21 04 2003
Reason for lack of updates: Gone all last week!
Normally, I’ve been writing in this journal during my lunch at work (which I just found out is allowed to be up to one hour… hence why today’s entry is so long!). Monday through Wednesday last week I was at the Flash in the Can festival down at the Kool Haus/Guvernment.
It was pretty sweet seeing all these people I’ve read about in person. People who have been doing stuff with Flash that no one thought was possible (btw… I was one of the first people who figured out how to simulate arrays in Flash 4 ActionScript). The stuff we saw was truly inspirational - from real-time 3D to sound mixing (and in some cases, both together!). There was some stuff on Flash as an application/database building utility, but that doesn’t interest me for the direction that I want to take in my career.
Normally when I see this stuff, I get discouraged. More often than not, when someone sends me an email with “Cool Flash site” in the subject, I delete it. With the freedom that I have to create right now, I have to stop myself from getting inspired. I know that most anything fancy that I try with any of the work I do now will be rejected.
…That’s all I say about that right now.
Anyway, the best part was having two of the three as sunny, warm days down by the lakeshore. Mona (coworker) and I ate our lunches outside on Tuesday and just baked in the hot sun.
As for the Warehouse (ahem) I mean, the Kool Haus as a venue for showing Flash, the fold-out seats were violently uncomfortable, there were no lights from the rear so that we might write notes on what we were learning, there were peripheral spotlights shining in our eyes, but providing no real illumination, and despite the above 15 C weather, the room was often cold.
I know that they needed a larger venue this year, and i know that it’s only in its second year, but I really hope that next year’s Flash in the Can is better oriented for comfort.
…excuse me now while I stretch my back… I think I’m still suffering from those chairs.
