almost Beta
  • #26: Our neighbourhood

    Lydia and Tabi go outside to give us a glimpse of their neighbourhood.

    Kawia's Adventure

    Eurydice

    March 03, 2021 20:51
  • #25: Goal of the Week (Mar 1)

    <div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>This week's Goal of the Week is aptly named Editing! A more dramatic title would be THE GREAT PURGE, but that's kinda dumb.</p> <p> </p> <p>Okay back on track! now that we're nearing the end of the League I have to say I'm kinda sad (actually I'm pretty sad, time flies when you're having fun) and now we have to begin editing! We're polishing what we have and letting go of what we couldn't salvage (looking at you string quartet) and working to best show our work so far.</p> <p> </p> <p>We've had an incredible time working with everyone from traditional artisans</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/190/content_STL_KawiasAdventure_033.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/190/content_STL_KawiasAdventure_033.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>to craftsmen who were nice enough to let us record them in exchange for helping out here and there. I still have grass in my hair but they gave me a harp! Which is neat! </p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/189/content_STL_KawiasAdventure_034.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/189/content_STL_KawiasAdventure_034.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>We've collected what we need and made what we must. Now we must arrange it well enough to share with the world! (Cue dramatic music)</p> <p> </p> <p>Can't wait to show you what we're making!</p> <p> </p> <p>Much love from Lydia and Tabi &lt;3 </p> <p> </p> </div>

    Kawia's Adventure

    Eurydice

    March 01, 2021 06:00
  • #31: Goal of the Week (Mar 1)

    <div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>Goals for this week are plentiful:</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li>Make the rest of the f***ing game 😅</li> </ul> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/192/content_STL_Icebreakers_059.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/192/content_STL_Icebreakers_059.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>On a more serious note:</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li>Expressions and their implementation</li> <li>Ship and environment 3d models</li> <li>All panels</li> <li>Line drawing on the panels</li> <li>Implement most of the music and sounds</li> <li>Most sound effects</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>We do actually mostly have to finish this week, since week 10 is dedicated to trailer and pitch, so the first point is not entirely inaccurate ^^</p> <p> </p> </div>

    Icebreakers

    Small Fry

    March 01, 2021 01:32
  • #27: Week 8 Videolog

    Photogrammetry, Togather's starter kit, refining our script, bringing it all together, and inspiring others to see the world around them with fresh eyes.

    Togather

    Dilruba Tayfun

    February 28, 2021 01:57
  • #24: Week 8 Recap

    Musical instruments, storytelling advancements, and 70% done!

    Kawia's Adventure

    Eurydice

    February 27, 2021 19:05
  • #26: What's something you can't live without?

    <div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>Ruben:</p> <p> </p> <p>my blender to make breakfast each morning</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/188/content_unnamed.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/188/content_unnamed.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>my waterbottle to stay hydrated during kickboxing and long zoomcalls</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/183/content_unnamed_%281%29.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/183/content_unnamed_%281%29.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>my keys to get in my house and my studio and on my bike</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/181/content_unnamed_%282%29.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/181/content_unnamed_%282%29.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Marie-Claire:</p> <p> </p> <p>Vitamin D as despite all of the uncertainty in the Netherlands currently we can guarantee one thing, we’re not getting enough sunlight.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/182/content_unnamed_%283%29.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/182/content_unnamed_%283%29.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Comfortable walking shoes because it’s the only means of transport that is immune to traffic or a flat tyre, and it improves your mental health to boot!</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/186/content_unnamed_%284%29.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/186/content_unnamed_%284%29.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Dilruba:</p> <p> </p> <p>Olives. All shapes &amp; sizes. For breakfast, lunch &amp; dinner. &amp; Especially midnight snackage.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/184/content_unnamed_%285%29.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/184/content_unnamed_%285%29.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>My brazilian friend Vitoria Bastos gets me.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/185/content_unnamed_%286%29.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/185/content_unnamed_%286%29.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Music in both my ears, like this.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/187/content_unnamed_%287%29.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/187/content_unnamed_%287%29.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </div>

