2016 / 2017 • ISSUE 1
Editor’s Hello. G’DAY READER! We are BREWED - a magazine created by 2nd year IMEM students, made for everyone involved in the Academy for Digital Entertainment. The summer break is over and a new academic year has started. However, the student life does not solely consist of attending courses, projects and countless study sessions, but also of having a good time involving partying with your friends, exploring new surroundings and making new experiences in this very unique chapter of your life. Therefore, we feed you with a mix of NHTV related gossip and news as well as giving you some insights of what our beautiful city Breda has to offer. Have a break, sit back and explore what is going on, outside of your study course. Thank you for picking up this issue of BREWED and have fun reading it!
Tobias Uhrich Editor-in-chief
brewedmagazine
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brewed.nl
TABLE OF CONTENT
LIFESTYLE NHTV 50TH ANNIVERSARY MEDIA FACTS UPCOMING EVENTS ACTIVITIES IN BREDA DEALS AND DISCOUNTS
Designed by Sten Mols
3 7 8 10 12
BREWERS QUOTE WALL FOREIGNER ESSENTIALS MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENTS GUILTY PLEASURES HUMANS OF NHTV
15 16 18 20 22
MEDIA REMEMBER WHEN? RECOMMENDATIONS - GAMES, MOVIES, CONCERTS LATEST DEVELOPMENTS REED HASTINGS COLLEGE TOUR
24 26 28 30
FUTURE EXPERIENCE INTERNS EXCHANGE - EXPERIENCES AND POSSIBILITIES
32 36
FEATURES ALUMNI STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS INTERVIEW LECTURERS MASTERS MEDIA CROSSWORD QUIZ
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40 43 46 50 51 52
Written by Carlijn Peeters & Iva Gagarova Designed by Ralitsa Dodova
This year the NHTV exists 50 years! This is a big happening, so we are going to pay much attention to it. We will give you a short overview of the NHTV’s history, how we celebrated it and what the future of our school will look like.
NHTV 50TH ANNIVERSARY | HISTORY It all started 50 years ago, in 1966, with the foundation of the Dutch Scientific Institute for Tourism (NWIT) in Breda. In 1966, NWIT started with 58 students - who were studying to become a Tourist Officer - and 12 staff members. [This is not very much, considering that we approximately have 7.700 students and 800 staff members from all over the world right now.] This all changed in the following year, with 230 people who assigned themselves to follow the NWIT program. In 1968, the first diplomas were
awarded to the senior year students, but this hadn’t been easy for them. 23 of the 39 candidates were presented with the coveted certificate, 6 of them got a second chance, and the remaining 10 failed the course. In 1972, the Traffic Academy Tilburg (VAT) started with 90 students and 9 staff members. 15 years later in 1987, the VAT merged with the NWIT. Together it was called the NHTV; the Netherlands Institute of Tourism and Transport Studies. However, the two partners physically came together in the same building in 1994, at Mr. Hopmansstraat 1, Breda.
5
In 2001, the position of our school changed from
about two years later, Profession-Oriented Tourism
national into international. As a result,
and Recreation was added. Eventually,
the use of the English language became
a
in September 2006, the International
standard.
Game Architecture and Design
Because of this growth, the
was
name changed as well,
launched
Since
which really became
2009,
added
bachelor
Breda
to
Applied After the a
of
Sciences. became
Studies
institution,
since
and
Leisure Bachelor
is very important for the
the
NHTV, since it makes our school the very first university
extended more and more.
of
In 2002, Facility Management International
Science
of Science Tourism. This
programs you could follow
and
programs Bachelor
NHTV
education
academic
offerings: of
higher
school
educational
change, specialized
well.
their
this
more
our
two
a brand name: NHTV University
as
Media
applied
Netherlands and
sciences
which
offers
in
the both
professional and academic bachelors.
Entertainment Management were two brand new
Three years later in 2012, the NHTV also added
programs which you could study at the NHTV, and
the first academic master for Leisure studies.
CELEBRATION
As you probably may have guessed, there cannot
Commissioner of North Brabant. At the end of the
be a 50-year anniversary without a big celebration.
day there was a special dinner with the important
We are presenting you the events which already
stakeholders of the NHTV and their partners. On
took place and also those which will happen this
the same day, the NHTV 50-year anniversary book
year.
has been revealed for all the guests who were attending the ceremony in the church. The week
The celebration period started on the first of
after all the employees received the book as
September alongside the new academic year.
well. On the fifth of September, when the lectures
There were 500 guests invited to a special ceremony
officially started, there were tons of small cakes with
in the Great Church of Breda. Some very important
the 50th anniversary logo which were given to all
people were part of the speakers like the King’s
the students who entered the NHTV.
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During spring, from May 8th until the 13th the
the NHTV during the different periods in the past,
NHTV will have a central theme called “Open
where we are now and what is still waiting to come.
House�. In this week the convent will be used for
Information about impressive student projects and
an interactive tour through the past and future of
the new campus will also be covered. About the
the NHTV. We are opening the doors for all local
parties, on 11 May there will be a student party
residents, organizations and other stakeholders as
and on 12 May there will be an alumni event. So an
well. The main idea during these days is to present
event for all the past graduates.
THE FUTURE OF NHTV The main idea of the NHTV is to continue staying the best, so this means making important developments and innovations to the knowledge and regularly readapting our education to new levels. Regarding this strategy and keeping all the study programs up to the highest standards, there is a very strict admission process every academic year. A limited number of students is accepted, hereby ensuring that they have chosen and match the right study program. Maintaining a high international reputation is also one of the most essential goals the NHTV is striving for, which means accepting more and more foreign students and lecturers, and attract them with offering high-quality facilities. The new campus in Breda will cover high international standards and requirements. Next to the N and H buildings at the Mgr. Hopmansstraat in Breda, there is a very beautiful historical building situated, centered in a lovely green surrounding. This building will be part of the NHTV campus which main idea is to make one central location for all its study programs in the future. The contract was awarded by the NHTV for designing the campus to InboCuld. These architects took part in the contribution
to
several
huge
projects
such
as
Hightech Campus in Eindhoven and the campus in
Erasmus
University
in
Rotterdam.
The
new
campus is scheduled to be completed in 2020.
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The green campus will be constructed in a park-
We would like to welcome our external partners to
style which will include some sports facilities,
help to shape the NHTV, a variety of knowledge
shops restaurants and a very impressive and
projects and the entire education in general. The
huge multimedia library. It will not be open
building will be especially facilitated for visitors with
only for students of the NHTV and staff, but also
unusual new things such as temporary workstations,
for our already graduated students, creative
special meeting rooms and an incubator.
entrepreneurs, local residents, people who take part in the executive programs and of course the city of Breda.
The five NHTV academies will have an impressive and recognizable place and identity. There will be a central meeting place for all types of joined activities which will be more prominent than before. After all, the gaining of knowledge and development will be achieved by extending the individual disciplines and academies.
We are always aiming to keep the business attitude visible and accessible through our flourishing NHTV Business Holding and its other companies. Our future objective is to connect with our alumni in order to further develop the NHTV into a strategic entrepreneurial and business-oriented university, known
to
be
an
internationally
renowned
knowledge institute with high quality education techniques and research.
8
30 million Facebook users died in the first eight years of its existence. In fact, 428 of them die every hour, so they’re practically dropping like flies. And every day, these dormant accounts receive friend requests, get tagged in photos, and sometimes, they’re even wished a happy birthday. People who use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter will spend 10% of their entire life time on these sites.
If you leave everything to the last minute... it will only take a minute.
Nomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile phone or losing your signal.
The bird featured in Twitter’s iconic logo and branding is called Larry.
MEDIA FACTS
Surgeons who grew up playing video games make 37% fewer mistakes.
Your mobile phone has more computing power than the computers used for the Apollo 11 moon landing.
The word ‘censorship’ is censored in China.
Written by Nina Smeijsters Designed by Ralitsa Dodova
It has been calculated that the average American child sees about 13,000 deaths on television between the ages of five and 14.
The founder of Match.com lost his girlfriend to a man she met on Match.com.
You can change
In 1998, Sony accidentally sold 700,000 camcorders that had the technology to see through people’s clothes. These cameras had special lenses that use infrared light, which allowed you to see through some types of clothing.
your language on Facebook to “Pirate”.
Scientists have developed a way of charging mobile phones using urine.
How popular is social media? It’s the most popular activity online. Yep. It’s even more popular than porn.
Ten percent of all the photos ever taken were taken in the last 12 months.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Written by Nina Smeijsters • Designed by Ralitsa Dodova
“The Glass House” of Serious Request in Breda
“The Glass House” of Serious Request in Breda “Het Glazen Huis” (The Glass House) of 3FM Serious Request is a fundraising event that will be held in Breda this year. 3FM Serious Request 2016 asks attention for a silent disaster that happens every 35 seconds: a child dying of pneumonia. Every year, more than 900.000 young children die because of pneumonia. With the right treatment and information, children’s lives can be saved.
When:
e
Sunday 18 December 2016 until Saturday 24 December 2016
Location: Grote Markt, Breda
D
nu
e
v A e
iv
V e:
ia
c en
n Din
w
o r Sh
Tickets: Balcony € 54,90 Big room € 59,90
When: Friday 18 november 2016, 19.30 h
Location: Waterstraat 5, Breda
This is how dinner shows are supposed to be like! It includes a singer/presenter, beautiful show ballet, lots of glitter and glamour, 150+ costumes, faster-than-light-transformations and a big party. All of the songs’ lyrics are projected, so everyone can sing along. This makes the dinner show one big singalong party!
10 10
538JingleBall is a winter festival and your last chance to lose it all
Welcome to the Future Indoor Festival
with your friends be fore you have to sit with your family for the Christmas dinner.
53
8J
in
The summer turned into the colder winter months... but it
gl
When:
eb
doesn’t mean the end for the festival season! Welcome
Saturday 17 December 2016
al
to the Future returns to the Warehouse Elementenstraat
l
Location:
in November for another daytime festival.
Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
Saturday 19 November 2016
Location: Warehouse Elementstraat, Amsterdam
Tickets:
W
in
te
rE
fte
Late €42,50
lin
Standard €35,50
g
Earlybird €29,50
e
m
20
16
ci
th
ty
G of
lo
w
Tickets:
Ein
lig Regular e ht .D s, 1 ec ur 2t Ein €49 h in ta Ein g dh cu u dh G n o la by til ov lo ve r w en s n, th l , e i g pr v e . t h is he er oj D t sh al al 19 ec ur G v o la i t n i ar w te sit lo h g s tis bo or w d t o 10 ts he in on ha ut f ge 0. a sg No 00 bu th nd sh G ts e lo 0v ow ro ve ild tre W de w w i c i m ng s, a sit 12 he i n s t t b i o y e g w s, in er rs d ne un n: hi to ob ce fro ch w rs, til a n j ith ec m 19 n te lig ar th ts, ev r ht No e e of en s w m Ne ve ar at tt ad m e th e h re e be er be at la tc r2 in at n g et 01 ds tra er 6 an c a t Lo so . d be ve Ein ca yo r dh tio nd ov n ! en : C en te r sp
When:
Th
fro
Location:
When:
Europalaan 1,
Christmas holiday
Kaatsheuvel
(24 december
Tickets
2016 until 8 janu-
Online: € 34,50;
ary 2017): 11 am
Kassa: € 36,50
until 20 pm.
dh
ov
en
The very popular Dutch amusement park “The Efteling” organizes the Winter Efteling every year. The Winter Efteling ensures a lovely warm atmosphere for its visitors. Enjoy the romantic fairytale woods, lights, campfires and much more. During the Winter Efteling not all attractions are open, but they have an ice skating rink and a snow rink to emphasize the warm atmosphere.
