#honestly it was just a much more professional version of the movie

[secondbeatsongs]

I might love sharknado too much you guys

#sharknado #personal #sbs rambles #id in alt text #the director! of sharknado! #retweeted my overenthusiastic rant about how much I love his movie! #also #the remaster was so good! #it was so clean. you could see so much detail! #the audio was better too #honestly it was just a much more professional version of the movie #with remade (but still very corny) visual effects #and I love that #I want to own it so badly #I'm so glad I saw it in theatres #wearing my ''watch for falling sharks'' shirt that clouds got me #it felt like it all coming full circle #also I guess maybe some of you guys don't know that I love sharknado? #spoiler alert: I love sharknado #saw every single one of them when they came out #taped the first one on VHS #sharknado my beloved #ETA: don't bother following me on twitter lol #I am not there #I only use it for communication purposes #like in this case #telling the director of sharknado how much I love him

[basiatlu]

On Theft in Art

First: thank you to the anon here and the other many people who brought this to my attention! I know you did it out of support of me and I love you for it.

I was ready to keep it private as I didn’t want anything negative to come up and be associated with my art. But as I was asked across different platforms concerning the art in question I realized it really bummed me out. I’m here to have a good time in the fandom and create with you all. We have a good thing here in the community and I didn’t want any smoke with another artist - a mutual even.

So to help me feel a little better about it I want to turn this into an opportunity to teach others on the differences between Reference, Inspiration, Reinterpretation, and Theft

Reference: (usually) a visual source of information in order to better understand something. Example here is of my reference board and the art I am currently working on.

My favorite example of a professional using reference photos is by Hirohiko Araki (creator and artist of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), who uses fashion editorials and photoshoots ALL the time it’s awesome - tysm @yumiaiyuma for showing me this goldmine

Study and Inspiration: here is a great example from the wonderful Stephanie Pepper. Notice the caption stating these are studies, the movie it is from, and I will even go on to say that this artist is influenced or inspired by the prolific works of J. C. Leyendecker (but what’s key is that Stephanie Pepper has developed and practiced to the point of deviating from his work and become a style of art completely her own - and she’s so recognizable in my opinion!)

Personal Example for Inspiration:

An Example of Reinterpretation: note - Both these classical artists whose works are being recycled are dead and no longer missing out on potential work and income. Where stealing ideas and art from current artists hurts them financially and mentally and emotionally. Howl as The Fallen Angel by _mimimaru on Instagram is an interpretation of a 1847 painting by Alexandre Cabanel and is now considered public domain // the Mickey Mouse self portrait was by Charles Boyer and is a parody of the famous illustration by Norman Rockwell and was commissioned by Walt Disney, himself.

Now here’s the part that is concerning to several people, myself included.

Recently, an artist found the reference I used, and decided to draw Andromeda, Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Regulus staring at Sirius getting supposedly punished by Walburga Black off screen.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t a matter of tracing or claiming my image as their own. I do not mind at all if myself and another artist end up using the same reference. It happens all the time. Referencing and studying is not stealing. Reinterpretation is great for meme art challenges and paying respect to old classics. Even being inspired and doing one’s own version of another artist’s idea is totally cool, especially if you tag and/or shoutout the artist that inspired you.

I genuinely love and appreciate everyone who has brought this to my attention and who has been supportive and defensive of me with this. That reaction means more to me than anything else in this whole ordeal, if I’m being honest. So thank you all so much, with all my heart.

In closing: Do I hope this is all one gigantic coincidence? Absolutely. It’s one of those very uncool things that hurts my heart as an artist. I just want everyone to enjoy art and inspire each other so we can all grow. I do not want any malice to come from this either. I just wanted to inform everyone that I am aware of this, and give some of my thoughts on it. I also wanted to use this as a way to educate everyone on artistic process and why these things might happen sometimes.

Edit: me and the artist have chatted and we see it as a silly coincidence ♡ and honestly I'm happy and so relieved with that. But I think a lot of this info is still good to be mindful of in a creative community where we circulate ideas and content regularly.

#shushbosh #ugly business sorry #I’m happy to talk with anyone on this of course #art thoughts

[fatuismooches]

hii, its 💌 anon coming reallll late but happy anniversary :)) i was gone for so long bc i had school and so much other things but i am back‼️ with pantalone thoughts….and dottore thoughts ofc teehee.

akademiya zandik writing reader letters but then he was like “okay no, im not that whipped (he is) i’m gonna toss it somewhere else” but he ends up keeping it in a box. fragile reader on the other hand used to always write him letters :(( and ofcourse he kept them all. they were always well decorated and had the most beautiful wiring but after reader got sick, he didnt get them anymore. the younger clones would probably make little get well soon cards while the older ones write letters and all :(. (also fits reader literally writing him a letter in the case,, yk,, they die)

meanwhile, in pantaloneland, reader and him watched barbie together!!! he wore pink and the entire shebang, probably even rented….bought an entire theater for the private viewing for the both of you. (its actually js a theater version of the barbie movie. no movies back then so…play! arlie would love it too). BUT!! he js hates ken in the middle of it. “i would never ever get rid of your barbie dream house, darling :(“ because honestly? it makes him sad. how can someone just strip things that their lover likes away just to be better? it reminded him a bit of his own bitter childhood, and because of that, he buys you even more things after <3

“pantalone, i dont need that many outfits-“

“just indulge me darling :) you’ve been with me since i was young, its only fair i return the favor”

- 💌

HI 💌 ANON! Welcome back ❤️ I hope you've been doing good and taking care of yourself!! AND AGHHH THANKS FOR YOU FOR THOUGHTS 😭🤲

ZANDIK WRITING LETTERS 😔💖 He thinks that instead of verbalizing his feelings, he can water them down and make them all professional like he does in his notes/research reports... WRONG. Within the first sentence, he looks at it and stops because wtf there's no way he's gonna continue writing this sappy shit (it wasn't even sappy he was showing that he cared about you a bit more than the average person) But you on the other hand? You don't care if you sound too emotional or sappy or in love or not. You just write what you wanna write. Zandik will scoff and make fun of you but you know he keeps all of them. Where? You don't know, but you just know.

But it's only after it's too late that he realizes how much he likes the little letters he used to receive from you. (UR EVIL FOR THAT LAST PART.) Stop now I'm thinking about bb Zandy giving you a card... he drew you two with crayons 💖

NOT PANTALONE AND YOU WATCHING BARBIE... I haven't seen it yet but I'm beyond excited to go and watch it whenever I'm able to!! Psh, he doesn't even need to buy a theater because you know he been had one for years!! But OUCH not the angst at the end ;( Ugh he literally loves and respects you so much, he can't fathom the thought of ever hurting you on purpose.

In your closet, there are two types of outfits. The ones you wear regularly, and the ones you wore only once because Pantalone makes you try on everything he buys you. Oftentimes you have to enlist your husband for help choosing outfits and accessories because you probably get overwhelmed by your closet being the size of a big bedroom 😭

#smooches talks #💌 anon #fragile reader <3 #i rlly need to write a fic with fragile reader being healed #pantaloneland <3 #ive been wanting to watch barbie all summer 😭 i hope i can go see it soon #everytime i see pantalone spoil his partner it makes me an unhealthy amount of happy #like sir u should not spend that much on me but I'm flattered at the same time #man if someone ever disrespected u #pantalone would be more pissed thAN YOU #need me a man like that fr

[pyxilatezero]

An Honest Review of Mean Girls (2024)

I have seen so many negative reviews of this movie, and I have to say one thing to you guys: you obviously weren’t the target audience if you hated this movie.

First, let me break down some of their complaints, and then I’ll give you the rundown of my personal opinion.

Common Complaint Number One: Renée Rapp’s acting was bad.

Do I need to explain to you why you’re stupid, or are you going to see yourself out the door? If her acting was bad, I’m the next Queen of England. Not only did she bring life to a different version of Regina George, she clearly put some effort into portraying that character. She was probably the second best actor in this movie.

Common Complaint Number Two: Angourie Rice was miscast as Cady Heron; Her singing is bad, her acting is flat, ect.

If I was someone who had just moved to America from another country, I would be reserved too. I would show my emotions less, and I would probably try and do things to fit in with other people I wouldn’t normally do. While I admit her performance can’t match up to Lindsay’s, I also say: can YOU act that well? No. These are professionals. If you think that you can act better, then I’d better see you when they make a musical version of Mean Girls 2. And your complaints with the singing are unfair. She’s Australian- do you know how hard it is to sing with an accent? Oh, well she could just keep the accent when singing- DO YOU KNOW HOW DIFFERENT AN AUSTRALIAN ACCENT IS FROM A KENYAN ONE? The door is to your right.

