<div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p><em>You know the drill! A boring predictable adventure is no adventure at all!</em></p> <p> </p> <p>We’re at the end of week 4 already, y’all! Can you believe it? We’ve been working our (pirate) booties off and oh boy, Icebreakers is really starting to take shape!</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/120/content_STL_Icebreakers_033.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/120/content_STL_Icebreakers_033.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>We got all our character designs done! We can’t wait to show off some of them, especially since we fully completed another 3 characters and one of them as a sculpt. We wish a warm tribe welcome to The Captain, his First Mate, their Mechanic, and finally their pursuer, the stately and intimidating Commander Tiberius!</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/118/content_STL_Icebreakers_034.png"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/118/content_STL_Icebreakers_034.png"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <h5>The Captain</h5> <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/114/content_STL_Icebreakers_035.png"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/114/content_STL_Icebreakers_035.png"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <h5>The First Mate</h5> <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/115/content_STL_Icebreakers_036.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/115/content_STL_Icebreakers_036.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <h5>The Mechanic</h5> <p> </p> <p>We also settled on a story with Icebreakers after dozens of ideas. It was tricky to figure it out and make it a suitable length so we can show <strong><em>YOU </em></strong>a full narrative and get these loveable misfits a bit better! More on this as we talk about our mentorships this week! This is all fine and dandy, but there’s no Icebreakers without all the mechanics going on behind the scene! With mechanics we mean the tools you will also be able to use at the end of the Icebreakers to make your own VR comics! Our production is running at a high, but we can tell you one thing: The best is yet to come.</p> <p> </p> <p>But hey! There were also mentorships this week and they were AMAZING! The lineup for this week: The amazing Sally Slade, Saraswathi Vani Balgam, and Kim Jung-Gi! A trifecta of tech, story, and art respectively, so we had ample reason to be excited. We started off with Sally Slade giving us a few tips and tricks on making sure the viewers will stay comfortable while experiencing Icebreakers. VR tends to be a bit finicky, so making sure people are enjoying themselves watching these pirates while not getting seasick themselves. A lot of our talk was centered around hammering out the gameplay experience, such as spacing of the comic panels, user controls, the pros and cons of Skeuomorphic design, and accessibility for different types of users. It was something we were already tinkering with, but getting the extra emphasis on it gave us some extra food for thought!</p> <p> </p> <p>The 2nd mentorship, this one with the amazing Vani was an absolute doozy! We came in with our finalized script, which we knew would be the main thing we were tackling this mentorship and we came out with a stronger realization of how well we were on our path to making a great story. We specifically looked at the emotional core of the story, consciously writing dialogue, adding tension, and how to get to the hook of the story, and how we could further emphasize it through some exercises we did together with Vani. It was truly an enriching experience. To top it off, she gave us boatloads of extra resources to examine! (Check them out down at the bottom!)</p> <p> </p> <p>For the final session of the week, an early riser once again, we got to talk and discuss Icebreakers with Kim Jung-Gi himself. He wasn’t too sure what he could add to the table as a traditional artist, but was very excited to see what we were doing. It turned around quick though as we talked about what inspired us and how we were tackling the designs for Icebreakers. Tackling design research, we discussed how to best show how our world functions though minute details in the designs of the ships and the clothing of our characters. Especially once we started talking about technical designs for the ships, something most of us are a bit out of our depth with, we really got going with this mentorship. Having a mentor specializing in comics next to just storyboarding has definitely been an added bonus for us as we’re moving forward!</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/116/content_STL_Icebreakers_032.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/116/content_STL_Icebreakers_032.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/117/content_STL_Icebreakers_031.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/117/content_STL_Icebreakers_031.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>This week was a fun one! It was a week of learning, getting closer and closer as a team, and really getting in a groove. We accomplished a lot and that definitely deserves a small celebration. There’s still a lot ahead of us, but we’re going full speed ahead across these waves!