Friday, September 28, 2012
Shoot me now
I think it's fair to say at this point that yes, I can blog. I know how, but I don't have the patience or desire for it. I have read some hilarious and interesting blogs in the past however. My favorite is Hyperbole and a Half. Check it out here for some good laughs Hyperbole and a Half.
Storytelling in video games
I don't play video games very often. When I do it's usually just for an hour or 2 a few times a week. So when I get hooked on a game it's usually because it has a very engaging story. I almost don't like these kind of games because I get so hooked I spend hours at a time playing. The most recent 2 I can think of are Mass Effect 3 and Fallout 3. I beat Fallout New Vegas about a year ago I think, it had a decent story, I loved the world they created. The characters were fairly engaging and the amount of subplots was fun. The idea that depending on what I said and who I attacked would change the game across the whole game world was amazing. The world was huge, you could walk and walk and not know where the end was. There were good and bad that came with that. It took forever. Not because I was bad at the game, I was and died a lot, but you have to walk to places before you can fast travel there. That takes a long time. That may be my only complaint. The story didn't have me enthralled, it kept me playing but it was nothing I'd recommend or tell people about. It was a fun time with an interesting world that had tons of quests and characters.
Fallout 3 has an extremely similar layout, however instead of taking place in the desert, it mostly takes place in the subways of DC. I prefer the openness of New Vegas, the close quarters of Fallout 3 make me a little claustrophobic.
The game I really want to mention here is Mass Effect. I bought the game for 5 bucks on steam because, hey, it's 5 bucks. I had heard the game was good years ago and decided I may as well try it out. I bought Mass Effect 2 at the same time because it was also $5 and I figured I may as well not pass up on the limited time deal. Mass effect had a slow start. I don't like spending a lot of time in an inventory menu, which is something that bugs me a lot about Fallout, so this game was hard for me to get into. The story was intriguing enough to keep me playing. I started out as a low ranking soldier. I commanded a small squad. That was all. They introduced soon after you begin playing a rank in the universe known as Spectres. These guys are basically above the law and trusted to do the right thing. There are several alien races which all use the mass effect relays to travel between solar systems. There is a race or rogue AI robots that has been causing trouble on the border planets, so you go check it out. You see a spectre betrayed by a fellow spectre, but the alien leaders refuse to do anything about it. You find out about something called a reaper and begin investigating. Long story short, you're eventually promoted to Spectre status. During the game, you get dialogue options, you can choose the good or 'paragon' option which is considered the generally peaceful or correct way or a 'renegade' option which is the tough guy rebellious choice. The game keeps track and if you are consistent it occasionally gives you addition options in dialogue that you wouldn't get if you were inconsistent with your choices. It had a great story, and at the end forces you to choose between 2 teammates that you can save. You cannot save both, and whichever one you choose will be alive in the next game. Never have I seen that in a game. It was incredible. The choices I made the first game actually carried into the next. I finished the second game which was by far the best game story I have ever played and the best ever made. After finishing it I was so happy to hear a 3rd and final addition was being made. For the first time ever I actually pre-ordered a game. Like I said, I don't play that many games and I sure don't get so into them that I pre-order them, so this was a big deal. I beat the 3rd game in 2 days, which meant I played it for way too long in a short amount of time. However it was cool to be able to beat it so quickly because I could remember every part of the story thus far. I finally came to the end. The battle for earth, I couldn't believe that a game was causing me to feel emotion for fictional characters even more than I have in any movie. The way they created this world and its characters was top notch, it was playing Mass Effect 2 and 3 that I realized that video games have the potential to be a far stronger medium for storytelling than movies because they aren't passive but interactive. I won't go on my rant about the ending of the series. With so many variables they must have tried to funnel it down into 1 option for all and that really pissed off a lot of people. So much so that EA was actually voted worst company in America, even over Bank of America. Back to my point, I actually considered changing my focus in digital media because of the franchise. I would still love get involved in storytelling through gaming. Maybe one day.
