FableVision’s Morning Mixtape: A Commuting Playlist

Ah, the days of mixtapes—when you’d collect a stack of blank cassettes or CDs and carefully create a list of your favorite songs to enjoy with friends or loved ones. Playlists are the modern day mixtapes and the desire to share good music has never faded.

Morning commutes, especially, are a great time to put on your favorite playlists and get into the right frame of mind for work. FableVisionaries travel to the studio in all different ways: train, car, bus, bicycle...even by foot. No matter what mode of transportation each FableVisionary chooses, we all have one mission in mind: arrive at the studio ready to work hard and be creative. Music can make or break a morning, so we’ve put together a mixtape (technically it’s a playlist, but we’re feeling nostalgic) of the studio’s favorite songs for the morning commute.

Continue reading to find out what songs get our team members energized and ready for the day!

A playlist featuring The Killers, Lizzo, Grimes, and others

“The Man” by The Killers
“I especially love playing this before a big meeting, it makes me feel invincible!” (Sarah Ditkoff, Communications Director)

“Juice” by Lizzo
“I love an upbeat song that I can cycle to on my commute!” (Allie Caton, Production Assistant)

“Kill V Maim” by Grimes
“It's probably super weird, but listening to Grimes makes me feel like a fierce warrior that can take on anything. Sometimes lyrics are secondary to the beat for me, so really, I just feel like it’s a music video in the morning of me getting ready to kick butt.” (Christina Kelly, Production Designer)

“Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)” by Patrick Stump
“The song is all about removing yourself from the endless spiral of reliving past mistakes and sadness, and focusing on the here and now of how awesome you are. It helps me break out of tallying the pile of things that need to get done today, and instead celebrate the fact that I am about to go work with my amazing teams and make awesome games!” (Melissa Schoeller, Associate Producer)

“Hymnal” by Open Mike Eagle
“‘Hymnal’ is a great song about pushing past obstacles and owning mistakes when you're trying to create something:‘To thine own self be felt-tip.’ The track starts off sleepy, but by the time Sammus finishes her verse, I'm ready for my day!” (David Welsh, Production Assistant)

“Unlock It” by Charli XCX
“High-energy PC Music pop is, in my opinion, the best thing to listen to for my walk from the train every morning.” (Nathan Wentworth, Junior Developer)

"Unwound" by Tomtsu
“Along with the fact that this song really gets my toes tapping, my son is the drummer. Hard to believe these guys are only in high school.” (Brian Grossman, Technical Director)

“Someone To You” by BANNERS
“It’s the type of song that makes me want to run and do karate kicks in the air.” (Eileen Moynihan, Marketing Intern)

"The Killing Kind" by Marianas Trench
“One word: drama. This song never fails to energize me in the mornings, and it also has beautifully crafted lyrics and literary references that get me in the right frame of mind for the creative writing I do at the studio.” (Monica Chen, Marketing Coordinator)

“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
”’Fight Song’ was the anthem of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and its meaning for me has shifted over time. At first, it symbolized the possibility of finally breaking the glass ceiling. Then it made me cry every time I heard it. And now it reminds me that we have to get up and keep going in the face of adversity.” (Leigh Hallisey, Creative Director)

January FableFriday: Melissa Schoeller, Associate Producer

Melissa Schoeller is a woman of many talents. As an Associate Producer at FableVision Studios, Melissa helps to manage the studio’s technical and creative teams in the development of small and large scale educational media. Although her journey to FableVision was slightly roundabout, she always had an inkling that this was the career she was meant to pursue.

“In graduate school, the curriculum was project-based and teams were small, so I had to learn to do a little bit of everything,” shares Melissa. “However, every time I made a 3D model, designed an animated character, or created other content, I also kept jumping in to monitor the schedule, budget, and scope. At one point, I promised myself I would be on a project just as an artist, but by the end of the first meeting, I single-handedly created our entire communication infrastructure without meaning to. I can’t turn it off!”

Along with being a talented producer, Melissa also makes sure to maintain her creativity and passion in her life outside the studio as well. Outside of her work at FableVision, Melissa freelances as an artist and module writer for an upcoming tabletop role-playing game, she designs games, and she bakes delicious treats that she shares with family and friends.