</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/122/content_STL_Icebreakers_038.JPG"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/122/content_STL_Icebreakers_038.JPG"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <h3><strong>Some links aren’t so bad eh?</strong></h3> <p> </p> <p>New music by Chrisna:<br> <a href="https://soundcloud.com/smallfrystudio/icebreakers-radio">Radio</a><br> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/smallfrystudio/icebreakers-the-chase-is-on">The Chase is On</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Let there be more sailing knowledge:<br> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuiaVpCNYNo">The Rig &amp; Sailplan (Rebuilding Tally Ho / EP90)</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Let us introduce you to the art of “Mona-Lisa-ing”:<br> Scribble all of your feedback everywhere and over everything! The more of the original you cover the better.</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/119/content_STL_Icebreakers_030.png"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/119/content_STL_Icebreakers_030.png"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Jokes aside, as long as you’re respectful, this has actually been a pretty nice technique. You are from here on required, by law, to call this kind of feedback mona-lisa-ing. Don’t forget it! (If you know the originator of this, we tried to find them for about an hour, but our google-fu is weak. We’d like to credit them, so please shoot one of us a message if you know)</p> <p> </p> <p>And now for a wealth of helpful material by Vani! Give her some love while you’re at it, this stuff’s invaluable:<br> <a href="https://www.scoopwhoop.com/movies-that-celebrate-the-never-say-die-spirit-of-an-underdog/">28 Movies That Celebrate The Never-Say-Die Spirit Of Underdogs</a><br> <a href="https://in.pinterest.com/lrjaffe/expression-sheets/">Expression Sheets</a><br> <a href="https://boords.com/blog/16-types-of-camera-shots-and-angles-with-gifs">The 16 Types of Camera Shots &amp; Angles (Video Guide)</a><br> <a href="https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-logline/">What is a Logline</a><a href="http://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-logline/"> [with FREE Logline Formula Template] </a><br> <a href="http://www.katherinecowley.com/blog/writing-powerful-emotion-beats-in-fiction/" title="Permanent Link: Writing Powerful Emotion Beats in Fiction">Writing Powerful Emotion Beats in Fiction</a></p> <p> </p> <p>This week’s recommended Swashbuckling playlist (apart from our own soundtrack of course):<br> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6B3VmYdEmpWbal9Itvg8mL?si=fY0e4U3nQX2sIBT3wy3TFA">Swashbuckling Space Sapphics (and other tales of the gays of our lives)</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Go give “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120746/">The Mask of Zorro</a>” a watch again! He might not be a pirate, but he’s got that swashbuckling spirit!</p> <p> </p> </div>

<div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>Hey everyone,</p> <p> </p> <p>So as this video so clearly states, it's been challenging so far. But management tools like Trello, our incredibly helpful and supportive THU project guide Ana and our amazing mentors are helping us push on! We achieved our week4 goal which was to kick-off Togather with the Tribe, and have our Pory site up and running so Tribe members can begin sharing their gathers for phase1 and later their marks and brushes.</p> <p> </p> <p>The meeting with Kris brought us WAY BACK &amp; FORWARDS to the instinct that brought us here in the first place. Bringing the outdoors, in. And having pulled out the old sketchbooks for the meeting which contains some of my first ramblings about collected twigs, I wanted to share this quote with you which I think hits the nail on its head with why adopting outdoor findings in our art-making is so wonderful:</p> <p> </p> <p>"It's like the tool is the storyteller and I'm just its instrument"</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/121/content_STL_Togather_021.jpeg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/121/content_STL_Togather_021.jpeg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>(this drawing of me was made by my dear friend Michelle Ku, after a skype session we had where I told her about my most recent findings)</p> <p> </p> <p>More on the origins of Togather (from the archives), art made with digital brushes inspired by physical objects and our new learnings about brush-making with Kyle T. Webster to follow. Stay tuned because team Togather is finally logbooking for real ;)</p> <p> </p> <p>Stay warm,</p> <p> </p> <p>Dilruba</p> <p> </p> </div>

