BURBANK, CA - If you grew up in the 80s, it's likely that at one time or another you found yourself inside a video arcade playing video games for hours on end at just 25 cents a pop. It was during this time period that a farm boy named Tim McVey from Ottumwa, Iowa - the Dodge City of video games - became the champion of Nibbler, the first arcade game with a scoring threshold of one billion points. It took McVey 44.5 hours - and only cost him 1 quarter - to hit this milestone. He then went on to become the first video game player in history to have a civic day named in his honor (Tim McVey Day), receiving his very own copy of Nibbler, courtesy of Rock-Ola Manufacturing Company.
Twenty-five years later, Andrew Seklir and Tim Kinzy were working long and hard hours as editors on Battlestar Galactica for the SyFy Channel. Raised in the 80s, both loved playing classic arcade games, but had never heard of the classic video game Nibbler. To offset the long hours in the editing bay, Seklir installed a hand-built multi-arcade game cabinet in the break room. During their down time, the duo would battle it out on all sorts of classic arcade games, stumbling across Nibbler in the process. After looking online for tips about the game, they encountered the Tim McVey Day One-Billion-Point Poster from 1984 and decided to pursue McVey for an interview.
McVey told them that eight months after he was crowned world champion in 1984, an Italian named Enrico Zanetti was rumored to have broken his record. Now McVey was on a quest to surpass this record 25 years later and achieve video game immortality once again. Seklir and Kinzy decided this would be a great story to tell and set off for Iowa to begin production on the documentary film Man Vs. Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale Of Nibbler.
Five years in the making, Man Vs. Snake (www.manvssnake.com) was shot using a variety of cameras, including HDV, P2, Canon, GoPro, and various SD formats. Additional archival materials, stock footage, photo stills, graphics and titles also needed to be seamlessly incorporated into the film. The mixed frame rates led to problems during color correction when DaVinci Resolve introduced artifacts during the renders.
AlphaDogs editor and colorist Sean Stack solved the problem by splitting the media out into separate 720p and 1080i Resolve projects, and then reintegrating the color renders into the master 1080i Avid project.
We were concerned about getting everything uploaded into DaVinci Resolve for color correction, but we pulled it off, says Seklir. I really felt that Sean Stack, our online editor and colorist at AlphaDogs really cared about the film. He treated it as his own and was extremely detail oriented. We learned a lot and pushed the limits of our technical chops on this project.
Seklir chose AlphaDogs to complete the finish based on their extensive experience in working with the technical challenges that come with making documentary films. I felt that we would get a lot of hands on attention and guidance, which we did, and they were able to work within our budget requirements, says Seklir.
Seklir and Kinzy hope that audiences will enjoy looking back at the arcade culture of 1980s, where today's worldwide multi-billion gaming industry got its start.
As editors, we kept the pace, energy and flow of the film at a good cruising speed, says Seklir. The film is truly a good ride, with a terrific soundtrack and almost five minutes of animation.
Stack adds, I made an immediate connection with this project, even though I'm not a huge gamer. Any documentary that includes an Alan Parson's project track in the music score has me on board all the way!
Man Vs. Snake was produced and directed by Andrew Seklir and Tim Kinzy. The film will premiere September 27th at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
05/05/2026
SVG is proud to announce Warner Bros. Discovery's Techwood Studios in Atlant...
05/05/2026
With no operator required, AutoMic workflow automates talent identification on U...
05/05/2026
A crash in 2015 set the industry back, but this winter proved that drones are he...
05/05/2026
Another year, and more proof that Asia continues to shape some of the world's most exciting new sounds. This year's RADAR artists draw from deep local r...
05/05/2026
The Austin City Limits Music Fest 2026 lineup just dropped, and this year, Spoti...
05/05/2026
New drum machine book campaign incoming
Bjooks have announced that during Superbooth 2026, they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund the product...
05/05/2026
Flagship all-in-one production bundle updated
The latest version of Native Instruments' flagship virtual instrument and plug-in bundle has just been ann...
05/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to host RF Testing Innovations Forum 2026, helping design engine...
05/05/2026
L3Harris provides communications, electronic warfare, sensors and mission systems that enable Virginia-class submarine crews to operate with confidence in conte...
05/05/2026
The company grew by 7.6% in net revenue and 16.3% in EBITDA, achieving a 33% inc...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
05/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
BURBANK, CA - If you grew up in the 80s, it's likely that at one time or another you found yourself inside a video arcade playing video games for hours on end at just 25 cents a pop. It was during this time period that a farm boy named Tim McVey from Ottumwa, Iowa - the Dodge City of video games - became the champion of Nibbler, the first arcade game with a scoring threshold of one billion points. It took McVey 44.5 hours - and only cost him 1 quarter - to hit this milestone. He then went on to become the first video game player in history to have a civic day named in his honor (Tim McVey Day), receiving his very own copy of Nibbler, courtesy of Rock-Ola Manufacturing Company. 
