Project Tempest

Lovecraft's Letters & Influence - S.T. Joshi II

C J Halbard — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 10:35:00 +1300

Our second conversation with the great Lovecraft scholar S.T. Joshi, diving deep into Lovecraft’s staggeringly prolific letter writing and influence on generations of creators. This is a real treat for fans of weird fiction.

S.T. Joshi is an American writer, musician, critic and award-winning scholar whose work has covered much weird and fantastic fiction, especially H. P. Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce, Lord Dunsany, and associated writers. Incredibly prolific with over 350 books published, he has also expanded into areas such as atheism, weird poetry, race relations and political discussion.

Check out S.T. Joshi’s homepage, biography of Lovecraft, and Black Wings of Cthulhu anthology.

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) Intro

(01:05) H.P. Lovecraft’s letters, David E. Schultz

(03:45) Fritz Leiber

(06:32) The first circle of influence

(07:20) August Derleth

(15:33) The Rise, Fall and Rise of the Cthulhu Mythos

(16:24) Frank Belknap Long

(18:22) Clark Ashton Smith, Robert E. Howard, Robert Block, Henry Cutner - Cross fertilization

(24:12) The Cthulhu mythos

(29:17) 60s-70s, the reawakening

(39:50) Charting the mythos

(51:41) Black Wings: Lovecraft mythos anthologies

(54:34) Ramsey Campbell, Colin Wilson

(1:02:04) Lovecraft in modern times

(1:06:54) Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Evangelia Artemis-Gomez: What's Gonna Happen

C J Halbard — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 10:09:00 +1300

Evangelia Artemis-Gomez is a New York-based visual artist, writer and co-host of the What's Gonna Happen podcast. In this episode we talk about mental & spiritual health, shaping imaginary worlds, choosing to be fuelled by passion, wrestling with family legacies, and much more.

Follow Evangelia on instagram @evangelullu and check out the What’s Gonna Happen podcast.

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) Intro

(00:37) Opening context and trees

(01:56) Family lines and legacies

(06:06) Seasons and mindsets

(13:42) Connections with ourselves and others

(32:28) Imaginary worlds / paracosms

(42:44) Making good and bad art

(58:25) Choosing to be fueled by passion

(1:06:44) Finishing up and socials

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

A.I. & Narrative Design - Nick Jones II

C J Halbard — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 10:20:00 +1300

Nick Jones is a transmedia storyteller and senior narrative designer for Sharkmob Games, and author of the book “The Player and the Pentacle: Folkloric Motifs for Narrative Design”. In this episode we dig into a real-world example of using the AI tool ChatGPT to help narrative design for videogames.

View or download Nick’s ChatGPT example here.

Follow Nick on twitter, visit his LinkedIn, and get your copy of The Player and The Pentacle.

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) Intro

(00:49) Moving across the world

(16:14) AI Tools & Narrative Design

(22:06) Nick’s ChatGPT Experiment

(38:16) Possible futures - AI & late stage capitalism

(47:09) Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

A.I., copyright & creators - Scott Sholder, Simon Pulman

C J Halbard — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 11:56:00 +1300

Two leading entertainment dealmakers and intellectual property experts talk about Artificial Intelligence and its urgent real-world impact on creators and copyrights. You're making things with AI tools, but who owns it? This fascinating conversation goes everywhere from case law and Hollywood risk management to monkey selfies and Steamboat Willie the horror movie. A must-listen for any creator or dealmaker grappling with the torrent of issues and opportunities that AI presents.

Scott Sholder & Simon Pulman are both entertainment attorneys based in New York. Scott focuses primarily on intellectual property and litigation, while Simon focuses primarily on dealmaking and business issues.

Follow Scott at https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottsholder/

Follow Simon at www.linkedin.com/in/simonpulman/

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) Introduction

(06:27) Making things with AI tools - who owns it?

(15:48) The monkey selfie and the copyright case

(28:34) A massive shift in content creation - can the law keep up?

(37:45) Public domain characters + AI, Steamboat Willie the horror movie, smart risk management

(49:50) Training AI models on other people’s creative work - privacy / policy / copyright implications

(1:04:16) The big picture - how fast can government move, vs tech?

(1:22:10) AI Kurt Cobain & finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

2022 in Love, Madness, and Horror

C J Halbard — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 10:35:00 +1300

At its heart, Project Tempest is about using stories to navigate a world going mad. 2022 brought a lot of that!

