Face your demons

Just in case you missed it, I recently interviewed Tommy Larkin and Ryan McCalla, the two creative forces behind the upcoming 'Inner Demons' web series.

Next I got a chance to shoot a few questions at some of the actors behind the series. Three of them in fact. Mark Stevens, Tony Rahme and Tim Reuben, or as you will get to see them in the forthcoming first series; Mephisto, Blackout and Sparky.



What attracted you to acting?

Mark: The sum of a life of polemic experiences... this is what I do.

Tony: Ever since I was a kid, I played the lead role of Jonah in my school play in front of a crowd of hundreds, and I aced it. Ever since then, I've just loved the idea of taking on a different character for a short time.

Tim: I've always wanted to act since I was a kid. I love the places it takes me and the challenges it presents me with.



How did you get involved with Inner Demons?

Mark: Casting call on StarNow(great site) to which I responded; Hello, My age precludes Me from applying directly for the only role I desire..... Mephisto. I do a thousand years in hell real good. Give me hell and I`ll give you a truly outstanding Mephisto. Regards, Mark.

Tony: A: It was through the StarNow website that I found the auditions - and after reading the concept and the short character bibliography, I thought it was role that suited me and applied for it.

Tim: I auditioned for Inner Demons soon after graduating from acting school. I was totally sold on the idea of playing a super hero and getting to teleport.


How was your initial approach to your character? Did your attitude towards the character change at all between script and performance?

Mark: One of admiration and empathy! That's not changed...

Tony: Surprisingly enough, my character and I have so much in common, it's beyond the joke. The physical structure, the core beliefs, even my characters job and the incident where he discovers his powers - these are all things that made me question whether Tommy or Ryan were in fact stalking me for some time before they made this character... All in good humor, of course.

Tim: I found the character quite quickly and have basically stuck with it. Tommy and Ryan's writing is often very detailed, which really helps you access and deliver what they're looking for.


Do you have to spend a lot of time getting inside your character's skin, or is it an easy, natural process for you?

Mark: I have a method. I close my eyes, visualize the loop of infinity and allow the universe in. Click.

Tony: It's pretty easy, seeing as Blackout and I do have a lot in common. The only difficulty is toning my natural self down to suit the quiet nature of my character, when I am very much the extrovert.

Tim: I think of Sparky as a part of myself. I just find that fun playful part of myself and bring it out.


How is it working with Tommy and Ryan?

Mark: Motivating. You wanna work with them, they value our input. Gotta love a couple of guys following their dream.

Tony: Without trying to sound like a crawler, I would have to say freaking awesome! They're both patient; they know that the cast are not a bunch of mind readers; they're always willing to help out in any way shape and form - pretty much, they are the epitome of a couple of Top Blokes.

Tim: Great. They're both so informed about the technical aspects of film making that you feel you're in safe hands. They also are incredibly trusting and give us a lot of creative freedom.


Are you a horror fan?

Mark: Not particularly. Good story fan. Okay, with a dark thread......

Tony: Kind of and not really... Like I'd watch a horror movie, but it would really have to grab my attention. I'm probably more thriller than horror though.

Tim: Horror? Ahhhhh! I love the idea of horror movies but I get scared so easily. The last horror I went to see at the movies I had to sneak out of. I then snuck into Harry Potter. That's about all the horror I can handle.


If you can say without spoiling anything, do you have a favourite scene or moment from Inner Demons?

Mark: Seeing expressions on cast and crew faces after shooting very last scene of season 1... heh heh heh!

Tony: Can't really say... We have awesome actors all around, the directing and photography always looks perfect. But from what I've seen, I reckon the opening of Episode 3 would have to be my favorite so far.

Tim: I got to shoot an amazing fight scene against a stack of demons recently. I'd been training for a few weeks in Krav Maga which was so cool!


How do you feel about independent film in Australia? Is acting work abundant or pretty hard to find?

Mark: Love the personal input associated with indie productions. Seems to be some salacious projects out there (for a character actor with a dark streak). Sites like StarNow are a gift...

Tony: It varies really... One minute there is more work than you can handle, next minute you're bartending for three months until your next gig.

