Glad we finally got this video posted. Just so everyone knows, since some people have asked on Discord, we went to see Samia in order to preserve her 30 year old floppies. That Amiga and the disks have sat there as a time capsule in that desk which she had built for it when she first got the computer there under plastic and so well kept front and center in her studio. The concern was that the disks would eventually become unreadable over time and we were glad that none had any issues being read since she took such good care of it. The actual disks and programs and the Amiga itself as the canvas are all the only copies of this artwork. With such great Amiga emulation available now, we have converted the artwork from disk to files so they will not be lost to time even if that 1000 eventually stops working. We used my Amiga 1200 and the great EasyADF Compact Flash Transfer Kit from Amigakit to dump the floppies direct to a CF card which was then easily readable to any modern computer and loadable using WinUAE, FSUAE or even the emulators on tablets making the artwork now truly portable! She was so interesting to listen to while we did this project and I"m glad everyone is enjoying seeing how someone used the Amiga so long ago. Amazing to see her passion still for it when she was showing us how the programs made the art. So different from just using Deluxe Paint. As she said to us, it was a new medium and she felt she wanted to use it different than just a paint and canvas. To let the Amiga make the artwork based on just her instruction. She also breaks down the programming so effortlessly into simple human language using words like rain, and yo-yos and she did this all using first Amiga Basic then later on learned C. I understand from Bill that seeing the programs running again in the emulator renewed her interest in programming again. That old Amiga magic that drives us all to keep using them still strong!
Dude I am so glad I went back and shot her uncovering the Amiga from the plastic. Not getting that was killing me ever since that day, so I wasn't going to let that slip through the cracks. We Guru's only settle for the best!
Thank you so much for doing this, Anthony! My initial thought was, "OMG we've got to preserve these programmatic works of art" not realizing you were doing the crunching in the background. Thank you for what you do, and what you did. Are you going to be allowed to distribute her code at some point? Or was it not meant for wider distribution?
You're welcome! Yes, I was literally in the background. Near that kitchen where she cleans her paintbrushes, at the table with my 1200 imaging disk after disk as she brought out those so valuable boxes one after another. I had started to speak to her about how best we might make her art available to a wider audience. want to make sure whatever we do, it respects her as the creator of the artwork so I don't want to rush into anything. I am glad Bill posted this, since it reminds me I have to do some more research. I have reached out to some people who work with Archive.org to see if they have any ideas on how we can accomplish this task and now that I'm back in the States with Olympics over I can pick this up again. So rest assured, at some point hopefully soon we can hopefully unveil something.
Great video. Looks like a professional documentary. Indeed, it seems we have lost something with these modern computers, such as ease of making simple programs.
Thank you very much 8-Bit Guy. Really appreciate that. We are big fans of your channel. Yes, there is something special about the simplicity of the old computers and most importantly they have personality and soul!
Well said and agreed! It is also why things like the demoscene are currently thriving on older platforms like the Amiga. Working with limitations and trying to push them to the max brings out lots of creativity!
I wrote programs like this (albeit much simpler) for my TI and C128. I started out with a program from a magazine for the Apple II and kept learning from there. I still wish I had bought that Amiga back then instead of the C128.
As someone who has been programming for ~35+ years, I beg to differ. It's easier than ever to program. It's just that computers don't "come with BASIC" like they used to. But rest assured that those simplistic environments are only a download away. Look at Scratch, PICO-8, glitch, and so on. It's all there. Nothing's been lost, we're just drowning in choice now. And sometimes constraints are good. So yes, the ecosystem, and set of possibilities is different -- bigger -- but nothing's been lost, just obscured.
That's EXACTLY the reason why I started with Delphi on the PC some years ago (which still is a great language/IDE IMHO). And now I'm coming back to C64 and Amiga programming again =)
I deeply believe that obsolescence in tecnology is just a matter of view. For Mrs. Halaby, Amiga is a powerful computer, as for many of us Atari, Commodore, NES, SNES, portable calculators are today useful and fun computers. It's very nice to see that simplicity and elegance (as Clive Sinclair would say) could be important and useful in 2018. I miss simplicity (as for example, turning on the computer and that this works almost instantly, opening an interpreter as BASIC, from command line, playing a game by calling it directly, using the hardware at bare level, etc.) and elegance (beautiful cases for computers, confortable keyboards, nice joysticks and control pads, nice old sound, etc.) With PC computers we have earn speed and processing power but lost curiosity, passion and fun... :'( Greetings, Mrs. Halaby and The Guru Meditation staff. Thanks for this video! Inspiring!
WOW very well said! Thank you for these fine words UtopiaLabs! I couldn't agree more. Sometimes it is difficult to remember simpler times when you didn't have to be connected to the internet and didn't have to wait for some sort of update that pops up just at the wrong time!
In the old days, computers were made for those who wanted to learn and create; the machine was at the service of the human. Today, computers are manufactured to be idiot-proof.
What an inspirational lady. Picking up the Amiga at the age of 50 and learning how to create art with it. It just goes to show that its never to late to try new things. Great video once again guys, keep up the good work. Now we need music maker videos on the Amiga.😋
I Love how this Lady has maintained her Passion for obsolete Tech.. I was into the same Tech when I was 12 and built games(im 46 now).. Eventually I was compelled through boredom to move on in hope of new Tech and Challenges.. I knew on a deep level though that the Amiga was still Rich with Treasure but I allowed the inner voice to break my Passion.. I wish I hadn't!!
Ah don't sweat it. We all moved on. But you can always go back and have fun with the Amiga. There are so many options these days. Even emulation is great
What a lovely lady! And it was a lot of fun to watch the old Amiga Basic, I got a real nostalgic kick from that. It's been almost 30 years since I wrote programs in that language. :-)
Aw thank you for these very kind words Ms. Mad! They are very special to me. I have to tell you, I couldn't help but think that she is like what Ms. MadLemon will be 50 years from now ;-) That is a compliment because Samia really is one of the most interesting, kindest, and inspiring people I have met.
