An Interesting New Project

This is not a Budget related post – it more of an ARG post.  Though – it’s not quite that either.

Some friends of mine are working on a new project, which has encouraged us to have an ’emergency budget meeting’ and back our first kickstarter project.

Ok – I guess it IS a budget related post. 🙂

Anyway, in the past I’ve blogged about friends who made a feature film (Between Notes). These same friends are launching another new project – and the Kickstarter runs for another 12 days.  If you like Stories, Technology, Creativity, Storytelling, Real-life interaction, and trying to push the boundaries on how we use media to tell narratives, I’d recommend you check it out.

It’s setting is London – on the closing day of the Opening Olympics. It’s told through an App & serialized content (first of which drops on Aug 12 – the literal last day of the Olympics).  It follows the life of 7 characters.  Title: Seven Poets and the Assassin’s Secret.

Find out more here.

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Mission Ice Fly update

I received an email about my Mission Ice Fly badge being rejected (I used a bogus picture…when I made it, it was super early in the Human Preservation Project, and I was still sceptically as to who was behind it).

With the email, they included a link to redo the badge. So I made it early last week and today, I received a badge with some gum in the mail!

I’m enjoying this ARG.  Although, I haven’t bought any gum yet, so I know I’ll hit a wall not having enough “facility keys”.

Spammy

So… I’m getting more spam comments. (Yeah for WordPress automatically weeding them out!)

Does this mean my readership has increased? Or perhaps with my E-mealz and “Human Preservation Project” (Mission Ice Fly) posts means I’m coming up more often in searches.

Also – in other Spam related news.  I listened to a recent “Stuff you should know” podcast about SPAM (7/28/11 broadcast). It was really interesting.  I’ve never eaten the stuff, but the podcast made me kind of want to try it.

The only thing I’ve ever won…

At least that I can think of right at this moment, was sneak preview tickets for The Dark Knight, through an ARG that I’ve posted about several times.

At the moment, I am hoping to win an Amazon gift card from the Live Simply Love Blog contest about moving (VOTE for me HERE!).  I’m a few votes behind, so every vote helps (just say who you are voting for in the comments section).

And while you are there to vote – look around. The author, Merritt, is blogging about her adventures in marriage.

Thanks!

Mission Ice Fly

I’ve posted about ARG’s before (including this one – the Human Preservation Project).

Today, the count down clock for www.missionicefly.com reached zero and the race was on.

For the first time in my ARG career, I was ‘on the ground’ looking for a local destination found with gps coordinates.  I got there, met a few other ARGers, only to find out the Dallas location was changed.

At this point, I was going to go home (it was 106 degrees out and I was wearing pants, not shorts). After learning the second location, and knowing it was down the street, I decided to give it a go.

My new ARG friends got there slightly before I did – and ultimately ended up finding the “package” that had instructions to another location. I’m glad they got it as they traveled a couple hours to even be in Dallas for the event.  Even though I didn’t get there first, find the package or end up with the IceFly prize, it was still a fun adventure.

I’m excited to see where this all leads (and perhaps buy some 5gum as a thank you to the marketers for using a well planned ARG to advertize).

***UPDATED –  10:45 CST  6/30/11

so, the last agent picked up a ice fly in LA. and then a video unscrambled and from that a new countdown clock, additional sites, a phone number and a piece of a QR code have been found.

start here: www.testsubjectsneeded.com  (sign up, make an ID badge)

Then go here www.missionfly.com (not sure if you can do anything still, but you can see the results of today and the scrambled video. it might take you to www.missionfly.com/rescue)

Finally, go to www.survivalcode.com Snoop around.

Also, unfiction.com is a great resource. Go there, go to the unforums, then choatic fiction.  Look for the TestSubjectsNeeded section.   The next big day for Mission Ice Fly looks like it will be July 15th, so you have time to jump in now. (do it! It’s fun!)

Human Preservation Project

What is that? It’s an ARG.