Tim: I think Australia produces great film work, but it is hard to come by.


Are there any actors you could point at as big inspirations for you?

Mark: Mark Gattis, Johnny depp, Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Meryl Streep, Uma Thurman.

Tony: Yeah, several really; The old action stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lungred - these boys were muscle heads that had to deliver pretty damned well on screen. Hugo Weaving - after V for Vendetta, how can you NOT love him?! Hugh Jackman and Heath Ledger - some of our greatest national exports. And of course, Ed O'Neil for playing the best dad under the sun (Al Bundy in Married... With Children).

Tim: I'm inspired all the time, by not just actors. Lately I've been inspired by Moby, Bon Iver, Dayne Rathbone and Titus Andronicus. I love art that opens my perspective.


What's the funniest/strangest piece of direction you've received while filming Inner Demons?

Mark: To fall "gently" on the precious carpet at the Windsor Mansion....

Tony: I think my co-star Tim Reuben (Sparky) may kill me for this; but it was when the crew told us to lie on the green screen, hug each other close and shake... Yeah, I know - kinky!

Tim: Shooting in front of a green screen can lead to some pretty funny situations. The other day we were shooting a scene where I had to lie on a green screen with Tony (Blackout). I'm sure on screen it will look amazing, but on the day it just felt like spooning.



What would be more of a dream role for you; an intense character study of a historical figure or a lead role in a super-hero blockbuster?

Mark: One that affords me a Will Smith type trailer. Luvvie!

Tony: I would probably have to go with the lead character in a super hero blockbuster - assuming it's not a box office flop. But hell, does not mean I would not like to try give the character study a shot some day.

Tim: Super hero. Unless its a historical figure with super powers.


What's your favourite film of all time?

Mark: Eraserhead, David Lynch, 1977.

Tony: One film for ALL time?! That's not fair... But if I have to say anything; V For Vendetta - the fact that the protagonist is a well versed killing machine just locks it in for the winner.

Tim: Tied. Garden State and The Breakfast Club.


Do you have any parting wisdom for anyone interested in getting into acting?

Tony: Always remember that the only people who will ever say that you can't achieve your dreams are those who were afraid to chase their own.

Tim: I recommend training at an acting school. I trained at ACA but there are many great schools out there. I think that's the first important step into the industry today.



The first series of Inner Demons is currently in post production. It will be available via iTunes, YouTube, Blip Video and Vimeo upon release. Check out the series website for more information.

My Area...

Anyone in my local area, Griffith NSW, might have caught me in today's Area News, the local newspaper, discussing blogging. A Sincere thank you to Alexis and Daniel, over at the Area News, for the exposure. It was a lot of fun.

Exploring 'Inner Demons'

If there is one tool that has changed the game for independent film makers in the last decade, it's the internet. Online video delivery systems, such as Youtube and itunes, have put the power to reach a vast audience directly into the hands of the content creator. Indie webseries have well and truly caught the attention of major film and television studios, and made them sit up and take notice. It's clear that as more and more people spend increasing amounts of time in front of their computers, that they are spending less in front of the old idiot box. The time for talented and ambitious indie film makers to make their mark, and raise the level of what can be achieved via independent marketing and distribution, is now.

One such team, Ryan McCalla and Tommy Larkin, are preparing to make their first mark on the independent webseries scene. Their anticipated first project, Inner Demons, is nearing the release of it's first series. Inner Demons is a non-linear story, with its roots in horror and the supernatural.

I recently had a chance to ask Ryan and Tommy some questions about their ambitious new project. Here's what they had to say...



Me: Describe the genesis of Inner Demons.

Tommy: It started off with Ryan writing a short story about someone who has to deal with being a werewolf and a drug addict. I loved the initial concept of it. After many games of Halo and many discussions, we started talking about making a short movie. As we kept talking about it, more characters kept coming to life. Since I was studying film at the time, we thought it would then make an awesome movie. However, because funding was really hard to get, we decided to make it a series. Then we both came up with the idea of showing it on the web.

