What has had the biggest effect on you?

I used to be a huge fan of Fight Club when I was in middle school. I had no idea what the movie was trying to say, I just fell in love with the style: the narration, the subtle gestures, the shots and the colors.

Recently, I watched Fight Club again for the first time in about three years, and I suddenly realized how major an effect the stuff I mentioned above has had on what I create: in my writing, the movies I make, even in my mapping, I see the style of that movie everywhere. It was almost scary, because I had mostly forgotten it, but the film had practically ingrained itself within my creative process.

It makes me curious: what non-human source, specifically concept or idea (interpreted in art, politics, philosophy, whatever) has had the most influence on you in life?

I don't know if it's exactly what you're looking for but my Jeet Kune
Do training had a huge effect on my life. From the people I met there
to the physical and mental effects of training.

I think that my judo training has had a big influence on my life, wether it's the fact that I let people push me around less, or the fact that im feeling fitter and stronger.

I'd have to say being so cool has had a great affect on my life. Everyone looks up to me and stuff, its just so rewarding knowing you're better than everyone else..

oh are we supposed to be serious?

I'll reply when I"m not half drunk :razz:

I'll reply when I"m not half drunk :razz:

... We'll be waiting a while for that day. :wink:

A movie that I watched when I was young that had a great influence on me was Return to Oz (I think). It was the sequel to Wizard of Oz but apparently it wasn't very popular at all. It had several off the wall concepts such as a bed with a talking moose head attached to the front of it (which flew I believe), a woman who had a hallway full of interchangable heads, and a strange robot which resembled a cross between the tin-man and a wheel chair. It hasn't turned up in my mapping so much as drawings.

I think, definitely when it comes to camera handling and style of
filming, the Danny Boyle films inspired me a lot. Trainspotting &
28 Days Later both have that unique style to create suspense, or a
certain atmosphere. Also, the music choice was always perfect.
Trainspotting helped me find my #1 song of all time, Born Slippy.

And it might sound a little geeky, but all that Force stuff in Star
Wars ... there's something valuable in that. I'm not talking about the
Jedi tricks & cool moves, that's for the movies, but I'm talking
about the idea that every living being is connected with other beings
and the world, and that breaking a chain (remember symbiotic lifeforms)
could lead to a disaster. It's probably the "worldwide peace" message
that inspires me, but I do like that.

I don't think I've been personally influenced by a movies per say. But compelled to tell me own stories (or stories I love) in an interesting way.

I know that sounds odd, maybe even childish.

I actually have rather high ambitions and no one, not to this day has been able to knock them down.
I think I was mostly mesmerized by what you can accomplish in a film, or any form of entertainment. It really is amazing if you think about it.

Whatever message you have, or just story, you can tell it to its fullest. No one can yell at you or interrupt you during this, since you're not there. Your ideas can be clearly expressed and once the thing is done you have made whomever watched it listen to your opinion, whether they know it or not.

I always liked that.

So, as far as any film, book, or anything that has helped define things about myself ... I'd say there's nothing. Most often its the other way around.

Fight Club for example, when written was molded after Palahniuk's disgust with routine, with people's tendency to ignore you if it meant perils for them.
I've had a couple chats with instructors I've had (who know him, never been to one of his readings though) and basically, the way he came up with fight club was one night he got the holy hell beat out of him. When he went to work, no one would look him in the face or even ask him what happened.

But now, he just sells its rights like crazy. I think last year he said something to the effect of "You have no idea how easy it is to sign a piece of paper to get a hefty check". That was back when he sold some rights to Fight Club for the game to be made.

Not that any of this is really pertaining to the thread, its interesting nonetheless.

hmmmm things that have had an impact one me. well im not really sure to tell you the truth i did not have the best home life ' I mean it could be worse ' but I did not get along with my parents much at all and thats when I started to map because it would keep my mind off of things. I too don't think this has anything to do with the thread either.

Probably just sounds like a big fat cliche, but without music i'd probably be a lot worse off now. I went through a pretty crappy time at Uni and the one thing that kept me going was having music to listen to. Like I said, big fat cliche!

Anyway, it just helps me no end to have music playing in the background when i'm mapping or working on something important :smile:

hmmm you do have a good point i cant map in silince, i always have music too.