A project manager, game designer, linguist (she learned four languages!), book collector, musician, and baker—Melissa embodies the importance of cultivating your interests both inside and outside of work. Join us as we learn more about how she came to FableVision, what a day in the life of an Associate Producer looks like, and what her favorite holiday recipes are!

What is your “journey to FableVision” story?
FableVision and I had a bit of an accidental encounter. After receiving my masters in Entertainment Technology from Carnegie Mellon, I spent the summer interning in California and figuring out what I wanted to do next. Because I was exhausted from all of the moving around, I told myself that I needed a couple of weeks off in my home state of Massachusetts before I could start seriously looking into what city was going to be my new home. I was telling this to my friend at MIT when she asked me if I’d heard of FableVision. I replied yes—they’re pretty well known in the educational games community—and then she asked if I’d like to work there.

It turns out that she and Peter Stidwill, FableVision’s Executive Producer, had met a few weeks prior, and he mentioned that he was hiring new FableVisionaries for the production team. “I know you said you were going to take a break,” my friend said. “So if you think I should ask someone else…” I cut her off. How could I ever pass up the chance to combine my two great loves: entertainment and developmental/educational work? Interviewing and meeting the FableVision team only solidified my decision.

My last day at my California internship was on a Friday, and my first day at FableVision was the following Tuesday!

You have a background studying psychology. What brought you into working in entertainment media?
When I was getting my undergraduate degree, I actually wanted to be a creative writing major, but Bryn Mawr College only had a minor and a concentration. I felt that the minor was more rigorous, so I picked psychology as my major in order to gain a better understanding of how people think and process the world around them. Even though I wanted to be a writer, I’m someone who puts all of their energy into whatever path they’ve chosen. So, once I became a psychology major, I became a true blue researcher, thesis and all.

Once I graduated, I applied 50/50 to writing and psychology jobs. Ultimately, I found myself at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Child Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program as a research coordinator. It was an awesome place to be, and they were doing important work in autism and anxiety treatment. However, more often than not, the best part of my day was when I would entertain children in the waiting room by teaching them how to draw, or by helping them come up with fantastical stories. Psychology requires one hundred percent dedication, and my heart was really in storytelling.

What are your favorite parts of working as a member of the production team?
I love being at the intersection of different specialties. I get to see an idea transform as it travels from person to person, from artist to animator to developer, into a game or animation. The best moments are when the entire team is hunkered down together, brainstorming across the studio, making creative chaos. It’s invigorating to see it all come together and to be a part of it.

What does a day in your shoes look like at the studio?
I’m sure everyone says this, but every day is so different! It’s consistently true that when I come into the studio, I review the list of tasks on the docket for the day and make sure everyone on my projects knows what they need to get done. From there, I could be recording scratch voiceover, reviewing design specs, updating budgets, brainstorming with a client, or checking a game for bugs. All of the producers are on multiple projects—I’m on four at the moment—and they’re all in different stages of development, so meeting each project’s needs requires vastly different work.

You also design games! What are some of your side projects and how are they similar to or different from the work you do at the studio?
I know, I can’t stop working! Every once in a while I get an idea for something fun, new, or just ridiculous! My brain just gets stuck on them, like you would a song, and I can’t stop thinking about the idea until I’ve brainstormed the entire thing out.

I think my favorite side project is a continuation of research I worked on at Carnegie Mellon called the Presence Project. My team made this exploratory game for virtual reality (VR) that was trying to prove that you can tell a story in VR without assigning the player a character role—“3rd-person VR.” Not only did it work, but a couple of universities were interested in continuing the research. So, in my off hours (usually early in the morning because of the time difference), I’m on the phone with labs in Norway, turning a tiny four-person lab into an international design consortium. It’s nuts!

We heard that you come from a musical family. How was that experience growing up and what instruments do you all play?
My mother plays piano and my father plays the guitar (as did his parents). When I was a kid, my brother and I took after our dad and learned guitar as well. I have a lot of really wonderful memories of getting ready for bed while Dad played music in the living room, and my brother and I would sit on the floor and sing along. And as we all got better, my brother and I soon played guitar alongside him. My real love, though, is singing.