This special episode is a look back at what we made in 2022, what felt important, and what’s coming next in 2023. You can also read the full blog post at Project Tempest and watch a video version on youtube.

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Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Tara Lomax - secrets of blockbuster franchises

C J Halbard — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 11:08:00 +1300

Dr Tara Lomax is a cinema and screen media scholar with a PhD in contemporary Hollywood entertainment, particularly blockbuster franchising. Tara has published on multiplatform story development, world-building, seriality, and visual effects industries and has a particular interest in Disney’s development of Marvel & Star Wars. She also works as a story consultant and has a relatively new connection to pro wrestling.

Follow Tara’s work at Assembled Illusions and on LinkedIn.

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:42) - Growth of franchise

(02:02) - Blockbuster Franchising: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The Matrix etc. Auxiliary content and canon

(06:48) - Building franchise coherence: Marvel, League of Legends and Arcane.

(15:14) - James Bond: Defined by a franchised genre

(20:02) - Mission Impossible: Clash of systems. Stardom vs Narrative. Cultivating stars through the franchise

(27:01) - Building a franchise: Advice to young creators

(30:51) - The Distant Mountains, Larry Niven. Creating your world

(37:53) - Trans-Tasman Examples: Miss Fisher franchise, Cleverman. Yellowstone

(41:41) - Underworld Wrestling, Pantamagic. Advancement in the gaming industry

(46:47) - Having a plan, authenticity

(49:22) - Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Jeff Gomez - narrative, story worlds and transmedia development

C J Halbard — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:26:00 +1300

Content warning: this episode contains discussion of emotional struggles, mental health, and neurodiversity. These are in an empathetic and supportive context, but as always, please stay safe and look after yourself.

Jeff Gomez, CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment, is a leading expert in narrative, story worlds, and transmedia development. Jeff was a creator on the original story world of Magic: The Gathering, and since then has helped develop and expand universes like Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar, Transformers, Spider-Man, Halo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so that they play out across multiple media platforms in concert. Most recently he has served as a creative producer on the worldwide revival of Ultraman.

Follow Jeff’s work at starlightrunner.com, @jeffgomez and www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgomez/

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:02) - Formative experiences: Dungeons & Dragons and finding community

(10:25) - Teenage years

(17:31) - Magic the Gathering. Reality vs characters. Communal storytelling: Gateways Magazine

(22:02) - Licensing and building a universe. Hero’s journey vs collective journey.

(37:58) - Systemic narratives and repetition. Star Wars, Marvel

(42:22) - Personal journey and discovery. Artistic expression

(49:22) - Neurodiversity. Tessellation - a world of imagination

(52:17) - Collective journey through madness. Liminal spaces. Mental health. Necessity of storytelling. Folk horror in Aotearoa

(01:02:41) - Deep in the Nikau cave. Assertion of will

(01:14:06) - Advice to younger creators

(01:19:18) - Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Ed McRae III - Trilogy complete!

C J Halbard — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 11:17:00 +1300

Ed McRae is a Kiwi writer of dark fiction and narrative designer for video games, including the hit online RPG Path of Exile. Ed’s books Narrative Design for Writers and Narrative Design for Indies are essential reading for anyone interested in modern storymaking.

Follow Ed’s writing at www.edmcrae.com

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:31) - Grimstone: Writer’s block and creative constraints

(14:58) - Content creation: Quantity versus quality

(24:48) - Creative careers with financial stability

(28:36) - Challenge versus relaxation in gaming.

(33:20) - Ambition and world building over time. (Tron, Neuromancer, Otherlands)

(36:58) - Metaverse and NFTs.

(51:54) - Cyberspace advancements

(54:14) - Traditional versus indie publishin

(59:22) - Future obstacles and opportunities: Traditional storytelling and marketing in Web3

(1:01:26) - Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Simon Pulman, Dealmaker & Strategist

C J Halbard — Mon, 16 May 2022 13:20:00 +1300

Simon Pulman is a New York based lawyer and advisor focusing on tv, film, and interactive, including influencers and e-sports. Simon thinks and writes a great deal about the fast evolving landscape of entertainment and digital content - the present and future of how creators connect with audiences worldwide.

Follow Simon's writing at www.linkedin.com/in/simonpulman/

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:54) - Elden Ring: Bringing a generation together

(10:17) - IP properties across film and television: Marvel, Westworld, Severance.

