Adam in the Optical Minefield

Invitation to try Digsby!

2010-05-08T12:29:00.000+01:00

Digsby = IM + Email + Social Networks

Adam Smith has invited you to try Digsby.

I'm using a new application called Digsby that helps you manage all your IM, email, and social network accounts from one place. Digsby is completely free and supports all the services you already use like Facebook, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Mail, and more...

- Adam Smith

To try Digsby, follow the link below:
http://www.digsby.com?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emailinvite&utm_source=original

WHY USE DIGSBY?

Digsby helps you save time by managing all your online accounts from one place. Digsby merges all your IM accounts into one buddy list, provides email alerts with a snapshot view of your inbox that lets you perform actions such as "Mark as Read" or "Report Spam", and shows you a real time newsfeed of all the activity on your social networks.

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Adam has his blood taken by Michelle

2010-05-05T10:00:00.000+01:00

While I was making the next episode of the 'Maya Diaries' I needed to have my blood taken.

What a perfect opportunity to give you all a bit of something to watch while you are waiting.

As I say in the video, the next time you hear me will be the next episode of the 'Maya Diaries'. Episode 16 will be about the last destination of my Europe trip, Vienna and a short concert review from the masters of the Ultra-Heavy Beat, KMFDM. If you haven't heard of them before then this will be a good introduction to Industrial Rock with video, tracks and some pictures.

So I look forward to seeing you then.

Thanks to Michelle.

By the way, if you were wondering where the next VNV Nation video was. It's coming after Episode 16.

Don't forget to comment and rate this video if you enjoy it.

Update from the Car

2010-05-03T10:59:00.001+01:00

Here is just a short video letting you know what you can expect from my channel in the coming weeks / months. It was recorded in my car on the way to work.

Feel free to comment and I look forward to speaking to you all really soon.

Cheers

www.optical-minefield.co.uk
www.harwichfoe.co.uk

The return ...

2010-04-01T20:17:00.001+01:00

This blog has been quite inactive for a while but soon a quick video
update will be released explaining why and what you can expect to see
in the coming months.

See you soon ...

The Maya Diaries - Episode 15 - Europe Trip - Budapest

2010-01-25T21:00:00.000Z

Well hello everyone.

It really has been a long time since we heard the sound of my voice. This is because I somehow managed to destroy my microphone by tripping over.

With that said I can now begin to complete this is documenting my trip around Europe as I seem to have acquired a bit of a backlog of news and footage.

As always don't forget to comment and rate my videos if you enjoy them.

VNV Nation - Live at Scala, 21/10/2009 - Video 02

2010-01-22T14:48:00.000Z

After a bit of a delay here we have it.

The second video in the series featuring some banta, Joy, Darkangel and Chrome.

Again I have to say sorry that I wasn't able to use all the audio from the live gig but I did my best.

I also have to say sorry to those in any country in which YouTube has blocked it.

Hope you enjoy it.

Breif clip from the Harwich Beer Festival

2010-01-22T14:46:00.000Z

Hello all.

I have been a bit slow in releasing the next VNV Nation live video but that will come some time next week.

In the mean time enjoy this breif clip from the Harwich Town Beer Festival.

Music by the Onion Band and just for a bit of trivia, my beer of choice so far is the Imperial Stout by the Harwich Town Brewing Company. Dark and lovely.

See you next week.

Finished lunch at The Ritz

2009-11-16T20:23:00.001Z

Just finishing lunch at the Ritz and sitting in the lobby enjoying a bit of the music. We might be lucky enough to get in to see Strictly Come Dancing but we have a plan if that fails.

The Ritz was completely amazing and like nothing I have experienced before.

The next video I put out will be continuing the VNV Nation gig I attended.

See you then.

Just before the Ritz

2009-11-16T20:19:00.001Z

A quick talking to from Adam about his day and music in YouTube videos.

VNV Nation – Live at Scala, 21/10/2009 – Video 01

2009-11-16T13:10:00.001Z

Hello everyone.

I know you were all expecting to see and episode of the Maya Diaries and I was all for following that plan. That was right up until I destroyed my microphone. Now I could have waited and got another one but in order to get another video out to you all I decided to bring forward a little series of videos on the VNV Nation gig at Scala in London that me and my brother went to.