My parents are big supporters of pursuing your passion, so long as you put in the effort. In middle school, I wanted to get into my school’s audition-only choir. I knew the only way to do it was to practice, so my parents signed me up for lessons and I pushed myself every day. Once I got into that choir, I needed to practice to get a solo, and so on, all the way up to college a cappella. I only sing for fun now—with my friends, mostly—but the lessons that I learned about pushing myself apply to everything I do.

We also heard that you love testing out new recipes. Care to share one of your favorites with us?
I’m famous for my pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, but my favorite thing I have ever made is a pumpkin Yule log with cinnamon vanilla frosting. Swiss rolls are challenging, because you have to get the right consistency and make sure to roll it perfectly before the cake cools. My biggest problem, however, is that I’m terrible at presentation. I tend to get really messy with piping frosting. So, even though the cake was super tasty, the yule log looked incredibly unappetizing.

I tried my hand at a new one this past Christmas. It looked better, but it didn’t taste quite as good.

---

More About Melissa:

Favorite animated movie: Up! I cry every time.

Hardest language for you to learn: Spanish. I’m still awful at it. I can’t roll my “r”s!

Favorite board game: That’s like choosing a child! I can’t! Not to mention I tend to rotate. But, the current game of the hour is Photosynthesis. It’s a turn-based strategy game where you try to grow more of your own trees than other players’ trees. Environmentally conscious AND competitive!

Favorite book genre: I love realistic fantasy—books that weave magic into the everyday.

Best thing about winter: I should probably say skiing (my whole family skis), but I think the best thing is when you’re drinking hot chocolate on a walk through Boston Commons with the trees all lit up and big, and fluffy snowflakes start falling.

Favorite music genre: I love everything, but lately my Spotify has been filled with a lot of folk music.

One thing you couldn’t go a day without: My bullet journal! It’s my schedule, my sketchbook, my to-do list—I’d fall apart if I didn’t have it.

August FableFriday: Allie Caton, Production Assistant

Allie Caton knows how to get results: she’s climbed the ranks from FableFan to marketing intern to full-time member of FableVision’s production team, all in the course of one year. This ability to hustle has proven invaluable during her first few months as a studio production assistant, and she still has the creative drive to work on various collaborative projects in her free time as well. With a diverse skillset and passion for diversity itself, Allie brings a sharp eye to many of the Studio’s current projects. Speaking of eyes, make sure to keep one trained on her – there’s no knowing what she’ll put her mind to next.

“One of the biggest things that I got out of my marketing internship (and that I now apply to my role as production assistant) is an understanding of how FableVision as a company functions in both company culture and workflow,” shares Allie. “Getting to know the ins and outs of each person’s role in the company during my internship turned out to be incredibly important in my position as PA since I’m constantly working with different people. The independent project aspect of our internship was also immensely helpful in helping me understand the overall arc of creating a project from start to finish.”

Read on to learn more about Allie’s journey to FableVision, her current and upcoming side-projects, and what she thinks it takes to make it through a hectic (yet exhilarating) week in the studio.

Welcome Allie! Tell us about your journey to FableVision!
I found out about FableVision about a year ago, and instantly knew that I had to get myself involved in whatever way I could. In September, I reached out to Sarah Ditkoff and Mitul Daiyan to set up an informational interview where I was able to see the studio and pick their brains a bit. After that meeting, I applied for the marketing internship and joined the FableVision team as an intern in January. When the opportunity to interview for a PA position eventually opened up, I jumped on it!

You just graduated from Boston University – go Terriers! What did you study and how do you think this has prepared you for the “real world?”
I studied Mass Communication at BU’s College of Communication. I learned a lot of things throughout college, but the biggest thing I gleaned from my major is how to communicate clearly and effectively. This is something that is not only necessary for my role as a PA, but also as a functional member of the “real world.”