(21:57) - Video game deals. Arcane. Halo, Mandalorian. Gaming vs TV

(32:03) - Dealmaking: Navigating creative landscapes and industries

(39:54) - Gaming is dominating the global entertainment space

(54:09) - The Netflix model’s implications for long-term viability

(1:01:56) - South by Southwest trends, NFTs, creating the digital Disney.

(1:22:22) - Creators: Benjamin McKenzie (The OC) Jonathan Nolan (Westworld, Fallout) Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets)

(1:30:08) - Advice to young creators and dealmakers

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Bonnie Harris-Lowe, game designer and writer

C J Halbard — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 13:47:00 +1300

Bonnie Harris-Lowe is a game designer and writer for Wildseed games, who are working on a genre bending videogame set in a sci-fi-fantasy world, inspired by Eastern martial arts and culture, hip hop, and Afrofuturism.

Follow Bonnie on twitter, LinkedIn, and check out their Mixed Reviews blog.

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:32) - Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae. Black femininity, sexuality, and identity

(05:31) - Origin story. Growing up bi-racial. Formative experiences - Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, POC representation in games

(07:37) - Becoming a creator: Learning the cons. Crunch, Gamergate and harassment. Studying media arts

(11:22) - The lack of industry elders creates a lack of industry advancement. Rockstar Games, Riot games

(15:40) - Wildseed and breaking the mold

(19:53) - N. K. Jemisin: “How Long 'til Black Future Month?” Black creators and commercial success, competing with America's addiction to black imagery

(25:44) - Personal life and projects

(38:31) - Accessibility vs approachability in games

(44:40) - VR, XR. Developing new controls. Immersion versus bending reality

(52:06) - Realism versus experimentation. Black hairstyles in video games

(58:55) - Inclusive character creator: Diversity isn’t thought about as valuable

(1:02:02) - Individual impact on the world

(1:05:41) - Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Nick Jones, The Player and the Pentacle

C J Halbard — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 15:33:00 +1300

Nick Jones is a narrative designer and transmedia storyteller, author of the new book “The Player and the Pentacle: Folkloric Motifs for Narrative Design”.

Follow Nick on twitter, visit his website, and get your copy of The Player and The Pentacle.

Subscribe:

Spotify | Google Podcasts | Apple | Captivate (direct)

Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:10) - Recent gaming: Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Bloodborne. From Software

(12:42) - Formative experiences: PS1, PaRappa the Rapper, Crash Bandicoot, Hercules, Tomb Raider

(14:18) - Working in the gaming industry

(15:11) - Evangelical/pentecostal christian upbringing. Sexual identity and leaving the church

(19:39) - Church history, fantasy cultures, folklore

(22:24) - Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, and living as an outsider

(27:47) - The Player and the Pentacle

(31:52) - The hero's journey vs Jeff Gomez’s collective journey. Tribalism no longer serves the greater group

(40:44) - Being the hero of your story - creative responsibility and chasing transcendence

(46.44) - Predatory game mechanics. The magic circle of narrative desig

(51:44) - Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Lee Murray, Bram Stoker-winning horror writer

C J Halbard — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 14:22:00 +1300

Lee Murray is New Zealand’s most awarded speculative fiction writer and editor. Her many works include the Taine McKenna thriller series that began with Into The Mist, the Path of Ra, supernatural crime-noir that Lee co-writes with Dan Rabarts, dozens of stories, novellas, and anthologies, and recently co-editing the collection Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women, which won both the Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson awards.

Lee’s latest release is Tortured Willows: Bent - Bowed - Unbroken, a poetry anthology featuring four female Southeast Asian writers of horror.

Follow Lee on twitter, and visit her website to explore her work.

