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Creator Spotlight 14 - Jackofcourse

Archive: 68 posts

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jackofcourse
Definition of a Platforming Genius
Interview conducted by jwwphotos (http://www.lbpcentral.com/forums/member.php?4559-jwwphotos)

When it comes to scads of sublimely handcrafted fiddly gadgets built exclusively to proceed to the scoreboard, jackofcourse is a true master of the craft. If anyone were to ask for a textbook on platforming genius built in an LBP level format, I would have to tell them to simply go play "the levels". The levels that Jack built.

I think anyone who has ventured into Flaming Timberland would agree that Jack's style has been a trademark of sorts. In fact it's grown into being used to describe levels with similar qualities. One could argue that it may have stereotyped him as a particular type of level builder, but seeing that he smashed one out of the park and subsequently became a household name as a must-play creator in LBP, is that really such a bad thing? However after he amazed us with Calamity Construction, Industrial Assistance, two actual story levels with Pretty Simple and The Doctor: Egyptian Findings, and now his latest fast action thumb wrenching shooter called Shoot! Jump! Die?, I have to define the jackofcourse style simply as ?freakin' incredible?.


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http://imgur.com/XkPpT.png
Scene from in Calamity Construction

http://imgur.com/fDthe.png

What has now become the opening question for the Creator Spotlight crew, would you be so kind to please list the levels you?ve published to date and any statistics you?d like to share with us, e.g. plays, hearts, how many rocket animals per level, etc. Whatever you feel like sharing.

Perennial Danger
Perennial Expedition
Flaming Timberland
Flaming Timberland 2
Calamity Construction
Industrial Assistance
Tribal Ruins
Pretty Simple
Egyptian Findings
Industrial Assistance 2
Shoot! Jump! Die?

That is one great list to be proud of! Which of these is your own favorite? And why?
Hmm this is a very tough question. I have a few favourites for different reasons. Flaming Timberland 2 because of the memories of how well received it was and how exciting that was back then. Calamity Construction because all the obstacles and challenges had to be worked into the environment and getting to create vehicles that I could then compare to the real thing was really satisfying. Industrial Assistance 2 because, I dunno, I just think it's one of my best! And finally, Shoot! Jump! Die? because that?s a level that if someone else made I would genuinely enjoy playing, I love a challenge!

How long have you been playing LBP?
Since day one! LBP was the reason I bought a PS3. I've been on board since its first appearance at the GDC.

What was the first full level you ever built? And what was it like?
Perennial Danger! It was like a crazy mad coloured maze with lots of challenge and electric. I actually published it a few months ago for a short while to let everyone see where I started. It was first published in first few days of LBP and I think it was pretty decent for its time.

What creators and levels (if any) have inspired you to create?
Hmm this is a hard one. My biggest inspiration in the early days was Mm. (That counts, they?re a creator!) When making Flaming Timberland I looked at their levels to see what made them work so well and made them fun. The main things that I noticed were that they were always fun yet never frustrating, they weren?t packed with detail yet still looked great, and the layers are always used effectively. So these were the things that I considered and tried to make sure I implemented. This in time, evolved into my own style, but the foundations were always Mm?s, I was just trying to emulate what I considered to be their creating rules.

In terms of creators and level there are a lot that I admire and look up to, but not necessarily inspired by. CaptainCowboyHat (as well as being a sock loving weirdo!) reminded me that not everything had to be crazily complicated to be fun, and he eventually talked me into making a challenging platformer myself, which turned out to be Shoot! Jump! Die? so I guess that?s inspired/

As I said, there?s many many creators that I admire, but I don't think they really inspire me as such, motivate me to get better and keep up, maybe! I?m more inspired by levels, or even sections of levels. I think I wrote in my creating guide that a level doesn?t have to be amazing to be inspired by it, most creators will have created at least one section that you will think is cool. It might not even be something that?s that good right now, but something that you see potential in and can build upon and make into your own. So if you look at it like that, I?m probably inspired by lots of little things.

Aside from drawing inspiration from other creators and levels, is there anything in the world outside of LittleBigPlanet that inspires you? This could be a hobby, profession, or even a particular movie or type of music. Pretty much anything in your personal life that has contributed to your experiences as well as inspired you as a creator.
I don't really have any one thing that stands out and inspires me. I get inspired by a lot of silly little things. For example, the part in Industrial Assistance 2 where there?s two buttons that release two big rollers and you have to roll them into the holes so your partner can swing across the bottom?that idea came from standing at a bus stop and seeing a can of coke on the wall. I have no idea how I got from a can of coke to that?but I did! (Something to do with the shape I would imagine!)
Actually, I get a lot of ideas from looking at shapes and thinking about how they would move depending on what connector you used with them. I think it's one of the best ways to come up with new obstacles really. Just jumping into create mode and messing with shapes!

What are some of your favorite video games (excluding LBP) - new and old?
I played quite a lot of games when I was younger. A few of my all time favourites have to be for the NES. Kickle Cubicle was amazing, a truly fantastic puzzler! I actually looked it up when writing this and found a website where you can play loads of old NES games! (www.playnes.net (http://www.playnes.net), you?re welcome!) The levels got so hard, there?s no way games would get away with that kind of difficulty nowadays! I?m a massive platformer fan so always loved stuff like the classic Mario, Oddworld:Abes Exoddus and Crash Bandicoot. Coming to the present day, I thought Uncharted 2 was absolutely amazing, and I've always been a bit of a Football Manager addict!