    Togather

    Dilruba Tayfun

    February 27, 2021 02:43
  • #30: Week 8: Keelhauled

    <div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>Wait? ...We’re still alive? How long have we been out?! Mates and lasses, it has been a wild ride this week. It felt both like a lull as well as a hard-fought emotional week as we’re running out of gas. Having enthusiasm is a good thing, but do think about your mental well-being! Even us icebreakers should look out for that! Having said that, on to the going ons this week!</p> <p> </p> <p>We nailed a couple of big things this week! We finished up a lot of tools, including the line drawing tool that is fully functional WITHIN Unity! We even have simple zoom in and rotation functions in it, just like you’re used to in Photoshop! We still have minor tweaking to do as we move on, but for now a big applause to both Michael and Chris for slaying that dragon of a task! Another bonus: optimization is also finished! That means Icebreakers is going to run as smoothly as possible on an Oculus Quest of all things. Things have been looking good.</p> <p> </p> <p>Focusing on those beastly tasks means some other things, such as modeling objects to inhabit the comics, have been a bit delayed, but we’re confident we’ll find a way to figure it out. Hey, we do have character expressions based on what we needed for our script now! They are being modeled as we speak at lightspeed and we’ll implement them with a simple blending system in Unity as week 9 progresses!</p> <p> </p> <p>On the mentor-side of things, this week was a quiet one. We had Kim Jung-Gi ...for 20 minutes. One of the things we all deal with in this wild pandemic world is scheduling conflicts and that was the case here. We graciously are able to get an extra meeting with him on Tuesday, so it’s all fine and dandy! The kicker still is that he looked at our latest test and was thoroughly impressed! I think that was all we needed to hear!!</p> <p> </p> <p>The other mentorship we had this week was with Sally once again and we talked a bit more in-depth about usability within Icebreakers, especially about page turns. To start off, Sally absolutely loved the demo we put out! It hit all the right notes for her and we couldn’t have been happier to hear that as we got into the meat of the mentorship. We have been discussing how the page turning functionality would work again and how to make this as satisfying for the users to experience as possible without it feeling like a chore to make the movement. We also had this fun bug currently in Icebreakers where you could enter the panel, move around the entrance somehow and see the back of the window. Sally expertly said this was a prime location for Easter eggs and branding! Sally has definitely been THE champion of trying to make us pay attention that we properly market and brand Icebreakers, so as we enter the final leg, we’re thinking on how we want to promote both Icebreakers and the tools we’re making. We segued on talking about the trailer we’re making as promotional material, since again, she was the one championing that we should do so. The biggest question that came out of it was: What made us more immersive and unique than other VR comics? It was something we needed to answer our final Tribe Session!!!</p> <p> </p> <p>A whole pack of Tribe members came out of the woodworks for the final session with us. We pitched our project a couple of times, getting better and better as the session progressed, but also got some scathing, but fully justified feedback at moments. The biggest one again: What makes Icebreakers different from other VR comics? What makes it more immersive than the others who’ve tried to make them? Why would we bother reading comics in VR when you can just read them regularly? To be honest, we don’t have all the answers yet as well. We don’t expect it to fully stick on our first try, but like the mentors that were chosen for us, we see the potential and we will keep working on it until it does. </p> <p> </p> <p>An adventure wouldn’t be fun if it was easily reachable.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/191/content_STL_Icebreakers_057.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/191/content_STL_Icebreakers_057.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Insanely good music from our local wizard Chrisna:<br> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/smallfrystudio/icebreakers-an-entrance">Icebreakers: An Entrance</a><br> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/smallfrystudio/icebreakers-an-entrance-another-version">Icebreakers: An Entrance - Another Version</a><br> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/smallfrystudio/icebreakers-tiberius">Icebreakers: Tiberius</a><br> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/smallfrystudio/icebreakers-the-upper-hand">Icebreakers - The Upper Hand</a><br> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/smallfrystudio/icebreakers-f-your-mercy">Icebreakers: F*** Your Mercy</a></p> <p> </p> <p>So hey, where’s my “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/">The Mummy</a>” fans? We all like great adventure movies with amazing characters here, right?</p> <p> </p> <p>This beautiful thing also exists: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiAj9WW1OfQ&amp;t=269s">Sounds of the Mandelbrot Set</a></p> <p> </p> </div>