Common Complaint Number Three: The Fashion is bad. (WARNING: Long segment)

This is… wow. I’m disappointed. Honestly, I am. While some of the choices are questionable, do you know how much effort was put into these outfit designs? The first time we see Regina, for example, we see her in all black. Black can represent power, but it can also represent hatred, as another thing; a reference to Cady being told she should hate Regina by her friends. Later on, at the end of the movie, she wears black, all the way up until she gets hit by a bus (which, contrary to what some people say, was not left out of the movie). To show her hatred for Cady. While the outfits may not be perfect, they are quite fitting. To introduce Cady in school, she wears blue- colors associated with sadness, but also nerves. Throughout the movie, Cady is nervous- first to be at school, then to lose her friends, and then to topple Regina, take her place, and be in power. Just because the fashion isn’t perfect and doesn’t make the characters look like models doesn’t mean the acting is bad. (Also, Regina would never use ELF? I am friends with someone who is essentially Regina George but less mean and not as rich, but still pretty up there, and I assure you, she uses ELF)

Complaint Number Four: ALL OF THE SINGING IS AWFUL

…

Are you deaf? Actually, no. That’s insulting to the deaf people. If you seriously think that all of the songs are awful, you need to never listen to music ever again because you are a disgrace to this society. I will admit, not all of the songs were bangers, but I still have What-Ifs stuck in my head (I agree with one thing, Stupid With Love, both the movie and musical versions, can go with Regina by that bus through)

Complaint Number Five: It’s too much like the original movie but not close enough to the original movie

This is the most common thing I see. People stating that it’s ’trying too hard to be the original movie’ but that it ‘left out key details in the movie that would make it more like the original movie’. Seriously, SHUT UP. Nobody wants to hear you being all ambivalent about your fake reason for hating the movie because someone else told you it’s bad.

Common Complaint Number Six: The acting is bad.

Look me in the eyes and tell me the actors did not pour their heart and soul into this film. You can’t. There’s the door. Go outside. Touch grass.

Common Complaint Number Seven: It wasn’t marketed as a musical!!!

Do you… not see the music note? Okay, you’re blind. Got it 👍 But if you’re so blind, then almost none of the previous complaints are valid because you couldn’t see the movie.

But in all honesty, this one just legitimately pisses me off, because it just means that people can’t be bothered to pay attention to something that is made obvious to them. Sure, the first trailer didn’t include singing, but it was to get you hooked on the idea, not to advertise the movie. Wake up sheeple.

MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS:

I have my own flurry of complaints. Well, no I don’t. Just two or three. 1. Cady’s entire personality was liking Aaron. I’m sorry, I can’t like a main character who is, in effect, like half the people who dislike this movie, a sheep. And I will admit, there were a FEW times the emotion shown by Cady wasn’t as perfect as it could have been. But it’s not a movie killer. 2. I don’t think the movie addresses very well that Janis was also mean. The ‘At least me and Regina KNOW we’re mean’ gave Janis’s treatment of Cady more effect; made Cady come off less as a villain and more as a victim, whereas the new one completely glosses over it and makes it seem like Janis was the one in the right all along. And three, Cady should have kissed Regina at the beginning and none of this would have happened. If you’re going to give us gay Janis, GIVE US OUR CADINA DAMMNIT.

Otherwise, this movie was amazing! I am a lesbian tho so maybe that’s not objective :P

FINAL RATING: 9/10

LESBIAN O’ METER: 6/10 (Kinda Gay, NGL)

#mean girls 2024 #cadina #mean girls movie #regina george #movie review #Youtube

[trashmuis]

I had SUCH a good time this weekend!!!!

This was my first ever horror convention, and I left SO happy!!!

Bill Moseley was sooo chill and so nice! I can't believe I actually got to meet him and pose with him and get a selfie and an 2 autographs! I got a signed Chop Top headshot personalized for me, plus I got a Cornbugs CD (Celebrity Psychos) signed, and a selfie with him holding it <3 !!

it was pretty cool because he couldn't get the plastic off of the CD case so he pulled out a pocket knife with a dramatic flourish and sliced it open, but he accidentally cut into the case but I was like "no that's fine thank u omg" so I have a slightly knife-cut version of the CD case i guess, with his name on the CD itself and honestly I'm happy about it. for the photo, he asked me my name and shook my hand and was really kind, and he asked what i wanted for the quote and i just. i panicked. i froze. i forgot every line of dialog in the movie. i said "um there are too many, uh, i don't know um-" and then he proceeded to rattle off like every quote at me in the voice with the intonation and- that was. that was great. i settled with the classic "lick my plate, you dog dick" line bc it's iconic and also feels like he is insulting me with his quote on the picture which is just too goddamn funny to pass up.

Bill Johnson was a sweetheart and it just was obvious. like i can tell even from his demeanor that he was so patient and kind. i got a headshot of Leatherface signed (which goddamn he has beautiful handwriting and it was amazing to watch him make sure it looked as good as possible) and I also got a selfie with him too :D !!

I bought a crap ton of stuff and WON the silent auction being held in the main autograph room, so even if I never meet Edwin Neal (I hope one day....) I DO have an autograph from him that I got from that! It's a picture of the hitchhiker cutting himself and it's signed by him, and it's verified and that's so dope

I wore my costume all day on Saturday, and got some professional pics with both Bills, all in costume. So. That was cool! I got some photos with other people, and my costume is probably floating around there somewhere on Facebook, according to one guy. But. That's ok. I'm basically unrecognizable in that outfit lmao

Bill Moseley complimented my Chop Top costume tho at the photoshoot, and then again when he was leaving! That was great

That night, I went to see the TCM2 showing with live commentary and it basically was just watching the movie with Bill Moseley and Tom Morga. Bill just drank a Dr. Pepper (I know because he declared that before the movie started) and ate popcorn and kind of laughed at parts, and gave a few facts I wasn't aware of, and Tom mostly bounced off of Bill. some of these details are in the tags of my other posts but i do mean it when I say, it is incredible to be in an actual full-sized theater watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and hearing Bill Moseley chuckle at the movie every now and then

and then in the morning today, I went around for the last time, bought a few more Leatherface items, and sadly had to go home

but I ABSOLUTELY want to go to a horror convention again, and if I get the opportunity to meet Bill Moseley again I probably will and I'll gift him something next time bc I just. I want to. I wasn't expecting Bill Johnson to be there tbh (it was much more last minute on the website?) but if I see him again too, I'll do the same :)

#these are just some highlights #it was a whirlwind of stuff and emotion #im still on a high over it and i just. im so thrilled <3 #ive been so goddamn depressed lately and this just rewired my brain briefly #my life #Chop Top Sawyer #Bill Moseley #Leatherface #Bill Johnson #Creature Feature Weekend

[ihrtmichael]

random question, but, what's your favorite thing about wish? i have a feeling it's probably magnifico lol but if it is then why do you like him so much? asking because i know i reblog a lot of stuff about the concept art and the rewrites people do, since personally i find it pretty compelling and fun, but i also think it's neat that there are people who just genuinely enjoy the movie as it is! and it really must be frustrating for you that the tag is filled with what's basically a fandom centered on wish's concept art more than wish itself.

LMFAOOOOOO i feel attacked with the magnífico read!!!! /j

honestly i accept that the movie isn’t perfect and was rushed as fuck, but i had such a fun time! i think asha is so lovely and refreshing compared to the other (few) disney heroines of color. as much as i love esmeralda and jasmine they’re so oversexualized and fall into that stereotype of “fiery outspoken brown woman” which is 😬😬😬😬 to watch sometimes as a woman of color myself. it’s nice to see a young black heroine be clumsy and fun and learn to be a leader! and ofc magnífico is so funny and hellooooo it’s chris pine!!!! also he’s hot sorry likeeeee 🤭 i also find his story very compelling although i do concede his villain arc was slightly rushed lol. i would love to learn more about him and queen amaya! i also love the songs (esp “at all costs”) and animation (the rendering is beautiful!). while i understand that the final product was a bit underwhelming for what was built up as this huge 100 year disney celebration, i don’t think a movie needs to be outstanding to speak to you or make you feel happy. sometimes you just like what you like! and i had fun! ☺️

i definitely do wonder what could have been if the actors and writers strikes didn’t happen, because i think that may have messed with any final alterations they might have made before release that could answer all of my questions and make the story clearer. i used to be intrigued by the rewrites but now they just kind of annoy me because most of them are being written by people who haven’t even seen the damn movie and/or people who aren’t creating these rewrites from a place of love.

for example, during the fall i rewrote the hunchback of notre dame musical script out of a genuine love for the story and characters because i was so frustrated with peter parnell’s approach. and it shows in my version of the script. but with the wish rewrites, a lot of them come off as disingenuous and egotistical like this “im so much smarter than literal film professionals” bullshit (sorry if that’s harsh lol).

and a lot of the criticisms just aren’t constructive and seem to mostly come from people who have literally no idea what it takes to create something. like especially with the ai accusations??? full offense but most of yall wouldn’t know the difference between ai and real human art if it slapped you in the face. and it seems like a scapegoat to get out of providing ACTUAL constructive criticism of the film instead of people just admitting they’re blindly jumping onto the latest hate bandwagon lmfao.

it definitely is frustrating to go through the tags and see more conversation around the concept art than the actual final product we got, but i just pass out the blocks like candy and add certain tags to my blacklist and that clears things up very quickly lmfao.

thank you for the kind ask! i feel like most people come in guns blazing asking about why people liked wish lmfao, but your ask is very sweet and genuine. i hope you have a great night mamita!!!

