Check this out guys, fascinating, I'll be e-mailing her some more questions, but first here is the e-mail she sent me. Look at thee credits at the end of Atmosfear to see her name
Like a good magician - it would be up to the boys to reveal their secrets! I joined Cowboys just as they had done the Music Clip. Pretty groovy for its time if you ask me! More digital online tricks than most at the time too!
Secrets I know is that the "Cowboys" (Phillip & Brett) worked extremely hard, traveled all over the world doing deals & bringing in new licensees to distribute the product world-wide in co-partnership with Roadshow Entertainment & listened to their licensees' requests which is why they skipped Kuufu (spelling?) & went straight onto the Harbingers - a chance to launch a whole new board which was what the buzz was about internationally. It was a fantastic design which I still remember coming together out of cut up pizza boxes one late night in Australia!
I remember watching our international actors - Witch & Gatekeeper - plus the Baron & Vampire all getting together for a massive TVC shoot - & seeing amazing make-up as they transformed from mild to wildly wicked while the Harley Riding Soul Rangers lurked around ominously in the background (doing deals with the devil no doubt!... or perhaps just the cameraman or catering!!)
We made an international game of the Harbingers which I was lucky enough to travel all over the world with - taking the English creative vibe set & doing it in many other languages including Spanish, French & Dutch. The visuals were not the whole face of the Gatekeeper - but rather just the eyes this time (gorgeous - as you no doubt remember! Great wrinkles!) & we would "eye-sync" the new language to the English "Eyes" master. We would spend several days doing this in various countries & laugh loudly at funny things that would be said - most of which I couldn't understand because I didn't even speak the language but the pure amusement factor was there for all to enjoy.
Next came the CD-ROM game - hours in Australia & the UK. Overnighters & approvals galore. 3D Models of all components of the non-existent worlds of the fictional Harbinger clan. Still marvel at how that all came together! Airbrush artists, designers, producers, directors & production crew all cramming & jamming together to create a synergy of 3d design imagery!
We shot hours & hours of footage on the making of the making of the making of Atmosfear! We are no longer together as a team - but our Harbinger family lives on forever - thanks for the chance to remember it all again, James.
They were to date still some of the very best years of my professional life!
Don't stop the body rock!
Mz Claudia B Boland
Once a Cowgirl.
--
aka THE CYBERPRINCESS
Bondi | Sydney | Australia
Bcced & dedicated to "The Lads" - Phillip, Brett & Jimmy the Lad
Well, that was certainly cool! Hope that gives some of you some more information
OK i just got another reply from her! This is defiantly cool and i hope it helps everyone to understand some more about Atmosfear! The block capital parts are her reply, and the normal parts are my questions
Oh wow! That sounds so excellent! =D
WHAT'S =D?
HOW DID YOU FIND ME OUT OF INTEREST?
I so badly wish i could see some of that behind the scenes footage, I've always been fascinated by both the game and TV effects/behind the scenes stuff. That certainly was a great read you put in that e-mail =)
THANKS - KINDA ENJOYED IT TOO. NICE MORNING FOR AN EMAIL! RE SEEING FOOTAGE - LONG GONE INTO ARCHIVE - BUT APPARENTLY YOU SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR THE DVD (YOU KNOW MORE THAN I DO!)!!
Do you perhaps know what the significance of the Music video was? Would be cool to find out =)
GOOD CHANCE TO BRING ALL THE FAMILY TOGETHER & USED TO PROMOTE THEIR ATMOSFEAR DANCE PARTIES WHICH GENERATED MORE PUBLICITY & GAVE THEM AN EVEN WIDER COMMERCIAL APPEAL & RECOGNITION. AS FAR AS I CAN SEE - THE MARKETING (A MAGIC MIX OF WHAT THE BOYS DID WITH THE ROADSHOW GANG) WAS ALWAYS BEYOND YOU STANDARD "GAME" PR AVENUES. FIRSTLY, THIS WAS THE FIRST "BOARD GAME" EVER SO NO ADVERTISING PRECEDENTS EXISTED - PLUS BECAUSE THEY WERE A FUNKY & VERY NON STEREOTYPE TYPE OF CREATIVE COMPANY - THEY ALWAYS FOUND UNUSUAL WAYS TO PROMOTE - FROM TRAILERS AT THE START OF VIDEO RELEASES (THANKS TO THE ROADSHOW DISTRIBUTION) TO... WELL MUSIC CLIPS THEY COULD GET PLAYED ON MUSIC VIDEO SHOWS!