If you could list your favorite things about LittleBigPlanet, what would they be?
I think this is an easy one. It just has to be the limitless possibilities and how the set of tools we have can be used in so many different ways. With thousands of different brains in create mode, the level of variety we get is staggering. My other one would have to be Sackboy. He?s such a cute little fellow! It sounds daft but he?s the one aspect of the game that I don't really look or think about that much. I never change costumes and rarely play online with others so I don't really notice how awesome he is! Then the odd time when I?m creating I?ll hit wrong button in the pop-it and it?ll zoom right in on him and I?ll just see his little head bobbing around and him holding the lasso and it makes me stop and remember what an awesome character he really is!

And your least favorite thing?
I know a lot of people who get worked up over the cool page system and lots of other things but I?m pretty laid back about it all really. I just admire what this game has to offer and think it's truly amazing what it has accomplished. There are a lot of things in LBP that could be improved no doubt, but I don't see that as a bad thing at all. It just shows you how much potential it has.

What?s the worst thing that?s happened while creating?
I've been pretty lucky in this department, I've had no big problems. No lost levels due to corrupting or major bugs! All is good! Maybe that?s why I?m a bit more laid back about the bad things found in LBP.

On a sort of similar subject, have there ever been any great ideas you had that failed or for any other reason you never implemented?
I've got quite a few contraptions saved in my objects that I've never used. There?s still one that I made back in Flaming Timberland that I haven?t done anything with. There are lots of bits that I've made that look pretty cool but aren?t really practical or just wouldn?t fit into a level very well.

If you worked for Media Molecule, what would your first order of business be? This could be anything from adding materials or tools to eradicating H4H.
There's a few things that I would really like:
Ability to hide layers - I just think it would be so much easier if we could make layers invisible so we can work on the back ones without having to move stuff around.
Custom Pop it - this would basically be like the hearted section but instead of all one page, it is still laid out like the popit. I'm sure there's the one or two things that you just never really use, I think it'd be great if you could just hide them away. The popit would then become more concise and personal to you as a creator. (Also do it with the goodies bag and stickers...imagine how good it would be if you didn't have t scroll down for 10 minutes when trying to find a sticker! )

There's literally hundreds of improvements that could be made, and most of the ones I would say are ones that have been floating around the forums for ages (and mentioned in past Creator Spotlights) so I will leave it at those two as I think those are the ones I would like to see the most.


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http://imgur.com/LQfPf.png
Scene from Flaming Timberland 2

http://imgur.com/TwHzS.png

Flaming Timberland 2 for example is such a masterful assortment of platforming prowess and meticulous gadgetry. Well ...actually all of your levels for that matter, but you always come up with so many varied and amazing concepts. Could you give us some insight into your thought processes from your initial ideas and on to them becoming a reality?
Back when I created Flaming Timberland 2, (and up until very recently actually) my planning was pretty much nonexistent. I just built whatever came into my head! I think even to this day Flaming Timberland 2 seems to stand out to people as one of my best levels, I think one of the main reasons for this is because of how uncompromising it is. Back then I didn?t really have a great idea on how long levels should be, or how to be economical with my ideas. It was literally a case of, if I thought something up, it went straight into the level. That naivety and unawareness seems to be part of what has made it stand out in a way.

Nowadays I?m much more economical with my ideas. It's not really because I don't want to waste or anything like that. I think that?s just how I prefer a level to unfold. If you take my latest level, Shoot! Jump! Die? for example, the basic premise of that level is; shoot the paintswitch - a platform will appear -get across the gap. Now that is something that is done throughout the level, and I just thought up ideas and little tweaks that keep it fresh and ramp up the difficulty as you go on. I love levels like that, ones that have a specific concept and run with it throughout the level. Die, Save, Reload is a great example! So, to bring it around to the question, I suppose in order to create a level like that, you have to know that the concept you have thought up has enough in it to base an entire level on, so a certain amount of planning is inevitable.

I can?t help but feel you do your creations in many cases in a very modular fashion. So which is it, do you like designing smaller sections and then fit them together to make a level or do you just build what comes next?
I think a bit of both really. I definitely build my levels in sections, it's probably quite easy to spot in most of my levels that each platforming element is split up into a new section. Again, referring to my creating guide, actually, I?ll just quote it, it's easier!

After I've created an area of my level, I like to create a small platform and then it allows me to move on from there in whatever direction I like. It helps you see the level from a fresh perspective and ensures you aren?t distracted by what you have previously done. It can also help ensure things don't break. By making the level in sections like this it helps split the level up and ensure that everything isn?t stuck together?

So yeah, in terms of building a level in small sections, that something I definitely do. But as you can tell from my answer to question 1, I also pretty much make it up as I go along and just build as I go. I always have a few contraption ideas floating around my head, and I pretty much just go through those and build them in whatever order I think works best.