#answered

[shihalyfie]

Have you had a chance to check out the new Japanese language Blu-ray release of Adventure? I'm curious how you would rate the translation. I love that they're using the original names (piyomon, etc.) And that it appears to have sold well relative to the English language release

I have! I'm very happy with it.

Regarding the translation, I should point out that it was overseen by longtime Digimon fan translator onkeikun, who was also the translator for the Ryuu-Rogue fansubs that most English-speaking fans had already been using for the Japanese version of Adventure. So it's actually almost the same translation most of us have been using the entire time, it just has some clean-ups to account for more modern/professional translation standards (less reliance on honorifics and TL notes, etc.) and onkeikun's own changes in her translation approach since then (she hasn't been using the "Jyou" spelling for a very long time now).

In fact, considering how much stuff she's consistently been translating for this franchise for so long, and how much she knows Adventure like the back of her hand, I would probably trust an Adventure/02-related translation from her more than any other in the entire world. To anyone who's reading this, if you've been following anything Japanese version-related for the last ~15 years or so, you probably owe more to her than you even realize. So if you haven't already, please take a moment to appreciate her; she's probably done more for us than any of us really deserve.

I'm glad if the new release has sold well! I was a little worried since there's often this derogatory view of the Japanese version from mainstream Digimon fans (in the sense of "it's not my childhood so it might as well be dirt to me" kind of condescension), but it does seem like people are more open-minded than I'd feared and that Digimon's base popularity is enough for people to take an interest in it. Clearly, it did well enough for them to not only greenlight a 02 release but also go as far as making a Digimon movie collection (and honestly, while packing The Movie together with the Japanese movies is unsurprising for Discotek, making entirely new dubs for the uncut Japanese movies was not on my bingo card whatsoever). And hey, if we're lucky and these keep selling well, maybe we can get the later series...do I dare wish for a Savers/Xros Wars/Appmon release, because Blu-rays for those don't even exist in Japan...

#rhettbustler #shiha's ask box

[jilyarchive]

MAY AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: OHMYGODSHESINSANE

Q: Where can we find you and your stories?

A: @ohmygodshesinsane​, AO3, FF.NET

Q: How would you describe your writing style?

A: Ooh, this is hard! I love writing a bit of banter but it’s the psyche underneath that I’m really drawn to, and the characters – I think of myself as writing about characters or relationships more than scenarios or plots. I like to hone in on the little moments rather than the big showstoppers. I’d rather write about the aftermath of a battle than the heat of it, and I love the mornings-after, the space between a confrontation and a revelation, and the first shared laugh rather than the first kiss. Maybe that’s the perfectionist in me coming out – I get nervous writing those big events, I get worried I’ll muck it up. And I love a party scene too. There’s something about the chaos that brings the important things into focus.

Q: How do you come up with ideas for your writing?

A: Honestly, other books and fics! I’ll read a romance novel and think – now, what if Lily and James had a conversation like that? Oh, and this could happen – and maybe Sirius did that bit – and instead of x, a and c happen. My real life does inspire a lot of it too. If I need to work through something, I’ll pull it to pieces in a fic. Or someone will tell me a story and I’ll think, ‘oh my god, I need to write something like that’. And it becomes something completely new by the time the writing’s done. I love prompts, too, I can’t get enough of them.

Q: When and why did you begin writing fanfiction?

A: I wrote my first fanfiction when I was around seven years old in a literacy lesson, and it was maybe three paragraphs based on The Lion King 2. Towards the end of 2010 I started writing HP fanfiction and in 2012 I started writing marauders and Jily fanfiction. I loved reading but I had a short attention span – I’d always start wondering, ‘but what if this happened? What if so-and-so did this instead?’, and I’d go scribble my ideas down. I could never watch movies all the way through because I’d run off to go play-act my own version of the story. And so it really just blossomed from that. I’ve spent over half my life writing fanfiction and I can’t imagine doing anything else with my free time.

Q: What’s one thing you’d tell someone who is considering reading one of your fics?

A: Thank you so much! It’s all homemade and written with love.

Q: What are some of your favorite Jily tropes?

A: I love a slow burn, if that counts. Otherwise probably Enemies-to-Friends-to-Lovers, Anguished Declarations of Love, and Forced Proximity in any way, shape or form. I love it when there’s a little angst mixed in there. And of course Quidditch Player/Professional Athlete!James x Journalist!Lily. It’s one of my absolute favourite AUs.

Q: What do you like most about the Jily fandom?

A: The Jily fandom is so friendly and welcoming! Never before have I felt so much like part of a community. People are so great about reading and commenting and sharing the love, and I love all the events we have. It’s very active and close-knit. It just has this truly lovely atmosphere.

Q: Pick a favourite Marauders era character.

A: Goodness, I have to go with Lily! She’s probably my all-time favourite to write, because I feel there’s just the right mix of canon information about her and things that are only hinted at that can be fleshed out. I could read character studies of her all day.

Q: Self-promo time! List the fics that you are most proud of writing.

A:

creature comfort – This fic has been with me through thick and thin since I first started writing it in 2017 (!!) and it’s been so fundamental to me re-engaging in fandom and improving my writing skills. It’s been quite the undertaking to write but I love carving out the world word-by-word, and it’s been such a crucial tool for me to build the world of HP as I see it and to get a sense of James and Lily and the rest of the gang’s characters.

baby it’s cold outside – My first (proper) smut fic which I spent ages worrying over and crafting. I love how it came together in the end. It’s essentially an AU with Quidditch Player! James, Journalist! Lily Evans, and only one room left… with just one bed.

Mercy – This is a more recent one, and a fic written almost entirely by accident – I intended for it to come in at about 300 words and it wound up nearing 3000. With every line I wrote I felt I was discovering something new about the story and about the characters, especially Lily. The process of writing it was really special, and it took me on a bit of a journey. It was difficult but enjoyable. As for the story itself, it’s a Jily Lives! AU from Lily’s perspective – a bit angsty. 

Q: Fic rec time! Could you recommend a few of your favourite Jily fics?

A:

The Life and Times by Jewels5 – This was the first Jily fic I followed along with update-by-update and it was what really cemented my shipping of these two. I reread it every year or so and find another layer to it that completely unravels my heart.

We Have Buried the Putrid Corpse of Liberty by @mabeltothknows​ – I am very late on reading this but I am loving every chapter. I can’t help but adore anything Jily and Married at First Sight and this fic combines them perfectly. It has so much heart and humour and the multimedia aspects bring it to the next level. 

i let you into the garden of my loneliness by @theesteemedladydebourgh​ – The prose is so beautiful and every emotion is so tangible in this one-shot, and it really does have my entire heart. It’s truly a masterpiece and well worth the read.

Thank you @ohmygodshesinsane​ for chatting about your fics with us! ❤️

#may author spotlight #author spotlight #<3333 #thank you!

[secretsnowclub]

TTRPG Class: How to Write

Previous Post: Quasi-Text

First Post: Reading List

This was originally posted in my huge post-mortem on the .dungeon//remastered kickstarter and its success. I’m separating it from that and making it its own thing. I’ll be elaborating some of the smaller points and expanding definitions. Things like that. 

Firstly, I will say that if you are trying to be a writer for a company or get hired by someone else? These might not help you. Those companies are looking for you to write like them, which depends upon the project and countless variables I can’t quantify. It’s also an entire skill of its own. Freelance or ghost writing can often be about how well you understand different voices, different systems, and things of that nature. I’m honestly not *the best* at that kind of thing. These tips are specifically to help with the writer’s broader craft; specifically, the craft of TTRPG writing which I have found myself a professional in.

