Universe Creation 101

How to create unique entertainment properties that traverse media platforms

Archive for Admin

8 Things About Me (meme)

I’ve been tagged by Tama Leaver and tagged by Brad Berens for the ‘8 Things About Me’ meme, two bloggers that I respect, so I’d better deliver! Here is the requisite information I have to provide first:

Rules:
1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and that they should read your blog.

Eight Facts about Me:

1. For a short period of my childhood I lived in a commune.

2. For a period of my life I used to frequent a gun range, practicing my shots with undercover cops.

3. My childhood bedroom had a long string with mintie wrappers.

4. When in primary school I used to climb to the roof of my house and photograph the number plates of cars as they went by, documenting the time…just in case they were committing a crime.

5. As I kid I used to write stories and poems that had real life object stuck into them. For instance, I once wrote a story about a land of sheep with rainbow wool. I stuck a bit of coloured wool on the page as proof that the land existed.

6. I used to make pinball machines with old kitchen doors, nails and rubberbands.

7. I don’t like eating when watching horror films or documentaries on insects.

8. I have never understood why people have to pay for the bare essentials needed to live.

Here are the 8 people I tag for this meme:

  1. Sophie Regan
  2. Count Olaf
  3. Jason C
  4. Cathy Vickers
  5. Rob Wittig
  6. Santa
  7. Faith Arella
  8. Darth Vader

Can you see a theme throughout my choices?…

I’m really on Time!

After my post about the Time Magazine Person of the Year: You, I’ve got to add this neat version enabled by Dan Wood. As he says on his blog, the Time’s cover, with its use of Mylar to have a mirror-looking monitor, is so 20th century. They really should have electronic paper that really did show us on the front. In the meantime, here is the web-enabled version created by Dan Wood for those with Mac iSight.

Source: Ugo Cei

Media Industry Astrology for 2007

These posts on Astrology predictions for those working in the media industry were sent to me by my mum. Philip Sedgwick provides guidance to ‘Story Developers, Programming Execs and Writers’ in part one; and per star-sign guidance for those working in the media industry in part two. Enjoy.

Looking Back and Forward

Some things I did last year:

  • Moved states from Melbourne to Sydney;
  • Transferred my PhD from the University of Melbourne to the University of Sydney;
  • Changed my virtual server provider 3 times;
  • 5 tertiary lectures on cross-media entertainment, serious games, MMORPGs and new media theory for universities across 3 states in Australia;
  • 5 academic presentations at conferences and seminars, including 2 international conferences;
  • 7 commissioned articles;
  • 14 industry workshops and presentations on topics such as: cross-media entertianment, alternate reality games, cross-media marketing, serious games and blogging across 4 states in Australia for organisations such as the Australian Literature Board; Film Australia; Australian Film, Television and Radio School; Centre for Screen Business and the Filmmakers Network. I organised the speakers, MCed and chaired some of these events too.
  • Mentored industry professionals on cross-media;
  • Mentored emerging writers on electronic literature;
  • Consulted on some wonderful projects that will be launched this year (info coming when they are public!);
  • Joined the Board of dLux Media Arts;
  • Panelist (judge) on a mobile art tour for ANAT’s Portable Worlds;
  • 3 interviews on ABC Radio and 1 interview for ABC TV 7.30 Report;
  • Wrote a section on alternate reality games and academia for the IGDA ARG SIG Whitepaper (draft one released);
  • Threatened to start a podcast numerous times;
  • Neglected my blog;
  • Met some wonderful colleagues and net buddies in person;

Some things I look forward to doing this year:

Thankyou to everyone that visited this blog, commented on it and referred to it. I have enjoyed reading your own blogs and hearing of your exploits in emails. I started last year on a high and I’m doing the same this year. Thankyou to the clients that approached me to work with them — I enjoyed meeting you and working with you and look forward to an exciting time of launches this year. To those that stood in my way, thanks for the reminder that no-one can stand in my way. I thank myself for actively making my life something I’m proud of. I love yoos all! :)

Switching Channels

Just to let you all know that I am changing the way I run this blog. I will no-longer be putting my ideas about cross-media design on here. Instead, you can find out about them through the various publications I’ll be putting out, through my thesis which will be out in a year (!), my upcoming podcast and my upcoming industry talks. So, the information will still be out there, just not through this informal medium. I have also taken down my wiki with the links to cross-media practitioners and events and researchers and terms. You can still get this information through the official publications I’ll be making and if you send me an email! My clients will still have access to everything. I’ll still put in relevant announcements and things I think you’ll find interesting. So, the information will still get out there, just through different channels. I hope you understand. :)

I’m back!

Sorry for the break in transmission folks. My server (which means all my websites and email) was down for 6 days! OMG! It was good actually, I’ve had the chance to disengage from my blogging and email habits and will be making some changes around here, very soon.