Although there is the odd time where I?ll be running low on ideas and the one I do have doesn?t really fit well in the part I?m up to?so I?ll make it somewhere else and just save it as an object. This is something I?m actually doing quite a lot at the moment with ?Shoot! Jump! Die? 2?. I've probably got about 20% of the level built and placed together, but then I have 4 or 5 sections just floating around waiting until it reaches a difficulty level that is more suitable. (They?re much too hard to have at the start )


The Industrial Assistance series has been so well received by being great co-op levels, almost setting the standard of sorts to what others could use as a home study of 2X levels. Could you talk a bit about the differences in how you approach those elements than your other non co-op levels as well as possibly some of your inspirations for such a wonderfully flowing co-op experience?
I absolutely loved making these levels. I know a lot of creators start by first thinking up a story or a specific theme, and then the platforms elements are just whatever they can fit in around it. With me it is the total opposite, how inspired I am is totally dependent on how many platform contraptions/sections I have buzzing around my head, so creating a 2 player level is like a totally fresh experience. Again I pretty much create in the same way as I do with anything else, just making up each platforming section as I go along but because 2 player obstacles obviously require a totally different mindset to 1 player obstacles so it's like creating in a brand new way.

Your most recent level is quite an incredible and fun shooter that is a complete left turn from your usual and unusual assortment of platforming. Do you actually enjoy torturing our right thumbs with all the quick aiming required or as usual, simply wanting to push the envelope of LBP and base it on a cool new theme?
Using the paintinator for something other than having to spam an enemy hundreds of times is something that I've always been a fan of. I first tried to do something different with it in Flaming Timberland 2; the section where you have to shoot the bomb to make it explode and also the part where you have to shoot the platforms to knock them down. Those sections were basically just using the force of the paint rather than anything switch related. So even back then I was intrigued by doing something a bit different with the paintinator.

I guess the expected use of the paintinator has just become to defeat enemies or for levels that are in a more ?action shooter? style. Whereas with Shoot! Jump! Die? the paintinator simply becomes an aid in your platforming really, and I loved that idea.

I remember making a thread sometime ago about whether you think you have reached your peak as a creator. I said that I didn?t really think I could get any better than I was already (which I was totally wrong about anyway, you can always get better ). Ninja, articulately stated that when you have hit your plateau in a specific area, the only way to go is left or right, (which you touched upon nicely in the question there Jww, thank you ) While I agreed with him fully at the time, I honestly didn?t see myself creating anything other than simple platformers that were aimed at everyone. Obviously this thought process changed?hence Shoot! Jump! Die?

So to bring it around to the question again, I don't think it was about pushing the envelope of LBP, it was more about pushing myself. If pushing the game on is a consequence of that, then excellent!


Last year you attended Mm?s LBP Mini Fan meet at London EuroGamer Expo making all of us horribly jealous. Getting to meet several of the Mm gang as well as getting to meet Grant and Wex as a bonus must have been well worth the price of the bus ride in itself! Could you talk about your adventure a bit and is there anything outside of the NDA that you can share with us or should we simply be excited on what is coming up from Mm? Oh ?and are Wex and Grant really twins or do they just play the parts on tv?
I obviously wanted to go as soon as it was announced, but I live in Leeds/Manchester so came to the conclusion that it was just too much effort and too far away, especially considering I?d never really been to the centre of London before and didn?t really know my way around. Then about 2 days before it I was talking to Spaff and he pretty much held me hostage until I agreed to come, as far as being held hostage goes it was a nice experience. He pretty much sorted out all my travel for me and everything!

The expo was awesome fun. I met some great people and had a good laugh. I think Grant, Wex (I refused to call him James, he will forever be known as Wex!) and I were all pretty knackered from travelling at the beginning. I remember us all sitting around chatting and watching people play LBP, when we came to the conclusion that we were crazy travelling all this way to basically sit and watch LBP, we could do that at home!

As the expo started to die down we had a good chat with some of the Molecules and they were really interested in our experiences with LBP and what ideas we had for the game. Whether they were actually interested or it was just a ploy to keep us talking and stop us from asking them hard questions that they weren?t allowed to answer I?m not sure! haha.

A few of us then went out for a meal and it's safe to say that they are far more forthcoming with answers when plied with alcohol

It really was a fantastic day and I?d definitely be up for doing it again if there was ever another one!

Oh and if Grant and Wex are twins then that?s far creepier than you could imagine (they went off on their own for a secret date after the meal )


You worked on an OC Beta contest template at the request of Mm alongside quite a distinguished group of creators, namely GruntosUK, xkappax, and NinjaMicWz. For those outside of the OC Beta, the beginning of the template was the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine crashing, leaving you stranded in a spooky forest, and the ending being quite a wacky rock concert. The contest was for OC teams to take the template created and complete the middle portion, hence the name Piggy in the Middle. So my question is, what was it like to get a shot at actually doing work for Mm on such a great project and how was it working with so much talent that spans so many spectrums in creativity?
It was great fun and of course a huge privilege to be part of. I remember back when the OC Beta was a massive thing as it was brand new and everybody wanted to be in. First off I want to say thank you to LBPC for choosing me to be part of the beta in the first place! I had only just joined the site back then and put my name forward thinking that the chances of me being picked were pretty slim. The fact that I was chosen even though I was a brand new member should be an interesting note for the few members here who think the site is very biased and cliquey

As for as the Piggy in the Middle contest, it was awesome to be part of and we all had great fun doing it (most of the time ). When the OC beta came out quite a lot of creators hit it hard in the first few weeks and were literally never off it. I remember hearing that Ninja developed schizophrenia and Grant had to visit a divorce lawyer as a consequence of being unable to turn LBP off, but I?m sure they?ll agree it was worth it! As a result it meant that I had already worked with those two beforehand and we were all pretty accustomed to how each other create. The only one I hadn?t created with before was Sara, but we knew each other quite well from talking on here so it all worked pretty smoothly for the most part.