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Written by Rachel Sommers Designed by Sten Mols
ACTIVITIES Since student life is not ONLY about meeting deadlines and exams, we Brewers decided to make a list of cheap, fun and special activities that can all be done within Breda. Looking for enjoyable activities that you can do with some friends? This is the place to be!
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1
Ghost Tour Breda (DUTCH ONLY) Are you interested in mysterious stories about Breda? Ghost Tour Breda is a night tour in which a city guard, from the 19th century, guides you through the historical city centre of Breda. While walking around, you will hear old legends and stories about ghosts, sins, crimes and murders. €15,- p.p. Museum Of The Image As the name already suggests, MOTI is a museum that focusses on visual culture. What kind of visuals has mankind used throughout the past centuries? What are the effects of these visuals? MOTI’s permanent collection, exhibitions and publications will help you answer these questions. €5,- p.p.
2
Trampoline Park Cross Jumps With 320 square meters of trampoline, Cross Jumps is the perfect place to practice tricks and have fun with your friends! Besides a lot of trampolines, the park also has a 20 meter long tumbling track and a Green Zone with BigAirBag. €7,50 per hour p.p.
5
Escape Room Breda Are you good at discovering clues and do you like solving puzzles? Escape Room Breda offers the perfect activity for you! You’ll be locked inside an office and need to use objects and clues to escape within 60 minutes. Can you manage it? Starting from €15,- p.p.
3
Beer Advertising Museum It might be fun to take a closer look at the history of the alcoholic beverage that we all seem to love (especially on Thursday evenings). The Museum is said to own the largest collection in the Netherlands. This collection varies from antique posters of old beer advertisements, to approximately 1000 enamel signs. FREE of charge
6
13
Kinepolis Breda Kinepolis is a new cinema that offers you movies with good visual quality (laser projection!) and comfortable seats. The biggest hall is equipped with Kinepolis Laser ULTRA, which means that both the visuals and sounds (Dolby Atmos) will be of high quality! €9,- p.p. (regular rate)
4
Reptile House De Aarde Would you like to see reptiles and amphibians? Reptile House De Aarde is a small zoo that allows you to look around at the different animals, ask questions to the zookeepers and (of course) hold snakes in your hands. €7,50 p.p.
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Deals & Discounts Written by Iva Gagarova & Nick Pijler Designed by Lotte Brink
25% off Sign up and show your student card
CrossFit Climbers Cabin Terheijdenseweg 498 4826 AB Breda
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
08:00–23:00 08:00–23:00 08:00–23:00 08:00–23:00 08:00–23:00 08:00–13:00 08:00–13:00
10% off
Show your student card Subway Houtmarkt 11 4811 JC Breda Subway Stationsplein 8A 4811 BB Breda
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
09:30–20:00 09:30–20:00 09:30–20:00 09:30–21:00 09:30–20:00 09:30–20:00 11:00–20:00
Jan en Alleman Breda On Fridays a meal for three: starter, main dish and icecream for € 16,95
MOTI Museum Students entrance for € 6,25 instead of € 10,00
Hairdresser DownTown 20% discount
Pathé Student tickets for € 8,50 instead of € 10,50
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Knaek Student Card A major key for getting crazy student discounts is getting your Knaek card, among with a CJP card. This is simply a small booklet containing all kinds of interesting promotions. The CJP card is simply one card, which will be sent to your address when signing up for the Knaek card. In the beginning of the school year, these cards will be handed out in school. In the first year, it won’t cost you anything. After that, you pay an annual fee of €25. Also, you can download the app, so that you don’t have to bring the booklet with you all the time. Here are some helpful Knaek & CJP discounts! At café Vulling (Grote Markt 16) you will get two Bacardi-Cola for only €5! At café Doppio (Grote Markt 18) you will get a second coffee or tea for free. At De Toren (Torenstraat 6) you will get a second portion of fries for free. And hey, golden tip, McDonalds offers two burgers for only €5. Hmm... enjoy! Lastly, MOTI museum offers entrance for students for €6,25 instead of €10. Definitely worth visiting!
Download the Knaek app for free 16
k.
QUOTE
WALL
| 8 Rens: “But we can’t pick her as an actor, since she’s not suitable.” Tobias: “Why not suitable?” Rens: “Because she’s ugly and old.”
Written by Nick Pijler Designed by Sten Mols
| 9 | 1 Nick: “Which E-Mail shall I use to assign to our Dropbox folder, Rachel?” Rachel: “Just use my G-Mail.” Tobias: “Did you just say shemale?”
| 2 Liselot: “It would be great if we can redo the assignment, then my grade could be upgraded and then...” Charlie Hicks: “Are you German, or what?”
Arleen Cuevas: “Sometimes people ask me ‘why is the character’s face so lit?’ Well then, I tell them that, basically, it could be because the sun is shining.”
| 10 Robin Terwindt: “Isn’t pornography supposed to show how it’s done?” Ruben: “I don’t know. I’m still a virgin.”
| 11 Rein: “He’s not fat, he’s just a father.”
| 3 Stefan Egberts: “So, who wants to present first?” Rein: “Yeah fuck it, we’ll go first.” Stefan Egberts: “Okay, then the fuck-it group goes first.”
| 12 Iva: “Toby, do we have to stay until 5?” Tobias: “No, not really. Just... if you want to leave, then get the fuck out.”
| 4
| 13
Rachel: “She wants the D.” Johanna: “What, what is the D? I want my P.”
Bert de Vaan: “Think about how you can be creative under the shower or in the bathtub. Production can be anywhere!”
| 5
| 14
Eric Wels: “This is a sound recording!”
Charlie Hicks: “RTFM. Read. The. Freaking. Manual.”
| 6 Robin Terwindt: “And if that’s the case, is reality tv actually tv then?” Joey: “Jesus, that’s deep!” Robin Terwindt: “I haven’t even started yet.”
| 7 Oliver Davies: “But... Big but...”
17
| 15 Maarten: “I had the chance once to do a Caesarean section on a cow. But that didn’t have the desired result. I just kept stabbing and stabbing, but instead of a calf, the entire body system came out.”
Hello Holland
Foreigner Essentials Written by Iva Gagarova • Designed by Lotte Brink
YOU MADE IT ! You are now a student in the Netherlands, ready to leave your home country and explore the new adventures that are quickly approaching. Now is the time to start packing, thinking about what you have to bring with you, and what you will need to get done after your arrival.
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Accommodation You have probably found a room by now, but there are always students who have difficulties with it. It is quite a tough procedure, since everything happens online and it takes time. However, be patient and don’t give up. The best option when looking for a room is to e-mail your university about possible websites for accommodation. They will help you with finding realestate agencies in town as well as useful websites and Facebook groups to make the process easier. They can also give you contacts of other people who are searching for a room as well. In case you don’t know yet: most students in the Netherlands have their own rooms, but share a kitchen and bathroom.
Documents The second thing you need to do is to bring all the required documents. The ones you will definitely need are: your passport and ID, medical certificates, birth certificate, health and travel insurances and your health cards. The ones that are needed for the university are your English certification, high school diploma and personal teacher references.Another crucial thing is that you have to make an online appointment for the municipality registration. You can make this here: https://www.breda.nl/. Don’t worry, there is an English menu as well. You have to register at the municipality registration in order to have a BSN number. This is mandatory so you can actually prove you live in the Netherlands. Moreover, you will need it, for instance, to open a Dutch bank account. Do NOT forget to bring your rent contract when go to Gemeente Breda!
Luggage It obviously varies from person to person what kind of things to bring, but there are very important items which you can’t live without. Since you have chosen to study in the Netherlands, be prepared to bring lots of warm clothes - especially waterproof ones an umbrella and some boots of course. From a technical point of view, a good laptop is a must; the different departments in NHTV work with different software, so check what programs you will need in order to be prepared. What about the more personal things to bring? You will be away from home for months, so it’s nice to have photos of family and friends. In todays age of technology, every memory can be saved on your phone or laptop, but the feeling of opening a photo album or looking up at a picture above your desk is a totally different experience. In order to help you a bit more, you can find the most important e-mail addresses that you might need on Brewed.nl as well as on the website of Breda’s municipality.
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Oops..
1 2 3
No turning back
Headless chicken
Group chat mania
“One time I made a bet with a friend of mine which I lost, so I had to wear very ugly, oversized clothes with very bright, inappropriate lipstick during the whole day at university. However, it was not only this; I had to drink two glasses of wine at nine o’clock in the morning before my first class. I had to do it because she was with me - I had no choice.”
“I took an exam and after half an hour of wondering where these questions came from, I realized I walked into the wrong room and was doing the wrong exam.“
“I was chatting with a friend at the same time that there was a discussion going on in my class group chat. I wanted to insult my friend as a joke, but I ended up writing what I wanted to say to her in the group chat.“
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MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENTS Written by Iva Gagarova Designed by Lotte Brink
4 5 6 Crush crushed
My bad
Toilet troubles
“I was having a chat with a guy I had a crush on and decided to text everything that happened in detail to my best friend. However; I sent the whole, very long, message to my crush. Surprisingly, he said it was cute and we went on date.”
“I was showing my friend the middle finger, however, while I was doing this, a teacher passed by and thought it was for her.”
“I went to the toilet and when I opened one of the unlocked doors, a girl was already sitting there. I then met her later that day. She was so ashamed when she saw me.”