    Icebreakers

    Small Fry

    February 27, 2021 01:22
  • #23: What's something you can't live without?

    Tabi:

    hmmmmm,, let's see...trying to narrow down by imagining myself going on a year long roadtrip without the chance of human interaction, hmmmm. 

    MUSIC! I don't think I can define enough how vital my music is to my existence and the best part is my ears can listen to practically anything so my playlists are insane. One minute I could be listening French soul pop, the next I'm listening to Kenyan gengetone. 

    Two! I've battled between salt and vinegar chips and the sun😂 the mind is a mysterious place. But I'm gonna go with the sun, which is something I had never even thought of before, until I backed up and thought to myself how much I love watching sunrise and sunsets. I guess we could even say they are my favorite parts of living, getting to watch that orangey ball of burning air come up in the sky and going down.

    Lydia:

    Now this is a tough one, so i'll follow Tabi's roadtrip trail, if I was on the road for a year... wait that's quite a lot so lets segment this a little: if I was on the road for a year during the zombie apocalypse trying to get to a safe haven I would bring my Makeup collection. Yes, I know it sounds extremely vain to want to look great as a zombie, but I firmly believe that no matter how bad or scary things get, if you look good, or put in some effort, it goes a long way in building up your confidence to take on the zombie horde. Also, it weighs about 5kgs so it would make for a great close range weapon and the mirrors can be used for short distance surveillance and signaling, and the brushes can be sharpened to shanks, and it's still and excuse to do art on the run - the possibilities are endless!!!

    Now if it was a pleasant road trip, you know the kind that you bring a ukulele to, I would have gone with water and my cat Gin, he means the world to me. We'd listen to Upsahl and Chelou in my busted van and chugging good ol' H20! 

    Yep that's everything I can't live without: water, my makeup bag and a lazy cutie cat named Gin.

    Kawia's Adventure

    Eurydice

    February 26, 2021 05:14
  • #29: Week 8 Videolog

    Scheduling, tool and visual improvements, grabbing mechanics, music, tribe input and more!

    Icebreakers

    Small Fry

    February 26, 2021 00:55
  • #28: What's something you can't live without?

    Chris:

    I have to say I have literally no idea, that's why it took me so long...

    I mean there's probably nothing I own that I couldn't somehow do without, very much depends on the situation as well what I would take...

    My tongue-in-cheek answer: water (I know, I'm so funny)
    My realistic answer if it comes to making back enough money to buy all the rest again: my pc, probably the most versatile item I own
    My sentimental/unpractical answer: my moog synth. I couldn't do much with it, but at least I'd be happy noodling around. (though I also need at least headphones with it, does that count as one Item?) 
    If I was stranded on a deserted Island / in an apocalypse: my leatherman multitool (assuming there's also no way to get reception, otherwise, phone, though I could very much do without that...)

    Alex:

    I tend to travel a lot, so my bag is always as light as can be, but here are the things I always bring no matter where I find myself:

    • a notebook for sketching in the strangest of places (boat, sleigh, tuk tuk...)
    • a random assortment of pens, markers and pencils
    • snacks, always
    • my trusty Ipad (and Procreate!)
    • pictures of friends and family, plus prints and stickers I got from artist friends!
    • at least one book I haven't read yet (my latest is Circe by Madeline Miller)

    And of course, my phone for pictures and music 😄

    Stephan:

    What I can't live without... Hmmm, I would go a bit esoteric here and say...  Adventure.