Don’t be boring. If you’re bored, skip it. Delete it. Forget about it. 

I picked this up from a screenwriting book way back before I decided to go back to college and while I was deep in the weeds of writing scripts for the movies I had in my head. The original tip-giver said to write “don’t be boring” on a post-it note and slap it on your monitor. I did that for a very long time until the post-it lost its stickiness and fell off in a move. 

This is important to TTRPGs because you don’t have to write everything. Even if you think a game needs a thing, if you aren’t excited about it, skip it. Chances are that what you’re excited about will be what you want others to be excited about as well.

2. Have a routine.

I fail at this quite often. Life changes shift my routine and knock it out of whack. But I do know that when I was in college? I had a routine and my writing output was ridiculous. And when I work on a project I tend to settle into a routine that involves waking up, exercise of some kind (usually a walk), shower, ride bike or walk to Library or coffee shop, write as much as I can, and come home to decompress/work on layout. 

Each project has had its own routine essentially and it’s important to let those routines form. I think fluidity is important even within the rigidity of the idea of Routine. Each project will have its own life and its own functions within your life. Let yourself discover new ways and new paths to reach the end goal. 

3. When writing fiction, aim for 2k words daily.

This is Stephen King’s thing. I used to do this and whenever I am writing *fiction* I still have it as my goal. But it is unattainable a lot of the time. Especially with games writing, where even just 10 words can be the focus of an entire day of work. Don’t beat yourself up over this. 

4. Write in paragraphs. Each should be an idea, preferably separated by headers. Otherwise you’re probably saying too much.

Sometimes I write in bullet points, but that’s an outline at best. A paragraph is one of the best tools you have as a writer. But it also allows you to set limits on your ideas so you’re not writing walls of text to describe your magic system or anything else. It helps you figure out your more complex systems and point out the individual ideas that make it up. If you’re writing several paragraphs about one thing? It’s probably several things that you’re trying to wedge into one.

5. Instead of writing a random generator for something, just write the good version of that thing.

6. Make a map. Put your ideas on the map. No more lists or procedural generation.

Personal pet peeve of mine. I’m not huge on random generators. I will always say that, instead of writing 100 random ideas for islands, just write one good island. And if you’ve got more in you after that? Perfect. My goal with Game Writing is to present something that’s worth paying for and worth exploring. Whether it’s a rule book or otherwise. I try to avoid random tables as often as I can.

7. Theme comes later. First, the writing.

This may be contentious. I view the act of writing as an act of discovery. I greatly enjoy Automatic Writing. I tend to follow a very train-of-thought style of writing. It feels similar to a valve that I turn on to clear out and let clean water flow. If I get caught up in the Big Picture, I’ll never get the faucet running. Get everything out of yourself before you begin self-editing. Let it all be laid out so you can look at it and then discover what It is.

8. When writing rules, remember “if…then.”

If a player chooses this option, then this happens. If a player rolls low, then this happens. And so on. This is helpful when simply stating a rule. You don’t want to get burdened by word choice. You want it to be clear and easily understood. If-then statements are easy to understand. 

9. Get a good editor and listen to them.

A good editor will tell you you’re wrong. A good editor will ask you to rewrite things because they don’t make sense. A good editor is critical but not malicious. This relationship is mutual and about respect for the work. It’s not about egos or hype. It’s simply about making the best book you can. Also, if you can’t defend a choice you’ve made, then listen to your editor when they tell you to cut it.

10. A great game is made of “catch-all” or “default” rules. Such as, “when in doubt, roll d20. Higher numbers are better.” They’re easily grasped and fill the gaps that all TTRPG texts have.

Yeah. I think all of the games people hold up as “great” have these. PbtA is built entirely on one catch-all rule that has changed the landscape of indie design since it was put on the page. It makes things easier for folks at the table when things are moving away from the text.

11. Your goal is to write one thing that’s True. This is the Work.

This is my goal when writing and sometimes it doesn’t happen. Sometimes I write thousands of words and they’re all useless. And it will always be useless until I find that One True Thing. Sometimes an entire book is just for that One Thing.

12. Refill the tank. Life is important and creates art.

This is what a screenwriting teacher said to me. “Refill the tank.” You have to participate in life to be able to write. That doesn’t mean you have to be extroverted and shit like that. It means that you gotta do things that recharge you. You gotta have experiences. You have to live your life. Have a life. 

13. The writer’s job is asking “what if?”

Stephen King might have said this too? I don’t remember. But yeah, I spend a lot of time asking “what if–” and seeing which weird scenarios spark my interest enough to write. For games or for fiction.

14. Read. A lot.

I count audiobooks. But, yeah. You gotta read stuff. Other games, novels, short stories, blogs, comics even. Take in art. It’s actually your number one job as a human. Enjoy art.

15. Go for a walk without music or a book-on-tape or a podcast. Walk and talk to yourself. Ask yourself questions about what you’re working on. Talk to yourself. Be in conversation with yourself. You are complicated and deserve attention.

I mean it :I They say the best ideas come to you in the shower. Well, that’s also true for any quiet, introspective time.

16. Have peers. Not just collaborators or colleagues, people whose work you respect. They should make you want to be better.

I get jealous of other people’s work and that’s how I know. When I’m like, “FUCK! I wish I thought of that!!” Those are the people I wanna talk to haha

17. If things just aren’t coming? Take a break. If you’re feeling aggravated, eat some food, drink some water, and get some rest.

You can’t force it. I know we can’t all take a break whenever we want, but please try.

18. Know yourself. Most people can’t sit alone with themselves. But knowing yourself is paramount. Therapy can help too. Knowing yourself means knowing why you like something, developing taste and not hiding it, knowing where to waste your time and where not to. This takes time. This is the Work.

I learn something new about myself nearly every day. I’m very curious about myself. I’m a studier of Myself. I want to know how it all works up there in my brain. I want to make it make sense. 

19. A hex/encounter/dungeon room/story can just be a weird, little guy.

Yeah. You can do Dungeon23 right now by just browsing pinterest and saving a bunch of images of cools NPCs. Your whole dungeon can just be pictures of NPCs that you make up personalities for at the table.

20. Write the game you want to play, not the one you think others will.

I think I wrote this in response to another project I saw at the time. But it’s true at all times. We’re indie designers. Why else are we doing this if not to tell our stories? 

21. Make sure your needs are taken care of by the budget before hiring collaborators.

It’s common in the indie TTRPG space to rely on collaborator clout to draw people to your project during crowdfunding. And it’s common for those sorts of things to ruin a project financially. The process will always take longer than you expect, so please make sure YOUR needs are met before you start paying other people. There’s nothing worse than promising a paycheck to someone and having to rescind the offer because something happened and you had to use their money on rent. Like, just please? Care for yourself. 

22. No stretch goals.

This is a Me thing. But I say it to everyone who comes to me asking for advice on their first crowdfunded project. Keep it simple. You want to deliver. You don’t want to overpromise. You simply want to be able to do the thing so that you can do another one later. Take it slow.

23. When writing Hurt, the most important thing is that you are human. What you feel is human. What happened to you is also human.

This is about empathy. For your characters and situations they find themselves in. It’s also about honesty. The most biting and beautiful passages of my favorite books have been honest. Because the truth is, when experiencing Hurt, things aren’t so cut and dry in your head. And your reactions might seem weird in hindsight. You might feel ashamed or guilty for not reacting a certain way. Just please have empathy for yourself. The readers will relate to the honesty.

24. End all dialog with “said.” It’s all you need.

This is a good rule because it means you have to choose to break it. Which means you have to think about why you’re breaking it. Which means you can defend breaking it. Which means your editor has to listen to you for once. :P

25. Writing is a skill as much as it is an art. Give it respect. Good writers don’t simply fall out of the womb. They mastered a craft. Not unlike any other skill or discipline. You won’t build a good chair on your first try.

It took me a long time to learn this. Writing is actually very hard and every good paragraph you read is a masterpiece of patience and skill. 

26. Find time to write. How else can you be a writer?

I hate including things because I see a silly take on twitter. But yeah, obviously. Writers write. 

27. Writing can be lonely, but shouldn't be solitary. No book is made by one set of hands.

This is true of every project I’ve done. Even my most recent effort, Melancholy Island, had my friend Char’s photography in it. Beyond that, I talked to my best friend Coleen frequently about it just to keep my head straight and focused. I also have my discord where I would lament and talk and such. Each of these things are helpful in the process of writing. Don’t isolate yourself.