While we are on the topic of Online Create, have you ever considered collaborating with anyone on a level in LBP? If so, who are some of those you have considered for what type of project and how much would it cost for someone like me to get on the list?
Me and CaptainCowboyHat (the sock loving weirdo) started to mess around with a level idea at the time of the Co-op contest on here. Unfortunately it never really came to anything and we both just got more involved with our own levels and didn?t have anywhere near enough time to finish it. It's a shame really because if we had submitted it all the squabbling and negativity around the contest wouldn?t have happened, we would honestly have just been declared outright winners as soon as we had published it and everyone would have 100% agreed. (As long as the awesomeness of it didn?t blow up servers, obviously).

Sometime last year, it seemed you felt a bit frustrated by comments that your earlier levels such as Flaming Timberland would have been better if they had a story. Now that you have explored and turned out a couple of great story levels, what was that like for you? Were you happy enough with the results to want to do it again and is it as much of a concern for you now that you have done them?
I was really happy with the ?story? in Pretty Simple. I really enjoyed it just because it was mainly having a dig at the people who wanted my levels to have a story It was more of an ?anti-story? than anything but yeah, I was definitely happy with that one.

As for The Doctor stuff in Egyptian Findings, it's total crap to be honest. I have a bit of confession to make with this one really. I made the level and the thermo maxed so early that it was just too short to be a full level. So I thought if I made it into an introduction level it wouldn?t be so bad. I've wanted to make a Doctor Who level/series since the game came out so I thought I might as well use that. I tagged The Doctor stuff on at the end and thought that instead of trying to put a proper story in it, I would just explain everything in the next level. It was a bit of a mistake really as it meant that until I published that next level the story wouldn?t really work and it just seems a bit odd and flimsy. I?m not really happy with it at all to be honest. I think if I was to ever do a Doctor Who level/series I would start again and plan it properly from the start. So, I will probably take the Doctor stuff out of it soon and just have Egyptian Findings as a little bite-sized level.

At one point you were concerned about being somewhat stereotyped for what some would call the classic jackofcourse art style. To me, especially after the last few of your levels, you have amazed us and somewhat broken your own mold giving us the wonderful sense of "what's he gonna do next!". Are you happy with your exploration into these new territories and have you enjoyed the experience? I'm also a bit curious on the more recent comments by your fans?
Yeah this was after I had created Tribal Ruins and a few people were saying it was too similar to Flaming Timerbland 2. The main thing that intrigued me is that if I had made FT3, I doubt no one would have mentioned that it is just the same, they'd have just taken it as another level. I think people mentioned it and it was more noticeable because it was just a little bit similar, if that makes any sense.

In terms of trying new things, I've absolutely loved it. I really enjoyed making Egyptian Findings, it was just a shame that the thermo cut me off so soon and didn?t let me do half the things that I wanted. I guess it was inevitable though with it all being made up of blocks. And of course I've absolutely loved making Shoot! Jump! Die? and seeing what everyone has thought of it. As I said earlier, if someone else made my levels that would be the one that I truly would enjoy playing.

Finally, if you could give any bit of advice to new creators out there who are looking into the wonderful world of creating, what would it be?
Erm, well just read my creating guide! Every bit of advice I have goes into it so that would make more sense than me writing a little bit here! It is all based on my own experiences in create mode, hence why it's been so easy to quote when answering these questions! While it is most definitely a subjective piece of writing, I would like to think it is pretty useful for most creators.


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http://imgur.com/in7Ve.png
"Shot" from Shoot! Jump! Die?

http://imgur.com/5psMP.png
<o></o>The Creator Rewind is another new section we are really proud to share with you all, but what is it? If a creator doesn't have the time, or has an issue with doing a Creator Closeup, we will do a Creator Rewind instead. Think of it as an LBP trailer that is a celebration of their amazing work with a few twists just to make it interesting. Jack was so wanting to do a Closeup, but due to his crazy schedule and finishing up with school we were not able to do one. We tried, but didn't quite get there! However, we do have this special feature for you and hope you enjoy it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDjf9EX1vO4

http://imgur.com/7NigL.png
It was such an honor and extreme pleasure to interview jackofcourse for the Creator Spotlight. His thoughtful and in-depth answers were everything I had hoped for on my first turn on the other side of the interview chair. He was so helpful, so totally easy going, and wonderfully friendly that I now clearly see something else when I think about his creations. To be honest when I started this Spotlight I was totally intrigued by his platforming design prowess, but now I see a joy and charm that has everything to do with his creations. The kind of genuine charm that truly makes it jackofcourse.