This lady definitely pushed my nostalgia button. Would love to sit down with her over a cup of tea or something and chat. The Amiga was my first computer and I acquired it for similar reasons. I was an artist and wanted more colors and motion. I've since moved on to other, modern systems, but I sometimes miss the days when it was all so fresh.
I've watched so many of your youtube videos and made a few comments on a few of them. However all I could think of was you while watching this video, and how she is so creative and talented like yourself. I can totally picture you doing this type of artistic expression after being inspired from watching her. Who knows, maybe we'll see a video like this from you soon! haha :)
Wow! That really moved me. In part, because I was an Amiga owner (still am, technically, I have an A500 and an A4000 in my cupboard) but also because I'm a coder and when I was using the Amiga, perhaps more of an artist. Hearing Samia talk reminded me of that sense of the incredible possibilities that computing opened up when the Amiga existed and of the great community that made the Amiga so special. Also, as a Software Engineer, it fascinates and impresses me so much to hear an artist explain their relationship with code, which they've turned to as their brush and canvas for the age she found herself in. Just wow. Samia is my new hero. Fabulous film.
This is a real joy. Seeing her use of limitation to embrace her style and expand her awareness of what makes it work- very inspiring. I'm going to start learning C today!
Thank you. I am really glad you picked up on that because I wish I explored the connection and relationship between her computer work and her painting more, but I shot the whole thing with her in 4 hours and was just getting to know her. Maybe I will make another one!
As Kevin Saunders said below, this could be the best yet. Great production as always and Samia is inspirational.Well done. You don't release often but when you do it's absolute gold pressed latinum :)
Aw, thanks Amiga Ireland. Really appreciate the kind words. Yeah, I have a full-time job, do weekly Twitch streams, run The Westchester Amiga User Group, and attempt to have some down time with the Mrs. So unfortunately I can only do 1-2 videos per month here. When I do make a video I try to make them good and I attempt to make videos that will last a long time so people will enjoy them in the future. The whole point of this channel is to keep the Amiga alive and preserve its history. Sadly the RUclips algorithm rewards quantity over quality and it is only getting worse. I hope people will still be able to find our stuff, but I will keep making videos that are fun and inspire us regardless. Thanks for all the support and keep up the great work across the pond!
Thanks Bill and great point. Quantity over quality seems to be RUclips's mission statement and it's great that you're making such an enduring collection. A lot of us have family, work and/or college here too and totally relate to the demands!
wow! what a great video to stumble on ... i met samia in 1993 at FISEA in minneapolis... she was so genuine and enthusiastic, and supportive of the idea that i could -- as a young computer programmer -- explore my interests in (gasp!) art, "electronic" or otherwise. i feel indebted to her for inspiration that helped set me on the course to where i am today.
Thank you so much! I plan on doing more of these type of videos. It is much easier for me to get higher quality when I don't have to be in front of the cameras as well. I am much better behind them
Oh thank you so much Commander64. I appreciate that so much. Yes, I did try hard on this one. I have more stories like this to tell and I will quite possibly do something else with Samia. You kind words motivate me to do this.
Gareth McKee Thanks Gareth! I agree. When we were there shooting it we were saying that we couldn't believe that Samia lived very close by and was doing all this amazing work with the Amiga and we never knew about it...until now
The world bleats on about providing role models for girls and women like Samia are all around us waiting to be discovered - such a beautiful woman in mind, spirit and talent. Great video - thanks. I'll be sharing it with the STEM group and showing it in classrooms.
All I can say is wow. What an amazing lady. What an amazing docu and it is first class and just awesome details and cinematography. Again, Wow! Thank You. I hope she publishes her programs they look awesome.
WOW, thank for the very kind words Racer X. I am going to make more documentaries like this...but finding people as cool as Samia won't be easy, or maybe not even possible, lol
Bill,always happy to call you and Anthony friends. I knew this one was going to get a lot of hits when you first talked to me about it. Really happy for you.
What a hugely aspiring human being, before I watched this video I thought she using dpaint but no she's programming it all, blown me away. Someone please donate this lady an A4000 and dpaint and she would love that!! Great video guys
You are never too old to keep the grey matter and imagination going are you..........there is also something about Amiga and Workbench 1......it had a creative vibe about it..........it's really refreshing to see someone like this in their 80s doing Amiga art.........cool lady!
What an inspiration. She seriously knows more about programing that machine than I do, and I'd bet most of us. I never would have even thought an artist of her nature would have been drawn to anything other than Deluxe Paint, but here you go. Extremely sharp, hope I'm there at her age. Thanks for getting her story out there! Great video!
Shot97 Very well said as always Shot! It is so true. You would think that she would simply use art programs, but for her she wanted to point the computer in the direction she wanted and have it create the art. It is remarkable. And her C code is beautiful!
The most important thing to take out of it all is how she regards the Amiga itself as the art. I try to explain it to people who aren't into the retro stuff, that it's not all about retro... I made an entire music album on the thing; because it sounded good and most importantly, it sounded unique. If you're making art that is special, unique, speaks to others and yourself, than you're quite simply making art. Regardless of the medium, you're doing it right at that point.
Most people I know who are 50+ are terrified of new technology, let alone look at it and think, "I think I'll learn to program this." Actually most people wouldn't even think about programming a computer at any age. She's inspirational.
Thank you so much Sir. Lucas! It was easy to make a video like this when you have the most amazing subject ever. She is extremely inspirations and I believe she can inspire even people outside of the Amiga community. You are never too old to pick up something new! Hope you are well bud. I bet you daughter has gotten big!
Bill, this is hands down one of the best pieces of Amiga-related work I think you've ever done. It may be my personal favorite. This was such a beautifully made labor of love and so well photographed and told. What an incredible woman! I wish I could get copies of her Amiga programs & art! They should be preserved somehow.