The game I really want to mention here is Mass Effect. I bought the game for 5 bucks on steam because, hey, it's 5 bucks. I had heard the game was good years ago and decided I may as well try it out. I bought Mass Effect 2 at the same time because it was also $5 and I figured I may as well not pass up on the limited time deal. Mass effect had a slow start. I don't like spending a lot of time in an inventory menu, which is something that bugs me a lot about Fallout, so this game was hard for me to get into. The story was intriguing enough to keep me playing. I started out as a low ranking soldier. I commanded a small squad. That was all. They introduced soon after you begin playing a rank in the universe known as Spectres. These guys are basically above the law and trusted to do the right thing. There are several alien races which all use the mass effect relays to travel between solar systems. There is a race or rogue AI robots that has been causing trouble on the border planets, so you go check it out. You see a spectre betrayed by a fellow spectre, but the alien leaders refuse to do anything about it. You find out about something called a reaper and begin investigating. Long story short, you're eventually promoted to Spectre status. During the game, you get dialogue options, you can choose the good or 'paragon' option which is considered the generally peaceful or correct way or a 'renegade' option which is the tough guy rebellious choice. The game keeps track and if you are consistent it occasionally gives you addition options in dialogue that you wouldn't get if you were inconsistent with your choices. It had a great story, and at the end forces you to choose between 2 teammates that you can save. You cannot save both, and whichever one you choose will be alive in the next game. Never have I seen that in a game. It was incredible. The choices I made the first game actually carried into the next. I finished the second game which was by far the best game story I have ever played and the best ever made. After finishing it I was so happy to hear a 3rd and final addition was being made. For the first time ever I actually pre-ordered a game. Like I said, I don't play that many games and I sure don't get so into them that I pre-order them, so this was a big deal. I beat the 3rd game in 2 days, which meant I played it for way too long in a short amount of time. However it was cool to be able to beat it so quickly because I could remember every part of the story thus far. I finally came to the end. The battle for earth, I couldn't believe that a game was causing me to feel emotion for fictional characters even more than I have in any movie. The way they created this world and its characters was top notch, it was playing Mass Effect 2 and 3 that I realized that video games have the potential to be a far stronger medium for storytelling than movies because they aren't passive but interactive. I won't go on my rant about the ending of the series. With so many variables they must have tried to funnel it down into 1 option for all and that really pissed off a lot of people. So much so that EA was actually voted worst company in America, even over Bank of America. Back to my point, I actually considered changing my focus in digital media because of the franchise. I would still love get involved in storytelling through gaming. Maybe one day.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Music Videos
I find music videos very interesting. At the very same time I am completely baffled by them. What I mean by that is the bands I would expect to have creative stories told through their video tend to have really crappy incoherent videos. The bands I'd expect to have generic crappy videos actually have surprisingly good ones. I'll give a few examples of each.
#1 Good video
Stick with me here, I know there are a lot of Nickelback haters out there. I have become one myself recently since I found out he's dating Avril Lavigne who I consider to be the worst person in music. I got to give it to them on music videos, the guys they hire to make them know how to tell a story in about 3 minutes and pretty darn well.
I know right?! Pretty awesome storytelling for a short video by a mainstream band. It has a 6th-sensy charm to it.
#1 Bad
Now I love Breaking Benjamin, which is why it hurts me to write this video into the mix. There was a lot of story potential here.
Glad you wasted 4 minutes of your life to see what you already knew you were going to see in the first 30 seconds? The video is visually great, however it's just them walking in a swamp for 4 minutes and then a guy drowns in the last 2 seconds. No surprise, no story.
#2 Good
This video may not be an incredible story, but there is a fun story here with a beginning, middle and end. My standards for dubstep videos is very, very low. So when I see a video that is not only visually fantastic, engaging but also has a good story, I have to give it credit.
What happens when a pedophile follows a little girl into a basement? Awesome happens apparently. This video really gets your emotions going. Our society hates a lot of people, but I don't know that anyone gets more hate than pedophiles. People are disgusted with them, so when we see the opening shot we are immediately worried for the little girl and want to do something to stop him. As she enters the basement we see that this doesn't seem like a place she would be purposefully going to, and then we get the magic demon throwing him around before he's finally, and satisfyingly killed. We think to ourselves good, he deserved it. Few music videos can play with your emotions this much.
#2 Bad
For the sake of time and my sanity this will have to be the last one. Three Days Grace doesn't write the most intriguing songs however this is just, just watch.
They didn't even try, this has not story whatsoever. It's just guys standing in front of a green screen and then paint later. Zero to do with the song.
I have worked on music videos before, never on the story aspect but they have all had to do with the song. I don't get why some of these videos even get made.
