Danny Homan

Happy Wednesday all, or at least it would be if not for yesterday's news. Let's get into the round-up, then. 1. Microsoft shutdown four studios, including BAFTA-award winning Tango Gameworks who recently released "Hi-Fi Rush" and Arkane Austin. The loss of these studios is huge, make no mistake. I've not written on it yet as it was my news partner-in-crime who grabbed it for PSU but I've plenty of thoughts brewing, and you might see something from me soon. https://lnkd.in/gGy7MzyG 2. I covered a couple of the events regarding the Helldivers 2 PSN account linking controversy, but then I thought it would be worth putting everything together in one, clear explainer piece of what happened and what's still going on - so I did! https://lnkd.in/gMdJcfT8 3. More news regarding poor decisions made by games industry executives, Activision reportedly rejected a pitch from Vicarious Visions prior to merging the team entirely into Blizzard for a Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3+4 Remake. Activision instead wanted VV to focus efforts on supporting Call Of Duty & Diablo, which I don't think I can find to be anything less than depressing. Not because I'm a huge THPS fan, but because I find it so short-sighted to go from publishing a diverse string of games to only publishing a few behemoths that have shown they have chips in their 'forever-game' armour. Perhaps I've got more to say on this as well. https://lnkd.in/gYGPFiWH 4. This one's for me, because I've put 1000+ hours into Apex Legends, and the now current season is once again changing the game forever. I've had peaks and valleys with Apex over my time with it, and I'm glad that Respawn is continually trying to keep things fresh with these last two seasons of large, sweeping changes and new modes. https://lnkd.in/g9w5xBhj 5. Lastly, Ubisoft's guitar-learning game turned subscription service Rocksmith+ will arrive on PS5 and Steam in June. I was a big Guitar Hero/Rock Band-head back in the day, and Rocksmith played a key role in my journey to start playing guitar. I'm not sure I'll jump in right away, but I'm glad to see it finally make a console debut, I think tools like Rocksmith+ are great and easy ways to get people into playing and making music. https://lnkd.in/geUTveUd That's all for now, though I do want to leave you with a question to DM me about or answer in the comments: who do you think won the rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake? I see a clear winner, and I want to know if LinkedIn is on the ball when it comes to these big issues. Until next time!

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In my previous post, I delved into various resources for producers, uncovering some that were previously unfamiliar to me. Among them, a response from one of my favorite producers (still your biggest fan over here Jason Hutchins) stood out, highlighting the significance of understanding production in relation to other disciplines. He emphasized the value of learning  the tools as a key approach to gaining insight. This perspective offers a practical way to grasp game development pipelines and their connection to production. This week, I'm eager to hear everyone's experiences in understanding their relationships with their teams and the pipelines they utilize. What was the pivotal "I get it!" moment for you? Did you get into the tools? Or do something else? This is a judgment-free zone; I'm simply keen on fostering discussion and helping newer producers solve these problems faster. Personally, I've dedicated time to asking questions, particularly regarding the nuances of different engines, while actively listening to team conversations to glean insights into typical pipelines and common challenges. As a producer, it's crucial for me to effectively communicate on behalf of my team to stakeholders who may not grasp the intricacies of our processes. Thus, overcoming the hurdle of understanding what my teams do and how they do it has been paramount. Initially, I believed I hadn't spent much time using the tools themselves. However, upon reflection, I realized this wasn't entirely accurate. In fact, during the early stages of my career (hey! this is where I met Jason Hutchins!), a substantial portion of my time was devoted to testing development tools. While this experience didn't provide a comprehensive understanding of every aspect, I'm confident it contributed to my comprehension of the intricacies involved in game development. (side note: the most influential people in my career were the people I met while working on this project! I still think of this team often.)

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Local game development communities – Each of us are in the best place to help people impacted with layoffs and studio closures. We are not psuedo journalists, armchair analysts, or disconnected, dispassionate spectators. We are the boots-on-the-ground, fellow professionals who have worked side by side & built relationships with these people over years & across studios. Right now we have an opportunity to step up, reach out, and care for people. We can ask, "Are you OK?", and "For real, though?" We can buy them a drink, listen to them, be a meat proxy to be yelled at. We can make introductions, connections, investements. Please please please – Reach out to one person in your life who could be hurting, or knows someone who is. We can each make a difference in a single life. (And then we can do it again and again and again.)