<DIV>Hehe, music is the same for me. If I didn't have a good tune to move to, I doubt I'd be able to force myself out of bed before 10 each morning.</DIV>
<DIV>.</DIV>
<DIV>As for what has influenced my thoughts, I took a large part from 1984. About two years ago, I read the book and became obsessed with any form of what appeared to be power and control - not the most fun way to live, I realised after a year. As for my writing style, I somewhat copy Ludlum. </DIV>
<DIV>.</DIV>
<DIV>Quite the contrary to Atrocity, I find that my home-life is so "perfect" and "normal" that it is horribly boring. These days, I will do anything to escape boredom. Fight Club, anyone?</DIV>

I just cant map without music... the only time I ever stop the music is so i can hear sounds when looking through the pak files.

my mother, father and my 4 siblings. you said non human but i can say
whole heartedly these are the only people who have helped me form my
opinions, morals and values.

aside from the concept of communism and left wing ideas which i still
embrace whole heartedly (albeit my own theories on society and human
nature nowadays, with roots in the left wing).

the concept of sharing, equality and an end to rich/poor divides,
coupled with anti-globalisation/excessive and unregulated commerce taps
straight into my mentality.

apart from that, losing the full use of sight in my right eye at the
hands of britains rising population of scum. it has driven me further
down the path of extreme cynicism and sheer hatred for the kind of
people who simply have no respect for other humans - and more toward
getting out of this backward country and helping nations and people the
developed countries ignore and leave to flounder.

thats about it really, but theyre the biggest influences - aside from
the usual subversive literature (orwell, dc comics, banksy the graffiti
artist) and eclectic and far reaching taste in music. but meh, theyre
normal

^_^

Alien_Sniper said:

I'll reply when I"m not half drunk :razz:

... We'll be waiting a while for that day. :wink:

hey how do you know me! agh!!!! Are you from college or somethign!?!?!

I know this is going to sound incredibly corney, but nature is probably what inspires/influences me the most (in a non-human capacity.) I just get much more focused/relaxed when I'm not surrounded by machines and whatnot. I just don't think the same when I'm in front of my computer as when I'm sitting in a park somewhere with a notebook jotting down ideas.

I know you said non-human, but whatever. In that sense, my 7th grade/8th grade/Senior English teacher probably had the most impact on me. She was really one of the first people to see that I wasn't just some quiet kid who never wanted to do any work, and actually seemed to understand why I acted the way I did. She inspired me to actually start trying in school instead of just scraping by at the last minute (I wasn't stupid- I just stopped caring after they offered to move me up a year because I didn't want to leave all my friends :/). Anyways, I still often talk to her, and get her input on things.

Oh, and I suppose music plays a large part in my life as well. Not really influential in that sense, but I can't really see myself without it.

Shapes and forms of things around me inspire me a lot in level design, even if the end result is nothing like the source. Be it buildings I pass on the train, the way a couple of trees are intertwining, or the lamp sat next to me at my computer, I tend to pick up lots of forms that help inspire ideas for stuff in levels.

Outside of level design, I really couldn't say. I'd probably need to give it more thought, but off hand I can't think of a single thing that really influences me greatly. I guess music, as I listen to it almost constantly, but I can't say if my life would be greatly different without it as while its present in a huge amount of my life, its very rarely the only thing occupying my time.

I have music too, but not right now, I just got my machine back together again after adding some new spinky fans and stuff :biggrin:

Like Monqui, it's nature that really does it for me. Spending a day at 10,000 + feet looking down on the world is an amazing aid to thought and contemplation. Combine that with the adrenaline of an unprotected high-exposure scramble, and the sheer solitude of being alone in the wilderness and you have a truly profound experience.

Artistically, this has influenced me more in terms of getting to know myself better and understanding my own goals than in direct inspiration of my work. As far as I can tell, my writing and mapping come out of an agglomeration of all my past experiences and education. There seems to be no dominant influence.

My mind and the things I see with it are what influence me. Abstract thoughts really get me going. Good examples abound in Star Wars. (the original trilogy).

Now, I'm not really gonna say that the movie itself Is the one great determining factor in my life, but there are some really great things in it to get your mind going. Somebody already brought up the idea of the Force, and its implications. I like the idea of the ability to do things with your mind that aren't ordinarily possible. Another thing about Star Wars is the phrase "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away". The ideas of space and time are an endless source of thought for me. Along this line is the idea of spacial dimensions. Theoretically, everything exists within 3 dimensions, but I am always trying to bend this rule, and I like to create art based on this. If I were to narrow it down to one single thing, I would say that art is my greatest influence. A specific example is the work of M.C. Escher...

I can say that I've always been interested in creating things/art. It probably started with LEGO? bricks, otherwise known as Legos, :razz: . I would take a pile of legos and create whatever I imagined, I loved that. I never had a very huge collection of legos, but I was always able to stretch what was available to its limits. More recently though, (past 5-6 years), I have utilized my drawing skills. I have piles upon piles of paper with charcoal or pencil drawings and they definitely have an overall theme of geometry. The ideas of space, and what can be done with it, are what have had the most influence on me and my art, hence my foray into mapping...