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Poster's Note: CC has been super busy lately, so I figured I'd initiate Phase 1 of operation Overthrow Him. Nah, kidding. He'll be back to his normal self once school cuts him some slack.

2010-05-09 14:23:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

Thanks for posting this, compher! And thanks to jww, Teebonesy and ScoutsBoo for doing such a great job on this one!2010-05-09 14:26:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569

Awesome interview, though I must admit I mainly skimmed through the thing and am now watching the Creator Rewind, hilarious voices btw. Also, I love the little dance at the beginning of Industrial Assistance 2. Actually, I love all of the Industrial Assistance part. Especially the montage of failures. 2010-05-09 14:36:00

Author:
qrtda235566
Posts: 3664

Yes, Teebonesy and Scouts really outdid themselves this time with the video. ^__^ I was laughing so hard the first time I saw it. 2010-05-09 14:41:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569

I loved this video, a lot. And the interview is fantastic as well. Thanks, Jww!2010-05-09 15:04:00

Author:
comphermc
Posts: 5338

Yup, the video was great. 2010-05-09 15:18:00

Author:
Syroc
Posts: 3193

I love these spotlights, what the creators have to say.2010-05-09 15:36:00

Author:
talbot-trembler
Posts: 1114

Awesome! Congrats, good interview. So good for the community :]

Nice, crisp pictures too! Haha!		2010-05-09 15:39:00

Author:
piggabling
Posts: 2979

Great creator spotlight and the video was hilarious and awesome! 2010-05-09 15:54:00

Author:
Alec
Posts: 3871

Excellent interview with one of my favorite creators! And yes, the creator rewind is hysterical!2010-05-09 17:03:00

Author:
mrsupercomputer
Posts: 1335

Thanks so much everyone! Glad you enjoyed this as much as I did while interviewing Jack. Really was an honor and quite a bit of fun to share this with everyone.

A special huge thanks to ScoutsBoo and Teebonesy for the awesome video as well as Sara for quite a bit of help in proofreading, ideas, and the new Rewind logo. We had quite a few ideas on this one and the discussions got quite hysterical in our secret corner of LBPC, but wow... the ending result passed our expectations. I am really proud and blessed to be on a team with such phenomenal creative talent. Yay Team!

...also I want to say a huge thanks to Jack for his cooperation throughout the interview and especially for his amazing generosity in giving us some of his levels for the video!! Thanks Jack!		2010-05-09 17:49:00

Author:
jwwphotos
Posts: 11383

I only skimmed through it, I might re-read it properly later today.

But the Creator Rewind was hilarious, although at about 5:12 was that a swear word?

EDIT: Oh, no it wasn't sorry, he said "Oh jeez" lol... :blush:

Also, this doesn't seem to be getting much attention compared to usual. I think everyone's to excited about LBP2 to notice this.		2010-05-09 18:04:00

Author:
Doopz
Posts: 5592

That video was awesome! Great creator spotlight, guys!2010-05-09 18:19:00

Author:
Richasackboy
Posts: 619

I am not a sock-loving weirdo, you foreigner! Oh, and nice work and all, I guess 2010-05-09 18:22:00

Author:
CaptainCowboyHat
Posts: 153

Congrats Jack, an interesting read, and very deserved! I remember you going through that frustration patch a while back too, when you seemed to lose your mojo, so it's great to see still creating with guns blazing. (literally, in the case of your last level)

@ the Team - That vid intro - classic! You guys put so much thought into these, we all owe you big time!		2010-05-09 18:34:00

Author:
julesyjules
Posts: 1156

A Link: Jackofcourse's Guide To Creating (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=11840-Jackofcourse-s-Guide-to-Creating-UPDATED-18-9-09-Section-10-added&highlight=jackofcourse's+guide)

This was a great interview, and the entire video had me laughing with delight 		2010-05-09 19:12:00

Author:
Incinerator22
Posts: 3251

Wow thanks a lot guys

I totally forgot this was getting posted and haven't been online all day due to moving house! I really wanted to do the Creator Close-Up but due to finishing University, moving back home, moving to London, sorting a trip to New York, and lots of other crazy things, I just didn't have the time. Saying that, I'm quite glad I didn't now as the video that got made is absolutely fantastic. I love it so much! The start and end are so funny!

I've had such a busy day that I think I'm just going to collapse on my bed now!!

A big thank you to all the Creator Spotlight team for being very gracious with my schedule and helping me out as much as possible! I really appreciate all the time you guys put into doing it! 		2010-05-09 19:22:00

Author:
jackofcourse
Posts: 1494

Jack is a legend he all way come up with some of the best levels well made, And I think he uses more logic in one level then all my level added together 0_o2010-05-09 19:22:00

Author:
jump_button
Posts: 1014

Very interesting interview.

I would like to add that Jackofcourse has been a big help in LBP PSP by getting several levels restored which had been falsely moderated. We don't know how he does it, but we think it may involve the use of a shaved Tasmanian badger and a large bucket of BBQ sauce. 		2010-05-09 19:28:00

Author:
Gilgamesh
Posts: 2536

Much appreciated, Jump!

Oh yeah! Logic...everyone laugh at the FT2 logic in the video :&apos It's so funny it doesn't even make sense

It's before I even knew what logic was or did really. I just kind of made whatever I thought would work...as a result you will see the dumbest permanent switch in the world!