#1 Good video
Stick with me here, I know there are a lot of Nickelback haters out there. I have become one myself recently since I found out he's dating Avril Lavigne who I consider to be the worst person in music. I got to give it to them on music videos, the guys they hire to make them know how to tell a story in about 3 minutes and pretty darn well.
I know right?! Pretty awesome storytelling for a short video by a mainstream band. It has a 6th-sensy charm to it.
#1 Bad
Now I love Breaking Benjamin, which is why it hurts me to write this video into the mix. There was a lot of story potential here.
#2 Good
This video may not be an incredible story, but there is a fun story here with a beginning, middle and end. My standards for dubstep videos is very, very low. So when I see a video that is not only visually fantastic, engaging but also has a good story, I have to give it credit.
What happens when a pedophile follows a little girl into a basement? Awesome happens apparently. This video really gets your emotions going. Our society hates a lot of people, but I don't know that anyone gets more hate than pedophiles. People are disgusted with them, so when we see the opening shot we are immediately worried for the little girl and want to do something to stop him. As she enters the basement we see that this doesn't seem like a place she would be purposefully going to, and then we get the magic demon throwing him around before he's finally, and satisfyingly killed. We think to ourselves good, he deserved it. Few music videos can play with your emotions this much.
#2 Bad
For the sake of time and my sanity this will have to be the last one. Three Days Grace doesn't write the most intriguing songs however this is just, just watch.
I have worked on music videos before, never on the story aspect but they have all had to do with the song. I don't get why some of these videos even get made.
3D
I just want to take a minute here and vent about 3D. I generally hate 3D, it rarely adds to story and is a crappy gimmick to get people to say ooh and ahh as piece of something flies towards them via the screen. That being said if I don't have to pay for it, I find it much more enjoyable. I spend the last 30 minutes watching some 3D video reels on youtube on my Evo 3D phone and they look really cool. That being said, its just a compilation of ooh and ahh moments. I cringed a little inside when a baseball was coming towards the screen and sped up towards me but at no point was it related to any kind of story. I could see 3D adding a lot to stress of an audience if a main character is running from something or dodging things. I would be interested to see how it worked with 'My Bloody Valentine 3D'. I never saw it but it'd be interesting to see if it made it more frightening. Horror movies rarely have a story worth caring about however so I don't see the push for this generally unwanted tech. I realize that adding 3D increases profits by a lot, but how many of those people would have rather seen it in 2D and couldn't because the theaters only have a few freaking 2D showings and its more convenient generally to just see it in 3D. I had to go out of my way to see the Avengers in 2D as well as many other movies. The real issue here is that for me, after about 30 minutes I start getting headache. My eyes will generally start watering a few times during the showing and it's just not nearly as enjoyable. Perhaps it's because I don't have perfect vision. I still see well enough to read, drive and live day to day with no noticeable blur, however my left eye is farsighted. Maybe I'm just not getting the experience how the inventors intended. I hate wearing glasses. The benefit for me doesn't justify the stress. Many people who wear glasses or contacts may be shaking their heads and calling me lazy right now and I totally understand. The thing is though that my vision is really that close to being good. It's almost like I'd be wearing glasses to make a fashion statement because they don't do much. If I feel like my eyes are getting tired I may wear them to read but other than that I function as if I had perfect vision. Now that we're past that tangent, I really wonder if people would feel better about 3D if it didn't cost extra at the theater. I wonder if some people would still opt for 2D. Just an interesting thing to think about.
Video I took with my Evo 3D
Cell phones suck
Movie Reviewers
I have recently been intrigued by movie reviewers. There are so many things that influence whether or not a review of a movie is good and if a reviewer will be successful. They can't say that everything is great because they won't be reliable, and they can't hate everything because that would make them out to be a pompous douche. So you have to find a midway point, or not. Some are popular because they only like Oscar eligible style movies. Some are popular for their ability to predict what the masses will love. It is difficult to sift through and find a reviewer that has a very close taste to your own. I personally enjoy a youtube review channel called BeyondtheTrailer. They interview people that are leaving the theater, asking a few questions and making sure not to give away any spoilers. It's fantastic. Granted you are mostly seeing people who actually wanted to see the movie. Which makes total sense, why would you watch a movie review of a movie you definitely don't want to watch. At the same time it's great to know that some of the people may be like you and weren't sure if they would want to watch it. Sometimes even fans of the actor/movie/franchise end up hating the movie. I personally though for sure that the 3 Stooges movie would bomb terribly and get a terrible review. For some reason I didn't even think to account for kids watching it since they are a very old TV franchise. Kids loved it. I also found a movie critic named Jeremy Jahns, we mostly enjoy the same movies and I have been pretty happy with his reviews. Only once or twice have I ever watched a movie after seeing his review and wondered what Jeremy was thinking when he gave it a good/bad rating. Not sure why I decided to write on this subject. I just think it's amazing how many critics are out there, yet how incredibly difficult it can be to find one that agrees with you. I am also amazed that BeyondtheTrailer doesn't get more followers since it is a completely unbiased show of people leaving the theater. What more can you want?
