Blog: Super Mario Kart script! (09/05/22 - 09/09/22)

Hello Patrons! Welcome to September. Where has the time gone? 

I hope everyone had a fun Labor Day. I spent time with family and ate hamburgers. I actually wanted a little refresher on the history of Labor Day, so I found this video from the History Channel that summarizes it pretty well. 

This week, I'm hoping to knock out the Super Mario Kart script and publish the Sharp SF1 video to YouTube. Will I succeed? Stay tuned...

Tuesday, September 6th

(I wasn't sure what picture to use for today, so here is Kit in her usual spot by my desk)

I got the finalized audio mix for the Sharp SF1 video back and it sounds great! One thing a few people noted from the early draft was they could hear the CRT hum in the background. 

I actually did shoot a version of the narration with the TV off. But I just looked awkward sitting next to a TV that was turned off. So I turned the TV on knowing it would give some audio hum. Proximity Sound was able to remove that noise no problem. 

After finalizing that mix, I jumped back into the Super Mario Kart script. I was actually much farther along than I remembered. I basically just had to write the ending - when the game releases. After I finished up, I read it over and decided it definitely needed a revision. 

When I revise, I usually go paragraph-by-paragraph, reading everything aloud and making corrections. I got through Part one today and I think it is really solid. I am dreading Part two because I think it needs the most work. But I'll take it one day at a time!

Thursday, September 8th

This morning, I got to do my favorite thing: go to the dentist! The dentist said my teeth were looking great, so I just had to get a standard cleaning. Does anyone remember "Timmy the Tooth?" It was a direct-to-video series about...a tooth. I remember seeing the commercials as a kid, but I never watched it. 

Afterward, I continued my work on Part 2 of the Super Mario Kart script. This section covers the bulk of development. The hardest part of writing this section is that some of the features of the game were started, shelved, then finished near the end. For example, battle mode was added near the beginning...but wasn't finished until the end. So how do you tell a cohesive narrative when things jump around so much?

To make sense of everything, I wrote individual ideas down on index cards and laid them out on my desk. I also added quotes I wanted to use in a different card color, to make sure those were spaced out well in the story. Things seem to make more sense when I can visually look at them.

I'll continue to move these cards around and hopefully get Part 2 squared away!

Friday, September 9th

It's Sharp SF1 release day! I spent this morning preparing everything. I added my sources to the website, wrote up social media posts, scheduled the video, etc. 

I also decided to make a 1-minute TikTok version of the video. I haven't uploaded to TikTok for awhile. My goal at the beginning of the year was to make one video a week on the platform. But I felt it was taking up too much of my time and there wasn't any payoff for my work. However, throwing together a 1-minute version of a new video seemed effortless. The script is there and the footage is there - I just have to throw it together. It took me about 30 minutes. 

I also kept plugging away at Part 2 of the Super Mario Kart script. I wasn't able to finish the script, but I should be able to wrap that up early next week.

This weekend is the 1st week of the new NFL season! I'm excited to watch my Miami Dolphins play out another disappointing season. Enjoy your weekend!

- Norm