things freddie finished

The Big Catch Up Post!

2011-04-08T23:41:00.000-07:00

I've finished a lot of things during the last few months. For my own sanity, I'm going to list them here instead of creating a long entry individually:

11/18/10 - IP Man - movie - It was awesome!

11/24/10 - Drunken Master - movie - Hilarious and fun. But Drunken Master 2 is better.

11/28/10 - Jimmy Wans - restaurant - not bad for Pittsburgh Chinese food.

12/04/10 - Sharing, Caring, and Rainbows show - performance - It was great to get back on stage and perform with people I trust and like.

12/14/10 - Tron Legacy - movie - I'm glad I saw it twice. I'm more glad that it was free both times. I liked it better the second time.

12/17/10 - Trust Us, This Is All Made Up - documentary - It's always great to watch TJ and Dave perform. Their show is one of my favorites and a Chicago classic. This documentary does a good job portraying their relationship and their show.

12/19/10 - Hot Shots Part Deux - movie - Oh man, who knew Charlie Sheen would eventually become this movie in real life. I randomly rewatched this movie because it was on Netflix.

12/19/10 - Magic, The Gathering - games - I learned how to play last summer while interning at Schell Games. I think we played again when Laurel's brother was visiting. Good times. So nerdy and fun.

12/20/10 - Rumble In The Bronx - movies - There was a time when I was craving Kung Fu Movie Nights. Basically, I'd watch a kung fu movie and eat Chinese food. This movie is a classic. One of the first times I saw Jackie Chan in action. It was nice to revisit it after so many years.

12/21/10 - Big Jims in the Run - restaurant - Big portions. So good. But so bad for me. I must go back again!

12/22/10 - 17th Street Cafe - restaurant - I don't remember what I ordered but I remember it being pretty tasty.

12/24/10 - Party Down - tv show - I LOVE THIS SHOW! I couldn't stop watching it. So good!

12/26/10 - Little Fockers - movie - Hmm. I like Ben Stiller. This movie was meh.

12/29/10 - Appletters and Bananagrams - games - I love the fruit-shaped packaging. The games are super fun and so simple too!

12/30/10 - The Comet and The Tornado - books - Finally got around to reading Don's book. It was a good insight into the beginnings of the ETC. Not as inspiring as The Last Lecture, but still worth reading to know about the ETC.

1/2/11 - Kick Ass - movie - Fun movie. A lot bloodier than I had imagined.

1/4/11 - Dinner for Schmucks - movie - Go Randy! The movie was pretty funny. Nothing really stood out about it though.

1/5/11 - Black Swan - movie - I love Natalie Portman! This is one of those movies that was amazing to watch once, but I will never watch it again. I get sick thinking about it.

1/8/11 - Social Network - movie - What a great story. I enjoyed it.

1/8/11 - Los Cantaros Taqueria - restaurant - First intern dinner together. The food was pretty good.

1/14/11 - Green Hornet - movie - This was fun. I like Michel Gondry's work a lot. Brought Jeff and Khe to this screening. Good times.

1/20/11 - Hood to Coast - documentary - So good! I want to do hood to coast now. The stories were so inspiring.

1/24/11 - Back to the Future - movie - A classic.

1/28/11 - The Way Back - movie - Lots of walking. Good story.

1/30/11 - La Farine Bakery - bakery - I didn't realize it at the time but I was hanging out in Rockridge area. The pastry I had was delicious. Not much sitting space.

1/31/11 - Back to the Future 2 - movie - Another classic.

2/4/11 - Mary Poppins - movie - I missed the first 30 minutes or so, but what I saw was so classic! They don't make movies like that anymore. It was fun to watch.

2/7/11 - Back to the Future 3 - movie - Great end to the trilogy.

2/10/11 - The Pixar Story - documentary - I loved watching this again, but knowing all the people in it. And sitting in the room where they shot some of the segments. So inspiring!

2/11/11 - Casablanca - movie - This was so great to watch. I had never seen it before. And the venue (the Palace theater in Oakland) was amazing. Live organist before the movie! So awesome. And the movie was so great!

2/14/11 - Sabrina - movie - I saw a lot of classics around this time. Sabrina was so good. Audrey Hepburn was so hot! And Humphrey Bogart was so good. A definite classic.

2/17/11 - All About My Mother - movie - One creepy part is that the boy in the beginning has the same birthday as me. The movie was really good. Really strange too. I liked it.

2/17/11 - Burma Superstar - restaurant - This place is so good! I've taken a few different people here since my first visit. Tea Leaf salad is amazing. So is the Jackfruit dessert!

2/18/11 - Wast Land - documentary - So good. Very inspirational.

2/18/11 - Improvables - performance - It was so fun to watch them play competition-style short-form improv.

2/21/11 - Living In Oblivion - movie - Young Steve Buscemi! It was awesome. A strange classic. I had never heard about it until I saw the posters around work. Glad I saw it.

3/4/11 - Adjustment Bureau - movie - My initial reaction was "it wasn't that bad." Then I started hating it more and more as I thought about it. It's basically if Inception was a romantic-comedy without actually trying to be funny. It was so DUMB! I hated it.

3/6/11 - Summer Summer - restaurant - So good! Kind of pricey for thai food, but it was delicious. I went back a few times since then.

3/6/11 - Rango - movie - Not bad. I'm glad I saw it for free.

3/11/11 - Battle LA - movie - This movie was loud. It was nothing special. I liked seeing L.A. I don't like Michelle Rodriguez.

3/11/11 - Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen - restaurant - Went here with Jeff and Khe. It was SO GOOD!

3/12/11 - Muir Woods - Went on a photo field trip with Zach. Good times and good pictures. He's a great photographer.

3/13/11 - Legendary Palace - restaurant - Good, fast dim sum in Oakland's Chinatown. I liked it!

3/13/11 - Sweetheart Cafe? - restaurant - Had some good boba here. I'm not sure if this was the name, but it's near Legendary Palace in Oakland.

other things without a date:

Modern Family - tv show - I love this show too. But not as much as I love Party Down. But Modern Family is my favorite show that's currently on tv.

All At Sea - movie - It was so funny! I liked seeing Alec Guinness in a role that's not at all related to Obiwan or Star Wars.

Great China - restaurant - I can't specify a date. This place is SO GOOD!!! I loved it. I've taken a bunch of people here. The line can be long but the food is amazing.

Sucker Punch - movie - This was a LOUD movie. The story wasn't great. The visuals were fun at first but then got really tired. Overall, it was meh.

Fish - restaurant - Ate here after a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. So good!

Big Fish - movie - Rewatched it. I knew I was going to cry. I cried. It was a great movie to revisit. Thanks Aaron!

The Room

2011-01-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

11/14/10

I was first exposed to this movie by my good friend Lillie when I was living in Chicago. It was described as "the most horrible movie that you HAVE to watch." Yes, it's horrible. And yes it's worth watching once and forcing your friends to watch it so you can share in the pain. It was so bad I felt obligated to buy the dvd.