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Kick A$$ movie review
Whoa, you aren't supposed to watch R rated movies are you? No, I try not to and am overall pretty successful at not doing it. However every once in awhile I break down and end up watching one that gets recommended to me over and over. First it was Tucker & Dale VS Evil, then Zombieland and now this. I must say I have wanted to see this movie for quite some time. Even when I do watch a movie I feel like I shouldn't, I always check the reason behind the rating. It's not always easy to tell with R rated movies however. The amount of gore I'll allow myself to be subjected to changes with time, it's also hard to know from someone's writing whether it will be too much gore for me. Everyone has their own opinions and I can only do my best to try and be true to me. Over the past few years I have become almost completely desensitized to swearing. Keep in mind I have never said a swear word in front of anyone, I don't feel the need to hold people to the same standard who aren't of my faith. The only time is bothers me is when it starts sounding unrealistic. I realize that depending on the part of the country your from that can vary to a degree, but for me its the west coast. I was raised in Vegas, I know how much people swear and if it starts sounding like they are trying too hard, or to little, by throwing in way too much swearing it bugs me and I'll watch something else. That being said, Kick Ass was right down my alley. Yes, it has a lot of swearing, but a realistic amount. Yes, it has gore, but its mild even compared to a TV show like The Walking Dead.
The movie is about a kid who decides he wants to be a superhero, gets a costume and tries to fight some bad guys. He gets stabbed and hit by a car, and has pins and rods all over his bones. This makes him able to take more of a beating. He decides to keep trying even after almost dying. He finds out other people, who don't suck at crime fighting start to do things as well. The plot escalates from there. It is a near perfect blend of comedy and action. It is fairly dark however when you really start taking it apart and analyzing it. Casting is great, acting is great and the script is great. There are very few criticisms I can make about this movie. It got me to root for a character played by Nicholas Cage, a feat I thought impossible until I saw this movie. Nick plays a character called Big Daddy and his daughter Hit Girl fight alongside each other. Big Daddy was my favorite character. He was like Batman but somehow more awesome. No one has any actual powers and that's what makes this movie so great. I would recommend this to anyone who loves Scott Pilgrim VS the World. This movie definitely won't appeal to everyone, and numbers have proven that neither of these movies appeal to a ton of people and have so far been deemed cult classics. I give this 8 out of 10 however and if you're not put off by a lot of swearing and some occasional low level gore then you will probably enjoy this movie.
Oh gosh, one of these again
What happens when you have to find something to write about? This, this is what I've succumbed to. My sister got married this weekend and now I get to play catch up for the last 2 days.
A little about me, well, a lot about me.
100 things that may or may not be true
1. Last beverage: water
2. Last phone call: some random lady who wants to buy a video camera I have for sale on KSL.
3. Last text message: my cousin blake
4. Last song you listened to: Recoil by Nonpoint
5. Last time you cried: I can't remember, the closest I've been to crying lately was when Big Daddy was dying in the movie Kick A$$
HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice : I'm not a second chance kind of person.
7. Been cheated on: Not to my knowledge.
8. Kissed someone & regretted it?: Yes and no.
9. Lost someone special?: Yes. Haven't we all?
10. Been depressed?: Yeah.
11. Been drunk? Nope.
LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12. Blue.
13. White.
14. A different kind of blue.
THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
15. Made new friends: Yeah.
16. Fallen out of love: No.
17. Laughed until you cried : Yes.
18. Met someone who changed you : Yes, quite unexpectedly.
19. Found out who your true friends were: No, I found that out already.
20. Found out someone was talking about you : Yes, but I get over that pretty quick.
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list: Yes, I don't typically kiss strangers.
