Yet another AmigaWorld.org article. This time interview with Cecilia from 2004

1.
Michal:
Who are you? Your name etc?

Cecilia:
My name is cecilia, and that’s what I use
professionally. Mostly because I got tired of seeing
my name misspelt. When someone is going to give me
money,
then I can give them my full name.
Anyway, it’s easier to remember.

2.
Michal:
Tell a bit about yourself, and why do you use Amiga?
When you started and why?

Cecilia:
Well, Once I decided to be an artist I did all sorts
of things including selling work at science fiction
conventions, making props and sets for
commercials, art directing some (very) low budget
films, working at at toy company, and doing some
magazine/book illustrations. While I was working on a
toilet paper commercial airbrushing the cels (I’m not
kidding) I met a girl called Rose. We had a great time
- laughing all day and getting alot of work done. One
day she mentioned creating a lightbox software and a
tablet driver with her husband. And she said this was
for a computer called Amiga. I had no idea what she
was talking about.
There was an Amiga convention in town and as she was
going to be there with her Amiga and summagraphics
tablet, I decided to see what the fuss was all about.
WELL! I can honestly say it changed my life! That’s
where I saw that program (LIVE! – ?) where you stood
in front of a graphic and waving your arms around
could cause sounds to occur. WOW! dance and music were
one!
Roses’ program was for animators. The LightBox let you
make pageflipping possible. As far as I know this is a
first. And while there had been another small tablet
used before the Summagraphics, Rose (R&D L
Productions)
made the driver. With Doug, her husband. LightBox
later became part of DPaint, by the way.
I saw all kinds of stuff but I walked out of there
realizing that computers were not these boring
typewriters on steroids. This computer was an artists
tool! It was something that could be used to create!
I ordered an Amiga and on April 12, 1989 I picked it
up. I always “celebrate” this as my Amiga’s
“birthday”. It’s a 2000, I still have it and it still
works.

3.
Michal:
What does interest you in this strange Amiga
community? It’s people? It’s form of communication?

Cecilia:
Well, once I got my 2000, I spent a great deal of time
learning how to use it. In those days there was no
such thing as taking classes in computer
animation/art. And I really had no experience with
computers. Not really,
anyway. So I didn’t even realize there was much of a
community at first.
Eventually, I had to increase my knowledge and decided
to find SIG’s. What I discovered was Toaster groups
and people mostly interested in 3D programs like
Imagine and Lightwave. As soon as Lightwave became
detached from the toaster interest in it’s use
exploded. I explored all these programs but I
still loved DPaint. Eventually, I discovered ImageFX
and the ImageFX mailing list. I had gotton myself a
14400 modem and learned how to email and ftp and
telnet using my 2000. I had the best time on the IFX
mailing list and this is where I really felt
completely at home with like-minded Amiga users. For a
while
I was going to at least 3 or 4 meeting a month and
with some of these my friends and I were PUTTING on
these meetings. We just had a great time.

4.
Michal:
Would you like to see more female Amiga/Pegasos users?
You think its hard for females to understand AmigaOS
and it all? Does Amiga need a female CEO maybe?
Any comments on this?

Cecilia:
I’d like to see more Amiga/Pegasos users of any sex
and from any planet! LOL
If there seems to be fewer females in tech fields,
it’s mostly because it’s not really easy to have a
career. I’ve freelanced my entire adult life and it’s
hard
to fight for work and still remain creative. It takes
alot of energy. And you rarely get any real support. I
am completely self-motivated. If I was not, I would
have given up a long time ago.
Understanding a computer – especially one as
user-friendly as Amiga – is really easy for anyone. I
mean, you have to make an effort, but the results are
so satisfying. It doesn’t matter what sex you are.
It’s what kind of brain you have. Some people have an
urge to create and some do not. Or can not.

A female “Amiga CEO”? hmm. Well, a CEO is a
business-person. That has almost nothing to do with
Amiga. As far as I can tell, most CEO’s that have come
and gone in this turbulent Amiga history have had
little interest in what Amiga really is and what it
means. I think the old story is that Medhi could never
understand what “formatting a floppy” meant. I may
have gotten this wrong, but the fact that the story
exists means most of us feel completely disconnected
from the business people. And this is certainly a
shame.
As a freelancer, I can tell you I have worked with a
huge number of persons and I know what it takes to be
a good boss. And unfortunately, most people in
business are not going to qualify according to my,
admittedly, high standards. A good boss respects his
employees. He’s honest with them. I recall when I was
working on Children of Dune and Frank had to deal with
the economies of the people paying him. He had wanted
to pay me a certain amount per week and at some
point during the job had to reduce this by about 100
dollars. But, he talked to me about it immediately. He
was sincerely upset at not being able to pay the
original amount. But because he brought me into the
difficulty, we were able to ride out these and other
issues together. Plus, he trusted me. And did so in
many, many ways. Too numerous to mention here.

Most people with a business are not really concerned
with respect. They are always thinking of pushing
their agenda, with no regard to who they bulldoze
over. While this is a sad state of affairs, I really
doubt things will change.
The only thing any person can do is avoid having
anything to do with unethical people. Find others who
understand how important a high moral value is when
dealing with employees, customers, dealers, etc. and
work with them. And avoid like the black plague
everyone else.
And talk is cheap. I only judge by what people Do, not
what they say.

“Tricks and Treachery are the practice of fools, that
don’t have brains enough to be honest”-Benjamin
Franklin

5.
Michal:
What do you interests goes for? Amiga or Pegasos?
Which is the best one? Or do you want as me that the
community could get together as it was before?

Since I’ve seen you on different Amiga/MorphOS
websites, What do you really go for?