One day while walking around CMU main campus I noticed a poster for a screening of the Room with the director and star of the movie, Tommy Wiseau, in attendance. I got a few of my ETC friends to come to the screening. I made sure to bring my dvd and a sharpie so I could get his autograph. Thinking there would be a huge line, we showed up a few hours early. We were wrong. But the theater did eventually fill up.

Long story short, I met him and got his autograph. And now I'm completely over it. Sure, we can make jokes about the movie, but I don't think I'll ever need to watch that movie again.

White On Rice

2011-01-30T16:46:00.000-08:00

11/13/10

I really wanted to like this movie. Unfortunately I didn't like it that much.

There were odd moments in the story and I never connected with the characters. I had high hoped for this movie because the topic was something that I thought I could relate with on a personal level.

On the up side, I'm glad that Asian Americans are making more films.

Megamind

2011-01-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

11/5/10

This movie was HI-LAR-IOUS! I went in with low expectations because all the movie posters looked stupid. But I wanted to give this movie a chance because I really enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon.

I was surprised by how much I liked the characters. And there were so many hilarious moments. In fact, I think "surprised" is the best way to describe this movie for me. We saw it in 2d and I don't think we missed anything by not going to a 3d screening. Maybe it also helped that we paid a few extra bucks to sit in the pre-assigned VIP area of the movie theater.

Anyway, the movie was fun despite all the "dreamworks faces" on the posters. Maybe it's a marketing recognition thing.

The 39 Steps

2011-01-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

10/27/10

We saw this production of 39 Steps at City Theatre in Pittsburgh. I hadn't seen the original film version by Alfred Hitchcock so I didn't know what to expect.

This production was SO fun to watch. The cast was small and everyone played multiple roles. They all did a great job juggling characters and playing up their on-stage quick changes.

After watching the play I went home and watched the movie on Netflix. I'm glad I saw the play first because I wasn't really into the movie. Something about live theater really sold it for me.

Cruise to Nowhere

2011-01-30T16:19:00.000-08:00

10/14/10-10/16/10

The Cruise to Nowhere was our grad school "Adventure Module" for 2nd-year students.

I went on a one-day cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada, Mexico when I was a little kid. The experience of going as an adult with classmates for a few days was a new one.

There were four of us in the tiny cabin. We had a cool view of the top of the water. It was kind of like the lower levels of Titanic without all the Irish jigs. We ate a lot, drank a good amount, saw some comedy shows. It was alright.

My favorite part of the cruise was the fact that I was forced to unplug from technology. I couldn't check my email or the internet or even make a cell phone call to see where my friends were. It was so liberating.

So having experienced the cruise, I probably wouldn't want to go again. It was too much.... Yeah, that's it. Although I might make an exception to go on a Disney cruise or a cruise that has multiple destinations.

Ip Man 2

2011-01-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

10/12/10

Some of the first-year ETC students organized a Kung-Fu movie night where we all watch a martial arts movie in the lounge and order Chinese food. It was a fun time.

In this first installment of what I hope to be many, we decided to watch Ip Man 2 starring Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung.

It was A-MA-ZING. Pretty good story even though I hadn't seen Ip Man 1 when I saw it. The fights between Donnie Yen and Sammo Hung were intense and so impressive.

Since it's been a while since I've seen it, all I can really say is don't miss this one. I'll probably watch it again myself.

Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Islands of Adventure, Halloween Horror Nights, SATE Conference

2011-01-22T17:33:00.003-08:00

9/30-10/2/10

There is a lot of stuff in this post because it was a few days. A few of my classmates and I went to the SATE (Storytelling, Architecture, Technology, Experience) Conference in Orlando, Florida.

One of the best parts of the conference was after hours admission to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. As the crowds were exiting the park, conference attendees were being escorted in to try some butter beer and explore the new land. I'm not a huge Harry Potter fan, but nonetheless this place was amazing! Hogwarts was so beautifully made. I wouldn't have minded waiting in line so I could see all the details that they built into the queue. The ride itself, however, made me extremely motion sick. It had a mix of live-action dark-ride features with screens and simulated motion. Overall though, I really really liked the experience in this section of the park.

The next night we went to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights (HHN). The last time I went to a theme park for Halloween scary fun must have been Knott's Scary Farm many, many years ago. In my mind Universal should have the scariest one since they're a studio that has a lot of resources in terms of special effects and make-up. HHN was fun and there were some definite scares, but it didn't really live up to my expectations. I'm sure growing up near Universal Studios in Hollywood also affected my expectations. It's just a different place. I really liked the Jaws ride, the Men In Black ride, the Simpsons ride, and especially the Mummy ride.

The conference was only two days so we stayed an extra day to experience Harry Potter land again and to explore the rest of Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park. Personal favorites from that park were the Hulk rollercoaster and the Spider Man ride. I also liked getting drenched on Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls. Fortunately it was a sunny day.

This was my first trip to any theme parks in Orlando. I enjoyed the entire experience. The parks are definitely geared towards adults more than the Disney resorts. We were smart to save money by staying at a hotel off-site, although if I were to do it again I might try the immersion experience. Maybe I'll save that for DisneyWorld once I finally go there.

Lastly, I highly recommend the SATE Conference. It was moving and informative and intimate. I spoke with some leaders of the themed entertainment industry and learned that the industry is a lot bigger than Disney and Universal theme parks. Experience design is everywhere.

Waking Sleeping Beauty

2011-01-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

9/16/10

This documentary goes over the rocky times for Walt Disney Animation Studios around the time of The Black Cauldron. From 1984-1994 Disney Animation "changed the face of animation forever" with hits like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King”.

Let me say that I love good documentaries. This was no exception. It was so cool to see the old footage and to learn about the history of some of my favorite animated films. It was also neat to see it with someone who knows most of the people in the documentary.

The Big Pour

2010-11-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

9/11/10

This event was AMAZING. I'm getting hungry and thirsty just thinking about all the great food and beers we had that day.

I enjoy beers even though my body doesn't handle alcohol well. So while Laurel went around drinking everything in sight, I sampled all of the food.

I wish I blogged about it sooner because I don't remember exactly which foods and beers I liked best. The belgian frites from Point Brugge were delicious. And the Ommegang was so good. My favorite beer was Southern Tier's Pumking.

If you have a chance to go, do it.

Much Ado About Nothing

2010-11-24T13:00:00.001-08:00

9/4/10

Laurel was in Pittsburgh's Shakespeare in the Parks production of Much Ado About Nothing this past September. And yes, Pittsburgh has Shakespeare in the Park. I was surprised to find this out because I've only ever heard of New York City's Shakespeare in the Park.

I admit that I don't know much about Shakespeare (my shameful secret as an actor) so it was good for me to see this show. I've seen a few shows at Chicago Shakespeare, but I couldn't tell you exactly which ones. They kind of all blend together in my head (which is part of the reason I'm trying to keep track of things in this blog).

Anyway about Much Ado, I liked this production. It played in a few different parks throughout the month, but I only saw it at Frick Park. They utilized two location so the audience had to walk down a hill about 1/3rd of the way through the play. Laurel was one of the lead characters, Beatrice. The production was somewhat modernized through the costuming. The staging was also really interesting because they had a section of people in the middle and the performers worked the space all around.

