One of my favorite things about sci-fi has always been the cool tech. It’s a fun spotlight for creativity and is a subtle but effective way to contribute to the world building. Pacific Rim has some of the coolest tech in it along with some of the greatest world building this side of Star Wars. Chief among them are the distinctive jaegers to take on the massive Kaiju. I mean, come on, they’re giant freakin’ robots. It is so incredibly easy to be hung up on wanting to get the latest and greatest gear. As a tech enthusiast, the feeling of wanting the latest phone or tablet is not foreign to me. It’s okay to want to add the latest gear to your utility belt but you don’t need the latest gear to kick kaiju butt, you just need to know how to use the gear you have. Pacific Rim gives the perfect perks of knowing your old gear.
Read MoreWithout a doubt, Batman is one of the most iconic superheroes in comics history. You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t know something about the Caped Crusader. There’s the origin story of his parents being gunned down in alley when he was a kid or the gallery of colorful rogues that he faces off against (some of which have their own spin-off movies of varying degrees of quality) to the costume that immediately distinguishes itself from other heroes. One of the more interesting facets is the fact that he’s just a dude who can keep up with people who are basically gods. One of the big ways he does this is with his equally iconic utility belt. Across all of the Batman media, he has a gadget that does just about anything and knows how to use it in any situation. I think we as artists & creatives should also have a utility belt. A set of tools to have on hand to help overcome creative challenges or capture rogue ideas when not at home. Not one with shark-repellent bat spray and one that goes beyond paint brushes or DAW plug-ins. They don’t even need to be the best or flashiest thing that only Bruce Wayne can buy, they just need to be handy. Here’s a list of Physical & Digital tools that I use on a regular basis and think every creative should have in their utility belt.
Read MoreAs a sci-fi nerd, there are two things that are wired right into your DNA to send your nerd-senses tingling: The first orchestral blast of the Star Wars theme and the opening monologue from Star Trek. As a kid, my dad would pick me up from daycare and take me to work with him at the TV station. We arrived just in time to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation on the control room monitors. What I’ve learned from many years of watching Star Trek and making music is that love is the ship, not the mission.
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