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FableVision Games for Good: Extra Life 2019!

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Most video games don’t give you seven extra lives, but here at FableVision, we’re gearing up for our seventh year participating in Extra Life, a 24-hour game-a-thon! Never heard of a 24-hour game-a-thon before? Extra Life unites thousands of gamers, Team FableVision included, to play games for a full day, raising money throughout the process. Through generous sponsors and some excellent gaming skills, Extra Life has raised over $50 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across America. The proceeds from FableVision’s sponsors will benefit children in our local branch, Boston Children’s Hospital. 

Team FableVision will be “gaming for good” between November 2-3 at the studio. As a studio, we’re committed to creating content that inspires, teaches, and moves people to action, and Extra Life is a fantastic way to take action ourselves. The event helps us directly channel our interests into helping others in a different way than usual, and we’ve loved participating these last five years!

Can FableVision beat last year’s record of $6,609? Only if we get help from our amazing supporters. Each participating member of the FableVision family is looking for donations, and no amount is too small. Sign up here to join our team or to donate to a team member and support a great cause. Thank you so much! 

While we anxiously await the 2nd, read on to learn more about some of our players this year. Get ready to game on!

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This is your first ExtraLife. What about the game-a-thon excites you the most?
Julie Oliveira, Production Artist: In the time I've been at FableVision, I've heard the term "Extra Life" come up quite often. Whenever I hear a coworker talking about it, it’s always in the context of something fun or a fond memory. I fully support the cause Extra Life supports, and I also really enjoy playing games of all kinds, so I think this is the perfect event to have fun with everyone at the studio while also supporting a great cause. I can't wait for my first Extra Life with FableVision and to make a lot of great memories this year! 

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This is your second year participating in Extra Life. What tips do you have for playing games late into the night?
Allie Caton, Production Assistant: I only made it to 10:30 p.m. last year, but this year I'm aiming to stay up later! In addition to caffeine, I've been saving a few games I'm really excited to play at Extra Life. I won't leave until I've played them all!

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Why is the Extra Life cause important to you?
David Welsh, Game & Narrative Designer: Extra life is important to me because kids deserve the best medical care, especially when they’re sick and vulnerable. Gaming is a unique way to build excitement for the fundraising that provides hospitals with the resources they need to help children.

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What about Extra Life makes it a successful event?
Peter Stidwill, Executive Producer: Extra Life is a highlight of the year for me. When else do you get such a great excuse to play games for a whole day? For me, the thing that makes Extra Life a great success is the range of different types of games⁠—digital, board, card, and physical⁠—that we can switch between during the day. Each year I get introduced to whole new games and experiences that I would never have tried otherwise.

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You’re an Extra Life veteran. What about the event keeps you coming back?
Gary Goldberger, President: I'm super excited for this to be my 7th Extra Life event. Supporting our Boston Children's Hospital has been very near and dear to my heart; it is an institution that has not only had a positive impact on my family's members lives, but also on so many in the area and around the world. The Extra Life Game-a-thon is a wonderful way to raise money. Not only do we get to do something that we love (playing games for good) but we also get to do it with people that we enjoy being around (co-workers, friends, and family). I love that every year there are new people joining and new games to play while we continue to support BCH.

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What advice do you have for other people who can’t be at the event but want to be involved?
Sarah Ditkoff, Communications Director:
Here are my three tips:
1. Participate in Extra Life by joining the Extra Life community! 
2. Support FableVision's Extra Life team by donating here. 
3. Follow Extra Life team's gaming the day of on social media by using #ForTheKids or join us on Twitch to play along.

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September FableFriday: Sam Bissonnette, Producer

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Samantha “Sam” Bissonnette is holding educational media to a high standard – and it’s an interactive one. The newest producer at the studio, Sam is no stranger to FableVision, having spent time honing her skills as a 2013 intern in our marketing department. Since then, Sam has ventured deeper into media production, managing streaming content on the digital team at PBS KIDS, working as a production assistant on shows like WordGirl and Astroblast!, and consulting with Sesame Workshop on innovating in the early education field. After graduating from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education (HGSE), Sam returns to FableVision armed with a renewed passion for producing educational media. Among other things, she’s constantly thinking about how our favorite properties positively impact our lives – no matter your age.