I didn't totally get the play the first time. But the second time I went it made more sense. It is Shakespeare, after all.

Rivers Casino

2010-11-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

8/27/10

Before the semester even started, our project team found out that we would most likely be making a Texas Hold 'Em game with Microsoft. So, like any good researcher, we took a team field trip with one of our advisors to our local casino, Rivers Casino.

Everyone who worked there was really friendly and welcoming. The guys in the poker room let us roam around and watch people play.

I even sat in on a game. I'm posting about this at the end of the semester and I can safely say that I know the rules of Texas Hold 'Em pretty well. But when it comes to strategy, I have no clue. So you can imagine how well I did way back in August. (I did horribly. And my school does not reimburse for gambling losses, even if it is for research.)

I'm not a big gambler and growing up in LA meant that Vegas wasn't too far. So it's weird to see a mini slice of Vegas in a place that is not at all Vegas.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

2010-11-24T11:47:00.000-08:00

8/21/10

This movie was AWESOME.

I am a fan of Edgar Wright, mainly for Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. I am also a big fan of Michael Cera, mostly because of Arrested Development. So this movie had a good chance of being liked by me. And me like. *grunt*

I've never really been into comics so I didn't know what to expect. The blend of live action and comic style was seamless. And the soundtrack was fun too.

The advertising and marketing campaigns for this movie were phenomenal. In fact, I'm using my "self-made" avatar headshot as my new icon on facebook and gmail.

48 Hour Film Fest

2010-11-24T11:31:00.003-08:00

It's November 24th today, but I'm catching up my blog on a bunch of things I finished over the past few months.

Q: Why haven't you posted since August?
A: School started.

Let's continue this archive, shall we?...

8/18/10

If you've been following my website then you know that I interned at Schell Games this past summer. That place is full of awesome people. On my last official day as an intern, a small team of us began our journey through the 48 Hour Film Project.

Friday night Keith and Shawn pulled the genre "Mockumentary" out of a hat. We brainstormed through the night and decided to flex our resources and create a mockumentary about a game studio.

Saturday we shot and edited. Having the shoot location and the editing bay in the same place was AWESOME. I got to be lead editor. And if there was a shot that we needed we could knock it out pretty quickly while I sat in "the igloo" and continued editing.

Sunday was a delirious day of pick-up shots and final editing.

Everyone was a pro. Thanks to all the actors who volunteered their time.

We premiered our short on Wednesday and won the Audience Choice award for our screening. Then in the "Best of..." screenings, we won an award for Best Direction.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, is our award-winning short, Level One.

La Traviata

2010-08-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

8/13/10

I realized that I generally don't like opera. It just doesn't speak to me like other forms of theatre. That's not to say that I don't respect it. In fact it's amazing what opera singers are able to do with their voices. There is so much discipline and training to do that night after night.

This opera was okay. I mainly went to support a friend in the orchestra (who played great!). The opera was in English but it was still hard to decipher what was going on. I'm also used to having supertitles above the stage so I can read along (in my other few opera-going experiences). I think I have a hearing problem because I even turn on the subtitles when I watch British movies/shows on tv. Anyway, fortunately the program for this opera had a synopsis of each act.

The story of the opera seemed pretty standard. I'd love it if an opera showed me an opera that doesn't have someone dying nor a big dinner party/masquerade ball.

*spoiler alert* If I remember correctly, La Traviata is about a mistress of a Baron who runs away with another guy right after she recovers from a bout with tuberculosis. They go off and the new guy finds out that they're running out of money. Meanwhile the new guy's father talks to the mistress and convinces her to leave the new guy. The father does this so that there's no shame on his family for having a mistress-in-law. The mistress goes back to the baron but the new guy misunderstands her motives and follows her. New guy insults her. She gets sick again. Eventually he forgives her and finds her in Paris and she dies when they're about to reunite.

So imagine that story told in 4 parts with 3 short intermissions and include a lot of vibrato. It was okay.

Inception

2010-07-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

7/18/10

My head asplode.

I think I need to watch this movie again. There are so many questions. But in a good way, not like the end of Lost. They were able to pull off something that was kind of like the Matrix without feeling like a carbon copy.

Now I also need to have a totem. But first I'm trying to figure out what it all means.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!

Maybe I need a double totem.

Midnight Radio

2010-07-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

7/15/10

I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to this show. I can happily report that it was a good time. Especially on half-price Thursday ($10 instead of the normal $20).

The performers do some radio stories complete with foley intermingled with some jingles and commercial spots. My favorite was the radio show adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Marionettes, Inc.

Other fun things they had at the show included:
- a super secret decoder ring secret prize secret - that was fun
- a really cool "3d survey" where you were given a small bag of items and walked around a room using those items to answer survey questions. For example, you put a pin on a map so they could see where most of their audience is coming from. You put a felt cut out of a person on a wall with a scale from 18-100 to show your age.

So thumbs up to Bricolage theater and the cast & crew of the show. Keep up the good work!

Despicable Me

2010-07-10T08:08:00.001-07:00

7/9/10

Hilarious!

That pretty much sums it up. The story was predictable but so well told. The details really sold it. It was full of funny moments. The little green guys were reminiscent of the little green alien men in the Toy Story series, but they seemed pretty aware of that. So many good gags that were only pulled off because of the good animation.

The cast did a great job too. It had so many of my favorite actors. Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Will Arnett, Ken Jeong, Kristen Wiig, Jack McBrayer, Mindy Kaling. Even Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords!

The 3d, however, was meh. In fact this was the first time I really didn't like it. Sometimes 3d won't add to a movie and that's ok. But this time I think the 3d took away from the movie because parts were just blurry. It could have been where I was sitting in the theater (near the front to the right of the screen) but that's STUPID. The only part where it was kind of fun was in the credits when they specifically try to take advantage of the 3d. Actually, I wonder if that part is even in the 2d version.

Overall, I loved this movie.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

2010-07-04T08:06:00.005-07:00

7/3/10

I finally finished watching this amazing series. Laurel told me about how awesome it was a while ago. And they kept raving about it on my favorite podcast.

After watching the first few episodes I didn't really get into it yet. But as the series progressed I got really invested in the characters. It is really really good story-telling! And that's exactly why I hated the live-action movie so much (among other reasons). But I will try not to get into that again.

The animated series really builds up throughout each book/season. It definitely feels like they knew where they were going the entire time. It reminds me of the British version of The Office and Extras, which had only 2 seasons each and left me wanting more (in a good way), as opposed to Lost, which started great but progressed aimlessly and ended horribly.

Each character is completely believable. They have some hilarious moments as well as some really touching moments. I would find myself saying "That's totally me!" or "I know someone just like that!"

This is definitely a series that I must add to my collection.

The Last Airbender

2010-07-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

7/1/10

This movie was HORRIBLE!!! It was worse than The Room, which redeems itself with unintentional comedy. I heard all day from friends who watched the midnight premiere that it was a total waste. I even read the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, which put The Last Airbender at about the same rating as Gigli and Glitter. But my morbid curiosity made me want to see it.