This is the first gig I have been to with my iPhone and while I am pleased with the video that it captured it didn't handle the audio too well especially in such a loud environment. There are times when the original audio is used but not all that often. That has to be my biggest regret to you all. I know there are many like me who like to have videos that really convey the sense of being there and I hope the videos to come will do that for you.

Consider this video a little trailer for some of the quality tracks to come.

One little word of warning. I understand that these videos will probably hold little or no interest to those who A) Don't like FuturePop, EMB (Electronic Body Music), Industrial or Dark Dance and B) Weren't there on the night. I personally have seen VNV Nation twice and have thought both times were fantastic but Scala is quite a small venue and very intimate which was great for this occasion. There were a couple of times where I got to shake Ronan's hand.

As I understand it this was a extra booking because of the success of the Of Faith, Power and Glory Tour

So sit back and enjoy

Music Used:- *VNV Nation - Pro Victoria

Update from Linconshire

2009-11-05T14:58:00.001Z

Well hey everybody!

I thought I was away for a while so thought I would post a video update while you were all waiting for the next episode of The Maya Diaries.

The main reason for the delay in releasing the next episode is because of issues with my main 3D site and also getting my local Friends of the Earth group up and running.

However I explain all that in the video so what about some extra information.

Well that strange red (pink?) potato that I flashed is really called a Rudolph potato and is a brand new variety. It's not out in the shops yet. I acquired it at a sausage fair at Lincoln Castle and the people who sold it said they were looking to have it in some major supermarkets soon.

I have to say they were really nice. The centre was very white and smooth and the skins crisped up really nicely.

So that's pretty much it.
The sites that I talk about are as follows.

www.optical-minefield.co.Uk
adam-optical-minefield.blogspot.com
www.harwichfoe.co.Uk

See you next time for a propped episode and don't forget to subscribe if you enjoy these videos.

The Maya Diaries - Episode 14 - Europe Trip - Prague

2009-10-07T19:23:00.001+01:00

Well hello everyone.

It's been a while since my last fully fledged episode of ‘The Maya Diaries’ but here it is. I tried to promise that these will get released a bit more regularly and are trying to stick to that. With excuses aside lets have a look at what I been doing.

Previously in ‘The Maya Diaries’ I was enjoying the hospitality of Berlin and staying on the Eastern comfort hostelboat.

We start our approach to borrow on a five-hour train trip which gave me ample time to sleep, listen to my iPod and consider my next destination. My knowledge of the Czech Republic's capital city is limited. I've heard nothing but praise and had a genuine feeling of anticipation as the train wheezed into the main station with the announcer signalling our arrival with a long sentence spoken in Czech. I looked at Jo with an expression of mutual concern. Czech was by far the most alien language we had yet encountered and while I could string together a sentence in one of the other languages I was sure I had no hope here.

The hostel we were staying at was only a 15 minute rule and considering the amount of walking we had done in Berlin I thought we could make it. Walking was not only cheaper but gave us a good first impression and the impression we got was the car was king, followed by the tram at the very bottom of the pecking order was the bike.

While in Germany every spare space was covered with spray paint, here there were flyers and posters everywhere covering the buildings like a rash of colour. Before long we found ourselves in front of a large building made up of four floors possibly more. The sign read ‘Sir Toby’s’ so we push the button which read reception.

The first room we enter it was the reception and it looked more like a hotel than any other hostel on our travels. All around were pictures and old portraits of Victorian scenes. The reception desk was covered in sepia newspaper articles and while I feel the words like Gothic and bohemian after around and start anywhere just add value here you felt it was more of a lifestyle than a tourist commodity.

Making our way into the basement bar we were confronted by the music of RJD2. We approached the bar and was served by a young man, there were three drinks on tap. The first being a Czech cola which was a little strange for our taste and the other two were beers. It really is true that beer is cheaper in the Czech Republic than water. As we sat waiting for food order we took in some of the nuances of our surroundings. I have baked eggplant and salad with a lovely side of cream sauce while Jo had baked cauliflower.

I have to say that the acoustic set from the American duo was fantastic and really made our first night quite special. I have to say a personal highlight for me was ‘Wish You Were Here’ by ‘Pink Floyd’.

