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Employee Spotlight – Anthony R.

Posted on September 2, 2016 by hoothigh5

If you’ve ever wondered who the brilliant minds are behind our amazing games like Charming Ace, The Haunted Horsemen and The Newsmen, you’ll find the answer in High 5 Blog’s special column – Employee Spotlight! Meet Anthony R!

1. What is your role in the creation of H5G games?
I started off at High 5 Games as an animator, I also film some of our greenscreen sessions, and now work as a Technical Animator in charge of creating and managing tools for the artists so they can get all that high quality art finished easier.

2. How long have you been a part of High 5 Games?
I have been at High 5 since February 2014, so over 2 and a half years!

3. Name three games that you’re most proud of working on at High 5 Casino?
a. Out of those three games, choose your favorite game and tell us why it’s your favorite!
b. What inspired you to create the game?
c. Did the characters in the game come out like you had envisioned it would?
I was the animator and the director of photography for both Charming Ace and The Haunted Horsemen, and I really love the way those two games came out. I also animated The Newsmen and that game was really fun! If I had to choose my favorite it would be Charming Ace since my dad was in the Air Force when he was young and it was always something I admired, and because I got to take photos and film all the actors, I really got to be part of the design process from the beginning. One of the best parts of the job is that all the games we make are so different, I get a chance to play around with a whole bunch of different genres month-to-month so it’s always exciting and inspiring to start a new project, especially when it’s something as different as The Newsmen and The Haunted Horseman. I worked with an amazing Art Director and Illustrator on all those games and I think we really got the characters looking and acting the way we liked; we were a great team!

3. What is the hardest part when making a game?
The hardest part of making a game is that we make so many so quickly! Sometimes you get really attached to a theme or an art style but then you have to move on to the next one so quickly that sometimes you don’t get to do everything you always want to do.

4. What theme of games do you prefer to create? (Ex. Animal, Fantasy, Historical)
My favorite type of games are definitely the more science-fiction and fantasy type games, those are by far my favorite genres.

5. If you could be a High 5 Casino character who would you like to be? Why?
I think if I had to choose it would be cool to be someone from The Newsmen. I could be a TV reporter by day and a crime fighter by night! Also they have way better hair than I do.

6. Who/What inspired you to become an artist?
I got into art through filmmaking and through doing visual effects. I think growing up watching movies like Star Wars and TV shows like Star Trek and the X-Files really inspired me a lot. Movies definitely got me inspired to become an artist and they continue to inspire me today.

7. What is your favorite type of art? Why?
My favorite types of art are all the things I am personally terrible at. I love paintings and sculptures, I really admire the artists that can create beautiful paintings because there is no way I can! I do all my art on the computer, I can’t draw well at all!

8. If you weren’t an artist what other profession would you have chosen?
Hmmm, that’s a good question! Does someone who designs LEGO sets count as art? I would say that’s debatable… And if we’re being un-realistic, astronaut.

9. Which game on High 5 Casino is your favorite (aside from the ones you have helped create)?
Chicago is my favorite game that I didn’t have any part of at all. I really enjoyed watching the team behind that put it all together. It really came out great!

Which High 5 Games’ game has your favorite animation? Comment in the conversation bubble located on the top right of the blog post to let us know!

Behind the Scenes: Zombie Zone

Posted on October 17, 2015 by hoothigh5

High 5 Games‘ employees are not only good at making fantastic slots; they are also good at acting like zombies! Last year on Halloween, we filmed all the scary scenes that you see in Zombie Zone – the most recent release at High 5 Casino – and that was also the day we had a Zombie attack here in our New York office! How did it happen? Check out our behind-the-scenes video below to discover the dangers of the Zombie Zone!

These High 5 Zombies weren’t your average brain eating creeps: they were drinking water, eating turkey legs, and getting their hair done. They did escape the green screen studio at one point and decided to scare some of us in the office! Check out these behind-the-scenes pictures to unveil more!

Zombie’s make-up table. Check out all the make-up and talent that went into transforming our High 5 Employees into High 5 Zombies!

A fashionable Zombie got her hair done to keep her looking smelly and scary, just how she likes it.

A thirsty Zombie enjoyed some water after a rough afternoon of dragging herself around the office.

A hungry Zombie chewed on a bone, making sure he didn’t miss any of the juicy turkey meat. At least we hope it was turkey…

Oh, No! Those three zombies were relentless! We’re glad to report that he did make it out alive with only a few scratches and a couple of laughs.

