An interview with: Ben Fields

Ben Fields is our Chief Media Maker. His life is about to change forever (...Tantrum House gets almost no credit for that). After sticking him in a dark room, and shining a bright light in his face, this is what we were able to get out of him:

TH: Ben, tell us about your life before Tantrum House.
Ben: My life before Tantrum House was similar to life after Tantrum House except it didn't include Ryan Pilz. Ryan fills my days with hilarity and endless outtakes, it's pretty awesome. Also, I've been exposed to this whole new world, the Tabletop community, and I'm really enjoying that.

TH: What role do you play at Tantrum House?
Ben: I am Chief Media Maker, which means I get in on all the behind-the-scenes action for our game reviews and any other videos we make. 

TH: What is the most difficult/awesome part of filming the Terrible 2-Minute Reviews?
Ben: The most difficult is trying to figure out if Ryan is giving a game the full Thumbs Up or a 3/4 Thumbs Up or what his thumb is doing. The most awesome is just hanging out with the team while we shoot. It takes a while to make these reviews, so it's nice that it's with a fun group of people. 

TH: What advice would you give to Will and Ryan in regards to their acting career?
Ben: Stick to comedy. Maybe a Reality show...so, not acting. 

TH: Are there any board games you learned overseas that aren't played here?
Ben: I grew up playing El Banquero (The Banker). This is Monopoly, but in Spanish, using Paraguayan streets and the local Guarani currency. In typical Paraguayan fashion...it's unlicensed. Also, since there is only one train in Paraguay, they had to use the Airport, Harbor, and I think Bus Station in lieu of multiple railways.

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TH: Tell us about this new little person?
Ben: Our little girl is going to be life changing. It's ironic how a helpless little person who knows nothing ends up changing you in very profound ways and teaches you more about yourself then you'd ever expect. 

TH: Since you grew up speaking Spanish, are you planning on teaching your daughter Spanish?
Ben: Not only Spanish, but French as well. My wife speaks French. It's such a cool thing to aspire to, but will be suberbly difficult to achieve. This will be a huge challenge for us.

TH: Any cool goals in life?
Ben: To confuse our daughter. Haha - Seriously though, there are a lot of stories to be told in the world. I'd like to help tell some of those stories through film...and by film, I mean digital media. Another goal is to live outside of the US for short periods. It's part of my upbringing, and my wife has traveled more than I have. I think it's important to expose yourself, in this case my family, to different cultures. Few things make you feel both the enormity of our world and yet the smallness of our communities, besides traveling. 

TH: So you're a soccer player? What position do you play in soccer?
Ben: I played forward in college, but these days it's either midfield, defender...or Injured Reserve.

TH: Favorite gaming snack or beverage? 
Ben: I love chips and I love cookies...I can throw down some cookies. But if I had access to them here, it would be Chipitas. A snack version of Paraguayan cheese bread. 

TH: If you had a super power, what would it be? 
Ben: In Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, Officer Earl literally grows his beard in 2 seconds by sheer will and force. I think that would be awesome. My beard takes an infiniternity to grow. 

TH: A noble set of priorities indeed.

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