Wow thank you so much Eric. That is so kind. I think it is my favorite as well. It is fun to joke around in front of the camera, but being behind it is a much better place for me and it is where I belong. I am hoping I can make some of my own tec-docs in the future. That would combine my 2 passions, filmmaking and technology. I have many ideas that I want to get out there.
Very cool video! ⌨ She seems perfectly sharp at her age, it's hard to believe. So bright and likable, what a person! I'm glad she found recognition in her professional life.
Thank you! Yeah she is amazing. She was even carrying my tripod around and climbs up on ladders to get to the top of some of her large paintings! I would probably fall off the ladder, ha ha!
This is seriously so super awesome to see! And it proves that you are never too old to ever take up and learn new skills or get into new fields of interest!
This RUclips channel is vastly underrated. Always fantastic content. Always enthusiastic. Thank you!! Lots of love from Canada from an a1000 owner in 1986.
I just discovered your channel and this is the 1st video of yours that I have watched. Just brilliant! Samia is inspirational and you told her story in such a professional way. I think I am about to have a late night binge watching your other videos! So glad I found this. Thank-you! :)
So awesome and just soul warming to see such a natural connection to the creative artistic tool of choice (The Amiga and The Human). Great video A+++++
That was one of the best videos on Amiga I have seen in years! I am not kidding, I was gripped from the start. I would love to see a collection of Samia's digital works! Thankyou for making this!
Wayne Ashworth Thanks so much Wayne! Not gonna lie. I was thinking of you and Roar while I was working in her studio. You all would get along very well!
Thank you Shawn! Yes, she cares deeply about her work and really does love the Amiga. It is really wonderful to sit down and speak with her. She has so much knowledge and passion.
This is definitely one of the rare videos on youtube that's worth watching over and over again! The quality of your video is astounding. I rarely ever comment on a video on youtube, but this one moved me so much that I had to comment! Samia intrigued me that she wanted to explore the world of the amiga to extend her artistic abilities and it's amazing to see how much progress she's made! A lot of people would just give up if they had to learn BASIC or C, especially back then! It takes a lot of willpower to try something new and I think she sets a really good example that there's nothing to be afraid of and if you are really passionate, you can create wonderful things. She just tried where many would have just given up. Unfortunately, I didn't experience the rise and fall of Commodore as I was born a couple of months after Commodore filed for bankrupcy. I am more a C64 guy, but this video has motivated me to also look at my Amiga 500 which is catching dust at the moment. A couple of months ago, I gave a workshop at the University of Amsterdam about programming on the C64, just because I happen to own a bunch of C64's and attended a couple of demoparties and have written some small programs on it. In case you are interested, the project is hosted on github: github.com/FolkertVanVerseveld/workshop See the releases tab and then "First public release" for the slides (workshop.zip). Some documents are Dutch only, but most .pdf files have been translated to English as well. All the best and I am looking forward to see more documentaries :)
Wow thank you so much for taking the time to write the insightful comment Folkert. It is wonderful to her that you got so much from the video. This is so nice to hear. Thank you for sharing. Also, thanks for sharing your workshop! I took a quick peek and will dive deeper into it when I have some more time. Greetings to Amsterdam. I made a documentary for Heineken and lived there for almost 12 months. The Dutch people are so nice and that is a great city. Prost!
What a truly remarkable and inspiring individual Samia is. I have tremendous admiration (and respect) for somebody with such creative flair and passion. I quite liked the 'Hanging Gardens' artwork which I thought was brilliant!
This is an incredible video. I’m glad you guys are working to archive her disks and preserve her digital works. The idea of setting her up with a new Amiga or monitor so she may continue working on the Amiga platform which she clearly loves is fantastic as well. Thanks for the incredibly interesting video TGM!
Aw thanks Alex! I wanted a cool way to portray her code. Doing a screen record of an emulator just seemed boring to me. She talks about the Amiga as the medium so I wanted to shoot the Amiga in all it's scan line and pixel glory since they are the canvas for her work. I am so glad you picked up on this especially since it was the most time consuming part. Thanks for all the support as always!
AmigaBASIC and C self taught!!?? What a clever woman she is and an inspiration to others!! I did some basic programming in the 80ties and learned this at school and know it's very hard to fully understand it. I really admire her that she learned it herself!
Amitopia recommends this to everyone to watch this documentary made by Amiga Bill and The Guru Meditation! This is so awesome and unique. It makes you feel proud using Amiga, because there are people like her around. There are unique Amiga users everywhere in this world and its really nice to see it shared for the public. The Amiga spirit is for sure alive! Thank you so much. All the best to you! Viva Amiga!
Very well said Michal! Thanks for helping to spread the Amiga Love! I am hoping to find more people like Samia, but she is pretty unique and awesome! The Amiga spirit is alive and well indeed!
brilliant stuff Bill. this could be the best guru video. Samia is amazing. Self taught C? are you kidding me ? - what an inspiration she is. 10/10 will be watching again (over and over!)
Modern Vintage Gamer Aw thanks MVG! I certainly put the most time into this one so I hope it is at least one if the best. It was nice not being in the video so I could focus on the filmmaking and story. Sure keep watching it. Thanks. I noticed something new every time I watched. I will have that piece for you tomorrow BTW. Thanks for your patience
It's not about "learning the language". It's all about how she uses it. "Self taught C" - depends on how she taught herself. If it's by trial and error, then that's amazingly difficult and must have taken a lot of work.
I am pretty sure that she meant "self taught" as in "not with any formal degree", rather than as "just typed random words in a text file until it compiled". :)
Really enjoyed this video. What a remarkable person this young lady is. That A1000 is beautiful.. Her skill and ability is just outstanding. Nice job Bill!
Thanks for sharing to all of us this experience Bill. I timetraveled for a moment with an artist and an A1000 on the 80's. Endless love for the Amiga :)
Thank you so much Dan! I really appreciate that! She is so amazing. I love her. I can't believe that her 1000 has been sitting there since 1985 and she is still rocking it! Maybe it is the plastic cover that helped preserve it, ha ha! She loved my 1200 though, and is now she is in the market for one because she is very excited about AGA graphics. I am not joking!