Ryan: Yeah once we decided to go for web distribution it really opened up the ideas for more characters and ideas – I still remember passing Tommy the first draft of season 1 in hand scrawled notes, and him going off to decipher my so called “chicken scratch” handwriting as he called it. Initially I wrote alot more characters but Tommy really helped to streamline this down getting rid of unnecessary characters, merging characters and coming with several new ones as well such as Sparky, which was initially just an unnamed teleporter that Tommy helped to flesh out and bring to life. We wrote the main storyline in a linear fashion, plotting out certain moments and beats in the season, before going into more depth, before settling on going for a non linear format, meaning we could just really push in and focus on these key dramatic moments in the season 1 timeline.

Tommy: Also having this being shown on the web cuts out any drama trying to pitch it to a television network. Plus with the content of the episodes, I think that the web will be able to reach more people than television would. It works so we because Ryan and I are using practical tricks we have learnt to pull off something that looks like it has a big budget.

How long did you work on the script? Any inspirations?

Tommy: Overall we have been working on getting this series off and running for the last two and a bit years. It’s been long road but worth it in the long run. We started casting in December last year and since then, it has snowballed. We have managed to find fantastic cast and crew that love the project as much as we do.

Ryan: I think it helps having people that love the source material we came up with as well, to really help bring this to life, and are as enthusiastic about this as we are. Basically the we plotted out a major arc that goes over 4 seasons of 13 episodes during the first year and a bit of development, then we went in and fleshed out the moments we thought would have the most impact. This took us about another year getting the season 1 scripts finalised – inspiration wise I loved we have alot of comic books and various tv shows as well, I really quite liked in the UK show SKINS, how we saw these events and moments from a certain characters point of view and just really focused on that character for a given episode with other characters still weaving in and out but more just being in the peripheral.

Is the series totally self financed?

Ryan: Haha yes completely self financed... scrimping an saving bits and pieces here and there to put towards it.

Tommy: Yeah basically we have been doing this on the skin of our backs. Any big pay we would get, would go straight to equipment props, costumes, catering etc.

Are you using a distribution plan similar to other web series, or are you trying a different model?

Ryan: It is similar in some respects yes – we are pushing it out via as many different video distributors as possible to get a maximum reach, so people are not just forced to go to youtube to watch the latest episodes. People will be able to watch through itunes, Vimeo, Blip.TV, Youtube and also on the Inner Demons website.

How did you find the casting process? Is it difficult to find actors interested in independent film projects in Australia?

Tommy: We actually got really lucky with our cast. Everyone that applied for the roles loved the idea and were definitely keen. The casting process was stressful at times but in the end was really worth it all.

Ryan: Everyone is perfect for their roles as well, both in acting ability and look. It’s quite scary how much they match what we originally had envisioned in our heads.

How long were you in pre-production?

Ryan: Including the writing process about 2 years – though really, its been more the last 6 months that we have really started to push things together with costumes, props and the like – we got very lucky with our costume designer Jerrel Dulay who has just nailed exactly what we are after from the get go.

Tommy: We had basically started doing some VFX tests about 3 years ago to see what we could and couldn't do. From there I was also doing some camera and sounds tests. And also before we started shooting, we had a few table reads to make sure that all the cast members were on the same page and we also did lighting tests and camera tests. We figured the best way to shoot this series was to be as prepared as possible.

How are you finding the filming process? Is it what you expected?

Tommy: SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!! The cast and crew are so amazing to work with. After a day of shooting, we all relax and watch the rushes of the day. It has become a real family vibe. I wasn't expecting everyone to get along as much as they do. They have been all so supportive and keep both Ryan and I going which is rewarding to see.

What kind of equipment are you filming with?

Ryan: We are using the Cannon Series DLSR’s, plus Tommy has a lot of his own equipment...

Tommy: We are also using the latest in steadicam units and dolly tracking systems. The camera team is just doing an amazing job.

How do you get what you need out of your actors? Is that an easy exchange?

Tommy: I find that in order to get a great performance from your actors, you let them play around with the idea first. See if they can truly get the vision. After that, I simply make suggestions to help improve the performance. The cast we have are so spot on. Everyone is very professional and really easy to direct. They all know how to bring the best of the character out and give it 110% everytime. Even with blocking through action scenes, everyone goes balls out and fully commits to the role.

