This years developer of the Year awards, was a great success. We had over 250 people vote, and had a lot of fun along the way. We met some great themers, and had the opportunity to show you guys some of the best themes around. It was a great way to finish off the year of 2010, and we hope you enjoyed it also. If you were not following the developer of the year awards, when it came to the time when we would announce the winner of this years developer of the year award, the award went to Alien1974. A master theme developer, who stops at nothing to develop some of the best WinterBoard themes available.
After talking with Alein1974 after the contest was over, we awarded him is prizes, and asked if he would be into doing an interview. Alien1974 was a great sport, and answered all of the questions we had lined up for him. We hope you enjoy this in-depth interview, on the life of a themer.
Question 1) – What or Who, made you want to start developing themes for the iPhone/iPod Touch?
In the past I made themes for the PSP, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo DS; so when I had my first iPhone (3G), I couldn’t resist the temptation to create a theme for it as well. I downloaded WinterBoard and started to download some themes to see how they worked. And from there, I started creating my own themes. As always, I just started with a custom wallpaper and a custom set of icons, but I still wasn’t happy. I wanted something different than just a static wallpaper and icon set. I looked into widgets and animated wallpapers – via .gif files, cuz I wanted to look at my phone and say “this is awesome”. Up to this point I was working for myself, that is until I saw a preview video of the Lenovo’s LePhone. I was instantly in love with how that theme looked and I wanted to have the same style on my iPhone. So I Started working on it ,and I really wanted to share the theme with the community. Then I found Modmyi.com and saw that there was a forum just for themes, I joined the forum and started to share my first public theme.
Question 2) – Was it hard starting out in the theming community? If so, what was one of your biggest challenges you had to overcome?
Actually, the theming community welcomed me in a way that I felt very happy and honored to be a part of. When I first saw the new HTC HD2 phone, with its awesome animated weather animations and crisp style. It immediately became my goal to make an iPhone theme that would be something similar to that of the HTC phone. As animated weather was never before done on iPhone, I took the opportunity to bring animated weather for the first time to iPhone. That was when True HTC HD2 started. I saw that the community loved the idea, and opened the doors for new ways of having widgets with animated .gif files.
Then, master themer K.Nitsua helped me to work on HTML animations, and a new way for weather animations via HTML was born. I made almost a replica of the animations of HTC weather for iPhone,but wasn’t in realtime. WyndWarrior took the animations I made and made a weather widget to display the animations in realtime. It was awesome.
So yea…the community welcomed and helped a lot in this theming world.
Question 3) – What was your first WinterBoard theme you ever created?
I love ALIENWARE PC’s, and I love technology that feels out of this world. So my first theme that I created was based on ALIENWARE’s DARKSTAR theme for PC’s, but I made another one at the same time that I called ALIEN BREED. I never released them cuz there was already a ALIENWARE theme for iPhone. But yea, my first theme that I made was DARKSTAR.
Question 4) – What would you say your favourite WinterBoard theme(s) is/are?
Themes that are not mine? Well,there are a lot of themes that I really love. Some of them are new, others are old, but regardless I still think they are awesome.
- iNitsua Z HD for iPhone4 -by K.Nitsua and Zausser (and the iSpin add-on)
- iBlack Night – by BlueMetal
- EIGHTOS – by Entombed sh4dw
There are a lot more that I love,but these are the ones that I can’t get of my mind
Question 5) – What inspires you to create such extraordinary themes?
I really love themes that change completely how the iPhone looks. The need of having something different on my phone as a theme made me to create them. But my real inspiration lies within the community. They are the ones that keep me sharing my themes. The support,cheers,and love that they give me is outstanding. Sometimes I share my thoughts on some problems that I pass, and people start giving support by email or private message, with warm words that helps me get some strength to keep it up. They are the ones that keep me doing this, and I love it
Question 6) – What kind of skills are required to create WinterBoard themes?
PhotoShop and good imagination. Sure, one needs to know the files and how they work, but good imagination and some basics on PhotoShop are all that is needed.
Question 7) – If you had to give some advice to someone who is just starting out in theming what would it be?
To be honest, the stock theme that iPhone has, is a bit hard to understand. My advise to someone starting is to take any premium (complete) theme, and use it as template. It helps a lot on knowing how these pre-made themes actually work. Look for tutorials in some treads, there are various tutorials that helps a lot. Also,be creative. As I said, good imagination is the key to being a successful themer.
Question 8 ) – Are you working on any new themes at the moment? Would you like to give us some details or even a sneak peak of it?
I’m actually working on an add-on for DUSK XTREME, this is for the lovers of TRUE HTC HD2. Once activated it will transform DUSK to the HTC HD2 look.
But yes… A new theme will come, my first theme that I created, reinvented for iPhone4: DARKSTAR. I Can’t give mush details on it yet, just that will be awesome. Also, a theme just for the ladies is planned. I will be working with a female graphic artist to complete this. That theme will be called “VELVET”
Question 9) – How did it feel to win the developer of the year award?
Awesome… I really didn’t know that so many people will vote for me, all the other themers are awesome people, and their themes are one of a kind. So it took me by surprise that I won the contest. Thanks to all who voted for me, and congratulations to all the themers that were featured in this contest.
Question 10) – Do you have any additional thoughts/comments you would like to share?
I want to thanks to all the people that support my themes. I always say, you are the ones that keep me doing this. Also want to thanks to K.Nitsua, Zausser, BlueMetal and HoldemDog. They are inspiration to me. Also thanks to Wyndwarrior, he took the animations I made for DUSK EVOLUTION and made a widget for having live,full screen real animated weather. And big,big thanks to Grzegorz10,the creator of the original DUSK theme for HTC devices. He was an inspiration to port his theme to the iPhone,and a great guy.
Thanks for your support. Thanks for my “Master Theme Creator” title and many Thanks for the “developer of the year award”.
Expect some great things soon.
Love you all
I personally think this interview was a great look into the life of a WinterBoard themer, and more importantly it displays just how much passion Alien1974 has for theming. I would like to wish Alien1974 the best of luck in the year of 2011, and I must say, I am looking forward to what Alien1974 has in store. What are your thoughts on this interview with Alien1974?
Want to Donate to Alien1974 like we did? You can do so by clicking here.
Leave a Reply