    Adventure to me isn't travelling per se, but experiencing life. Gathering knowledge, exploring worlds through stories, falling in love, feeling heartache, trying to fulfill your dreams, getting to work for the company of you always wanted to! It is all an adventure!
    If I can't have an adventure... To be stuck in monotone life, a loop where barely anything interesting happens. A complete standstill. That, that is something I would wish upon no one. It just feels bleak and horrible.

    To end that: If you ever the chance to look into the future, don't take it. We don't do boring adventures where you  know the outcome of already!

    Icebreakers

    Small Fry

    February 25, 2021 04:47
  • #22: We Made a Theme Song!

    We made up a song! Which was a lot of fun to do :)

    You can listen here!

    Lydia:

    We had some instruments lying around: a flute, guitar and some old woven containers that can be used as drums and I used them to figure out Ayub Ogada's chords in Koth Biro. I can't read music but I have an okay pair of ears ;) Since the chord progression had the mood and feel we wanted and is easily layered, after some alterations we stacked some rhythms onto each other with the help of Joseph, a friend who has better understanding of music than we do, done via a WhatsApp call (all hail tech technology!).

    Lastly we added some savannah ambience for that extra kick and we had a theme! It was super fun dusting off the old music hat. I got to create something in a completely different medium so I feel like I've grown a little as an artist.

    Kawia's Adventure

    Eurydice

    February 24, 2021 00:00
  • #27: Goal of the Week (Feb 22)

    Goals for the week:

    • ship designs and models
    • finish line tool
    • baking
    • performance optimization
    • full comic blocked out
    • final music for the first sections of the comic