Subscribe:

Spotify | Google Podcasts | Apple | Captivate (direct)

Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:57) - Growing up in New Zealand. Weird Tales. GenreCon. Horror writing partnership with Dan Rabarts

(13:04) - Bravery of writing yourself. Connecting with the community creates opportunities. Work vs fun

(25:47) - Connections as a superpower. Navigating mental health and young people

(36:14) - The Other: using mental health as an antagonist in popular culture. Isolation in New Zealand. Katherine Mansfield’s The Savage Hour

(41:17) - Tortured Willows: family, and asian female identity. Christina Sng, Angela Yuriko Smith, and Geneve Flynn. Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women

(53:44) - Expectations on Asian women: Tiger mum, submissive and sexual. Impossible asian beauty ideals. Cultural identity and tropes

(1:02:22) - Popular culture and quality in the commercial field. Literary vs speculative fiction. Young NZ readers and writers

(1:13:57) - Funding challenges for NZ Literature and film. Creatives are essential workers

(1:22:11) - Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this episode is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Fabian Nicieza, comic book writer and novelist

C J Halbard — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 09:41:00 +1300

Fabian Nicieza is a writer of long-standing in the comic book industry. With over a thousand credits in a 30 year career, he has worked on Marvel titles such as X-Men, X-Force, New Warriors, Cable, Deadpool, and Thunderbolts, and is likely best known as the co-creator of Deadpool; his work on DC titles includes Robin, Superman and the Justice League

More recently, Fabian’s debut novel, Suburban Dicks, a mystery wrapped in a comedy, has been called an engrossing and entertaining murder mystery, and a ceaselessly funny debut novel.

Follow Fabian on twitter, and subscribe to his author newsletter.

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:58) - Formative experiences: The Amazing Spider-Man #91, learning storytelling through art

(18:41) - Early career: Berkley Publishing, Marvel

(21:43) - Becoming a writer: working up the ladder, pitching ideas, developing relationships, writing stories

(31:27) - Professional vs. amateur

(37:08) - Suburban Dicks: understanding difference through religion, institutions, immigration. The cynical-optimist axis

(44:01) - Human desire for belief and religious acceptance. Self-destruction via social media

(49:35) - Suburban Dicks: 25 year long process from 1995. Racial diversity, caucasian fear and demographic change

(58:50) - The process of editing and refining work

(1:05:49) - Personal experience as an inspirational shortcut. Adapting from comics to prose writing. James Ellroy & Hunter Thompson

(1:11:49) - Writing in a cocoon, chapter-break cliffhangers the slow reality of book publishing

(1:23:51) - Advice for young creators

(1:27:45) - Author website, twitter, newsletter

(1:28:26) - Finishing up

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast, and get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Producer for this podcast is Kearin Armstrong, production assistant is Prea Millar.

Ed McRae 2 - the Horror Returns

C J Halbard — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 10:25:00 +1300

What is horror and how do you make it? Our second conversation with Ed McRae, kiwi horror author, narrative designer and narrative paramedic for the video games industry. Ed's been a screenwriter and story designer for over 13 years, and was lead writer on the hit online RPG Path of Exile.

Follow Ed at www.edmcrae.com.

Subscribe:

Spotify | Google Podcasts | Apple | Captivate (direct)

Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(04:44) - Education in game development, careers in startups

(13:22) - Survival horror (Dawn of the Dead) and creativity

(17:25) - Cujo by Stephen King and mental illness, Alfred Hitchcock, Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner

(25:56) - Devolution by Max Brooks (World War Z), Batman: Arkham Asylum, Grant Morrison, Batman’s katabasis

(34:36) - Horror in NZ: Growing up in small-town Aotearoa. Viktor Antonov and Half-Life 2, making space for influences beyond America

(39:19) - Scandinavian noir vs NZ

(42:53) - Personal motivation in horror: a journey of self discovery. Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens and Homo Deus, art as a path forward

(44:32) - Fitting in and feeling like an outsider. Majority vs minority. Social media creates mobs

(59:15) - Creative plans for the future. Project Tempest, Thousand Year Old Vampire by Tim Hutchings. Responsibilities of a narrative curator to an audience

(1:14:20) - Finishing up

Mentioned:

Cujo by Stephen King

Writing in the Dark by Tim Waggoner

Devolution by Max Brooks

Grant Morrison’s Batman run

Viktor Antonov interview

Elizabeth Knox, NZ writer

Yuval Noah Harari, Israeli historian & philosopher

Thousand Year Old Vampire by Tim Hutchings

***

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time at Smashwords

Producer for this podcast is Kearin Armstrong.

S.T. Joshi, Lovecraft scholar and cheerful pessimist

C J Halbard — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 11:37:00 +1300

Follow him at stjoshi.org.