Having walked everywhere in Berlin I was eager to try the public transport which is why we took the tram the majority of the way to the castle. The castle is in the castle and the traditional Western sense of the word but was more complex of buildings including a church and a series of shops selling suspiciously similar products.

Before using the funicular railway we ascended a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower to give us a better view of the city below us.

Our whistlestop tour took us to the Charles Bridge, while one half was being restored which is a shame they also have a large number of stalls as well as portrait painters so we weren't left wanting. We also explore the Jewish district which was the northernmost sector. Prague truly is blessed with architecture of such beauty and grandeur. I took pictures at almost every turn and Jo consulted her map to try and discover what they were called.

We also saw Wenceslas Square which isn't included in the video but considering it was crammed full of Marks & Spencer's, C and A, Macdonald's and even a Debenhams. It hardly was the tourist attraction I was hoping for.

Our last meal in Prague was only three doors down from our hostel. After a few drinks in the basement bar we headed to our restaurant. Being a vegetarian in this part of Europe still limits your choices but I honestly did enjoy my fried camembert and boiled potatoes. Trust me, it's better than it sounds.

Hopefully the supplementary information that I've given will complement the video don't forget to subscribe and leave comments if you wish and I will be back with you really soon with another episode. This time from the capital of Hungary, Budapest.

News and more trivia

2009-10-03T22:59:00.001+01:00

So the site move is taking longer than I hoped it would take but that
should be all done and dusted soon.

So what's been going on and where can I be found?

Well let's cover all the bases ...

* Another episode of the Maya Diaries will be coming soon and the next
city is the Gotic city of Prague. You can subscribe to this blog or to
my YouTube (<a href="http://www.YouTube.com/users/
timlivid">www.YouTube.com/users/timlivid</a>) channel to get the video
as soon as it apears.

* Some of you may have heard me talking about a freelance 3D project
on the horizon. Well that's still going ahead and I hope to have some
more detials on that in the coming weeks. The main place for that
information will be my main 3d site over at <a href="http://www.optical-minefield.co.uk
">Optical-Minefield</a>.

* Other things that have been taking my time is my role as Coordinator
of Harwich Friends of the Earth. A fairly newly reformed local
environmental campaigning group. <a href="http://
www.harwichfoe.co.uk">www.harwichfoe.co.uk</a>

* Finally on a more trival and socal networking front. I'm quite
fequently out in Colchester and updates on that are on my Facebook
page so check that out.

So that's it for now. Don't forget you can leave coments or contact me
directly.

Update from the road ...

2009-09-08T21:02:00.000+01:00

Hello all, I thought I would take this time to update you all on what
you can expect from me in the coming months. I am live from my holiday
in Dorset but after that i have a weekend away in Nottingham in my
role as Harwich FoE coordinator at the Friends of the Earth local
groups conference.

So when that is all done I will continue and conclude my video series
about my Europe holiday, then a brief video on my current holiday,
after that a video about the FoE conference and then some more news
about the two main areas of my life at the moment; my 3D work and my
environmental campaigning.

Now I am useing my new favourite gadget of choice, the new iPhone 3G
S. I have to say it really is a nice piece of kit but I have yet to
discover how to embed a YouTube video so for now you will have to make
do with a link at the bottom of this post untill I get back. One other
minor gripe is that, at the time of posting, there is no offical
iPhone App (application) for Blogger so I have to resort to emailing
in my post which takes away some of the advanced options an iPhone
user would get if he/she was using another service like WordPress.
With that aside I'm still please with my choice.

The next bit of communication the world can expect from me is when I
post a couple of reports from the Freinds of the Earth conference on
the Harwich FoE website ( link can be found below). While the Harwich
FoE site is not quite up to speed it is still able to provide some
breif information.

As always if you want to stay in touch there are a number of ways of
doing this.
U
If you are interested in my professional and freelance 3D work then
you can goto www.optical-minefield.co.uk

If you are only interested in the videos I put out then you can
subscribe just to my YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/users/timlivid

Finally, if you live near Harwich in the Uk and are interested in
environmental campaiging both great and small then please goto www.harwichfoe.co.Uk

Thank you :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yqwm-ok7tQ

The Maya Diaries - Episode 13 - Europe Trip - Berlin

2009-08-25T10:30:00.001+01:00

Well here we are Ladies and Gentlemen, the second video in my 5 part series documenting my trip around Europe.