23. How many kids do you want to have: 3-5.
24. Do you have any pets: No.
25. Do you want to change your name: I think I have an awesome name and I'd never change it.
26. What did you do for your last birthday: Went to Red Robin with friends.
27. What time did you wake up today : 10AM
28. What were you doing at midnight last night: Bowling with my future brother-in-law.
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for: Visit the girl I'm dating in Vegas next weekend.
30. Last time you saw your father: Tonight, before he went to bed.
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: I wish I lived close to the girl I like.
32. What are you listening to right now: The whirring of the computer.
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: I used to have a very good friend named Tom. 34. What's getting on your nerves right now? Being in a long distance relationship when I want to be in a close distance relationship.
36. Whats your real name? Batman.
37. Relationship Status : I have a girlfriend.
38. Zodiac sign : Scorpio
39. Male or female : This question is stupid.
40. Elementary: Eisenburg
41. Middle School : Molasky
42. High school : Cimarron
43. Hair color: Blonde
44. Long or short : Short
45. Height : 5'10"
46. Do you have a crush on someone?: Yes
47. What do you like about yourself?: My sense of humor.
48. Piercings: No.
49. Tattoos: No.
50. Righty or lefty: Righty
FIRSTS :
51. First surgery: Appendix was removed at 12 years old
52. First piercing : No
53. First tattoo: Some quarter machine back in the day
54. First best friend : I'm thinking Phillip maybe?
55. First sport you joined: Teeball
56. First pet : Some stupid fish
57. First vacation: Probably Del Mar
58. First concert : I'm thinking Crossfade
59. First crush: I'm thinking possibly a Brittany in 5th Grade
60. First alcohol drink : The only thing I've had with alcohol is NyQuil
RIGHT NOW:
61. Eating: Toast
62. Drinking: Water
63. I'm about to : Answer the question
64. Listening to: Nothing, I'm not listening to anything, it's late.
65. Waitin for: Myself to be tired enough to fall asleep quickly.
YOUR FUTURE :
66. Want kids? : Yes
67. Want to get married? : Yeah
68. Careers in mind?: Yes
WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
69. Lips or eyes : Eyes
70. Hugs or kisses: Depends on the person.
71. Shorter or taller: Shorter, really tall women freak me out.
72. Older or Younger : Same age or older.
73. Romantic or spontaneous : Spontaneous, cheesy romance makes my pancreas hurt
74. Nice stomach or nice arms: That is an odd one to lump together. Stomach I guess.
75. Tattoos or piercings: Ear piercing is fine, not a fan of either otherwise.
76. Sensitive or loud : Vague.
77. Hook-up or relationship : Relationship.
78. Trouble maker or hesitant : Hesitant.
HAVE YOU EVER :
79. Kissed a stranger: No
80. Drank hard liquor: No
81. Lost glasses/contacts: Yes
82. Kissed on a first date: No
83. Broken someone's heart: Yeah
84. Had your own heart broken: Yes
85. Been arrested?: No
86. Turned someone down : Yes
87. Cried when someone died : Yeah.
88. Liked a friend that is a girl? : Yeah.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself : More often than not.
90. Miracles : Absolutely
91. Love at first sight : No
92. Heaven : Yes
93. Santa Claus : Get real.
94. Kissing on the first date? : No
95. Angels: Yes
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
96. Is there one person you want to be with right now? Yes
97. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? : No
98. Do you believe its possible to remain faithful forever? : Yes
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? You're welcome.
2. Last phone call: some random lady who wants to buy a video camera I have for sale on KSL.
3. Last text message: my cousin blake
4. Last song you listened to: Recoil by Nonpoint
5. Last time you cried: I can't remember, the closest I've been to crying lately was when Big Daddy was dying in the movie Kick A$$
HAVE YOU EVER:
6. Dated someone twice : I'm not a second chance kind of person.
7. Been cheated on: Not to my knowledge.
8. Kissed someone & regretted it?: Yes and no.
9. Lost someone special?: Yes. Haven't we all?
10. Been depressed?: Yeah.
11. Been drunk? Nope.
LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12. Blue.