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(02:54) - Origin story: H P Lovecraft, Brown and Princeton

(21:23) - Music and choral composition

(27:38) - Weird fiction: Thomas Ligotti & Caitlin Kiernan

(36:43) - ‘The Lovecrafts’ biopic

(41:11) - Atheism

(56:02) - Happiness, health, and productivity in your work

(1:09:04) - Lovecraft’s letters

(1:15:34) - The cheerful pessimist

***

Mentioned:

S.T. Joshi’s homepage, biography of Lovecraft, and memoir

Sonia Greene, H.P. Lovecraft’s wife

‘The Last Wave’ 1970s Australian film by Peter Weir https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Wave

***

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time at Smashwords

Producer for this podcast is Kearin Armstrong.

Simon Pulman, entertainment lawyer and strategist

C J Halbard — Mon, 24 May 2021 07:10:00 +1300

Follow Simon's writing at www.linkedin.com/in/simonpulman/

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(03:38) - Simon’s origin story & how gaming has evolved

(12:49) - Early Gaming memories - Atari, Ninja Turtles, and more

(26:15) - The creative starting point

(30:13) - Realities of building IP

(36:05) - Making and evolving beloved franchises like Resident Evil over decades

(47:09) - The shift from storytelling to storymaking

(53:02) - Shared worldbuilding & fan-service including the Metro Universe

(59:13) - Economic responsibilities & partnered ecosystems

(63:37) - Future expectations: the reduction of traditional media

***

Mentioned:

Super Mario Bros the Movie

Street Fighter the movie

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Resident Evil: Village

Metro universe

What is an entertainment company in 2021, and why does the answer matter? - essay by venture capitalist Matthew Ball

Follow Simon's writing at www.linkedin.com/in/simonpulman/

***

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time at Smashwords

Producer for this podcast is Kearin Armstrong.

Jason Killingsworth, Tune & Fairweather publishing

C J Halbard — Thu, 15 Apr 2021 10:26:00 +1300

The Dark Souls book You Died is a beautiful artefact of love and obsession, raising over €120,000 on Kickstarter. Author and publisher Jason Killingsworth talks about his personal creative journey through religion, journalism, Riot Games, and building Tune & Fairweather as a home for objects of strange wonder.

Visit Tune & Fairweather at tuneandfairweather.com.

Subscribe:

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Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) Introduction

(00:58) Murder among the Mormons

(13:37) Godric by Frederick Buechner and The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

(25:51) Hardcore History - “Prophets of Doom” and written language

(29:53) Family parallels, universal creation stories and dreamscapes

(38:21) Doom, Paste Magazine and the core response loop of game design

(60:36) Starting Tune and Fairweather publishing with the Dark Souls book ‘You Died.”

(81:07) Digital vs physical as items of obsession

(88:08) The artist’s love letter

(91:19) Finishing up

Mentioned:

Murder Among The Mormons true-crime mini series about a Mormon apostate uncovering ancient documents that conflicted with canon church history.

Godric a work of historical fiction by Frederick Buechner that centers on a 12th-century religious hermit known as Godric of Finchale.

Hardcore History - Prophets of Doom murderous millennial preachers and prophets take over the German city of Munster after Martin Luther unleashes a Pandora’s Box of religious anarchy with the Protestant Reformation.

Jungian archetypes as an underlying structure of dreams and stories

Robert Eggers' film The Lighthouse, about two lighthouse keepers who descend into madness during a storm.

***

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time at Smashwords

Producer for this podcast is Kearin Armstrong

Sarah Beaulieu, author & narrative designer

C J Halbard — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 10:30:00 +1300

Sarah Beaulieu is a French writer, narrative designer, and script doctor, recently announced as Associate Narrative Director on Assassin's Creed Valhalla at Ubisoft.

Follow Sarah at sarah-beaulieu.com.

Subscribe:

Spotify | Google Podcasts | Apple | Captivate (direct)

Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:56) - ‘There is no game’ & ‘The Beginner’s Guide’, two games about gamesRecent inspiring narrative experiences

(21:42) - Meta and RPG gaming

(24:56) - Young creators and funding opportunities

(35:18) - Oscar Wilde and The Portrait of Dorian Gray

(47:40) - Stephen King’s creative landscapes

(60:47) - Father-son bonding through Starflight

(66:33) - Future creative trajectory

(71:10) - Telling stories in different platforms

(75:50) - Creative progress through time

(81:31) - Creative control vs collaboration

(85:55) - Finishing up

Mentioned:

There is no game & The Beginner’s Guide, two games on games

Rambalac, a youtube creator making beautiful ASMR walking videos of Japan

The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, a gothic Victorian novel about life, obsession, and self-image

Starflight, a 1986 video game about space exploration, combat, and trading

Follow Sarah at https://sarah-beaulieu.com/

***

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time at Smashwords

Producer for this podcast is Kearin Armstrong.