“I’m really excited about interactive experiences through streaming media. Specifically, there’s a lot of conversation that says TV is a passive experience, and I disagree – the best shows and stories start conversation and action,” Sam shares. “People feel moved to make fan art, express their thoughts about characters online, or host viewing parties. I’m really excited to be able to think about harnessing this excitement at FableVision Studios and make it easier for people to interact with media, especially in an educational space.”

Pull up a chair and get to know Sam’s thoughts on personalized learning, rich production past, and her enthusiastic love for food, Pokémon, and a certain BIG puppy in this month’s FableFriday.

Sam, tell us about your journey to FableVision story!
My journey (back!) to FableVision started after my internship with the marketing team here in 2013. Inspired to continue working in the edtech industry, I worked several different jobs in the children’s media space and finished graduate school. I heard there was a job opening at FableVision Studios so I interviewed with Executive Producer Karen Bresnahan and Senior Producer Peter Stidwill. Before I knew it, I was welcomed back into the FableVision team!

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The role of producer is often mysterious as they’re creatively working behind the scenes to pull everything together. Can you give us a crash course on your role at FableVision?
Producers at FableVision have the exciting task of managing projects that come in all shapes and sizes. We think about the project as a whole and work to keep the client’s vision at the forefront of the team’s mind every step of the way. Producers have a hand in shaping and guiding each project towards delivery. I get to constantly learn more about art, tech, and design – all things I love! At FableVision, we’re fortunate to work on a broad range of media, so every day and every project feels different.

As a producer you have to stay organized, what’s your trick?
I like to record everything as much as possible – I have three notebooks, one schedule book, and lots of calendars! I can type pretty quickly too, so I tend to transcribe meetings and conversations whenever possible.

What’s a favorite project that you’re working on now?
It’s so hard to choose! FableVision’s work with The Good Project is especially important to me. Through research-based concepts, frameworks, and resources, The Good Project seeks to help students reflect upon the ethical dilemmas that arise in everyday life and give them the tools to make thoughtful decisions. It was my first kickoff as a part of the FableVision team, and it ties perfectly with my experience at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Plus it involves a lot of content I feel passionate about, like social/emotional development.

Hats off to the new graduate! You recently matriculated from HGSE, tell us about what you studied in the Technology, Innovation, and Education (TIE) program?
As a member of the 2017 TIE cohort, I explored courses in design, entrepreneurship, animation, inclusive education, race and culture in education, and of course, children’s media! The program is really hands-on, so it involved a lot of awesome group projects and collaboration with students from a variety of professional backgrounds. I feel really fortunate to have spent a year growing professionally in such a supportive and creative environment.

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Before heading off to grad school, you managed the streaming content on the digital team at PBS KIDS. What are some of the insights you gleaned from curating digital content for kids?
The PBS KIDS Video app is so successful in part because it has such great design, and it’s really made with the target audience in mind. It was important for our team to constantly be thinking about how our young audience was seeing our videos. One interesting thing we realized was that marking a video as “new” didn’t necessarily alert kids to brand new content – partly because we have a lot of early readers as viewers. This meant that we could regularly repurpose content along with current pieces to maintain a level of variety.

You spent some time teaching in the classroom. Do you have any takeaways from your time as a teacher?
My time as a preschool teacher was so valuable and it shapes the way I understand, think about, and appreciate children and early educators. As a child development major in undergrad I had a firm understanding of why early education is so important, but being a part of that growth really brought it home for me. Children zero to five can do so much more than I had imagined. Plus, they’re imaginative, creative, honest, and fun. Early educators are smart, dedicated, and passionate people that deserve all our support. 

Who are some industry folks that you’re following these days and how do they inspire you to follow your North Star?Women in media like Rebecca Sugar, Issa Rae, and the ladies of Broad City and 2DopeQueens who are leading the way in their genres are all really inspiring to me. They let their own unique perspectives be their creative guide rather than trying to make more of what is already out there.