That's the best thing I've heard all year! When did she last use her 1000, before this video? Thanks so much for introducing us all to her and her work with your professionally filmed and edited mini-documentary! And thanks for inspiring her to get a newer Amiga! Maybe she'll get a Vampire V4 for it when it is finally released. ;)
Thank you Jerri! You are welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting! Believe it or not, one of our viewers sent her a 1200!!! It is on its way right now. She used the 1000 from time to time and that's why it was still set up in her studio. But now she is more motivated than ever and started making new pieces. I also introducer her to FS-UAE emulator on her Mac. She loves it but prefers the real thing!
Awesome, Bill and Anthony! Great interview. Samia is a true artist. She totally commands the Amiga. Commodore was her bazaar. Her code is her pallet. The keyboard, her brush strokes.
When I watched this video, i thought that Ms. Halaby's view of the machine as a canvas on which her art is projected isn't so much different from what those demo scene coders do. They may use a different approach, Bauhaus vs. pop cultural art (the best term I coud come up with to describe the 'art' style of computer demos) but in the end both use the Amiga as a canvas for their art which is written in code. And from another persprective, Ms. Halaby is the best proof that the Amiga was indeed a machine that appealed to many creative minds of the time. Thank you for this interesting video!
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I totally agree. She is extremely similar to the demoscene folks. Except their background comes from Cracktros while hers comes from painting. But they are both combining technology and art and the Amiga is their medium.
Glad we finally got this video posted. Just so everyone knows, since some people have asked on Discord, we went to see Samia in order to preserve her 30 year old floppies. That Amiga and the disks have sat there as a time capsule in that desk which she had built for it when she first got the computer there under plastic and so well kept front and center in her studio. The concern was that the disks would eventually become unreadable over time and we were glad that none had any issues being read since she took such good care of it. The actual disks and programs and the Amiga itself as the canvas are all the only copies of this artwork. With such great Amiga emulation available now, we have converted the artwork from disk to files so they will not be lost to time even if that 1000 eventually stops working.
We used my Amiga 1200 and the great EasyADF Compact Flash Transfer Kit from Amigakit to dump the floppies direct to a CF card which was then easily readable to any modern computer and loadable using WinUAE, FSUAE or even the emulators on tablets making the artwork now truly portable!
She was so interesting to listen to while we did this project and I"m glad everyone is enjoying seeing how someone used the Amiga so long ago. Amazing to see her passion still for it when she was showing us how the programs made the art. So different from just using Deluxe Paint. As she said to us, it was a new medium and she felt she wanted to use it different than just a paint and canvas. To let the Amiga make the artwork based on just her instruction. She also breaks down the programming so effortlessly into simple human language using words like rain, and yo-yos and she did this all using first Amiga Basic then later on learned C.
I understand from Bill that seeing the programs running again in the emulator renewed her interest in programming again. That old Amiga magic that drives us all to keep using them still strong!
Great job Anthony. Thanks for all the cool Amiga videos you guys make. Amiga forever!
Dude I am so glad I went back and shot her uncovering the Amiga from the plastic. Not getting that was killing me ever since that day, so I wasn't going to let that slip through the cracks. We Guru's only settle for the best!
Thank you so much for doing this, Anthony! My initial thought was, "OMG we've got to preserve these programmatic works of art" not realizing you were doing the crunching in the background. Thank you for what you do, and what you did. Are you going to be allowed to distribute her code at some point? Or was it not meant for wider distribution?
You're welcome! Yes, I was literally in the background. Near that kitchen where she cleans her paintbrushes, at the table with my 1200 imaging disk after disk as she brought out those so valuable boxes one after another. I had started to speak to her about how best we might make her art available to a wider audience. want to make sure whatever we do, it respects her as the creator of the artwork so I don't want to rush into anything. I am glad Bill posted this, since it reminds me I have to do some more research. I have reached out to some people who work with Archive.org to see if they have any ideas on how we can accomplish this task and now that I'm back in the States with Olympics over I can pick this up again. So rest assured, at some point hopefully soon we can hopefully unveil something.
That's simply fantastic, Anthony. This video and what you both are doing here is so inspirational to me.
Great video. Looks like a professional documentary. Indeed, it seems we have lost something with these modern computers, such as ease of making simple programs.
Thank you very much 8-Bit Guy. Really appreciate that. We are big fans of your channel. Yes, there is something special about the simplicity of the old computers and most importantly they have personality and soul!
Well said and agreed! It is also why things like the demoscene are currently thriving on older platforms like the Amiga. Working with limitations and trying to push them to the max brings out lots of creativity!
I wrote programs like this (albeit much simpler) for my TI and C128. I started out with a program from a magazine for the Apple II and kept learning from there. I still wish I had bought that Amiga back then instead of the C128.
As someone who has been programming for ~35+ years, I beg to differ. It's easier than ever to program. It's just that computers don't "come with BASIC" like they used to. But rest assured that those simplistic environments are only a download away. Look at Scratch, PICO-8, glitch, and so on. It's all there. Nothing's been lost, we're just drowning in choice now. And sometimes constraints are good. So yes, the ecosystem, and set of possibilities is different -- bigger -- but nothing's been lost, just obscured.
That's EXACTLY the reason why I started with Delphi on the PC some years ago (which still is a great language/IDE IMHO). And now I'm coming back to C64 and Amiga programming again =)
I love everything about this
Thank you so much! Samia has become a great friend and we want to do another video together.
My goodness, this is an awesome video. Great job interviewing her.
Thank you so much! Really appreciate the kind words
Wow. The skill she has is impressive. This is a role model for everyone here
Yes she is!
She is so incredible! :)
She is, ins't she! Hope all is well bud! Yeeee-haaaa!!!
