Let’s get the dust off and finish this year strong! This episode I am joined by Stephen Gilarde, who is a DJ best known for being featured on the Hotline Miami 1 & 2 soundtrack. We discuss why he came back to the M|O|O|N moniker, his side project Was Fret, how Hotline Miami changed his life and his opinions on landlords. Furthermore, we go into detail on the issue with Spotify, Stephen talks about the only good website on the internet, dealing with social media and we get never before shared insights on some of his work.   Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 03:26 - Guest topic: Baseball 15:24 - The problem with housing 24:48 - The origin behind the name M|O|O|N 29:33  - The beginnings of Hotline Miami 39:32  - After Hotline Miami 43:55 - Being called a video game musician 49:30 - M|O|O|N vs. Was Fret 58:50 - When is something done? 01:02:45 - Spotify and Bandcamp 01:09:30 - Social Media 01:15:50 - Does pineapple belong on pizza? 01:19:50 - Creating music for Trackmania 01:21:55 - How much is Spotify paying its artists? 01:23:03 - Comments on his past works 01:19:29 - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: Hotline Miami Trailer M|O|O|N EP  Particles EP  Artist: SCATTLE Artist: Carpenter Brut Artist: Pertubator Gamergate M|O|O|N - Mains hum   Social Media: M|O|O|N M|O|O|N on Bandcamp Was Fret on Bandcamp Stephen Gilarde on Instagram (@m.o.o.n.m.u.s.i.c) Stephen Gilarde on Twitter (@m_o_o_n_music)   YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

Let me pitch you an idea. How about you check out this new podcast episode?! This episode I am joined by Masao Kobayashi, who is the co-founder and the studio manager of Cut to Bits. We discuss growing up in Japan, pitching games to publishers and cultural differences. Furthermore, we go into detail on community management, learning from mistakes and Masao shares his three essential manga recommendations. Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 03:50 - The What else do you do?-podcast 09:30 - Doing the podcast for himself 12:23 - Splitting the podcast 16:50  - Growing up in Japan 22:15  - Cultural differences 29:20 - Pitching a video game 35:50 - Community management 40:03 - Food he misses from Japan 41:55 - The indie scene of Japan 48:30 - Manga recommendations 51:40 - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: What else do you do? - podcast How Asian do you feel - podcast The Farewell by Lulu Wang Asobu Japan Manga recommendations: Say Hello To Black Jack Ushio & Tora Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind What else do you do? - Podcast Episode 45. Wait, you wanted to be a nun? (Rebekah Valentine Interview) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY - Rebekah Valentine Interview   Social Media: Cut To Bits Cut To Bits on Twitter (@CutToBits) Homepage of Cut To Bits   Masao Kobayashi Masao Kobayashi on Twitter (@MegaMasao)  YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

Haha! (imagine this being said in a Micky Mouse voice) This episode I am joined by AJ, who is the founder and CEO of Dlala Studios. We discuss their upcoming title called Disney Illusion Island and what it is like to run a 35 people studio. Furthermore, we get into the design decisions behind making great coop games, what keeps AJ up at night and with AJ being a Disney expert I had to ask about Goofy wearing pants while Pluto isn't.   Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 03:08 - Guest topic: Being blessed by a pug 06:10 - Guest topic: Bringing the band back together 08:30 - Revealing Disney Illusion Island on D23 12:22  - Interacting with Disney on the game 20:25  - Hard lessons learned during Battletoads 24:31 - Learning how to run a studio 29:30 - Dealing with responsibility  32:00 - Winning UK’s Best Boss and Best Places to Work in 2022 from gamesindustry.biz 36:08 - How problems can arise in running a studio 44:50  - Feeding the beast 50:03 - Point and Click Adventures 52:30 - Disney Goes Classical 54:12 - Surviving the loss of a 3 million dollar deal 01:01:28 - The golden rules of great co-op 01:05:04 - Looking at reviews 01:07:30 - Lessons learned 01:19:29 - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: Parsec Disney Illusion Island - World Premiere Trailer The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea by Marc Randolph The Double Fine Documentary Noclip - Video Game Documentaries Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture by David Kushner Immerse by Lifeformed (Music of the Double Fine Documentary) Disney Goes Classical How Dlala survived the loss of a $3m Disney deal by James Batchelor   Social Media: Dlala Studios Dlala Studios on Twitter (@dlalastudios) Homepage of Dlala Studios   AJ Grand-Scrutton AJ Grand-Scrutton on Twitter (@dnost)    YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