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GUILTY PLEASURES
Written by Nina Smeijsters & Nick Pijler Designed by Sten Mols
Can You Not Tell My Friends? We all have them: guilty pleasures. Some are not that bad, others will ruin your social life. Are you the person that turns up the music when you’re all alone and pretend that you are the star of a music video? Or are you the person that secretly browses videos showing people that pop the grossest pimples in the ‘dark part of YouTube’? Either way, you probably won’t tell your friends that you like picking big boogers from your nose. Below, there are some stories from our BREWERS. “I nibble on the edges of my shirts and on the sleeves and cords of my sweaters. I often have to buy new clothes because I always bite holes in my clothes.” Dewi (F), 19 “I always take the bottom plate, otherwise it’s sad because it’s never being chosen.” Elroy (M), 19 “Sometimes when I’m really tired, I randomly lay down on the ground. Doesn’t matter where I am.” Marieke (F), 19 “I like to go to Ladies Night in Pathé. Sometimes I go with friends, sometimes I go alone... I absolutely loved the new Bridget Jones movie.” Robin (M), 21 “I watch porn together with my boyfriend. Not because it turns us on, but because we like to judge porn stars and laugh at them.” Anonymous (F), 19 “I like opening Nutella pots for the first time. I like the cracking sound. After that I try to puncture the golden foil in one try without touching the nutella. Always feels so satisfying!” Frederique (F), 20 “I go to the opera every month with my mom.” Damon (M), 19 “I talk to my shoes. For example, I say sorry for not wearing several pairs, after which I tell them I still love them.” Gwen (F), 30
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“I love the movie ‘Pitch Perfect.’” Luca (M), 18 “I make up my own curse words. Curse words that don’t make sense like ‘stupid branch’ or ‘rotten shoe’ and I laugh uncontrollably about it while other people won’t think this is funny at all.” Bob (M), 18 “Sometimes, when I’m having a snack on my couch, I suddenly have to go to the toilet. Mostly, I postpone this for two hours, because I’m too lazy to stand up. Eventually, you really have to go, and then I take my snacks with me to the toilet, together with my smartphone. One hour later I might - if you’re lucky - come back.” Anne (F), 24
So your habits are not as odd as you possibly though
“Everything I see has to be ordered and organized correctly. So even when I’m not at home, but at someone else’s or in a restaurant, I start to fix things, like a spoon which is out of alignment.” Dennis (M), 22
Now you are done reading these guilty pleasures, you might have a slight feeling of self-restoration. At least we felt that. Despite having guilty pleasures, it is wise for one to realize we’re all just human and, well, these things give us color! But erm... just make sure you perform them in such a way that it pleases YOU!
“I’m the kind of guy who yells in public spaces. Not that I pronounce actual words, merely sounds that make no sense at all.” Robin (M), 25
23
HUMANS OF NHTV Written by Carlijn Peeters Designed by Sten Mols
We Brewers are pretty sure that almost everyone has seen Totally Spies or Pokémon at least once, and played computer games like Pac Man in our childhood. If not, you’ve probably heard of them. We were very curious which television programs and games came to mind of our fellow students when asked about their childhood.
Elizebeth, 18 “I loved to watch Tracey Beaker of The Dumping Ground when I was a kid, because it was the show of my favorite author! Sims 2 was the game I played most, since it was my first big computer game. I always played it with my sister.”
Estela, 23 “I actually had a lot of television programs that I liked, but if I have to choose one, it will be the manga cartoons like Dragon Ball Z. These were the most popular shows at that time in my country: Spain. Crash Bandicoot was the PlayStation game I played the most, it was neither difficult or easy. I liked that it had a story that consisted of different tasks you had to do on different levels you could reach.”
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Milan, 20 “If I need to choose it will be Pokémon. It had something magical, cheerful, each episode was different and it had very nice characters. Hitman 2 was a nice game, because it had a lot of action in it. It kind of had a James Bond feel.”
Roelof, 23 “I loved everything I was not supposed to watch, like Shin Chan. When my parents forbid me to watch something, of course I really wanted to watch it. ‘Charlie de Eend’ (Charlie the Duck) was a game I played when I was a kid. It was developed by a student, which made me want to do the same. That’s how I ended up in IGAD.”
Nynke, 20 “’Het Sinterklaas Journaal’ (Saint Nicholas News) was a program I could not miss for a day, because every episode was exciting, and you always talked about it at school the day after. I also liked ‘Moffel and Piertje’, another Dutch television program that we watched a lot at school. ‘Sims Ikea’ was a game I played very often. When I was younger, I wanted to be an interior architect until it turned out to be too mathematical.”
Sjef, 24 “I enjoyed the Pokémon series a lot, it really was a huge trend and it was very popular at my school as well. We collected the cards, showed them to each other to see which cards we had and traded them with each other.” “I played Red Alert a lot with my friends, which was a strategic game about the cold war. The game happened to be a bit futuristic, it was cool and you had people with guns! What more do you want as a little kid of that age?!”
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In west Philadelphia born and raised... The time when Will Smith was just a rebellious kid who got thrown into the luxurious lifestyle of the other part of his family. The girls wanted to wear Hilary’s clothes, the guys were watching Carlton closely – just because they wanted to avoid everything that the loveable geek would do (except for the dance moves, they were pretty cool). Let us all remember Will Smith in his glory days, not when he’s making weird space movies with his son, but when he was sitting on his throne.. As the Prince of Bel-Air.
Written by Nina Smeijsters & Naomi Melchers Designed by Ralitsa Dodova
2.
Waterful Ring Toss
1.
When?
4.
The Lion King
Aah, who doesn’t remember one of the most frustrating games in existence. The joy that you felt when you finally managed to manoeuvre one of the colourful rings on to the plastic sticks was indescribable. Unfortunately, the downside –pun intended – was the disappointment in your game skills when you weren’t able to get the last two rings on the stack. But you have to admit, didn’t you ever turn the game upside down and try to shake the rings on the stack? That’s what I thought.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
3. Furbies
AAAAAH ZABENYAAA... Say the words out loud and you will probably remember one of the most iconic Disney films ever made. The film that made us laugh when Timon and Pumba showed up, cry when the lion dad of all dads died and most of all giving us a sense of relief when it had a happy ending. This movie will be the one – the one where, you could be watching it with a 9 year old kid and still have the same emotional reactions as him. Praise. Disney.
They were cute, cuddly and adorable at the beginning, when you paid attention to them that is. If you ‘forgot’ them for a while, they would turn into a grumpy pile of fur who would act like a four-year old who didn’t get to watch the new SpongeBob episode. The problem was that every time that you tried to talk to them, they would respond in a furbish language. Only the ultimate furby-nerd with 17 different cuddly monsters in their room would understand ‘u-nye-way-loh-nee-way’(translation for the non-furby nerds: the furby would kindly ask you to go to sleep).
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5. MSN
Remember
Remember the times when you would cycle/ walk/run home, not just to escape school but to talk to your (school) friends on MSN even though you saw them 10 minutes ago. It was something where you could express your thoughts with meaningful Black Eyed Peas or Pussycat Dolls lyrics such as ‘~* When I Grow Up I Wanna Be Famous *~’. Let’s not forget, we changed our status to online, offline, online until a certain crush would notice and start the 5 sentences ‘Hey how are you – good you – also good – okay cool - yeah’ conversation.
6.
We realized we didnt need some kind of psychic to tell us what life had in store for us. Who are you going to marry? How many kids will you have? Parts of the fortune teller are labelled with colors or numbers that serve as options for a player to choose from, and on the inside are eight flaps, each concealing a message. The person operating the fortune teller manipulates the device based on the choices made by the player, and finally one of the hidden messages is revealed. The future was already determined on the playground. You only had to do some origami first.
We borrowed them, shared them, stole them, smelled them and broke them. Sometimes, they even appeared in your pencil case out of nowhere. Unless you were the one that always had one of those big gel pen-boxes with all the colors of the rainbow. In that case, it didnt matter if your yellow one suddenly stopped working or never even worked in the first place. You could just pick the slightly-darker colored yellow gel pen. If you wanted your homework to have a colorful twist to it, you used one of these. For the girls, some even had some sparkly glitter in it.
When we were younger, we laughed about how Shin Chan did the butt boogie. He wasnt afraid to embarrass his mom, his teacher and he could make every grown-up feel uncomfortable but for us...it would be super funny. You probably never noticed as a child how many sexual references or just how much bad language the show actually had! Shin Chan was taken off the air in 2010 because parents began to notice the vulgar nature of the show.
10. Glow in the dark stars
9.
7.
Shin Chan
Gel Pens
8. Freddi Fish
Paper Fortune Teller
Who doesnt know these two famous fish? Together with his sidekick Luther, Freddi goes on adventurous quests and swims around the ocean to solve mysteries. Of course he cant do it without your help. You are the brain behind the tough puzzles, the navigator and the investigator that helps Freddi and Luther in their adventurous journeys. This successful computer game series began in 1994 and stole many of our hours on the family computer.
Moooom? Daaaad? Somehow you had always a friend who suddenly had glow in the dark stars all over their walls and ceilings and when we saw how cool these looked, you really wanted to have them as well (same with those colorful mosquito-nets for above your bed that were a trend for a while).These glow in the dark stars would turn our ceilings into a breathtaking galaxies. They somehow made dark nights a little bit less scary, and secretly a little bit cooler.
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RECOMMENDATIONS GAMES, MOVIES & MUSIC Written by Nick Pijler • Designed by Sten Mols
MOVIES | ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016) A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… There was Star Wars! For several decades, there have been X-Wings flying over our heads, crazy creatures kept creeping through space, and lightsabers have been clashing since The Force awakened. So if you woke up by now, we can shed some light on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story! This exciting (Lucas) film follows up from Episode VII: The Force Awakens’ (2015), and happens shortly before the events of Episode IV: A New Hope’. With the directions of Gareth Edwards, the story unfolds in the mission of Rebel spies, to steal the plans for the Death Star, the Galactic Empire’s new weapon. The return of villain Darth Vader sounds very promising and, of course, it has topped several most-anticipated film lists for the year. Let’s sit back, relax and… may the force be with you! IN CINEMA DECEMBER 12TH, 2016!
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MUSIC | SNOOP DOGG - COOLAID (2016) When you think of Snoop Dogg, you might want to get in retrospect to the era of ‘Drop it Like it’s Hot’, ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Signs’. Those were all mega-hits, obviously. But what happened to D O double G afterwards? Well, fact is that the almost-45 year old rapper has brought out an album nearly every year. This year, he serves his fans some Coolaid. The overall tone is set by ‘Legend’, in which the rapper clearly refers to his proclaimed status. On the album we can gladly experience the traditional and trusted Snoop Dogg vibe. ‘Super Crip’ emphasizes that Snoop has still got it! Also, Wiz Khalifa can be heard on both ‘Oh Na Na’ and ‘Kush-Ups’, which portrays the ambition of two friends who want to make great music. Very surprising album, go check it out! AVAILABLE NOW!
MUSIC | CONCERT ANOUK (2017) Set the date! In May 2017, Dutch rock singer Anouk will hit the Ziggodome stage in Amsterdam. Since 1997, she has created nine very successful studio albums which resulted in lots of hits and awards. A total unique and dynamic sound can be heard on her recent single ‘Down Daddy Down’, listed on her newest album ‘Fake it Till we Die’. TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW VIA TICKETMASTER.NL! (€39)
GAMES | SCALEBOUND (2017) Scalebound is an Xbox One exclusive RPG banger that should’ve been released already. However, the developer, PlatinumGames, wants to make sure all features and gameplay experiences get refined so it will live up to the expectations. The game follows the story of Drew, who gets dragged into the magnificent but dangerous world of Draconis. There, Drew is accompanied by the noble dragon Thuban. Together they must learn to fight as one in order to beat their powerful enemies who are threatening Draconis and Earth. As far as one can learn from the game demo, the RPG contains stunning graphics which are in balance with interactions and sound effects. All in all, the story definitely catches our interest. Is it 2017 already?
