pouët.net

Scene: The Good Parts

category: general [glöplog]
I think the current lack of fleshspace socializing makes it far too easy to dwell on the negative - at least it seems that way to me when I'm cooped up alone with ample spare time to argue on the Internet.

So, I want to know why you are on the scene? I have plenty of reasons. Here are a few:

* Friendship. I'm introverted as heck, but demo parties are great for socializing. I can recharge before and after a weekend of complete immersion into interacting with people. I've met so many wonderfully smart, creative, kind, funny and warm persons through the scene. And even if I disagree fundamentally with someone on almost everything else, the scene provides ample common ground for interesting conversation. Or even just sitting down with someone you barely know, taking turns selecting demos to watch. (I really miss those IRL meetings.)

* Entertainment. Scene productions are, to me, above all, entertaining. If they weren't, I wouldn't watch them. And if something I make can entertain someone for even just half a minute and make them smile, well, damn. That's something.

* The music. All this incredible music.

So, why are you on the scene? What's the best thing(s) you've ever experienced at a demo party? What new skills have you learned through scene activities? What scene-honed skills have helped you in your professional or private life? Have you found love on the scene? Did sending out all those disk all those years ago impact your life today? Has scene validation helped you grow more confident? Has the limiting creative framework of demos helped you come up with some idea you're proud of? What crazy antics with scene friends still makes you laugh when thinking about them? What are your plans for your future scene activities? Have tips and constructive criticism helped you grow creatively? Has someone made a birthday demo about you that made you blush and giggle and feel all warm and fuzzy inside? What have you gotten good at and what does the scene make you want to get better at?

Gimme the good stuff!
added on the 2021-05-05 15:34:26 by grip grip
* friendship and hanging out with super cool people and learning from them <3
added on the 2021-05-05 15:35:38 by okkie okkie
One more example just because: Hanging out with sceners from and in other countries spurred me into taking evening classes in a foreign language. I'm not saying I got any good at it, but at least better. It's a decidedly un-computery skill but the source of motivation is still the love for outmoded computer platforms and the wonderful people who spend their spare time taming it.
added on the 2021-05-05 15:43:16 by grip grip
Quote:
So, why are you on the scene?


it's safer than base jumping, cheaper than cocaine, cooler than warhammer
Don't mind me please, I'm just in the scene to celebrate Keops' neverending birthday party! :)
added on the 2021-05-05 16:15:33 by havoc havoc
Rob is jarig
added on the 2021-05-05 16:18:55 by SiR SiR
1995
added on the 2021-05-05 17:39:17 by T$ T$
It's what Inklings was to Tolkien - deadlines and public scrutinity are great motivators for getting shit done.
added on the 2021-05-05 17:43:59 by pestis pestis
To me it comes down to thee main things:

1. All the talented and friendly people!

2. Demos/intros/etc is a great medium for me to challenge myself.

3. As written above; The music! So much good music in the scene.
added on the 2021-05-05 18:09:52 by emoon emoon
The epic shader battles, nerve-cracking.
added on the 2021-05-05 18:25:25 by neoneye neoneye
obviously there are many good things =)

- a sense of belonging
- road trips to and from parties
- hanging out with long-time friends
- getting inspired from all the cool shit that's produced
- being able to collaborate with super talented people
- having an external motivation for learning new things / having something that pushes you into the creative process
- having a tether / a connection / a red line through your life ... at least for me, the demoscene is the longest unbroken affiliation I've ever had with anything.
added on the 2021-05-05 19:06:28 by farfar farfar
oh all of this! basically and most importantly "the culture" and all that this entails, even though each scener will probably have a different take on this. it's so much a defining part of my life that it's hard to name anything in particular.

the concentration of competence, creativity, and connection based on this weird and special "common ground" sceners tend to share (same goes for other scenes and subcultures) is probably it.

- people are nice and welcoming to each other, more so than in other social environments (I stick with this opinion even though some points where improvement is necessary have become apparent in recent times...)

- computers are so fucking cool

- party culture

- approachability

- the whole non-commercial thing. we do shit for love and the sake of it, not for prize money or massive exposure.

- long lasting friendships

I could go on I guess :D thanks for the positivity thread.
added on the 2021-05-06 02:03:02 by jco jco
Just here to send regular greetings to Okkie on Pouet
added on the 2021-05-06 02:28:46 by keops keops
Quote:
the whole non-commercial thing.


Oh yeah!
added on the 2021-05-06 09:01:40 by grip grip
Why am I in the scene? I keep asking this from time to time.

- It's good to have a creative special interest in one's life, most people don't have anything like that, other than a boring regular life, also if you are a nerd who lacks of that real life it's a good substitute for worthiness. I appreciate this fact more than in the past. I don't mind today if my work can never reach the level of the best stuff out there, as long as I enjoyed the process of building and optimizing stuff.

- Also great to find people with very similar interests and discuss demoscene related things. You feel a kind of familiarity when meeting other people who know of the demoscene and it's history or how certain demoeffects work or technical info about the platforms.

- I am more focused on the technical and optimizing for retro platforms but I will appreciate sometimes the demos made in less technical platforms, web or commercial engines, especially if they have that style that makes me smile. I know that I occasionally bitch about things not being like they used to be in the past, but the reality is that the scene is naturally evolving whether we like it or not, and it might be a positive thing that more creative avenues are allowed. Now,. if I prefer the oldschool demos and code porn, I can just watch/make similar things and a niche of the community will appreciate and be happy with that. There is a kind of freedom of do your own thing and let others do their own thing.
added on the 2021-05-06 09:40:49 by Optimus Optimus
Quote:
Just here to send regular greetings to Okkie on Pouet


ruthless
added on the 2021-05-06 11:16:07 by okkie okkie
What emoon and keops said!
added on the 2021-05-06 14:49:34 by ham ham
- The scene forged part of my character when I was a teenager. It taught me teamwork, the taste for effort/trying to do better, not being afraid of trying new things, etc.
- Met incredible people, most of whom are still my friends 30 years after.
- Keeps my brain alive today, when everyday life sometimes sucks
Fuck, it's part of my life!
added on the 2021-05-06 15:26:42 by Soundy Soundy
+ There's always plenty of drama
added on the 2021-05-06 18:31:20 by xernobyl xernobyl
Quote:
why are you on the scene?

I'm not in the scene. The scene is in me. No idea why.
added on the 2021-05-06 19:08:45 by groepaz groepaz
Non-commercial is vague term and not even true as many demosceners are trying to do business around, which is totally ok.
But I would say no affiliation to any commercial or academic institution is important.
added on the 2021-05-06 20:33:01 by tomkh tomkh
Quote:
* The music. All this incredible music.


And colors. So many colors.
added on the 2021-05-06 22:46:34 by novel novel
Quote:
Non-commercial is vague term


The most important thing to me is that (almost) everyone seems to agree about the following:
* Demos should be free (as in beer).
* Making money off someone else's free beer without permission is bad.

I think this is yet another good thing about the scene. The rules for this have never been formalized, yet we all sort of intrinsically agree on the fundamentals.
added on the 2021-05-06 22:50:20 by grip grip
Quote:
So many colors.


YES!
added on the 2021-05-06 23:12:42 by grip grip
Quote:

Demos should be free
(...)
The rules for this have never been formalized


AFAIU it's actually formalized on big parties. You need to agree to allow free distribution of your demo together with the statement that your demo is original creation and not infringing any copyrights.

Other than that, I think you can try selling your demoscene creations. Some people use patreon for this, e.g. releasing higher-quality artifacts to patrons. And now you can even try NFTs.
added on the 2021-05-06 23:27:36 by tomkh tomkh

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