In case you don’t already know or haven’t played Need For Speed: Pro Street yet, let me tell you one thing - This game is a “piece of work”. Near perfect realism in car control response and feel. Really impressive graphic styling to the game with heavy usage of neo-urban design trends used to define the entire interface menu and game environment.

I just got it yesterday afternoon, and I must say, I was overwhelmed by the game by all means. But I have to admit that the game just isn’t as fun without the “freedom” we’ve had in the previous 4 versions from the series. Now, I haven’t beaten the game so I’m not going to write a detailed rant about it (yea, a rant and not a praise because as I see the game, other than the artistic work involved there are absolutely no chances for it to earn a good word) but I can tell you this - On artistic scales and realism, this game is a shocker and anyone will be astounded by the feel it gives. Judging by gameplay however, it is as interesting as skeletons fucking inside a tin can. So there ya have it, direct and concise.

Anyway, this post is more about my personal rant than Need For Speed, at least for the moment anyway, because - I have been procrastinating in front of the computer. And I’ve been doing so on purpose. Because all this past month and the previous month and the one before it, I have been working non stop on anywhere between 3-6 hours of sleep, two half and semi-decent meals and a bowl of soup with some junk food that is greasing me up on the inside, driving around the city due to the most obscure of reasons like a maniac handling everything being thrown at me and then finishing up on design work for clients through the night. I needed a break! And at least a 48-72 hour long break because my entire system is tired and I can’t even seem to focus on what I do anymore.

So all friends and clients and you, who is reading this ass-heated rant of mine - I am not going to work on anything no matter what means you pursue to make me do otherwise. I need a break too. And it’s high time I did exactly that.

So while everything remains in a stagnant state for a while, I’m gonna go and play some more Pro Street and beat it just so I can say I’ve beaten all versions in the NFS series and then I’m going to watch and enjoy The Grudge 2, just like I enjoyed The Island and Scarlette Johanson in white skimpy clothes in there.
Stay tuned and keep watching - The “PhoeniX Can Obliterate Your Existence With A Fart” Show! We’ll be right back.

Wondering who that cute fella is? That’s Dewbie! And he looks fuckin retarded when he smiles like that. “Oh, but he looks like a square Pokemon!” Yea, that’s what I meant by retarded. But hey, I made it and I love it. I hate these dogs barking through a cold winter night though. Someone hand me a gun so I can blow their pee brains out! Grrr…

Anyway, I realize Dewbie looks like a simple ding-a-ling, but it’s just a rough example of a recent facial rig I created complete with curve based slider controls and control surfaces. And it looks cool with all the fur so shup!
I would have made a simple video of the face model changing through various expressions but I am seriously deprived of sleep. And that is something I must get, lest I die a horrible tripped out death. The past few days, I’ve been working and driving around the city due to some obscure and senseless reason or the other and I am hell tired.

The near future seems to be clearing of clouds for a while with fresh new ideas and creative juices flowing through my head again. And yea, winter season holidays. Gotta love the sound of that, aye?

Yea, I’ll write more about what’s currently going on with me later. As I said, I need to crash and crash hard. So, peep through your granny’s backdoor keyhole while I snooze off dreaming about Scarlett Johanson… In da n00dz!
So ya see ya!

Now that’s a good idea right there: I should start a new category of posts with the name “This Been Up” where I share all that has been more than caring enough to grant me several rounds of roundhouse kicks to my nutbags.

Anyway, not only has the workload the past few days been extravagantly ridiculous but also very unfulfilling. Between talking to contractors to renovate my aunt’s place and a bad leg, I’ve been toiling around with half-assed assignments from the animation institute where I am required to reproduce the results of a photograph as realistically as possible in Maya - Using nothing but standard lighting! Few things I’m convinced of since: Read the rest of this entry »

Another class assignment (so legal lolcats, please chill). Each one of us were required to create a trailer/teaser of any one of our fav flicks. And if you know me, you would have easily predicted this pick - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.