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LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
/GADGETS Coming off of a blast from the past, the NES Mini is happening soon. Originally released in 1985‚ ‘Nintendo Entertainment System’ console was constructed as a squared device with big-ass cartridges. Peeps from the 90s remember blowing into the cartridges to make ‘em work. As for now, Nintendo gives us some air to breathe again. November 11th is the current NES Mini release. Much smaller, built smarter and preloaded with thirty retro games. How awesome would
it be to uppercut Goombas again in Super Mario? Or properly pop your enemies via Metroids laser gun? Or pull some phat wheelies on the court of Excitebike? - Exactly, it’s gonna be off the hook. Additionally, the anticipated device comes with the NES Classic Edition system, one controller, HDMI cable and AC adapter. So, you can now finally re-experience your gaming past in a modern way. Shut up and take my money!
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Written by Nick Pijler • Designed by Sten Mols
VIRTUAL
REALITY Have you ever wondered the human body, or virtual field how it would be to see the trip lessons in school. It is already happening! But, there’s also room imaginary? Virtual Reality made it possible. Basically, VR glasses are constructed with several sensors; these absorb information of the real world and use that to simulate a virtual reality. The HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are the most popular glasses which need a powerful computer for smooth image transitioning. These glasses consist of two bold lenses, a splitted plate for stereoscopic views, a button to adjust the image sharpness and a body on which one can mount a smartphone. It’s also possible to create one from cardboard. From there, it only requires a wifi connection. Samsung enabled the Galaxy Note 5 and 7, Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S7 and S7 Edge to support the Samsung New Gear VR.
for improvement. The manufacturers strive to get the highest frame rate possible. Apart from even a greater experience, hopefully it becomes more accessible for everyone, without getting a slight feeling of headache or dizziness. Undoubtedly, in just a matter of time everybody will be able to enjoy the world of virtual reality. It’s time to access the unreachable!
Oscar Bastiaens is the coordinator of NHTV’s very own Creative Lab. He expresses that the general expectations are that, in three years from now, 50% of every household will own one VR device. It’s amazing for entertainment purposes, like the addition of YouTube in which it supports a lot of 360-degrees videos. Another example could be the Alpenexpress Coastiality; the world’s premier virtual reality rollercoaster in Europa Park, in which visitors experience the actual ride mixed with the simulated ride via VR glasses! Other purposes are science and education. Think of doctors who get trained by simulations of operating
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COLLEGE TOUR:
REED HASTINGS Written by Nina Smeijsters & Rachel Sommers Designed by Sten Mols
In the television program College Tour, Twan Huys interviews sensational guests from all over the world. The live audience consists of hundreds of students who also get the chance to ask questions. With more than eighty broadcasts, College Tour can look back at special guests such as Bill Gates, Eric Schmidt, Sting, John Legend and Robbie Williams. On the 15th of September, Twan Huys interviewed the co-founder and CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings. A couple of Brewers went to Paradiso Amsterdam) to participate in the recordings of the show. You can find some interesting highlights below!
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Reed: “How many of you have watched Netflix in the last month?” Hundreds of hands raised. With over 83 million subscribers in over 190 countries, Netflix is one of the most successful media companies of this time. Watching series, films or ‘binge watching’ is now possible anywhere at any time.
We were introduced to Reed Hastings. Reed was a student once as well. He studied at the Bowdoin College in Maine and was willing to answer some questions about his student life.
Twan: What kind of student were you? Reed: I did not make the best use of my university years. I was too narrow, I only studied math and now in hindsight I wish I had done more history, economics and chemistry. Twan: How did you score on a scale of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll? Reed joked: On rock ‘n roll and drugs I did okay. Twan: What was available in your days at college or university talking about drugs? Reed: It was mostly marihuana. Twan: Did you ever got caught by anybody? Reed: Ever got caught by anybody. Convicted or caught? That changes the question.
Another topic that Twan addressed is related to Netflix and its original content. Twan: How important is it to have a great teacher, a storyteller? Reed: Very important. I’m sure all of you have found that some teachers really get you excited about the subjects and other teachers know the material well, but it just doesn’t connect. That chemistry, that makes it become alive, is fantastic when it happens. Student: So what do you expect to happen to linear TV and internet distribution in the future? Reed: The history of innovation is tricky, because it’s often stable for a very long time, and then it suddenly changes. It’s kind of unpredictable. Horses were domesticated in Kazakhstan and it was the primary mode of personal transportation. Century after century, people tried to make better horses, better saddles, iron shoes etc. After 5000 years of stability, everything changed within 50 years, all due to the invention of the internal combustion engine in the late 1800s. Horses are now a pet for rich people and, you know, you have a car and a bicycle. He thinks that we’re entering a period of stability with internet distribution and he does not know what will change that - or in other words: what’s beyond the internet.
So now we know a bit more about Reed’s college life! After the introduction and a little bit of fooling around, Reed started talking about the real business.
Twan: How many users do you have in the Netherlands? Reed smiles: We don’t give away numbers. The reason Netflix doesn’t give away numbers at all is because Netflix doesn’t sell advertisements. Netflix totally relies on the subscriptions from customers, and that means that Netflix is advertisement-free. Besides that, most viewers don’t really care about these big numbers. Also, Netflix gets enough information from their viewers when they log in, which can be used to make decisions for new series and films. Reed created some kind of algorithm for it. He thought of a system which obtains information about the person when they log in for recommendations. Gina Keating, who wrote a book about Netflix, said: “Algorithm is the key to retention of customers. The algorithm can make connections between your behavior and your content choice that the human brain probably wouldn’t make. I don’t want to sound creepy, but Netflix knows a lot about their customers.” So be warned, Netflix is watching you!
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We Brewers hope that you find these highlights interesting. If you do, we recommend you to watch the show! The episode of Reed Hastings already aired on the 30th of September, but it can still be watched via the website of NPO.
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Internship at Disney World Orlando, USA Mozes van Toledo, 24 Mozes studied Leisure Management at the NHTV and specialized himself in theme park management. This segment offers the opportunity to do your internship in Disney in your third year. That’s how he ended up at the Disney World theme park in America. If you’re from IMEM and interested in an Internship at a Disney Company, see ‘Advice from Mozes’. 34
How Mozes got into Disney World After Mozes and others assigned themselves for the internship in Disney, someone from America came to the Netherlands and visited different colleges where you can follow the course ‘theme park management’. This man takes his time to talk to the students who have applied. In this conversation you will get an introduction about Disney, but for them it is also an introduction to you. Additionally, they go through the precautionary measures which are important in America: if you have a criminal report, smoking, drinking, tattoos, those are the things that they want to know about you. Mozes went through this whole process, and after a couple of weeks he got a job interview conversation by phone. They asked him very detailed questions about his school situation and family life for example. They want to know what kind of person they hire and what someone’s motivation is for certain roles, what your past is and the details of your curriculum vitae. About two weeks later Mozes got the results and it became clear what kind of role he got: entertainment. Other roles besides entertainment are for example: food and beverage, merchandise, attractions and hotel. Afterwards, Mozes got all the information about how to get his visa and which information he had to send to Disney. The biggest step for him was the request for a visa, since that can be quite problematic. For IMEM, Disney offers a lot of different internships as well. As you may know, you can specialize yourself after your second year in Content, Marketing or Production. Disney offers different internships that fits all three categories: Creative & Content, Sales & Marketing and Broadcast & Production. Are you interested? Visit their website: Disneycareers.com Living close to Disney Disney has a couple of buildings where international students and national students can live as interns, and so did Mozes. These are located 15 or 30 minutes from the park, which depends on the building you’re in. Furthermore, Disney helps you by taking care of things like the housing or the trip to the park, since they arrange busses who drive between the buildings and the theme park. Mozes financed his trip by savings: he bought flight tickets and prepaid the rent for the first month, since he didn’t have an income yet. But in general Mozes lived from the money he made in Disney. He worked approximately between the 20 and 30 hours a week, since he also needed to do school work next to the internship. Besides, he followed classes for certain subjects. The American Culture America is the best country to come in as an outsider, according to Mozes. In the first place, Americans have this attitude that they want to make friends really quick or try to be interested in you. For example, they talk to you if they sit next to you in the bus, while here in the Netherlands you sit in the bus listening to music and don’t speak word to each other. Especially when you’re from Europe, it’s very interesting for them to learn more about you. Furthermore, you come into a place where people start all over again and don’t know people yet. So it’s easy to make friends! Next to his work in Disney, Mozes often went out with a group of friends or roommates or went to the cinema and different Disney Parks, since you have free access to the parks. Most of them also had a subscription for Universal Studio’s and Bush Gardens and explored the places nearby, like Miami or other places in Florida.
Working at Disney The internship was very special experience for Mozes. The whole atmosphere is different than what he was used to. For an example, Disney is very strict. When you do something extra for the company, the better you will be portrayed. Furthermore, you do your work to make people happy. Mozes has never done a job before which gave him so much satisfaction as in comparison with working in Disney. Most of the people are always happy and leave with a big smile on their faces, which gives him a lot of pride. For Disney its very interesting that they work with a system to give you a fanatic card when you did something extraordinary. This gives extra motivation to work a bit harder. These fanatic cards have meant a lot to him, since Mozes got a lot of them. With these cards he got in contact with some managers. This was very special for him, because he got invited to talk with them about his techniques. Additionally, they checked him out how he was working in the workspace faster than his co-workers. In the end, he still has contact with them! Lookback Disney made a real difference in what Mozes thought that he was going to do and what he’s currently focusing on, from October on he’s going to work in Disneyland Paris. Advice from Mozes School is not the only way to come into Disney. You also have different websites who offer internships like: www.disneycareers.com Just do it! It doesn’t have to be an internship, but it’s just so different in America. You’re going from the ‘work-work-work’ vibe in the Netherlands, to a more relaxing atmosphere in America. And of course: GO TO DISNEY!!