28. Having an opinion is easy. Having a good one worth defending is the Work. If you have nothing to say, do anything other than write.

This may be more true of non-fiction writing, but it’s true of TTRPGs as well, otherwise you’d just play one of the thousands upon thousands of games that are already out. Figure out why it is you *don’t* want to play them and focus in on that. Your opinion lies somewhere in there.

29. Never submit a first draft.

Like, please? Have more respect for your craft. I think third draft at the earliest. That’s when I usually get an editor.

30. Don’t follow trends.

31. Writing is about making choices. Half measures are worthless. Make a choice. If it’s the wrong choice: that’s fine.

32. When writing games, you’re composing an incomplete text. Otherwise it’s a script. Choosing to write a game over a novel is an important decision.

These are all related. 

33. The two ideas circling your head are actually one idea.

I combine ideas that seem disparate all the time. It unlocks the Good Stuff.

34. Take yourself seriously. Listen to yourself. This is how you gain confidence.

35. You need to learn to say, “That’s a bad idea.”

These two both boil down to “have confidence in, and know, your taste.”

36. When writing, ignore the first thing that pops into your head. Ignore the second thing too. The third idea is where the work starts.

I’ve found when running games, the first idea I think of is often the most obvious. The second one ends up being a gimmick or a twist. But the third idea is where the humanity tends to come in. Thinking beyond tropes and cliches to find the Truth you’re trying to say.

37. Western writing traditions are not the world.

I wish I had been taught this in school. Cause the hero’s journey ruined me for a long time.

38. If you aren’t sure if you can or should write something: experience more art. You don’t need permission. You need to broaden your horizons. You’re not the first to tread this path.

We’re hardly ever doing something truly original. Find the blueprints and figure out how to make them yours. Use them to tell your story.

39. If you can’t say why you chose to do something, shut up and listen to your editor.

Yeah! :I

40. The most beautiful critique isn’t worth as much as the most mediocre art.

Keep making art.

41. Copy writing you enjoy. Assimilate it.

I steal ideas, concepts, and techniques from every single thing I read/experience. This is how you become more skilled at your craft.

42. Your job, as a writer, is to make a claim. Any claim. Your art can’t be for everyone. You can’t write for the lowest common denominator. You can’t write for the widest possible audience. Be you. That’s how you find your audience.

You’ve got things to say! Even if you don’t know it yet. That is part of the Work.

If you like my work, support me on patreon!

And check out my latest book over on itch!

#TTRPG school #ttrpg education #ttrpg community #ttrpg

[tenpintsofsundrop]

i know that this is such a random question, but...

for the Titans show, do you think all of the cast for the show fit their characters? or do you think there could've been someone else to play their role?

(tbh I love random questions like this omg. I love any chance to discuss Titans at length)

And genuinely, I wouldn't change any of the casting.

It's actually so interesting, because Titans is the first piece of live action DC media that I have gotten really sentimentally attached to. I was always a bigger fan of DC than Marvel because I always enjoyed the Batman films, and I did watch episodes of the Justice League cartoon in passing, or I watched other random animated Batman movies or Justice League movies and really enjoyed them - and I have always enjoyed how DC has so many different styles and tones across each piece of media, rather than the homogeneous boring schlock that Marvel puts out.

Young Justice was the first piece of DC media in general that I got really, really personally attached to, because @nctzenkane is a huge DC fan (and when we first met, it was one of the first things we ever talked about that made me start falling for him) - and he really sparked my interest in certain things and caused me to convert my casual enjoyment of it to a very hardcore nerdom. And him encouragining me to watch Young Justice was definitely the first step in me becoming a full blown DC nerd.

And he also encouraged me to watch Titans - just because Ryan Potter is hot in it - and it's so funny because Jaycen is not even the biggest Titans fan, but I developed such a distinct emotional attachment to it. So in my mind, all of the actors for those characters in Titans - they just are the live action versions. Whenever I am reading fanfiction of those characters, no matter what version the writing is talking about - I always picture the Titans cast in my head.

I know there has been a lot of (idk how to phrase it) controversy? Around Curran Walters as Jason Todd because people think that he's not bulky enough to be Jason and people think he somehow should have shredded and bulked up to become Red Hood?

Honestly, I am fucking relieved that the show didn't pressure him to make major changes to his body just because in the comic books he magically went from a skinny fifteen year old kid to the hulking body of a 6.4" shredded pro wrestler (for those of you who don't know, I have described it as: The Pit makes comic Jason go from looking like Titans Jericho to looking like Titans Hank in five minutes) - like there is already so many gross unrealistic body standards when it comes to men in superhero roles. There doesn't need to be more

And in terms of emotions, and the actual acting, Curran is literally the best fit for Jason possible in my opinion. He brings so much power and depth to Jason's scenes, he makes the character eager and excitable yet worn and jaded at the same time, and he makes Jason's mental illness and struggles so layered and relatable.

One thing about Titans, is that they have some of the most phenomenal actors ever. They might not have the best special effects, or storylines/writing that makes the most sense - but the actors take the material and elevate it so fucking much.

Ryan Potter brought so much depth to Gar (which is something I could rant about for hours), Brenton balances Dick's hardened outer shell and his tender moments so fucking well, Anna makes Kory such a pensive and thoughtful character beyond being just intensely powerful and 'badass' (not to mention, casting a black woman in that role was a risk with whiny fanboys complaining about POC on screen and I am sure she puts up with way too much bullying and hate because of it), and Tegan was so young when she started as Rachel, but she brought an intensity and professionalism that carried Rachel so well (especially during the first season, where her character was the focus) that not many other young actors could have pulled off.

And that is just the core four - I could also go into how Joshua Orpin balances Conner's anger, inner turmoil, and troubled mind with his naive optimism of seeing the world for the first time so well.

And genuinely, I don't think Hawk and Dove could have been played by anyone else than who was cast.

And not only that, but from what we do see of the behind the scenes, it feels like Titans is a true passion project for all of them, and that's why they put so much care into these characters (even if the writers sometimes neglect the details). I think the actors bring so much to the show.

I think possibly my only 'what if' - would have been Tim Drake being an Asian character as originally planned?

And this is absolutely no hate to Jay Lycurgo, I think he did end up being fantastic in the role. He plays the character wonderfully, balancing Tim's bright optimism, gentle fears/insecurities and heroic confidence well.

But I think a visibly Asian character who is clearly connected to their heritage would have been really great to have on screen, and it would have only added to the amazing array of representation in the show. And as far as Asian actors go, I don't know who I would replace him with. (Especially because I think it's interesting when lesser known/up and coming actors play these roles, and all the ones I can think of are popular from other things, or too old to play this role???)

But I do think that it's really cool how he was also in The Batman, so there could be headcanons of him also being Tim Drake in that universe (which I haven't seen anyone mention?)

But overall, I wouldn't change anything fundamental about the cast of Titans. I think they are amazing and I think they did their job so well. They made the show what it truly is for me. They made it close to my heart.

#anonymous #sundrop answers #dc titans #titans #discussion

[tanatola]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks....

Oh um! Thank you for the question, I do love that kind of thing, love writing it out... Honestly I think I can track almost a lot of my fav characters to just yaoi but whatever, I'm valid!! Also there might be some spoilers here since it's difficult to write 'why' without them. Sorry for long text, I like rambling about my favs. 1) Currently as is obvious it's Geto Suguru from JJK, I think he just combined a lot of the things I like in a way that really works for him and for the story... The inherent romance in being dead before the main plot even starts, ahh. Also the complexity behind his fall into villainy is sooo well-written, having so many reasons and chains of consequences that lead him to it, a slow and easily preventable descent into tragedy, it's so appealing... I truly believe he could have been saved and dissuaded at any point in his life, even during the events of jjk0, but people who cared about him didn't understand him, while people who did understand him didn't care enough (or actively planned to take advantage).

2) Kaeya from Genshin, similarly because he's a very contradictory character with a lot of inner demons and a tendency towards self-destructive behavior. Also back then the kaeluc of it all forced me deep into researching chinese terminology and similar examples in fiction which made playing Genshin a much more educational experience than one would expect lmao... Honestly I didn't love what the game did with him in the last few years, mostly ignoring the more serious and cunning aspects of his personality and story and focusing on the cute and insecure little trickster persona, it's very ehh to me. But in my heart I still love the version of him that made me obsess for over a year.

3) Jimmy McGill from Better Call Saul. Again, something about preventable tragedy and how difficult it is to tell where his actions can be traced back to his childhood and family relations, where he was forced and where he chose to make bad decisions himself, he is my poor meow meow 100%. Also has the benefit of being in a well-written show.