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Here's a secret: you don't have to specialize. Early in my career I was asked, "what do you want to be?" The insinuation was that I'd need to pick a specialty within film production. "I want to be able to do it all," I responded. I was lucky enough to work at a place where that would (mostly) become possible as advances in technology began to streamline access to filmmaking tools. I could be the producer, the writer and the DP. I could more effectively leave my mark on all facets of the production process. I'm aware that this goes against popular convention. Many super-smart coaches with large followings sing the praises of specializing and, in the same vein, finding a niche. I do believe that is the smart path for many. But I don't believe it is for me. My path began at RGTV, an award-winning production company based in New York led by Roman Gackowski. I was fortunate to work with a super-talented group where everyone often pulled more than their share of the weight. I won individual Emmy awards for producing, writing and shooting. Yet, deep down I wanted more. I wanted to finish the projects I started. I wanted to be an editor. At the next stop in my career, I made that goal a reality. You could also say I flirted with specialization. In David Jasse of DMJ Studios, I met a kindred spirit. A former editor himself, he understood how the final step of the production process can make-or-break a video. It was great to be a Senior Editor for someone who so thoroughly understood the craft. Soon, another opportunity knocked. Pavan Bahl from Bellwether Culture wanted to bring me on as Head of Creative production. In this role I would need to dust off many of those hats I had left dormant in the closet: videographer, producer, writer AND editor. I couldn't resist the opportunity. The first high-profile project where I could fully live out my return to being an anti-specialist was the production of a mini-documentary for NRVLD.co, featuring co-founders Pavan Bahl and Uzo Udu and partner Dale Moss. I couldn't have created this video without the contributions of many others. John Lopez and Virtue the Artist (IG: @virtuetheartist) filmed many of the beautiful visuals. Others, including Vic Ramos helped produce and shoot interviews. It was a team effort for sure, but it was also my return to putting my imprint on all facets of the production process. I served as director/producer/editor and also added some of my own vision from behind the camera. What was created was a video that immortalized an amazing multi-day gathering. But, contrary to many "highlight videos," it also weaved in substance and storytelling. I have to believe it was integral to NRVLD partnering with elite brands the very next year, most notably Art Basel and Barry's Boot Camp. If you'd like to tell your brand's story in a more effective way, reach out to me 145 Park Productions. CLIENT: NRVLD.co *Created as an employee at Bellwether Culture

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Here’s something I’m passionate about: authenticity when it comes to languages and accents. When big productions neglect to work with the proper casting director who will make sure all actors considered are native and/or have the proper regional accent, they have no excuse. Especially if they’re filming in LA or even NYC where there are native actors from all over the world. The casting will be more complex and take more time, yes, but… you will not lose part of your audience with that poor choice. Never forget the American audience is multilingual. I’m part of the American audience, for example. And anything you put in Spanish or French, if it’s gibberish or even fluent but not native for a character who’s supposed to be a native speaker, I will probably be upset and may stop watching your show all together. It happened with shows I loved before, like I remember “Panam”, with episodes “in Cuba”… (the Haitian episode was pretty bad too). Right now I’m binge watching The Black List. Season 5, episode 18: the “very proud born and raised Parisian” -as described by Raymond Reddington- is from the South of France (in the best case scenario)- native but wrong local accent- best than gibberish, for sure! But reminding me of my frustration… Same for the looping/ADR for your projects. As an actor, how many times was I called to do a looping group session with monolingual Americans pretending to speak other languages… it’s infuriating, unfair to the authentic actors who need the work, and underserving the production - at some point, even if it’s ADR walla dialogue, the audience will hear something and if they actually speak the language… you’ll upset them and may lose them. Please hire authentic! And if you need niche casting or foreign languages speaking actors in Hollywood, hi! :) info@nalahcasting.com :) www.nalahcasting.com #authenticity #authenticactors #authenticaccents #nativelanguages #foreignactorsofhollywood #voiceacting #casting #voicecasting #authenticcasting

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Online (paid) workshop: "Writing Revolution: How To Create Believable Resistance Movements with Helen Gould" "Stories about rebelling against an unjust system or a tyrannical ruler have always been popular, often becoming lucrative franchises (A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…). However, they also frequently portray a simplified narrative about how resistance works or avoid the nuances of what it means to fight an oppressive force. This one-day workshop will establish an understanding of the building blocks that can be put in place for a realistic foundation for a dystopian society, oppression, and rebellion. Instructor Helen Gould will cover real-world examples of political resistance from around the world, discuss the morality of important issues like the use of violence, and explore what kind of characters you might need in a story about revolution." Link to course: https://lnkd.in/gdP3TMir #writing #writingworkshop #revolutiondesign #screenwriting #narrativedesign