I deeply believe that obsolescence in tecnology is just a matter of view. For Mrs. Halaby, Amiga is a powerful computer, as for many of us Atari, Commodore, NES, SNES, portable calculators are today useful and fun computers. It's very nice to see that simplicity and elegance (as Clive Sinclair would say) could be important and useful in 2018. I miss simplicity (as for example, turning on the computer and that this works almost instantly, opening an interpreter as BASIC, from command line, playing a game by calling it directly, using the hardware at bare level, etc.) and elegance (beautiful cases for computers, confortable keyboards, nice joysticks and control pads, nice old sound, etc.) With PC computers we have earn speed and processing power but lost curiosity, passion and fun... :'( Greetings, Mrs. Halaby and The Guru Meditation staff. Thanks for this video! Inspiring!
WOW very well said! Thank you for these fine words UtopiaLabs! I couldn't agree more. Sometimes it is difficult to remember simpler times when you didn't have to be connected to the internet and didn't have to wait for some sort of update that pops up just at the wrong time!
In the old days, computers were made for those who wanted to learn and create; the machine was at the service of the human. Today, computers are manufactured to be idiot-proof.
Amazing Lady. I wish her 100 years with Amiga.
Thank you!
OMG! I am in love with this incredibly talented, intelligent and beautiful lady!
Me too! She is an inspiration
Didn't know people like her exist still, what a treasure.
She really is. Samia is wonderful
What an inspirational lady. Picking up the Amiga at the age of 50 and learning how to create art with it. It just goes to show that its never to late to try new things. Great video once again guys, keep up the good work. Now we need music maker videos on the Amiga.😋
Fretter!!!! Miss you dude. Hope all is going well with your new gig. Yes, agreed. Samia is very inspiring on many levels. She is amazing.
I Love how this Lady has maintained her Passion for obsolete Tech.. I was into the same Tech when I was 12 and built games(im 46 now).. Eventually I was compelled through boredom to move on in hope of new Tech and Challenges.. I knew on a deep level though that the Amiga was still Rich with Treasure but I allowed the inner voice to break my Passion.. I wish I hadn't!!
Ah don't sweat it. We all moved on. But you can always go back and have fun with the Amiga. There are so many options these days. Even emulation is great
same here, same ...
One of the most interesting things I have seen in a long time! Well produced and well done!
Thanks so much Cubester! Glad you enjoyed it!
What a lovely lady! And it was a lot of fun to watch the old Amiga Basic, I got a real nostalgic kick from that. It's been almost 30 years since I wrote programs in that language. :-)
Nice Fredrick! Glad you enjoyed and has a trip down memory lane
This was a mind blower. The sparkling fascination in her eyes ... Great documentary!
Thank you so much! I love how you could see it in her eyes. You are so right
I absolutely Love this lady
Aw thank you for these very kind words Ms. Mad! They are very special to me. I have to tell you, I couldn't help but think that she is like what Ms. MadLemon will be 50 years from now ;-) That is a compliment because Samia really is one of the most interesting, kindest, and inspiring people I have met.
Aww i'm touched! :o) thanks so much Bill
This lady definitely pushed my nostalgia button. Would love to sit down with her over a cup of tea or something and chat. The Amiga was my first computer and I acquired it for similar reasons. I was an artist and wanted more colors and motion. I've since moved on to other, modern systems, but I sometimes miss the days when it was all so fresh.
I've watched so many of your youtube videos and made a few comments on a few of them. However all I could think of was you while watching this video, and how she is so creative and talented like yourself. I can totally picture you doing this type of artistic expression after being inspired from watching her. Who knows, maybe we'll see a video like this from you soon! haha :)
MsMadLemon, I see you in every amiga video I watch lol. :)
Wow! That really moved me. In part, because I was an Amiga owner (still am, technically, I have an A500 and an A4000 in my cupboard) but also because I'm a coder and when I was using the Amiga, perhaps more of an artist. Hearing Samia talk reminded me of that sense of the incredible possibilities that computing opened up when the Amiga existed and of the great community that made the Amiga so special. Also, as a Software Engineer, it fascinates and impresses me so much to hear an artist explain their relationship with code, which they've turned to as their brush and canvas for the age she found herself in.
Just wow. Samia is my new hero. Fabulous film.
Thank you so much Peter. Really nice comment. Much appreciated
This woman is PURE ART herself. I'll buy one of her masterpieces. Deserving.
She is incredible. I love Samia!
This is a real joy. Seeing her use of limitation to embrace her style and expand her awareness of what makes it work- very inspiring. I'm going to start learning C today!
Thank you. I am really glad you picked up on that because I wish I explored the connection and relationship between her computer work and her painting more, but I shot the whole thing with her in 4 hours and was just getting to know her. Maybe I will make another one!
As Kevin Saunders said below, this could be the best yet. Great production as always and Samia is inspirational.Well done. You don't release often but when you do it's absolute gold pressed latinum :)
Aw, thanks Amiga Ireland. Really appreciate the kind words. Yeah, I have a full-time job, do weekly Twitch streams, run The Westchester Amiga User Group, and attempt to have some down time with the Mrs. So unfortunately I can only do 1-2 videos per month here. When I do make a video I try to make them good and I attempt to make videos that will last a long time so people will enjoy them in the future. The whole point of this channel is to keep the Amiga alive and preserve its history. Sadly the RUclips algorithm rewards quantity over quality and it is only getting worse. I hope people will still be able to find our stuff, but I will keep making videos that are fun and inspire us regardless. Thanks for all the support and keep up the great work across the pond!
Thanks Bill and great point. Quantity over quality seems to be RUclips's mission statement and it's great that you're making such an enduring collection. A lot of us have family, work and/or college here too and totally relate to the demands!
I love this video, and I love what Samia has created. So creative and inspired! A beautiful production. Thank you!
Pixel Vixen Wow thank you so much for those very kind words Pixel Vixen. So glad you enjoyed it. Samia is the best!