EDIT: Gilgamesh, now you know my secret, I am passing the baton over to you! 		2010-05-09 19:28:00

Author:
jackofcourse
Posts: 1494

This is a great interview, thanks to the spotlight team for all of their hard work, and congrats to jackofcourse for getting a well deserved spotlight. That guy's got talent. 2010-05-09 19:43:00

Author:
X-FROGBOY-X
Posts: 1800

Oh, no, Jack, you haven't seen dumb logic until you've seen some of my logic.
Congrats on the spotlight ^__^ I enjoyed reading your answers. I could relate with a lot of them so well.		2010-05-09 19:44:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569

Congratulations Jack! Most deserved spotlight! Your levels are always fun and never cease to amaze me with their ingenuity and precision design. Keep 'em coming!

@ Boo & Teebonesey - that was a hysterical vid! I'm laughing like a crazy person on my porch watching it. Loved the intro and the ending especially. You guys have great in game chemistry! The paintinator section is priceless!

@ jwwphotos - excellent interview. You've got a great writing style that had me giggling too.

Thanks everyone!

lol @ you avatar Sara!		2010-05-09 19:57:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

Good work, a very interesting read! I absolutely love Jack's levels, they're very inspiring! Good video too!

http://i.neoseeker.com/mgv/272671-Blackfalcon/671/5/animal0064hb2_display.gif		2010-05-09 20:23:00

Author:
Blackfalcon
Posts: 409

Also, this doesn't seem to be getting much attention compared to usual. I think everyone's to excited about LBP2 to notice this.

Yep, you got that one right! That's some timing. Just getting drowned in the flood of LBP2 news. I'm hoping that later in the week Mm might put a blurb up on LBP.com, which might draw in some of that lost traffic. But what can you expect! Huge news is huge news. We're a small fish in the grand scheme!

That said, let's get this forum at least looking at this! I'm trying to peel some eyes off the speculative thumb-twiddling and turn them onto some fun and informative spotlight good times.

We'll have to promise each consecutive spotlight with "2% more LBP2 content!"		2010-05-09 21:07:00

Author:
Teebonesy
Posts: 1937

Flaming Timberland 2 is one of the very first community levels that I played, just few days after buying my PS3 and LBP, and I was just blown away... and it's the first level that I hearted!
It showed me how awesome was the creation in LBP, and how fantastic levels could be made by the community!

So yeah Jackcourse is the first creator, that made a huge impression on me! So this is well deserved, congratulations!

Great interview (as usual), it's nice to know more about you!
The video is great and so fun to watch, so thanks to the spotlight crew for all this!
2010-05-09 21:16:00

Author:
dajdaj03
Posts: 1486

Congratulations jackofcourse for getting a Creator Spotlight! I think you are versatile in more ways than one, especially how you seem to fluidly transition into the PSP version effortlessly. Anyways, my little brother and I play all your levels religiously, and you never disappoint. I feel your levels appeal to a wide demographic: to the littlest of us to the not so little.

Thank you also to the Creator Spotlight crew for putting this together. The hard work really shows in the impeccable presentation, and that video was totally entertaining. Thanks again!


Also inspired by "a lot of silly little things,"
jeffcu28		2010-05-09 21:16:00

Author:
jeffcu28
Posts: 648

That was a really interesting read - some probing questions and thoughtful answers. It's great to have a better insight into what makes creators tick. Like dajdaj I have very fond memories of the Flaming Timberlands levels because they were some of the first Community levels to stand out for me too. Thanks so much to jww and to Jack who really deserves this Spotlight both for his creative talents and for the contribution he makes to the community. Congratulations!

The Creator Rewind video is just wonderful - I genuinely laughed out loud so much I was getting strange looks from my family. The intro and the ending were fantastic and the Industrial Assistance section was a hoot! Thank you so much to ScoutsBoo and Teebonesy. You really made my evening!

The new Creator Spotlight is proving to be a storming success. Keep them coming! (<-- I've been dying for an opportunity to use this smilie, lol!)		2010-05-09 22:34:00

Author:
shropshirelass
Posts: 1455

Yay!
Tribal Ruins was one of the best!		2010-05-09 22:36:00

Author:
JspOt
Posts: 3607

Great interview folks, really enjoyed it and had a good chuckle at the video Loved the intro lol very polished and professional, keep up the fantastic work, I really appreciate it and I'm sure everyone else does too.2010-05-09 22:40:00

Author:
OneEyedBanshee
Posts: 1370

I never tire of reading these.... great read, and a great creator! I've been a fan since Faming Timberland 2, and Jack keeps releasing consistently quality content. By the way: your early levels didn't need a story, and "Shoot Jump Die", IMO, is your best! Thanks Mr. Photos for a great interview!2010-05-09 22:52:00

Author:
CCubbage
Posts: 4430

Congratulations jackofcourse and great job on the spotlight jww 2010-05-09 23:01:00

Author:
AbstractFlesh
Posts: 837

What a read!
Congratulations again to all the spotlight team for all their hard work, from the interview to the amazing video.
I also must applaud the fact that you seem to put more and more humor in every spotlight, whic makes an already enjoyable read a complete delight.		2010-05-09 23:16:00

Author:
Keldur
Posts: 628

Many congratulations jackofcourse!