Welcome all you cute foxes! This episode I am joined by Lifeformed and Janice Kwan, the composing duo behind the outstanding soundtrack of the indie darling Tunic. We discuss their working process, how a vacation to Taiwan became a permanent residence change and what breakfast essentials nourished them to compose a 60 track soundtrack.  Furthermore, we discuss what it was like to work 7 years on a soundtrack, how they both come up with track titles and I get to lose a couple of potential sponsorships while asking about their hardware issues over the years. Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 03:50 - Guest topic: Convenient store experiences 10:53 - The process of coming up with a song 23:45 - Warm up for making music 25:03  - Coming up with music ideas 28:41  - Finishing a track vs. working on multiple at the same time 30:10 - Going back to older tracks an re-doing them 35:25 - Swapping tracks 38:00 - Being worried about the game 41:00  - Coming up with new music 45:25 - How the environment impacted the music 48:20 - Being inspired by Chrono Trigger 50:55 - Coming up with track titles 53:35 - The food that is now associated with Tunic 54:40 - Finding your own voice 56:42 - When is a track done? 01:00:25 - Stopping yourself from crunching  01:04:57 - Dealing with hardware problems 01:09:50 - Mixing 01:12:50 - Writing instinctual  01:15:49 - Doing remixes 01:19:29 - Outro     Things mentioned on the show: Podcast episode with Felix Kramer The Tunic Soundtrack Tunic Shop Theme (My Favourite Customer) Redwood Colonade track of the Tunic Soundtrack Secret of the Forest track of the Chrono Trigger Soundtrack Janice Kwan x Gardener EP Ocean Glaze track of the Tunic Soundtrack   Social Media: Lifeformed Lifeformed on Twitter (@lifeformed) Lifeformed on Bandcamp Lifeformed on YouTube (Lifeformed) Lifeformed’s Homepage   Janice Kwan Janice Kwan on Twitter (@alsojanice)  Janice Kwan on YouTube (Janice Kwan)   YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

Take your seat everyone, class is about to start! This episode I am joined by Richard Lemarchand, professor in the USC Games program at the University of Southern California to discuss his recently released book called A Playful Production Process! We discussed the making of his book, what it was like to work with industry legends, how a new generation of video game makers are tackling game design and much more. Furthermore, we discuss the hero’s journey, how Richard felt watching the Uncharted movie and I get to ask about the essential snacks he is missing out on since he moved to the US.  Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 02:29 - Guest topic: The books by Octavia Butler 08:52 - a playful design process  19:49 - Guest topic: The making of the book  21:52  - How did the design approach of students change over time? 21:56  - How has the perception of game development education changed? 24:48 - Seeing his students find successes on their own  29:00 - The change in perception in video game education 32:50  - The Meadow VR 36:20 - Seeing Uncharted sequels and the Uncharted movie 41:44 - Questioning the Hero’s Journey 47:14 - Quiet moments vs. big showpiece scenes 52:30 - Providing feedback without demoralizing the receiver 56:12 - Snacks Richard can’t get anymore 57:20 - Lessons learned 01:06:58 - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: Kindred by Octavia Butler Parable of the Sower by Ocativa Butler Parable of the Talents by Ocatvia Butler Xenogenesis Series by Octavia Butler Scary Mary Trailer On Writing by Steven King Game Feel by Steve Swink Heirloom by Abby Sherlock and Kathryn Yu The Meadow VR  The Klaxo Radio Hour Martzi’s Homepage The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler loudQUIETloud: A Film About the Pixies   Social Media: Richard Lemarchand Richard Lemarchand on Twitter (@rich_lem) Richard Lemarchand on Instagram (rich_lem) The homepage of A Playful Production Process   YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

