ANTHONY "The General"
“What we do in life echoes in eternity”. Ronga is fiercely creative, strategic and never backs down. Degreed with a Bachelor of Science in Product Design from Arizona State University, Ronga has the perfect combo of artistic skill and sick problem solving abilities. His innate business savvy might have something to do with the long line of business-owning Rongas preceding him. His conceptual repertoire includes Zoog Disney’s online games, interactive movie websites (including Universal Pictures’ A Beautiful Mind), and the 2002 Flash Film Festival nominee America Forward.
FAVORITE WEBSITE?
The TechCrunch blog: for all of the latest info.
FAVORITE HANGOUT?
I really like the beach on Coronado Island in San Diego. One of the best places to recharge. I also like home.
FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TOY?
I have many…but my all time favorite would have to be my Hon Solo blaster. It still makes the sounds after all of these years.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER…
Super strength for sure. I would like to be able to run through brick walls or pick up cars. But I am assuming that my skin is super strong as well which would make me bullet proof.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
The Rocky soundtrack! Those trumpets start to play and look out!
FAVORITE THING ABOUT WORKING AT THETA?
I wear shorts and sneakers everyday.
YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
I am really happy.
MICHAEL "Sabby"
Sabby is a fanatic. He points out single pixels out of place and stays up for days on end in the pursuit of the technological and design perfection. Perhaps it stems from his accredited degree in Architecture from the University of Arizona, or maybe he’s just naturally nuts. Fortunately for us, Sabby’s vision and drive make up the core of Theta’s creative team. His Flash expertise has been utilized to develop numerous hot movie websites including Touchstone Pictures’ Pearl Harbor and Disney’s Emperor’s New Groove. Sabby has received nominations in several Flash Film Festivals and accepted awards in both Rome and the U. S. for his development techniques and design sensibilities. Sabby’s work featured in print can be seen in the Korean design magazine Concept and the American book Motion Graphics Web.
What is your favorite website to frequent?
The site I frequent most often, personally, is wikipedia.org. It’s such a fantastic concept — that as a collective, we can create a defacto body of information on … everything. It’s singularly the most accessible, honest, and current source of information anywhere in the world — and I’m addicted. On a professional level, the site I use the most is w3schools.com — arguably the most complete resource for web developers for almost every language and platform. I’m with Einstien on this one — "never memorize anything you can just look up".
What is your favorite hangout?
There is a bar 100 yards away from my apartment complex called the roadrunner. It’s a totally shady dive bar, and it’s patrons are even shadier, but I tell you what — it makes for quite a show. Cheapest drinks in town, jukebox, pool table — what more do you want. Swing by on a sunday and give Jay a shoutout — he’s such a nice fella.
What is your favorite childhood toy?
GoLion Voltron far and away. I had the complete set of 5 lions, and (like all my childhood toys) successfully managed to systematically obliterate them. No matter — being that they were die-cast, they certainly held up to my abuse, and the thing that appealed to me, I think, is really it was like 6 toys in one. You could have the five indivdual lions that all had thier own modus operandi (e.g. Pidge’s Green Lion could shoot off it’s head) — but then you could combine them into another robot that could whoop some ass as a collective whole. Sa-weet!
If you could have any super power what would it be?
To either stop time, or have variable control over it. Managing my time both personally and professionaly is still a personal acheivement that seems to ellude me. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day, and sometimes it seems like i just cant wait for something. Sometimes I wish I could just sit on my ass and watch a Northern Exposure marathon, or sleep in when I know I can’t.
What inspires you?
Not much, sadly.
What is your favorite thing about working at Theta Interactive Inc?
The team — it’s such a core group of people — we’re all so unique in our peronalities and personal objectives, and we all really work towads the goal of doing our best regardless of what the task is. I think it’s a great feeling to know that we support one another, and I know that someone’s got my back if I’m running behind. Conversely, it feels good to be able to help out someone with something they are stuggling with, and delivering my best work to create something we can all be proud of. It really feels like we’re all in this together.
What is your greatest achievement?
Personal Website?
Um — I have three:
BRIAN: "Secret Agent Man"
Nance is at the top of his game as a veteran engineer and architect. We always ask him to step in when it’s time to think smarter and harder. His mad skills are utilized by Ebay, EA Sports, Taco Bell, Disney, E*TRADE, ABC.com and he brings the beef-cake to our server-based applications. The really strange thing is that we never know what city he may be calling from, just what he’s working on or how his next message will self-destruct.
MEGHAN "The Bing"
Meghan AKA "The Bing" joined Theta in May of 2006 with the promise of a foosball table to keep her entertained. Sadly the foosball table turned out to be invisible- but staying entertained has not been a problem when it comes to her job. Receving her BFA in Dance choreogrpahy from ASU she is often spotted in her back office making strange arm gestures or twitches of the head- which anyone can only predict might be the start of a new piece for her contemporary dance company, 32 Flavors. Obviously being one not to sit still, she often ventures out of her solitary confinement to visit Sabby, Ronga, or Ghost Meat and share the latest tales of her kickball team, Your Mom, or her Halloween adventures of being a Rubik’s cube. Her creative mindset and personable nature make her the perfect web producer at Theta.
CLAUDIA "Ghostmeat"
Claudia AKA Ghostmeat joined Theta in May of 2007 as an addition to the production team. As a graduate from the The Art Institute of Phoenix, Media Arts & Animation degree, this award winning designer brings a unique skill set of 3d, graphic design, and motion graphics to the table. She’s also taken on the role of Office DJ, supplying us with a variety of eclectic tunes to keep us awake and on our toes.
Outside of work, Claudia can usually be found in front of the computer working on various personal projects ranging from promotional designs, experimental film and motion graphics pieces, or just random photo manipulations of her friends for her friends. Unless its the weekend, in which case she can be found on the dance floor, real or imagined.
Ghostmeat’s visuals have been featured at various events in the Phoenix art & music scene and with each production coming quicker and better, big things are in the future of our aspiring VJ Ghostmeat.
Her passion for polygons and provocative, progressive media, make Claudia a valued addition to Team Theta.
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What is your favorite website to frequent?
Designiskinky.com, its my startup page. Also, wikipedia.org
What is you favorite hangout?
Bookstore (magazine rack or otherwise sketching patrons) or the dance floor with my friends, depending on my energy level.
What is your favorite childhood toy?
Coloring book and crayons. Oh the possibilities!
If you could have any super power what would it be?
The ability to feel fully rested on 3 hours of sleep.
What inspires you?
Other people’s work. Both good and bad.
What is your favorite thing about working at Theta Interactive Inc?
The talented team of people I work with. I want to siphon their brains. Mmm… brains.
What is your greatest achievement?
Learning to recognize and appreciate the small achievements of the everyday variety continues to be one of my greatest achievements.
BRAD " Mr Blog"
Bio coming soon.
GREG "3D Magician"
Who knew a little country bumpkin from Sierra Vista Arizona would fall in love with T-Rex from Jurassic Park. Once he saw that 3D magic, he packed up and moved to the big city to obtain a design degree from Arizona State University. He rustled up some awards and honors and managed to perfect his 3D skills in 3D Studio, Maya, and Zbrush.
NOLAN "The Machine"
Nolan is a machine with web development as the liquid that fuels him. Normally the first one in the office and the last one to leave, we often wonder if he ever leaves. Maratas is a true soldier. Works late, never complains, and has proven to be the backbone of production. Soon, we hope to have a factory that assembles machines like Nolan. Ah yes, and endless design of production soldiers.