Matt Refghi

Update #4: New Dragon Con 2013 Interview, Transcription, Let’s Play Series, Facebook Page

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Hello again! This update will list what I’ve accomplished over the past month or so. Once again, the limiting factor here is that I can’t reveal everything I’m working on. You can expect more information about some of these additions in future posts.

  • Added one more Dragon Con 2013 interview: BMO. Something unique happens in the middle of that interview, so look for that when watching. I even wrote a blog post about it, and transcribed it soon after uploading.
  • Added the first video in a new Let’s Play series, one where I play through a friend’s Portal 2 map. Expect a post about this initiative in the near future.
  • Launched a new Facebook page to represent my content creation efforts. If you like my style, please consider supporting me by liking my page. I plan to
  • Improved the overall visual style of the website. Rather than just having content on a plain white background, the website how has textured backgrounds on the left and right of the content.
  • Re-organized the main menu so it’s simpler for the average visitor, while also aligning it with my future plans.

Feel Free To Approach

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A photo of a tasty-looking sausage, mushroom, onion, and jalapeno pizza

It’s no mystery to the people that know me, but I sometimes speak in a manner that isn’t necessarily common. In essence, I have a tendency to switch up my vocabulary so I use uncommon words, all in the name of keeping myself entertained. So, for example, I’m the type that would say “I’m gonna go consume some pizza, I’ll talk to you later.” Naturally, the word “consume” is rarely used in these types of phrases, but I enjoy going there. “Eat” is far more boring in my mind, as it’s been said a billion times before in such a context. Now, normally, this is all fine and good – people understand my phrases anyway, and sometimes, they get a kick out of it too. But not always, it seems.

While working towards the full completion of my Dragon Con 2013 video editing, I found myself watching one particular interview that featured a GameBoy-type character, a game console known as BMO (from the Adventure Time TV show). See, while doing this interview, a little girl of about 5 or 6 entered the frame with her mother in tow, randomly, and wanted to take a photo of my guest, the colorful BMO. Now, from experience, me and my friend knew to keep the camera rolling to see how it played out. Being a genuinely friendly creature, when this little girl started walking up to my guest, I encouraged her by saying “feel free to approach.” In the moment, it was a 100% Matt Refghi utterance with the utmost respect and friendliness applied. However, when re-watching it during the editing phase, I realized that no child of her age would ever understand that phrase.

In effect, I had recorded irrefutable evidence of my cluelessness when it came to communicating with children – and I found that immensely amusing.

Of course, communication isn’t all about the words, so I understood fully that my tone and general body language were very supportive of the little girl, and she probably understood the overall sentiment. But I really enjoyed the unintentional humor of my wording, and decided that I was destined to make fun of myself for it – because yeah, I really did word that in an awkward way. So, all that said, I am pleased to announce my upcoming book:

Feel Free to Approach and 1000 Other Phrases Kids Will Never Understand

Many thanks to my friend Daniel for whipping together a quick book cover example in Photoshop, and sending it over. I took that, messed around for an hour or so, and got the above result. Will I actually create a book, or is this just a joke? That remains to be seen, people of the Internet, but either way, I have the credentials to back it up. No one can question my skill at using Wikipedia.

If you’re interested in seeing the interview that started it all, see the following video:

And, of course, #FeelFreeToApproach.

Photo credit

Pizza photo by MMChicago

Dragon*Con 2013 Interviews: BMO

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Transcription

Matt Refghi: Hi everyone, I’m here with what appears to be a Gameboy. It’s not a Gameboy, I know, but it looks like a Gameboy, so I wanna know… yeah, exactly – BMO, exactly, I don’t know the reference but I would like to know. So what is this?

Danny: BMO’s a character from Adventure Time… it’s one of the more obscure, little-known characters, but it has a strong fanbase, though.

Matt: It’s from what, sorry?

Danny: It’s from Adventure Time.

Matt: Oh, from Adventure Time! Okay, yeah, you’re right, it kind of fits the animation style.

Danny: Yeah.

Matt: I should have just guessed that, yeah. I’m tempted to kinda hit start here, but there’s no start button. Is it, it’ s supposed to look like a Gameboy, I guess.

Danny: Basically, yeah, it’s a game console.

Matt: Okay, that’s cool. But this is also a character, a character that speaks I would guess.

Danny: Yes.

Matt: Does it have a robotic-type voice, computer voice?

Danny: More of an effeminate voice – it has no real gender, but since I was born a male, it’s kind of negative for me, but I try to make do as best I can.

Matt: Okay, yeah. Is he always happy? Or is it always happy?

Danny: Always happy, but there are episodes where you question BMO’s sanity for a game console. There’s some things where you’re like “oh, something’s mentally wrong” – but that adds to the charm, though.

Matt: Okay, but is he still smiling during that? Or does the face change?