I've been watching the award-winning cartoon series and it is AMAZING! It's hilarious and touching and completely engaging. But this movie was like M. Knight just had one of his personal assistants vaguely describe the cartoon to him and then decided to make a movie where he only did one take of every shot. As my friend Steve put it, "this was the most expensive student film I've ever seen." And I think that's being overly positive.

I couldn't believe the acting. It was unbelievable. In fact, it was literally hard to believe. And just like I used "believe" in the last three sentence, I'm pretty sure there was a scene where someone said "believe" three times in one sentence. I was semi-hopeful about the casting. I thought there must have been a reason that they cast these non-asian actors to portray CLEARLY ASIAN characters from the original cartoon series. But no. This was possibly the worst acting I have ever seen on screen. They could have at least pronounced their names correctly! It's AANG! Like hang without the h. Not ang like tongue. And Socca is pronounced SOCK-uh, not SO-kuh! Even the fighting was horrible because there was barely any of it. And when it did happen it was practically in slow motion. The special effects didn't even help. And thank GOD I didn't see it in 3d.

And don't even get me started on the story! Mainly because there was NONE. This was such a diservice to the animated series because the original is so rich and well told.

I'm done ranting about this. In fact I need to re-watch the first season of the original series to cleanse my palate. I probably shouldn't have even written my thoughts about this movie because I don't really want to remember it ever existed.

Exit Through The Gift Shop

2010-06-29T05:21:00.000-07:00

6/28/10

I didn't quite know what to expect in this movie. All I knew was that it involved the British street artist Banksy. It also got really high reviews at Rotten Tomatoes (96% right now).

As it turned out it was only partly about Banksy. It was mostly about street artists and featured a "film maker" named Thierry Guetta, who by the end of the film/documentary/mockumentary(?) was calling himself MBW (or Mr. Brainwash).

This was a really entertaining movie. The street art was great although it kind of gets tiresome with some of the repetitive styles. I liked the commentary on street art turning into high-priced gallery art.

My big question at the end of the film was, "Is this real or is this another Banksy piece?" The film is mostly believable but knowing that its roots are with Banksy makes me question the craziness. MBW's big show in LA seemed pretty out there. I don't doubt that the show happened, but the character of MBW almost seems like a puppet for other street artists.

Overall, this film was entertaining and had an insider point of view on street art. I liked it.

Bahn Mi

2010-06-26T07:42:00.002-07:00

6/26/10While perusing the interwebs for locally-raised, grass-fed meat that I can get in Pittsburgh (because I watched Food, Inc) I came across a post about a woman named Lucy and her delicious Banh Mi. I thought nothing of it and kept perusing.

Today I was walking around the Strip District and happened to find Lucy's Banh Mi stand. I had to get one and it was only $5.

She wrapped it up and I carried it around as I walked through the farmers market. It started dripping out of the bag so I figured I should just eat it already.

I can't believe I waited that long. I was DE-LISH-OUS! I think the last time I had a really good Vietnamese sandwich was in college. If you get the chance, I highly recommend going down there and saying hello. She's really friendly.

As I walked back to my car, devouring my sandwich, a guy walked by me and in the most Pittsburghian accent possible said, "S'about the bes' food in the werld dan 'ere!" That made my day.

Image of Lucy and her Banh Mi

found at http://burghfeeding.blogspot.com

Toy Story 3

2010-06-17T23:50:00.000-07:00

6/18/10

Went to the midnight showing of Toy Story 3 (TS3). Saw it in Imax 3d. I've seen other Imax 3d animated movies but this one seemed especially impressive. I will admit that I had a small headache when leaving the theater but in general I think 3d can be pretty great. Toy Story 3 was awesome in 3d. It was so good in 3d that I can't even imagine it any other way. I think what also sold the 3d were the great trailers made specifically for the Imax screen. Legend of the Guardians looks promising, at least in terms of the amazing 3d animation work.

[POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD]

But the real thing I want to remember is the fantastic story in TS3. This movie was a great addition to the Toy Story series. Lots of new characters and beautiful scenery. My absolute favorite is Mr. Tortillahead. Not really a new character but loveable nonetheless. I also really liked Kristen Schaal's character, Trixie, even though she wasn't in the movie very much. I was kind of surprised by how many human characters were in the movie.

Before going to TS3 I had read some interviews with Lee Unkrich (and I've been following his twitter for about a year) and knew that it has been described as a little "darker" in subject matter than the previous Toy Story movies. I thought I might be crying like I did in Up. But it wasn't overly sappy and I didn't get all emotional. There were some lump-in-my-throat moments though. The storytelling really held up.

Day And Night was the short that preceded TS3. It blew my mind watching the 3d and 2d styles of animation meld together. My one criticism would be the heavy handedness of the message at the end. But still it was amazing and a lot of fun to watch.

I highly recommend the movie. And it seems like a lot of the critics do too (it got 100% on rotten tomatoes). I also recommend seeing it in 3d.

Hackers

2010-06-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

6/16/10

Hackers of the world unite!

One of the requirements for working at my current place of internship is to watch the movie Hackers. :)

Apparently they watch it every six months and some employees like to dress the part. In fact one of the lead game designers made this site to hack. If you've seen the movie and are a "hacker" go play with it.

Needless to say, my life has changed forever. The movie is so campy. How can you not love it? Angelina Jolie looks so young and different with short hair. I was also surprised to see Matthew Lillard, Fisher Stevens, and Penn (from Penn & Teller).

I need to go get me some roller blades and floppy disks!

Hack the planet!

Portal

2010-06-15T22:48:00.003-07:00

6/16/10

I watched my friend Noah play through this a few years ago in Chicago. Then Steam (an online gaming site) came out for the Mac and Portal was free. I played a few levels the other day. Then tonight I thought I'd play a few more and go to bed. But I got sucked in and couldn't stop playing until I beat the game. What an awesome puzzle game! My favorite part is that it made me feel super smart when I figured out the puzzles. The ending song is brilliant, even though I've heard it a million times and it was my ringtone for a little bit.

It was so fun I might go back and play through again. I'm excited for Portal 2 but I don't know what else it could add. The main antagonist character was so funny and perfect already!

And it goes without mention that the game mechanics and physics of this game are groundbreaking.

Get Him To The Greek

2010-06-14T19:18:00.001-07:00

6/14/10

I thought it was hilarious. Puff daddy was hilarious. As my friend put it, "sean combs was to this movie what tom cruise was to tropic thunder." I enjoyed a lot of laughs throughout the movie. I got a little nauseous when he broke his arm in the pool. The songs were generally funny and well written. There was a small coda after the end credits but it wasn't really worth staying.

All in all I liked it but I probably wouldn't watch it again. I think it was helped by a full movie theater of people laughing too so I don't know if I'd even recommend renting it to watch at home. BUT it was definitely worth $5 movie night at the theater.

Favorite quote from the movie:
"Where the f*** are you?
I'm gonna kill you.
:)"

Food, Inc.

2010-06-11T06:00:00.001-07:00

6/9/10

I wanted to watch this because it was mentioned on Digg Nation and it sounded interesting. I enjoy documentaries.

Watching it and thinking about where all my food comes from makes me want to be a vegetarian. But I like meat too much. So instead of being vegetarian I'm going to try to be pickier about the meat that I consume. I definitely plan on going to my local farmers' market more.

