Deus Ex Machinatio

ARGfest 2010 Epilogue

So there was this thing last week, and I went to it. I even gave a talk! For those of you interested, there is video of Beyond the Brunette (ARGfest 2010 edition), recorded by the lovely Lauren Soffer, and including the Q&A afterward:

  

 

This is a shorter, more ARG-focused version of the talk I delivered at SXSW this year. If you'd like the whole thing, the slides plus notes are up on Slideshare, or you can listen to the audio of the SXSW talk cut in with the slides on Vimeo.

It was a great audience, and I think what I had to say really resonated. I got a lot of feedback from people who were happy that I spoke so early, because every single time a girl in distress came up for the rest of the conference -- and it came up in more sessions than not -- it got a chuckle and reinforced my point. Though I have a sinking feeling that everyone is going to be calling me "cupcake" for the rest of my career.

ARGfest was amazing all around, though, for reasons having nothing to do with me -- the sessions and attendees were absolutely perfect. I couldn't have dreamed up a better event if they'd put me in charge. Big, big thanks go to the organizing committee for their hard work and excellent taste.

Thank you, too, to everyone who hoisted a mai tai and rocked out to Tongo Hiti with me, or who spoke candidly about how the heck to earn a living, and extra-special super mad props go to Jonathan Waite (he knows why). Man, I love you guys so much. Never leave me!

After ARGfest every year, I say, "Wow, that was great! But given the time and money... I don't know if I'm going to make it next year." This time, I'm not saying that. There is no way I would skip ARGfest next year. Not after this year. 

I'll see you there, too, right?

Help -- Sponsor ARGfest!

If you happen to have a few spare dollars lying around right now, I'd urge you to pass them on to ARGfest, which is struggling with some urgent funding issues.

We hate to admit it, but this AMAZING event is DESPERATE for sponsors! We’ve received a great deal of support, but it is just not enough to cover our expenses.  

... 

We have until July 18 to pay the bill and need a minimum of $6,000 to cover the difference (we hope to have more exact figures on Wednesday). If you can help out, please do! If you already have, THANK YOU!

ARGfest is an amazing event, and Brooke is an amazing person for organizing it -- it would be a tragedy for this funding shortage to come due to her personally. If there's any way you can help out, either as a sponsor or as a donor, then I urge you to do so -- and fast!

ARGfest 2010 is Coming!

ARGfest 2010 is just around the corner, and it's shaping up to be an amazing event. The fabulously smart and witty Maureen McHugh is the keynote, notorious troublemaker Brian Clark is the Grand Inquisitor, there's a whole games festival and workshops planned... it's going to be amazing, I just know it. 

I'm even speaking this year, about hot brunettes in the ARG space. And the organizers have very kindly put me in an early slot on the schedule, so I won't spend the whole time addled by nerves. (Thank you so much, Brooke!)

I suspect a lot of you out there reading this on the internets will be there, too. If so, please, don't be shy, come and introduce yourself -- I'd love to meet you! If you're new to the scene, I'll even do my best to introduce you around. But make sure to say your hellos early in the conference -- I'm leaving Saturday afternoon, and I'd hate to miss you.

Hope to see you in Atlanta!

ARGfest 2010

I've officially registered to attend ARGfest this year, boys and girls. If you are (or would like to be) an ARG or transmedia professional, a hobbyist, a player, or just really interested in hanging out with a bunch of smart people talking about interesting stuff, I urge you to sign up, too. 

This year they're splitting the fest into two days of conferences plus a two-day game festival. This is sure to be the best year ever, and I guarantee you're going to regret it later if you decide to give it a pass. I know I bitterly regret the years I hemmed and hawed and decided my budget couldn't take the hit. Never again!

The Fest is in Atlanta this year, July 15-18. You can get in on a great early bird registration rate... but you have to hop to it, the admission fee goes up in a little less than two weeks. I really hope to see you there!

New Business Cards!

The gracious and talented Marcus Riedner has recently designed new business cards for me. I wanted them to give out at ARGfest, but I'm so pleased with them I thought I'd show off to the world at large. Go take a look! 

Marcus is interested in breaking into the ARG world, too, so if you have a project you might need him on, go ahead and drop him a line. He's funny, he's creative, he's diligent, a good time will be had by all.

ARGfest '09: Totally Awesome, Dude

So a couple of weeks back I went to ARGfest, right? And things have been incredibly crazy for me since then. Far, far too crazy to post. Coincidence? YOU be the judge!

But seriously, ARGfest was an amazing time. I work in my little office in my house in suburban metro New York, and between the time-sucking demands of work and family (and that creative muse that whispers in my ear at all the wrong times) it's easy for me to feel disconnected from the ARG community. ARGfest was a fantastic opportunity for me to meet a lot of the players and developers who are all making this beautiful thing we do a living, breathing concern. I got to see a lot of old friends, hear a lot of new voices, and finally attach a flesh-and-blood person to a lot of screen names of people I've read and emailed and respected from afar for a long time. I loved every minute of it.

I was also pleased to be able to announce ARGology while I was there; video of this fumbling announcement of mine should be forthcoming, as I understand it. I'll talk about ARGology a little more in a future post, and I have a few other things on my mind to talk about in the coming days, too. Keep an eye out for posts on crossing the magic mirror to puppetmastery, plus a critical look at secrecy in ARGdom.

ARGfest '09

Tomorrow I'm going to join the cool kids in the trek to Boston for this year's ARGfest. I'm really looking forward to it, since I'll finally get a chance to meet a lot of people I admire and respect from these here internets. If you're going and you read me, I'd love you to flag me down so we can chat for a while!

I'm pleased to say that I've been invited to participate in a panel for ARGfest, "From Player to Puppetmaster." (Just one of the terrific panels they've put together, check out the schedule. It's going to be lots of fun to see what this incredibly knowledgeable, committed audience wants to talk about.

But you'll have to act fast -- I'm arriving later in the afternoon on Friday, and I'm taking off again Sunday morning so won't be joining in the fun and games that day. Oh, well, maybe another year.

Hope to see you there!