With your hand in so many projects, can you walk us through what a typical week in your shoes looks like?
A typical week as a PA doesn’t really exist. Every week is different from the last and will be different from the next. I have a few projects that I’m consistently on, but the work is almost always fluctuating. Generally, my tasks include helping manage databases, checking in on artists and developers, communicating with clients, testing games and interactives, and supporting the producers in whatever ways they may need.

You spent part of last year studying in Australia and interning for the Sanfilippo Children's Foundation. How was life “down under,” and what did you take away from that experience?
It was an amazing experience both living in Australia and working with SCF. I feel so lucky to have worked with an incredible group of passionate, driven women for a cause so close to all their hearts – and now to mine. I definitely left Australia with a deeper connection to the SCF cause, a wider set of professional skills, and the best tan I’ll ever have.

Aside from your marketing and production expertise, you’re also a very talented illustrator! When did you first start drawing and what do you most enjoy about it?
I first started drawing sophomore year of high school. There are a lot of things that I love about drawing, but the biggest thing is how empowering it is to translate an abstract idea in your brain into something tangible. As frustrating as it can be to make something I really like, drawing and creativity in general are not only outlets, but acts of self-empowerment. It’s also really fun to draw outfits I wish I had.

 You recently curated and produced the amazing zine Millennium Girls. What inspired you to launch this project, and what was it like working with 28 other artists to complete it?
I really love cartoons, and still feel really connected to a lot of the awesome female characters that I grew up watching. I wanted to do something to celebrate this nostalgia that I know is shared, so I decided to put together the zine! It was a huge learning experience working with so many artists and making sure all ends were met, but it was also one of the most fun and exciting things I’ve ever been involved with. I’m currently in the planning stage for a second volume all about ‘90s cartoons, so you can follow that process here if you’re interested in learning more!

 You grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina! What was it like adjusting to life – specifically winter – up here in New England?
The winters were definitely an adjustment – my first year here was the winter where we had record-breaking amounts of snow, and I was ready to move away right after arriving. I figure after making it through that, no winter will ever seem bad.

---

More about Allie! 

Cat or Dog: Dog
Graphic novel: Catboy by Benji Nate
Harry Potter house: Sometimes Hufflepuff, sometimes Ravenclaw, sometimes Slytherin... I’ve never gotten a clear answer
Steven Universe character: Pearl <3
‘90s Cartoon: Recess
‘00s Cartoon: Danny Phantom
Artistic muse: Babs Tarr!
Inspirational site: Artstation
Best thing you ever cooked up: A variety of breads
Janelle Monae song: Q.U.E.E.N.
Favorite FableVisionary: Christina’s cat pillow

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Thanksgiving Traditions: A Peace of the Pie

Thanksgiving traditions are as colorful as the falling leaves. Every kitchen has its own rules and recipes, but on each set table, memories are the main ingredient. The spirit of Thanksgiving is often characterized by the company we find ourselves in. However, there is something to be said for the quieter moments in which we reflect and discover what we are truly thankful for.

Founder Peter H. Reynolds shares one of these moments, “I remember taking a walk after Thanksgiving dinner with a family friend when I was about 11. We walked to the center of our town of Chelmsford, MA. That was my first experience and sensation of having the world come to a slow stop. No cars. We walked in the center of the road downtown. It was very peaceful. Years later, our friend became an abbot for a Trappist monastery in the Amazon. It seems his way to find peace here on Earth was with him early on.”

Peace of mind is a theme that goes hand in hand with the holiday. We stop and consider what we are grateful for, and what brings out the season’s serenity for each of us. We find peace in our families and friends, and we honor that peace in traditions new and old, planned and impromptu, hectic and hilarious.

Here at FableVision, we are an eclectic cornucopia of individuals with roots reaching far and wide. This holiday season, we asked some festive FableVisionaries to share the roots we’ve built in memories by telling a story about their own Thanksgiving routines—from food, to family, to furry football stars.