James Everett, extending reality at Magic Leap & NZXR

C J Halbard — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 11:00:00 +1300

A wide-ranging conversation with James Everett, game designer, creative producer, co-founder of NZXR (the XR stands for Extended Reality). His Canada-New Zealand journey has included Ubisoft, Sidhe Interactive, Magic Leap/Weta Workshop, and Dr Grordbort's Invaders.

Follow James on twitter and at NZXR.dev.

Subscribe:

Spotify | Google Podcasts | Apple | Captivate (direct)

Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:48) - Pikpok, Ubisoft, Montreal and New Zealand

(08:17) - Starlink: Battle for Atlas, Magic Leap

(12:50) - Operating rhythm and SiSSYFiGHT 3000 workshop

(19:11) - Systemic Design: Dishonored 2’s clockwork mansion, Arkane Studios, Looking Glass, Thief

(30:31) - Visual design and combined vision: Ubisoft, Hades

(34:55) - The Inheritance trilogy by N.K.Jemisin

(41:58) - Formative experiences: Dune by Frank Herbert, J.G.Ballard, G.I.Joe, Animaniacs

(51:22) - Connections with novels and games: Tana French, Passage, Fez

(66:26) - What goes into a project: working vs creating

(70:47) - Magic Leap: Dr. Grordbort’s Invaders.

(92:27) - NZXR Collective: VR, Aardvark, experience accessibility, cultural change

(104:41) - Information accessibility: Adam Greenfield, classism via information, smart cities, and moral responsibility

(120:05) - Finishing up

Mentioned:

The Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

Dishonored 2, a masterpiece of systemic game design and worldbuilding

Dune by Frank Herbert

Passage, a 5 minute game about life and death

A brief history and overview of XR (Extended Reality), the umbrella term encompassing Virtual & Augmented Reality technologies

James at the NZXR Summit talking about core principles of XR design

James at the Game Developer's Conference talking about Invaders

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time at Smashwords

Producer for this podcast is Kearin Armstrong.

Ed McRae, writer & narrative designer

C J Halbard — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 10:28:00 +1300

A rollicking conversation with Ed McRae, kiwi LitRPG author, narrative designer and narrative paramedic for the video games industry. Ed's been a screenwriter and story designer for over 13 years, and was lead writer on the hit online RPG Path of Exile.

Follow Ed at www.edmcrae.com.

Subscribe:

Spotify | Google Podcasts | Apple | Captivate (direct)

Outline:

Here are the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(01:23) - Introduction

(02:37) - Recent narrative experiences: The Haunting of Hill House, Spiritfarer by Thunder Lotus Games, Kingdom Two Crowns, Oxenfree, Grim Dawn

(20:42) - Narrative structure evolution: gameplay and story. Dungeon Keeper, Grand Theft Auto, A Dark Room, Dead Space, Resident Evil

(29:55) - Formative narrative experiences: Needful Things by Stephen King, The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, The Sandman by Neil Gaiman

(45:17) - What’s next? Self-publishing, and new audiences. Alan Moore, Warlock: Reign of Blood, LitRPG, Tempest Bay, Skulls of Atlantis

(69:02) - New Zealand/Aotearoa creatives, Horror: schlock horror/dark comedy, Black Sheep, The Locals, Bad Taste. Swedish horror and Scandi noir.

Mentioned:

Spiritfarer, a cozy management game about dying.

The Haunting of Hill House on Netflix, a ghost story.

The Invisibles by Grant Morrison, a 90s comic about a secret organisation battling against physical and psychic oppression using time travel, magic, meditation, and physical violence.

Needful Things by Stephen King, about a monster that brings out what’s monstrous in everyday people.

***

Support & connect:

Find us at www.project-tempest.net/podcast

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or directly on Captivate. If you enjoy the Project Tempest podcast please consider rating it 5 stars, this really helps us out. Thanks!

Comments to hello@manonfire.org

Get the acclaimed Project Tempest novella 1862 free for a limited time at Smashwords

Producer for this podcast is Kearin Armstrong.