Just love the love you give to the Amiga guys. Kudos is where it's deserved!
wow! what a great video to stumble on ... i met samia in 1993 at FISEA in minneapolis... she was so genuine and enthusiastic, and supportive of the idea that i could -- as a young computer programmer -- explore my interests in (gasp!) art, "electronic" or otherwise. i feel indebted to her for inspiration that helped set me on the course to where i am today.
had me googling around for bit of history. found some notes on the conference. :) memories! www.verostko.com/isea/fisea93.html
Wow, very cool! Thank you so much for sharing this Jon!
The Guru Meditation thank you for the video.... I even dug up an old email exchange we had... wonderful.
this video, btw, is of very high quality, a real pleasure to watch. Probably the best on this channel imho, and one of my favorites yet in general.
Thank you so much! I plan on doing more of these type of videos. It is much easier for me to get higher quality when I don't have to be in front of the cameras as well. I am much better behind them
The camera work in this was beautifully done, you obviously put a lot of work into this and it shows.
Oh thank you so much Commander64. I appreciate that so much. Yes, I did try hard on this one. I have more stories like this to tell and I will quite possibly do something else with Samia. You kind words motivate me to do this.
Her work should be preserved for future generations
Yes, we are preserving it
You have uncovered a hidden treasure, this is really interesting so glad you have captured this.
Gareth McKee Thanks Gareth! I agree. When we were there shooting it we were saying that we couldn't believe that Samia lived very close by and was doing all this amazing work with the Amiga and we never knew about it...until now
Beautiful work Bill, a real joy to watch
Thanks RMC! Appreciate that bud!
That is the most amazing thing I have seen this year. I can see the tide is turning for the Amiga.
Thanks so much earthstick. I really appreciate that. I am going to make more little documentaries like this about Amiga folks
What a wonderful and inspiring lady she is.
She is!
The world bleats on about providing role models for girls and women like Samia are all around us waiting to be discovered - such a beautiful woman in mind, spirit and talent. Great video - thanks. I'll be sharing it with the STEM group and showing it in classrooms.
All I can say is wow. What an amazing lady. What an amazing docu and it is first class and just awesome details and cinematography. Again, Wow! Thank You. I hope she publishes her programs they look awesome.
WOW, thank for the very kind words Racer X. I am going to make more documentaries like this...but finding people as cool as Samia won't be easy, or maybe not even possible, lol
A superb lady with a legendary machine.
Yes!
Well done Bill. What a great woman and artist.
Thanks Sean! Yes, she is amazing!
Bill,always happy to call you and Anthony friends. I knew this one was going to get a lot of hits when you first talked to me about it. Really happy for you.
You are the BEST Adam. Love you man!
Blush emoji ;)
She is a very inspirational person, love this video. She is a good storyteller and talks like a professional. Much respect.
Thanks!
What a hugely aspiring human being, before I watched this video I thought she using dpaint but no she's programming it all, blown me away. Someone please donate this lady an A4000 and dpaint and she would love that!! Great video guys
An amazing video, a great inspiring woman. Thank you for sharing her history and work!
The pleasure is mine. Thanks for the kind words Christoph!
You are never too old to keep the grey matter and imagination going are you..........there is also something about Amiga and Workbench 1......it had a creative vibe about it..........it's really refreshing to see someone like this in their 80s doing Amiga art.........cool lady!
I know, she is amazing! Hope I am that cool when I get to be her age. Very inspiring
What an inspiration. She seriously knows more about programing that machine than I do, and I'd bet most of us. I never would have even thought an artist of her nature would have been drawn to anything other than Deluxe Paint, but here you go. Extremely sharp, hope I'm there at her age. Thanks for getting her story out there! Great video!
Shot97 Very well said as always Shot! It is so true. You would think that she would simply use art programs, but for her she wanted to point the computer in the direction she wanted and have it create the art. It is remarkable. And her C code is beautiful!
The most important thing to take out of it all is how she regards the Amiga itself as the art. I try to explain it to people who aren't into the retro stuff, that it's not all about retro... I made an entire music album on the thing; because it sounded good and most importantly, it sounded unique. If you're making art that is special, unique, speaks to others and yourself, than you're quite simply making art. Regardless of the medium, you're doing it right at that point.
Shot97 I am so glad you got that. We got pretty deep in the interview and the message is something I really tried to make clear in the editing
Most people I know who are 50+ are terrified of new technology, let alone look at it and think, "I think I'll learn to program this." Actually most people wouldn't even think about programming a computer at any age. She's inspirational.
Always a joy to see other programming enthusiasts.
Amazing video, and an amazing woman! Thanks for this.
This is so beautiful!! Thank you Bill for such inspiring video material!!
Thank you so much Sir. Lucas! It was easy to make a video like this when you have the most amazing subject ever. She is extremely inspirations and I believe she can inspire even people outside of the Amiga community. You are never too old to pick up something new! Hope you are well bud. I bet you daughter has gotten big!
She's an incredibly talented and creative person. Great interview!
Thank you!
OMG! AMAZING! Wow...
Thanks so much Rogal!!! Sto-lat!!!
Bill, this is hands down one of the best pieces of Amiga-related work I think you've ever done. It may be my personal favorite. This was such a beautifully made labor of love and so well photographed and told. What an incredible woman! I wish I could get copies of her Amiga programs & art! They should be preserved somehow.
Wow thank you so much Eric. That is so kind. I think it is my favorite as well. It is fun to joke around in front of the camera, but being behind it is a much better place for me and it is where I belong. I am hoping I can make some of my own tec-docs in the future. That would combine my 2 passions, filmmaking and technology. I have many ideas that I want to get out there.
Very cool video! ⌨ She seems perfectly sharp at her age, it's hard to believe. So bright and likable, what a person! I'm glad she found recognition in her professional life.
Thank you! Yeah she is amazing. She was even carrying my tripod around and climbs up on ladders to get to the top of some of her large paintings! I would probably fall off the ladder, ha ha!
This is seriously so super awesome to see! And it proves that you are never too old to ever take up and learn new skills or get into new fields of interest!
Well said Lambda! So true. You are never ever too old!