4) Princess Carolyn from Bojack, honestly it should have been Diane but Diane struck too close to home for me, while PC is a 'safer' to love option. Highly competent in professional areas, utterly delulu in others, one of the most caring characters in the cast... <З I also just liked her VA a lot, plus she's like a power fantasy in a lot of ways... Super great at her career, loving partner, realising her dream of having a baby, I mean yeah. Not that I want a baby, just that she got everything she wanted by the end, nice.

5) Wei Wuxian from MDZS, same with being dead before the story starts djkgdkjg, also a necromancer and a disaster, need I say more. I think for me a big factor of why I like him is that despite being a talented genius with a steady moral compass he absolutely failed at... everything? Lost everything he held dear or wanted to protect, when revived he doesn't even have any specific goals in the new life he was given. But his endless positivity means that he didn't mind taking that second chance anyway, and as a reward at least learned in detail why his first life fell apart, and also gained a devoted husband in the process, good for him. A rare happy end among things I like actually,, I mean I actually have words to say about the 'happy' part of it but well, as happy as it could have been for him.

6) Grantaire from Les Mis, this one is just very personal I think, a cynical drunk who never accomplished anything in his life, am I right dfjgnkdfg...,, Him being a typical asshole but well-educated and sentimental, loving Enjolras and all of his friends but giving 0 effort to actually supporting their cause, still managing to do the right thing in the end, it's ahh т_т Also I'm still obsessed with him mentioning studying under Antoine-Jean Gros in one sentence which led me down the rabbit hole of researching what real life Gros was like, spoilers he drowned himself in Seine after his artistic career went into decline. You can really see why looking at his works but that makes it all the more upsetting... Like not because of some 1 specific failure but just a lack of artistic progress overall, which his mentor, peers and students couldn't help but comment on... Anyway this isn't about Grantaire anymore but also kind of still is! 7) Vriska, I named my second cat after her!! Honestly one of the better written characters in Homestuck I think (im thinking the first five acts), just everything about her is perfect to me. A huge bitch of course, but at her core just a teenager with pure ambition and insecurities born from consequences of her actions, always trying to prove herself no matter how much she hurts people around her. And yeah like always with characters I like, so many opportunities for her to go off the doomed course, but either herself or manipulative adults always redirected her back, and that was always supposed to be the 'main' timeline, doomed by the narrative etc. The tragic nature of her friends-to-rivals-to-enemies with Terezi was also just sooo... And that Terezi didn't even care about that rivalry as much as Vriska did, or at least pretended that she didn't... Sighh....

8) Granny Weatherwax from Discworld, my favorite old woman. What's so great about her to me is that she's like all those other characters I like, an asshole who wants to solve everyone's problems, always tempted to react emotionally, do the wrong thing,... But she just doesn't, and she's been choosing to be good ever since she was young. The appeal of a powerful witch holding herself in check, mmm, she's just so much more introspective, complex and relatable than say Gandalf in LOTR who had the same issues. Iconic role model honestly.

9) Harry Du Bois from Disco Elysium, or at least specifically the communist well-natured version of him you can play as djkfgdfkfg, not that it erases his complexities and masculine asshole ways but... I mean yeah, he's a cop and an asshole no matter what, but the sheer potential he holds... No matter how low he's fallen, his sentimentality and his empathy, being so in-tune with people and the city, it all leads to a blooming hope for humanity I suppose. That you can get better, always, and not only a-la Grantaire by dying. Of course, you can also always get worse, too, but that's the other inevitable side of the coin (I still haven't played the fascist route since it makes me too sad).

10) Leo from Pandora Hearts! Again I didn't really love how he ended up, but ahhh :^) His unlikely friendship with Elliot, agreeing to becoming his servant to stay by his side more, not realising that he's dooming his friend by doing so, yandere-ish personality plus secret pretty eyes, I mean. Classic flavor.

#ask #long post #text #personal

[mishwanders]

Bro i just saw your post talking about how people mischaracterize Chris Redfield and I NEED to know what that’s about if you got the time bc I wanna do him justice also disability? First time I’ve heard of this I’m so not in Chris circles apparently :’

OKAY SO - Where the hell do I even begin with this?

A lot of the hate/mischaracterization he gets come out of the decisions CAPCOM made for him with RE6, vendetta, and RE8 (at least from what I’ve seen) and I honestly believe it’s because they were trying to show him as a flawed man in those cases who is still good, but some people take it too far.

So let’s start with the beginning RE6. (Under the cut because I talk so much)

I have already made a whole long post about his type of amnesia which you can see here ( X ). I literally go in depth into and the story stuff, so have fun with that lol. But the main point I’ll say, along with what I mentioned about the misogyny is that if CAPCOM wanted to show the players a way that Chris is unwell (PTSD amnesia, inebriated, etc.) , that was one of their moves in doing so, because based off of his behavior with literally every other woman (including Jessica in revelations) has been nothing but kindness/professional. I also think a lot of the people just generally get mad at him because of how the gameplay is too, along with CAPCOM putting him and Leon against each other with the whole Ada thing, RE6 is just a big mess - one of my least favs for that reason and why I do not write any fics related to it lol

Alright vendetta time. Sad boy Leon getting yelled at by Chris in the movie. Something I don’t think they should have done with that (especially since he’s a lot more considerate of what happened to Leon in the novelization I’ve heard), but also, considering that Leon is in the same position chris was in RE6 with the loss of his entire team (which for the most part, happened to Chris in STARS and RE6) - Chris is giving him the same “tough love” treatment Piers did for him. Is it right? Nope, but is that what’s happening? Yup. They’re on a time sensitive case and the only person they can get some answers out of is not cooperating, tensions are undoubtedly high. They come together in the end though to kick ass, soooo yeah, good stuff.

And now RE8. I’m not gonna lie, I was upset too about how that all turned out, but a lot of the sentiment for that version of him is that he’s the bad guy. He isn’t, he’s just a man who’s trying to make a decision to not make the same mistake twice, yet his silence in the end still causes him to lose someone he didn’t want to, making mistakes that he owns up to in the game that can easily be missed over the sound of bullets and lycan shrieks.

Chris from his core has always been about helping others and about protecting them. Which is why I always find it so odd that Leon people don’t like him, because Leon wants the same thing from what I’ve witnessed. Both of them have lost their parents, both of them became cops to help people, both of them were throw into the horrors, both of them had to pick up the mantle of heroism because they didn’t want others to suffer, both of them have lost countless of people and have had to make decisions that upset those they care about. They both have their skeletons in the closet - those of which are similar. It just all happens at different times in their lives, which culminates into how they interact with each other and how they attempt to help the other.

Another thing I’ll link here too is when someone just outright called Chris a right wing republican in their “headcanon” and I may have gotten a little frustrated (this was peak be mean to Chris time and I was tired y’all.) so here it is ( X ) another very long post lol.

#mish rambles #sorry if there are typos

[roskirambles]

(Archive) Animated movie of the day: Fantasia (1940)

Originally posted: January 4th, 2022 Walter Elias Disney, a controversial man in life and legacy. A businessman at heart, selling an illusion to audiences he so called magic, and tried to hide many of his lesser traits and allegiances throughout his life. Nonetheless, if there's one thing I can actually admire about the man is that he respected animation as a medium, and this is reflected in one of his passion projects: the unprecedented masterpiece that is Fantasia.

A joint work between the Walt Disney company, professional critic Deems Taylor as the Master of Ceremonies and Leopold Stokowski in the direction of the Philadelphia Orchestra, this anthology of classical music with animation of different styles and flavors ranges from abstract and surreal imagery, to the whimsical, frightening and sublime when it comes to the more defined storytelling of other segments. Music from Bach, Tchaikovsky, Dukas, Stravinsky, Bethooven, Ponchielli and Mussorgksy is featured, each as their own dedicated short, along with a small intermission where a sound track is given characterization.

The end result is a highly varied compilation of shorts with both subtle and stark differences in art direction, and a very experimental approach to what animation is about. In many, many ways it was impressively ahead of it's time, which only makes it's dissapointing performance at the box office back in the day all the more saddening.

This isn't to say everything about it is timeless or feels contemporary. While still a remarkable achievement of animation, where just short of 80 years later it's still engrossing and impressive, instances like the now cut character of Sunflower in the Pastoral Symphony segment reflect the ugly, racist side of American culture at the time. There's other less insulting but still dated bits, like how Taylor claims nobody performs the Nutcracker ballet anymore. Yeah, right. Even so, for any animation enthusiast it's a must watch.