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Internship at Axis Animation Glasgow, Scotland Spike Meesters, 24 Spike studies IGAD at the NHTV and started his internship in June in Scotland. He works as a Junior Effects Artist at Axis Animation in Glasgow and got into this company thanks to a lecturer from school, who had connections with the company in the past. Spike is focused on creating special effects for movies and animations. 36
How Spike got into Axis Animation An IGAD lecturer let Spike know that he would recommend him to Axis Animation, so he worked on his portfolio for a couple of weeks. After a while, Spike had a Skype interview, but it turned out he didn’t have the experience for what they were looking for. The company recommended that he should look more into his techniques and work on it. As a result, he could try again later in September. The supervisor told Spike to help him and to keep himself updated about his work, so that he could give him some tips and advice, which he thought was really helpful. Very unexpectedly, after Spike had sent his first test project were he was working on, he got an email in May asking him if he could start the next week. That same day he had another Skype interview and within 3 days he turned up in Glasgow! Living close to the company Spike was very lucky with getting a room in Glasgow. Since he went to Glasgow in 3 days, he booked an Airbnb for a week, so he had time to look for a room. Before Spike went to Scotland he got into contact with someone living there and where he could rent the room from during his stay for the internship. After the week in an Airbnb, he moved to this room. He doesn’t know if it’s always this easy, since other students have had more problems with finding a room. Thus, Spike considers himself extremely lucky. Additionally, he lives very close to Axis Animation. It’s just a ten-minute walk! Spike lives in a nice neighbourhood with a lot of cafés and restaurants. Most importantly, there are not a lot of criminal activities, where Glasgow is familiar with, since there are places you should rather not visit. Living in Glasgow is more expensive than in the Netherlands. It can be compared to Amsterdam, but a bit cheaper. Spike was able to finance this with the money he saved from the college money that he gets from the government. If he wouldn’t have this money, it would have been very expensive. Besides, his parents helped him with getting through his first month abroad. A new start and new friends At work, most of his colleagues live close to the company or in the neighbourhood. They are all experts between 20 and 30 years old, who mostly don’t have their own family yet. They don’t always know what to do in Glasgow. As a result, Spike goes out with them a lot. The first month, Spike really had to get used to the new environment. He met a lot of people, but they weren’t really friends. You could notice this at the conversations they had. He missed this a lot, but right now he made really good friends and doesn’t want to leave Glasgow anymore. The department Spike works at is really friendly. The company is not really hierarchical. They all treat each other as equals, instead of talking formal to their boss. Sometimes Spike goes with colleagues to the Highlands, since the nature is very beautiful in Scotland, or to Edinburgh, which is another big city. He also works out in his spare time. He goes out for a run a couple times a week with some colleagues and does boulder climbing in a climbing centre, which is performed without the use of ropes or harnesses. Furthermore, he also tries to do some self-study in his spare time for his job at Axis Animation. The work is sometimes very challenging so he has to work on it at home to prepare himself on the next day at work. What Spike does as a Junior Effects Artist Of course, Spike can’t tell us in details what kind of projects
he
is
currently working on, but in the first three months, he made cut scenes for a computer game where he made a lot of explosions for. Right now he is working on a movie for children, which he experiences as easier, because the budget is lower and so the quality standards are lowered as well. He has to do a lot of different shots per day, which makes the speed of the project higher than last time. Spike does the special effects for this movie, especially the electricity. Experiences Spike really loves his job and has nice colleagues and supervisors. The work pressure is not too high, because he doesn’t have to work extra hours when his working day is supposed to be over. Most important, at Axis Animation they are not familiar with interns, which means that Spike started immediately as an employee at this company. In his first month, he was already working on shots who were quite complex, which didn’t really suit the junior assistant job. However, it is really nice that they have this faith in their employees and that they give them the opportunity to do it. Lookback Before Spike started at Axis Animation, he already wanted be an effects or technical artist. This internship really confirmed that this is what he wants to do later on as well. When talking about Glasgow, he really enjoys it there and even thinks about getting back to continue working at Axis in January for another six months. He doesn’t want to stay forever in Glasgow. It’s not because he doesn’t like it there, but because he wants to gain more experience somewhere else. Besides, he thinks he doesn’t have all the experience yet to work wherever he want. At this point, Spike doesn’t know where he wants to work in the future. He always thought it would be really nice to work for a big company like Pixar, but now he thinks that this company is way more fun than the big companies. Here he has a lot of variation in his work and short term projects, while working at a big company you work on one big project for years. Advice from Spike to you A lot of people want to do their internship for a big company abroad. However, they don’t do it and just turn up in the Netherlands because they think they aren’t good enough. They really underestimate themselves, you can do more than you think. So just do it! It’s not more difficult abroad than in the Netherlands. Additionally, IGAD makes sure that you learn a lot. In my experience as a junior, seniors came to me to ask stuff and I actually knew the answer! You are capable of more things than you think, you just have to make that first step.
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Exchange
Experiences and Possibilities Have you ever wondered what it’s like to go on an exchange? Do you want to go on an exchange yourself? Then this is the perfect article for you. We, Brewers, interviewed two IMEM students who are currently on an exchange and who were willing to give us some insights into their life!
Suzan Mallée - Oslo, Norway
Written by Rachel Sommers & Naomi Melchers Designed by Lydia Staplehurst & Ralitsa Dodova
Suzan is a 4th year IMEM student, she is 20 years old and is currently studying at Westerdals ACT in Oslo. When we asked her why she decided to go on an exchange, she replied by saying “I didn’t get to go abroad for my internship, so I really wanted to take this opportunity to go abroad and have the international experience of living in another country, working in school with people from other parts of the world and maybe make friends for life. You get new perspectives on how to work in a project, learn from the people in your class, both the Norwegian and the other international students and get to see the country that you are living in as well.”. As you can see, going on an exchange can have many advantages! Studying in Oslo was her first choice, but another option that crossed her mind was Helsinki. Now that she’s studying in Oslo, we were wondering if there are any differences between studying at the NHTV and studying at Westerdals ACT. According to Suzan, the main difference is that she can really tell that Westerdals Oslo ACT is not a very international school yet, since this was the first year that they had this many - 25 in total - exchange students, in comparison to the 1700 national students, that’s not a lot. Due to this, the communication and organization were not always clear or organized. Another difference is that they only have 1 subject at Westerdals ACT. Suzan decided to follow International Experience and Event Design. “This means that we also only have one project and one paper that we need to write. In comparison with the NHTV this is not a lot, but you still learn a lot because it is a big project and you work with the other international and Norwegian students.” Another difference between the NHTV and Westerdals ACT is that the students and the lecturers usually work in a different way. For Suzan it feels as if studying in Oslo is without any stress or rush. “Most of it is very laidback and relaxed, but at the same time the teacher does expect good quality work, obviously!”
We Brewers were also curious to hear what Suzan wants to achieve during her exchange period. “I want to have more international experience, both in work, school and in way of living. I want to learn as much as I can from the classes that I have here, but also from the people that I get to know and from the country itself. Possibly, I’ll also find new friends for life.” Speaking of friends, we also asked her what she considers as the nicest thing that she’s experienced in Oslo up until now. “I’ve already made some really nice friends, seen some of the most beautiful places here in Oslo and had some good parties as well.” During the interview, we noticed that she enjoys studying and living in Oslo a lot. This only made it more difficult to choose ‘one nicest thing’.
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Of course, another important side-element of studying is partying! If Suzan has to describe going out and partying in Oslo with only one word, the word that immediately crosses her mind is: EXPENSIVE. “Yes, most of all expensive. But other than that, it’s very nice. We start our night with a pre-party/pre-drinking at someone’s place where everyone brings their own drinks and food. After that, we go into the city centre and go into a club or bar.” They usually walk from the pre-drinking to the city centre and back, since Oslo is not that big. Moreover, she informed us that most of the clubs and bars have an age restriction of 19 or 21 years old. Suzan also gave us another tip: if you go to the club before 23.00, it usually is free of charge! Since the alcohol in the clubs and bars is very expensive, she often doesn’t buy anything inside. Another important thing to keep in mind when you are going on an exchange is your room. There is a student welfare organization called SIO, where you can arrange housing as well as health insurance, gyms etc. “I applied there for housing, but because there were too many people who applied, I didn’t get a room from the organization.” She eventually arranged her room by posting on various Facebook pages.
She also provided us with some tips about studying in Oslo:
Make sure to apply to SIO very fast, even if you don’t know for sure that you are able to go, you can always cancel your application with SIO. Buy your food and drinks at other supermarkets than the normal supermarkets (like Turkish shops), these are a lot cheaper! We decided to make a list of all the tips that Suzan wants to pass on to students that want to go on exchange in the future: - GO! Just go! - Contact people who went to the same place and ask questions. - Save enough money so that you can also do nice things outside of school like travelling in the country that you are going to, have trips with your exchange group or have a party now and then. - You have to be open minded towards new people, new cultures and new workflows. Try to be a part of activities and gatherings in the first week, so that you get to know new people and make some friends already.
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Kristie Koehof – Bournemouth, England
corner without seeing a homeless person or hear a beggar asking for spare change. It’s awful to see, really. In the Netherlands this just isn’t allowed so you don’t have to think about it. Here, poverty stares you right in the face. On a happier note: EVERYONE has dogs and that makes me really happy.” If you’re planning to go to Bournemouth, maybe it’s time to cross your precious bike from the ‘need to pack’ list.
Kristie Koehof is 20 years old, in her 4th year of IMEM and currently studying at Bournemouth University. We were curious why she actually decided to go on exchange, she responded: “Well, as IMEM students, we have quite some opportunities to go abroad to either study or work for a placement company. I knew that an exchange is actually an amazing experience where you will get to know new people, new ways of learning, a new sense of independence and individuality, so I was just really interested. I decided to grab my last chance to go on an exchange. I really wanted to study and live in England. And between you and me, it’s a killer line on your resume.”
Except for the ‘having fun and partying’ part, we were wondering what Kristie wants to achieve during her exchange period. “I really want a lot of new international connections, both for casual and professional reasons. I also want to get more in touch with the international film business and way of working. It’s crucial that you know how things go when you’re in an environment like that after graduation.” International connections... It could be a lot easier if there are exchange students, is what we thought. “Yes! We met a bunch of them through an Erasmus student group, but sadly, we’re the only ones in our course.”
Kristie has been to Bournemouth before and she loved it so much that she decided to go back for the second time. “To be completely honest, it would have been amazing to go somewhere further away as well, like Flagstaff in America. But I’m glad that I’m at BU.” Luckily for her, she was accepted at the university!
Yes, we just mentioned the partying part of the exchange, so what is it actually like to party in Bournemouth? “It’s wild. These kids have been restrained and put in uniforms for the better parts of their lives and when they go out, they go hard (and in quite revealing clothing).” Partying means spending money, but Kristie hasn’t got a job yet. She is thinking about getting one. If you decide to go abroad, you need a place to live. Easy to say, because in the Netherlands you can just go on and visit some, but how does this work when you’re in a different country? Kristie admits that it’s difficult to arrange it when you’re miles away, but one of her tips is: just call people. “My friend and I are now living as neighbours in a Unilet flat. Honestly, there’s hardly any opportunities for exchange students to find housing, because everyone only lends for
So, now she has the perfect opportunity to explore the differences between studying at the NHTV and Bournemouth University, and yes, she has already found some: “I would say that the directness is different. You don’t really notice it at first, but after a while you notice that there’s hardly any criticism. Everyone is sugar coating what they’re trying to say, you really need to read between the lines here.” We know the basic differences between England and the Netherlands, for instance that we are slightly less obsessed by tea, but we wondered how Kristie experiences it. “You only cycle here when you have a death wish. And... there’s a lot of poverty in the streets. You can’t turn a
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a full year.” Unfortunately the school couldn’t do anything for them. “This was quite annoying and stressful, because they could have put us on the housing list months prior to the actual deadline. We eventually got a room, not thanks to anyone who said they’d help though. Not that much extra needed to be arranged. We were sure to check our insurances, but all was fine.” So it might be a good thing for our fellow exchangers to start as soon as possible to look for a room! One of the nicest things that she has experienced so far in Bournemouth are the people, the beach and the school. “Everyone here is really polite and kind, and the school is awesome!” She also tells us that she loves the surroundings - especially the beach.