When I left you last I was enjoying a comfortable nights sleep courtesy of Andre. in the morning I travelled to Berlin. Possibly the most cosmopolitan and diverse cities on our roadmap around Europe.

This description is meant to be a supplement to the video and will therefore not blandly describe the events that you see. I suppose it is meant to be a reward for those willing to take the time and actually read the supplementary information.

Obviously I don't have time to go into everything I did in burning in a 10 minute video so all just post some notes of interest and prose of wisdom.

Some reason Berlin was the first place we visited gave us an air of trepidation, I mentioned briefly in the video that a large proportion of the buildings and objects around where we were staying were covered in graffiti. There was graffiti in places which you thought it would be impossible for anybody to reach however this vagrant art form prevailed. I don't want to be the sort of person to jump to conclusions about the inhabitants of a location covered in tags however it doesn't instil in me a feeling of local pride.

I really did like the hostel boat, the ever so slight rocking of the cabin and the serene bar on the top deck really added value. What are having gone into depth about during the course of these videos are the interesting people that we met along the way. I've mentioned Andre from Bruges but we also spoke to a nice group of English students in the bar one evening before a meal.

I know I did mention that the Disneyfication of Germany's heritage was at best a misguided attempt at pandering to stupid tourists and at worst all-out sacrilege and caricaturing events which for some are still very raw and painful.

Obviously it should be clear from the video that the Holocaust Memorial was one of the highlights and you really shouldn't take the events of the Brandenburg gate or the theme park attraction that is checkpoint Charlie as indicative of Berlin's heritage. There are gems to be found and the visitor is rewarded if only they do the research.

The final meal at the Singapore style restaurant was fantastic. I can find no fault in the food in any way. However to save the video from being a complete environmental preaching session on my part as well as constraints of time and neglected to mention the double figure amounts of patio heaters. Bearing in mind that we went on the cusp of a heatwave. I would also like to make it clear that when I make the choice to eat outside I do expect to be eating at the same temperature as when I walked to the restaurant. If I find the temperature outside too cold or indeed to hot I will make my judgement as to where I sit. I do not need my own microclimate altered for me with the aid of fossil fuels. None but you're glad this didn't make it into the finished product!

Thank you very much reading and don't forget to subscribe as always if you enjoy this content. I will see you next time for another video of my around Europe trip where this time I will be heading to the Gothic city of Prague.

All multimedia displayed is done so with fair use intended, for entirely non-profit, non-copyright, entertainment purposes. If you are the rightful owner of any material within the video and would like me to remove it, please contact me.

Music used:

* Kraftwerk -- Trans-Europe express

* Kraftwerk -- Abzug

The Maya Diaries - Episode 12 – Europe Trip - Brugge

2009-08-04T16:46:00.001+01:00

Well as promised here is the video documenting my recent road trip around Europe. For two weeks I would have a whistlestop tour of five capital cities spending the majority of my time in hostels.

Each video will be dedicated to a new destination regardless of how many days I spend.

After completing a nightshift at Colchester Gen Hospital by catch the train to London Liverpool Street before using the underground service to get St Pancras where the first photos are taken. In my opinion the Eurostar and the train network in general is a superior way to travel. It is far more comfortable, quick and efficient than flying.

The Eurostar will take us all the way to Brussels in Belgium, from their we would use our inter-rail travel pass to take the train to the town of Brugge.

Bruges really is a lovely place to visit and comes highly recommended. While choosing our accommodation in England the most important criteria we look at were the previous reviews. One such place that got very good reviews was Andres bed-and-breakfast. While I was in a centralised as many of the other places we looked at we felt the positive reviews of other visitors was worth the extra time needed to travel into the centre of the town.

After enjoying Bruges for two days and thoroughly appreciating Andres help and advice we made our way to next destination, Berlin.

The video should be coming out very shortly, thank you for watching. If you enjoy the videos you can either subscribe to my blog was why you Tube channel and don't forget you can leave a comment or contact me directly.

And I'm back

2009-07-21T13:26:00.001+01:00

Just to explain my absence. I was away in Europe for a couple of weeks and at the same time a lot of the projects that I have been working on have come together at the same time so that has been a huge drain on my time.

