What’s new in the maker community.
- “Scary Creative” for Halloween October 31, 2024
An Over Coffee® special-edition podcast!
“There’s so much more to haunting than just getting a startle,” says legendary haunter Shar Mayer.
“I want you to scream. I want you to cry. But I’m going to respect you as a human…I’m not into torturing people. I just want them to scream, and be scared.”
In this 2018 interview, recorded onsite at ScareLA, Shar, who is a haunt consultant, producer, scare actor and all-round “scary creative” (she mentors and teaches aspiring haunters and workshops) shares some of her favorite insights on creating an effective and fun Halloween “scare”.
And she even offers some low-cost tips on ghoulish makeup that could work for you today–and which uses ingredients you may have in your kitchen!
Happy Halloween, be safe and stay innovative!
On this edition of Over Coffee®, we cover:
- How haunting became Shar’s passion;
- Why she sees scaring someone as a “relationship” of sorts;
- A “how-to” mini-lesson on horror makeup–and some easy scary looks to create this Halloween;
- The techniques behind successful haunting;
- Shar’s advice to scare actors as they prepare to work in a haunt (including the number-one thing to do, to succeed!);
- The psychology and boundaries of professionalism in haunting;
- How to stay safe, as a haunter;
- The ways Shar has seen the haunt industry change, over her four decades as a haunter
- A “Game-Changer” for Accessibility August 18, 2024
(Photo courtesy of Neil Squire Society, and used with permission.) Playing games is fun, social and can spark creative ideas.
Nonprofit Neil Squire Society wants to make sure it’s also an option for everyone who’d like to play.
As Canada’s leader in assistive technology, Neil Squire Society has been revolutionizing the lives of Canadians with disabilities since 1984. Through their Makers Making Change initiative, they recruit makers to design and produce low-cost, open-source assistive technologies. Plans for these devices are available on their website.
Visitors to their website can download these plans–or request that a volunteer create a device for them!
Neil Squire sums up their mission in a recent email: “Our work enables people with disabilities to achieve their goals, reach their full potential and continue living life to the fullest.“
“Having more fun” could easily come under that last heading.
Going “all in” on gaming
And Makers Making Change’s website says they have now “kicked into overdrive” their efforts to offer adaptive gaming among their innovative programs.
As of August, 2024, Makers Making Change has opened nine GAME Checkpoints, across Canada. With GAME as an acronym for Gaming Accessibility Made for Everyone, these centers work with community partners to offer resources, gear and training for adaptive gaming.
Neil Squire Society Makers Making Change Adaptive Gaming Lead Tyler Fentie implemented, and leads, the GAME Checkpoints program.
A mechanical engineer by profession, Tyler recently earned both his Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) and Rehabilitation Engineering Technologist (RET) certifications from RESNA,. He’s looking forward to expanding MMC’s Adaptive Gaming program, and would like to invite you to watch MMC’s live stream of their virtual Youth Gaming Tournament, starting at noon, Pacific time on Wednesday, August 21st.
He also gave us the heads-up on some new resources available for anyone who’d like to know more about adaptive gaming. (And you don’t necessarily have to be a resident of Canada to create an accessible gaming center!)
Tyler talked about his background as a maker, shared the story of the GAME Checkpoints program and offered a look at ways anyone with an interest in accessible gaming can find out more.
On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:
- How Tyler first discovered his passion for being a maker;
- His favorite experiences, during one of his own favorite forms of recreation;
- How he first became involved with Neil Squire Society;
- The story of the GAME Checkpoints program;
- Tyler’s memories of opening the first GAME Checkpoints center;
- Some of the newer devices Makers Making Change has created, for gaming;
- Some of the accessible-gaming devices MMC is currently looking into developing;
- How gamers and makers with disabilities can get involved, to give input and try some of the devices–or request something that’s not commercially available;
- Some of the most fun Tyler has had, working with gamers in GAME Checkpoints;
- One example of making adaptive technology work while creating a game’s artistic experience;
- Some of the adaptive options available to visually-impaired gamers;
- What game studios need to do next. to improve game accessibility;
- What’s next for GAME Checkpoints, and for Makers Making Change in the adaptable gaming area;
- Where Tyler would like to grow, in the future, with his new professional certifications;
- How to get involved!
- “reDiscovering” Making March 5, 2024
(Photograph ©2024 by Kate Zankowicz, and used with permission.) “I see (art and engineering) as two sides of the same coin,” says reDiscover Center Executive Director Jonathan Markowitz Bijur.
If that “coin” had two additional sides, they might well be sustainability–and inspiration.
That’s because reDiscover Center starts with the concept of a “maker space”, and puts the concept of “creative reuse” at the core of everything they do.
Educating youth to use discarded materials to create something really cool; empowering makers of all ages; and outreach to schools and underserved communities are all aspects of their mission of building a creative and environmentally sustainable society.
Education plus fun
reDiscover Center works with more than 60 schools in Los Angeles County, giving students the opportunity for hands-on maker education. Sometimes, Jonathan says, these programs mark the first time these students have engaged in hands-on creative activities.
Teacher training and resources for educators and parents are also among reDiscover Center’s services. And many of these services are provided free of charge.
Meanwhile, for individuals and families, reDiscover Center’s offerings include tinkering camps, weekend family crafting sessions, tool safety training and special events.
If you’re going to be in the Southern California area, you might want to mark your calendar now, for one of the latter.
Every summer, reDiscover Center hosts their “Cardboard City” annual pop-up art center. Currently in the planning stages, this year’s edition will feature classes, hands-on activities and some incredible exhibits, made entirely of cardboard. The location will be announced for “Cardboard City” 2024, which happens in July and August.
And congratulations are in order, as reDiscover Center expands their outreach! Winter, 2024, marked the soft opening of their second maker space, in Los Angeles’ Mid-City area. (Their original location is in Venice, California.)
Jonathan shared the story of reDiscover Center, offered a closer look at their activities and services, and explained some of the ways others can get involved to help.
On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:
- Jonathan’s creative journey as an artist, maker and maker educator;
- The story of the reDiscover Center;
- A closer look at the free services they provide to schools and communities;
- The story of their annual summer pop-up art center event, Cardboard City;
- What’s involved, in coordinating Cardboard City;
- One of the themes from the 2023 edition of Cardboard City;
- The ways reDiscover Center incorporates the aspects of S.T.E.A.M. into maker education in their in-school programs;
- How their curricula interweave the environmental movement and the students’ heritage into hands-on projects;
- How the pandemic accelerated their “cardboard curriculum”;
- One cardboard design challenge currently in progress at a local high school;
- reDiscover’s resources for educators and makers;
- A “fun” and imaginative project that emerged from one of their Tinkering Camps;
- The safety techniques that allow reDiscover Center to teach eight-year-olds to use power tools;
- A preview of their new permanent youth makerspace in mid-City Los Angeles;
- One of Jonathan’s favorite success stories from reDiscover Center’s youth maker outreach;
- How you can support reDiscover Center.