This is something I've thought about before (like when I started reading Omnivore's Dilemma (although I never finished it)). It's also big in my mind because I'm in training again.

I liked that this movie ended on a hopeful note. At the same time it makes me wonder what stores can I really trust as a consumer? I know I need to save money but I also want to support good companies. This goes way beyond food too. Should I be shopping at local stores or using Amazon? It's so easy to just order whatever we want and have it brought to us. Just something to ponder.

The Iron Giant

2010-06-05T09:52:00.001-07:00

6/5/10

This one is a classic. I decided to revisit it since it was on Netflix streaming. It was great. I love how it's a subtle mix of 3d and 2d animation.

I don't even know what else to say about it. It's classic.

Fallingwater

2010-06-01T19:27:00.003-07:00

5/29/10

This place is AMAZING. It's hard to believe that it was built in the 1930s.

I liked the tour. Our guide knew everything and seemed down to earth. If you're in the Pittsburgh area, it's worth visiting. I'm thinking about going back during the winter and/or fall to see the difference the seasons will make.

I brought my camera with me to practice. You can see my photos here.

Lost

2010-06-01T19:11:00.002-07:00

5/23/10

I know I'm late to the party in posting about the Series Finale of Lost. I want to write about the series in general.

Overall, I really liked it. It's rare that I get sucked into a show. But Lost is one of the few shows that I've seen every single episode. In fact, I think the only other series I've seen completely are Battlestar Galactica and Arrested Development.

After six years of mysterious Lost episodes with more and more mysteries being uncovered and left unanswered it was impossible for the last episode to answer everything. Even when I watched the actors on Jimmy Kimmel after the episode, the actors didn't know anymore than the viewers. At the time I was pretty satisfied with the ending. But given some time to think about it, there were just too many things I still wanted to know! Like what the hell were the numbers about!?

Either way, Lost was a lot of fun to experience. Especially fun was going to a Lost Finale party that had these things:

The Secret of Kells

2010-06-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

5/28/10

This was a beautiful film. The art style really sold it.

I didn't really connect with the story. However, I liked it for what it was, an "artsy" movie.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

2010-06-01T18:49:00.002-07:00

5/31/10

Loved it!

I didn't expect much and it really surprised me. It was hilarious. And it had one of my favorite people in it, MR. T! I was surprised by the all-star cast as well. Something that made that cast even better was that I didn't recognize anyone's voice (except Mr. T which is totally acceptable and encouraged).

The animation was really good too. I kind of wish I saw it in the theater in 3d. Oh well. It was still really good via netflix streaming.

How To Train Your Dragon

2010-05-15T15:02:00.002-07:00

5/3/2010

I liked it.

I'm partial to Pixar movies because they generally have more engaging stories than the DreamWorks movies that I've seen. But this one had a really touching coming-of-age story. I also liked the subtle use of 3d in this movie.

There were some "yeah right!" moments, especially towards the end, but I think that shows how into the movie I was.

Iron Man 2

2010-05-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

5/11/10

I'm sure I don't need to tell anyone about this movie. It opened the summer 2010 movie season. It was AWESOME.

I really liked the first Iron Man movie too. I thought this was a really fun sequel. I also like the short codas at the end of the credits of both of the movies (even though whoever I'm with usually hates watching all the credits).

I'm glad this movie wasn't in 3d. I'm not really on the 3d bandwagon at the moment. Don't get me wrong. Given the option I'll definitely be watching the 3d versions of movies (like Toy Story 3).

Surrogates

2010-04-04T20:00:00.001-07:00

4/4/10
Tonight I got Surrogates from the Red Box. I'm not really sure what it was about. Someone tried to kill someone who was a robot or something or other. It didn't make sense. It was like a bunch of other science fiction movies mixed with a generic cop show plus hints of Die Hard.

When January Feels Like Summer

2010-03-31T05:15:00.001-07:00

3/30/10
I was surprised by how much I liked this play. That's just because I didn't really know what to expect.

Firstly, I was really impressed by the theater space, City Theatre. Like a lot of places in Pittsburgh, City Theater is an old church. It's really put together.

There were moments when I thought the play was getting a little stereotypical in its portrayal of minorities. I felt a little awkward watching those parts. I'm not sure if it was the writing or the performances. The performances had moments of greatness mixed with some moments of overacting. But overall the story was good and the play was really really entertaining.

I'd recommend it if someone asked me.

A Celebration of Pittsburgh's Women Artists

2010-03-31T05:05:00.001-07:00

3/27/10
This event coincided with SWAN (Support Women Artists Now) Day. There was a good variety of art throughout the evening.

My favorite was a short play about an old couple talking about their relationship. It was well-written and the two actors were great.

East End Chocolate Stout Cupcake

2010-03-21T19:15:00.000-07:00

It was a teammate's birthday last week so I bought cupcakes for everyone. I walked into Dozen and found one of the BEST CUPCAKES EVAR!

According to their website "East End Chocolate Stout uses Black Strap Stout from the East End Brewery."

Shutter Island

2010-03-13T19:26:00.000-08:00

Overall I liked it.

It wasn't very scary but there were some good moments of suspense. I was surprised to see Rorschach. Too bad I can only see him as that character now. Also somewhat disappointing, I thought some of the edits stood out a little too much. In contrast, there were other edits that had a good rhythm.

But I have to admit I came into it knowing the end (sort of). Laurel read the book and told me the twist. Even though I wasn't totally surprised, I did enjoy the reveal. I won't spoil it for you.

Would I recommend it? I think it's worth getting on netflix. But maybe reading the book is better if you've got the time.

The Tipping Point

2010-03-11T12:11:00.002-08:00

After reading Blink I wanted to read more of Malcolm Gladwell's writing. For Christmas I got The Tipping Point.

My first reaction is that I liked Blink better. I'm not sure why. The Tipping Point had some great stories and was really inspiring though. Makes me wonder what I can change that will affect other things. It also is a good reminder to stay positive.

That also reminds me of a yoga class I've been going to. Calm in the midst of struggle. But I digress.

The Tipping Point was another quick read. Thanks to Marianne for giving it to me.

Bioshock

2010-03-11T12:02:00.001-08:00

I finally finished Bioshock. I started it in the summer but then I started grad school. So I took some time during my spring break to finish it up.

It was pretty scary. The minigames were fun too. I hacked almost everything. Although it was a little strange to be in the middle of a fight and then turn my attention to hacking a vending machine.

I thought the twist in the middle was awesome. The ending however left me a little confused. Overall I really liked the game.

This sounds like an elementary school kid's review. I'm okay with that.

Blink

2010-03-11T10:05:00.001-08:00

I start a lot of books but rarely finish them. But this book was so interesting. I seriously had a hard time putting it down. It’s been a few weeks since I finished it so I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot that I wanted to remember about it.

What is most memorable to me is the idea that our gut instincts can actually be powerful clues about how we should act. One of the best lessons I’ve learned from improv is that confidence is key. This book reinforces that.

Things I finished.