If Suzan and Kristie haven’t convinced you to go on exchange, we have no idea how to motivate you anymore! We hope that these tips and stories will help you to pick a great destination where you can discover the country, but also a part of yourself that you didn’t know was there to begin with. We wish you good luck, a lot of fun and most of all: a lot of new experiences!
“YOU
So, the question that we have been wondering about in the beginning of the interview is if Kristie has tips or recommendations for students who also want to go on exchange. Luckily for us, she has a few lined up. “Beware of the fact that the schools will hardly help you with the housing! Start with your paperwork on time, because it can take an awful while before even the least important of paperwork is processed. Bureaucracy sucks, children.” One of her other tips is to save up! Even if you have a job in your exchange city there are a lot of unexpected costs piling up on the already hurtful bill. Well, that’s helpful, but the most important part is to enjoy yourself and to have fun! “Meet as many students as you can; internationals are the nicest people you’ll meet, because they’re here for the exact same reasons as you are!”
ONLY
CYCLE HERE
WHEN YOU HAVE A
DEATH
WISH.”
41
ALUMNI Right. Four years - or even more - of studying has finally come to an end. No more stressing about exams, projects or essays... but that stress has to go somewhere, right? According to our teachers and parents, the ‘real life’ starts after the best time of your life. Sure, you have a plan of what you want to do, but how to begin? You’re in luck because we have tracked down 4 successful alumni who are willing to tell their story to you. Let’s introduce the first candidate: Chris McEntee. He studied IGAD and graduated in 2012, and here you can read everything that he has been up to so far and how he got there.
Written by Naomi Melchers Designed by Lydia Staplehurst
42
Why did you pick IGAD at the NHTV?
building more than anything else. The community
I knew I wanted to be a video game developer, and
of students and teachers was just amazing, the late
I needed to find a university that could teach me
night gamelab sessions, playing Super Smash Bros.
how to do it. The NHTV promised to teach students
between classes, game release parties,
about a ton of interesting subjects like 3D modelling,
all-nighters... It was an amazingly formative part of
animation, design, programming and writing, to
my life and I’ll never forget it.
name a few. The atmosphere of the NHTV seemed going to be able to walk away with a Bachelor’s
What is your proudest moment in the 4 years of studying at the NHTV?
degree at the end, which was a very important part
My proudest moment, I think, is the day that I
of going to university for me.
graduated after exactly 4 years of studying at the
really comfortable, and, on top of all that, I was
NHTV. A large number of students, both classmates
Did your internship/exchange help you with your career plans?
of mine and those in other courses, had study delays,
Absolutely. I spent a week searching for companies,
to complete the course. While there are a number
taking an extra 1, 2 or even - in some cases - 4 years of factors that can be attributed to causing this
preparing my portfolio and cover letter to send off
delay, I saw a good deal who simply didn’t feel
to as many potential employers as possible.
like working hard enough to finish on time.
Then, one day before I could actually send
I couldn’t personally afford a delay,
any of it off, I received an email from
and while it was challenging, I am
Ubisoft asking if I wanted to be a
extremely proud that I was able
designer on the Rayman reboot, Rayman
Origins.
to finish such an intense
Having
course on time and get
grown up playing plat-
my career started.
forming games like Rayman, it felt like the perfect opportunity to try my hand at professional level design on a genre of game that I love. I immediately accepted the offer, and dropped any other
Chris Mcentee
What would you like to say to students who are currently struggling to figure out what they want to do after their study?
If you don’t know what you want to do
potential companies to go to France
after finishing your study, you’re probably
and work at Ubisoft. After my initial internship
studying the wrong thing. I personally knew
of roughly 6 months, they expressed an interest in keeping me around. I talked to the NHTV and asked
exactly what I wanted to do before starting at
if I could spend my final year working at Ubisoft, and
the NHTV, and never once during the course of my
they approved the plan. When I graduated from
4 years of studying was I unsure of what I would be
school after a year at my final internship, I was offered
doing once I graduated. I strongly feel that if you’re
a contract by Ubisoft, and I ended up sticking around
studying the right thing, you will have a very clear
for another 4 years. I have left Ubisoft just earlier this
picture of what you aspire to do in the future, and
year to work on a very interesting project at a smaller
if you don’t, perhaps you should consider looking
independent studio, but my internship was obviously
into other courses. I don’t think it’s worthwhile to
the thing that really kickstarted my career, and I’m
spend years studying a subject only to graduate and
very grateful for how things turned out.
realize that you don’t even like the field you studied anymore. The sooner you make the change, the
What are some of your favourite memories while studying at NHTV?
better off you’re going to be.
I just fondly remember the atmosphere in the IGAD
43
What are you currently working on?
Why did you pick IMEM at the NHTV?
After spending 5 years at a giant company like
I got into multiple studies and had to make a last minute decision. IMEM at the NHTV sounded great because it was/is highly regarded and Breda really spoke to me as well. I was a bit insecure about my English skills but I decided to take the plunge and just go for it. I have never regretted that decision.
Ubisoft, I decided to join a smaller studio called Moon Studios. We’re currently only 16 people, and the idea is to remain under 20 until the end of production. The project I am working on is currently unannounced, but Moon Studios is known for their first game that was released in 2015 called Ori and
Did your internship/exchange help you with your career plans?
the Blind Forest. Moon is also a distributed studio,
Yup, thanks to my internship I found out that producing film and TV was my thing. In 6 months I developed myself from a student into an employee of my internship company.
meaning that there is no office, and every single employee works from a different country around the globe; I myself am currently living in Mexico, but we have people in Israel, Austria, Vancouver, Florida, Russia and Scotland, to name a few. It’s a
What are some (or one) of your favourite memories while studying at the NHTV?
team that relies on autonomous individuals due to things like time differences and lack of a
There are so many great memories!! But the best one is: the exams. NOT. Of course, the USA trip during the second year. And during my 4 years at IMEM, I joined every Camp Lost.
physical presence on a day-to-day basis, but surprisingly enough, it works. I’m very excited for my future with this studio and seeing what we can accomplish for the
What is your proudest moment in the 4 years of studying?
next game.
Vivian sandee
It might sound cliché, but the moment I walked out of the room where I just heard that I passed my oral defence for my graduation. I was DONE! Graduated! An alumnus! Without any delay! Yaaay!
What would you like to say to students who are currently struggling to figure out what they want to do after their study? Explore! For example; Production House / Internship are moments you can find out what you and do not like. Don’t always choose the safest option. Dare to step out onto unfamiliar territory, by choosing a course you have no experience in. This does not something to do with struggling, but I also would like to say: After IMEM, travel around the world before you start working full time. It was the best decision of my life!)
What are you currently working on? After graduation I worked as a production manager of a Dutch feature film. After that I travelled for a few months. And now I’m working as a producer at BNNVARA. I’m producing the online program Drugslab. Have you already subscribed? ;)
44
STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS Written by Naomi Melchers & Rachel Sommers Designed by Lydia Staplehurst & Ralitsa Dodova
Freshmen, do you guys want to join a student association but have no idea which one?
Well, you’re lucky that we Brewers have done all the hard work for you by comparing and interviewing members from several student associations. We hope that you can make a decision of which awesome student association you want to join after reading this article.
45
Stefan Koop is the chairman of
know people who you wouldn’t
tournaments, it’s not all bad! The
the student association Phileas
meet otherwise. One way to
purpose of this weekend is that
Fogg. This basically means that
develop yourself, if you join us
you meet around 80 people who
he is responsible for important
you actually get to experience
have gone through the same
decisions and can steer the
the ‘real life’ by interacting with
thing you have. They sang the
association into different direc-
other busnesses, like for PR: pizza
same songs, and you are just
tions. He will hold this position until
restaurants
employment
connected in a way that you
the 10th of November, so if you
agencies. For instance: last year
don’t connect with other people.”
want to run for chairman, there’s
our bar was shut down, so it
your shot! He also brought his
was my job to find a new one.
Do you have upcoming
friend and fellow Phileas Fogger
This one is called ‘De Vesting’.”
events?
and
Joppe Snijder who just joined
STEFAN: “Yes! This year, it’s our 50
the student association this year.
year anniversay, so we have a big lustrum party coming up. Of
So, what was the reason that
course we have the annual ski trip
made you want to join
and an ‘end of the year party’
PHILEAS FOGG
Phileas?
for all of the students in Breda. You have probably heard of this one before, if you haven’t – here is some STEFAN: “Well, I was looking We are already planning it background information. Phileas Fogg was in and around Valkenburg and we can assure you that founded in 1966 and is thereby the oldest park and I really didn’t it’s gonna be awesome! .” student association of Breda. And they don’t stop there, know anything about with over 350 members, it’s also the biggest student associations. By What is your favourite one. In order to gain some insight into the life of coincidence I ran into the memory of Phileas Fogg? Phileas Fogg’ members, we interviewed promotion team of Phileas STEFAN: “I think for me it has Stefan Koop and Joppe Snijder. and they told me about the to be.. Bier Cantus. During this ins, outs and different disputes.
night, there are rows of long
It sounded pretty cool, so I
tables for a lot of disputes of Breda
decided to join a ‘borrel’ (drink
and other cities. Everyone gets a
gathering) and the rest is history.”
Why should people join you?
hymnbook and after every song,
JOPPE: “I already knew Stefan
JOPPE: “We are a traditional
we have a ‘Proost’ (Cheers, you
and some other guys who were
student
Other
have to drink a beer). Within an
members. I am from Amsterdam
associations don’t really have a
hour you are completely bombed
and it was quite obvious that
foundation story, with us it’s the
and after a night you have a
Breda was a bit smaller. I didn’t
book of Jules Verne – Around
lot of gaps in your memory...”
think that it was really necessary
the World in Eighty Days. We
JOPPE: “I remember the night
to join a student association,
are not focused on one study,
that I got to wear a Phileas tie
but eventually I realized that it
or just the NHTV, but for all
at the lustrum borrel (drink), it
was fun and that was all it took.”
studies and all the schools in
was some sort of proud moment.
Breda. We have the standard
I wasn’t supposed to wear it,
What is the core foundation of
rituals, like the hazing weekend.”
but someone lent it to me. It
your association?