Last year's Extra Life team at FableVision Studios

Last year's Extra Life team at FableVision Studios

This is your first year gaming for good and raising funds for Boston Children’s Hospital with us for Extra Life! Why are you excited to join our team?
I’m super excited for Extra Life! Boston is my home and I’m proud that Boston Children’s Hospital is one of the best hospitals in the country. I’m excited to support an organization that brings so much necessity and good into the lives of kids and their families. I’m also looking forward to working with Team FableVision to beat our goal of $6,000!


 

Who is Kovu?
Kovu the dog! My fiancé Andy and I adopted Kovu as a rescue puppy a few years ago while we were living outside D.C. He’s nostalgically named after Kovu from Lion King 2, because we both happened to love the movie as kids and it’s such a great name! Kovu is about 90 lbs, and we think a Boxer, Great Pyrenees, Staffordshire mix. Maybe. He’s very lovable, strange, lazy, sleepy, and friendly. He loves belly rubs, playing with little kids, and swimming in lakes. He’s always making us laugh and we love him a lot!

As a traveling foodie, tell us about the top three international places to visit and eat our way through.

More about Sam!

Hogwarts house: I want to say Gryffindor, but I think I’m a Hufflepuff.
Your current jam: Bright Whites by Kishi Bashi
Current read: My professor’s book – The Diversity Bargain by Natasha Warikoo
Best Cartoon Ever: Ohhhhh, don’t make me choose! If I have to, my favorite anime is School Live! (Gakkō Gurashi!)
Food that makes you look like a cooking connoisseur: My Cincinnati Chili! (Thanks, America’s Test Kitchen!)
Greatest holiday: Halloween!!!!
Favorite Pokemon: Vulpix (fire types forever!) 
Tell us a joke: This is my favorite thing on the internet.
Hands-down the best sports team:  The Tufts Women’s Track and Field team!

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2016 Extra Life Through The Eyes of A Beginner

What a night! For the fourth year in a row, Team FableVision took on the challenge to game for good and raise money through Extra Life for Boston Children’s Hospital. And guess what? WE DID IT.

I was a new addition to FableVision’s Extra Life team this year. I was excited: it was an opportunity to immerse myself in having fun with my co-workers, meet their families, and do something for a greater, bigger cause at the same time.

Munching on some of Brian’s famous sugary waffles, I began the day with a lighthearted game of Sushi GO (if you haven’t played before, the game cards have silly illustrations of sushi and dumplings). Those wanting to get creative with their breakfast wandered over to the pancake art station complete with colorful tubes of batter.

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A video posted by FableVision Studios (@fvstudioboston) on

The studio transformed into a gamer’s dream den. Scattered across the studio were various stations set up to accommodate board games, PlayStation, X-Box, Wii, and a host of desktop computers dedicated to online gaming. Folks brought along nail polish, knitting gear, and henna as a respite from gaming overload.

Gaming all the way into lunch, Michael collected a few of us and we went to get some fresh air and play whiffle ball! Caked in mud and running around makeshift bases, I felt like a kid again.

The Extra Life evening brought FableVision’s first-ever Trivia Night hosted by Michael and Sam. Armed with empanadas from La Sultana Bakery, teams raced across the FableVision conference room to get their answers in to questions that ranged from the oldest city in America (St. Augustine in Florida) to identifying the various forms of pasta (harder than you think!).

The night was long but boy, was it worth the effort! Team FableVision proudly raised a whopping $5,457 (and counting!) for Boston Children’s Hospital! Our page will stay open until the end of the next year so we still need your help to meet (and exceed!) our goals! A huge thank you to all those who’ve pitched in and supported our team.

Until next year, gamers! 

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Meet FableVision's Extra Life team!

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On your mark, gets set, GO! With three weeks left before Extra Life, Team FableVision is kicking its fundraising efforts into high gear. Still not sure what Extra Life is? Here’s the simple answer: Extra Life is a 24-hour gaming fundraiser for a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital of your choice. As a team we are playing for the Boston Children’s Hospital. Folks are encouraged to support the team as a whole, here. But you can also pledge your support to specific team members.

