Posts Tagged exhausted
Hey ho, let’s go
Posted by Rockjaw in MMO-related, Weird self portraits on August 26th, 2008
Back to work today. Wouldn’t be able to make it without you-know-what in you-know-where though.
Mmmm. Slept like the dead last night, as you might imagine, after having to stay awake an extra hour when I realised my MacBook was still set on German time – and that in fact it was an hour earlier than I thought. When I finally did hit the pillow I was out like a light. Anyone would think I was jetlagged. I guess it’s more like showlag. Better this morning, but it’ll take a few days to get back up to speed I expect.
Anyway! A heads-up here. First of all the first in a series of ‘behind the scenes’ posts is coming today regarding Quest for GC. Part One will magically appear this afternoon about 2pm. Second part in a couple of days, and so on. Should end up being five or so parts. I warn you in advance, the timeline on these is a bit screwed. I started writing them a month ago, trying to keep up with myself as we made the series, but then everything got too busy… so you’ll see the first three parts are sort-of contemporaneous and then the following three will probably be retrospective. You’ll get it….
What else do we have coming? Well, I need to finish off my post regarding the Aion casting process, which really more encapsulates casting as a whole. I also have (believe it or not) a near-finished recounting of the UK Games Expo (from back in June!). Last but not least on the video front I’ve actually been editing videos for Bristol Comics Expo (May!!) and I may also do one for the Games Expo, too. I know, we’re a bit late. This is what Leipzig does. It eats everything in its path.
Speaking of Leipzig, I’m not going to attempt to talk in detail about the show as it’d take way too long. I will probably work on some sort of summary post I guess. Main thing is, I survived.
So, what’s next?
It’s over
Posted by Rockjaw in Events, MMO-related, Personal on August 25th, 2008
So, Games Convention 2008 is done. I would say “We came, we saw, we kicked ass” but I’m too tired to muster the energy for that sort of hyperbole.
I’m tapping away in the hotel restaurant, picking away at breakfast while surrounded by a mix of American flight attendants, youth football teams, and hungover colleagues. Last night was, well, the last night – so there will probably be a few sore heads on the way home. The last thing I wanted was a hangover threading through a long trip home, so it was a relatively early – and booze-free – night for me.
In lieu of having much intelligent commentary at this point, here’s some lazy list writing.
Things I won’t miss about GC
- The people. Not the people of Leipzig, or Germany per se, but the sheer number of people at GC. I don’t mind crowds, but seriously.
- Late nights and early mornings. ‘Nuff said.
- A near-constant voice in my ear. Radios good. Near constant chatter bad.
- T-shirts. Getting rid of 20,000 was quite a chore, in so many ways.
Things I will miss about GC
- The people. Those around me right now.
- The coffee at the hotel in the morning. Was it the cream or the coffee? We may never know, but it was liquid gold every single time.
- The rush. When it’s good, it’s great.
- This moment, right now.
Phew.
Posted by Rockjaw in MMO-related on August 13th, 2008
Pretty damn tired, although not as much as on Tuesday – you can probably guess why.
Leipzig/Games Convention is just a steamroller right now that’s crushing everything in its path. No-one can really think much beyond it. I know I can’t. There’s still loads to do, with the show doors opening in a week. I found out today, to my half-surprise, that I’m ‘Floor Manager’ for the main consumer stand. Which is… nice.
In the very back of my mind though, the wheels are slowly turning in regards to Memorabilia this year, and bigger than that, next year’s MiniCon 2… Electric Boogaloo, or whatever we’re going to call it. Plans. Ideas. Hopes.
That’s just events though. What I really want to figure out is all the other stuff. There’s plenty of product-related stuff going on right now, plenty to get our teeth into, to create new and exciting ‘things’ for. I’m kind of not sure what to tackle first. I expect they might tackle me first instead.
Er, what else. Oh yeah: exclusive costume pieces at conventions? Guys, listen to GhostRaptor. Of course they’ll be given away at other events. Leipzig was just the first one on the calendar. Let me also point out the bleeding obvious: we give cool stuff away at events because we think it’s worth coming to those events, and the cool stuff is just an extra sweetener. You can either come, or not. It’s binary.