STEFAN: “You probably want to
was awesome. But, I still have
STEFAN: “We aren’t just focused
know something about that one...
to make the best memories!”
on the NHTV or any other school,
Well,
we want our members to develop
say much about that, but it also
themselves. In this way you get to
includes volleyball and football
association.
unfortunately
46
we
can’t
Mark Smets is the chairman of
a lot of time together during
quite good on your CV. I joined
student
association
rehearsals, but they also have
the
NHTV Theater since the end
dinner together, watch plays or
weeks ago and feel at home
of June. The year before, he
musicals and go out together.”
already!”
association. As the chairman,
Why should people join you?
Do you have upcoming events?
he is the person who has the
MARK: “Our student association
MARK: “This theatre season, we
ultimate
for
distinguishes
other
will perform One Flew Over the
Tim
associations not only by focussing
Cuckoo’s Nest on the 23rd and
Straathof also joined us for this
on parties and drinks, but also
the 24th of March. This is an
interview
a
on our shared passion: theatre.
international production. Besides
member of NHTV Theatre since
It’s nice to see people grow as
this, we also have a production
the beginning of this school year.
actors and actresses. Besides this,
on the 1st and 2nd of June,
I personally noticed that being
namely the musical Willem van
on stage also improves your
Oranje. The rehearsals for this
theatre
student
association
four
worked as PR coordinator for the
the
responsibility
entire
association.
and
has
been
So, what was the reason that
itself
from
made you want to join NHTV
play, which is Het Diner from
Theater?
Herman Koch, will start this year,
NHTV THEATER TIM: “I have always liked theatre but the actual performances will The other student association in general – both watching take place after the summer that we decided to check out is and performing. What I called NHTV Theater. NHTV Theater was holiday. Besides this, we have founded in 2005 by a small group of really like about NHTV a lot of parties and drinks students that all have a passion for theatre. Theater is that they do planned for this season!” The association consists of 100 members at everything themselves. the moment. Apart from acting, these members also help out Decors, auditions, backWhat is your favourite backstage by looking for suitable clothing stage work.. The members memory of NHTV Theater? and arranging decors, as well as sound arrange almost everything TIM: “Up until now, I have and lighting. In order to learn even themselves. Due to this, it is only been a member for four more about NHTV Theater, we interviewed Mark Smets and not only a theatre association, weeks, so I haven’t experienced Tim Straathof. but
also
asso-
that much yet. So far, I really like to
ciation. We can always use
go out and grab a drink with the
more people to raise funds,
members on Monday evenings. ”
create
a
the
production
decors,
arrange
out
MARK: “My greatest memories
there on a big stage often gives
so far usually revolve around the
people
self-confidence.
after-parties of the productions.
What is the core foundation of
That’s the nice thing about NHTV
At these parties, you do not
your association?
Theater: besides partying and
only have a lot of fun – and
prefix
having fun together, we also
drinks -, but you also celebrate
‘NHTV’ already says it all. We
focus on our members’ growth
your
are a theatre association for
by
etc.”
with
all
students, so besides all the theatre
TIM: “Exactly! It’s a lot of fun to
that
helped
productions, we are also a real
work and party together with
theatre production. You create
student association. If I would
all the members and it can also
something together, starting from
have to describe it in a short way,
be quite helpful for your CV. For
scratch, and such a party seems
I would say that we are one big
instance, if you help to raise funds
like the only good way to end it.”
family. All the members spend
for one season, that already looks
the microphones and lighting.”
MARK:
“Actually,
the
presentation
skills.
more
offering
Being
workshops
47
achievements the
other to
together members
create
the
INTERVIEWS WITH
LECTURERS
Silke Regel: Experience and Innovation
Written by Carlijn Peeters Designed by Sten Mols
Silke worked in the German television industry for a long time: from local television to the national broadcaster ZDF.However, teaching came on her path and now we are happy to have her here at the NHTV! But how did this all happen? Why did she decide to come to this university in the Netherlands? And how did she feel about leaving family and friends behind? Silke gave us all the answers on our questions, so read on to find out!
Never Went to College
When Silke was younger, she went to school for 10 years and got her middle degree. Afterwards, Silke started working at a hospital for a year. Soon, she realized that her educational background wasn’t enough and decided to go back to school for two more years. After these years she planned to go to university to study social sciences. Eventually, she didn’t do this and thought about studying journalism, since she got her first job in her holiday for a newspaper. Instead of studying journalism, she got one job after the other. Money came in, which made it hard to say “I’m going back to school”. Instead of a university study, Silke evolved her career in the TV business by working her way up from intern to content editor. Additionally, she followed different courses. Silke participated in a young journalism union and they had courses on interviewing and press ethics. She considers herself lucky to have had great colleagues, who taught her the business hands-on.
48
Past occupations of Silke • intern and writer at various print magazines • intern and later video-reporter / on-air reporter at a local TV station in Munich • content editor and producer at ZDF, national public service broadcaster • freelancer for TV-concept developers • editor in chief for SUEDWILD, cross-media variety show for ARD/BR, public service broadcaster • producing a variety of genres for television: • news journalism • a bit of sports • daily entertainment shows • live shows •on location shows
Master’s Degree
Just this October, Silke successfully finished a MA study in professional communication and wrote her thesis about ‘the information seeking behavior of students of the digital age’. Put into simple words, the question she asked herself in her thesis was: “Is Google making us stupid?” The answer she found was: “No, Google is helping us not to look stupid in front of others.” She did this study because she never had an academic education, since she went to school but didn’t go to college. Thus, she wanted to improve her academic skills. Moreover, she raised her understanding for all the work students have to do and wants to understand what their difficulties are. She felt that as a teacher, it is important that she knows what it’s like to do academic research.
Different Roles in Television Production
From all the work Silke has done, on-camera work was something she really liked, but she saw it more as an experience since she realized very quickly that it wasn’t her thing. She considers herself as too selfconscious for an on-camera job, where critique is often focused on your appearances. Her colleagues told her once jokingly that she has a ‘disco face’, because she speaks very animated. This means that she shows a lot of expressions on her face. Despite the fact that she didn’t pursue on-camera work, she is very happy with this experience because she can use it as a producer. When guiding talents, she knows what it feels like, what their stress points are, what she can help them with and thereby manages to make them more relaxed. Performing different roles is what she recommends to us as students as well! When you do your internship, try to help out different departments. For instance, join the marketing department for a day or two. It helps a lot to see how all the departments are connected.
A former Colleague Colleague again
became
Silke’s
Silke considers coming to Breda as her best decision ever. Silke’s decision to move to Breda was actually triggered by another IMEM teacher, Silke Hassreiter. Both Silkes had known each other for years already and had been colleagues at the local Munich TV station. Silke Hassreiter told her that the NHTV was looking for teachers from the industry. Silke Regel was not actively looking for another job, but she was open for something new. Silke Hassreiter suggested to
49
Silke that she could visit her for a couple of days and have an intake interview with the NHTV manager at the time. She talked to him and soon the whole process started. A couple of months later, she moved to Breda.
Leaving family and friends behind
Although Silke had to leave family and friends behind, she never lost touch thanks to Facebook. With her close friends, she still meets in Munich or in Düsseldorf. However, she did take her parents into consideration when making the decision to move to the Netherlands. Her mother was not very happy, since Silke was going to live quite far away. Her father, however, replied jokingly: “Well, as long it’s not China.”, so he could visit Silke by car. Despite being sad to see their daughter move so far away, Silke’s parents supported her decision and were happy to visit Breda and see how happy their daughter was here. Sadly, Silke’s mother passed away in 2010, her father however, still comes to visit his daughter in Breda. Furthermore, her father wasn’t surprised that his daughter started to teach, since he always thought she was going to be a teacher. Despite the fact that Silke chose Journalism first and teaching was something that she just came across on her path, she gave it a try and it turned out that she really likes it. She enjoys it and loves getting inspired by the enthusiasm of her students.
“You are not just a number.”
Silke really likes how people connect so closely here at school. Students who aren’t students anymore still connect and stay in touch with each other and the academy: “You’re not just a number in this school. Also amongst colleagues, you see each other as persons. Additionally, some students even came back here at school to work here. Isn’t that a big compliment for the school? They want to be here with the people.”
Keep Innovating
When asked if she has a motto for life, Silke said, that she found true what her Grandmother once told her: “Never stop to begin and never begin to stop.” And her meandering career path proves, that it is never too late to start something new and to keep innovating yourself.
Written by Rachel Sommers Designed by Sten Mols
Ralph Palmer: From drawing by hand to computer graphics Ralph Palmer, a Canadian animator who is now teaching at the IGAD department of the NHTV, has worked on a lot of amazing movies and games, such as ‘Tarzan’, ‘The Hunchback of the Notre-Dame’ and ‘Quantum Break’. So, why did he decide to become a teacher? How did he manage to get top positions in various companies? How did moving around affect his family? We, Brewers, caught up with Ralph to get some answers!
Change of Plans
Even though Ralph Palmer is well known for his animation skills, this wasn’t always the case. When he finished high school, he was heading towards a marine biology major at university. He always had a keen interest in arts as well as sciences, such as physics and biology. However, it didn’t work out because he didn’t do well in chemistry. Luckily, a new animation school called Sheridan College had just opened up not too far from where he lived. “I went over with a friend to look at it and we thought that it was very cool. Then, we gathered all of our silly artwork from high school for our portfolio’s and we both got accepted.” After this, Ralph’s face has been seen in quite a number of companies and countries.
The Secret Lab
While Ralph was working at Disney, people started using computer animation. The Walt Disney Studios valued education a lot and payed for Ralph’s college education, which consisted of night school at which he learned skills such as character modelling and character rigging. “I learned how to animate myself, because Disney was secretly developing computer software and all kinds of stuff to start doing computer animated movies. Part of the studios was actually called ‘The Secret Lab’ and was in another location that nobody knew about.” Ralph knew one of the guys that was working on Disney’s first computer animated movie, ‘Dinosaur’. They used to grab a coffee at
50
Movies and TV - Nelvana (Canada) - Sullivan Bluth Studios (California and Ireland) - Walt Disney Studios (California) - Rhythm & Hues (California) Games - Electronic Arts (England) - Ubisoft (France) - Remedy Entertainment (Finland)
Starbucks around 6.30 in the morning after which they drove to the Secret Lab together. At that time, Ralph was still making hand-drawn movies such as ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Atlantis’. “He would let me play around on his computer and if I locked it up or froze the animation, he would come over and unlock it. He basically showed me where the buttons were and let me play while he was reading the newspaper.” This really helped Ralph to get started in CG – Computer Graphics.
Controlling a Character
Besides working on movies and television shows, Ralph also feels at home in the gaming industry. He has a keen interest in interactive entertainment, because he feels that there is something there. “I didn’t know what, I wasn’t a gamer, but I did love the idea that you could control a character.” Luckily for Ralph, his agent found two possible positions for him in this industry! The first position was with Peter Molyneux at Lionhead Studios. While negotiating, Ralph’s agent called and said that he got a call from the UK, because Electronic Arts wanted to talk to him about a top position in the company. In the end, Ralph declined the offer from Lionhead and started working for Electronic Arts in England. He moved to England and started working on ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’. Afterwards, Ralph worked on the first motion-capture - in EA for games - that was being done in England, namely ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’.