13. White.
14. A different kind of blue.
THIS YEAR HAVE YOU:
15. Made new friends: Yeah.
16. Fallen out of love: No.
17. Laughed until you cried : Yes.
18. Met someone who changed you : Yes, quite unexpectedly.
19. Found out who your true friends were: No, I found that out already.
20. Found out someone was talking about you : Yes, but I get over that pretty quick.
21. Kissed anyone on your friend's list: Yes, I don't typically kiss strangers.
23. How many kids do you want to have: 3-5.
24. Do you have any pets: No.
25. Do you want to change your name: I think I have an awesome name and I'd never change it.
26. What did you do for your last birthday: Went to Red Robin with friends.
27. What time did you wake up today : 10AM
28. What were you doing at midnight last night: Bowling with my future brother-in-law.
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for: Visit the girl I'm dating in Vegas next weekend.
30. Last time you saw your father: Tonight, before he went to bed.
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: I wish I lived close to the girl I like.
32. What are you listening to right now: The whirring of the computer.
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: I used to have a very good friend named Tom. 34. What's getting on your nerves right now? Being in a long distance relationship when I want to be in a close distance relationship.
36. Whats your real name? Batman.
37. Relationship Status : I have a girlfriend.
38. Zodiac sign : Scorpio
39. Male or female : This question is stupid.
40. Elementary: Eisenburg
41. Middle School : Molasky
42. High school : Cimarron
43. Hair color: Blonde
44. Long or short : Short
45. Height : 5'10"
46. Do you have a crush on someone?: Yes
47. What do you like about yourself?: My sense of humor.
48. Piercings: No.
49. Tattoos: No.
50. Righty or lefty: Righty
FIRSTS :
51. First surgery: Appendix was removed at 12 years old
52. First piercing : No
53. First tattoo: Some quarter machine back in the day
54. First best friend : I'm thinking Phillip maybe?
55. First sport you joined: Teeball
56. First pet : Some stupid fish
57. First vacation: Probably Del Mar
58. First concert : I'm thinking Crossfade
59. First crush: I'm thinking possibly a Brittany in 5th Grade
60. First alcohol drink : The only thing I've had with alcohol is NyQuil
RIGHT NOW:
61. Eating: Toast
62. Drinking: Water
63. I'm about to : Answer the question
64. Listening to: Nothing, I'm not listening to anything, it's late.
65. Waitin for: Myself to be tired enough to fall asleep quickly.
YOUR FUTURE :
66. Want kids? : Yes
67. Want to get married? : Yeah
68. Careers in mind?: Yes
WHICH IS BETTER WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX?
69. Lips or eyes : Eyes
70. Hugs or kisses: Depends on the person.
71. Shorter or taller: Shorter, really tall women freak me out.
72. Older or Younger : Same age or older.
73. Romantic or spontaneous : Spontaneous, cheesy romance makes my pancreas hurt
74. Nice stomach or nice arms: That is an odd one to lump together. Stomach I guess.
75. Tattoos or piercings: Ear piercing is fine, not a fan of either otherwise.
76. Sensitive or loud : Vague.
77. Hook-up or relationship : Relationship.
78. Trouble maker or hesitant : Hesitant.
HAVE YOU EVER :
79. Kissed a stranger: No
80. Drank hard liquor: No
81. Lost glasses/contacts: Yes
82. Kissed on a first date: No
83. Broken someone's heart: Yeah
84. Had your own heart broken: Yes
85. Been arrested?: No
86. Turned someone down : Yes
87. Cried when someone died : Yeah.
88. Liked a friend that is a girl? : Yeah.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
89. Yourself : More often than not.
90. Miracles : Absolutely
91. Love at first sight : No
92. Heaven : Yes
93. Santa Claus : Get real.
94. Kissing on the first date? : No
95. Angels: Yes
ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
96. Is there one person you want to be with right now? Yes
97. Had more than one boyfriend/girlfriend at one time? : No
98. Do you believe its possible to remain faithful forever? : Yes
100. Posting this as 100 Truths? You're welcome.
4 Life lessons I learned from Left 4 Dead 2
4 Life lessons I learned from Left 4 Dead 2
#4 Everything in life is out to kill you.
Nature and time want you dead. Whether it’s a crazy serial killer in the forest, some malfunctioning elevator or a bad case of being really old, you’re going to die eventually. The first time I played Left 4 Dead my character was sitting quietly in a hallway and randomly a horde of extremely angry, athletic zombies came pouring out from what seemed to be every direction. At that moment I realized I had three options. One, I could freeze up and die. Two, run for my life and hope I don’t die. Third option, engage in a good old fashioned zombie beat down fighting my way through.
creativedoxfoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
(Sheesh, how many numbers are gonna be in this thing? 13, probably. I haven’t finished writing yet.)