Brilliant interview jww, and the video is superb. ScoutsBoo you look sooooooooo cute and I loved the music in it. The opening sequence was hilarious, and the bit where Teebonesey died about 25thousand times!

This team is first class!

Icey		2010-05-09 23:35:00

Author:
IceMaiden
Posts: 1057

Congrats, jackofcourse. Well deserved and well delivered by the spotlight crew. I really like the chemistry of the team. The interview was great and the video made me laugh so hard. "I know. I'm so sorry." Great line, Teebonesy. 2010-05-09 23:38:00

Author:
TheCountessZ
Posts: 537

First of all, congrats for the spotlight jackofcourse, you really deserved it!
And I'm impressed by the quality of the interviews here! I had a lot fun reading through this one and the video is as brilliant as the first one
Keep them coming! We really appreciate your hard work guys! 		2010-05-09 23:38:00

Author:
Chump
Posts: 1712

tis a good interview. kudos2010-05-10 00:11:00

Author:
Voodeedoo
Posts: 724

Another awesome interview, and a great video to boot! Great work spotlight team.

I think a lot of creators have a real tough time coming up with innovative platforming elements. I know building unique obstacles is my biggest hurdle while building anything. Jack's levels are so stock full of them he makes it look easy!1 Much deserved, well done!		2010-05-10 00:46:00

Author:
Duffluc
Posts: 402

That was FANTASTIC!! What an absolute CACK that video was - 10/10 Teebonesy and ScoutsBoo Good luck matching that next time!
And jww... what can I say? Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! I am in awe of jackofcourse's logic and ideas and so that was a very satisfying and interesting read - congrats to both of you!

I know its' a massive amount of work (esp. on the video front!) but I am loving this collaborative new approach to the Creator Spotlights. It feels like you're throwing a party for them - all we need is some cake.		2010-05-10 01:33:00

Author:
BabyDoll1970
Posts: 1567

What an absolute CACK that video was

Heh. "Cack" means something completely different in the UK.		2010-05-10 01:46:00

Author:
Aya042
Posts: 2870

seeing the levels played in create mode was super awesome. thanks for that.

who was the dashing fellow in the mustache? i believe i missed his name and he left quite an impression		2010-05-10 01:48:00

Author:
monstahr
Posts: 1361

seeing the levels played in create mode was super awesome. thanks for that.

who was the dashing fellow in the mustache? i believe i missed his name and he left quite an impression

It was... wait for it...

me!

*golf clap*

Thanks for that, and sorry about the "impression". Hope you'll be able to get some sleep in spite of it.


Heh. "Cack" means something completely different in the UK.

OR if you're from Baston, Massachusetts.		2010-05-10 01:56:00

Author:
Teebonesy
Posts: 1937

Congrats jack, and very well deserved! Another fantastic interview and an even better read - I'm absolutely loving the evolution of the Creator Spotlight. I really like the length, detail, and direction of the interview itself, and that video.... Well, I never realized Diet Coke was such an excellent sinus cleaner. Note to self: Abstain from beverages in the general vicinity of Teeby and/or ScoutsBoo.




I would like to add that Jackofcourse has been a big help in LBP PSP by getting several levels restored which had been falsely moderated. We don't know how he does it, but we think it may involve the use of a shaved Tasmanian badger and a large bucket of BBQ sauce. Yes indeed, jack has been a HUGE help over on the PSP side and was even nominated for a PSP Sacky (https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=26115-The-LBP-PSP-Sackies-2010-Nominees) due to his portable platforming prowess. Thousands of players from both versions of LBP hold jack in very high regard, myself included.



Great stuff Spotlight team and jack - thanks for all your hard work!		2010-05-10 02:47:00

Author:
Taffey
Posts: 3187

Nice spotlight, the video was pretty funny too. hahaha.
2010-05-10 10:18:00

Author:
midnight_heist
Posts: 2513

Danm good job you got here guys i love it, i couldn't stop luaghing when you where doing industrial assistance lol best laugh iv'e had in ages lol great job. I remember playing Shoot, Jump, Die with Joey, Morgana25, Me, and Ainsley and we had a right laugh cause we couldnt do it cause of the lag lol.2010-05-10 12:33:00

Author:
lbpholic
Posts: 1304

Wow, t'was a marvelous read and watch.
I even cling wrapped up the back of broken chair just to read it, congrats Jack.		2010-05-10 13:18:00

Author:
SR20DETDOG
Posts: 2431

I have played some of the levels, and all are amazing, great creator and great spotlight!
Poem time!!!

Jackofcourse
Of course he is Jack
Who else could it be?

Jackofcourse
His levels are snack
Both for you and me

Jackofcourse
Inspiring as always
A stunning creator

Jackofcourse
Never creates halfways
Will play some levels of him later!!!

Hope you like it

*		2010-05-10 15:20:00

Author:
moonwire
Posts: 1627

About time he got a Spotlight!

Nice read, thanks! And that new level looks good, I'll have to give it a try when I get my PS3 back.		2010-05-10 19:39:00

Author:
Rogar
Posts: 2284

Jack is one of my biggest inspirations, so I'm glad to get to read more about him!2010-05-10 20:46:00

Author:
Voltergeist
Posts: 1702

About time he got a Spotlight!