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I get to work with some very talented people on my team here on DC Universe Online, several of whom worked for years at Cryptic Studios on Star Trek Online. So naturally, we have a lot of great quotes to pull from both franchises. This morning, one of those quotes came up again and reminded me of how many people are agonizing over rejection emails they're getting right now. Having just interviewed several fantastic people for a role I opened here, I know nearly all of them are about to get a rejection email from us. I want you all to know something: it's not because you necessarily did ANYTHING wrong. You could have done everything right, but still lost out. Your qualifications and references were enough to get you on a call with a hiring manager like me in the first place. You got to speak with members of my team and while not all of the feedback may have been perfect, I assure you that no one we hire ever gets by unscathed, either. So yeah, as Patrick Stewart reminds us in his role as Captain Jean Luc Picard, “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life.” Don't get caught up in what you could have done differently. Don't agonize over minute details, inflections in your voice, if your facial expression wasn't genuine enough, if your answer was too rambly - you may not have made any mistakes at all, honestly. Someone else just matched the specific team fit slightly better, or had slightly better experience in a slightly different area, or scored in some other category just slightly better. It's possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. Get up, brush yourself off and as we're told... Leave your hesitation and your self-doubt behind. You've got more calls to prep for and one of these days, it's going to be you who ends up scoring just ever so slightly better in a category or two. And here's the real secret - you'll invariably make mistakes on the interview you finally nail, anyway. #gameindustry #getbusyliving #youvegotthis #opentowork #hiring #boldlygo

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🗣️ How To Nail Your Interview (Part One) 🗣️ Congratulations on securing the interview—excellent work! Now, onto the next challenge: the interview itself. One question I consistently ask in interviews, and I'm sure many other hiring managers do too, is: "Tell me about yourself and your background." You might wonder, why ask when they've already reviewed your resume? The answer lies in assessing your communication skills, which are crucial in any role. Expect some variation of this question in your interviews and prepare a concise response, ideally around 2-3 minutes. Focus on highlighting your professional experiences, specific achievements, and growth. While education is relevant, keep it brief, perhaps just a sentence or two. Avoid the temptation to recite your resume verbatim—as this wastes valuable interview time. Trust that if the hiring manager wants more detail on anything, they'll ask. Your answer to this question sets the tone for the rest of the interview. Keep it succinct, emphasize the highlights of your resume, and aim to hear the next question of the interview within the first 5 minutes. Questions about interviews? Do you agree or disagree with the points above? Let me know—I'm eager to hear your thoughts! Opinions are my own. Take what resonates, leave what doesn't. — Terence — #interview #hiring #advice

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TONIGHT AT 6:30 PM join us for an improvised version of PVP Circuit and help us rebuild our local community brick by brick. I still can't believe I get to work in the video game industry. My 6-year-old would laugh, and then cry once she realized what it means to work in the creative technology sector. That's why IMO everyone could use some levity during these unprecedented times. Join us for a fun evening to raise funds for the Trevor Project. Event link >>> https://lnkd.in/g7tBuP6d Frequently Asked Questions: What if I can't attend the event? - If you can't make it, please consider purchasing a ticket to help us raise money for charity or get one on behalf of someone impacted by layoffs. What if I want to join but can't justify the cost? - If you want to join but find the cost prohibitive, DM me and we'll make it happen (see point above). Do I have to pitch at the event? - No, you don't have to pitch if you prefer to observe. It’s a great way to see how it's done. Will there be another event like this? - We plan to host our community again, but I can't specify if this event will be the focus. #gamesindustry #event #comedy <3

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🗣️ How To Nail Your Interview (Part Two) 🗣️ Kudos to my wonderful wife Jaimie Woo, who shared this invaluable question to ask when being interviewed. It's a common practice for hiring managers to ask if applicants have any questions towards the end of an interview. I've encountered a variety of questions from candidates in this moment—some broad, others hyper-specific, and even a few unrelated to the job itself. However, there's one question I highly recommend asking when being interviewed: "Are there any areas of my experience or qualifications that raise concerns about my fit for this role?" This question is straightforward yet insightful, and can offer an immediate gauge of how the interview has gone. While some interviewers may simply reassure you, others might express some doubts they’re feeling, providing you with an opportunity to address them directly. Being able to respond effectively to any concerns raised demonstrates your adaptability and communication skills—a valuable asset in any role. This question is high risk and also high reward. But as the saying goes: “No Risk It, No Biscuit” Do you have any other secret interview questions to share? Let me know! Opinions are my own. Take what resonates, leave what doesn't. — Terence — #interview #hiring #advice