Ryan: Alot of the time too they will think of doing things that we hadn’t even thought of during the blocking process – taking the characters to a completely new level.

Inner Demons is ambitious in terms of special effects, especially for an independent project. What's the biggest effect you have to tackle for Inner Demons? Is there anything you had to omit due to budget or technical limitations?

Ryan: when we initially plotted out the season, we both sort of said to ourselves lets go all out. Put it all in and we can reel it back in once we realise what we can achieve – with most of the VFX side of things we would go out and shoot tests to see how we could achieve things in post and what we would need to pull off the effect, I think for me that moment when I could actually breathe a sigh of relief was watching a finished shot of the twins. Being able to see them interacting with each other and brought to life with just one actress (Melissa McConnel), it was one of those sort of moments where if we didn’t get it right the whole thing would have fallen apart. A lot of what we are doing is using every little trick in the book to pull of certain shots and cheating as much as possible before we go to a Digital VFX shot in post – if we can do it on camera we go for it.

How important are social networking tools for spreading the word about your series?

Tommy: Having social networks such as Facebook and youtube, gives you the option to reach out to more people as these sites are being used in everyday use.

Ryan: They are pretty much the standard nowadays, it allows you to interact with fans and people interested in the project at a great level.

Which aspect of production or filming has surprised you the most so far? Is creating a series like Inner Demons from the ground up what you expected?

Ryan: Mostly just how friendly and supportive everyone has been throughout the whole process, our friends and families have been extremely supportive about the series along with all of the cast and crew which makes so much easier and can what would be a painful long day go by do quick with laughs between takes.

Tommy: For me I guess it would have to be the crew. The crew we have are extremely talented and by far the best crew I have worked with in years. And even if there is something that needs attending, they stop and help out. It's very much a "no one gets left behind" mentality and i think thats why we work extremely fast and awesome together.

Ryan: I think I expected to be a lot more difficult than what it has been – all of our cast and crew like I was saying earlier are so friendly and down to earth – it makes our jobs alot easier. The most difficult part was getting it started, once you get enough momentum the project takes on a life of it’s own and picks up more momentum. Me and Tommy like to call it the snowball effect, which sort of hit for us about halfway through casting.

How do you feel about the state of independent film making in Australia these days?

Tommy: I find that indie films made in Australia really suffer as I feel that there is little to no support. I find that every indie film maker struggles as most of the stuff shot in Australia either has to have everything Australian in it to get funding, or, Make it for an overseas market with little theatrical releases. If the indie film industry had more support, It would seriously boost the film making in Australia. There is sooooooo many talented film makers in Australia that are just waiting for the chance.

When can we expect to see Inner Demons hit the web?

Ryan: At the moment we are shooting for a Q4 release, once we have most of the episodes finished we will be releasing the details through our website 'innerdemonstheseries.com' and our Facebook fan page as well.

Gamespotting

Professional game journalism is an industry that has grown, like the gaming industry itself, by leaps and bounds over the past few decades. These days gamers demand up to the minute reviews and information on the in's and out's of gaming. One of the largest and most respected gaming sites is Gamespot. The core of Gamespot is gaming news, in depth reviews, detailed previews and interesting articles and opinions. Gamespot is also a space that has attracted a large and vocal community, ever eager to disucuss, comment and speculate on their gaming obsessions. Tom Mc Shea is one Gamespoter that takes on the coveted role of a professional game reviewer. As cool as it sounds to critique games for a living, any good reviewer must try and stay unbiased despite their personal passion for games, write a review that encapsulates the essence of what a game is about at its core, and at the same time be an entertaining read. Tom was kind enough to take some time away from the controller/keyboard to answer some questions about modern game journalism.


Me: How did you get your start in games journalism?

Tom: Halfway through college, I realized that I wanted to write professionally in some capacity. I wasn't sure exactly what that entailed, but I took journalism and fiction writing courses to get my writing skills up to a respectable level. At the same time, I started a blog with a friend of mine, and after a few years of putting time and energy into updating that, I decided that game journalism would be the best way to earn a living. I bounced around a little after college, but landed the GameSpot gig after a couple years. Good luck and good timing.