Now, there’s a bit of competition with some team members (**cough Gary Goldberger cough**). So we thought, why not level the playing field, introduce Team FableVision, and let them explain why they are fundraising.

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Name: Gary Goldberger, President

Favorite game you played as a kid: I don’t know if there is one single game. I would play M.U.L.E. with my friends on the Commodore 64 for hours at a time.

Favorite game to play now: Currently my family and I are playing Settlers of Catan and I am diving into Don’t Starve…I love the look and feel of the game.

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: There were a ton of great memories…here are a few – I learned 4 or 5 new board games, enjoyed losing our voices playing Resistance, but the best was looking around at 3 a.m. at the team and feeling proud that we were all banding together to make a difference.

Why are you participating in Extra Life? The staff of Boston Children’s Hospital directly impacted my life when my son had a life-threatening medical emergency, and they were there for weeks after, during recovery. In some way, Extra Life is a small way to pay it forward to them and the children who are in need now.

Fun fact about yourself: I collect hobbies. Currently it's bee keeping and wood working (I am making a farm table for our dining room). 

Name: Matt Brelsford, Developer

Favorite game you played as a kid: Super Metroid

Favorite game to play now: Super Smash Bros

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: N/A (Editor's Note: He's the new guy.)

Why are you participating in Extra Life? For the kids! And to beat John Groh as Megaman.

Fun fact about yourself: Majored in Theatrical Lighting Design.

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Name: Renee Kurilla, Lead Artist

Favorite game you played as a kid:
I have a few favorite games that would be hard to choose from! When I was younger, I remember the magic of getting a Nintendo for the first time. I loved all the Mario games, I still do. When I was older, I played computer games…my favorite being Day of the Tentacle. A highlight of my adult life was having my floppy disks signed by co-creator Tim Shafer last year at PAX East!

Favorite game to play now: Animal Crossing, it’s just so adorable and relaxing.

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: I had a great time last year hanging out with co-workers and even sleeping over at FableVision…but I think my favorite part was the live stream thank-you speech from Extra Life founders in the morning after the 24 hours had passed. It made me really feel like I did a special thing. While it’s fun to play games for 24 hours, it was nice to remember why we did it.

Why are you participating in Extra Life? While I love to play games, I would not have the stamina to do it for 24 hours if it wasn’t for helping the kids at Boston Children’s Hospital. I’m hoping we can surpass last years fundraising goal!

Fun fact about yourself: I can beat Super Mario Bros. 2 in approximately 25 minutes. 

Name: Jordan Persson, Production Assistant

Favorite game you played as a kid: The (Even More) Incredible Machine.  Or Mousetrap. Or Gizmos & Gadgets. I guess I really loved weird contraptions.

Favorite game to play now: Currently, the new Super Smash Bros. game has a lot of my attention.

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: Watching a group try to get through a game of Arkham Horror at 2 a.m. A character sprained an ankle, then later sprained the other one, which (according to the game's rules) meant that they were sucked through a hell portal on the spot. It's just like real life!

Why are you participating in Extra Life?  Fortune and glory. I mean, it's a win-win-win event! I get to hang out with fun people, play games, and raise money for charity all at once. Why wouldn't I participate in Extra Life?

Fun fact about yourself: My band once opened for Afrika Bambaataa.

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Name: Andrea Calvin, Brand and Development Strategist

Favorite game you played as a kid: Crackers in my Bed and The Bride Game

Favorite game to play now: Apples to Apples

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: This might not seem like a game, but the nail polish game was a ton of fun. We set up a nail station and folks of all ages took turns painting nails. When an 8-year-old asks to paint your fingers…that is a huge challenge! 

Why are you participating in Extra Life? Why not? Boston Children’s Hospital holds a special spot in the Calvin house. My husband had heart surgery as a kid at Boston Children’s Hospital. He still talks about the care and attention he received there. I want to make sure other kids, facing scary medical situations, have the chance to feel safe.   

