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ARG ice shock

Make your own ICE SHOCK trailer! (and some ARG news…)

Well a very Happy New year to everyone on this lovely, crispy-crunchy Twelfth Night!

I thought I’d alert my blog readers to the fact that there’s a new contest at themgharris.com, the official online hangout for fans of The Joshua Files. 

This one is for budding movie-makers – to make a 30-second video for ICE SHOCK.

There are photos, images, hints, tips, sources of royalty-free images and music, plus a couple of plot spoilers for ICE SHOCK, to nudge your creative impulses.

Go on, have a try! You could win one of these:

In other news, I have had a stonkingly good Christmas and New Year with much socialising and partying – but not TOO much. I can’t handle too much – start to crave the peace and quiet of my desk.

But some is good, as is afternoon tea at Huffkins in Burford, a lovely Cotswold village.

Apart from that, I’ve also been working on the ARG (Alternate Reality Game).

I forget – have we said what it’s going to be called yet?

Nope, I don’t believe we have. Well, it’s called THE DESCENDANT, which is the title of the techno-thriller novel I wrote back in 2005, before INVISIBLE CITY. It’s from this manuscript that the backstory of Joshua Files is drawn, as well as the ARG. I originally conceived a sequel, which was to be entitled THE FIFTH CODEX. 

But then it struck me that the hero of THE FIFTH CODEX could be a youngster. And from that, I had the idea to write for children. (That and a reluctant-reader teenage daughter who I longed to see reading…)

At the beginning of THE DESCENDANT two DNA scientists meet to swap secret biological samples. One scientist is murdered and the other goes on the run. Is he the killer? Or is he running from the killer? The story moves from Mexico to Europe and then to Iraq, where a mysterious underground chamber hides an ancient secret about human civilisation.

For the ARG, we introduced a new character, Gabi – the teenage daughter of the murdered scientist. Her father has been killed – but why? And by whom? Like Josh she’s all alone…stressed out…can’t believe what she’s hearing about her father…and increasingly close to danger. And since her Dad was Josh’s godfather, Gabi turns to her old friend in Oxford for help.

Josh is ready and happy to help…but it won’t be long before his life is taken over by the dramatic events at the beginning of ICE SHOCK.

When we launch THE DESCENDANT ARG you’ll be able to watch as Gabi’s story unfolds. Who’ll solve the mystery first – you or Gabi? And will Gabi survive to tell the tale? In a real-time interactive finale you’ll be able to watch and assist as Gabi goes on a midnight run – with her life at stake.

I’m making a 60-second video trailer about THE DESCENDANT for some online retailers who are interested in having a glimpse. Is this the kind of thing you’d like to see here too? Or does it too badly violate the ARG maxim TINAG – This Is Not A Game?

Tell me what you think.

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9 replies on “Make your own ICE SHOCK trailer! (and some ARG news…)”

Personally I think that it will be great. I might just enter the competition, I use Sony Vegas Pro and (if you excuse the vanity) I’m quite good with it. I am going to check the Contest page right now. I heard about it through a mail I got from you on YouTube.

Well, I’m just trying to cut it a little short. It’s 33seconds long at the moment; I gotter shorten it. I’ve used pictures of (snowy) mountains since the sample had skiing (I love skiing!). It’s also got images of Mayan Pyramids. Ever since I saw you at the Edinburgh Book Festival I’ve been quite a big fan. I also asked my friends to buy it and they did- and they enjoyed it, I’ve also been quite fascinated with Mayan Technology and Civilisations, it’s highly interesting and appeals to me.

I love Sony Vegas Pro, I’ve also used Adobe After Effects for some of the things I can’t do with SVP. There’s just images, no movies but they flip about so that’s cool! XD

🙂

Ryan, 33 seconds will be fine, although I admire your perfectionism. We’ve had at least one entry far longer and I’m not going to be all that fussy about a few seconds over.

Do you have the NewBlue plugins for SVP? Actually I only have the Platinum version (lucky you having Pro!)

Thank you so much for getting your pals to read Joshua! Hope you’ll enjoy ICE SHOCK as much.

Well, MG, I’ve managed to get it to 29.00seconds EXACTLY. Anymore and it looks stupid. I had to use the (bad!) Windows Movie Maker to add the end texts.. for technical saving reasons. Have you had a lot of entries so far?

I don’t have it for SVP, I have it for Adobe Premier Pro. I think NewBlue is better with Adobe Premier Pro actually, although Sony Vegas I love. You should really get the Professional, it’s great. Platinum is good, and by the video trailers I’ve seen you’re really good at it.

They enjoyed it, so I would also assume they will love ICE SHOCK as well! The first book reminded me of something like a cross between Indiana Jones and Alex Rider (by Anthony Hororwitz, who I love). I’m putting the video onto YouTube as we speak. The music should be alright, it’s got no lyrics; just sound and it’s not copyrighted as far as I can tell!

I think I was the one with the long video lol, but I want to thank m.g harris for picking me as one of the three finalists..I loved the book and am now awaiting the arival of the other books 🙂

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