Honestly, this movie gives so much to talk about for an animation enthusiast. I think it warrants writing some thoughts about each segment.

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor(Johann Sebastian Bach): A powerful musical piece to start, but visually speaking it's not the strongest opening. While I do appreciate(immensely I might add) that Disney did NOT go for the stereotyped scary imagery associated with this piece but instead something more sublime (given the dynamic range the toccata actually offers), the abstract imagery doesn't necessarily lend anything substantial to the music, even when it goes from dark places to the very heavens. That is, when the animation actually starts, since a not so small segment of the short is the performers shot in silhouette. Stokowski's arrangement of the piece isn't the most evocative version of this musical milestone either.

Still, on a technical level, the animation is remarkable, and given the significant shifts in the musical structure they did what they could.

---

Nutcracker suite(Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky): While the narrative is less abstract, it's certainly not very defined either. The animation, however, is much more evocative and beautiful to look at, with soft movements of ballet like quality; all too fitting for the piece.

Given it is associated to a narrative that is already well defined, the animators pretty much gave themselves a challenge by pursuing a significantly different direction that, while still using imagery related to fairies, it has a focus entirely put on the beauty of nature. Giving flowers and mushrooms alike anthropomorphic qualities but also allowing them to just move at the pace of the wind, the effects animation here is as stunning as it is educational for any aspiring animator. Colorful and soft, it's just a visual delight.

---

The Sorcerer's Apprentice(Paul Dukas): By far the most popular and well known segment of the film, this short based on a poem from Goethe puts Mickey Mouse in the role of said apprentice under the guide of Yen Sid(subtle reference right there). The irony of the impressionist piece being the first one to get a proper narrative aside, this short is still as charming as ever was.

While the effects animation isn't any less remarkable(in fact, my hat goes off for all those involved in the water animation of this segment), the pressence of Mickey Mouse and the broom make the character animation be the star of the show this time, and it still holds up. It goes all the way to show the power of well composed body language that you can follow the story even without Taylor's prior introduction.

---

Rite of the Spring(Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky): A piece from the only composer that was still alive to see the film(who also GREATLY disliked the interpretation of his piece, calling the performance execrable) this is a valiant effort of wordless stoytelling with creatures of minimal anthropomorphic qualities.

While Taylor's introduction already hammers in the era in which this was made(he has to tiptoe around calling scientific observations "facts" to not get flak from conservative Christians), the representation of dinosaurs is anachronistic and dated as well, so is the vagueness of what destroyed them(the crater of the meteor that caused their mass extinction wasn't discovered until 1978).

Still. the segment creates genuine feelings of menace from the Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the effects animation is still remarkable(special mention goes to the magma and the smoke, even though fire doesn't look quite right in some shots). It does what it sets to do in presenting the power of nature.

--- Intermission/Meet the Soundtrack: The brief jazz number by the orchestra is nice, and honestly, the Sound track is pretty adorable for a non descriptive collection of shapes. It's also impressive how they managed to give different sounds visual abstract equivalents.

---

Pastoral Symphony(Ludwig van Beethoven): The only part of Disney's Movie canon to feature female nudity along with the Night on Bald Mountain segment(at least until later rereleases), it's whimsical depiction of Greek Mythology still manages to be more accurate to the source material than future endeavors of the company such as Hercules, humorously enough. The greek gods weren't nice people, and this segment has some fun with that(remember kids, Zeus is a jerk). The extremely simple love story between the centaurs is still wholesome though, and the imagery is very creative.

The animation complexity of this short lead to some small animation errors but you're not gonna notice if you're not looking for them. It also has in my opinion the most beautiful backgrounds of the film, rivalled only by some segments of the naturalistic beauty of the Nutcracker Suite.

--- Dance of the Hours(Amilcare Ponchielli): Charmingly innocent in a way that it's not seen very often anymore, it uses it's ballet roots in a fairly literal fashion by making a ballet number with different species of animals representing different hours of the day. The body language of these animals is just brilliant, they're expressive, carry a well defined movement to each one(that isn't realistic but definitely distinctive) and there's something inherently comical about how they dance, even when they do it effectively.

Honestly given the premise of the ballet this is the one short where I'd have gone abstract. I can't complain though, since the humorous gags and silly imagery just make it a sincerely funny experience, albeit not the most remarkable among the anthology(plus, female ostriches don't have the black and white plumage, but let's not get too nitpicky here).

--- Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria(Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky/ Franz Peter Schubert): Try to act surprised when I tell you the spooky segment is my favorite part of the movie. At the same time, however, I think it's warranted in this case. Horror is not something animation was known for back in the day. Even if movies like Pinocchio had some remarkably dark imagery, the medium in general was being pushed towards this kid oriented market, so this short was in many ways daring. And the end result both hits the mark with the fear and also happens to deliver one of the more complete narratives in the film. It's not just about the spooks, but the catharsis afterwards.

Chernabog(or as it is referred by Taylor, Satan himself) has such a commanding presence it's overwhelming. Even if you don't find him scary you WILL remember his face, full of wickedness and evil(Vladimir Tytla's animation of the character is one of the biggest achievements in the entire film, which is saying something). The imagery is adequately hellish as well, thanks to a masterful art direction that brings the shadows of Walpurgis night to life. The use of experimental animation techniques helped as well, with the ghosts requiring some clever use of distorted mirrors to create. And the release from the nightmare with the Ave Maria, which was the most demanding shot for the animators at the time(and not just on this project but maybe in animation as a whole at that point)? The perfect cap for a movie that made history for good reason.

So yeah, that's Fantasia. Man, that was a long one.

#roskirambles #animated films #walt disney #johan sebastian bach #pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky #paul dukas #johan wolfgang von goethe #igor stravinsky #ludwig van beethoven #amilcare ponchielli #modest mussorgsky #franz schubert #mickey mouse #chernabog #fantasia #greek mythology #leopold stokowski #deems taylor

[typingtess]

“You’re connected Agent Namazi,” the voice from the USS Ronald Reagan told her before Lucy Tara wearing a 1980′s style headset popped up on the big screen in an empty Ops.

“Agent Namazi?” Lucy said, sitting down at the communications console.  “What can I do you for you?”

“Well, you can start by calling me Fatima,” Fatima replied.

“Of course, what do you need Fatima?”

“I just,” Fatima looked down for a second but started again.  “I just wanted to make sure we’re good.”

“Why wouldn’t we be good?  I think we’re good.  Are we not good?”

“I’m good, I just wanted to make sure we’re good.  I’ve been updating the team’s after-action reports and I realize I may not have been the agent I strive to be most days.”

“You were fine.  Finding your missing partner was jobs one, two and three.”

“I was a bit inside my own head.”

“You were part of an attack where bullets were flying, you were tear-gassed and Agent Rountree was missing.  Nobody thought you were in your own head.  Everyone thought you survived a traumatic attack and were happy to have you still in the game.”

“Thank you, Agent Tara.”

“Lucy.”

“Thank you, Lucy. Everyone here raved about helpful you were in Ops and it was really great to work with you.”

“Well, the ship was preparing to leave San Diego within a week so it was just an hour helicopter ride up to LA and dry land.  It was nice to see Tennant again.”

“She’s awesome.”

“She is.  The whole team in Hawaii is great.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, then why are you on the Ronald Reagan?”  

“In a fit of pique last year I threw in for the Agent Afloat program,” Lucy said, shaking her head.

“Oh no!  But I love the phrase ‘fit of pique’.”

“It’s appropriate.  So now I’m living with the consequences of a bad patch of days last year.”

“Do you need anything?  I can get something sent in a pouch.  Food?  Books?  Movies or TV shows?”

“Maybe DVDs of a certain CW drama whose star’s catch phrase was ‘Bye bitch.’”

Laughing, Fatima said, “I might know what show you’re talking about.”

“I knew you looked familiar but I couldn’t place you.”

“Changed a lot since then.”

“Haven’t we all.  Truly, my Mom and I had some issues when I was still living home but Wednesdays at 8, we were both parked in front of the set and being a family.”

“I’m glad my on-screen atrocious behavior helped you two bond,” Fatima heard the same thing from several of her college friends as well.  “When do you get off the ship?  I mean, if you can share.”

“I have about another six-weeks on this assignment and then I’m going back to Hawaii.”

“Well I just wanted to make sure we’re good and offer you a much more professional version of myself.  If you need help with anything or if you’re in LA for a few days, I’d love to show you the non-office parts of town.  Though if you live in Hawaii I’m not sure I’d ever leave...”