Family Palmer on the Move
If anyone knows a lot about working in different countries and moving around, it’s Ralph! “When my children were little, they looked at a plane as if it was a bus. It wasn’t any different to them; either you get on a plane or you get on a bus.” His three children were born in Los Angeles, lived in Manhattan and are currently living in London. By the time his son was two years old, he had flown so much that he received wings from the airlines. “They brought him up in the cockpit and the pilot came to shake his hand and gave him a certificate and a set of wings. He still has them, it was so cute.” However, his children wanted to stay in England once they became teenagers. They didn’t come to Finland or France and now that Ralph is working in the Netherlands, it’s luckily easy to get back and forth. As you can see, moving away may require you to leave your family members. However, it can also bring you closer. “When I started moving away, I spent more time with my mom than
51
I ever did. When you live in the same country, you see your mom in the weekend; you have dinner and then you go home. When you move away and she comes to see you for three months, you’ll see her for three months.”
Never Cease to Learn
So, how did Ralph end up at the NHTV? Before he stopped producing video games and started teaching, he was a member of the advisory board of the NHTV and therefore visited the school a couple of times per year. “They had asked me a couple of times if I ever considered teaching and I kept saying no, because I was busy. I was busy making movies and making games and I didn’t know how that would work. Will Davis, the manager of the school whom I had met earlier at Ubisoft in Paris, made me a serious offer and asked if I would look at it.” Ralph accepted this offer and started working at the NHTV. However, this was not the first time that he came into contact with education! When he was in Ireland to work for Sullivan Bluth Studios, he set up an animation school called Ballyfermot College together with some others. Former students of this school, such as Colin Morrison and Susanne Sexton, are now teaching at the NHTV as well. When we asked Ralph why he likes teaching, his answer was “Somehow when you teach kids that just are wideeyed and want to learn, it makes you sharpen up and you kind of tend to learn stuff yourself better. That’s my experience. I have an invested interest in the kids’ success.”
DRAW!
After all the work he has done in the industry so far, Ralph gave us some advice to pass on to you: “DRAW! Every day: draw, draw, draw. No matter who you are, the idea of communicating visually is what sets us humans apart from the animals. I’m pushing very much on students this year for drawing, drawing, drawing. In fact, the drawing lab is full of students right now. It’s hard to quantify what it means, but I assure them - I guarantee them - that if they draw, their work will get better.”
Do you want to add another year
logy surroundings. It supports and
after this degree? A few of the
of studying and expand your
modifies
jobs that you might be interested
knowledge? It’s a good thing
processes and in this way it is
in
that it’s now possible. After 4
shaping our lives.
creative
our
decision-making
years of IMEM you can go on and
are
innovation
manager,
marketing
consultant
and manager digital strategy.
study Master Media Innovation.
Research and Communication
It’s different for IGAD students,
Studies
when you finish your 4 years,
This
you can study Master in Game
and
Technology.
MASTER IN GAME TECHNOLOGY on
quantitative
The Master in Game Technology
qualitative
techniques.
is divided in four terms, which all
The communication part of the
last for 10 weeks. After each term
module gives you a theoretical
you have to present your current
MASTER MEDIA INNOVATION
grounding. The theories that are
project and it will be evaluated
During this year, you will be
discussed will have their roots
by your teachers. In this year you
provided
with
focuses
in-depth
need to obtain 60 ECTS.
knowledge of digital media
After one year, your final
process and you will close
project
the gap between theory
thesis. It doesn’t just focus
and practice. The Master
on how a game works, but
consists out of four themes:
also why.
Media
theory,
business
models, media technology, and research and commu-
Masters
nication studies.
is
your
master’s
You don’t only have to make projects, but you can also join the special Master classes and Expert groups.
Media Theory
During these sessions, there
This deals with the content,
will be professionals who
history
and
have made their career in
various
media
effects
of
platforms.
the different industries in
The model will introduce several
within cognitive psychology and
theoretical angles and subjects
semiotics.
including database ontologies, semiotics,
remediation
theory
which you will be working. So, what kind of jobs fit this
These models are followed by
master? Well, a few positions
the final graduation project: the
that you can fill are visual artist,
development and creation of a
game developer and producer.
Business Models
mock-up of an innovative media
You can also add the degree
This model provides students with
concept. Students have to show
title ‘Master of Science’ to your
knowledge, tools and practical
that there is a market for their
resume, which to be honest,
insight in: managing intellectual
concept and therefore carry out
sounds pretty cool and it looks
property,
an in-depth market analysis. At
great on your resume.
and narratology.
strategy,
innovation
and entrepreneurship and
the end, you have to write your
consumer behaviour.
thesis.
Good luck with your Master studies!
Media Technology
This
It informs students about techno-
information, but what will you do
might
be
52
some
useful
Written by Naomi Melchers Designed by Lydia Staplehurst
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1. Publicity (11) 7. Cuts (3) 9. An empty space 11. Number of people who watch a TV programme (7, 7) 16. A warning (6) 17. Being the proprieter (9) 19. To limit or stop (4) 20. Tidy (4) 22. Prejustice favouring one party (8, 4) 23. A definite quantity (4) 25. Media tycoon (5) 29. Opposite of ‘come’ (2) 31. Receiver for broadcasts from space (9, 4) 33. TV, radio, newspapers, internet, etc. (5) 34. Payning for exactly what you see (3, 3, 4) 35. Ad infinitum (7) 37. Fare (4) 39. Broadcast through optical fibre wire (5) 40. BBC, BBC2, ITV, CH4 (2, 8) 45. Large stretches of water (5) 47. Listeners (8) 49. Preposition of place (2) 50. An unenlighted person (5) 51. The popular press (8) 52. Money paied for provision of state T channels (7, 3) 1
2
3
5
4
6
7
2. How__you__! (2) 3. Long live! (4) 4. The politics of a newspaper (9, 4) 5. To pull or to ___ the line(3) 6. A bad thing to do (3) 8. The boss of BBC (8, 7) 10. Transistor wavelenghts (5, 8) 12. Perfect (5) 13. Frivolous talk (6) 14. To look surprised (4) 15. A viewing surface of a television (6) 18. Inches (3) 21. Film speed (3) 24. Temper (4) 26. Earth TV (11) 27. A six - sided shape (7) 28. A portion (5)
8
30. Overweight (3)
9 10
11
12
13
14
15
32. Unbeliever (7)
16 17
18
36. Income for advertising or the
19
20
license fee (8)
21
22
23
37. A selection of food (4)
24
25 26
27
38. Opposite of ‘off’ (2)
28 32
29
30
33
43. Rupert Murdock’s satellite
35
36 37 40
41. To trick (3) 42. Short for laboratory (3)
34
38
39
41
42 43
44 47
1. Audio Visual (2)
45 48
46 49
50
chanel (3) 44. Actually true (4) 46. A detailed working description (4) 48. A man who behaves dishonora-
51
52
bly (3)
53
Written & designed by Nick Pijler
1. Who sung the title song of the movie ‘Titanic’? A: Mariah Carey B: Celine Dion C: Madonna D: Cyndi Lauper
UIZ
2. Which company made the first full 3D animation film? A: 20th Century Fox Animation B: Universal Animation Studios C: Pixar D: Oriental DreamWorks 3. In which year did Michael Jackson die? A: 2008 B: 2009 C: 2010 D: 2011 5. R&B singer Aaliyah died in 2001. What was her cause of death? A: Plain crash B: Drugs overdose C: Sexual assault D: Food poisoning
4. What does the ‘I’ in HDMI mean? A: Intersection B: Insertion C: Input D: Interface 6. What’s the first name of pop singer Rihanna? A: Riley B: Robyn C: Rachel D: Rae
8. In which year did Google launch? A: 1987 B: 1992 C: 1998 D: 2000
7. Ash Ketchum is the most popular Pokémon trainer in the world. But how did he get Pikachu as his first Pokémon ever? A: Professor Oak gave Pikachu to him B: He saved Pikachu from Team Rocket C: Pikachu followed him home from school D: He overslept and Pikachu was the only Pokémon left
9. What was Toru Iwatani doing after which he invented Pacman? A: Crushing fireflies 10. What was Adolf Hitler’s favorite movie? B: Eating pizza A: Dumbo C: Chasing a girl B: Bambi D: Drawing a smiley C: King Kong D: Pinocchio 11. In the films of Jurassic Park, the velociraptors communicate with each other. How did the sound designer Gary Rydstrom create the sound of this? He recorded… A: His uncle making weird sounds B: Fighting dogs C: A moving chair on cracked wood D: Tortoises having sex 13. How many children did Bob Marley have? A: 4 B: 7 C: 10 D: 13
12. What’s the world’s best-selling music instrument? A: Harmonica B: Guitar C: Piano D: Violin
14. Besides singing, what were Frank Sinatra’s other ambitions? A: Acting B: Producing films C: Directing films D: All of the above
15. Which country makes more movies every year than the U.S.? A: France B: Nigeria C: Russia D: Japan
ANSWERS
1B 2C 3B 4D 5A 6B 7D 8C 9B 10C 11D 12A 13D 14D 15B
54
CREDITS In name of all Brewers, we would like to thank Christine Vink, our cheery supervisor, for supporting us through the entire project. The additional guidance of Anita Maessen, Sabrina Uytenbogaart and Bert de Vaan is highly appreciated. Also, without Bruce Hancock, the head of IMEM, Brewed wouldn’t be in your hands right now. In regard to creating the magazine in its whole, we would like to give credits to our content, design and marketing departments. Special thanks go out to Orangebook for printing our magazine. Last but not least, we would also like to express our admiration to all our readers and supporters throughout the years. This is really our motivation and inspiration to create appealing content!
We appreciate being able to make use of the Jubilee book NHTV 50th anniversary (September 2016) as a source, since it helped us to construct proper information for our articles.
ANSWERS TO THE CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Advertising 7. Edits 9. Void 11. Viewing figures 16. Caveat 17. Ownership 19. Curb 20. Neat 22. Political bias 23. Some 25. Baron 29. Go 31. Satellite dish 34. Pay for view
35. Forever 37. Food 39. Cable 40. TV channels 45. Lakes 47. Audience 49. By 50. Pagan 51. Tabloids 52. License fee
DOWN 1. AV 2. Do 3. Viva 4. Editorial line 5. Tow 6. Sin 8. Director general 10. Radio stations 12. Ideal 13. Gossip 14. Gape 15. Screen 18. Ins
21. Asa 24. Mood 26. Terrestrial 27. Hexagon 28. Share 30. Fat 32. Infidel 36. Revenue 37. Fare 38. On 41. Con 42. Lab 43. Sky 44. Fact 46. Cad 48. Spec