Animating Fire on Taught by a Pro
December 20th, 2013

My first effects video class is now available from Taught by a Pro.

I never thought of myself as a teacher before, and doing this project has been very challenging. However, I trust that the end results were worth the effort.

I'm excited to find out if there's an actual market for this type of thing. I think it is important for classically trained animators to pass on the knowledge to the next generation so that the art form can continue to move forward.

I also did a brief interview for the Taught by a Pro Blog to go with the release of the lesson.

I'm already planning more videos and would love to hear your feeback and comments, if you purchased this first lesson.


ITSP Goes GFWL-Free with New Indie Bundle
December 10th, 2013

NEW BUNDLE SHOWCASES THE CREAM OF INDIE GAMES
Benefits Indie Developers and Charity

Insanely twisted and insanely playable! That neatly summarises the seven stunning Windows® PC games you’ll get in the awesome new Indie Capsule Bundle from Bundle Stars.

Curated by Capsule Computers, the new bundle features some of the best indie games on Steam for just $3.50. The Indie Capsule Bundle delivers an awesome range of titles across action adventure, platform, puzzle and survival horror, including three superb games making their bundle debuts.

Explore unique environments, battle bizarre creatures and solve complex puzzles in the highly acclaimed 2D action adventure Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. Shoot, slash and smash your way in the macabre platformer Blood of the Werewolf. Immerse yourself in an unsettling, haunting world and use your instincts to get out alive in first person survival horror gameSlender: The Arrival. Encounter tricky situations and mind-bending puzzles in the highly original puzzle platformer And Yet it Moves as you master the skills of jumping, running and rotating the world in an extraordinary paper-collage world. Become a suicidal ninja robot in multiplayer action game Plain Sight, invent your own vehicles and tools in crazy puzzle platformer Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time and save your cargo of crazy animals in the over-the-top physics-based indie driving game, Snuggle Truck.

Gamers who buy the Indie Capsule Bundle from Bundle Stars not only save an epic 93%* but also support the Australian Red Cross, with 5% of profits from the bundle going to the charity.

Michel Gagné and Joe Olson, creators of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet said: "We're excited to be part of the Bundle Stars release, and by the same token, to officially announce the removal of Games for Windows Live from Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. With Microsoft announcing the demise of the service earlier this year, we've been itching to make the transition to Steamworks. Now that this is done, we couldn't think of a better way to launch the updated release than to be part of a charity package such as Bundle Stars. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a new lease on life for ITSP and a chance for players to discover the two co-op multi-player modes, Lantern Run and Shadow Hunters."

The Indie Capsule Bundle is available to own now at www.bundlestars.com for just $3.50.

* Promotional savings are based on retail prices charged to customers based in the USA for individual products, and are correct at the time of publishing.

Interview with Toon Boom
December2nd, 2013

I've been pretty vocal about my endorsement of Toon Boom Harmony, so I was not surprised to receive a call from one of the company's representative to discuss my experience with the software. We ended up chatting for about half an hour and from that conversation, an article was drafted and posted on their website. Check it out!