What was your first review as a professional journalist?

Katamari Damacy. While I was writing for my blog, Brendan Sinclair was running the entertainment section of a small town newspaper in Oklahoma. His current video game reviewer was quite lame, so he hired my buddy and I to contribute a weekly column. It was a very different take on gaming from what you'd typically get from a mainstream publication. We covered the games we were interested in, so Katamari, Alien Hominid, Battalion Wars got the big stories while lame games like Call of Duty were left in the cold.


What is the biggest change in games journalism you've noticed since the start of your career?

It's self aware. It seems as though everyone is intimately aware of what the general public is saying about their site and every rival publication. It's strange having immediate feedback forced your way even if you don't care to know, and that instant reaction to every piece of content ultimately shapes what people produce. I'm not sure I agree with that, but it make sense that the audience is the guiding hand since they're the ones devouring all this information. It was nice living in a bubble and just witting whatever came to mind without any fear or knowledge of how it would be received.


If you met someone who had never played a video game in their life, that didn't even know what a game was, which game would you show them as a definitive example of modern gaming?

Modern gaming is Call of Duty. The trend in the last few yeas has been to simplify everything so you get a streamlined experience that is nearly identical to every player's. Events happen all around that seem exciting, but they mirror a movie more than a typical interactive experience. It's about the sizzle now, what can draw your eyes to the screen and capture your attention. It's about eliminating any ounce of frustration so players can turn off their brains and take in the show. And it's about constant rewards that don't mean anything, but serve as treats to keep people engaged for just one more hour.


Do you have any little rituals or self imposed rules for when you are playing a game for review?

I'm in constant media blackout. I avoid pre-release coverage as much as possible because I don't want it to tamper with my expectations. I don't want to know what promises Peter Molyneux made or the development problems of Duke Nukem Forever. I want to just rip off the shrink wrap of whatever game I'm reviewing at my desk, and start with as clean of a slate as possible. Obviously, I can't avoid all information, but the less I know going in, the better.


Which of your reviews has created the most controversial or divided response?

Transformers: War for Cybertron, by quite a wide margin. This was an interesting review for me because I have no connection to the source material. I had a Transformer growing up (Bumblebee?), but I rarely watched the shows and don't really care about the lore. So I judged the game entirely on what it was, rather than what well-known characters were slapped on top. It's arguable if I should have been the person to review it, since Transformer fans obviously want to know if it makes good use of the source material, but I think I did a good job. It's important to have someone just break down what the game is and is not doing right, and it's easier to do that if you aren't distracted by a beloved license.


What kind of game do you dread writing a review for?

Completely average games. This often happens in the third or fourth iteration of a long-running franchise, when new ideas have dissipated and you're left with the same ol' gameplay as before. There aren't any interesting angles or insights because everything has been said already, there aren't major flaws because everything has been polished through the years, and there aren't spectacular moments because the creativity has been sucked dry. So boring!


How is the relationship between reviewers and game developers these days? Can you get honest information easily or is it a battle with developer PR?

I live in a bubble. I never talk to developers and I'd like to keep it that way.


Is there a shady side to game journalism? Bribe offers? Back alley deals? General skulduggery?

Ha! I honestly don't know. I avoid talking to developers because I don't want there to be any chance I could be influenced. For instance, I know someone who worked on BioShock 2, so I made sure to stay far away from that review when it came into the office. As far as bribes go, I think that idea is vastly overstated. It's easy to assume journalists are underhanded sleazes when they deliver a score you disagree with, but it's ultimately just a difference of opinion. It's not worth the hit in credibility to receive bribes, so I really doubt anyone in the industry is so underhanded.

I have been called hopelessly naive, though, so who knows?

What do you love about games in 2011? What pisses you off?

I love the indie scene. Some of my favorite games come from small developers -- Meat Boy, SpaceChem, Comet Crash -- and I think it's incredible that such talented individuals are given a chance to let their abilities speak for themselves. Digital distribution has made it possible for anyone to make games (As long as they're good enough), and that means more choice for consumers.

