The newly-launched Instant Respawn website talks with the creator of the UT2004 TC Out of Hell about his seven year long solo mod experience. Here he talks about the motivation behind starting such a project:
"I was fresh out of computer animation school and had gotten a job at a local company as an environment modeler. I was scared to be honest because I didn't feel that I knew enough. I knew how to model and animate (and not well, mind you) but nothing about the actual game-making process. When it came time for me to perform, I did so poorly and eventually was tasked with working on HUD elements for the project. Again, my inexperience and lack of knowledge really made things difficult and I was eventually let go. After that had happened, how could I apply at any other company with my level of skill where it was?" he explains, "This is why I took it solo, to force myself to learn it."