HOG Minigames

One thing to freshen up the pace of a hidden object game is to add some surprises. Minigames or puzzles is how we did that. These add a new level of problem solving and the fans have a great time trying to figure out how to pass these in order to get to the next level or hidden object scene. Sometimes you need to solve these in order to find additional clues or tools to progress.

Here are a few screenshots of some of the minigames, door puzzles and fun I helped to create for our HOGs.

I had to model a 3D outboard motor in Maya for this minigame.

In this one I rendered a gator with a 3D tiki head stuck in his jaws. The player had to stick the tiki in his mouth to get a clue that was stuck in his teeth.

This one was just silly and for fun. You had to win a game of Coconut-Paper-Scissors against a stuffed, animatronic critter to get the next clue. If you lost the animal stuck his tongue out at you.

The following were "door puzzles". There was a puzzle built into a door. Solve the puzzle to get past the door. Simple!

#hog, #hiddenobject #hiddenobjectgame, #mysterycasefiles, #hiddenexpedition #bigfishgames, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #minigame, #doorpuzzle

Hidden Object Scenes

I thought I'd show some of my hidden object (HOG) scenes from way back. Of course I look at these now and see things I'd love to change. These are from a variety of HOG titles.

#hog, #hiddenobject #hiddenobjectgame, #mysterycasefiles, #hiddenexpedition #bigfishgames, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #minigame, #doorpuzzle

Got Protoplasm?

An oldie but a goodie!

jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #alien, #humor

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

I love Burnie! I wish I could find a way to more with Burnie.

Anyway here's a bit o' green for St. Patrick's Day. McDivot may be Scottish but I tend to think Burnie may be of Irish heritage. 

Here is is in disguise...

#mcdivot, #gopher #Burnie, #burnieworm, #burnietheworm, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #stpatricksday, #stpaddysday, #shamrock, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist

McDivot the Thief

Here's one of a set of nine cartoons I wrote, storyboarded and animated. McDivot stealing computer equipment.

Click Here --- "Rodent Robbery"

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon

Irish Christmas 2016 - 2017

WOW!
I am so late posting this one.
This was our Christmas card from 2016. Yes, these are our cats and the radio is based on my Grandma's old Philco.
Now that it's nearly St. Patrick's Day go celebrate with an Irish eggnog!

Testing out an animation sample

I had a dream come true.

I wrote about 14 short animated cartoons for McDivot during my stay at Big Fish. When I say "wrote" I mean that I wrote a synopsis followed by an illustrated storyboard for each cartoon. I also created animatics for most of them although these files appear to have been lost.

I had absolutely no experience creating an animated cartoon. I studied how-to books and videos and I had always wanted to create a cartoon since I was a kid. Here was my chance!

The first nine cartoons I animated myself using a combination of Photoshop and Flash. It may have been an inefficient approach in retrospect but I pulled it off. I had a lot of help from two fantastic artists name Bill Meyer and Rhonda Conley (I believe in giving credit where credit is due) who digitally painted the backgrounds. 

Somehow through a combination of drive, desire and a big heap of blissful ignorance I did it. I completed nine cartoons and they were sent to Clean Cuts on the east coast for audio sfx, voice-over and music. There is no way I can even begin to describe that feeling of seeing a character I created not only come to life but once that first audio came in I was nearly in tears. I was floating on a cloud with joy. Shortly the cartoons appeared in the game (Fairway) as rewards for progression. JOY!

After this set was complete we got budget approval to make a few more and make them better and quicker by contracting Calabash in Chicago. Calabash is known for Lucky Charms and Trix commercials among many other creative pieces. They really leveled up the quality of McDivot cartoons. The audio files were still done by Clean Cuts.

These are like crowning jewels in my professional life and I am so very proud of them.

Here then is Chapter 2 in a serial of 5. I hope you like it!

Copyright Big Fish.

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon

Angus McDivot - Inventor

McDivot is a Scottish name. 

Gutsy's family tree goes way back to Scotland where his great-great-great-I've-lost-count-great grandfather, Angus McDivot was the actual inventor of the bagpipes. He invented them in order to annoy and frighten golfers off of his land. Turns out the Scots loved the sound and they took all the credit for the instrument.

He never made any money as a musician but it was all he knew.

Legend tells that he played his bagpipes in the shepherd's fields as well.

He only knew one song: "Mary had a Little Lamb".

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #stpatricksday, #stpaddysday, #shamrock, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon

Fleetwood Mac Parody

I've had a wonderful time doing parodies with McDivot and friends.

One of my favorites has been with album covers.

For those who know this album cover I omitted the low-hanging fob for our more sensitive fans. ;-)

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #fleetwoodmac, #album