This RUclips channel is vastly underrated. Always fantastic content. Always enthusiastic. Thank you!! Lots of love from Canada from an a1000 owner in 1986.
Thanks Baud 🙏🏼
Amazing! Live long and prosper, Lady Halaby!
Whoo-hoo!
Fantastic!
Thank you Alexander!
I just discovered your channel and this is the 1st video of yours that I have watched. Just brilliant! Samia is inspirational and you told her story in such a professional way. I think I am about to have a late night binge watching your other videos! So glad I found this. Thank-you! :)
Thank you so much James. This means the world to us. I hope you enjoy your time here. I want to do more mini-documentaries like this one as well
So awesome and just soul warming to see such a natural connection to the creative artistic tool of choice (The Amiga and The Human). Great video A+++++
Thank you so much aZtOcKdOg ! So glad you ejoyed it. It was an amazing experience making it. More to come! See you on Twitch!
That was one of the best videos on Amiga I have seen in years!
I am not kidding, I was gripped from the start.
I would love to see a collection of Samia's digital works!
Thankyou for making this!
Wayne Ashworth Thanks so much Wayne! Not gonna lie. I was thinking of you and Roar while I was working in her studio. You all would get along very well!
Great video, and what an inspiration she is. Great to see her passion shine through even after all these years. Beautifully shot, too.
Thank you Shawn! Yes, she cares deeply about her work and really does love the Amiga. It is really wonderful to sit down and speak with her. She has so much knowledge and passion.
2:44 The book, Using Visual Basic 3, good choice a legendary language!
She has some great books which are essential when you are self-taught. I think she uses VB on her laptop.
This is definitely one of the rare videos on youtube that's worth
watching over and over again! The quality of your video is astounding. I
rarely ever comment on a video on youtube, but this one moved me so much
that I had to comment! Samia intrigued me that she wanted to explore the
world of the amiga to extend her artistic abilities and it's amazing to
see how much progress she's made! A lot of people would just give up if
they had to learn BASIC or C, especially back then!
It takes a lot of willpower to try something new and I think she sets a
really good example that there's nothing to be afraid of and if you are
really passionate, you can create wonderful things. She just tried where
many would have just given up.
Unfortunately, I didn't experience the rise and fall of Commodore as I
was born a couple of months after Commodore filed for bankrupcy. I am
more a C64 guy, but this video has motivated me to also look at my Amiga
500 which is catching dust at the moment.
A couple of months ago, I gave a workshop at the University of Amsterdam
about programming on the C64, just because I happen to own a bunch of
C64's and attended a couple of demoparties and have written some small
programs on it. In case you are interested, the project is hosted on
github: github.com/FolkertVanVerseveld/workshop
See the releases tab and then "First public release" for the slides
(workshop.zip). Some documents are Dutch only, but most .pdf files have
been translated to English as well.
All the best and I am looking forward to see more documentaries :)
Wow thank you so much for taking the time to write the insightful comment Folkert. It is wonderful to her that you got so much from the video. This is so nice to hear. Thank you for sharing. Also, thanks for sharing your workshop! I took a quick peek and will dive deeper into it when I have some more time. Greetings to Amsterdam. I made a documentary for Heineken and lived there for almost 12 months. The Dutch people are so nice and that is a great city. Prost!
What a truly remarkable and inspiring individual Samia is. I have tremendous admiration (and respect) for somebody with such creative flair and passion. I quite liked the 'Hanging Gardens' artwork which I thought was brilliant!
Well said! Thank you !
A great inspirational woman, amazing video. Thanks!
Thanks for watching Mark! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is an incredible video. I’m glad you guys are working to archive her disks and preserve her digital works. The idea of setting her up with a new Amiga or monitor so she may continue working on the Amiga platform which she clearly loves is fantastic as well. Thanks for the incredibly interesting video TGM!
And thank you for watching and all your support Aphexteknol! So glad you enjoyed it!
The Guru Meditation My pleasure. Keep it up guys!
This lady is a force of nature.
I keep coming back to this video. I just like hearing her and the A1k setup is so cool.. I like the desk and everything.
It is so cool Mike!
Those sunset shots of New York city were fantastic but, what really made my heart go crazy were the excellent monitor scan lines shots.
Great job!
Aw thanks Alex! I wanted a cool way to portray her code. Doing a screen record of an emulator just seemed boring to me. She talks about the Amiga as the medium so I wanted to shoot the Amiga in all it's scan line and pixel glory since they are the canvas for her work. I am so glad you picked up on this especially since it was the most time consuming part. Thanks for all the support as always!
you knocked it out of the park with this one guys!
GalacticusX Thanks Galacticus! I appreciate that. Not gonna lie, I was swinging for the fence with this one!
This is Great!
Thank you!
What a great video. Very professional little documentary. Samia is an inspiration.
Thanks Explosive! I really appreciate the kind words!
Awesome - she's an inspiration )))
Darren Thompson Yes! An inspiration for many!
She is a genius and her Amiga is a gem.
Agreed!
AmigaBASIC and C self taught!!?? What a clever woman she is and an inspiration to others!! I did some basic programming in the 80ties and learned this at school and know it's very hard to fully understand it. I really admire her that she learned it herself!
Agreed! She is really amazing and inspirational. You are never too old to learn something new.
Amazing - What a charismatic lady! More please!
Thank you Jamie! Yes, we will make more like this. It was lots of fun!
She is so cool!
Ten51on # She is!
Amazing video. That computer looks like the day she got it. How she used it to build shapes and color extra. What a wonder lady. God bless her.
Thanks. Samia is wonderful and an inspiration
Amitopia recommends this to everyone to watch this documentary made by Amiga Bill and The Guru Meditation! This is so awesome and unique. It makes you feel proud using Amiga, because there are people like her around. There are unique Amiga users everywhere in this world and its really nice to see it shared for the public. The Amiga spirit is for sure alive! Thank you so much. All the best to you! Viva Amiga!
