very popular in the US, but Fantaland was kind of a midway point between Duplo and Lego. Anyway, I think it was one of the earliest Lego lines to predominantly use specialized pieces in its sets-- and this was waaay back in the 70s and early 80s. I noticed a few years ago that the newer Duplo sets were starting to look like the old Fantaland sets, in their lack of actual regular bricks...
Needless to say, I don't even look at the new castle-themed sets these days...
2) Doing a science fair project back in middle school on video games and hand-eye coordination. The project won first place and went to county, where it won second place.
I'm all for more gaming in the classroom, as games can teach basic skills like critical thinking and logic.
And I love Final Fantasy... but after playing Kingdom Hearts yesterday, I really think Square should consider making a platformer ^_^
I saw it at a special pre-screening this Wednesday. This was my second time seeing it (the first time was as a subtitled AVI), and I was really impressed both by the cinematic feel of the film and the quality of the adapted script and dubbing. Of course, Disney's done good dubs before (check out Kiki's Delivery Service, which has Phil Hartman as the cat Jiji!). This is definately my new favorite Miyazaki film (move over Totoro!), and although it's clearly a children's movie, I think that people of any age will enjoy it.
The article does point out-- correctly-- that Disney's lobbying for copyright extentions has a lot to do with the Steamboat Willie and a many other early shorts. Willie stands out because of it's historical signifigance (all the more reason for it to enter public domain, IMHO), but it's often misquoted as being the first "Mickey". I hope Lessig doesn't use this misquote in his case against the Supreme Court. I'm all for the idea of copyright, but the lengthening of copyright extentions to protect such documents has gotten way out of hand. Obviously, this issue has been discussed in the animation industry for years, and there are many animators-- both working and retired, corporate and indie-- who are against the Copyright Term Extention Act, simply because it is detrimental to the cause of film preservation. Disney is supposed to have an incredibly well-maintained archive, but there are many, many non-Disney motion pictures that are deteriorating due to their owners' negligence.
"All the doors in this spaceship have a cheerful and sunny disposition." Pixar's bright, plastic style of character modeling would fit like a glove :)
Also, since Zaphod Beeblebrox has two heads, are they going to get two actors to play him? And if so, who's body are they going to use? And what about the arms? :P
I saw it. The one wart on an otherwise beautiful film-- and the greatest proof there is that Keanu Reeves is no thespian.
I get into Penn Station, and there are National Guardsmen scattered here and there. Walking to work, I pass souvenir stores with "FDNY" shirts and WTC postcards prominently displayed. Lots of people on the streets are wearing "FDNY" and "NYPD" clothing too. I pass by the bronze fireman statue on 44th (I think) and 8th, which is now no longer on a flatbed and has been permanently installed. A few more blocks up, and I pass the local fire station. Much of the stuff that's been sent to them from all over the country can be seen whenever the large doors are open. On the outside of the building as well. I get to work. "Can I see your ID, please?" Work like normal. During lunch, the Fox News channel blares paranoia. More work. Decide to hit the comic book store tonight-- they've got the new books in a day early this week due to "nine-eleven". Penn Station, more national guardsmen. Get home, feeling sick of this whole thing.
Oh yeah, and tiny little American flags are everywhere.
One thing I like to do: take the downtown E train. The cars still say "World Trade Center" as a destination. The conductors even announce it as a stop. Makes things feel a bit more sane, in a strange way.
I'm going in to work tomorrow, but I'm dreading it. I want it to be a normal day, which it should be, but I already know it won't be.
Yes, but I think the "stranglehold" has worked to Apple's benefit-- I mean, it's like comparing an original lithograph to a mass-produced print. The more slapped-together nature of PC hardware has resulted in a shoddier product with greater potential for conflicts between hardware, programs, drivers, and so on. Mac's zealous control over its hardware means a more stable, reliable machine, period. And yes, I have had hardware problems with Macs, but they've been nowhere near as bad as those that I've had with PCs.
The site that had the Chu Chu Rocket commercial was probably Gamespot. I remember seeing a really hilarious Japanese ad for Samba De Amigo on there once. I believe you need a subscription to access their media files, nowadays...
I knew Plympton did commercials, but I don't remember seeing one for a video game... some gig he got through Acme Filmworks, maybe? BTW, here's the scoop on his latest indie project
I have Mozilla, but through force of habit, I'm still using IE for most of my web browsing.
How about a pop-up ad that promises to remove pop-ups forever?! I forgot the software's name (it wasn't one that I was familiar with, either), but I've seen the ad for it-- in pop-up form-- at least twice this week...