Fun fact about yourself: I have a grumpy 17-year-old cat (see above) that likes to lick elbows and eat cheese.

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Name: Keith Zulawnik, Lead Artist

Favorite game you played as a kid: Zelda: Link to the Past 

Favorite game to play now: I'm really enjoying Luftrausers at the moment.

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: Attempting to play Arkham Horror for the first time at 3 a.m.

Why are you participating in Extra Life? It's a great cause, anything we can do to help Boston Children's Hospital. On top of that, it's just super fun. We don't all ever hangout for that amount of time, and this is a great excuse to all stay in one room and play games.

Fun fact about yourself: In my previous life I was a gnome. 

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Name: Sarah Ditkoff, Communications and Development Strategist

Favorite game you played as a kid: Flashlight tag

Favorite game to play now: Cribbage with my dad

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: I played Journey for the first time, which kinda blew my mind. I also enjoyed playing Dixit, where you get to make up stories based on an illustration.

Why are you participating in Extra Life? Doing a worth-while cause with a team to back you up is a really great experience.

Fun fact about yourself: I think my green thumb is better than it actually is. But I did successfully grow basil, cilantro, oregano, and parsley this summer. I want to try veggies next year. Baby steps, right?

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Name: John Groh, Creative IT and QA Specialist

Favorite game you played as a kid: Star Fox!

Favorite game to play now: Star Fox!

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: Being held hostage by a group of children who painted my fingernails and hands, rendering me unable to play any games without destroying their hard work. Dilemmas. 

Why are you participating in Extra Life? For the kiddos, duh! Oh, and games are cool. 

Fun fact about yourself: My life goal is to open a Karaoke Barcade, potentially in space.

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Name: Brian "Mentally AFK" Grossman, Technical Director

Favorite game you played as a kid: Pitfall

Favorite game to play now: Taboo

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: Playing games with co-works and my kids -- all together.

Why are you participating in Extra Life? Mostly because it's a great cause...but also because it's a ton of fun!

Fun fact about yourself: I consider myself a decent game player (and a native English speaker), but I am truly awful at word games. it's embarrassing!

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Name: Taryn Johnson, Production Artist and Animator

Favorite game you played as a kid: Pretend! The closest thing to video games in my house growing up were educational computer games, but a few of my favorites were The Oregon Trail, Zoombinis, KidPix! and Thinkin' Things.

Favorite game to play now: Dungeons and Dragons

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: Playing Journey from start to finish. It's such a gorgeous experience.

Why are you participating in Extra Life? Coming together to play games is a lot of fun, but I really like that Extra Life encourages the gaming community to give to others.

Fun fact about yourself: I was part of a wildlife rehabilitation program, where I raised an opossum named Oscar, cared after birds, squirrels, and tortoises, and learned how to give monkeys baths (it's not easy). I also rock at singing The Little Mermaid at karaoke.

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Name: Ryan McNulty, Game Designer and Developer

Favorite game you played as a kid: Stop Thief!

Favorite game to play now: Mission: Red Planet (OK, I've never actually played, but the rule book is fantastic).

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: Settlers of Catan, first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee. More days should start like that.

Why are you participating in Extra Life? Helping kids by binge-gaming for 24 hours straight? Yes, please!

Fun fact about yourself: This took me an hour to answer.

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Name: Hannah O'Neal, Artist/Animator

Favorite game you played as a kid: Earth Worm Jim tied with Sonic the Hedgehog 

Favorite game to play now: Legend of Zelda Series, Sword and Sworcery, FEZ, Walking Dead game...sooo many....

Best memory from last year’s Extra Life: Waking up early with everyone and getting coffee and donuts and recounting all the stuff we did. It was a happy/groggy/heartfelt end to the 24 hours. I can't wait to do it again!

Why are you participating in Extra Life? I love games, and I love helping people, especially kids! So if playing games can help a kid in need, I definitely want to be a part of that.

Fun fact about yourself: I used to live on a farm where we raised Ostriches for a time!

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