There will obviously been a video or two about my time away but that’s going to have to wait.

Also in other quick news, come back from the KMFDM concert in the O2 Islington which was fantastic so might do a mini review of that. Also might do a little review of the new NVN Nation album that was waiting for me when I get home.

So that’s all to come. Speak to you soon.

The Maya Diaries – Episode 11 – Cornwall Holiday 2009 Day Four

2009-06-24T18:05:00.001+01:00

Here we have the final video of my Cornwall holiday where we return to St Michael's Mount, thankfully today it is open. When you visit the Mount the similarities between Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, France are easy to see. The weather was lovely and the scenery was amazing. All throughout this holiday will really lucky to have great weather, considering we didn't have one day of rain this has been the best holiday in Cornwall for the weather.

After St Michaels Mount we travelled further to the end of the country and visited Mousehole. A gorgeous picturesque fishing town with lovely side streets just begging to be explored. From Mousehole we carried on down the coast to visit the Minack Theatre. A staggeringly unique phenomenon that has been seen to believed however our personal exploration will have to wait until another time.

Our final destination of the day was land's end. While the overt commercialisation of the area has had a detrimental affect on its beauty once you get beyond the cheap attractions and stand on the precipice of the last cliff of England you begin to appreciate its beauty and its appeal.

We end our video with some Morris dancing, quintessentially English and in my view a perfect way to end the series of videos documenting my holiday in Cornwall.

Thanks to everyone for watching and I'll be back soon with another video.

Music used:

* ReCoup - Remind You

P.S. ReCoup is a great band with strong environmental principles. To find out more from them please visit their website at www.recoupmusic.com

The Maya Diaries - Episode 10 - Cornwall Holiday 2009 Day Three

2009-06-18T19:33:00.001+01:00

It’s the penultimate day of our Cornwall holiday and we were planning to go to St Michaels Mount however we didn't realise it was closed so other plans had to be made.

So this is how we find ourselves in the town of Perranporth, North Cornwall. As I say in the video, whenever we visit Cornwall we usually end up staying here but this time we wanted to try a new location however with our plans for into disarray we came back to what we know and love.

Dave demonstrates what exactly is the difference between a Cornish cream tea and a Devonshire cream tea, we go body boarding to try and burn off some of the calories and we walk along some of the hills and cliff tops that such an integral part of this area of the country.

In the last episode in this series of specials we will try again to visit St Michael's Mount.

Thank you for watching and don't forget to subscribe to be kept up to date instantly.

I can’t believe I'm on Twitter

2009-06-18T18:10:00.001+01:00

Ok don’t worry, I haven’t complete had my life sapped away but I though I would have a look and register. It seams ok but I still like the depth and level of expressionism that you can get with a full blown blogging sight like Wordpress and Blogger.

So if you are on Twitter and really want toe follow/stalk me then you can using the link below.

The next post is going to be day three of my 2009 Cornwall holiday.

http://twitter.com/adamminefield

Will Smith is ‘Hancock’

2009-06-17T10:13:00.001+01:00

Ok so I got another film from LOVEFiLM the other day. I had seen trailers for ‘Hancock’ and was interested to see what it would be about.

Not wanting to give too much of the story away I shall briefly describe the premise. Will Smith plays John Hancock, a superhero with an alcohol problem and anger management issues. While trying to do the right thing here veritably ends up causing more damage and alienating the people he tries to help. It is only after a chance encounter with a PR Guru does he begin to change his image and his fortunes.

I want to clarify that I enjoyed this film. While it was not without its flaws there were some genuine moments of comedy and emotion. Smith's portrayal of a downtrodden man with superhuman abilities came across as touching and as the story develops and his character expanded the empathy you felt for Hancock only increased. If I was to criticise it my only points would be that they didn't expand on some of the points enough. Some of the explanations to hear superhuman abilities were brush over and felt rushed, with a runtime of 92 minutes I felt they could easily take another half an hour to flesh out some of the storyline and character development.

With that said got no problem in recommending angle the people are in the mood for a bit of light-hearted comedy, however be aware there are some moments of genuine violence and peril throughout.

As previously mentioned I got my DVD movie online rental service lovefilm.com, they are currently offering a free trial on their service. If you would like to take advantage of this sinking just follow the link at the bottom of this post.

