Happy rainy day from Tacoma!
It’s been a little too chaotic to post lately, but I hope 2023 is treating everyone well so far!
Quick note: I missed the camaraderie of pre-Musk Twitter, so I joined the Mastodon Games server. Here’s the invitation link if you also need another way to goof off connect with others on social media!
Cheers!
Suzanne
Spring 2023 promises to be a great time of personal and professional growth!
Background on why the following news is so important to me:
Like many other artists, I started drawing, painting, and writing as a kid.
I was also diagnosed with migraines as a kid. More recently, in 2018, I was also diagnosed with both bilateral hand arthritis and early-stage glaucoma.
Ironically, working long hours as a VRC without adequate accommodations became unsustainable, and I left the field in December 2018. For a while, I stopped creating art at all, due to both pain and fear of making the latter two conditions worse.
In June 2020, I started designing my first video game with accessibility in mind. I personally can’t enjoy media with flashing lights (a known migraine trigger), and time-sensitive games can be impossible with hand arthritis, so these were the starting points for determining my design process. Thanks to in person game demos, I have been able to incorporate feedback into making gameplay more intuitive. I have received a lot of support in this project, and I still have a long way to go before I’m ready to release the game.
The News
Yesterday I found out I was selected to attend an upcoming AbleGamers’ Accessible Player Experiences (APX) Certified Practitioner Training session for free through the Developers Promoting Accessibility & Diversity (DPAD) Initiative. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to learning how to better apply knowledge and skills from my previous experience as a VRC/CDMS within the gaming industry.
Learn more about AbleGamers’ work and how you can support this amazing organization at https://ablegamers.org/.
As always, thank you for your support as No, Mine! Studios grows in scope and capacity! I couldn’t have gotten to this point without an amazing community of artists and friends!
Suzanne
I am excited to share my latest collaboration with Tacoma Artist Mauricio Robalino. Mauricio was awarded a grant as part of the Tacoma Artist Initiative Program to document his work and processes through a series of short videos. Due to the pandemic, we were only able to meet in person a couple of months ago, but since then, I have helped him with recording audio, editing, and shooting additional footage for his project. This series has been a lot of fun to work on!
Here is the link to his video entitled “Artist Philosophy.” Please subscribe to his YouTube channel to check out other videos in the series and share with friends.
Thank you for your support!
Suzanne
The South Side Animation Club signup form is up! If you are interested in participating or volunteering, please fill it out. Thank you!
Suzanne
I just received word that the City of Tacoma has approved funding for No, Mine! Studios to start the South Side Animation Club!
This all ages/ all-levels gathering will be once a month, free to the public, and is meant to bring more opportunities in the arts to residents in the South End, East Side, and South Tacoma. (It’s not a requirement to live in these neighborhoods: others are welcome to participate, too.)
A large portion of the funding received will be used to compile starter kits with drawing paper, pens, pencils, etc. and more for participants who need supplies. There will also be a projector and screen on hand so that participants can share works in progress.
There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work to take care of before the first meeting in the Spring: securing a venue in the South End Tacoma, getting the word out to interested artists, securing supplies/ equipment, and more. If you want to get involved, please email nominestudios@gmail.com.
I am grateful to the City of Tacoma for this opportunity. I’ll share more news as it becomes available.
Suzanne
The Countdown to Tacoma’s Arts at the Armory is on! Mark your calendars for December 10 and 11, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. for your chance to support local independent artists.
While you’re there, stop by my booth to play test my in-progress dinosaur game demo. I will also have a limited supply of stickers and buttons for sale.
In honor of Screenshot Saturday, here’s a glimpse at what I’m currently working on:
I look forward to seeing you!
Suzanne
The subtitled version of the first Yeetcosystem Promo is set to premiere on YouTube at noon today (November 16, PST )!
[Content warning: There is one swear word, and it’s not even my favorite — I mean a really bad one.]
I promise I’ll get back to posting dinos and other work soon — unless some actual investors want to make this project happen. [How much would liability insurance on a project like this cost? Ten dollars?]
Thank you for your support!
Suzanne
Recently, I began pitching my exciting new business venture, Yeetcosystem (TM). The first promotional video is up now. Please check it out, unless you’re not allowed to watch videos with a swear word in them. [I forgot to bleep something. I blame sleep deprivation/ laziness/ being a grown up who occasionally uses mild curse words in public.]