Cecilia:
Amiga, to me, is more than hardware. I know some
people have a love of custom chips. Yes, I do love the
custom chips, but only because it was a very cool
idea. And, as far as I’m concerned, it’s the cool
ideas that makes an Amiga. It’s the multitasking, The
easy Configuration. The FUN! The fact that this is MY
computer and it works the way I Want it!
A few years ago I heard about and then saw an Amithlon
and realized that the Amiga experience could exist in
different forms. When I demonstated ImageFX (at
an AmiWest) on an Amithlon system, I could feel how
fast – but how “Amiga” it still seemed. Later, the
Amithlon project got derailed by business issues which

are too complex for me to go into, but it set me on
the idea of getting a laptop. When I eventually did, I
decided to make it a multiboot system with linux and
windows2000 (so I can run AfterEffects). And I spent
last spring installing WinUAE and tweeking it right so
I could have an Amiga anywhere I was!

Last fall I was given a “developer” Pre-April Pegasos.
When I get a chance I tweak that too! It was a great
day when I installed ImageFX from the new CD.
While there are certainly things that don’t quite
“work”, it’s going in the right direction and I enjoy
playing with it!
To me, there is no real difference between any of
these flavors of Amiga. Sure, there’s differences. Of
course, they are all “different”. But what i mean is,
they all FEEL Amiga. And I can’t understand why people
insist on quibbling about the differences instead of
seeing what really makes us all love the Amiga and
what it is!
I am perfectly happy to sit in my room with my
original Amiga, the laptop and the Peg all together.
THEY seem to get along!
Seriously, this silly fighting does no one any good.
Feel free to dislike the business people (if you
must), but don’t heap any hatred on your fellow
Amiga-users. We are all we have and we need each
other. I’ve dedicated myself to the idea that whatever
Amiga system any of us use, we should all be kind and
helpful. And I’ve tried to convey this idea on both
Amiga.org and MorphZone. I have noticed that some
other sites seem to be full of negative vibes, so I
tend
to ignore them. One thing we didn’t have when Amiga
first came out was the internet and we should use that
to pull us together.

6.
Michal:
Other than Amiga, what do you do? Studies, boyfriend,
interests?

Cecilia:
Well, I think I am a bit obsessed with my career, so
I’m not sure there’s a large answer here.
I love science fiction and have read alot of it. I
don’t have time to read much now, but I always enjoy
working on Sci-Fi projects like Dune and Children of
Dune (special effects). I love satire and enjoy The
Simpson’s, Futurama and South Park, Howard Stern!.
Anything that is tasteless!
Dispite this, I do have a few friends.

7.
Michal:
Do you create programs, or do creative things on your
Amiga/Pegasos?

Cecilia:
I am not a programmer, only an artist. I learned
everything I know about image processing, computer
animation and special effects from my Amiga. Because
the Amiga was not properly supported (by companies,
not users), I have had to learn other systems and
programs, but the basic method of work is still very
“Amiga”.
A few years ago in between Special Effects jobs I was
asked to write tutorial articles for the magazine New
Techniques (the online section). And whenever Kermit
(of NovaDesign) asks me to have a demo of IFX at a
convention, I happily do it. It’s great fun. I have
tried to carry this on with all the new users that are
being introduced because of the PEG.
There are a number of MOS-related projects I’d like to
do, but I have to figure out how to generate some
income from these things. If one wants to be rich, one

does NOT become an artist!

8.
Michal:
What is the most favourite Amiga program?

Cecilia:
I’m sure no one will be surprised if I say, “IFX”.
Although, I have to admit once I saw ZoneXplorer this
summer I was riveted!

9.
Michal:
What sort of music do you like? Does MOD music
interest you or C&4 music etc?

Cecilia:
Any music that has real feeling. That can range from
Hardcore to ska to classical to Gilbert and Sullivan
to blues, rock and whatever! What I DON’T like is that
sappy stuff that is created by corporations to SELL
SELL SELL. Totally souless crap.
I wish I had been paying more attention to the music
that can be done on the Amiga, but as my brother is
the musican in the family, I left that to him. You
would think I’d try to do something! I do have a
Studio16 card! (the mono version). Ah, well. I’ll do
something later. That’s my mantra.

10.
Michal:
I wish you all the best, and hopes that you will have
a nice future. If you want to talk with Amigans
on-line at IRC, come to #morphos on ARCNET if you
want.

Any comments at the end?

Cecilia:
Thanks and I hope all of us Amiga users get to have a
good future! I do sometimes go on IRC, so I may see
some of you there.
Last comments? Well, I have in the past been very
humble about some of my achievements, but I’ve
recently discovered that this just makes people think
they can walk all over you. So, I’ve decided that I’m
going to brag and I don’t care who doesn’t like it!
I’m very proud that I was part of the team that worked
on “From the Earth to the Moon”. It’s the story of the
Apollo missions – the most important achievment of the
20th century. This series got 17 Emmy nominations
including a special effect nomination (on one of the
episodes we did). Believe me, if you get a chance to
see this show (all 12 parts), you will love it! I have
the DVD set. And when I showed it to a friend several
months ago I still wept at certain episodes – it’s
THAT powerful!
As I have said I also worked on “Frank Herbert’s Dune”
and “Children of Dune” which were broadcast on the Sci
Fi Channel. They both got Emmy’s for Special Effects.
I worked very hard to get hired – and RE-hired to work
on such projects and I am very proud.
And believe it or not I could not have predicted such
things were possible the day when I first saw an Amiga
at that convention, but anything can happen with hard
work and good dreams!

Thanks for this interview Cecilia. We at AmigaWorld wishes you all the best into the future.

-ö-

“Let’s bring this community back tougether”
webeditor, Michal Bergseth