The Zombie fighters arrived on time to keep us all safe! Phew, that was a close one!

Who is your favorite High 5 Zombie? Will you be a zombie this Halloween? If not, tell us what your costume will be this year? Comment in the conversation bubble located on the top right of the blog post to let us know

See more behind-the-scenes photos of the making of Zombie Zone from our last Halloween blog post here:Behind the Scenes: Halloween at High 5 Games!

Behind the Scenes: Circus Treasure

Posted on June 19, 2015 by hoothigh5

The circus was here at High 5 Games’ New York City office and you’ve got to see it to believe it! Check out some photos of the fire breather, the wild human cannonball, and the daring tightrope walker before they entered the big tent in High 5 Casino‘s Circus Treasure.

Check out more behind the scenes photos by following @high5casino on Instagram, and play High 5 Casino on Facebook, PlayReal, iOS and Android to win big with Super Symbols and Split Symbols in Circus Treasure!

Make sure to tell us what you think! Comment in the conversation bubble located on the top right of the blog post and let us know.

Behind the Scenes of an H5G Video Shoot

Posted on January 12, 2015 by bobbyhigh5

Usually I sit at a desk, just a normal guy with a normal job, but for a few hours one cold December afternoon I got to be a pirate under siege, fighting for my ship and my soul. Well, mostly I pretended to be dead, a background casualty in the fight scene going on around me. But still, I had a great time serving as an extra in the video shoot for an upcoming slot from High 5 Games.

Don’t worry – I’m not really dead, I’m just THAT GOOD.

High 5 Games has a hard-earned reputation as the creator of the most beautiful content in the industry, but what’s truly amazing is that the art design of the company’s games has only gotten better in the last few years. The video shoot I attended – held at the surreal Acme Studios in Williamsburg, Brooklyn – shows why that’s the case. The purpose of the day’s off-site shoot is to capture live-action footage for a pirate adventure game. The footage will be used for in-game animations, a YouTube trailer, and other supplementary material. Video shoots like this are integral in creating many of H5G’s recent titles.

When I arrive at Acme around 8:30 am a few dozen people are already milling about, performing all different types of tasks. The principal actors practice their lines as they slowly transform into their characters thanks to the excellent work of makeup artists and costume designers; on the other end of the vast studio final touches to the set are applied as the day’s shots are scoped out. Mario, the art director of H5G’s 50 West studio, and Jenny, H5G’s video content producer and casting director, make sure everything is progressing according to plan.

Directing.

This guy loves to make maps.

He did NOT just wake up like this, no matter what he says.

Three people died during this fight scene in particular.

I’ve been chosen as an extra for this shoot thanks to my neck-beard – which is normally disdained but for once respected – and by not shaving I feel like I’ve done my job for the day. I sit around picking at what’s left of the breakfast spread and talking to my fellow co-workers/extras while everyone with more pressing responsibilities bustles around. Acme Studios is stuffed with clippings of past shoots and all types of bizarre props, so it’s a great place to let your eyes wander.

Just chilling on top of the fridge.

Oh, hey there…

After hours of preparation the shooting begins, and different combinations of actors and extras are called upon to bring the game’s story to life. The plot itself can be succinctly summarized as “pirates vs. vampires,” according to Mario.

I slip into my pirate costume, and eventually it’s my turn to sit in the makeup chair. It’s quite odd to have fake blood and dirt smeared all over my body, but I can’t deny that by the end of the process I look like I’ve spent a few months on the open sea.

Mario and Jenny must’ve sensed that I’m a horrific actor, so my on-camera duties are minimal. In addition to playing dead, I’m tasked with running behind a fight scene screaming at the top of my lungs, and fending off a vampire pirate attack. When it comes to doing anything on camera other than not moving and holding my breath, I’m more wooden than the ship on set. Around 4:30 pm I’m dismissed, although the work for more essential members of the production will not end for hours.

Walking towards the subway station, I’m blown away by everything that goes into a video shoot for an H5G slot. Dozens of people applied their time and talents to this shoot, which is just one part of the longer process of content creation. It makes me realize that top-notch games don’t appear out of thin air; they’re painstakingly created by the talented people at High 5 Games.