---

Sarah Ditkoff, Communications Director
Every Thanksgiving, my Pop-Pop is responsible for setting the table. When I was little, while my grandmother's kitchen was a hot clatter of pots and pans, he slipped into the quiet(er) dining room, took out the nice china, and arranged the place settings. I joined him when I was small and followed instructions, "knife faces inwards towards the plate, glasses on the right side." Now that I am older, I love setting the table. It is a calming exercise of preparing our home—a ritual for making loved ones feel comfortable and welcome.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

---

View fullsize

Brian Grossman, Technical Director
I love food. Anyone that knows me knows this is true. So, it’s a pretty big deal when you learn that the thing I like most about Thanksgiving, the foodiest of all holidays, is actually my family. With busy lives, it’s hard to make time to see the extended family. But every Thanksgiving, I can count on seeing the aunts, uncles, and cousins I love. It’s always comforting to be seated around a table with a couple dozen people just as crazy as me.

Our extended family has been consistently getting together for Thanksgiving since 2014, which you can read more about here. 

---

David Welsh, Marketing Intern
My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the turkey. Even when traditions fade away or new ones don't stick, there will always be turkey. When the shape of the table changes or when different people are around the table, there will always be turkey. When you have to run between houses trying to make it to separate family Thanksgivings, well, in that case there will probably be MORE turkey. And even when I was a vegetarian for a couple of years, I still had the turkey. I really, really like turkey.

---

Samantha Bissonnette, Producer
Football has always somehow been a part of my family's Thanksgiving traditions. Whether it was playing football in the yard with my cousins or watching my brother's game for our local high school, we always found a way to get outside and play. Now our Thanksgivings change every year—last year my now-husband's family came to visit my parent's house, this year we'll be in Chicago but we still find a way to throw the ball around and play keep-away from our star running back, Kovu.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

---

View fullsize

Didi Hatcher, Lead Animator

I didn’t grow up in the US, so I don’t have fond childhood memories of Thanksgiving. However, I have plenty of memories from my early years here. My college would shut down for Thanksgiving break, as all the students would go to their homes, and I had nowhere to stay. However, friends would always invite me to spend the holiday with their families, and share their meals and homes with me. Some of them were immigrant families themselves, and I always enjoyed seeing the cultural blend that Thanksgiving was at their houses—turkeys and pies next to dumplings, durian, kugel, blinchiki. It was the quintessential American experience!

---

Mitul Daiyan, Communications Strategist
I come from an immigrant home so Thanksgiving wasn’t celebrated with the usual western fanfare of pies, cranberry sauces, or even turkey. My siblings and I longed for the Norman Rockwell version of roast turkey we saw on television but during high school, when my family finally made the splurge on 15 pounds of poultry, they turned it into what they knew best—curry! We didn’t quite appreciate it back then, but now turkey curry has become a special delicacy as part of the Thanksgiving dinners I host, and sits proudly alongside those Rockwell-esque traditional pies and sauces.

---

Olivia Jones, Marketing Intern
Every other Thanksgiving, my family heads down to south Texas for a feasting extravaganza of epic proportions at my grandparents house. My mom's four other siblings and their families in tow, it's quite the social exercise as well. When "the younger cousins" want to get a break from small talk, a tradition we have is to head up to the attic and play the 1993 Aladdin game start to finish on the old Super Nintendo. Once Jafar's been taken down a notch—and hunger has kicked UP a notch—we follow the wafting scent of homemade rolls down the spiral staircase, and make a *beeline* for the honey jar (filled from the hive in my grandma’s backyard!)

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

---

View fullsize

Christina Kelly, Production Designer
Many major life events have caused my traditions and life routines to fall out of any kind of normalcy, but one thing that has never changed is getting to share Thanksgiving with my mom. Every year, my mom puts together an elaborate feast of some of my favorites: mashed potatoes, homemade chunky cranberry sauce, and stuffing with turkey liver chopped into it. My mom and her partner Bill always open their doors to neighbors, friends, family, and whichever loved one we can think of that might need a special dinner that day. It might be her grandmother's recipes that make me hungry the day before, but it's the company and the feeling of home my mom provides—no matter where each November has taken us—that make the holiday special.

---

Jordan Bach, Senior Developer
While I have fond memories of spending Thanksgiving with my immediate family when I was young, I've loved the years spent with friends and their families. Meeting your friend's friend's aunt over stuffing and pie and finding a way to connect is what it's about.