    Icebreakers

    Small Fry

    February 23, 2021 07:07
  • #26: Week 7: Heading to port

    <div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>Land ho! We are nearing port (the finish line)! It has been a rowdy week with getting our butts into gear, tasks completed, challenges overcome, and making some tough calls! The Captain’s Logs are a pride and joy of us, so let us take you on a journey once again!</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/175/content_STL_Icebreakers_053.png"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/175/content_STL_Icebreakers_053.png"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>We got some fun stuff completed this week, such the majority of the props and the models for these! Add the first draft of our <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10Cf6d_dR6iXAWiluzlJ8t-amugYu59Dc?usp=sharing">storyboard</a> and we golden, son! However, the biggest thing is… WE HAVE OUR FIRST TEST PAGE! We’ve been building more and more tools, such as a timeline tool and refining existing ones like the baking and line drawing tools. We’ve done all of that this week to make the test page work as swimmingly as possible. Go check out the video of it <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1khr97i64t_uiTIuqepRzeOk09Fwo7nWx/view?usp=sharing">here</a> OR download the APK <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rNueGGPZRr6ilv1KjpKOCDdDKMnUYQlv/view?usp=sharing">here</a> if you own a Quest (A Quest 2 is preferable, but we’re hard at work to improve it for the Quest 1). You’ll be surprised!</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/179/content_STL_Icebreakers_049.PNG"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/179/content_STL_Icebreakers_049.PNG"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Craig returned with some amazing words of wisdom and questions for us this week! The mentorship with him centered all around… What is the future of Icebreakers? How will the characters shape going forward? What are their backstories? Can you already show the audience a bit? Can you already worldbuild through environment and shot design? It was a question that made us ponder a bit. We all definitely see a future in Icebreakers, but are we ready yet? Maybe we’ll never be ….until we go for it! There have been enough arguments between us, but all of them essentially came from a place of love for the project. We already have a good picture of the world and its inhabitants. It's just a question when we will breathe a chilly wind of life into them!</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/176/content_STL_Icebreakers_052.PNG"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/176/content_STL_Icebreakers_052.PNG"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>With Scot Stafford, and the day after with Tetsuya Mizuguchi, we had an interesting combination of talks and discussions since they both centered around music to an extent. With Scot we looked at how to compose our music in a long form and punctuate it with stingers. As we progressed, Scot suggested again that we could look into sound design, or at least ambient sound design to give the audience a sense of space. This possibly even done through music gave us so many ideas.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/177/content_STL_Icebreakers_050.PNG"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/177/content_STL_Icebreakers_050.PNG"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Mizu followed up the next day with a slightly different approach in music, in that we could compose it in such a way that it guides the audience and appeal to their wow-factor by introducing stark changes that force the audience to pay attention to what is happening. It’s something that is super useful since we don’t want the audience to lose interest! We ended with him saying, as this was our last meeting with him, that what we’re doing could be the future of viewing stories in VR. It’s… A great honor and responsibility. We are not sure if we are able to carry such a responsibility, but this is also something we believe in, so bet we do our damndest to try and do so.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/178/content_STL_Icebreakers_051.PNG"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/178/content_STL_Icebreakers_051.PNG"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>To end on somewhat of a sour note, we have decided to postpone voice acting for Icebreakers to instead focus on polishing the timing and looks, and not spread ourselves too thin. It has been a discussion we didn’t take lightly and we still fought tooth and nail to find a way to put it in within the timeframe, but alas. However! We have committed to adding voice acting as soon as the STL has ended! We run through the script one more time, do minor tweaks, spruce it all up nice and shiny, and make something even more exciting! To answer again what the future of Icebreakers is: An adventure that is NOT going to end in 3 weeks time! ….Oh shoot, we got three weeks left!! Aaahhh!</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/174/content_STL_Icebreakers_048.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/174/content_STL_Icebreakers_048.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Before we go! Recommendations!<br> This week’s suggestion is the obscure (and terribly underrated, but still hilarious) Hanna-Barbera show, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101169/">Pirates of Dark Water</a>! It is their 30th anniversary this week!</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/173/content_STL_Icebreakers_054.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/173/content_STL_Icebreakers_054.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>The intro is a great summary of what the show is about! The cheese is real!:<br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVm2-UTfLks">The Pirates of Dark Water - Intro / Outro Theme Music</a></p> <p> </p> <p>And some of Alex’s personal redesigns because god knows this show deserves a reboot (Get on it Netflix!): <a href="https://www.artstation.com/artwork/B1orRr">https://www.artstation.com/artwork/B1orRr</a><br> Come geek out with her about Dark Water!</p> <p> </p> <p>And if you have watched Pirates of Dark Water and want more of that goodness, did you know there is a <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-podcast-of-dark-water-a-pirates-of-dark-water-podcast/id1458917031">podcast</a>?</p> <p> </p> </div>

    Icebreakers

    Small Fry

    February 22, 2021 06:50
  • #21: Goal of the Week (Feb 22)

    Drumroll for the goal of the week.....aptly named: Nasema? (What am I saying?)

    Our goal this week is to figure out how to properly express exactly what we are doing. Just getting the right words that best explain who we are, what we've made, and why we are doing this. Talking to ourselves in the mirror till we know our words by heart and just having a blast yammering about the land the lovely ladies pictured above came from (fun fact they are modelled after our friends. Left to right: Liwe is Tabby, Nemo is Nimu and Siki is Gladys), what we stand for, what our Imaginary friends stand for, what this project stands for and mostly importantly what we're going to say.

    Words have the power to create belief and we're gonna make the tribe believe in this project just as much as we do.

    (Also on this week's list: draw up new cover art and fix Kawia's fight sequence, and the trees in the environment are kinda ugly so we need to get a better lighting scheme...but that's more of a technical thing so... not as important, I mean it is but...not in this scenario... right, yeah, yep that's right)

    And lastly, what's the image above? A selfie with my favourite girls - they've worked so hard for us!

    Yep that's everything!