Danny: The face changes, though, yeah. It always shows different things – they play games on the screen.

Matt: That’s cool… alright, so you’re a gaming fan.

Danny: Hecks, yeah.

Matt: Yeah? Alright, so what lead you here? To Dragon Con? Is it –

Danny: My friend asked me “hey, want to go out of state to a con?” I said sure, why not, let’s do that.

Matt: First time?

Danny: First time.

Matt: Yeah, nice. Alright… and is it, like, your interest, is it more in the gaming side of things? Maybe, like, sci-fi? TV, movies, or anything like that?

Danny: I’d say pop culture.

Matt: Pop culture in general, yeah. You enjoy seeing references and kind of like knowing what they are?

Danny: I enjoy people making demolition man references, so yeah, very much so.

Matt: That’s cool. So what’s your favorite costume you saw this year?

Danny: Let me think… I know someone made Diablo out of milk jugs, stuff like that.

Matt: Somewhat made what, sorry?

Danny: Someone made Diablo armor, I think of a Barbarian, out of milk jugs.

Matt: Wow, nice, nice.

Danny: Stuff like that was pretty sweet.

Matt: Nice, I didn’t see that one. Another question, Gameboy-related, or button-related, I noticed you have a light here… anybody trying to push your buttons throughout the day?

Danny: I have a different version inside my room, too, which is BMO Noir, an updated version of this one.

Matt: Alright.

Danny: I have had some kids cop a bit too much of a feel, it gets a bit awkward, because you can’t say “hey, kids, please stop this.” It’s really weird.

Matt: So you’re saying you have an updated version of this?

Danny: Yeah, this is like the inferior one, but yeah. Another too because I’m going to be here for four days, figured I’d make more than one costume.

Matt: Cool. Did you use the updated one yesterday?

Danny: Yes.

Matt: Okay, cool. Why are you with this one right now? Just for nostalgia’s sake?

Danny: This one right now just because I can switch it up a bit.

Matt: Switch it up a bit, yeah, I get it, keep it original. And this one… you can’t press the buttons, right? Does the other one have tactile feedback?

Danny: Actually, do it, you can press the buttons on these ones, though. Only the red one doesn’t work.

Matt: Nice.

Danny: The other ones are spring loaded, though.

Matt: That’s pretty cool! Okay, I’ll be careful with this one. Alright, so, I’m a fan of gaming, I approve of this, very cool, and it’s good to learn that it’s from Adventure Time. Now I know it’s one of these costumes again. And you are from where?

Danny: Denver.

Matt: Denver. Denver, Colorado, alright. You a fan of South Park by any chance?

Danny: Of course.

Matt: Alright, South Park’s great. So anyway, pleasure speaking to you. Have a great time! And your name, by the way?

Danny: Danny.

Matt: Alright, Danny… it seems you have an admirer over here. Feel free to approach.

Woman: She wants to take a picture.

Matt: That’s okay… take a picture. Go ahead.

Matt: Alright, so what do you do for a living?

Danny: I’m actually still a student… I’m in graphic design right now, but still studying.

Matt: Much respect for graphic design… it’s something I think a lot of people think is simple… it’s not simple.

Danny: Grids, ?, it’s just ridiculous. “Oh, it’s just drawing pictures” … nope.

Matt: Yeah! So, I’m from Computer Science myself.

Danny: Oh, nice.

Matt: I’m a programmer and all that, and I do a bunch of stuff like that, so graphic design… I leave it to the experts. I think I can do it, but you guys can do it faster. So, anyway, best of luck and enjoy the con.

Danny: Thank you.

Matt: And thanks for interviewing with me… I will just shake your hand by pressing a few buttons.

Danny: I can just wave at you, too.

Matt: Okay, thanks.

Credits

Featuring: Danny

Filmed by: Joseph Pereira

Weekly Update #3: Website Improvements, New Dragon Con 2013 Transcription

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Hi, all! This week’s updates have mainly been about improving my website as a platform, rather than introducing new content. The original plan was to finalize at least one of the two remaining Dragon Con interviews, but my schedule ended up busier than I anticipated. This is partially because, as I hinted previously, I’m working towards something big on the side, and am still figuring out how transparent I want to be throughout the process. Also, the interview in question requires more editing than most, and thus, I will need more time to get it right. So, the updates:

  • Added a new visual style to the top-level interview pages, one which lists all individual interviews in a visual fashion, rather than with a simple bullet list. This new style was applied to all pages, including: Dragon Con 2012, Dragon Con 2013, and Hal-Con 2013.

Example

  • Changed all individual interview pages so that credits are listed using a new graphical style.

  • Corrected cases where certain interviews weren’t showing up in the menus.
  • Added a few videos that were previously only viewable through YouTube.
  • Transcribed one Dragon Con 2013 interview: Devon D’amo

And that’s it for this week. See you next time!