Coming soon is the final day of my Cornwall holidayas well as a little tribute to Harwich police,thanks for reading and stay tuned.

The Maya Diaries - Episode 09 - Cornwall Holiday 2009 Day Two

2009-06-11T19:37:00.001+01:00

We return to Cornwall where our friends David and Jelena arrive to find that the tent they were due to stay in has no poles.

However after a short trip to Penzance for some sightseeing we pick up a cheap tent.

In the afternoon we spend our time, playing swing ball, putting up the tent, inflating the airbed and larking around with a BBQ and beer.

For the evening we head to a local beach that pepper the Lands End Peninsula.

The last day of our holiday follows shortly.

A reminder to everybody, don't forget you can subscribe in a number of ways. If you just want to receive updates of my video diaries then you can go to my YouTube channel and subscribe in the normal way. However if you want to be kept up to date with not only my video diary but my conventional written word blog then you can goto adam-optical-minefield.blogspot.com and use the links to the left. Finally, if you're interested in Maya, 3-D work and my other professional aspirations then you can go to my main 3-D site at www.optical-minefield.co.uk.

Thank you for watching and i'll speak to you soon.

Music used:

* Beastie Boys- Intergalactic

* Tom McRae - Ghost of a Shark

‘Amazing Grace’ film review … sort of …

2009-06-11T13:16:00.001+01:00

Now, I would never pretend to be a film reviewer I get my three films a month from LOVEFiLM and have been very lucky in that I've enjoyed most of the films that I've received.

Recently, I finished watching the film, ‘Amazing Grace’ which chronicles the plight of William Wilberforce. As he tries to push through antislavery legislation.

Adding this film to my list was a last-minute decision after watching the trailer it looked interesting enough but I did have this fear stooping to overt sentimentality. Thankfully this was not the case and while in my opinion, the first act seemed to drag a little bit as we were shown Wilberforce's failed attempts on the whole the entire film was very tight.

The cast was fantastic, with believable performances all round, which never seemed to slip into the realm of caricature. Michael Gambon deserves extra mention.
Despite some historical inaccuracies. The film portrays the efforts of the antislavery movement, accurately.

So if you're looking for a historical drama, without a syrupy delivery. Then I would highly recommend this film.
Also for those of you that are in the UK. You can get a free trial with LOVEFiLM when you can get 30 days of the service at no obligation. Also, if you use the link below to start your free trial, then I get credited for the referral.

Thank you for reading. Coming next will be Episode 9 of ‘The Maya Diaries’, day two of my holiday in Cornwall.

The Maya Diaries – Episode 08 – Cornwall Holiday Day One

2009-06-10T10:00:00.000+01:00

Last month myself and some friends travelled down to a campsite just outside the town of Penzance for a couple of days of son, surf and relaxation.

This is quite a short episode as the first day was primarily spent with driving down the seven hours from Essex to the very foot of the country. After that all we really had time to do was just set up the tent get some supplies from the supermarket in Penzance. We finished the day with a barbecue and eagerly awaiting our friend's arrival on the next day.

Just a quick plug to everybody, don't forget you can subscribe in a number of ways. If you just want to receive updates of my video diaries then you can go to my YouTube channel and subscribe in the normal way. However if you want to be kept up to date with not only my video diary but my conventional written word blog (some posts will be interspersing the video blogs shortly) then you can either follow this blog or subscribe using the links to the left. Finally, if you're interested in Maya 3-D work and my other professional aspirations then you can go to my main 3-D site at www.optical-minefield.co.uk.

Thank you for watching and i'll speak to you soon.

Music used:
* Cake – Comfort Eagle

The Maya Diaries – Episode 07 -- Karate Black Belt Grading

2009-06-09T10:00:00.000+01:00

Quite an eclectic episode this time round. I discussed my recent karate grading, have a quick walk around Colchester Castle Park to prepare myself and I give a bleary eyed account of my brand-new website.

Music used:
* VNV Nation - Carry You (Frozen Plasma Remix)

Showreel 2009 is here!

2009-06-08T17:31:00.001+01:00

So here it is, after much time and effort I'm pleased to be able to release my current showreel.