Nice read, thanks! And that new level looks good, I'll have to give it a try when I get my PS3 back.

LOL!!! Well I should have mentioned that in the article, but Jack was actually supposed to have been #3, but again due to his crazy schedule it just never happened and then he lost the questions. MrsSpookyBuz was starting to recreate those for him, but never got to that before she left us and retired from doing the Creator Spotlights. So it was quite a treat to make this happen for not only for Jack, but for my good friend Lisa.		2010-05-10 21:37:00

Author:
jwwphotos
Posts: 11383

Congratulations jack! and also to all the staff that worked on that hilarious video.2010-05-10 23:39:00

Author:
ferrrch
Posts: 429

jackofcourse is the G.O.A.T. of LBP and makes MM look like noobs

Creator rewind was awesome, for the behind the scenes stuff. I can barely even remember what my logic looked like, but it was quite a mess... his looks very clean, even in earlier stuff like Timberlands.		2010-05-11 00:34:00

Author:
Unknown User

Wow, that video was hilarious!2010-05-11 00:42:00

Author:
Emogotsaone
Posts: 1030

First of i would like to say.....HA! Great video! Well done, looking forward to seeing more!
Jack your one of the great creators amongst us all and you deserved an interview 		2010-05-11 11:00:00

Author:
Fenderjt
Posts: 1969

The creator rewind was hilarious, kudos to who came up with the idea and put it up; also congratulations to jack, I didn't know you were this funny; it was a fantastic interview and a deserved spotlight2010-05-11 13:20:00

Author:
Shadowheaven
Posts: 378

I'm thanking everyone because I am a part of the spotlight crew, but I just want to reiterate that jww, Teebonesy and scoutsboo are the real stars of this one. But thank you for all of your kind words on this, we have all worked very hard. And thanks again to jack for a great interview and for trusting us with his levels so Teebonesy and Scouts could give you guys that video. ^__^2010-05-11 13:26:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569

Grats to jackofcourse - I still remember being gobsmacked the first time I played Industrial Assistance. Levers! Levers! So much with the levers...it was like playing with a Transformer from the inside. Your stuff's a joy to play, jack.2010-05-11 14:41:00

Author:
coyote_blue
Posts: 422

Thanks for all the messages everyone

Sorry I haven't posted in this thread much I've just been so busy! Looking at the rest of the forum all you guys have been very busy too!

LBP2 is going to be so awesome. I can't wait to see what you guys do with some of the tools. It is going to blow peoples minds!!! 		2010-05-13 21:41:00

Author:
jackofcourse
Posts: 1494

^__^

http://www.littlebigplanet.com/en-us/news/article/littlebigplanet_centrals_creator_spotlight_jackofc ourse/		2010-05-14 21:06:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569

Yay! congrats on the MM page to the Crew and Jack! Here's hoping they keep it up 2010-05-14 23:45:00

Author:
Morgana25
Posts: 5983

I completely missed this until I just visited LBP.com! Congratulations!

Thank you spotlight team for a really interesting interview! The creator rewind was hilarious! :hero:

All your levels are amazing, but please... BRING BACK PERENNIAL DANGER! 		2010-05-15 10:56:00

Author:
Rhys125
Posts: 841

Perennial Danger was probably one of the first levels I ever played in lbp, back when all the beta levels were permanently stuck on cool levels. As far as the earlier levels go, it was one of the best. Maybe you should put it back online so people could see jackofcourse's humble beginnings. ^__^2010-05-15 12:48:00

Author:
xkappax
Posts: 2569

To Jack...it was great to see the personal side of you. I have enjoyed your creations since the LBW days, and you keep getting better and better. You are very deserving of this Spotlight. Bravo! Well Done!

And to the Spotlight Team (jww, tee, boo and kappa)...AWESOME JOB yet again . Your Team Rocks! Your interviews are doing more than surpassing community expectations...they are creator masterpieces in their own right. I wish I could do more than press the "Thanks" button, to express how impressive the results truly were to me . Thank you all for sharing your brilliance.

Rick		2010-05-15 17:04:00

Author:
RickRock_777
Posts: 1567

Well, the new Creator Spotlight team has clearly leveled up this section. I'm amazed how profesional they are. Congrats to all of you!

Congrats to Jack too, and thanks for the extense and interesting answers.
Very fun to read how you got inspiration from "Abe's Odissey". This series are probably my main inspiration too!		2010-05-15 22:53:00

Author:
poms
Posts: 383

Very good done both from the Spotlight team and jackofcourse. This thing makes me feel like quitting creating (for the 100th time - I always forget to do that), not that anyone would care 2010-05-16 09:59:00

Author:
Unknown User

this was funny 2010-05-16 11:16:00

Author:
Sim725
Posts: 247

Yay JackOfCourse is my insparation!!!! (But my levels where never as good as his D
Well Done Jack you deserve to be spotlighted!! 		2010-05-16 12:06:00

Author:
Jovuto
Posts: 2345

Locked and archived. 2010-05-21 22:37:00

Author:
ConfusedCartman
Posts: 3729


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