I think the Uncut version of The Mind video PJ uploaded on Patreon is the greatest gift I have been given in this fandom. It's like the perfect video to just study them under a microscope because it is so unedited. You can just really see how they are in real life, especially also because they are with friends, within their comfort zone but outside of whatever little 'Dan and Phil' bubble they have.
Seeing the way Sophie interacts with Phil and responds to his mannerisms in a way that's so different to Dan. In general getting to see Sophie within this group of people who's mannerisms I know so well and how she fits in. The way Dan is so reactive to everything Phil does, and the way Sophie and PJ respond to their dynamic. The way Phil changes ever so slightly in this group, because especially him we barely ever see outside of interactions with Dan. Dan does projects on his own, with other people involved (Pride video, Dystopia Daily, ...) but Phil only ever really does videos by himself or with Dan and VERY occasionally with others. Seeing the way Dan and Sophie barely interact somehow, or only really subtly. PJ and Dan interacting in a way that feels so different than how Dan interacts with anyone else. The way dynamics we know so well (Dan and Phil / Sophie and PJ) are both different and the same. THERE IS SOMETHING SO DEEPLY FASCINATING ABOUT THIS WHOLE VIDEO TO ME
When I met Dan I asked to shake his hand and then told him he had very soft hands and he said he gets that a lot and doesn't know whether to feel emasculated by it and I meant to say "it's okay, gender is a social construct" but instead just went "its a gender" and he just laughed and said "yeah, yeah it is"
Sarah was really cool! She said that of all the fandoms she's worked with, the phandom is her favourite :) also I showed her the art I did of Dan and Phil which I got dan to sign and she COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING!
PJ and Sophie were ADORABLE!! I chatted with PJ about animation stuff and told him how I'd just gotten my first rejection from a film festival. He told me to keep going! And when I asked for a photo, Sophie assumed I only meant PJ. I asked her if she'd be in the photo too and she really quietly asked "Are you sure?" And I practically dragged her into the photo after that! She's lovely and I wish she understood how much people adore her.