BREAKING NEWS…AWARD WINNING REPORTER JOINS PODCAST! This episode I had the pleasure of welcoming Rebekah Valentine for another episode. We discussed her reports on work culture in the games industry, what her job entails and how to build a trustworthy relationship with sources. Furthermore, we discuss our favorite food related memories, the state of journalism in the industry and I get to learn more about the ins and outs of doing a food related podcast. Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 03:18 - Guest topic: What is the best meal we have ever eaten? 11:46 - What does her day look like? 19:49 - What happens when breaking news comes in? 20:20  - The ethics of reporting and boycotting 23:56  - How do you become a trustworthy reporter? 27:50  - How IGN became known for great reporting 33:08 - Making mistakes 39:42 - The relationship between an editor and a writer 42:47 - Bringing in personal touches into writing 48:58 - The state of games journalism in 2022 53:17 - Patreon for Journalism 58:10 - Journalism 101 01:05:58 - Undertale 01:10:10- The Cozywood Kitchenette  01:17:30 - The Metric System 01:18:45  - Pies 01:12:45  - Lessons learned  01:25:20  - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: Rebekah’s interview with Swen Vincke about Baldur's Gate 3 IGN reporting on the issues at Activision Blizzard Rebekah’s reporting on Global Step Rebekah’s reporting on Scavengers Studio Rebekah’s reporting on the studio culture at Bungie  Investigating Three Indie Superstars Accused of Emotional Abuse by People Make Games Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games by Cecilia D'Anastasio The one year anniversary of Defector   Social Media: Rebekah Valentine  Rebekah Valentine on Twitter (@duckvalentine) Rebekah Valentine’s work at IGN The Cozywood Kitchenette Podcast   YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

Hey kiddo… I found one of them episodes you like to listen to! This one features an interview with concept artist and illustrator Alex Neonakis, who worked at Naughty Dog. While at Naughty Dog, she worked on games such as The Last of Us, Left Behind, Uncharted 4, Lost Legacy and The Last of Us Part II. We discuss the exceptional work she did at the studio, her passion for details, the current state of the industry and much more. Furthermore, we talk about the concept art of Elden Ring, how social media impacts our perception of art and I get to ask about a very interesting theory about Martyr Logarius from Bloodborne. We openly talk about story events and locations of The Last of Us Part II, so if you don’t want to get spoiled, you better finish the game first and then come back. Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 04:10 - Guest topic: Being a raid leader in World of Warcraft 06:55 - Guest topic: Elden Ring 14:04 - The job of a concept artist 20:20  - Wear and tear in clothing 23:50  - Staying motivated 26:40 - Her love for details 34:18 - Design notes from the director and player feedback 37:50 - Big setpieces vs. intimate moments 43:31 - Going freelance 48:18 - Crunch in the industry 55:00 - Lessons learned 01:01:00 - The impact of social media on art 01:04:53 - State of the industry 01:08:45 - Negativity on twitter 01:10:53  - Master Chef 01:12:20  - The implosion of Bon Appetit 01:13:35  - The infamous Martyr Logarius theory 01:15:38  - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: Character Concept artist Hyoung Taek Nam Alex fake Twitter campaign for The Last of Us Take on Me in The Last of Us Part II Blood, Sweat and Pixels by Jason Schreier Activision Blizzard scandal Eytan Zana Neil Druckmann Bruce Straley Deleted Owen’s painting in the Last of Us Part II Ashley Swidowski The implosion of Bon Appetit Martyr Logarius The Ice king from Adventure Time   Social Media: Alex Neonakis Alex Neonakis on  Twitter (@Beavs) Alex Neonakis on Instagram (@alexneonakis) Alex Neonakis’s Homepage   YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

Hey Aniki… it’s time for another episode! This time I got to interview cover and poster artist Zi Xu. She is known for her incredible work for companies such as Sega, Mondo, Marvel, DC and Star Wars. We talk about the difficulty of being a freelance artist, how to deal with burnout, what inspires her and the importance of not being ashamed of your hobbies. Furthermore, we geek out over Yakuza, discuss Marvel movies and I get to learn more about her current obsession, world's fairs. Please enjoy!   Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 01:33 - Yakuza  06:00 - Guest topic: World’s fair 14:00  - Follow your passion 19:38  - The issue with Marvel and DC movies 26:40 - Concept art 37:34 - Inspirational artbooks 41:29 - Condensing a video game character 49:12 - Giving the client what they want 51:41 - Deciding what your time is worth 57:03 - Dealing with burnout 01:01:00 - Drawing hands and eyebrows 01:02:40 - Practicing 01:04:10  - Lessons learned at the Maryland Institute College of Art 01:09:02  - Lessons learned while watching Blue Period 01:10:31  - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: Francis Bourgeois Nerdy Paintings from the Neuschwanstein Castle More Info on the Castle  Cave Room inside the Castle  Magnetic Rose  Blue Period   Social Media: Zi Xu Zi Xu on Twitter (@ziqqix) Zi Xu on Instagram (@ziqqix) Zi Xu’s Homepage   YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

