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Ever since my dad brought home an Atari 5200, I've been hooked on video games. I still love them to this day! Lately I've been addicted to Rock Band. And, sometimes, if there is no one around, I may even work up the nerve to play role of the lead singer in the game! I do a mean rendition of the Beastie Boys, "So Watcha Want". :-)

I recently 'met' Jeff Chausse (JC) on Twitter. Jeff has one of the coolest jobs around and is also a Snagit user! Jeff is the Web Director at Harmonix. And, Harmonix develops, you guessed it, Rock Band - Squeeeeeee! I had to know how Harmonix was using Snagit! Jeff was kind enough to answer some interview questions about how he uses Snagit. Enjoy!

BW: How have images and screenshots changed your own communication for the better?

JC: Obviously, it's cliché, but "a picture is worth a thousand words". If I need to tell my team that something on the web site needs to change, it's far easier for me to do a quick screen grab and add some explanatory text and arrows, than try to explain it in words.

BW: Are your images and screenshots used internally or externally? What is the viewer response to them?

JC: We use them both internally and externally. Again, within my team, they eliminate a whole lot of ambiguity when trying to describe a bug or how a feature should look. Externally, we often use screenshots when seeking approval from partners. When building a site, a whole lot of people need to approve the way certain things look, and their placement - the first parties (that is, the game platforms), our lawyers, business partners, and licensors. We sent countless screenshots to Apple Records folks in developing TheBeatlesRockBand.com.

BW: What do you use Snagit for primarily?

JC: Primarily, I use it to show things to my team - either "this is broken", "check out how this other site does this", or "here's how I think it should look. Snagit even has just enough editing features that I often use it to do quick and dirty mockups instead of firing up Photoshop. Sometimes, I'll get a confused email from a member of my team, 5 minutes before I have to run off to a meeting. The editing tools in Snagit let me VERY quickly clarify what I'm talking about.

BW: What are the last three captures in your Open Captures Tray?

JC: Let's see... I have a screenshot of an Outlook, showing someone on my team how he might have inadvertently scheduled a 0 minute meeting. I have a screenshot of a typo on our website that I sent to one of our writers to fix. And a screenshot of a ridiculous Windows error message. I thought of tweeting it, but never did.

BW: Is there one feature of Snagit that has flat-out delighted you? Tell me about it...

JC: I don't know if this is really considered a "feature", but I just love that I can see something on the screen, snag it (ha!), and send it off by email, all without ever having to save the file somewhere, give it name, drag it into an email as an attachment, and remember to delete the temporary file. Snagit really makes sending a mocked up image feel almost as natural as typing.

BW: Anything else we should know?

JC: Well, one thing I love using Snagit for (which is probably something you don't pitch heavily to corporations) is occasionally sending goofy LOLcat type images to my team. Normally, a manager shouldn't admit to such frivolity, but it's so quick and easy to do with Snagit, I feel no guilt! You can just do a Google Image Search, capture the image with Snagit, add some text, change the font to "Impact", turn on a drop-shadow, and - boom! - hilarity ensues. Whole thing takes 30 seconds. Great fun for all.

BW: What is the last video game you played?

JC: Why, The Beatles: Rock Band, of course! Actually, I have a 3 year old and a 2 month old at home, so I have very little time to get absorbed in a deep and complex game. I mostly play stuff I can pick up and put down in 5 minutes or less. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, this means I've been playing a lot of iPhone games. My latest addiction is "Canabalt", which is pretty much the ultimate mindless, quickie game. There's only one command, "jump", and a game is over in about 30 seconds.

BW: What's your favorite video game?

JC: Well, aside from the Rock Band games which, honestly, really do get the most play in my house, I'm terribly behind on keeping up with today's big games. My favorite game of all time is Starcraft - I think nothing beats a perfectly balanced RTS (Real Time Strategy) game. I've also logged a ridiculous amount of hours playing the Sims games and Half Life 2. That game truly turned managed to turn a first person shooter into an engrossing work of art.

Jeff Chausse is the Web Director at Harmonix and is responsible for managing interactive efforts for its Rock Band series of video games, most recently leading the design and development of TheBeatlesRockBand.com. Prior to working at Harmonix, Jeff has worked at Zoom Information, Hill Holliday and Groove Networks, in various technical, marketing, and managerial roles. Jeff lives in the Boston suburbs with his wife and two young children.