Very well said Michal! Thanks for helping to spread the Amiga Love! I am hoping to find more people like Samia, but she is pretty unique and awesome! The Amiga spirit is alive and well indeed!
brilliant stuff Bill. this could be the best guru video. Samia is amazing. Self taught C? are you kidding me ? - what an inspiration she is. 10/10 will be watching again (over and over!)
Modern Vintage Gamer Aw thanks MVG! I certainly put the most time into this one so I hope it is at least one if the best. It was nice not being in the video so I could focus on the filmmaking and story. Sure keep watching it. Thanks. I noticed something new every time I watched. I will have that piece for you tomorrow BTW. Thanks for your patience
It's not about "learning the language". It's all about how she uses it.
"Self taught C" - depends on how she taught herself. If it's by trial and error, then that's amazingly difficult and must have taken a lot of work.
I am pretty sure that she meant "self taught" as in "not with any formal degree", rather than as "just typed random words in a text file until it compiled". :)
Yeah, she taught herself C by reading the books you can see on her shelf that you might be able to catch in a few of the shots
Yeah, she taught herself C by reading the books you can see on her shelf that you might be able to catch in a few of the shots
Stunning !
I love artists and even more artists using Amigas.
Ha ha, couldn't agree more David! The Amiga truly is a computer for artists.
What a talented and creative lady. Great video. THKS
Yes, she is an amazing person. Thanks for watching!
Really enjoyed this video. What a remarkable person this young lady is. That A1000 is beautiful.. Her skill and ability is just outstanding. Nice job Bill!
Thanks Mike! Agreed, Samia is an amazing person and extremely talented!
What an amazing Lady. ...Truly...
She really is. It was an honor to meet her and become her friend. Smart, well-spoken, and extremely nice.
Thanks for sharing to all of us this experience Bill. I timetraveled for a moment with an artist and an A1000 on the 80's. Endless love for the Amiga :)
You rock DJ Nest!
This is wonderful! Thank you for capturing and sharing this artist's story. ❤️
It was my pleasure. Thanks so much Gamebits!
This is so incredibly beautiful!
Thank you Mauro!!!
What an impressive lady...I was 18 when an Amiga first graced my eyes and ears and this lady was older than my present age...how fantastic is that?
I know, I hear you, she is amazing!
Best wishes for Ms Halaby!
Amigowiec Thank you!
amazing stufff really like 81 and still kicking ass
Thanks Ashley. Samia does kick ass!
This made my day or even week. This is amazingly uplifting. Thank you very much for this material.
And thank you for the kind comment. This is great to hear!
Bravo, what a wonderful piece!
Thanks Jay!
Love it
F. Zahra Hassan Thank you!
Fascinating and inspiring film Bill. She's incredible, and amazing to see her still using the Amiga 1000 for her work today.
Thank you so much Dan! I really appreciate that! She is so amazing. I love her. I can't believe that her 1000 has been sitting there since 1985 and she is still rocking it! Maybe it is the plastic cover that helped preserve it, ha ha! She loved my 1200 though, and is now she is in the market for one because she is very excited about AGA graphics. I am not joking!
That's the best thing I've heard all year! When did she last use her 1000, before this video?
Thanks so much for introducing us all to her and her work with your professionally filmed and edited mini-documentary! And thanks for inspiring her to get a newer Amiga! Maybe she'll get a Vampire V4 for it when it is finally released. ;)
Thank you Jerri! You are welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting! Believe it or not, one of our viewers sent her a 1200!!! It is on its way right now. She used the 1000 from time to time and that's why it was still set up in her studio. But now she is more motivated than ever and started making new pieces. I also introducer her to FS-UAE emulator on her Mac. She loves it but prefers the real thing!
A true amigan, of course she prefers the 'real thing' !
A truly remarkable and inspirational person Samia is
Agreed!!!
What an awesome story, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the kind words!
Wow, that was a flashback to my first ever programming experiences in AmigaBASIC. I haven’t thought about those graphics functions for about 25 years!
Awesome! Glad it took you back!
How awesome is this?! :) Congratulations on this awesome piece, guys!
Thanks Zed! Appreciate that bud!
Awesome, Bill and Anthony! Great interview. Samia is a true artist. She totally commands the Amiga. Commodore was her bazaar. Her code is her pallet. The keyboard, her brush strokes.
Andy Davis Yes! You are totally correct my friend. Glad you enjoyed Andy!
Please tell me that Samia is among the peeps over at pouet.net. She should at least release her prods, get them archived etc. before the inevitable.
Yes! We need to get her on Pouet! That is a great idea. All of her floppies are being archived now.
Pouet is one thing, but we at scene.org would be glad to host the archive of files, if they are available!
I experienced myself the spiritual and artisic push of the Amiga. Well done Samia!
Amazing video Bill and Anthony. Thank you for all the high-quality Amiga-content you guys send out into the world.
You are welcome Arno! Thanks for your support! This is fun stuff!
Outstanding work, fellas. Ya'll did a great job. Super interesting...made me happy.
Thanks so much DevilBunny! Appreciate that! Glad you enjoyed and keep up the great work Amigos!!!!!
wow, thanks for sharing this video!
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed!
Beautiful. Sure hope I'll still be making demos when i'm 81.
When I watched this video, i thought that Ms. Halaby's view of the machine as a canvas on which her art is projected isn't so much different from what those demo scene coders do. They may use a different approach, Bauhaus vs. pop cultural art (the best term I coud come up with to describe the 'art' style of computer demos) but in the end both use the Amiga as a canvas for their art which is written in code.
And from another persprective, Ms. Halaby is the best proof that the Amiga was indeed a machine that appealed to many creative minds of the time.
Thank you for this interesting video!
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I totally agree. She is extremely similar to the demoscene folks. Except their background comes from Cracktros while hers comes from painting. But they are both combining technology and art and the Amiga is their medium.
I totally agree.
Amazing documentary! I’m 46 I can’t imagine having to learn C in 4 years time. I found it challenging when I was 16/17! Let alone now.
I agree!