It has taken me quite a while and I have experimented with different styles but I think I've got it to a level which I'm happy with. You may also notice that it is high-poly version. I do intend in the very near future to release show will demonstrate in my ability to produce high impact models with a low poly count. If you want to be updated about that then you can subscribe in the normal manner.

As is normal, a showreel is designed to demonstrate my abilities and to gain employment. I have already outlined this desire elsewhere but I shall repeat it here. I'm interested in both full-time or freelance work in either postproduction or game development. I would be willing to do unpaid work as well in return for accreditation. If you are interested in this then please contact me via this blog or a professional site at www.optical-minefield.co.uk.

Thank you very much your time and I hope you enjoy this showreel.

Frell me, more Farscape

2009-06-08T11:58:00.001+01:00

Ok, I know this is quite old news but I though I would repeat it here.

Farscape, the Australian-American sci-fi show ran from 1999 untill it was abruptly cancelled in 2003. Fans had to wait over an entire year before a conclusion to this story was offered but even then the fans knew there was much more life in the franchise.

Now we hear that as well as having a thriving spin-off comic series produced by boom Studios there is also going to be a series of 10 webisodes on the sci-fi Channel's website. Still no real news about how long they will be, when they are coming out or we will be involved.

If you wanted to find out more about Farscape I suggest listening to the best band related podcast out there, the ScapeCast. Their address is at www.ScapeCast.org.

I’ll finish with two bits of trivia, Farscape's birthday happens to be my own birthday. Farscape was first broadcast on March 19, 1999 which was the very day I was celebrating my 15th birthday. Secondly, the ScapeCast invites listeners to answer their very own question ‘What is Farscape’ and my answer was broadcast on episode 81. I'm a little shocked at how monotone and dull my voice is but I suppose I was just worried about articulating and pronouncing all the words correctly as I knew it would be broadcast to thousands. Next time I hope to inject a little more life into my answers.

The Maya Diaries – Episode 06

2009-06-08T10:00:00.000+01:00

In this episode I return to my wormery sometime after the first video to see how they are doing. I need to separate the bulky, solid lumps of waste from the compost that has been produced.

I also need to make sure I keep as many worms with the solid waste as possible. The material that I take out will then be put in my compost at my allotment.

One more note about the resolution , this video by default should be playing in HD. if you are having trouble was or have a slower connection then just click the highlighted HD button at the bottom of the video player.

Music used:
* Pink Floyd - Waiting for the Worms
* Audioslave The Worm

The Maya Diaries -- Episode 05 – The Wormery

2009-06-07T10:00:00.000+01:00

In this episode I set up my wormery. A wormery is a great way of getting rid of all your organic waste if you don't have a garden big enough for conventional compost.

My wormery is from Original Organics but I understand most wormery's work on a similar basis so the steps I take should be fairly universal.

On the 3-D front, I have finished some of the projects I was working on but I'm going to hold off displaying them until my website has finished being redesigned.
If you too have a wormery, let me know how it goes or perhaps even upload a video response.

What you also might notice is that the resolution of this video is higher than any previous episode , this is obviously great for adding more detailed to my videos and will become the standard from now on . However if you are having issues viewing this video at this size then please get in contact with me .

Music used:
* Moby - We are all made of stars
* Joan Armatrading - Drop the pilot

The Maya Diaries – Episode 04

2009-06-06T10:00:00.000+01:00

In this episode I talk about is what aspirations I have for the New Year as well as mentioning the free video tutorials I made for www.CG-HQ.com

Music used
* Roy Wood with Wizzard - I wish it could be Christmas everyday
* Fatboy Slim - Going out of my head

The Maya Diaries-- Episode 03

2009-06-05T10:00:00.000+01:00

This is a bit of a special episode as it is the first time

I go out into the real world. It is also the first time that I experiment with taking advantage of YouTube's improved quality settings, in a future my episodes would start to produced in HD.

Me and my friend James travel to London to attend the National Climate March which happens each year to draw attention to the threat of climate change and to try and push for action.

This is also one of the longest episodes features multimedia from a variety of different sources and as a finished piece of work it is also one of my most accomplished to date.

Music used
* The Alan Parsons Project - Mammagamma
* Add N to (X) - Monster Bobby
* Laibach - Geburt einer Nation

The Maya Diaries -- Episode 02

2009-06-04T10:00:00.001+01:00

In this episode I go into more data about what it is I'm trying to achieve.