    Kawia's Adventure

    Eurydice

    February 22, 2021 05:46
  • #25: Goal of the Week (Feb 22)

    We are little behind schedule, so here's a little recap first to last week's objectives:

    - Simplifying our copy & communication on togather.fun
    - Storyboarding & pre-production for our final pitch

    Turns out - these are some of the most demanding areas of the project development so far.

    So! Week 8, we aim to:

    -Finish script & storyboard before Week 9 for final pitch
    -Continue simplifying our copy & communication on togather.fun
    -Add gallery page on togather.fun / invite friends in the Tribe and in our networks to use the brushes and submit their artworks to inspire others!
    -Determine deliverables for the 3 primary user journeys

    Togather

    Dilruba Tayfun

    February 22, 2021 02:39
  • #24: Week 7 Videolog

    Neighbourly visits, kebab cravings, honing our "super-vision", and planning for the next 100 weeks!

    Togather

    Dilruba Tayfun

    February 21, 2021 18:33
  • #25: Week 7 Videolog

    Character archetypes, lost footage, musical design, tough decisions, and more!

    Icebreakers

    Small Fry

    February 21, 2021 06:45
  • #23: Ruben's marks

    <div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>We're a pretty unlikely team. It's like that sweet ingredient in Pixar films. Nobody could've predicted this combination. It's worked out incredibly so far, each one of us adding a dimension, experience &amp; flavor to the project I never knew it needed. Here's part one of 2 posts around how we came togather as a team for the 10 weeks of the Sony Talent League. Let's begin with Ruben, who I recruited as assistant creative director.</p> <p> </p> <p>Not long after I moved into my first apartment in Amsterdam, I saw a colorful mural proposal hung up on the noticeboard of my building.</p> <p> </p> <div class="aspect-ratio lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/169/content_STL_Togather_045.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/169/content_STL_Togather_045.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/172/content_STL_Togather_041.png"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/172/content_STL_Togather_041.png"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Curious cat that I am, I immediately contacted the artist behind such a  joyous proposal for the neighborhood budgets. It was a playful welcome to this west Amsterdam neighborhood, and having seen a serious lack of color on the streets around here, it put a smile on my face.</p> <p> </p> <p>Ruben and I met not long after. We are on either side of the hunkerbunker (lil reference to <a href="https://www.trojan-unicorn.com/challenges/sony-talent-league/finalists/102-togather/articles/20-week-6-videolog">week 6's videolog</a>), Ruben being in the north and me in the south wing - 2 floors in between.</p> <p> </p> <p>Ruben is a conceptual &amp; visual artist, who had just wrapped up his solo exhibition "How Much Ink Does A Marker Contain?". He has since the summer of 2020 tested over 60 markers to this day and is everyday busy making marks. He has experience in all things design, making videos, websites and logos. A real sharp eye for visual communication.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/462380725">https://vimeo.com/462380725</a></p> <p> </p> <p>A defining moment in our first meeting was when I set eyes on a white ceramic vase with a twig in it. Next to it lay another twig with a big spiky bulb, something I had seen growing around the station. Seeing my interest in this scene rather than the vase/object, Ruben picked up and turned the spiky bulb upside down to collect its seeds and handed them to me in a little sachet. I was just a few weeks away from submitting my pitch to the Sony Talent League, trying to script the whole thing before attempting to shoot it on video. Excited that I wasn't alone in seeing the beauty in our natural environments (local too!!) and presenting them like this in his living space, I was ecstatic to share my story thus far and how far along I was in making the pitch.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/171/content_STL_Togather_042.jpeg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/171/content_STL_Togather_042.jpeg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/170/content_STL_Togather_044.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/170/content_STL_Togather_044.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Forming connections with people despite a pandemic holding everything at standby, is a real blessing. I'm grateful to know that there's someone I can ramble about twigs with on the other side of the building; make marks and be curious cats together. We have since spent many afternoons sharing our findings and testing out what marks they will create.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/168/content_STL_Togather_043.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/168/content_STL_Togather_043.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Not knowing anything prior to this about me, seeing the project always from a fresh perspective, I shared the significant updates around the pitch with Ruben and received his energetic feedback. My friend Ari Snow (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/xstudiosnow/">@xstudiosnow</a>), now our collaborator for the logbook videologs, helped me to re-shoot and made the first edit for the video for the submission (I had made a pretty insane video prior to the initial pitch which I shared with Ruben, which has some funny outtakes that might actually be worth sharing with you all at another point :)). Ruben helped make the final edit, and was right there when I clicked submit.</p> <p> </p> <p>When I found out that Togather was a winning finalist, I wanted to recruit Ruben as assistant CD, always challenging me to keep pushing and making with his zesty energy, swiftness of action and playfulness. Ruben's daily practice of mark-making and love for the environment made him a pretty sweet partner in crime so far. He has developed much of our working site <a href="https://togather.fun/">togather.fun</a> on saturdays. I connect and bounce ideas with him almost on the daily with things on our Trello board, touching base with MC's UX research and handing notes to our collaborators together, deciding on the visual direction as well as helping me with the vision/mission for Togather - in the aftermath of the league.</p> <p> </p> <p>Below find Wibra Blue, now hanging up on my bedroom wall.</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/166/content_STL_Togather_040.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/166/content_STL_Togather_040.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Check out Ruben's work on instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/coloruben/?hl=en">@coloruben</a> and his portfolio <a href="http://rubendehaas.com/">http://rubendehaas.com/</a></p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/167/content_STL_Togather_039.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/167/content_STL_Togather_039.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>If i could say one more thing - stay open to collaborators coming from any direction, completely unplanned! Sometimes the conditions are absolutely on point and people you just met might jump in to help implement your dreams into action.</p> <p> </p> <p>Stay open and continue exploring, gathering talents from all directions and creative backgrounds to come together.</p> <p> </p> </div>

