Inkblot & Gaming

Gaming and The Multimedia Industry

The long awaited B.A.D blog. Here it is, enjoy.

A couple of weeks ago the guys from Celestial, a local gaming company, came to see us. And being the righteous dudes they are, they came bearing gifts-- well a gift actually. They have been developing a new game and wanted us to cut a video from footage they recorded while playing.

Inkblot is nothing if not totally excited to try something new and fab, so we said, "bring it!" They also threw in a copy of the game. So there we were all fired up and ready to edit. But in order to get a feel for the game itself, entitled, Battle Arena Drones or BAD for short, we naturally had try it out.

Shot of game play from B.A.D

The plan was to play for a couple of minutes and then get to work. But you know what they say about well laid plans and all that. Yeah this one went that way... What felt like minutes later, but was actually A LOT LATER, we emerged happy and baying for more. 

The game itself is wonderfully chaotic and seen from the drones' P.O.V with real-world physics. So for some of us it was a rather unsettling experience in the stomach area. It was awesome!

Firing weapon in B.A.D

A kill in B.A.D

Putting a video together from this material was a bit of a challenge with 3 drones' footage to combine. The idea was to capture the mayhem of the gaming experience, while making it fun to watch. This was a little tricky, so we asked Justin Greenberg from Jackalberry Studios, one of our talented colleagues, to give it a bash.
We also asked Crispin from Inkblot what it was like to work on the video since he did all the voice recordings and syncing. This is their video.

Video on working on the BAD video

To watch the final video we produced, go to http://youtu.be/b3RW_8CC2JE

Wrapping the Blot-Mobile

The Blot-Mobile Transformation

After doing the Wrap Video a while ago, we decided to let Manny and his crew take a shot at wrapping Crispin's X Trail. It went in all gold and came out... well we're happy with it. We think it looks great.

Take a look and let us know what you think.

TV Shows

TV show renewal

By Yolanda Stopforth

This blog is mostly about me and TV. I know self-indulgent, but my other more official blog is on hold due to availability issues, and so since I need to do something for my pay, here is a little "Me Blog."

There comes a time in every TV show's life when it is under the microscope. This tends to happen for American shows at the end and beginning of the year. Most shows seem to run until around now and then the new season starts again around August. This makes May a tense time for some folks overseas to see whether they definitely have a new season or not. 

The tension also runs to fans.Will we get more time with our favorites or will we have to go and find new shows to watch, new characters to fall in love with and care about?  Will Arrow get another season? How about Revenge, Castle or even Supernatural? How much more can the Winchesters really take? Will we ever get to see Agent Ward strung up like the treacherous little git that he is? I most certainly do hope so. 

So what makes a great show great? What is it that makes people want more and more of that particular story? And how do network execs know what we want? I suppose a good way to judge if a show is any good is to see how many eye-balls are glued to the TV when it's on. Of course short of massive home invasion I'm not sure how you do that. Just working out what channel the TV is on doesn't mean a thing. I have walked into my lounge expecting to find my 5 year old glued to the screen, only to find he's off in the garden riding his own dragons. (When you're 5 who needs other people's imaginations.) and I have often used DSTV as a cure for insomnia.

Of course there is always a more logical and serious answer to what makes a great show. I believe that what makes a great show great is the whole ensemble. It's everything about the show, how its written, acted, shot and edited. It's the magic of a whole lot of people getting together to make something wonderful. Whether the outcome is truly something mind-blowingly entertaining or just another sitcom, the collaboration is the power behind the whole thing. And I admire that.

If I'm totally honest about what I like about shows then I have to own up and say: I'm a character lover. If I connect with and enjoy your character, you are guaranteed my time. However if your character is plastic, unbelievable or just not the kind of person I want to associate with, then forget it, no amount of plot twists and turns will ever get me to watch your show.  I'm just wired that way.

Some shows are very much a plot based concept like Game of Thrones which I find impossible to watch. However something that is hugely based on character like Bones or Castle is right up my alley. Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with Game of Thrones, it's just not my cup of tea or vodka. But then neither is How I met your Mother, or The Big Bang Theory. It's all personal taste. (And I like a glass of good red wine.)

Usually I find that the shows I am nuts about, like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, or Firefly, get cancelled way earlier than I am comfortable with. This year I must say the network folk plugged into my mind and didn't cancel anything that I am currently in love with. I am such a lucky girl this time around. However if something you love got cancelled, call me up and I'll commiserate, (promise). (There might even be a glass of wine in it, although it'll have to be for own account in your own space.)

Here is a list of shows that have made the grade and you can enjoy a whole season of your favorite character's antics.

Castle, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Once Upon A Time, Agents of Shield and Modern Family, The Amazing Race, The Big Bang Theory, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, CSI, Elementary, The Good Wife, Hawaii Five-O, Mike & Molly, NCIS, NCIS L A, Person of Interest, Survivor, 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men, Undercover Boss, The Millers, Mom, Arrow, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, Reign, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Sleepy Hollow, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Bob's Burgers, Bones, Family Girl, The Following, Glee, Hell's Kitchen, Masterchef, Masterchef Junior, The Mindy Project, New Girl, The Simpsons, American Dad, The Blacklist, Chicago Fire, Celebrity Apprentice, Grimm, Parks and Recreation, The Voice and Chicago PD. 

Check out the web for more info.