I’ve responded in each way at some point. Heck, I still freeze up if a wasp gets near me. My first instinct during my teenage years was to run from problems or act like they weren’t there. Hint: Neither one or two are good ways to approach a problem. Well, I guess it’s OK to run from the Guy on a Buffalo, or if the problem might kill you. Definitely run if the problem is trying to kill you. When I got to my 20’s I hit the ‘fight through it’ phase which I am currently in. Things aren’t perfect for me but they are a hell of a lot better than when I was running from problems and standing still around wasps.
(Rosemary Ratcliff) (That bastard.)
#3 Spending a little time looking around may save your life.
Patience these days seems to run pretty thin, for the most part we live hectic lives and when we want things, we want them now. Which I imagine is why there is a drive thru almost everywhere.
creativedoxfoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
(Hi honey, Macy’s now has a drive thru!)
Many people say time is money. In Left4Dead, time is life or death, because every second spent doing anything but running towards a saferoom is increasing the odds that a decaying flash mob may try and rip your face off (or do a musical number, only time will tell). Sometimes we need to take a minute and see what is off to the sides. In the game you may find pills or an item that could help you make it out alive, even if you’re limping and about to crumble.
(phanlop88) (In real life random pills and shots will most likely not help you.)
As someone who occasionally has to live on a tight budget I began looking for better ways to buy things, be it food/electronics/whathaveyou. I saved a ton of money shopping online, to the point where I can’t walk into many stores without being completely horrified at their prices. This strategy got me through tough times, even though finding good deals and waiting for things wasn’t the path of least resistance.
(renjith krishnan) (Once again, random pills do not solve life’s problems.)
What I thought was a good friend of mine for a few years, one day confessed to me that she had skin cancer and asked me if she could borrow $100. At the time I had a crappy job and was going to community college, she was asking for a lot but I was able to scrape together the money. She then took it and went MIA for a few months.
http://morguefile.com/archive/display/671162 (That bastard.)
The next time I saw her she had leased a brand new Jetta and was moving into a nicer apartment. The borrowed money was never heard from again. Also the cancer was gone. A few years later a co-worker of mine pulled me aside one day and told me how he was in a tough spot and needed to borrow $200. I knew it was serious when the tears began to flow. I told him the best I could do was $120 and even though he never got back on his feet, as far as I know, he managed to pay me back $80. He did this even after I had repeatedly told him not to worry about it. Point is, in times of panic, people show their true colors.
(David Castillo Dominici) (Purple!)
(Piss hitting the fan.)
(The more the merrier.)
#4 Everything in life is out to kill you.
Nature and time want you dead. Whether it’s a crazy serial killer in the forest, some malfunctioning elevator or a bad case of being really old, you’re going to die eventually. The first time I played Left 4 Dead my character was sitting quietly in a hallway and randomly a horde of extremely angry, athletic zombies came pouring out from what seemed to be every direction. At that moment I realized I had three options. One, I could freeze up and die. Two, run for my life and hope I don’t die. Third option, engage in a good old fashioned zombie beat down fighting my way through.
creativedoxfoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
(Sheesh, how many numbers are gonna be in this thing? 13, probably. I haven’t finished writing yet.)
I’ve responded in each way at some point. Heck, I still freeze up if a wasp gets near me. My first instinct during my teenage years was to run from problems or act like they weren’t there. Hint: Neither one or two are good ways to approach a problem. Well, I guess it’s OK to run from the Guy on a Buffalo, or if the problem might kill you. Definitely run if the problem is trying to kill you. When I got to my 20’s I hit the ‘fight through it’ phase which I am currently in. Things aren’t perfect for me but they are a hell of a lot better than when I was running from problems and standing still around wasps.
(Rosemary Ratcliff) (That bastard.)
#3 Spending a little time looking around may save your life.
Patience these days seems to run pretty thin, for the most part we live hectic lives and when we want things, we want them now. Which I imagine is why there is a drive thru almost everywhere.
creativedoxfoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
(Hi honey, Macy’s now has a drive thru!)