<div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>It's remarkable how much you can get to know someone just by asking a few simple questions. Tune in for our weekly "Getting to know you" questions with the teams. You'll no doubt gain insights on these brilliant creatives, but we're guessing you'll also leave inspired. Here, Dilruba and her core team answer this week's query: </p> <p> </p> <h3><span style="color:#DAA520;"><strong>Who is someone you admire in the creative space?</strong></span></h3> <p> </p> <p><strong>Hey it's Dilruba here.</strong> I immediately thought of <a href="http://www.artnet.com/artists/andy-goldsworthy/">Andy Goldsworthy</a>...even though I'm reluctant to call him someone in the creative space. I feel like he opens up the question of creative space far wider than we imagine. So much of the creativity we consume and observe recently, lives inside various screens in our households. Goldsworthy picking dandelions and rocks to gift the rivers and seas is something to keep in your pocket if your life juices ever run dry. He is the outdoor poet, Miyazaki if he weren't an animator or obsessed with the art of flight. I've been tapping into his collaborative spirit, energy and interactions with his environment when I make contact with organic findings, to reveal their capabilities. There is something about the ephemeral and impermanent but also longer-lasting in his intentions. An airborne rock? I admire his patience in creating with something so uncontrollable and wild such as the outdoors. His creations are prone to destruction from the slightest breeze at any second. Yet he treads lightly and gracefully not letting that fear stop him, observing the nooks and crannies of his surroundings and sharing the beauty of the moment with the world. I wish to have the intrinsic trust and patience he has in his practice in all my future endeavours.</p> <p> </p> <p>*Header image: a still from <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6263828/">Leaning Into the Wind</a>, </em>a documentary following<em> </em>Andy Goldsworthy</p> <p> </p> <p>------</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Hey, Ruben here</strong>. A few people have truly inspired me in ways that ended up changing the course of my life and leading me in new directions.</p> <p> </p> <p>One of the first people I looked up to in my teenage years was <a href="https://www.byparra.com/">Piet Parra</a>, a Dutch graphic designer who by his own telling had no clue how to use a computer and therefore started making his own fonts. I spent many years copying his playful and fun font, and slowly ended up with my own style. The fact he was able to bring fun and humor into typography amazed me, and was very inspiring. For several years I did a lot of handmade typo work for a living, from designing logos, illustrations and animations to painting murals around the world.</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/110/content_STL_Togather_016.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/110/content_STL_Togather_016.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Image: Piet Parra typography work</p> <p> </p> <p>The second person who springs to mind is <a href="https://www.erikkessels.com/">Erik Kessels</a>, one of two founders of <a href="https://www.kesselskramer.com/">KesselsKramer</a> (KK), a groundbreaking advertising agency in Amsterdam who as their website states 'hate advertising’. Erik is a man of many interests and has set up his agency to stimulate anyone who works at KK to have their own side projects going on. Whether it's photography, making comics, or weird sculptures, he addresses the importance of exploring your own interests while working any job. Because it makes you more interesting and therefore it also makes your work more interesting. He is an example of someone who practises what he preaches, which is why he was a big inspiration to me. He has created bizarre series of cool and hilarious photo-books from amateur pictures found that he collects at antique markets, you just gotta google them to understand what I’m talking about :) Also watch his TED talks!</p> <p> </p> <p>Because of Erik I got interested in advertising, and ended up working as a creative designer for several years at an award winning agency in the heart of Amsterdam. Never thought I’d do that, but he made advertising seem like a big canvas for creative outlet for the masses to enjoy.</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/111/content_STL_Togather_017.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/111/content_STL_Togather_017.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Image: Erik Kessels' work <em>In almost every picture</em></p> <p> </p> <p>The last person I’ll mention for now as a source of inspiration for me, is <a href="http://helmutsmits.nl/">Helmut Smits</a>. A brilliant concept creator whose work keeps surprising me. At some point he realised that all the puzzles from a brand used different images but the same cutout or cardboard. So he started putting different puzzles together as works of art, including pieces from in to another puzzle. Another example of his creative mind is a wooden ruler he made. The ruler, instead of using inches or centimeters, measures in units of one year (the growth-rings from the tree that the wooden ruler is made of).</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/112/content_STL_Togather_018.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/112/content_STL_Togather_018.