I’ve blogged about ARGs before, but this is the first time I’ve received swag in the mail from one.  (picture here)

It’s some type of LED helicopter devise. It also has a QR code that takes you to missionicefly.com–But I would suggest start here if you want to participate: www.testsubjectsneeded.com

When the first image of Bane was released via twitter, I was poking around for more TDKR ARG clues – and found the forums suggesting the test subjects site might be related. At this point, most believe it’s not linked to TDKR, but it’s fun nonetheless. Speculation is that it is for “5 Gum”.

The Dark Knight Rises ARG?

Am I a dork. Yep. Do I enjoy a good ARG? Yes. (see my posts in 2008 regarding The Dark Knight – I received a phone call from Commissioner Gordon & have a Gotham Addy).

Is this a new one starting for TDK  Rises? I don’t know, but I hope so. #TheFireRises http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/image.html

Previous ARG / Batman Post:

Vote for Harvey Dent

lost? arg follow up

Ok, so a little over a week ago, I posted quite a bit about a LOST ARG that may or may not have started on twitter. 

Well, there is an ARG taking place, and it did have a connection to LOST, but its “unofficial” as it is fan made.  I hear it is a pretty complex puzzle and many have had fun playing. I stepped away from this ARG mostly due to time.  I have a day job, so I can’t play in the middle of the day.  I can’t play in the middle of the night either because I have to sleep so that I can go to my day job. 

But, if you are still interested in playing along, just search #simeonhobbes on twitter and you should be able to find the game.  

It was really fun to be a part of the beginnings of this game and I have to say, while I saw what happened with aplusk on twitter and the growth of his followers – I never thought I could gain over 200 followers in two-three days.  All because of LOST.  While reality has stuck now and followers are slowly unfollowing since I am not refraining from tweeting about unLOST related things, it was  an interesting “social experiment” of sorts.

Who is Simeon Hobbes? New LOST ARG?

Ok, here’s the thing, there may or may not be a new LOST ARG in the works.

Apparently, someone named “Simeon Hobbes” joined twitter on Friday. They started following a few of the already well established LOST twitterers. @simeonhobbes has been posting cryptic LOST related tweets. BUT here is the kicker. There is now a You Tube video out titled “Who is Simeon Hobbes” and its put up by “ThelostExperience” which was the first LOST ARG. Because it now has the lost experience you tube channel backing, its practically confirmed that it’s a new ARG.

Ok, so if you watch the video and read the comments, there is some morris code that is translated. Talking about the Bennu bird which is apparently the Egyptian version of the Phenix. Simeon Hobbs tweeted about “following the Phoenix” about an hour ago, So I searched Twitter and came across @epithetalpha. The only tweet from Epithet Alpha is “I am the Bennu bird, the Heart-Soul of Ra, the Guide of the Gods to the Tuat.” (Mythology, Egyptian or otherwise has been a large part of LOST). SO, I started following. No one else is. It could be a hoax, or I might just be the first one to get there. We’ll see.

***UPDATE*** If Simeon Hobbes is “real” than so is Epithet Alpha. Simeon Hobbes just tweeted @debauslaugh Phoenix found. YEAH! I actually got to play a part!!!

***UPDATE #2****
Ok, so this ARG for Lost is REAL! woohoo. And, most of the time, I am several steps behind everyone. Not this time!

The best LOST resource on the web is Lostpedia.

This is where I go to read the lastest theories. And when it comes to ARGs, I am amazed how fast they compile information. Well, I am honored to say, I got to give lostpedia a tip this afternoon on twitter, so I got a small shout out of sorts on their recent blog post. “a user” that would be me. 🙂

I think my twitter followers is already increasing drastically… Looking forward to a fun ARG for the summer.

Another "what did you see" commercial on ABC

So the “Flash Forward” viral commericals continue during LOST. Actually, I only caught one, but part of the time the tv signal blinked out, so I may have missed some. It looks like they put up several images. The only one I was able to see & remember was a dog.

I googled “What did you see” and the very first site was:

What Did You See?
With the following tag: Help Put the Pieces Together.

My first post on the subject is here.