Many people say time is money. In Left4Dead, time is life or death, because every second spent doing anything but running towards a saferoom is increasing the odds that a decaying flash mob may try and rip your face off (or do a musical number, only time will tell). Sometimes we need to take a minute and see what is off to the sides. In the game you may find pills or an item that could help you make it out alive, even if you’re limping and about to crumble.
(phanlop88) (In real life random pills and shots will most likely not help you.)
As someone who occasionally has to live on a tight budget I began looking for better ways to buy things, be it food/electronics/whathaveyou. I saved a ton of money shopping online, to the point where I can’t walk into many stores without being completely horrified at their prices. This strategy got me through tough times, even though finding good deals and waiting for things wasn’t the path of least resistance.
#2 Some people will screw you over for no reason.
Not
everyone has the ‘fight through it’ attitude, an example we recently
saw on The Walking Dead when Shane shot his comrade in the leg. You
might think in a video game, where the worst thing that could happen is
fake dying and starting over, that people would always try and help
their team no matter how bad things got. Well, that’s not the case. Some
people you don’t know may shoot you for no reason.
In Left 4 Dead the most likely case is that a teammate gets nervous and
ditches you when you need them because they want to make it, even after
you give them your pills.
(renjith krishnan) (Once again, random pills do not solve life’s problems.)
What I thought was a good friend of mine for a few years, one day confessed to me that she had skin cancer and asked me if she could borrow $100. At the time I had a crappy job and was going to community college, she was asking for a lot but I was able to scrape together the money. She then took it and went MIA for a few months.
http://morguefile.com/archive/display/671162 (That bastard.)
The next time I saw her she had leased a brand new Jetta and was moving into a nicer apartment. The borrowed money was never heard from again. Also the cancer was gone. A few years later a co-worker of mine pulled me aside one day and told me how he was in a tough spot and needed to borrow $200. I knew it was serious when the tears began to flow. I told him the best I could do was $120 and even though he never got back on his feet, as far as I know, he managed to pay me back $80. He did this even after I had repeatedly told him not to worry about it. Point is, in times of panic, people show their true colors.
(David Castillo Dominici) (Purple!)
#1 Good friends will stick with you, even if it means you all go down.
There
are a few people I really enjoy playing with online. Not because they
have silly voices or always win because they play way too much. I like
to play on their team because I know that when piss hits the fan,
they’ll stick around until we either make it through, or die trying.
(Piss hitting the fan.)
I
have a few select friends in real life that fit this category. Even if
one of us makes a mistake or acts like kind of a douche, I know they
won’t throw me under the bus. (I did find a picture of someone being
thrown under the bus, but it wasn’t pretty. Neither was the douche
picture.) I’ve learned that in life you need to find those kind of
people and get them on your team. I also recommend finding a special
someone with those qualities. If you get around to it after all that,
kill as many wasps as you can.
(The more the merrier.)
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Daily blog, for 10 days
Awesome. I am going to be responsible for writing about
something every day for 10 days straight. That's never happened before
so this should be interesting. Well luckily for you there's actually
been things going on lately. Most currently I have been working on a
kickstarter video for a friend of mine who is working for a major mobile
app company. He is an old mission companion of mine and has seen some
of my past videos and knows I am currently in the digital media program
at UVU. I accepted the challenge to basically take full responsibility
for this film. From the script to the final product I will be in charge.
The nice thing is I can make a few grand if they meet their goal. If
they don't however I leave with nothing but a video for my reel. Either
way I consider this a win win situation. Having a video that makes good
money that is virtually free to produce will be a big credit to me. I
was very cautious about taking the offer at first because I wasn't sure
if I could pull it off. They want to finish this by October and the
closer it gets the better I feel about where and how things are working
out. I asked a teacher that I had if I could use his office to shoot in
since that is where a lot of the scenes take place. We went to check it
out today and it looks awesome. I think the video will really gain some
validity using this office as if its our own. I had to leave but I guess
my friend and his associate talked to him after I left and he offered
the use of his delorian for the shoot. People love that stuff, giving
our video yet another edge to succeed. I am almost done with the story
board
and will then be creating the animatic most likely tomorrow. Hopefully I can use it and get credit for it in my storyboarding class as well. That's all for today and I guess I'll end it the same way I end my youtube videos, over and outie.
and will then be creating the animatic most likely tomorrow. Hopefully I can use it and get credit for it in my storyboarding class as well. That's all for today and I guess I'll end it the same way I end my youtube videos, over and outie.
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