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>What inspired me about Helmut, is that his ideas aren’t right away a product that’s useful or something that would sell. He also provides ideas for example to make your Ikea furniture interesting by buying the same 3 cabinets in different colours and putting them together in unique combinations. You’ll have 3 cool bookshelves with mix-n-matched colors instead of 3 boring ones. His mind is playful and allows for weirdness, without needing to sell it. Still, somehow he manages to live his life thinking up cool stuff and making fun things, and pay the bills doing so. This was one of the reasons why I felt confident to leave the advertising world and start doing my own projects and supporting others in things I believe in.</p> <p> </p> <p>--------</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Hi, Marie- Claire here. </strong>A creative that inspires me is Luis Rodil-Fernández, a tutor on the Masters of Digital Design course at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. Alongside teaching he is also as a self-described “software developer, artist and retired demoscener.”</p> <p> </p> <p>From my perspective as a student, his knowledge seems vast. I admire the skill with which he communicates and teaches but also the way he pulls examples from so many creative spheres. He has shown me that technology can be combined with whimsy, and that working digitally can still have a human touch.</p> <p> </p> </div>

<div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>It's remarkable how much you can get to know someone just by asking a few simple questions. Tune in for our weekly "Getting to know you" questions with the teams. You'll no doubt gain insights on these brilliant creatives, but we're guessing you'll also leave inspired.</p> <p> </p> <p>This week's query: </p> <p> </p> <h3><strong><span style="color:#DAA520;">Who is someone you admire in the creative space?</span></strong></h3> <p> </p> <p><strong>Lydia:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>I love Van Gogh, whole heartedly and when time travel becomes a viable option I shall be one of the firsts to go back to tell him how much he was an inspiration to me, in both his life and his work. Basically, he's taught me that no matter how sad or hurt you are, you can still make things to inspire others.</p> <p> </p> <p>I particularly love his wheat fields, but anything from him is awesome!</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/109/content_STL_KawiasAdventure_016.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/109/content_STL_KawiasAdventure_016.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p><strong>Tabi:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>Bob Marley: growing up, one of my first introductions to music was through him and the same way his music felt back then is still the same way it's felt all through my life. That made me realize how art can transcend time and space if done with pure intentions. In the same way I intend to create art that can have an impact on people beyond time, space and language. </p> <p> </p> <p>My all time favourite of Bob Marley's songs is "Could You be Loved."  It always gets me the necessary inspiration whenever I am going through a creative block.</p> <p> </p> <p class="aspect-ratio"></p> <p> </p> </div>

<div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <h3><span style="color:#DAC290;"><strong>How did you come up with the team name "Eurydice"?</strong></span></h3> <p> </p> <p><strong>Lydia:</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>When we found out about the Challenge, I was reallyyyyyy into <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1145360/Hades/">Hades</a>, the game and I liked <a href="https://hades.gamepedia.com/Orpheus">Orpheus</a>' path the most (though <a href="https://hades.gamepedia.com/Patroclus">Pat</a> and <a href="https://hades.gamepedia.com/Achilles">Achilles</a> are still the overall MVP's). [<a href="https://hades.gamepedia.com/Eurydice">Eurydice</a> is a deceased oak nymph and the former wife of the musician Orpheus] so I just thought, hey, that's a cool name and that was it! That's the epic story, it had drama and intrigue and passion and an all round good time (pity it wasn't by us)</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/106/content_STL_KawiasAdventure_010.png"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/106/content_STL_KawiasAdventure_010.png"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> </div>

<div class="lexxy-content lightbox-container"> <p>Curious about who's behind project Togather? Dilruba Tayfun sits down to tell us more about herself, her background, and what led here to where she is now. And scroll down to learn more about the team she's working with on this exciting project!</p> <p> </p> <p>The core team:</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/41/content_STL_Togather_009.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/41/content_STL_Togather_009.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> <p>Video-conferencing magic with the team:</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/40/content_STL_Togather_010.jpg"><img alt="" loading="lazy" src="https://trojan-unicorn.s3.amazonaws.com/ckeditor_assets/pictures/40/content_STL_Togather_010.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p> </p> </div>