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A thought-provoking article about the state of the movie business. If there is in fact a generation divide about how media is consumed, it would certainly affect the gaming business as well. What lessons can we (as game makers) take away from it? --------------------------- As Joe Russo told GamesRadar+, he thinks that Marvel's current issues all come down to audiences changing, which in turn is due to a transformation in how the world now absorbs media. And it's not just affecting the MCU too in Hollywood, as he emphasized: "I think it's a reflection of the current state of everything. It's difficult right now, it's an interesting time. I think we're in a transitional period and people don't know quite yet how they're going to receive stories moving forward, or what kinds of stories they're going to want. "There's a big generational divide about how you consume media. There's a generation that's used to appointment viewing and going to a theater on a certain date to see something, but it's ageing out. Meanwhile the new generation are 'I want it now, I want to process it now’, then moving onto the next thing, which they process whilst doing two other things at the same time. You know, it's a very different moment in time than it's ever been. And so I think everyone, including Marvel, is experiencing the same thing, this transition. And I think that really is probably what's at play more than anything else." Continuing, Russo then stated that it's not just an issue the film and TV industry is facing, but the world in general – then highlighting that it's an incredibly difficult problem to address. As he said: "We have never collectively, globally, processed our conversation so intimately and quickly as we do now. I think that creates problems, where we over-process and don't care about context anymore. We communicate through memes and headlines, with nobody reading past two sentences, so everything's 100 characters or less – or 10-second videos on social media you swipe through. I think that the two-hour format, the structure that goes into making a movie, it’s over a century old now and everything always transitions. So, there is something happening again and that form is repetitive. But it's hard to reinvent that form and I think this next generation is looking for ways to tell their own stories that service their own sort of collective ADHD." -------------------------

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One Thing I Wish I Was Told Before Becoming a Voiceover Artist🥹 One thing I wish I was told before becoming a voiceover artist is that facing constant rejections can severely impact your self-esteem and lead to periods of depression. Nobody tells you this, but voiceover artists need continuous emotional support. There are times when no work is coming in, and that can be deeply disheartening. Applying for jobs or auditioning for roles and facing repeated rejection can take a heavy toll on your mental health. Voiceover artists need a lot of resilience to navigate these challenges, and they also need robust emotional support systems to sustain their well-being. It gets hard but I know God keeps me moving What did you wish you knew before joining your industry?🎙️ _________________________________________ Seeing my Post for the first time? I'm Favour Echebiri, a Voiceover Artist. I specialize in commercial, video advert, narration, podcast voiceovers. You need a unique voice for your projects, then Hire me! Let's create magic together 🪄✨ _________________________________________ P.S: Here's a video I edited and provided the voiceover for my church. What do you think about it? Haoma Worgwu #tuesdaytips #resiliense #depression #mentalhealth #voiceover #20daylinkedinchallengewithhaoma #knowledge

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Artist compensation isn't only a problem in the music industry, but also for authors. And the interesting thing is, a new study suggests readers are far more sensitive to the struggle authors face with compensation than for musicians. Maybe it's because music has been almost free for so long that we've just become used to the status quo and many forget about the artists struggling to make ends meet and just see the Taylor Swifts of the world making millions. This problem has come to fruition more prominently recently due to changing fee structures for Spotify. The company recently announced in the UK that there will be a new 'Music Only' tier for £10.99 a month or a Music and Audiobook tier for £11.99 a month. The problem is...will either of these new tiers see the artists and authors earn more? Will one's profits eat into the other and Spotify take the extra? Pricing for music does need to change. But it needs to be clearer and benefit the creators. We need to concentrate and support the creation of any type of art. If we don't want a world full of AI music and less actual human creativity, things have to change. Link o an article about this in the comments. #music #art #authors #tech

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All use of AI-generated Art (any kind) should be labelled as such. Let's start by calling it AI-Viz (instead of AI Art) and have a disclaimer saying "This documentary uses AI to visualize people and events" (in which case it ceases to be a documentary in its truest form).

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I just got the nested Vector Oscillator by THC-Stockolm for my Buchla system, and it got me thinking: Are there any joystick controllers for Dolby Atmos like this? It would be amazing to have a joystick configuration for moving your sound around the speakers or assigning one sound/channel/instrument to an object panner, then assigning one of the four joysticks and independently recording the gestures with two hands. You could pan 4 different instruments simultaneously at the same time if you wanted.

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Look what I found for sale on a game assets website: If you're going to sell your terrible AI assets, can you at least remove the EXTRA LEGS first??? 😂 As obvious as *these* assets are, there were plenty of assets on that site that were NOT so obvious. It's going to be increasingly difficult for creators to know if assets they purchase/license/download are made with AI or not. This is why I'm uncomfortable with AI "tags" and "bans" being imposed on games...especially without guidance or context. I don't want to see some indie team have to take down the dream game they've worked on for 5 years because the asset store sold them an art pack that may have included AI-generated textures. 😰 #gamedev, #gamedesign, #art, #AI

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