    Togather

    Dilruba Tayfun

    February 21, 2021 06:09
  • #22: Show Us Your Workspace

    <div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>Hey everybody,</p> <p> </p> <p>Here's a little scattered overview of our work space(s) as a team. My dining table, Ruben's desk/dining table and the desk space rented for Togather HQ!</p> <p> </p> <p>Ruben and I are neighbours on either side of the hunker bunker (for those who haven't seen week 6's recap, our building has a nickname) east and north wing. We are pretty versatile and fluid, crowding around these rectangles and reporting from the outdoors! Around week 2-3 of the TL I also rented out a deskspace for Togather HQ, but in reality we've been spending more time mindmapping and having the mentorships around our dining tables. Sometimes I work at the deskspace, surrounded by my collection of twigs :)</p> <p> </p> <p>PS: as the leader of the project, I keep my old sketchbooks very VERY close by, wherever I am. Been pulling them out and spreading them out on surfaces at various knot points in my thinking, or when I feel confused, to get back to where i started, how i felt in the last couple of years picking up new tools from different environments.</p> <p> </p> <p>Over and out!!</p> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/165/content_20210218_144044.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/165/content_20210218_144044.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/161/content_workin_2.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/161/content_workin_2.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/160/content_WhatsApp_Image_2020-12-05_at_10.29.01_AM.jpeg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/160/content_WhatsApp_Image_2020-12-05_at_10.29.01_AM.jpeg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/162/content_working_9.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/162/content_working_9.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/163/content_working_12.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/163/content_working_12.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <div class="lightbox-container"><div class="pswp-gallery lightbox " data-controller="lightbox" data-lightbox-target="container"><div class="lightbox__item"><a target="_blank" data-lightbox-target="item" href="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/164/content_20210218_144135.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/164/content_20210218_144135.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> </div>

    Togather

    Dilruba Tayfun

    February 19, 2021 01:14
  • #20: Week 7 Recap

    Blocking complete and it's off to the render farm! Plus lessons learned in not having to be an expert in all areas, remember to water your plants, and more!

    Kawia's Adventure

    Eurydice

    February 19, 2021 00:00