This assignment was actually all fun-fun for me because I love the movie and have always wanted to use its theme as an inspiration for a tiny little soundtrack. And since this teaser turned out to be okay enough, I actually did a 1 minute score of it too, and mixed a coupla sounds and vox from the movie in it.

The music for the credits section is Ruin by Lamb Of God seeing it is also on the soundtrack album and I virtually worship LOG!

Disclaimer: This video was made purely for the purpose of a class assignment in After FX. No commercial use, whatsoever, is intended. Fanks a lot!

Blue Chics Dig Red Vodka from Pulkit Sachdeva on Vimeo

Ladies and Genticles! You have GOT to understand this simple rule of nature - Blue Chics Dig Red Vodka. Even more than red vibrators! And even if you don’t like it that way!

This is the result of one After FX session at the institute. And by those standards and my decent enough levels of common sense, I think the video turned up pretty okay, if not utterly horrendous. The assignment was to choose any one matte-painting/composite from our (the class) previous works in Photoshop and animate the layers and try and create something fair enough.

For all you legal cats out there: No, this is not a commercial work, this is not an infomercial, I did not get paid to create any of it (and seriously, who would pay for this anyway?). The “ABSOLUT” logo towards the end is just Tahoma font modded a bit to look like the actual logo and this is more or less an experiment in After FX. So before you comtemplate filing a lawsuit, chill. Or I’ll be forced to cause great deal of discomfort to your overzealous ass.

There’s a thing about things that are unique and relatively undiscovered. They have the power to overwhelm you at a first glance! But that’s not the “thing” about these things. The real “thing” is after the first glance, they usually tend to either get sour and rusty OR just begin to seem like a chore at best.

Radio Schizoid, however, made my perspective of such things with a “thing” shift a little from my normal tendency axis. Why? Because of a few good reasons. But before I mention those reasons, I’d like to throw some light on what Radio Schizoid is.

As the name suggests, it is a radio. (You obviously got that part right? Yea yea, you did!) Schizoid is an online audio streaming site where you can satisfy all your out-worldly desires listening to non-stop Psytrance/Goa all day long or just lay back and chill for a good afternoon’s worth listening to their “Chillout” stream.

Now, to mention the reason why it impresses me in each go, here’s the list:

i) I downloaded both the Psytrance, as well as the Chillout playlist files and used Winamp to stream the audio content. I played it at different times of the day and still it didn’t get boring or repetitious. A major plus point for anything of such 4/4 nature. I haven’t streamed Chillout yet, to be honest, for I don’t really have a “thing” for chillout nor do I feel the need to chill out owing to my innate demons. Hard 4/4 grooves sound better at any given time of the day for I cannot overdose on caffeine due to my hypertensive tendencies and so Psy/Goa usually helps me get that kick.

ii) It is direct and concise. Finally something that is 0% bullshit! Need I say more about that being a plus point?

iii) Many of the streams are live performances played by truly fantastic DJs! Look out, there’s a rave in the seat of your chair!
I mean, for durations of varied time lengths within the last 24 hours, I have been completely pleased with Schizoid’s content to the max. I’ll be honest though, when I woke up, I did not like what I heard a single bit. It was some sort of fusion, morning trance with Indian pluck instruments like synth chords slowly and gradually fusing into more synthetic, granular sequences. It really put me off. But since we’re being all honest schmonest here, I have to say, that the music wasn’t bad at all. In fact, it was great. It’s me. I’m a cynic and I’m definitely not a morning person and I simply hate anything associated with mornings or anything that makes me feel like it’s morning. If morning were a person, I’d shoot it in the face with a shotgun loaded with deer slugs! Then I’d burn it and piss on the ashes. God I hate mornings.
So basically, if for nothing else, for the Psytrance that Schizoid has been feeding me, I cannot help but give them two thumbs up for sure! Well done guys! And Cray3, you’re a real sweetheart of a person. Keep it up!