2010-03-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

I have had the good fortune to be studying with Jesse Schell during my time at the ETC. A lot of great things have been happening for Jesse lately. Two of the big things that I’m aware of are (1) he gave a great talk at DICE and (2) he was featured on NPR’s Morning Edition. His company, Schell Games, has also worked on two new, amazingly-fun theme park attractions, Toy Story Mania & The Sum of All Thrills. I’m excited to say that I’m going to be interning at Schell Games this summer.

In getting more connected with Jesse on twitter and elsewhere online, I stumbled across his blog. It basically lists things he’s finished and his thoughts.

I think this is a great idea. So I’m going to attempt to maintain a similar list of things I finished. It’s kind of like unlocking an achievement on the xbox. Plus I’ve always struggled with what exactly to put on a blog.

So let’s do this.

Do I Want To Be A Game Designer? (part 2)

2010-01-20T21:03:00.006-08:00

A few days have passed since part 1 of my essay. I did an iteration of my hopscotch idea and learned a lot. Firstly, that whoopie cushions (both standard and self-inflating) are not constructed to be hopped on. Secondly, it’s hard to predict where fake rubber poop will land. And most importantly, you can discover a lot from playtesting.

“Fartscotch” pretty much failed miserably in its technical aspects. Nonetheless it was hilarious and fun. Someone said it deserved a Penguin Award*. Another playtester said “it was the best 5 seconds of my life.” The idea was good but the execution could have been much better. The process of playtesting was eye-opening.

I, however, was unable to create a second iteration and playtest it before the due date. My responsibilities to my semester project grew quite a bit over the course of the first week of the semester when I became a co-producer. Plus I just didn’t start on the hopscotch project early enough. Another big lesson learned.

I really hate saying no to things. It’s the improvisor in me. But what I hate more is doing things that are half-assed. So I have decided to audit the class. What does that mean? It means this

Auditing is presence in the classroom without receiving academic credit, a pass/fail or a letter grade.

Now back to the initial question of “Do I Want To Be A Game Designer?” Just because I’m auditing the class doesn’t mean I don’t want to be a Game Designer. In fact, in some backwards way I feel like I can get more from the class without the stress of a grade.

Some people have said, “if you’re just going to audit, you might as well read the book.” I am an experiential learner, so going to the lectures is like getting a dose of knowledge and inspiration two times a week. Plus Jesse is a good performer and speaker so being in class is like watching a show. I can’t have discussions with a book (meaningfully).

I’ve also rationalized to myself that even though I’m just auditing there’s nothing stopping me from doing the assignments still. The benefit is that I’m solely doing them for me, without the underlying pressure of a grade.

With that said, I’m currently putting together my “Game Designer’s Toolbox.” This is a list of ALL the games that I have played since I was 5 years old. This seems like one of the most meaningful and useful exercises in this class. I’ll post a link to it here on Tuesday when it’s due (possibly along with part 3 of this essay).

So as of right now, do I want to be a Game Designer?

Maybe. I need to do more playtesting.

*The Penguin Award is given to the team of students who took the greatest risk but failed to achieve their goal. “The title of the award came from the notion that when penguins are about to jump into water that might contain predators, well, somebody’s got to be the first penguin,” Pausch said in his book “The Last Lecture.”

Do I Want To Be A Game Designer? (part 1)

2010-01-17T06:08:00.002-08:00

Game Design Essay #1

I am currently taking one of the most highly recommended elective classes at the Entertainment Technology Center: Game Design with Jesse Schell. Our first essay assignment is to create a blog entry about the following:

Anything discussed in class that has sparked your imagination.

The question I want to answer is:

Do I Want To Be A Game Designer?

I plan on answering this question in multiple blog entries.

In the first lecture, Jesse prompted the class with the question, “Who is already a game designer?” Initially, a few people sheepishly raised their hands. The next powerpoint slide read Magic Words: I Am A Game Designer. We said this all together a few times. As I said it, the question occurred to me, “Do I want to be a Game Designer?” (capital G and capital D).

Upon coming to the ETC I thought I was kind of a gamer because I played a lot of Tony Hawk Pro Skater and hours of Grand Theft Auto and innumerable battles in the Halo franchise, just to name a few. But meeting real hardcore gamers made me realize I’m not hardcore about gaming at all.

For a while I specifically thought, “I am NOT a Game Designer. I am an Experience Designer.” But after some more thought about what a Game Designer is and what a Game Designer does, perhaps I was wrong. In fact, the line between “Game Designer” and “Experience Designer” is blurred.

My background is in theater, specifically improvisational theater. I wasn’t sure how improv fit into game design until someone pointed out the obvious to me. Modern improvisation originated as theater GAMES! Of course! So when I do shows, people are just watching me play games. And some of the games in improv are games you make up on the spot. How cool is that!? So, yes. Perhaps I am a game designer.

Still that doesn’t really answer the question, “Do I want to be a Game Designer?”. Right now I’m sitting in a coffee shop trying to work out a solution for our first game project, which is to create an improved version of Hopscotch. I’m not really feeling like a Game Designer. I am constantly reminding myself that games are all about fun. And I love making things fun.

So I’ll get back to you in a few days as to whether or not I want to be a Game Designer.

2010-01-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

i’m here!

2010-01-06T07:57:00.000-08:00

the light in my hotel room. @dailyshoot

2010-01-04T10:41:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR! Awesome.

2010-01-04T00:29:00.000-08:00

I totally won!

2010-01-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

never too old to go to disneyland on a school bus!

2010-01-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Beautiful sunset at santa monica beach. It’s good to be back.

2009-12-31T19:13:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2009-12-24T22:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas. May you all get what you want.

Luckily, I want it to be Christmas!

New site!

2009-12-21T00:13:00.000-08:00

There’s a new freddiesulit.com up. And most likely you’re reading this blog post on the new site. Thanks for checking it out.

Big thanks to the folks at cargo collective for answering my questions.

As with other things that evolve over time, this blog will evolve into something more focused.

That’s the idea anyway. Time will tell so stay tuned and watch me fail or succeed. Either way, I’m learning something.

2009-12-01T05:37:00.000-08:00

Check out this news article on the CMU Homepage!

Article written by Kelly Solman. They used a picture taken by my good friend Stephen Dewhurst.

2009-11-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

From the BVW Show Website:
On Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at Purnell Center’s Chosky Theater, we at the Entertainment Technology Center will present the annual Building Virtual Worlds Show. From virtual reality to audience interaction and everything imaginable in between, this live showcase of the most impressive student work from the semester is truly a must-see event!

Over the course of this semester, BVW students are collaborating in four-person interdisciplinary teams to create a series of virtual worlds, each of which must be completed within a one to three week time period. We look forward to sharing a variety of these worlds with you.

This year the ETC is very excited to announce the addition of a second BVW Show to accommodate the ever growing number of guests who want to experience this one of a kind event! For the first time ever there will be a 2:30 pm show that is open to the public, on Wednesday December 2nd in the Chosky Theatre. This show is “first come first serve” with the doors opening at 2:00 pm.

The second show will be on December 2nd at 6:00 pm and is strictly a ticketed event by invitation only.

If you are not able to join us in Pittsburgh, please join us live on the web at 6pm December 2nd. Please check back closer to the show for the web address of show. Thanks! We look forward to seeing you at the Show!