Behind the Scenes: Halloween at High 5 Games

Posted on November 7, 2014 by bobbyhigh5

Pictured: Two High 5-ers, mere minutes before an unexplained event led to a horrifying transformation…

Pictured: The same High 5-ers, once all hell broke loose and the zombie apocalypse began…

No one made it out alive. If you’re in the New York City area, we suggest you stay away from the High 5 Games office. If the zombies have escaped into the streets, then all hope is lost – it’s time to hide your kids, hide your husband or wife, start praying to whatever deity you believe in, and get running…

As you can see, Halloween is kind of a big deal here. Last year, H5G held a costume contest, and this year the company went even further when it scheduled a shoot for an upcoming zombie game on Halloween and let its employees in on the fun. Unsurprisingly, a sizable number of High 5-ers decided that transforming into terrifying, bloodthirsty monsters was a better way to spend their afternoon than working. A week later, some of them still haven’t taken off their makeup, and instead have committed themselves to bringing about the zombie apocalypse.

What do you think of the H5G zombies? Did you dress up for Halloween this year?

Be on the lookout for this upcoming zombie game, and in the meantime play spooky slots like Ravishing Beauties at High 5 Casino!

Behind the Scenes at High 5: Frisky Friday by Foxy Dynamite

Posted on October 28, 2014 by bobbyhigh5

Check out the third edition of ‘Behind the Scenes at High 5,’ our new video series!

When you’ve got wicked characters like Black Widow and Dangerous Beauty creeping around the High 5 Games office, you definitely need someone like Foxy Dynamite around to keep everyone safe. It’s pretty obvious why Foxy is everyone’s favorite crime fighter – who else could catch crooks while looking that fabulous? Get an inside look at a typical Friday at H5G:

I guess Foxy goes overboard with the whole security thing sometimes, but at least her heart’s in the right place. She should definitely consider leaning back a bit in her chair in the next meeting, though. Meanwhile, Gypsy should probably be a little more insightful in the next meeting, considering she has a crystal ball and the ability to see into the future. That’s probably slightly useful in a business setting, right?

Stay tuned, because the next edition of ‘Behind the Scenes at High 5’ will debut at High 5 Blog in the near future!

In the meantime, check out more High 5 Games video content on YouTube, and play High 5 Casino on Facebook, iOS, and Android.

Behind the Scenes at High 5: Coffee to Die For by Black Widow

Posted on October 20, 2014 by bobbyhigh5

Check out the second edition of ‘Behind the Scenes at High 5,’ our new video series!

People all around the world drink coffee to get their days going, and it’s no different at the High 5 Games office. Well, maybe it’s a little different: other offices don’t have the nefarious Black Widow lurking around their kitchens. Find out what happens when the title character from the classic H5G slot tries to give her coworker some killer coffee…

I’ve met some baristas with bad attitudes in my day, but they typically stop at a (non-lethal) death stare when I order an extra-large decaf cappuccino with extra whipped cream half soy milk and half half-and-half shaken not stirred with a double shot of espresso and a little honey and then change my mind once they’ve made the drink and request a glass of room temperature water instead. Black Widow goes the extra psychotic mile, and offers poison with a smile on her face. Luckily, the targeted High 5-er was smart enough to turn her down…

Stay tuned, because the next edition of ‘Behind the Scenes at High 5,’ featuring Foxy Dynamite, will debut at High 5 Blog in the near future!

In the meantime, check out more High 5 Games video content on YouTube, and play High 5 Casino on Facebook, iOS, and Android.

Behind the Scenes at High 5: The Audition of a Lifetime by Ancient Arcadia

Posted on October 13, 2014 by bobbyhigh5

Check out the first edition of ‘Behind the Scenes at High 5,’ our new video series!

Endless riches and beauty abound in Ancient Arcadia, but apparently musical talent does not. When a character from the classic slot shows up at the High 5 Games office equipped with a pan flute and a dream, creative sound director Aldo is kind enough to hear him out…

I doubt he got a call back to join H5G’s top-notch sound department. However, sources suggest the character from Ancient Arcadia eventually found a way to turn around his floundering music career and start the hit band Nickelback, so everything worked out in the end.

Stay tuned, because the next edition of ‘Behind the Scenes at High 5,’ featuring Black Widow, will debut at High 5 Blog in the near future!

In the meantime, check out more High 5 Games video content on YouTube, and play Ancient Arcadia at High 5 Casino on Facebook, iOS, and Android.