Oh what the hell – finally…. Rumours are rumours. Not everyone knows everything, even ‘well-placed sources’, and sometimes – heck, often – people get confused. Chinese whispers occur. So in other words, don’t believe everything you read.
Except here of course. I only speak the truth. Except when I don’t.
Escape from London
Posted by Rockjaw in Day Today, MMO-related on August 12th, 2008
All time are approximate. Except for the ones that aren’t.
8:25am: In Moksha, getting scripts into a form Localisation can work with. Takes longer than expected. Notice ‘LU’ is twice as long as other scripts. Could be an issue.
10:30am: Baffled as to why video that took 20 minutes to render, and is apparently 94Mb in size, runs for 11 seconds instead of six minutes. And why eight of those 11 seconds are one image, frozen.
10:50am: Secure petty cash for London trip. Surely it will be enough to cover a few cabs.
12:15pm: Leave the office feeling like a Sherpa, with three bags slung over shoulders.
12:34pm: On train to Bedford… which I get off at Farringdon.
1:56pm: In Liverpool Street, having that “I’m over here under the big news screen… I’m the one carrying three bags… I have a beard” conversation that you tend to have with total strangers when rendevousing in public via mobile phone.
2:15pm: At costume designers, seeing things which just one week ago were outlines given shape and taken form. Impressed.
4:00pm: Have now seen what a woman painted grey-blue looks like. Life complete.
4:30pm: Making executive decision on length of hemline. In this case, has to be longer.
4:40pm: Swapping casting stories.
5:15pm: Watching costume people accomplish the impossible.
6:08pm: In Cab 2 of 2, en route to photo shoot. Grey-blue woman is in Cab 1 of 2.
7:15pm: Helping to move lights.
7:30pm: Eating chocolate and nuts.
7:45pm: Watching through a laptop attached to a camera. It’s like a live magazine spread. Except when it stops working.
8:37pm: Hurrying things along.
8:45pm: “Too… porno face.”
9:09pm: Seeing the pair together for the first time. Stunned.
9:50pm: Realising we have 25 minutes, not 40 minutes left. Chop chop!
10:05pm: Acting as impromptu wind generator.
10:07pm: Fired from above position.
10:15pm: “Less Bruce Lee hands.”
10:35pm: Ordering cabs.
11:15pm: Choosing best photos off on the way to Liverpool Street (via Brick Lane). Not so easy in the back of a cab, against the clock.
11:23pm: Saying goodbyes, see you next weeks.
11:45pm: Fending off Italian drunk kids with “I’m tired.” Reply: “I have worked eight hours in… [garbled name of shop.] I am tired too…” Check phone. “I’ve worked… fifteen hours right now.” He backs down.
11:53pm: Walking towards Victoria Line in Oxford Circus. Tannoy announcement: “Due to planned engineering works there will be no more Victoria Line services from this station tonight.” Wonder if the guy watching me on video somewhere can hear me swearing.
11:57pm: In cab on way to Victoria Station.
12:05am: On slow train home.
1:18am: Moaning aloud. Pain in calves is delaying progress home.
1:23am: Bed.
1:50am: Finish blog entry.
Post-casting day
Posted by Rockjaw in MMO-related on June 30th, 2008
Ex-haus-ted.
Spent the day in London doing our casting. Saw 16 people – no wait, 17 – and gave the same little five-minute presentation explaining who we are, what we do, and why we want to cast people in these roles 17 times.
I think it was still pretty good, even on the 17th go-around….
Got a big post on the casting process coming, but I’m going to leave it until we officially announce why we’re casting, if that makes sense.
Being in London just reminds me why I left London. Also, got to say, the only thing worse than being stuck in a basement on a hot and sunny June day in London… is arriving and leaving during rush hour. Could have done without that.
Still, really useful and productive day. As always, all of prior expectations were overturned… but that’s a really good thing.
So what’s up with you guys? You’re quiet.
You said what?