I hate that development costs have spiraled out of control. Last generation, there were all sorts of crazy retail games for PlayStation 2, hidden treasures that made it worth owning that system in the first place. Games like R.A.D., Graffiti Kingdom, and War of the Monsters were some of my favorite games, but it's just so rare to get (relatively) big budget games that are so quirky anymore. Games cost so much that companies are scared to veer slightly away from the norm, so you end up with a lot of very similar games with no personality.

What's your most anticipated game for the near future?

Right now, Mortal Kombat by a wide margin. I loved the first three MKs, and this seems to be returning to the old-school roots, so I think it's going to be amazing. For the rest of the year, Shadow of the Damned, Earth Defense Force, Skyrim, and Dark Souls are my most wanted. I'm crossing my fingers they turn out to be special.


What do you have the most hope for in the long run; the large corporate companies or independent developers?

Independent developers. They continue to innovate while the big guys are reluctant to try something new. But then I see something like the EA-funded Shadow of the Damned, and I have hope that creativity will find a way.


What is the greatest game of all time?

Super Mario World! My favorite game is still Super Mario Kart, though, and my desert island game is Perfect Dark. That still has more content than just about any modern shooter!


You can find Tom's blog here, or many of his in depth written and video reviews at Gamespot.

Insult swordfighting with Ron Gilbert

If there is one man that's had the average adventure gamer wandering around, collecting weird items and solving obscure puzzles ever since he released his first game back in 1987, that man is Ron Gilbert. The 'Grumpy Gamer' himself is among the highly respected few that defined the graphic adventure game back in the golden era of adventures, the eighties. Ron is, of course, responsible for the most famous mighty pirate to ever grace an EGA monitor, Guybrush Threepwood of the Monkey Island series. Ron was a writer, programmer and director on The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: Le Chuck's Revenge. More recently Ron worked on the awesome Deathspank games, action RPG's flavoured with Ron's trademark sense of humor. Ron currently works over at Double Fine, Tim Schafer's development studio. It's still a mystery as to what these two adventure gaming legends are working on over there but my guess is that it's going to be awesome.

Ron was kind enough to answer a few questions for me recently via email.

Me: Where did the concept for your original adventure game, Maniac Mansion, come from? Were you always interested in adventure games or were action/arcade genres discussed by Garry Winnick, yourself and Lucasarts?

Ron: Funny. I just gave an hour long talk in Germany last month on this very subject. I'll be giving the same talk at GDC this year and the video will be free online. The short answer is that Gary and I had a funny idea for a game about a bunch of kids that go into a creepy mansion and that was it. It wasn't until several months into the project that we figured out that it was going to be an adventure game.

Most of your games, classic and current, have a strong component of humor. Where do you think this stems from?

The humor in my games come from games being kind of ridiculous in the first place, so it's better to just have fun and not take yourself to seriously.

Of your classics, which are you most fond of?

Maniac Mansion. You never forget your first love.

What do you think of Telltales continuation of the Monkey Island series?

I think they did a good job. I'm glad Dave Grossman was there to watch after the project and make sure it was good.

You're somewhat of a legend of early adventure gaming among the classic gaming community. How do you feel about that?

It's a little mind boggling, but it's fun to have so many people love something you made.

Where did the concept for Deathspank come from? Is he a character you think you'll revisit after the first two games?

DeathSpank started out as a comic on my website that Clayton and I made (http://grumpygamer.com/comics). He was this over the top video game character and he was so fun to write for that we decided that he needed his own game.

You described Deathspank as "Monkey Island meets Diablo". Are there any other genres you'd like to bring your trademark humor to?

FPS really need to be funnied up!

If you had a free afternoon for pure, uninterrupted gaming, what would you play?

I do, everything Sat and Sun, and I play WoW.

Unlimited budget. Expert development team. Total creative control. What dream game would you make?

Monkey Island 3a. The true 3rd game.

If you could change one thing about the game industry today what would it be?

That developers were correctly compensated for the work they do, rather than asshole CEOs.

You probably have no favourites, but if you Guybrush Threepwood and Deathspank were marooned at sea, who would get eaten first?

Guybrush. No question. DeathSpank wouldn't even ask.

Thanks so much for you time Ron.

My pleasure!