3… 2… 1… Go!
Let’s start with some brainfuck
I am normally quite blasé about fractals. But this.
My vaccine story
Ok, so, I have something personal to share. I finally got my vaccine, at the start of June, just right after I sent the previous newsletter. It has been weird.
When I was a kid I got my tethanus shot in Italy. It was 1981, and a few hours after the shot (that is how my parents tell me it happened) I started to become really really cold and basically my mom was thinking I was dying (I wasn’t).
The doctor at that time shrugged and told them I got an anaphylactic shock. For pretty much all my life I didn’t get my vaccines and well, that impacted my life in several ways. With the silver lining that I avoided the military service.
It got to the point that here in the UK my first Covid vaccine shot was rejected and they told me to go to an allergy clinic to get advice. Long story short (believe me, it has been long and stressful) they told me that my symptoms were nothing like the ones you get for a severe allergic reaction.
So basically I lived believing something untrue for many years and now I feel like I’m a new person. So I started a new journal like this:
Which I think sums it up. There are other reasons for this, which you will find at the bottom, after the really interesting stuff.
City of Ghosts
The new show for kids on Netflix has captured my heart. It features a group of kids looking for ghosts in a very much haunted LA. The ghost here are very real and they tell the story of the neighborhood and of the culture and heritage of the community who live there. It’s an amazing insight not just on a city but mostly on the relationship between a space and the people living there.
All in a fake stop motion style which brilliantly mixes urban photography, hand drawn and computer graphics. Quite possibly the most visually stunning thing I’ve seen this year.
This beautiful poetic game
My friend Cédrine worked on it, so, believe me it’s already a must. But also, it’s a very, very nice and sweet experience and I totally love it.
My name is Luca and I like pesto.
Yes, I watched it. This is the Pixar movie I was so eagerly waiting for, just because it’s set around the places I grew up. And in the friendship story of Luca and Alberto, their dreams in a beautiful place during summer, with more than a wink at movies like Call my by your name, there is all the optimism and the joy of summers in small village by the sea, where even the grumpiest character in the end shows a heart of gold
Even if I found it a bit too light at times, I cannot say I haven’t enjoyed it. Watch it if you can, it’s a nice slice of summer. Silenzio, Bruno!
(You can watch Luca on Disney+. Also, there is an upcoming artbook which I TOTALLY NEED).
Farewell Raffa
This is no secret. I always liked Raffaella Carrà, one of the most amazing Italian artists. She’s been an icon. Her smile and joy and optimism and her incredible talent will always be an inspiration. I live you with one of my all time favorites.
Scoppia scoppia, mi scoppia il cuor.
For Unity People
Uuuh oooh finally Unity has re-released some character controllers, both for first and third person 3d games. Only thing, it’s that they use the new input system, but to be honest I think it’s a good chance for looking into it. Because it works really well and lets you worry about more important things. I like this. Makes my life better.
Find out more about starter assets here.
Other things from the vaults.
I was reading Calvino again and well, I couldn’t resist. So I wrote about games and lightness, but I think I also reflected on the concept of lightness itself and how much do we need this idea of taking life lightly, for lightness is not superficial, but gliding above things, not having weights on your heart.
Because you see, in this incredibly heavy month (for me) I ended up finalizing the buying of a house, which is something I never thought I would have done and now the keys are here and they look at me and I am moving in three days and everything is upside down and at the same time ready for a new start. And I feel light. It’s good. Scary. But good. I’ve also made a little house list so if you’s like to housewarm, well, maybe have a look 👀. I will update it as soon as I move.
In other news, I finished my second game design short course at Goldsmiths and honestly it has been great. I had so much positive feedback from students. It really makes my day. Dedicating a day to students’ questions and just me answering and giving ideas and direction has proven incredibly worthwhile. I will run others during the year, so if you need an introduction to game design and you cannot commit to an entire MA, maybe that’s for you.
Anyway, that’s all folks! Next one will probably come to you straight from the Italian summer. Which I’m really longing for at this point. ❤