Do you have ICQ or MSN messenger? We could get together and have a great chatting session about it, i would love to know about it.
NO & NO. I HAVE TO SAY YOU'VE CAUGHT ME ON A GOOD DAY - I HAVE AN EXTREMELY BUSY WORK & PERSONAL LIFE - BUT LOVED YOUR ENTHUSIASM SOOOOO MUCH - I COULDN'T IGNORE IT! GONNA PASS YOU OVER TO THE BIG BOYS SOON IF YOUR QUESTIONS GET TOO TRICKY OR LEGAL FOR ME!
Apparently, as i have been talking to someone called Mark Tanner (hopefully he's relation to Phillip) and they are in negotiations with people about a DVD release of the game? Would be amazing. In fact, i would love to STAR in it! I really would, would be such an experience, or even just be behind the scenes. I would love it either way.
PHILLIP TANNER - THE MAIN MAN PRODUCER HAS A BROTHER CALLED MARK TANNER - DUNNO IF YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE REAL ONE...!
Right, more questions (hope you don't mind! As you can tell, I'm fascinated by it) Is the gatekeeper and Baron Samedi played by the same actor? To me they sound the same and look the same.
NO. TWO VERY DIFFERENT PEOPLE! SAME DIRECTOR THOUGH BASICALLY THE DIRECTOR IS ALL THE CHARACTERS DEEP, DEEP DOWN!!!
Also, is the witch and vampire the same actresses? Some people think this is true, I'm not sure.
YES. YOU GO IT.
Also, how do you do the effect with the eyes on Atmosfear 1, 2, 3 and 4. Surely they cant be contact lenses, as they cover the entire eyeball! That would be great to know about that.
LENSES. I CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER THE DETAILS - BUT I SEEM TO THINK THERE WERE INCREASINGLY AWFUL LENSES AS THE GAME PROGRESSES! YES! IN FACT BY THE TIME THE VAMPIRE WAS IN HER LAST STAGE OF MIDNIGHT FREAKISHNESS - THE LENSES SHE WORE WERE COMPLETELY BLINDING & SHE HAD TO BE ESCORTED OUT TO THE SET BY THE MAKEUP TEAM.
May i ask what a "TVC" shot is? Would love to know.
TVC - TV COMMERCIAL
Its great the way you came up with the idea of the box over a pizza set, some of the best ideas come from "nature" themselves ;-) hehe
BRETT (THE DIRECTOR/MAIN CREATIVE DUDE) LITERALLY CUT UP A PIZZA BOX TO SHOW HOW THE 6 PIZZA SHAPED SEGMENTS OF THE HARBINGERS GAME BOARD DESIGN WOULD LOOK. DREW ALL OVER THEM, ETC. VERY INSPIRING MOMENTS.
Would it be possible for you to send me some contacts of the actors/production team involved? Or have you all gone your separate ways =(
I WILL C.C. THIS NOW ALSO TO PHILLIP TANNER WHO IS THE MAN WHO REMAINS IN CHARGE OF THE FAMILY SINCE THE BOYS' DIVORCE FOUR OR SO YEARS AGO. IF ANY PROJECTS ARE STILL BREWING - HE'S YOUR MAN & I'M SURE HE'D ALSO BE DELIGHTED TO KNOW THERE'S CREW OUT THERE STILL HONOURING THE GATEKEEPER!
Could you send me any video footage of anything about Atmosfear? Would be great too. Earlier today I was flicking through the videos and i saw your name in the credits, GREAT! =D
NO CAN DO WITH THE FOOTAGE - THAT DEFINITELY BECOMES COWBOYS LEGAL DOMAIN. I HOPE YOU HEAR FROM PHILLIP - WHO IS AGAIN YOUR MAIN MAN (EVER GROOVIER THAN THE GATEKEEPER!) LET ME KNOW IF YOU DON'T.
Also, there is an online community full of Atmosfear fans. I would like to give you the address of it, so you can see how many people want to bring Atmosfear back! Don't let it go! I'm sure if you released something new about it, it would sell like crazy! The link to the website is: members.aol.com/DarkWolff/nightmare.html
DITTO - C'MON PHILLIP - GET BACK TO THIS LAD - HE'S CRAZY FO IT!
JAMES - IT IS THE WEEKEND SO YOU MAY HAVE TO BE PATIENT!
It has about 150 members and growing.
ARE YOU IN THE USA?
I really would love to know if you've got anything planned, or anything else you can tell me about Atmosfear. Thanks again!
PHILLIP BITS AGAIN
Cya around,
WHEN I'M EMAILING YOU!
Jamie