In other news, I am happy to announce that No, Mine! Studios will be back at Tacoma’s Arts at the Armory event on December 10 and 11, 2022! I’ll be listed in the materials under my name (Suzanne Skaar) in case you have troubles finding me at the Armory. The dino game will available for playtesting for those interested in seeing the latest progress. I’ll also have buttons and stickers for sale for those looking for last minute holiday gifts.
If you want to help a small, mom-owned business, there are a lot of ways to do so! Follow No, Mine! Studios (@nominestudios) on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
No, Mine! Studios is also still on Twitter, but…? We’ll see how this goes…
You can also Buy a Dino a coffee by clicking here.
Thank you for your support!
Suzanne
Do you think the news of Kanye West’s new minicities called “Yecosystems” will have a negative impact on my new business venture, The “Yeetcosystem?”
I guess now is as good a time as any to debut the concept:
Text in image:
“Yeetcosystem
How it works
Luxury condos are constructed on working catapults.
When climate change threatens the safety of the building, whether due to intensity of storms, flooding, or riots, the catapult is released, ‘yeeting’ the inhabitants to safety.
Secure your place on the waitlist today!
Investors, please visit yeetcosystem.com for more information.
Concept art by Suzanne Skaar, 2022. Nominestudios.com.”
While I’m waiting for this new enterprise to take off, if you haven’t yet done so, please like, follow, and share No, Mine! Studios (@nominestudios) on the following social media platforms:
A huge thank you to everyone who came by to show their support at Grit City Comic Show! And thank you for your patience regarding our technical difficulties. Who knew affordable access to electricity for vendors would be so vital to a game demo at a convention?
If you want to help support a small, mom-owned business, you can buy a dino a coffee here and buy art online here.
For media, retail, and event inquiries, please email me at nominestudios@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support!
Suzanne
Happy Friday!
As promised earlier this week and to those I spoke with at the City of Tacoma Kaleidoscope Kickoff Party, here are some resources that I have found useful while working on my as yet untitled dino game.
GAME ENGINE
I am building my game in Unity, which is free for individuals who make under a certain amount of income from games per year. I am brand new, and I have definitely not come close to that threshhold yet. Another engine that other artists like using is Unreal. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m thinking about testing it when I start on my next project. A great benefit of Unreal is that they do offer funds for some projects. Here’s the link for more info.
GRAPHICS
(NOTE: This is not a paid promotion by Adobe. If they would like to change that, my bank account is all ears.)
I create the initial designs of characters, objects, and background art in Adobe Photoshop. I held on for as long as I could to my 2009 MacBook and hard copy of Photoshop CS 6, but at this point, I am now locked into the full Creative Cloud. It’s expensive, so if others would like to suggest free/ cheap alternatives that work well with Unity, please comment below. The import process between Photoshop and Unity is fairly simple. I can share a sample video of the process if others are interested, but there are also many tutorials on YouTube.
AUDIO
When getting the sound ready for the game, I have used a combination of Audacity (audio editing software), BeepBox (online tool for making and sharing melodies), and more recently, Adobe Audition. The first two are free whereas Audition comes with Creative Cloud subscriptions. I have used Audition more for marketing than content creation so far.
VIDEO
For video, I have been relying on Open Broadcast Studio (OBS) for screencaptures and Adobe Premiere Pro for compiling videos. OBS is free, and I am still figuring it out. For Creative Cloud subscribers, Audition is linked to Premiere, so changing audio levels or doing simple effects like fade in/ fade out is relatively fast.
TUTORIALS
I started researching how to turn my concept into a game using Unity in March 2020. Since then, I have watched a lot of videos which break down the process of animating sprites, importing audio, and more. Due to updates from game engine platforms, some of these tutorials may become outdated fairly quickly, but I really like the teaching styles of Brackeys and BurgZerg Arcade. While Brackeys is no longer posting new videos, they have a plethora of great ones still up on YouTube. GDC posts a lot of great talks about game design from all angles. From the business side, I recently discovered the Future of Play channel on YouTube. The Publish Me Punish Me series is entertaining and informative.
If you think this kind of post is helpful, please like and share with friends. You can also support No, Mine! Studios on the following social media platforms:
If you’re local to Tacoma, I would love to see you at Grit City Comic Show on October 22, 2022! In addition to having the game progress available for playing, I’ll have a limited supply of merchandise for sale.
If you’re not able to attend but want to help support No, Mine! Studios financially, you can buy a dino a coffee here and buy art online here.
For media, retail, and event inquiries, please email me at nominestudios@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support!
Suzanne
No, Mine! Studios 