“That’s a great offer but honestly I’m counting the days until I’m back.  I miss what’s become my home.” Lucy gave a sad smile.  “I meant to ask, how is Agent Rountree doing?”

“Waiting to be cleared to return.  Had a concussion which was an issue because he had two playing football in college.”

“Oh no.”

“He said he had headaches for a couple of days.  Had to have some dental work done and just needed some time to heal but he’s expected back in a few days.”

“So good to hear.”

“I’ll let you get back to your day but I just wanted to make sure we’re good.”

“We were never not good.”

“And to ask if you need anything and let you know I’m a resource for you.”

“I’m good with just being a friend.”

“Even better.  Stay safe, Lucy.”

“Same,” Lucy said as the call ended.

Fatima had three crates of DVDs in her parents’ garage, a gift from her former executive producer.  She’d stop by for visit tonight to pick up a set – one down, 71 to go.  Maybe hug her Mom too.  And get some take-out for Rountree.

#NCIS: Los Angeles #NCIS: LA #head canon #NCIS Los Angeles #ncis la #fatima namazi #lucy tara #ncis: hawai'i

[m0srael]

Self Rec Tag Game 😬

Thank you for including me, @romaine2424 (see their gorgeous recs here), and @ghaniblue (their recs here!!) Rules: We would like to ask you to recommend us 3 of YOUR fics: 1 that is “most popular” and 2 that are “hidden gems!" Then tag some folks. I'm bending the rules a bit because thinking about stats make me itchy. Instead I'm going to share a few stories that I really enjoyed writing--3 that have been read more and 3 that haven't been read as much!

To Vanish Into Something Better [35k | E] Summary: Harry Potter thought he could outrun the burden of infamy by isolating himself in the Muggle world. Draco Malfoy hasn’t been seen or heard from since his trial. Will a top-secret Ministry project, a beautiful garden, and a little heat carry them both home?

I wrote this story as a gift for @corvuscrowned during @hd-erised 2021! I set out to write a story primarily driven by vibes, and to create an atmosphere of heat, humidity, lushness, and regrowth. More importantly, @helle-bored (LOOK!) and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (AHH!) created the most gorgeous art for it!

Love Bites, or How Draco Malfoy Learned to Let Go and Celebrate His Allure [50k | E] Summary: Recently-turned Draco Malfoy is doing his very best to be a normal, productive, contributing member of wixen society. So far, he's managed to keep his bloody little problem a secret, even from his best friends. But when the professional opportunity he's been dreaming of finally falls in his lap, he finds himself with much more than just a potential promotion. Will a profile on a new creature-exclusive dating app, a wolfy stranger who seems hellbent on liking Draco just the way he is, and a little self-confidence help Draco finally love himself and his newfound community?

I think I had the most fun writing this story that I've ever had! @cavendishbutterfly's prompt for @hd-fangfest was so inspiring! The best parts of it all, though, are the INSANE graphics @tenthousandyearsx created to accompany the story, and @babooshkart's heart-stopping art (I MEAN HONESTLY).

Our Time [40k | E] Summary: Draco Malfoy is an expert in Ancient Runes at Oxford University’s College of Advanced Magical Studies. When he isn’t at the head of a lecture hall, he spends his time alone in cavernous libraries with only crumbling scrolls and runic dictionaries for company. One day, a group of Ministry officials interrupts his research with the aim of recruiting him to lead an elite team of investigators in a top-secret race against time to decrypt a set of recently uncovered ancient runes that threaten the very fabric of time. Draco feels certain he can save the world, if only he didn’t keep getting distracted by his co-lead, one Chief Cursebreaker Harry Potter. If only that distraction didn’t evolve into something so much more. This was a self-prompt for @lcdrarry 2021, and based on my favorite movie of all time, Arrival. If you've seen the film you know it is the definition of heart shattering, but I promise this version ends happily.

*

Always Different, yet Somehow the Same [22k | ratings vary] This is a collection of 12 drabbles I wrote this year based on picrews of our favorite boys. Some of the picrews I made myself, but most were submitted by pals, and I loved finding wild inspiration in new places! I'm really grateful to everyone who sent in a prompt!

In Pieces [4k | E | Locked, mind the tags] Summary: Draco nods. “I need to know that my body can feel good again. I need to know that I can feel pleasure how I want to feel it, and…and make you feel pleasure with my body. I need to know that I can ask it to do things and that it will comply, and that it will feel good.” His expression is shattered and needy, and Harry kisses away the worry lines crinkling his forehead. “I n-need to know that you can ask me, tell me to do things and I can choose to do them. Please, Harry.”

This was one of those 2am I need to write this down now or I will die sort of moments. I don't know that I would say that I had fun writing this, but it felt really good and cathartic.

Lovingly Named [12k | E | McGonagall/Mrs. Norris] Summary: Can love really last a lifetime? Perhaps, if you can name it as your own. This is a story about names, transformations, and the things we inherit.

“I’ve never met another Animagus,” Minerva says, finally. “I never imagined the first one I met would also be a cat. And my...well, yeah,” she flushes as the word girlfriend melts on the tip of her tongue. “Nee, this is incredible, I mean, what are the odds??”

@orange-peony submitted this pair for the 2021 @hprarepairfest, and I naturally had to take it and make it way more maudlin and serious than they were probably hoping 😂. Writing this was really fun, though, and I connected with these characters in a way I hadn't before! (Also, consider me team soft butch McGonagall for life).

tagging @basicallyahedgehog, @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm, @academicdisasterfic, @softlystarstruck, and everyone else I already tagged (and you!) to play by the rules...or not.

[littlemonstert-blog]

Mortal Kombat Jacqui Briggs

Bit of a rant

yea a pretty boring character.

Man I watched this video on why Jacqui Briggs is boring. Ya'know what she is.

No matter, how much you change her gameplay. No matter, how much change her character design. Jacqui character wise & story wise is boring. She's Jax mini me with arm gauntlets similar to Sonya & Jax. Couple interesting things about her is once a professional kickboxer, bit of a tech wiz / great pilot and the fiance to Takeda.

Which is honestly rare black female characters don't usually get love interests. Jacqui relationship with Takeda is cute hopefully we can see more in the next game or maybe a comic.

Hell, in the comics (Mortal combat x comics) I read a while back she's just Cassie's "Best friend" (you know how that goes) and has no story arc of her own. Unless you count her dad being overprotective, not wanting her to be a soilder and them clashing not much onscreen.

Early concept art: MKx she looks more intresting of a character ( Looks like a punk rocker wild child, mechainc fighter or maybe Special forces gone rogue). by marco nelor

hell even hairstyles look better than the damn straight back braids. Also prefer the locs in this art.

Some sorta street fighter wild child or at least station at Outworld

They are much more intresting then what she was left with.

Mkx, look at more the trickel down to Jax Jr. Got left with the most generic fits.

Mk11 concept art at least they play around with different outfits suprisingly dresses at that. (game skin version still looks a mess to me).

(first concpt: love some of the dresses & sleeker arm/leg designs)

But oh no they did it again. Glad none of these got turned into a skin (maybe the basketball one could be intresting)

if you want a character to be remember you need a good color scheme and make them pop. Need to stop going the safest route I know there in the military but there in Special Forces.

Examples Kimberly street fighter

Dolores King of Fighters- dark colors and making it pop with the accsents

Weapon Wise

Meh, gauntlets are like a boring version of Shuri from black panther movie(1 not 2). Almost got a little iron man to them, better than the one in the game(mkx) . Mkx concept art

In early looks for mkx she had intresting choices

She has a sword, tonfa sticks, amy knifes. (art 8) Other pic idk what she got like a knife on her leg, sword on her back. Don't even know if that a gun or some type a shield maybe both in her hand. Last two look like brass knuckles and metal claws.

I've seen people saying guns in fighting games when (people have magical or some other type of ablities) are boring if you stick to a regular gun. I've seen anime and games make guns intresting.

Final Fantasty 8, Final Fantasy 10, Rwby, Batman: Arkham Knight and etc. also Magical girl series if I find it. If they want to kept the Subaru Nakajima & Yang Xiao Long or maybe Bakugo.

Mk11- Added body armor and leg thrusters ( Idk that's what they called them when I looked him up) to take on the superhumans I guess. Maybe they could make her gauntlets sleeker & not bulky ( Even not a ripoff version of Jax & sonya weapons)

Honestly if they just take the time with her and change a bit of her story and flesh out her personality it could work.

Extra: Her gameplay is amazing and add to the fact they have to nerf her twice in mkx and mk11. She went from a keepaway to a rushdown.

#mk #jacqui briggs #boring #mortal kombat #mkx #mk11