Friday 28 October 2011

Chill, Scream & Explore - Find Your Creative Edge

      Creative Energy is pulsing around you. Are you on the cutting edge? There has been a surge of creativity lately that is exploring the limits. A technology driven Renaissance. Our senses are amazed and our brains engaged. The multimedia world is influencing every facet of our lives from entertainment to Wall Street Protests. Creative geniuses have provided the tools and platforms and now who is using them? The old media world is changing and how! Are you just watching or jumping in?

    Since following creativity is our business we are asking that question every day and happily there are answers. It is really true age means nothing. You might be 2 or 102, you cannot use age as an excuse as to why you have not tried to do the thing you dream of doing. Jean Paul Gaultier at 59 is a maverick who has been leading the fashion world for decades with his unique reinterpretations of counter culture, social and sexual diversity. New technology has placed full film making capacity in everyone's hands. Are you making full use of your phone? The short is a YouTube necessity with millions of viewers each hour.

    Have you had a look at myETVmedia’s list of top 10 movies and video games? Creating these lists was challenging because there were so many great choices. Films that have been left off the list include "Shame". Michael Fassbender won Best Actor at the Venice International Film Fest for his role in this film that touches a deep chord in society today. It will shock you. Other films that are on the edge include the very disturbing movie “ We Have to Talk About Kevin.” Yikes! 10 percent of the population has really got a psychopathic bent. This is the creative nightmare side.

    Looking at the video gaming world where riches are to be made if you hit the right creative elements ahead of anyone else – what’s on the shopping list? No question the battle is on for fighting games – Battlfield 3 BB3 and MW3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 both have horrifyingly real action and incredibly real interactive environments. In the fantasy realm there is Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, you can jump right into the character and story. Superheroes and sci fi are - the Galaxies await, SWTOR Star Wars: The Old Republic with dynamic story lines and rich character development. Batman: Arkham City is so real and batman so engaging that hours can easily fly by in.  Orson Wells is back to haunt us with The War of the Worlds reinvented as a game. Not too far from reality as proof of Alien visitors from the Galaxy is being revealed. Of course The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is out, the amazing game of kings. The great stories we originally loved never grow tiresome. The story-tellers just get more creative.


    What about music, culture and art. At 70 internationally acclaimed artist David Hockney has amazed the world with his detailed, luminescent iPad and iPod drawings. Try it. It takes incredible skill. Digital music is continuing to push the limits of the senses with shows like DJ Amon Tobin who is a celebrity and a pioneer in the evolution of the spirit of the sound of electronic music. His music will rock you and the light show will mess with your senses.
  
    Creativity is all about passion and hard work. If its all talk and no action you aren’t going to do it so get out there and give it a shot. (Guillermo del Toro writes for 2 hours everyday and screen writing Guru Syd Field says you should expect to rewrite many times.) "10 percent inspiration 90 percent perspiration" is still holding true. So if you are waiting for your creative mojo to kick in get to it.

Saturday 1 October 2011

PAX Prime 2011 Press Guide


Why is PAX Prime so special?

PAX is the massive, now semi-annual, gaming expo that was created in 2004 by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, of Penny Arcade webcomic fame.  The event has grown from 3,300 attendees in 2004, to 70,000 this year. Video gaming has become the number one entertainment industry in the world, so I suppose it only makes sense that gaming expos have exploded in popularity. 

PAX Prime continues to be a “must attend” weekend of epic fun!
The expo is made up of everything a gamer could hope for: hands on time with new and upcoming games, panel discussions, toys, console, PC, and tabletop gaming tournaments, exhibitors, after-hours fun, and much more.

But what is so special about PAX?
Well, first and foremost it’s open to the public. To some people who always thought that E3 was an uncertainty, PAX is the closest you’ll get to an all-access gaming convention pass. And given the amount of loots they give out and the fun crowd that goes there, it’s an amazing experience for first-timers, including myself.
Even young kids are getting in on the action and fulfilling their dreams early. It’s heartwarming to see gamer parents bring their children to these events, giving developers fresh perspective. It’s even better when you see a little kid beating another gamer on a wide display TV screen. PAX is a training ground for the next gamers generation.

PAX attendees are also able to see special gaming performances, free of charge. Of course, this means that a long wait in line But as I have been told “waits are negligible for true fans”. PAX is known for their heavy true gamers attendance and gives for free everything from t-shirts, downloadable game codes, toys, posters, and even classic videogame. Usually no PAX attendee leaves home empty handed.

PAX is Prime and nothing else can beat it, except another PAX. PAX founders have long ago recognized that what is so unique about PAX are the people, the attendees, the fans, the true gamers. You can feel the passion, the enthusiasm and the respect of each other. Gamers are friends, part of a same family, it’s a way of life, it is a culture, almost a religion and PAX as recognized it and so even as a first timer you feel at home surrounded by siblings.