The Great Space Airship

2009-11-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

My Round 2 Team 18 world made it into the BVW Show!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

2009-11-15T06:19:00.000-08:00

Here’s the music video again with a bonus credit sequence.

2009-11-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

This music video was inspired by the work of Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze. It was created for the Visual Story class at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center in Fall 2009.

Artist: Menomena
Album: Friend and Foe
Director & Editor: Freddie Sulit
Co-Director: Michelle Cohen
Production Assistants: Sophie Wang, Dan Pike
Production Photographer: Ford Hu

Boy: Steve Geist
Girl: Michelle Cohen

Production stills can be found here: bit.ly/17Yr8V

2009-11-04T23:47:00.000-08:00

happiness

Our assignment for this Visual Story project was to create a story using the following elements:

location: bus stop
object: watch
color: red
theme: happiness

Despite some audio issues, I think it turned out pretty well. Thanks to all our friends who sent in pictures from around the world. We have pictures from Chicago, L.A., New York, Minneapolis, Egypt, and China.

edited by Te “Ford” Hu

2009-11-04T23:41:00.000-08:00

Duck Hunt Game Trailer

This is the final product as produced by Team Zeitgeist and originally conceived by Team Touchstone.

2009-11-04T23:21:00.000-08:00

Our Visual Story team came up with a concept for a one-minute game trailer for Duck Hunt. We then handed it off to another team to complete production of the trailer.

2009-11-04T22:40:00.000-08:00

For this Visual Story assignment, our team created story boards for a game trailer. We were allowed to choose any game for pre-production. Then we randomly gave our pre-production materials to another team for them to create.

We received pre-production materials for the game “Fable.” The final video turned out well.

edited by Dan Pike

2009-11-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

Immersive & Interactive Installations

This is the pitch for my second semester grad project at the ETC. The basic concept is to build an installation for the CMU Spring Carnival that will increase awareness of the ETC and give us experience creating temporary location-based entertainment.

2009-11-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

ETC BVW Round 4 Team 9 - Final

In Memory Of…

2009-11-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

ETC BVW Round 4 Team 9 - interim

2009-11-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

ETC BVW Round 4 Team 9 - Animatic

This is the animatic for our story. The assignment was to create a world with a story. Martin Montgomery came up with a great idea to pay tribute to his grandfather who recently passed away.

Team:
Martin Montgomery - 2d artist & Producer
Ji Won Kang - 3d artist
Daniel Driscoll - Programmer
Freddie Sulit - Sound Designer

2009-10-07T07:19:00.000-07:00

ETC BVW Round 3 Team 3
Lightning Round!

We had one week to create a fun game or toy. Our group decided to create a game for the Jam-O-Drum. So we created a digital adaptation of air hockey. Imagine full-contact air hockey. We call it:

Super Space Bump Hockey 5000!

(This Fraps of the gameplay doesn’t truly do justice to the fun-factor of playing on the Jam-O-Drum.)

2009-09-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Here’s a video of our Round 1 Team 9 presentation with the performance. Video never does justice to live performance but this clip shows the work we did outside of the computer.

2009-09-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

This is a Fraps video of our Round 2 Team 18 interim product. Once again there was a “performance” that accompanied this video, but you had to be there.

Many good notes and bits of advice resulted from the interim showing.

2009-09-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

ETC BVW
Round 2 Team 18

Our prompt for this round is:
CREATE A CONSISTENT, HIGHLY INTERACTIVE, AND ENGAGING EXPERIENCE THAT LETS GUESTS FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A LOT OF FREEDOM IN THE CHOICES THEY MAKE.

Our medium is the PlayMotion.

Our first assignment for this world was to create a sketch of our game concept using Sketch It Up, a piece of software created by ETC upperclassmen. Here is our concept video. Use your imagination. :)

Evelyn Chang - 3d art
Kim Kiser - 2d art
SK Jayadevan - Programmer
Freddie Sulit - Sound & Producer

2009-09-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

After a minor Perforce fail we presented our Fraps video of our final round 1 BVW world. Not all of the sounds were working in this video and you can’t see the performance that accompanies this experience but it successfully demonstrates the gameplay. I’ll post a video of the performance once we have access to that file.

I’m proud of the game/experience we were able to create in just two weeks. We’re hoping to get it into the BVW show in December. Go team 9!

2009-09-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

Visual Story Assignment 2

For my Visual Story class we are put on semester-long teams. Our first team assignment was to create an introduction video that showcases each of us in one minute (not including the logo). Some groups went for comedy. Others went for visual effects. Our group went for “badass!”

Team Touchstone Fall 2009 is:
Michelle Cohen
Ford Te Hu
Dan Pike
Freddie Sulit and
Sophie Hui Wang

2009-09-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

Programming - Kent Vasko
2d/Texture Artist - Chris Bell
3d/Animation - Tom Luong
Sound Design - Freddie Sulit

This is our backup video after one week of production. For this assignment were given the prompt:
Help one character who is afraid of another.

There are obviously a lot of things to be completed in this world. Also I can’t convey the performance that goes along with this interactive piece. But our interim presentation went great and we received a lot of very helpful feedback.

2009-09-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

This logo was designed by our talented 2d/texture artist, Chris Bell.

We’re fortunate to have some of the best talent in the class on our team. Kent Vasko is our programmer. Tom Luong is our 3d modeler. I am the producer and sound designer for Round 1 Team 9 (R1-T9).

The prompt for round 1 is “Help One Character Who Is Afraid of Another.” We have an incredibly fun idea utilizing Head Mounted Display (HMD) technology. I’ll post a video after we present it. But the logo gives you a hint of what to expect.

Back to work. We have an interim presentation due on Monday and there is much to be done.

2009-09-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

Visual Story Assignment 1

For my Visual Story class we were to take 7 camera shots and 8 compositional shots.

Click on this text to see my flickr set of pictures.

2009-08-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

My Building Virtual Worlds (BVW) Round 0 assignment.

My role: Sound Designer

—-
For the Round 0 project of Building Virtual Worlds (BVW) class, the Sound Designers had to choose one of six trailers to redub. The trailers had all sound removed by the TAs and we never heard the original soundtrack. To accomplish the redub we had access to a fairly large sound library and a small recording studio.

Big thanks to my class for helping me with the crowd “Oh!

The day after.

2009-08-30T20:39:00.000-07:00

Had a great show last night at the University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown’s First-Year Orientation. It was a lot of fun playing with some of my Chicago friends again. Can’t wait to do it again.

Until then I’ll be focusing my energy towards grad school. My next post will be my “Round 0” project.

Stay hungry.

2009-08-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

I have had to turn down offers for representation by the two acting agencies here in Pittsburgh and an audition for a tiny part in an upcoming movie remake since I’m starting the Immersion Semester (aka “Boot Camp”) of the Entertainment Technology Center. All my time for the next four months will be dedicated towards creating amazing experiences with my fellow grad students.

But before I fully take a hiatus from professional performing I have one more show with Laugh Out Loud Theater. I’ll be performing at the U. of Pitt. at Johnstown’s new student orientation on Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 7:00pm.