I now think that Fight Club (the movie) is a show of disgust for the insipidness of modern life; we are taken away from out basic roots and emotions as human beings, and placed in a world where we are told not to react, not to show emotion. When we are so protected in society, people are forced to find bizzarre ways to satisfy basic needs.

Fight Club is about people getting fed up with this, and taking the kind of life that the narrator lived and turning it on it's head. Before he started going to support groups, he had nowhere to channel his feelings, and thus stayed awake. After he started crying, he enjoyed life again, but when Marla came into the picture, he began to realize his dependancy, and created Tyler to lead him out of that state in a way he could never do.

You've got a big part of it I think Cass, but a think there are several layers of meaning to that film. Its also about the dangers of idealism. what happens when you take any idea or philosophy to it's logical conclusion and cross the bounds of extremism. That is the part that really got to me, but I have the feeling there is more to it that I haven't yet discovered. goes and watches again

Cassius said:
I now think that Fight Club (the movie) is a show of disgust for the insipidness of modern life; we are taken away from out basic roots and emotions as human beings, and placed in a world where we are told not to react, not to show emotion. When we are so protected in society, people are forced to find bizzarre ways to satisfy basic needs.

Fight Club is about people getting fed up with this, and taking the kind of life that the narrator lived and turning it on it's head. Before he started going to support groups, he had nowhere to channel his feelings, and thus stayed awake. After he started crying, he enjoyed life again, but when Marla came into the picture, he began to realize his dependancy, and created Tyler to lead him out of that state in a way he could never do.

Well put cass :smile:

I agree Cass, but maybe you shouldve warned that that contains what is technically a spoiler. I'm not sure if someone who hasnt seen the movie would pick up on it, but still...

It's over four years old Wilson, I don't think there's any need for a warning.

Did you know that Darth Vader is actually Lukes father? I mean, like, s**t.

When I first saw it I thought it was great (and still do) like Tracer Bullet said, it has many layers of meaning. And as for what Monqui said.... Are you for real, I always thought it was chewie :razz:

You bitches spoiled Fight Club for me! Arghhh! :smile:

Anyway, as a stark contrast to all these deep, deep
influences everyone else has, the game series Thief (by the
dearly departed Looking Glass Studios) has penetrated and rooted itself
firmly in my life. It's taken over... My life... Ahhh!

Do you just play the game a lot or do you find yourself sneaking about and swiping peoples things?

Do you just play the game a lot or do you find yourself sneaking about and swiping peoples things?

Well the whole style of the game moreso than the thievery. The plot +
world are very, very good and fleshed out. And the 3 Thief games
comprise a nice, complete trilogy that fit into each other. Great
stuff, really. If you've never played Thief, you had better start doing
so! Even if you have to use the cursed third person view :smile:

On the other hand, I have shoplifted a few times! Aiieee!!

You bitches spoiled Fight Club for me! Arghhh! :smile:

http://www.snarkpit.com/pits/alien_sniper/Images/fightclub3.gif

Linked for size (772kb). Watch it. :smile:

daiojgsaiopdgaesiog

Translation: Alien_Sniper will die before before his body hits the ground.

That spoils nothing, trust me. :smile:

Did you know that Darth Vader is actually Lukes father? I mean, like, s**t.

you bloody spoiler!

did you know that Darth Vader's voice is dubbed over?! that ticked off the actor somewhat.

biggest effect on me... i dont know, i'v started to loose my memory, the last three years are just about there, onley faces from beyond that. it's great to sit on the roof at night and try to remember! darkness, where would we be without it :smile:

Wow, havent being here in ages, didnt know i had that avatar! the place looks great by-the-by. :smile:

You'll soon be reduced to repeating the same phrase over and over again Diarmaid. 'Sun on your back' :sad:

James Earl Jones - The voice of Darth Vader

ROFL, A_S ya bolloks youve also had a great effect on my life! through the good and the bad! and were still here! TAKE THAT SYSTEM.

And we wonder how chainsaw killers comeabout.

Diarmaidx2 said:
did you know that Darth Vader's voice is dubbed over?! that ticked off the actor somewhat.

The actor who played Darth Vader was that bloke who played the Green Cross Code man in the telly adverts. He has a distinct Somerset accent and is therefore genetically incapable of uttering any sentence without the prefix "Ooooooh arrrrrh", which, for some reason, the Americans found less than compelling. I believe his response was something like (as Diarmaidx2 has hinted) "Oooooooh arrrrrrh, them baaaaaastard Yanks.

Oi'll throw ambrosia custard at them I will!

/laughing me arse off!