I also explain some of the problems I had with my original website which seems a long way in the past now considering I have a nice shiny new website but still lots my progress.

Music used
* Pornstar - Joyrider (Live)
* Absent Kid - Quite Playground

The Maya Diaries -- Episode 01

2009-06-03T09:01:00.001+01:00

This is the first episode of ‘The Maya Diaries’ that I made which set out the premise and some background information. Being that it was the first episode it's still a little crude however are still finding my feet. Up until that point I had only made animation and rendered show reels but nothing with voice narration.

Music used

* Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band - Apache
* Fred Wesley & The Hory Horns - Discositdown
* Clockwork Voodoo Freaks - Deaf Mick's Throwdown

Some random videos

2009-06-02T08:55:00.000+01:00

So I thought I would start off by uploading some of my more random YouTube videos. At the time of writing I have a series of video diaries called 'The Maya Diaries' which has just had its eighth episode.

But before I treat you to that collection I thought I would share some of the other videos that I have produced.

This is the first animation I ever made, it was my graduation piece from Escape Studios, it is rather basic and some of the sound effects were made with me standing in a toilet hitting objects with a spoon but it is still something I'm proud of.

In this video I thought I would try to match up two pieces of audio. It also makes me smile every time I watch it.

In a couple of days or so I will post the entirety of 'The Maya Diaries'. As the usual feel free to comment on any of the videos either in their YouTube page or on this blog. You can either subscribe to my YouTube channel or to this blog directly.

Thank you very much and I'll speak to you soon.

A new start

2009-06-01T15:54:00.000+01:00

So this is a new start for me, I had tried to combine my professionally oriented site concerning my 3-D work and my ambition to get into the CGI industry with a personal blog integrating my YouTube videos and other expressions.

After taking some advice it was seen that I should have the two entities rather separate. Which is why I now have a dedicated blog site and a dedicated 3-D site. The only link between the two is a mention on their respective link pages.

I suppose the main reason for having a blog site as opposed to just keeping my YouTube page is at at times I want to be out to express a bit more of a site like this can achieve that for me. I can post a video and give a bit more explanation as to its origins and its construction. I also had the ability to just express myself quicker without having to go through the process of making a video etc.

So that's the blurb over, I am going to start mirroring my YouTube videos so everything I have done creatively is in one place. You can also expect to see some cosmetic changes on this page while I get comfortable with the layout, colour scheme and other visual elements.

Thank you very much for reading and don't forget you can post your comments as well as contacting me directly.

Adam in the Optical Minefield

Invitation to try Digsby!

Digsby = IM + Email + Social Networks

Adam has his blood taken by Michelle

Update from the Car

The return ...

The Maya Diaries - Episode 15 - Europe Trip - Budapest

VNV Nation - Live at Scala, 21/10/2009 - Video 02

Breif clip from the Harwich Beer Festival

Finished lunch at The Ritz

Just before the Ritz

VNV Nation – Live at Scala, 21/10/2009 – Video 01

More videos coming your way

Update from Linconshire

The Maya Diaries - Episode 14 - Europe Trip - Prague

News and more trivia

Update from the road ...

The Maya Diaries - Episode 13 - Europe Trip - Berlin

The Maya Diaries - Episode 12 – Europe Trip - Brugge

And I'm back

The Maya Diaries – Episode 11 – Cornwall Holiday 2009 Day Four

The Maya Diaries - Episode 10 - Cornwall Holiday 2009 Day Three

I can’t believe I'm on Twitter

Will Smith is ‘Hancock’

The Maya Diaries - Episode 09 - Cornwall Holiday 2009 Day Two

‘Amazing Grace’ film review … sort of …

The Maya Diaries – Episode 08 – Cornwall Holiday Day One

The Maya Diaries – Episode 07 -- Karate Black Belt Grading

Showreel 2009 is here!

Frell me, more Farscape

The Maya Diaries – Episode 06

The Maya Diaries -- Episode 05 – The Wormery

The Maya Diaries – Episode 04

The Maya Diaries-- Episode 03

The Maya Diaries -- Episode 02

The Maya Diaries -- Episode 01

Some random videos

A new start