Although I’m taking a break from acting my goal is still ultimately to inspire people through entertainment. Exciting projects to come!

___

2009-08-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

I just got on a team for the 48 Hour Film Festival this weekend here in Pittsburgh. We’ll be shooting on Saturday. Sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun.

Here’s the timeline of events:

Kickoff
Date: Friday, August 7th
Time: 6-7pm
Place: ArtDimensions Pittsburgh, 6000 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA

Dropoff
Date: Sunday, August 9th
Time: (by 7:30pm to be on time!)
Place: ArtDimensions Pittsburgh, 6000 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA

Premiere Screenings
Date: Aug 12 and Aug 13
Time: 7pm
Place: Kelly Strayhorn Theatre, 5941 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Tickets: $8

Thank You ImprovAcadia!

2009-06-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

My last few improv shows for a while will be tonight (6/27/09) & tomorrow (6/28/09) at ImprovAcadia. Then off to New York for fun and Pittsburgh for fun school.

ImprovAcadia

2009-05-14T21:41:00.000-07:00

Link: ImprovAcadia

It’s official. My info is on the website. I’m doing a bit of traveling before going to Maine. If you happen to be in Maine near the end of June stop by and say hello.

2009-05-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who I met in Chicago. I’ll never forget some of you. :)

2009-04-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

This trailer shows footage from the Mousetraps & Water Torture show that I did a few weeks ago. That’s me rolling around all the Mousetraps.

If you get a chance I highly recommend seeing the show in person. It runs on Thursdays through April 30 (with a possible extension). Check laughoutloudtheater.com for details.

This show is so funny it hurts.

2009-04-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends & Family
You Are Cordially Invited To
The Final Two Chicago Shows Of

Mr. Freddie Sulit

To Be Held On The
Second Of May
In The Year Two-thousand And Nine

At Laugh Out Loud Theater
In Schaumburg, Illinois
601 North Martingale Road, 60173

For Reservations, Please Call
847-240-0386

Entertainment Technology Center

2009-04-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

Link: Entertainment Technology Center

It has been an amazing few weeks. I recently got accepted into Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center to earn my Masters in Entertainment Technology.

What’s that, you ask? I think they explain it pretty well.

ImprovAcadia

2009-04-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

Link: ImprovAcadia

Looks like I’ll be part of the sixth season of ImprovAcadia!

Come visit me June 18-29 in Bar Harbor, Maine.

2009-04-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

my self portrait

About

2009-04-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

FREDDIE SULIT was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, California. He likes Mr. T, Apple Computers, and triathlons. Favorite foods include chicken burritos and SPAM musubi.

Inspiration
Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
The Last Lecture

+

2009-04-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

When and where I have been and will be performing.

(This google calendar updates itself so the posting date below won’t change)

2009-04-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

Catalog Cover for SNS Activewear

I had to sit on a bunch of pillows to looks as tall as the model next to me. I’m not even that short!

2009-04-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

Laugh Out Loud Theater Intros

2009-04-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Demo Reel Editing Samples

2009-04-02T14:30:00.001-07:00

I have designed a variety of marketing materials (as shown: magnets, coupons, passes, phonebook ads, and show posters) for Laugh Out Loud Theater. The theater, located in Chicago’s northwest suburbs, has a strong brand identity of bringing humor from the city to the suburbs while keeping it clean and family friendly.

2009-04-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

2009-04-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pieces is this wall in which I created life-sized cut-outs of basketball superstar Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and gymnastics great Mohini Bhardwaj. This exhibit is featured in the Time Out Zone, the kids’ interactive area of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.

2009-04-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

As Art Director & Curator of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame I created new displays to commemorate UCLA’s legendary figures such as Coach John Wooden. It was a challenge to portray the impact of Coach Wooden in a limited amount of space. My idea was to separate his life into three areas: the player, the gentleman, and the coach. I also focused on his Pyramid of Success, which I created in three dimensions.

2009-04-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Upon completion of the Second City Conservatory in Los Angeles my class created a sketch show called, “You Heard It Here Second.” I had the responsibility of creating our promotional show flier. My goal was to create a piece that was fun, colorful, and loud.

2009-04-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

Official UCLA Library Mug

Think • Drink Campaign.

During my senior year at UCLA I was hired as a student designer for the ASUCLA Marketing & Sales Department, Retail Graphics Division. I designed signage for UCLA eateries and retail stores on-campus. In addition to designing the point-of-sale graphics I had the opportunity to write some copy, such as in this Think•Drink campaign.

2009-04-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

I’m performing on Thursday, April 9th at Laugh Out Loud Theater. Here’s the official info:

Thrill-seekers are invited to experience a night of nail biting, shock and awe, and edge-of-your-seat comedy.

Thursdays at 8:00pm
March 26th – April 30th
Tickets are $15

Jackass meets Whose Line is it Anyway

You will see some of the same players you know and love from the Laugh Out Loud weekend shows, but now the games are a little crazier and the night is full of pain, torture, and delight. Hold your breath as you watch improvisers nearly drown, snap clothespins on their faces, and navigate a sea of live mousetraps all while delivering perfectly timed comedic scenes. “There are improv games that are considered taboo in some circles,” says owner Lillian Frances, “These guys are nuts for doing this show, but it proves how much they love this art form.“

Come see this show. We dare you.

things freddie finished

The Big Catch Up Post!

The Room

White On Rice

Megamind

The 39 Steps

Cruise to Nowhere

Ip Man 2

Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Islands of Adventure, Halloween Horror Nights, SATE Conference

Waking Sleeping Beauty

The Big Pour

Much Ado About Nothing

Rivers Casino

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

48 Hour Film Fest

La Traviata

Inception

Midnight Radio

Despicable Me

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Last Airbender

Exit Through The Gift Shop

Bahn Mi

Toy Story 3

Hackers

Portal

Get Him To The Greek

Food, Inc.

The Iron Giant

Fallingwater

Lost

The Secret of Kells

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

How To Train Your Dragon

Iron Man 2

Surrogates

When January Feels Like Summer

A Celebration of Pittsburgh's Women Artists

East End Chocolate Stout Cupcake

Shutter Island

The Tipping Point

Bioshock

Blink

Things I finished.

Do I Want To Be A Game Designer? (part 2)

Do I Want To Be A Game Designer? (part 1)

Anything discussed in class that has sparked your imagination.

Do I Want To Be A Game Designer?

New site!

The Great Space Airship

The day after.

Stay hungry.

Thank You ImprovAcadia!

ImprovAcadia

Dear Friends & FamilyYou Are Cordially Invited ToThe Final Two Chicago Shows Of

Mr. Freddie Sulit

To Be Held On TheSecond Of MayIn The Year Two-thousand And NineAt Laugh Out Loud TheaterIn Schaumburg, Illinois601 North Martingale Road, 60173

Entertainment Technology Center

ImprovAcadia

About

Dear Friends & Family
You Are Cordially Invited To
The Final Two Chicago Shows Of

To Be Held On The
Second Of May
In The Year Two-thousand And Nine

At Laugh Out Loud Theater
In Schaumburg, Illinois
601 North Martingale Road, 60173