Now THIS, is exactly what I love the internet for. Made my day!

Original photo credits: EmotionlessPayne

Yes I am sick. Have been so for quite a few days now. What’s wrong with me? Nothing! But something’s coming, that’s for sure. Have you ever had that feeling that your entire system was starting to give up on you? That you’re not exactly sick but you know there’s a big fever around the corner? And before anything bad “really” happens, you have this constant headache and lower back-ache and a whole lot of lethargy all day long?

Yes, that is exactly the state I’ve been in for this whole week. Can’t seem to do anything right, hell, I can’t seem to do anything at all. I just hope this goes away, and goes away real fast so I can get on with my life once again and actually do something. Bah!

Slinky! from Pulkit Sachdeva and Vimeo.

SO! Slinky finally makes his debut online. Check out the little nincumpoop getting flung all the way to Castle Greyskull!
FAQ:

Q. Why does it give me the “stream was not found” error?

A. Vimeo’s servers are probably jammed at the moment. Everything on this site is fine. So I’d suggest gathering a mob and making everyone light a torch and take a rock in their hands and then go attack Vimeo like a buncha zombies. Now that’s the plot for another video right there.
Q. Why is there no sound to this thing?

A. Cuz I’m too busy alright? Next question!
Q. I don’t like it, now what do I do?

A. Replace the toilet paper in your bathroom with pinecones and the next time you poop, wipe it the wrong way. That oughtta teach ya not to ask stupid questions.

I remember some beer guzzlin, cigar smokin’, just-got-out-of-bed and fulla crank, Duke Nukem kinda guy say this to some bald headed nerdy looking male human being (no, those aren’t men FYI) - “You look exactly like how I feel!”

Point being - My day was exactly like how that kid looks! Bah! Big bah! Another bah! Umm… I’ll stop.

Lack of inspiration is what it is. I have all these ideas and I can’t seem to implement any of them today. There needs to be a sure shot, chemically synthesized and medically prescribed cure for mental blocks. Alcohol, caffeine and pr0n are just not cutting it anymore, nor is listening to breakbeat.
Today I also learned that sometime back in 1972, George Carlin was arrested and charged with violating obscenity laws after performing his “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television” routine. What? Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me? The man is a frikkin genius. Quite frankly, he should be the next Pope for he already has as much power as the Pope, he just doesn’t have as big a following.

Yea, that graphic was made by me. Now do you understand how bored I am and just how much do I lack in inspiration today? Here ya go, take this. There’s a 100 Bahs! in that bag.

The only cool thing that happened during the day was, that I downloaded a breakbeat project file sent to me by DJ Deception which is a really awesome groove and has a gritty “night” like feel to it, that I just love. It also made me learn Reason 3.0 in an instant. Which was more or less obvious but it led me to hate Reason even more. What a bloated and elitist looking piece of software and that too without any support for third party VST plugins. And I know a whole lotta things that George Carlin would have said in relation to the term “elitist”. I’ll leave it out for now, but you get the drift of where I’m going with this right? (Yes, I practically worship Carlin. Ya dig?)

Now here’s another thing about Reason - It looks like a musical equivalent of Linux. Open source fanboi crap! And frankly, every time that I try to work in it, I feel like my creativity and my flexibility are being compromised and my style is being conformed to something I don’t want to be a part of. And the mess of all those wires!!! Aaargh!

And here’s another thing that is just pissing me off: I woke up this morning, made me some coffee and drank it. Without checking if it was still boiling!!! So I got this little soar on the tip of my already serpentine-typa tongue. It was okay till that part really. I can live with my share of mishaps in a regular day. Come night and somehow, while chewing on something, I happened to bite on that soar… OUCH!!! It bled like a bitch nonetheless. Moral of the story - Do not bite your tongue real hard when you know you burned it in the morning with boiling hot coffee!