Put your pens down everyone and check out the newest podcast episode. I am joined by legendary graphic designer Cory Schmitz, who is best known for his work on logos such as Oculus, Valorant, Ghost of Tsushima, Sable, Control, and Analogue. We talk about his design process, his love for Columbo, what makes a great logo and Risograph. Furthermore, we dig deeper into the Papyrus font in Avatar, changing logos, what makes a great cinema and his love for shooting photos on film. Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 02:06 - Guest topic: Columbo 06:17 - Guest topic: e-Ink Tablet 09:46  - What does a graphic designer do? 14:00  - Separating projects 18:29 - Emergency note taking 19:17 - Last minute logo 20:55 - Plotter Notebooks 24:47 - Getting excited when logos get revealed 25:38 - Changing logos 26:44 - One-time logo 29:17 - Explaining a logo 37:11  - Commercials 39:46 - Using Papyrus in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora 41:51 - The Bleeding Cowboy font 43:09 - Risograph 46:38 - Using film rolls 50:12  - What companies should avoid doing 51:51 - Aspects he wishes people would know more about 53:10 - Making his own video game 54:45 - Designing a Famicase 58:10 - “Visiting” Kojima Productions 59:40 - Working previous jobs 01:02:49 - His favorite cinema 01:05:27 - Designing a logo for a podcast 01:08:48 - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: Columbo Shooting Columbo Book Super Note by Ratta Sable Logos Below Logos Notebooks by Plotter Millimeter Milligram Notebooks Pepsi Logo Change Pocari Sweat Commercial Gravity Rush Commercial Famicase Michio Kaku Sign of the Cancer by Juraj Herz World Without Sun by Jacques-Yves Cousteau   Social Media: Cory Schmitz Cory Schmitz on Twitter (@CorySchmitz) Cory Schmitz on Instagram (@coryschmitz) Cory Schmitz’s Homepage   YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)

Listen up everyone! This episode I had the pleasure to be joined by the lovely Debra Wilson. She is a voice acting powerhouse best known from her roles as Amanda Waller in Telltale’s Batman, Savathun from Destiny, Okoye in Marvel’s Avengers in War for Wakanda, Cere Junda in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Shelda from Bugsnax. We discuss some of her most memorable roles, blackness in video games, magical voice recording sessions and Debra shares her love for scorpions and tarantulas. Please enjoy.   Time – Topic Discussed: 0:00 - Intro 02:33 - Debra’s scorpions and tarantulas 12:16 - What franchise made her say the craziest names? 13:41  - The process of a recording session 19:10 - Being typecast as a voice actor 24:32 - Returning to a role 29:24 - Preparation for a arole 32:26 - Blackness in video games 36:18 - Recording alone vs. being in a group 39:10  - Casting white voice actors to voice black characters 54:15 - Debra’s incredible face collage shirts 58:30 - What makes a good voice acting director? 01:02:50 - Tips for improving the vocabulary 01:04:09 - Debra on Cameo 01:05:35  - Outro   Things mentioned on the show: Video about temp music (The Marvel Symphonic Universe) The gray area of casting for characters of color in games by Alan Wen Nicolas Cage Face Collage Shirt   Social Media: Debra Wilson Debra Wilson on Cameo   YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Twitter (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Twitter (@DorianChou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Instagram (@youmeindustry) Dorian on Instagram (@dorian.chou) YOU ME AND THE INDUSTRY on Facebook (youmeindustry) Intro/Outro by FreshMcZone Artwork by Thomas Martin (Instagram: @thomas.martin.martin)